One Day... A Jegulus Story

Chapter 9

It was cold. Dark. The air felt damp. Regulus couldn't see a thing, except from a single pinprick of light at the end of the tunnel he was stood in. He suddenly became aware that his feet were wet. He was standing in at least three inches of freezing water, not much, but enough to make him uncomfortable. The light at the end of the tunnel suddenly disappeared as a figure started moving towards him in the distance. As the figure got closer he realised it was James. He blinked and James was in front of him. Somehow.
He was shouting at Regulus but Regulus couldn't hear him. He could only catch a few words of what he was shouting, like "How could you?!" And "WHY the Hell?" And "You're just EVIL."
The water surrounding Regulus' feet began to rise higher and higher. He tried to scream. No sound. He tried to run. No movement. When the water reached his neck, Regulus began to cry.
Then James was gone again. Somehow.
As the water flooded his lungs Regulus began to think about the people he loves, James, Sirius, his cousins Andromeda and Narcissa and his friends at Hogwarts. He screams. He's not even sure if he's making any noise but he screams regardless.

Regulus jolts awake, impulsively grabbing his wand which he keeps under his pillow at night. "Lumos." He mutters and as dim light fills the room it takes him a moment to remember where he is. The Potter's house.
When he fully gets his wits about him, Regulus notices that he's covered head to toe in sweat and his throat is extremely dry, presumably a result of his nightmare. He gets up and sneaks out of the room, careful not to wake Sirius, and goes into the bathroom. He washes his face almost hopeful to wash away the horrors he witnessed in his dream. It doesn't work.
He then creeps silently down the two flights of stairs to the bottom floor and to the kitchen to get a drink. Regulus gets a glass out of one of the cabinets and fills it with water, before sitting at the breakfast bar. He hears a noise behind him and suddenly freezes. He's not alone. Regulus was always taught to be vigil and immediately assume the worst, so he mentally prepares an excuse for being out of bed, before turning around to see James leaning in the doorway, gazing upon him admiringly. Regulus relaxes almost straight away. "Oh. It's just you," He says attempting (and failing) at acting irritated. James just grinned, "Yes it's just me. It is my house remember? Were you expecting someone else?"
"No."
"Hm. Couldn't sleep?" James asked, genuinely concerned.
Merlin, why does he have to be kind and perfect and ARGHHH, Regulus thinks.
"No I couldn't sleep. Came for some water. You?" He asked James.
"Same pretty much. Do you mind if I come sit with you for a while?" He replied, stepping forward out of the doorway.
"Well, I won't cause you any serious injury if you do, but I won't say I don't mind." Regulus said dryly. But James just chuckled and pulled a chair next to him. Merlin and Morgana both! Why couldn't he be mean to this man?! It's impossible.
"So, Reg. How you finding Hogwarts? Good? Bad? Amazing? Are you indifferent? Do you not care?" James asks eagerly.
"God Potter, do you ever stop? Where do you get this energy from? It's 3AM! But if you must know, I do..like it. A lot. It's different then I thought it would be. Better.
I feel more at home there than I ever did at Grimmauld Place." James gets the truth out of Regulus like Veritaserum! It's infuriating.
"Yeah..." James laughs, "Hogwarts has that effect. Its there that you find yourself and your people."
"Yeah." Regulus thinks about Barty and Evan. and Pandora. He thinks he's found his people.
As if he can read Regulus' mind, James says, "those friends you made, Barty and Evan..They seem nice. You seem happy when your around them. That's good, that's like me with Sirius, Remus and Peter. I'm not like a God of Friendship Wisdom or anything.." he chuckles and Regulus cracks a small smile, "but to me, it looks like you've made some friends for life."
"Yeah," Regulus said that small smile still tugging at his lips, which James keeps looking at. You know, because he's just so discreet.
"Potter?" Says Regulus slowly and with a slightly unimpressed voice.
"Yes?" James replies absent-mindedly, still looking at Regulus with what can only be described as pure and unconditional love.
"Why...are you looking at me like that?" Regulus asks him suddenly feeling hot in the face. They're dangerously close.
"Regulus?"
"Hm, yes what?"
"Can I kiss you?"
Alarm bells go off in Regulus' head.
Yes! Yes of course! A thousand times yes!
Is what he wants to say, but he's having trouble forming the words.
"I..." He said and James visibly tensed, pulling back slightly from where he'd moved closer.
"Erm..." Come one Regulus think! Speak! Say words! "James I.."
"Regulus, no, it's okay! Message received!" James says pulling back further which just makes Regulus think, no come back. "Obviously, I've misread a situation! I like you, you don't like me! It's simple and I'm sorry I'm such an idiot of cause you don't like me back I-" James is immediately cut off mid sentence by Regulus' mouth on his.

A/N - Your welcome.
S.I.S 💖💖💖