Timeless

James

Regulus just left. I hated it. I hated how I couldn't seem to keep him alive, every time I ignited the spark that lit up his face he, sooner or later, freaked out and shut himself off and I just couldn't get why. I needed to figure out what it was that was making him so scared, I could tell there was something there I was missing but he was so incredibly complicated. I would need time to unpick the mess of him (this makes it sound like a mundane task but I promise I mean it in the most tender intimate way and I so fucking much wish I had the chance to… undo him…) but time was the one thing we didn't have. I'm not even sure if we had any now, he just disappeared and I had no idea where he'd gone. 

He had promised me two weeks though and it had not even been one so I'd find him and I'd figure him out. Somehow. First, however, I'd have to face Sirius as he's the only one who maybe might be able to tell me where to look for Reggie. 

Unless, maybe, just maybe, he went back to Remus and Sirius' and I would be able to explain myself out of the running-off-during-the-wedding mess without revealing I was pining after his little sibling. Merlin, how did I end up in this mess? 

It would be fine. Somehow it would be fine. 

It felt weird to knock on the door of the house I called home but it didn't feel right to just barge in as I usually did, not after I had left mid-ceremony, so I knocked and waited. Remus made it to the door a few moments later, surprisingly unsurprised to see me, “Bout time you got back,” he headed back towards the living room, leaving the door open for me. I swallowed and stepped in. “James's back!” he called out to Sirius as he walked past the living room and opted for the kitchen instead. I braced myself, if Remus knew to keep out of the way it was not going to be good, now was it?

I closed the door behind me and went to find Sirius. He was indeed in the living room, playing chess.

With Regulus.

My chest contracted and I wanted to fall to my knees and cry. 

He didn't acknowledge my presence, though. He wouldn't even look at me, just stared at the chess pieces, not even a particular one it seemed like, there was no focus in his eyes. It's almost like he wasn't even there. Everything in me just… shattered. 

He was wearing a dress. He was-

Had I done that to him? Made him run back to the shell he hated? I-

“Oi! James?!” a hand waved in front of my face. Right. Sirius. I shook my head.

“Yes. Sorry. Hi.”

“Hi?! HI?! That's what you say?! No. Nope.” he grabbed me by the upper arm, fingers digging into my skin, and started dragging me towards the backdoor. All I could do was glance at Regulus just one more time.

He looked at me. Just for the briefest moment, didn't even lock his eyes with mine, but he wasn't gone yet. Not completely. I might still-

“Ow,” I yelped as Sirius had to get me back to reality by actually pulling me off the porch and making me stumble and fall in the process. On purpose or not, I was sitting with my ass on the grass now.

“You gonna tell me what's going in that mind? No? How about why you, the literal best man AND the wedding planner, ran off mid-wedding? The same time as my little dumbass brother? Who returned only to have everyone call him her and Regina and to put on dresses again?” I flinched, “I need answers, James Fleamont Potter,”

Oh shit. Three names. I was really in trouble. 

“I- well-”

“I'm listening,”

I squeezed my eyes shut. What was I to say, huh? “I tried my best, Pads. I really did. I-” I couldn't tell him the truth, he'd kill me and it'd betray Reg's trust, “Do you know how he got here in the first place? That it was me causing a bit of a fake arrest case? Well, someone took it for the truth and figured Regina, the fugitive, would show up at your wedding. So I had to get him out of here and go and clean up the mess at the ministry without cleaning it up entirely or he would have to immediately go back even if he didn't want to. I don't know though, where he went for the timebeing. Don't know what made him go by Regina again,” I had never ever lied to someone so much, especially not to Sirius, and all I could do was just hope he wouldn't see right through my attempt.

I felt arms wrap around me, pull me in a hug, and I found Sirius hugging me as I opened my eyes. I had not wanted him to see through the lies, but I felt like shit for lying too. 

“I owe you a shit ton of favours, Prongs, you magnificent being,” yup. I felt fucking horrible. “You must be exhausted if you came from the ministry, they're full bonkers over there, aren't they?”

“Sure, right, yes. I'm spent,” that would explain why I was acting aloof, hopefully. A more survivable excuse than saying “Actually, I am completely, hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with your little brother and it's so much that I cannot think straight (haha, literally) for even if he's not in the same room, all that's on my mind or that my body reacts to is him.”

I promised to head to bed as soon as possible as we got back inside but made up an excuse to make kitchen detour first. I had to talk to Remus, I needed answers and hopefully he had at least something I didn't yet know.

“Made it out alive I can see?” he looked up from his book as I walked in. 

I rolled my eyes, cast a muffliato over the room, and sat opposite of him, “I didn't tell him. Please please please don't either,”

“James-”

“No, I know. I will tell him. It's just so fucking complicated,” I pushed my glasses up into my hair and let my face drop to my hands, “and I have no idea how to solve it,”

“Okay, I need more context than that,” he gave up on the hope of continuing his reading, I heard him pushing the book away and looked up.

“Yeah,” I sighed, “don't we all?”

“What?”

“He told me he's getting married. Said you knew of it. What's the deal with that?”

“Well…”

“You knew and didn't tell me?!”

“Well, he made me promise, so yeah,” 

“Okay. Fine. Whatever. What did he tell you? Please? He told me himself he's getting married so surely you can tell me now, right?”

He sighed, “Aight. It's an arranged marriage, parents' doing, he hates it. Think it was to an uncle or s'mting. Wedding's been planned for nearly a year now, happens in a couple o' weeks if I remember correctly,”

“Two and a half,” I sighed, relieved it's something he doesn't really want at least, “except it won't. I won't let it. I'll figure something out. Thanks, dude,”

“That's so far the weirdest thing I've been thanked for. Wait, no. I take my words back. There's been much weirder stuff. Still all from you and/or Pads, though.”