Midnight talks
It’s gonna be almost ten years since Regulus isn’t here anymore. And not a day goes by that James doesn’t miss him. It’s never gonna chance, he made peace with it. He doesn’t want to stop missing him.
It’s gonna be almost ten years since James climbs on the roof at least once a week in the middle of the night to search the night sky for his star. And Regulus is there, bright, and beautiful as always. The stars have only a fraction of the light Regulus had in him, but James made peace with this too. Nothing could compare to that boy anyway.
He sits on the roof and talks to him. He tells him about his day and what Sirius and Remus are doing, and he talks about his own family. Regulus would want him to be happy, so he shares this too. He talks about Lily and Harry and how happy they make him. He talks about how much he wants him here too. He never gets an answer, but that’s fine. He knows Regulus is listening anyway.
“Harry is gonna be a great seeker. I can see that.” James whispers toward the flickering sky. “I think he would be a challenge even for you, and that says a lot.”
He closes his eyes recalling every time he was lucky enough to witness Regulus flying. He never saw anyone more talented than this boy. Flying was for Regulus as natural as breathing. He always belonged to the sky.
“I think you would let him win every time, though. Even your competitiveness would crumble in front of his smile when he wins. And Regulus, Harry has the most beautiful smile. You would have loved it.”
James smiles softly. It took him a long time to be able to smile. For years even the mention of the other boy’s name was causing him so much physical pain that he couldn’t bare it. He cried for hours, days but the pain never went away. It got better with time. That doesn’t mean it still doesn’t hurt, that his hands still don’t feel cold without the other boy holding them. But James learned to live with it. He learned how to appreciate the memories of the boy he loves. What in the past caused pain now brings him peace. Because Regulus lives on in his memories.