Timeless

James

We may have spent the entire night in the cave but Regulus had pointed out that it was the full moon (I had almost choked on my own tongue at that, Moony had really trusted him from the beginning huh? Didn't tell me or Sirius till we figured it out ourselves, but went and told Reg. I don't know if I should take it personally or be happy that he's learned to trust more freely..) and so Sirius would be probably too busy handling his werewolf husband to deal with us on top of it anyway. I skipped telling him the part where Pads and I usually went along with Moony during the full moon as a dog and a deer. I'd tell him next month.

When we left the cave the sun had just risen, the clouds still pink and purple and orange, and my fingers were entwined with Reg's. Whatever Sirius had up his sleeve for us it would be nothing compared to what we'd already gone through, so when I lifted my wand to take us back home my hand was not shaking. Nor was my heart. I felt whole, more whole than I ever had. 

This time I did not knock, instead we just walked in through the back door, hand in hand. Alphard jumped up from the couch, still here too evidently.

I grinned as relief washed over him and he shocked Regulus by lifting him up in a tight hug, “You are a miracle, Regulus, really fucking rulebreaking, recordbreaking, odds-defying…,” he put him down, “But don't you ever scare us like that again, ever, okay?”

Before Regulus could respond, panting Sirius appeared behind him, he'd run down the stairs. 

“Oh thank Merlin, Reggie,” he pulled his baby brother in a hug and I watched Regulus, after a few moments of adjusting, embrace him back. They would be okay, we would all be okay. 

As if in sync the brothers reached out their hands, grabbed mine, and pulled me in the pile.

“You really had to go for my best friend, Reggie, didn't you?”

“Well, there's no person in the world who could ever compare,” he responded and I found his eyes, as watery as mine, but we were both smiling. 

“I hate when you're right,” Sirius was grumpy, but a smile was on his lips as well when he pulled away.

My arms stayed around Reggie tho. I had told him I wouldn't let go and I meant it.

“I give you two weeks,”

“Excuse me?” Regulus asked and, while I was technically behind him, I swore I knew exactly how his eyes widened at that moment.

“I'll have a bet with Moony. Two weeks and James will realise he's too good for you,”

“I want in on that bet, could use the money we're gonna win,” I said, “because look,” I took Reg's beautifully glistening tattooed wrist and lifted it next to the matching gold inking on my cheek, “I fear you literally have to kill us if you want to break us up now,”

“Oy,” Reg elbowed my stomach and I laughed, “speak for yourself, I may love your stupid ass but that doesn't mean I want to die like right now. My life just started,”

“I know,” I kissed his hand and then the top of his head, “but Moony wouldn't let Pads kill us anyway,”

Sirius rolled his eyes and turned towards the kitchen, “If you keep displaying all that in front of me I just might.”

“And if I catch you shagging in our house, I'll let him,” exhausted-looking Moony walked down the stairs with a grin on his face.

“Hi,” Regulus, who was now standing next to me but still holding my hand, blushed, evidently still not feeling as comfortable around Remus as he did his brother. Or me. To be fair they had had probably like 6 conversations in total and would probably be besties after 6 more. But if it wasn't for the first of their chats Regulus would not be standing here today. It was so weird to think about all the little things that had gone just right and led us here. A million things could've gone wrong. Remus might've gone to Diagon Alley an hour later and missed Reg. I might've missed the tiny shake in Sirius' jaw at Grimmauld's and then I never would have found the letter. Alphard could have given in and said yes. Reggie could've read about a different myth and it all would've gone differently.

But despite all odds, despite everything that could've gone wrong, we were all here in Sirius' and Remus' living room, laughing. 

Alphard had given me a promise based on nothing, said it would all be okay.

And he had been right. 

I squeezed Regulus' hand to make sure I wasn't dreaming and he squeezed it back, saying this is real and I am here with you.