Destruction
For the first time in months, Regulus was at peace, he wasn’t drugged to high heaven on Dreamless Sleep and was comfortably sprawled out in James’ lap in his bedroom. His fingers were wrapped around a warm porcelain mug of tea, entranced by James’ steady heartbeat in his ear.
“Y’know,” James mused, his fingers mindlessly tangled in Regulus’ hair and scratching his scalp. “I’m starting to not hate it here so much.”
Regulus snorted and took a long sip of his drink, the sweet liquid soothing his throat. “At Grimmauld Place?”
“Mhm,” James smirked, “Tragi,c isn’t it? Sirius would probably kill me if he ever heard me suggest such a thing.”
Regulus exhaled softly, Sirius was always a touchy subject, James never wanted to talk about his best friend until he did. It was an old wound, one James was slowly healing from, and one that would be amended as soon as they figured out how to end their war.
“I miss him too y’know,” James used his forefinger to tilt Regulus’ chin up so their eyes could meet. Soft hurt coursed through James’ doe eyes, and Regulus felt a pang of pain in his chest.
“You miss him more than I do,” he replied softly. “He was your best friend.”
“He was your brother,” James shrugged, not an ounce of argument in his tone. It was simply a fact, brother trumps best friend any day of the week, even if it is as complicated as Sirius and Regulus were. Regulus didn’t reply, his eyes stayed trained on James as he took a long breath. James’ mouth opened and closed a few times - as if he was deciding on what to say. “He’d kill me if he knew I had his little brother in my lap.”
Regulus almost choked on his tea, “He’d have to find you first.”
James laughed, and it made Regulus’ heart flutter in his chest, a warmth filled his body that he hadn’t felt in a long time. “Good thing I’m good at hiding then,” James remarked.
“Very good thing,” Regulus smirked, his cheeks growing warm.
James smiled and leaned forward to press a kiss to the top of his black curls. Regulus held his cheeks and guided his lips down toward his own. The kiss was soft and sweet, no teeth or rushed need, just a pure moment of safety. James was safe to him, a place he didn’t need to be afraid. James slid his tongue along the seam of Regulus’ lips and he happily parted them to allow James access.
As James took the kiss deeper, his tongue sliding into Regulus’ mouth and pulling a soft whine from the boy he also took the cup of tea from his hands and placed it on the bedside table with a soft clunk. A quick break in the kiss allowed Regulus to flip himself so he was no longer lying on his back but able to straddle James where he sat propped up against his pillows.
“Reg? This okay I don’t want to hurt you,” James’ eyes were glazed over in desire, and Regulus couldn’t help but scoff.
“Jamie,” Regulus rolled his eyes, “Shut up and kiss me again.”
And James did just that, the kiss was far less innocent this time, James immediately pushed his way into Regulus’ mouth and nipped at his lips. Regulus wrapped his arms around the back of James’ neck and leaned into his chest. Warm hands slide up the back of Regulus’ shirt and he arched his back into the touch, his body shivering.
“Fuck Mon Soleil,” Regulus hissed as James pulled away, clamping his teeth down on his lip and yanking. A smirk grew on James’ lips as he wrapped his arms around Regulus’ torso and flipped them so that Regulus was lying on his back in the pile of pillows and James was sitting atop, his torso and straddling him.
“You alright?” James asked, his hands sliding back under Regulus’ shirt and brushing over his chest.
Regulus nodded quickly and shimmied up so that James was sitting lower on his body, “Yes.”
“Alright,” James smiled and leaned back over his body, his lips meeting the sensitive skin at the base of Regulus’ neck, his nipped gently - not had enough to leave marks but just hard enough for it to sting.
Regulus gasped softly and squirmed beneath James’ weight, a hand slid beneath Sirius’ old tee that Regulus had been sleeping in and featherlight touches across his stomach made Regulus whimper in need.
James went’ to yank the shirt away when heavy footsteps broke the trance and before either of the boys could react Regulus’ door was slammed open - impressive considering the amount of protective charms James had on it.
Regulus jumped back, nausea settling in his stomach as James pulled his wand out from under the pillows. He shoved Regulus behind him and Regulus swore under his breath at the audacity - he was perfectly capable of protecting himself.
“Honestly Regulus,” a sharp laugh sent him into a full panic. “Could you have chosen anyone worse than Potter?”
“Reg—” James muttered, narrowing his eyes at the three people who had entered the room. Lucius and Dolohov stood behind Bellatrix with their wands drawn, but Bella seemed bored, twirling her wand lazily as she sent Regulus a disappointed glare.
“Well there was that debate a few years ago about having to marry you,” Regulus retorted. “I’d say I did better than that by a long shot.”
“Regulus!” James scolded, he didn’t understand this life. Regulus knew how to navigate the situation, so long as they didn’t know the full truth Regulus could get them out of this with a light slap on the wrist.
“Let me,” Regulus hissed, turning back to his deranged cousin.
“Listen to him Potter, this will go a lot smoother if he does,” Lucius cut in, and Jmes reluctantly shuts his mouth.
“Now,” Bellatrix turns her eye back to Regulus, “I was under the impression you were in a coma after a mission gone wrong, it's a shame you lied about it.”
Regulus rolled his eyes, “I was in a coma from a mission, I never lied. I simply woke up. I’m sure James would have gone and found you as soon as he got over his shock, it really is a miracle.”
“Cut the bullshit, Baby Black,” Dolohov snapped, his accent thick in his anger. “We know you’re lying.”
“Enlighten me then,” Regulus’ heart speeds up, what did they know? “What am I lying about?”
“You didn’t go on a mission back in July,” Bellatrix starts and Regulus’ heart drops. Fuck.
James’ hand finds Regulus' and squeezes.
“You’re both traitorous liars who need to pay for what you’ve done,” Lucius spats.
“This will be a hell of a lot easier if you come with us,” Bellatrix offers the olive branch. It's a trap, Regulus knows that much, and so does James. “The Dark Lord is a merciful man, but if you try to run now things can and will get ugly.”
Regulus’ heart is racing, he takes James’ hand tentatively and slides from the bed. James' eyes are panicked, like a deer in headlights.
“Reg what are you doing,” He trails off and Regulus pulls him up, he has to be careful if this is going to work they’re being watched too carefully for a slip-up.
“Trust me, Jamie,” he mutters, barely audible as he prys the wand out of James’ hand just out of the sightline of Bella and the others.
“Good choice ikle cousin,” Bella grins and extends her hand for Regulus to take.
“Stall,” Regulus commands James quietly.
“How’d you figure it out,” James’ voice comes out wobbly and higher than he intended.
Bella’s smile widens and the men laugh behind her, “Your little friends are quite willing to speak after a bit of torture,” she shrugs and both boys freeze.
“Shit–”
“Evan…” Regulus trails off, his stomach threatening to empty itself.
“Honestly, after the childhood they had I’d have assumed Rosier and Crouch could have taken more,” Bella mused.
“Rosier would’ve held up for days if it hadn’t been for Crouch being a crybaby,” Dolohov chuckled, Regulus balled his fist up and took a deep breath. “He broke first.”
“Come along Regulus,” Bella commanded and Regulus closed his eyes for a second, months of pent-up anger and magic being channeled into one very well-aimed curse. He flicked James’ wand and the ceiling above the three adults collapsed and crushed them, it wouldn’t kill them but it would give them enough time to run.
“We have to go,” Regulus turned to James and grabbed his wrist, they could apperate from the garden. James followed him closely as they jumped over the pile of rubble and unconscious bodies and raced down the stairs.
“What about Evan and Barty?” James’ voice cracked.
Regulus had to force the words out of his mouth, “They’re not here… and we can't help them if we’re dead James. We need to get out of here and then we can find them.”
“Okay,” James sounded heartbroken and Regulus swallowed his offer to try and find them now. He needed to save their lives first, Evan knew how to keep himself alive, and he had to trust Barty would let Evan take care of him too.
The path to the garden was thankfully clear and as the pair broke out into the chilly fall air Regulus heard a screech from upstairs, they were out of time. The mist caused drops of water to bead on Regulus’ face as he led James into the deepest section of the garden where the wards from the house were weakest.
“They’ll be able to track us so we need to go now and buy as much time as we can,” Regulus explained quickly, pressing James’ wand into his shaking hands. “I’m rubbish at apparition.”
James understood and took his wand back, wrapping an arm around Regulu’s thin frame and holding him tightly as the dark twisting sensation yanked their bodies away from the earth and away from the angry screams of his cousin - now out for blood.
✮✮✮
“Sirius!” Remus’ voice rang through the house and Sirius immediately perked up, there was a lace of panic through his tone and the black-haired boy immediately shot up and went to find his boyfriend.
Remus was in the sitting room staring at a small silvery fox that was sitting at his feet, he’d only seen Evan Rosier’s patronus once, and it was because the younger boy had been moved up into their defense against the dark arts class in the sixth year because he could already do the whole sixth-year curriculum perfectly.
“That's…” Sirius trailed off as his mind raced as to why a death eater’s patronus was sitting in his sitting room.
‘We destroyed the Horcruxes, the ring, and the diary… we’ve likely been captured, James and Regulus need help, they never betrayed you, not really… they’ll tell you everything if we don’t make it-’ Evan’s voice was shaking and Sirius could tell something was wrong as his words echoed in his head. The Horcruxes? What horcruxes? James… Sirius didn’t understand.
‘We’ll make it,’ Barty Crouch’s voice snapped, it sounded strained and terrified, two things he’d never expected to hear from that boy.
‘Help us end this… I’ll see you on the other side Black… Tell Reg we love him’ The voices ended abruptly and the cut-off sound of an explosion rang through the room as the fox curled n on itself and faded into oblivion.
“I-” Sirius’ head was reeling and Regulus stared at him.
“We need to get Dumbledore,” Effie’s voice broke the silence and both boys spun around to find the Potters standing in the doorway, a flicker of hope in their expressions.
They could get James back.
Sirius could get James back.
Thank Merlin for Evan Tyr Rosier.