Chapter 13 - Time Travelers
Regulus was merely wondering the halls looking for James.
With his luck he crashed right into the person he'd been looking for.
"Where have you been?" Regulus quizzed, just glad to see him.
"Looking for you, of course." He spoke.
Regulus furrowed his eyebrows ever-so-slightly. There was something off- something different about James.
He seemed less energetic- less bounce of the walls.
He seemed mature? If Regulus could even say that.
The way he held himself was all wrong.
"Are you alright?" Regulus asked, letting the slight shift get to him.
James sighed before letting out a chuckle, "You always did know me better than anyone."
At that Regulus took a step back.
"I confess, I'm not your James." James spoke.
He looked exactly like James and he spoke like James, but he wasn't.
"Well I am, but not from this time." James added.
"I don't understand." Regulus muttered.
"You're aware of time travel, yes?" Not James asked.
Regulus nodded.
"Hypothetically if I were from the future and I hypothetically followed a bad wizard from my time who hypothetically ran to another time with her twin brother for him to recover after I hypothetically freaked out after he tried to kill you in the tournament", Not James explained, "Do you understand."
"Locket. Professor Locket. That's why she looked so familiar- her brother tried to kill me", Regulus concluded before adding, "Hypothetically."
"Correct." James nodded.
"So you came here for what?" Regulus asked.
"Just to scare her back into my time", Not James explained, "Here I can't protect you, but there I can."
"How do I help?" Regulus asked.
"We have to steal something- something she values." Not James explained.
So Regulus brought Not James to Professor Locket's office. It was empty, however the place still gave him the creeps.
"Look for something that stands out", James offered, "It'll look significant."
Regulus searched through shelves, drawers, and the cabinet behind her desk.
He crouched down to slide open a drawer in her desk.
Papers, papers, more papers and- a glowing ball.
Regulus plucked the glowing sphere that swirled a mixture of purple and blue.
"Like this?" Regulus asked.
Not James' smile grew, "Perfect."
Soon though, his smile dropped.
"Someone's coming", Not James warned, "Hide under the desk."
Regulus dove for the cover of the desk as the door swung open.
There was a click of heels before the door closed again.
"You." Locket hissed.
"Me." Not James huffed.
"What do I owe the pleasure?" She quizzed.
"You're done messing with time, Locket." Not James spat.
"Let me remind you who has control here", She sneered, "One flick and you can say goodbye to Regulus. You can say goodbye to you're everything- your kids and your love. And there's nothing you can do to stop me."
"Really?" Not James asked.
Regulus couldn't see what was going on, but Locket seemed to fall silent.
"Where did you get that- give it back!" She hissed.
Not James clicked his tongue, "Let me remind you who has the power. You will leave this time or I'll finish your brother off once and for all."
It wasn't supposed to be hot, but Regulus would be lying if he said it wasn't.
There were whispered words that Regulus couldn't make out and then the door opened and slammed shut.
Regulus didn't breathe or make a sound.
Not James crouched down in front of him and brought a hand to his cheek comfortingly.
"You're alright." He assured.
He held his hand out for Regulus to take and he did just that.
Maybe he was crazy, but he trusted James- past, present, or future.
"She won't return here if she knows what's good." Not James muttered.
He was so awfully gentle with Regulus- not as if he were fragile, but as if he were precious.
Not James took the time to look Regulus up and down as if noticing something he hadn't before.
"You're glowing." Not James gleamed.
Regulus wasn't sure what to do with such a compliment, so he smiled.
"What now?" Regulus asked.
"Now I must return back to my time." Not James explained.
"Hypothetically?" Regulus joked.
James laughed, "I love you. I always have, always will."
"Alright", Regulus chuckled, "Now go before future me starts to worry."
James smiled, he stepped out from the room.
Regulus followed him a moment later and he was nowhere to be found.
So he returned to what he'd been doing as if nothing had happened, he returned to walking the halls looking for his James.
Close by, Junior headed down the hall speedily approaching the intersection.
As he spotted the dark figure he began throwing spell after spell at her.
She dodged them causing her to rush into the abandoned corridor and out of open fire.
Junior, Teddy, and James all followed her into the hallway, chasing her towards the dead end.
She stopped a few feet short of the wall, standing there as the three boys approached her fast.
Just as Junior reached for her she vanished, leaving her black robe to fall to the ground and a note to slide out into view.
'Nice try, but don't fret dear cousins- I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other very soon.'
"Do you think she'll be back?" James quizzed as the three boys exited into the main hallways.
"Here? No. In the future? I'm sure of it." Teddy explained as they walked.
James nodded as they headed out of the castle into the fresh air.
He spotted Regulus making his way out into the grass.
The stars sparkled brightly in the sky, illuminating the pitch black.
"Can I ask you something?" James questioned breaking the silence.
"Sure." Junior said as he watched his father from afar- the youthfulness in his expression apparent.
"Are we happy, in the future?" James quizzed as they all watched as Regulus plop down onto the grass and look up at the stars.
Junior scoffed knowing his father would of course ask about himself and Regulus, "You're the reason people still believe in true love."
James looked over at his son with a genuine smile.
"Do me a favor, will ya?", James started, "Tell your father you love him. He didn't hear it half as much as he should've in his lifetime."
Junior smiled, "Do me a favor? Don't do anything stupid. I'd still like to exist in the future."
James laughed before ruffling the younger boys hair.
"Jamie, we should..." Teddy started his sentence falling off softly.
Junior looked over at his father staring at the stars before James nudged him with his shoulder lovingly.
James headed towards Regulus as Teddy and Junior watched.
"I've been looking for you all day." Regulus muttered as James nudged him to the ground before collapsing onto him.
They giggled as they play wrestled in the grass, under the moonlight.
"It was an eventful day." James explained as he hovered over the boy.
"Care to elaborate?" Regulus quizzed.
James smiled before pressing a kiss to the boy's nose, "I'll tell you one of these days."
James collapsed next to the boy as they looked up at the stars for awhile, just basking it the peace of each other's presences.
Regulus was the first to move as he pushed himself off the ground.
"Hungry?" Regulus questioned.
"Starving." James groaned with a smile as Regulus held his hand out for the boy.
James grabbed it as Regulus pulled him off his butt.
James wrapped his arm around the smaller boys shoulder as they headed into the castle.
"You look lovely today, have I told you that?" James muttered.
"If this is your way of saying you're sorry for being M.I.A on my birthday, then you're going to have to try a lot harder." Regulus quipped.
"Don't worry, love. I've got plans." James jeered with a smirk.
"If by plans you mean great sex, then my forgiveness may be granted to you." Regulus said making James snicker.