Chapter 2
“Reg?”
Bloodshot, crazed eyes meet James’. He hasn’t seen them in almost 4 years, and yet it feels like the first time again. Regulus’s eyes used to be so full of life whenever he was around James, but now he looked like a mad man. A mad man who was supposed to be dead.
This has to be a sick joke, James thinks.
In a split second, Regulus was no longer in front of them, but pushing past their bodies to the stairs.
In a rush the three men scramble up the stairs and down the hall. Panic surged James as “Regulus” approaches the room across from Sirius’. The baby.
It seems like Sirius had the same idea, “No! Stop! You can’t go in there!” He tries to yell after “Regulus”, but it falls on deaf ears when he rushes into the room and slams the door behind him.
“Open the door! You can’t be in there!” James is desperately yelling, just begging that nothing will happen to the child. And even though James did not feel any emotional connection to him, James had morals. Morals which discluded allowing harm to children.
Before he could register what happened, a spell flew past his head just missing his ear, and blasting the door open at the same time. Quickly the three men ran in the room with their wands at the ready in front of them.
“Put him down!”
James can hear Harry crying hysterically from the loud noise, his eyes bouncing between “Regulus” and the three other men. And oh, did “Regulus” not like that.
His eyes turned murderous at the Marauders. Sirius stepped forward cautiously with his hands up to show peace, but one look and James could tell he was ready to throw a curse at any moment.
Regulus’ eyes zeroed in on him, narrowing a bit before throwing a nasty silent stinging jinx at him.
“Get away from us,” he growled out, stepping back from the group and tilting Harry away from their view. His eyes are now flitting between Sirius and the window.
“Don’t you dare,” Sirius bit out, “Just give the boy back, and we can go on our way.”
Regulus scoffed at that, his eyes fleeting behind him for a second and he replied, “Give him back? To you. As if I’d ever trust him in your care.” He sneered. Before Sirius could retort, footsteps fastly approached the room. James turns to see Minnie rushing past the splintered door into the room. She doesn’t even spare a glance to the marauders, but goes straight to Harry and Regulus. James notices the nightgown she's wearing, one very similar to the one his mother wears, and the rollers in her hair. For a moment he feels bad for waking up his old professor, this is probably the only time of the year she can have time away from her actual students waking her up at odd hours of the night for getting in trouble. But that worry goes away when he remembers that there’s an imposter Regulus in front of him, making James reason with himself that this is a quite important display for someone to be woken up for.
“What’s wrong? What’s with all this commotion?” she asks. She grabs Harry’s cheeks, checking him over to check for injuries. She goes to Regulus next and does the same thing. When she is done making sure he’s fine as well, she turns around to the other three men with a look they know all too well. “What did you three do now? Why am I being woken up with all this ruckus?”
“Oh um I don’t know Minnie, maybe because my dead brother is in my home! Or maybe because he’s somehow alive and in his room! Or did you forget that part?” James knew the predicament they were in, but Sirius clarifying it made everything seem so much more real. Regulus is standing right in front of him, carrying a child, and avoiding eye contact.
Merlin, even while he looks like a wet kneazle James would still think Regulus looked radiant. He knows this isn’t the time or place, or if this person even is Regulus. But he’s always had that kind of effect on James. Making him go dumb no matter the situation.
“Well I guess we have everything cleared up then don’t we Mr. Black,” Minnie’s words jumped James out of his thoughts, her eyes turning to slits, “Your brother is alive and well, and in his room safe and sound. You can leave now.” Her tone left no room for argument. Well it tried and didn’t work because Sirius wasn’t done.
“Do you really expect me to just handle this well? My little brother coming back from the dead? Or is that even really him? And don’t think I won’t be getting an explanation on how any of this has to do with Harry.” At this point Remus had gotten to Sirius’ side, his hand wrapping around his wrist, seemingly to try and calm him down.
Right, the kid. James looks back over to Regulus, watching him softly coo at the boy, stroking his scarred forehead and lightly bouncing him in his grip. He looked like some kind of parental figure to Harry. Maybe Harry was an orphan that Regulus had taken responsibility for at some point. But he knew Sirius had a point, that none of them knew if this was even Regulus.
“I can assure you that I am me, brother,” Regulus replied, looking at Sirius now and cradling Harry’s head on his shoulder, “Or are you that much of a fucking idiot?”
“Oi,” Remus chimes in now, “I think we can talk about this like adults without calling each other names.” Oh bless Moony for trying to mediate this, even while he’s obviously confused with everything as well.
“Actually Lupin, I just call it how I see it. If anyone in this room shared more than one brain cell, you would’ve known I was alive. Or have you all forgotten about the family tapestry?” That made Sirius snap his mouth shut. James and Remus looked at each other confused. Remus mouthed ‘tapestry’ to him while he shrugged his shoulders.
“Alright, this is going to be a long night. Regulus, why don’t I put Harry to sleep and fix that door while you grab a bite from the kitchen? Come back soon though, you need your rest after your night.” The professor grabbed the sleeping toddler from Regulus’ arms and ushered the four men to the door, before fixing it and effectively leaving them alone in the hallway. Thank Merlin for Moony breaking the silence.
“So Regulus, it’s–er good to see you again,” Regulus barely spares him a glance and rolls his eyes. He turns around and heads down the hall to the stairs, Sirius immediately following behind.
Remus sighs, making James turn to him, “It’s going to be like this all night isn’t it Prongs?”
“Seems like it, Moons.”
—----------------
“Stop following me.”
“No.”
“Get away from me.”
“No. What are you doing?”
“Going to the kitchen to get food.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m hungry.”
“What are you–oomph” Sirius stops when he bumps into Regulus’ back. He stopped short at the entrance of the kitchen, almost making Sirius fall.
“Merlin’s tits Sirius!” He yells, “Leave me alone! You are the last person I want to be talking to right now,” Regulus turns around, jutting a finger into Sirius’ chest. Sirius pushes it off and continues following him into the kitchen after he walks away again.
“No Regulus, you come back after four years– three of which I thought you were dead– so of course I want to know where the fuck you’ve been,” Sirius exclaimed, “And why are you wet?”
Regulus stopped in front of a cupboard, opening it and grabbing the loaf of bread. With a swish of his hand a jar of spread and a knife flew out of the other side of the kitchen and into Regulus’ hand. It’s when he starts spreading that James and Remus decide to make an entrance.
With a small glance up, he scoffs again, “Still can’t go anywhere without your pack of wolves I see,” This makes the three men stiffen up and exchange nervous looks. He couldn’t know right? “That does make me wonder where the short one is though.” Sirius narrows his eyes, but Regulus still doesn’t look up from his bread.
“Peter is none of your business,” Sirius growls out, “Now answer me. Where. Were. You?”
With a sigh, Regulus puts down the knife and finally locks eyes with his brother. His eyes are so similar to his own, yet so different. Sirius’s reflected his rambunctious personality, a grey storm silently waiting for lightning to strike and causing destruction in its path; whereas Regulus’ eyes, grey as well, reflected more of grey raging waters, with no remorse for anything it takes underneath it.
“I’ve been in America, living with the muggle president and advocating for peace on Earth. Choose love, not war brother,” And with that, Regulus picks up his plate of bread and pushes past Sirius, out of the room.
“Well he’s just as lovely as I remember.”
“Shut up Moony.”