Running in the dark

Chapter 39

James wasn't often alone walking the halls but now he was, it was Saturday and after making the quidditch team practice in the early morning, using his newfound captain role, he was making his way back alone because Sirius was taking a dramatic long time in the shower.

He rounded a corner and was then met face-to-face with an unpleasant person, Snape. It was just the two in the hallway. "Alright Potter, how's Black?" Snape asked. James already knew he was on about Regulus.

"Just knock it off alright Snape, do you ever get bored of annoying me," James replied.

"You think he loves you, don't you?" Snape asked and James fell quiet, he knew whatever Snape would say would not be true, but he knew it would mess with his head.

"How could you ever think someone like him could like anyone like you," he carried on. Snape was now smirking, and James just glared back. "Come on Potter, you really think you're not just Regulus whore,"

Before James could even speak a loud sound echoed throughout the halls as Regulus' fist connected with Snape's face.

Snape staggered back, clutching his face and looking confused, Regulus looked ready to kill.

"Don't you ever talk to him like that, don't you dare even talk to him at all, if I see you even look at him funny don't think I won't hesitate to make you suffer, am I clear," His words were venom directed at Snape as one of his hands held James' wrist.

Snape nodded and then walked back down the hallway he came from, not turning back once or slowing his pace.

As soon as he was out of sight Regulus turned to James. "Are you alright?" He asked, he raised his hands to James' cheeks.

"I'm good, thank you," James said and he took one of Regulus' hands and kissed it softly.

"I love you, James alright," Regulus said and James nodded and hugged him, he knew it was true, what Regulus was saying now and what he had said to Snape, he would not hesitate.

After that event Regulus wanted to make sure James was extra happy and helped him plan the midnight walk, the group would go on this Saturday night.

"It's literally February, it's freezing," Marlene whispers-shouted to James, they were all coming down to meet at the edge of the forest in pairs and groups to make sure not to be easily heard.

Finally Lily and Mary arrived last and they began to make their way into the woods. Pandora was there too and she seemed as enthusiastic as James was about the whole thing, she loved creatures and nature, they were calming to her.

"If anything tries to hurt you moony, I'll protect you," Sirius said and Remus chuckled taking Sirius' hand in his.

"Sure you will," he smiled.

They walked through the forest for hours, it was cold and they were bundled up warm, but Marlene kept complaining every few minutes about the temperature.

They finally started heading back, with James and Regulus at the back of the group when Regulus let out a soft yawn.

"You're tired," James said it was surprising, he was rather sure he had never seen or heard him yawn before.

"I'm not," Regulus replied back.

"Want a piggyback?" James asked and before Regulus could reply James had hoisted him onto his back forcing him to wrap his arms around James. Soon enough he laid his head onto James' shoulder and let the world pass by.

"Where's my Piggyback?" Sirius asked pouting at James and then turning to Remus.

"Don't look at me, I love you Pads, but I'm not carrying you, you're not miniature like Reg," Remus said which earned him a soft fuck you from Regulus.

"I love you too moony, but I think a part of me will forever remember that you aren't willing to give me a piggyback," Sirius replied and gave a dramatic fake sob.

By the time they had all reached their common rooms, it was coming up to five am. Sirius slipped into Remus' bed with him, hugging him close and planting kisses on his forehead and cheeks, the sneaking up and staying up late had made him giddy with excitement.

"You're too energetic Pads, let me sleep," Remus groaned, he hooked one of his legs around Sirius' and pulled his closer, breathing in the smell of leather he seemed to always have and smiling to himself.

"You're too tired Moony," Sirius replied and he ran his hand through Remus' hair. He was so lucky, he told himself this nearly every day, he had Remus.

They hugged each other close and fell into a deep sleep where they awoke still tangled up in each other at noon.

A bit of the newly emerging spring sunlight was coming through the curtain hanging, lighting up the space they were in. Sirius looked at Remus with his bluey-grey eyes with a smile on his face Remus looked back at him with his amber eyes as he began to run his finger over Sirius' jaw again and again.

It was perfect. They were perfect, the thought of anything changing seemed impossible, but they were always rather good at making the impossible, possible.

Remus loved Sirius, he had since the third year and Sirius loved Remus, and the thought of hurting him was horrible, he would never do it. He didn't want to do it. He didn't plan to do it. But Sirius never really had things go to plan for him and soon he would realise how much he could lose from one silly mistake.

Sirius had heard of what Snape had said to James, so maybe it was that or the hatred he had from what he did to James and Remus last year or their enemy dynamic when Snape snapped at Sirius as they passed in the hallways that led Sirius to tell him something that would ruin everything.