One of Us | Jegulus

One

Regulus almost screamed when he woke up and found three pairs of eyes staring down at him.
He was laying... on a couch? What the hell?
Panic struck him. His first reflex was to jump up and draw his wand. But he was so weak, and when he felt his pockets his wand was gone.

Instead he blinked a couple of times and sat up slowly. His heart rushed and he found it difficult to breathe. This wasn't right. This wasn't Grimmauld Place. Too bright and he didn't recognise the smell.
He blinked again against the light. Who brought him here? He only knew one thing for sure: He was in danger and not in a state to defend himself.

He lifted his head and tried to hide his fear. There was a man, couldn't be much older than him, kneeling in front of his couch. The two other ones were sitting on a second couch nearby.
He squinted. He knew them.
Then it struck him. It was Potter. James Potter, that annoying friend of his brother. And the other ones were that weird Lupin boy and Pettigrew.
He backed away into the cushions. So that must mean that Sirius...

He heard a rustling noise in the most remote corner of the room.
There he was standing. His older brother. His expression was closed, Regulus couldn't guess what he was thinking.
He felt the blood rushing through his veins. This can't be good.

"What do you want?" He choked. He tried to remember the last evening. What had happened? There was a meeting, that he could remember. Then something must have happened... he couldn't recall what. But suddenly there was shouting and yelling and a lot of curses. And blood.
Regulus went sick. He didn't understand. So there was a fight. Did they lose? Was he a prisoner now? Would they kill him? Would they torture him?

"Er-" James said stupidly. He seemed to be very uncertain. "Are you - are you hungry?"
What?
Regulus shook his head. He most certainly wasn't that stupid to accept food from the enemy.
"What do you want?" He repeated.
He saw James casting a quick glance at Sirius before focussing on Regulus again.
At that moment, Sirius rose his voice. "Yeah, what do we want from him? He's a lost cause, James, and I don't want to look at him. Would have been better to leave him there. I've got enough trouble already."

Regulus looked up at his older brother in shock. That... hurt.
"Then don't look at him, for Merlin's sake. Alright... can you three leave us for a moment? Please?"
The two men on the couch stood up in silence, glancing at Regulus before leaving the room. Sirius scowled at them, but followed his two friends eventually.
Regulus didn't know if he was relieved or even more scared to be alone with one of them.

"Look" Potter started again. "You were dying. One of your - the ones who were with you must have hit you accidentally. You started to bleed from everywhere out of the blue. I couldn't leave you there, okay?"

"If I was to die there you should have let me die. Why fixing me up. To kill me yourself? Probably he asked you to, didn't he?"
He scowled at the other boy.
"What? No!" James exclaimed. Regulus watched him ruffling his hair. He didn't even try to hide his nervousness. What an idiot.
"Nobody wants to see you dead, Regulus. We just want to help you, isn't that obvious?"
What the hell?
"Yeah. You helped me. Thanks. Now let me go!" Regulus said sternly and gathered all his strength to stand up.
But Potter grabbed his wrist immediately.

"I won't let you go to return to your Death Eater friends and destroy yourself, Reg", he said softly but determined.
Regulus went furious. "Don't call me that! And let me go, Potter!"
"Never." The idiot smiled. It made him even more angry.
"They'll come and look for me and you all will be dead in a second", he hissed. But it was a false threat and both of them probably knew it. Nobody would come for Regulus. He wasn't important. They most likely already declared him dead and never thought of him again.
He tried to ignore the tightening feeling in his chest.

James remained silent and observed him with an expression of pity. It didn't help Regulus to calm down at all. But he needed to. He just wanted to get out of this stupid place of people trying to safe him... and frankly, he really dreaded having to face his older brother.
So after a couple of long lasting seconds he raised his head and looked James determined in his eyes.
"Where is my wand, Potter?"
The older one sighed.
"Listen, I don't think it would be safe if I gave it to you right now..."
"What the hell, Potter, you can't just steal my wand!"
He tried to escape the grip on his wrists. It annoyed Regulus. He couldn't leave anyway without his wand so what did Potter think he was doing? Well, he probably knew that Regulus would turn the whole stupid friendly-looking house upside down to find it if he let him go. Still, what an arrogant idiot.

Suddenly everything went black before his eyes. Only for a second, but it was enough to make him struggle standing on his feet. This whole situation was just too much for his drained body. He swayed and almost collapsed but James caught him in the right moment and let him down safely.
"Oh, get off of me, Potter", he groaned and leaned back against the couch, now sitting on the ground.
His situation was so pathetic, so humiliating.
He wanted to close his eyes but he didn't dare in Potter's presence.
He played nicely but his real intentions were so obvious. They were enemies in a war, after all. It was foolish to believe they would forgive him just because he and Sirius shared a bloodline. A bloodline the older one despised with everything he was. And they expected Regulus to believe that. Right.

"Come on, Reg. You know that you wouldn't even have the strength to apparate. Or walking all the way back if you can't even stand up without collapsing after the tiniest bit of -"
"I'm not weak!" Regulus snarled between gritted teeth.
"I never said that", he smiled again. Regulus hated it. "I'm just saying you need to rest. Your body needs to recover, I closed your wounds but I can't guarantee for anything and we don't know if there is any further damage. Do you understand that?"
Regulus sighed. Of course he understood, he wasn't stupid. And he didn't want to endure some long lasting damages from this, either. But he wouldn't rest here, not with all of them this close and god knows who else. Not with him.

"Look, there is an empty bedroom upstairs. It's far more comfortable than this tiny couch. Let's go upstairs and you can rest there. And we'll see... soon, alright?"
"Still sounds like I'm a prisoner to me, though", he mumbled and avoided those weirdly cheerful eyes determinedly.
"God, being a drama queen is definitely a family trait", James said jokingly and pulled the younger one up.
"Can you walk?"
"Well you won't carry me again, that's for sure", he murmured and only then realised too late that he just kind of gave in.
Well, he thought to himself, he'd just got to gather enough strength to retain his wand and would be gone in a second.

But after just a few steps he already felt the world swirl around him again so James had to more-carry-than-lead him up the fucking stairs anyway.
He really wished he had his wand to wipe away Potter's memories. Bloody embarrassing.

Finally, they stepped into said bedroom and Regulus pushed James away to walk over to the bed himself.
He said down on the edge stiffly and glanced back at him.
Somehow all of his rage has vaporised and an unbearable nervousness took its place. This wasn't right. How did he end up in this ridiculous situation again? God, he felt so weak and so vulnerable, cornered in this strange house without his wand and any strength in his bones. He hated himself for it. He just wanted to return to Grimmauld Place. Not that he liked it there, but it was the closest thing to safety and home he'd got. And even though it was so dark and uninviting, he'd give everything right now to be there, far away from his brother who clearly hated him and his weird false-friendly friends who probably just waited for a nice opportunity to kill him.

"'S everything alright?" James asked from across the room, frowning.
"Couldn't be better", he hissed.
"Okay... I reckon I'll leave you now, er..."
"Just go away."
And that was what James did. And soon Regulus was alone in the dark, unknown room.
He tried to relax, the bed was actually very warm and comfortable. But he simply couldn't. He was too afraid to fall asleep. He wasn't sure if he'd wake up ever again.
Probably not if Sirius found his room.

No, he definitely couldn't dare to sleep here. He tried everything to stay awake, but in the end his exhausted body won and he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.