Chapter 13
Regulus paused at the dog laying on his trunk. "Jem..." the golden retriever whined and ran a paw over his nose, tail wagging slightly, "Darling," Regulus crouched in front of the packed and locked trunk, running his fingers through the soft fur, "you can't come with me." One of his back paws slip off the lid of the trunk as he whined some more, "You do in fact have a home, one with parents that expect to see you."
A flash of something silver caught Regulus' attention, just in the corner of his eye and he stood up from where he'd been in front of Jem. Looking at the folded paper with his name on it, Jem's wand and the soft looking leather collar beside it, he picked up the paper while running his fingers over the leather.
Dear Mr.Black
My name is Euphemia Potter. Remus, who I consider my eldest son has taken it upon himself to inform me of my youngest's affections towards you. Now while this is probably none of my business I know what Sirius looked like when he came back from that place so I've given Remus some instructions.
He is to leave in your possession four things, a black leather collar that Jem has used to pass off as nothing more than a dog more times then any of us can count, Jem's wand, Jem himself, and this note.
The only thing I ask is that you care for him in the same way he does for you.
I for one, am looking forward to meeting you when the time comes.
Until then, Euphemia Potter.
Regulus looked back to the trunk, to the dog now sleeping on it, ears twitching every now and then as his breathing continued slow and steady. "It's dangerous." Regulus said quietly, watching the animagus with a soft smile. "But you know that."
He finishes packing up the last trunk slipping Jem's wand between a scarf and a sweater, tucking a handful of pictures he had gotten throughout the school year, random moments of the Marauders being idiots, Jem carelessly smiling or smoking on the roof, little snippets of time tucked into the moving photos, hidden in a book he would open far too many times this summer. Then he was left with the collar and note sitting on his bed, a note that caught fire a few moments later. So just the collar. He ran his fingers over the smooth and as expected soft, well worn leather, the tag on it read Jem that was all. No address or home phone number.
He whistles, keeping it low but just loud enough the dog perks up at the sound, tail wagging as he looks in Regulus' direction, "Come here." He dropped back down onto the trunk in silent protest, not quite putting together the object in the other wizard's hands and his change of voice. "You are annoyingly stubborn," Regulus got off the bed and sat down on the edge of the trunk rubbing behind the pup's ears, "I'm not sending you away." His ears perked back up tail wagging hesitantly. "They've already gone haven't they? Your group, they're already on the train, huh?"
Jem sat up, front paws tapping the wood top of the trunk a few times as he shifted his weight, tail curling around his right side as he watched Regulus, "So you're coming with me." His tail tapped the wooden box again, a soft tip tap sound coming as he shifted his weight over his front paws. "It's reckless and idiotic, but okay." A soft yip as he dropped forwards, he lifted his head when he felt Regulus tap it. A soft huff was his reaction when Regulus slipped the leather over his head, gold ears pinning back and popping back up once it settled into place. "Let's go catch that train."
Regulus was pacing the room Jem sitting on his bed and watching carefully, "You must think I'm going crazy."
Warm hands were on his face as Regulus collided with Jem's body, pacing coming to a halt as he leaned into the touch, "I lost it long ago, you're not alone baby."
"I wish...I wish it were different."
"Me too," soft pressure led Regulus into a hug as he clung to the animagus running his fingers up and down his spine. The motion surprisingly soothing, "I've got you." That was too comforting, too safe after what had just happened, but it was Jem, it was the mix of lavender and chocolate that told him it wasn't a lie. Not even one of his mother's spells could copy that as well as the real thing. Or the immediate comfort that washed over him when lips were pressed to his hair and strong arms tightened around him, "I've got you."
He sat down on the bed when Jem led him that way, "They're gonna kill us." Jem's hum remained soothing and soft as he ran his fingers through Regulus' hair, "They're not gonna believe in the end, not over him. Voldemort is a influential man with too much power, they're not gonna believe us, they're not going to protect us. They're going to kill us for speaking out."
"Shh," the hand cupping his face nudged him back to Jem's shoulder, his thumb skimming his lips, "we'll figure it out. Together."
"I don't want to die."
"You're not going to."
"We're just kids. We shouldn't be learning how to cheat death, we should be living our fucking lives."
"I know." Jem's voice broke that time, a slight waiver tinting his words as his lips pressed to Regulus' temple.
"It's not fair."
"No, no it's not. But our fate is never set in stone, Lover."
"What?"
"Perhaps something terrible befalls our equally terrible leader, perhaps we find a weakness before he can stop us."
"You're suggesting..."
"Mhm," then he dropped the topic, a yawn escaping as he laid back on the bed.
"You gonna stay here if I ask?"
"Of course." Regulus couldn't help his smile, so much time as the dog had worn off on the man, small little reactions that give animal instead of human, and his newest habit for sleeping when Regulus leaves. Technically he was not supposed to be here, and so staying in his bedroom they decided was the safest way to go about making it unknown.
Even on two legs he moves with something distinctly dog like, too graceful to be human and too uncoordinated to be a cat. Regulus flicked the radio on before grabbing a new shirt, finding it easier to keep Jem in place but out of his own head when there was background noise.
The first few days did not end well for either of them, Jem hyperventilating and unresponsive because he slipped a tad too far into his telepathy and trapped himself in his own head. Regulus managed to bring him back out and into himself but it was messy. With the sleeping and music he tended to be in a rather decent mood when Regulus wandered in.
"I'll be back in a few hours, promise."
He got a lazy smile and a halfhearted hum before gaining a kiss when he leaned slightly on the bed, "You better, Black." Regulus smiled, calmer and far more clear headed before leaving the room and the animagus stretched out on the bed.