THE SCARS ON MY BODY ● JEGULUS |MARAUDERS|

✹FORTY THREE✹

BACK TO HOGGY HOGGY HOGWARTS WE GO. ALSO, STAN ERIN AND BAILEY.

_____________________

✹ It's gonna be 

okay, boys. 

Everything is going 

to be just fine ✹

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When the cold air of the morning finally traveled down the back of his shirt, Regulus made his way back through the window and into his and James' shared room. He kept the window open, grabbing his sketchbook and a pencil off of the desk so that he could sit beside the glass and draw without allowing any of the smoke from his cigarette to reach the inside of the home.

How long had it been since Regulus had drawn? Weeks...months maybe. So after all of that time, it took a while for him to ease back into the normal routine of art, but soon, his hand was dancing across the page as it always had done before.

At some point, the door creaked open, but he paid it no mind, thinking that it was Humphrey returning.

"I'm sorry," His eyes flashed up at the sound of his lover's voice, "I never wanted you to feel bad about yourself in any way. It was childish of me to act like that. I don't expect you to forgive me, but just know that I am truly sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"Well....y'know? When I stood up and had a tantrum." That made Regulus smile a little and a small laugh escaped from your lips.

"No, it's fine. If anything, I should be the one apologizing." He placed down his drawing and gave the older boy his full attention, "I shouldn't have caused you to feel any kind of worry about me, that wasn't fair at all. You have enough to worry about without me blabbering on about being a Deatheater," James flinched at the word, "Sorry. I'm a smart person - don't give me that look - I'm a smart person but all smart people do stupid things. I guess this was one of them. I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, I hurt people, but I actually mean it. I really am sorry."

Silence.

"You're still going to join them, aren't you?" He asked with a sigh.

"Would you rather I died?"

"No. We could protect you. I," He said, voice lowering ever so slightly, "I could protect you."

"Forgive me." Regulus looked down at the floor, refusing to look into his eyes.

"No, Regulus."

"Okay, fine, I promise I won't." He looked up but still could not look him in the eyes. Two arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him up into an embrace. He stuffed his face into James' shoulder and breathed in his scent, almost forgetting about the crossed fingers behind his back.

"Thank you. And don't you dare smoke ever again, it's bad for you."

"Yeah, yeah....of course." He was a horrible person. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible.

***

"Where's my tie?" Sirius yelled from the living room where their sofa-bed had been kept. It was January 1st and everyone was rushing around, packing their trunks and changing so that they could head down to Kings Cross Station.

"Under the sofa!" Remus shouted back to him.

"Thank you, Moons!" Regulus rolled his eyes as he took another bite of his toast. A head of brown, fluffy hair appeared on his shoulder and he turned to see James nuzzling into his neck from behind him.