Running in the dark

Chapter 59

"You're just being angry because of the moon tonight," Sirius told Remus after he had full-on shouted at him for taking his last chocolate frog.

"Am not," Remus replied he was pretty much pouting.

"Merlin because I love you I'll steal one from Reg, James here is always giving him them and I don't think Reggie has ever had the heart to tell him he doesn't like them," Sirius grinned.

"What," James blurted, he had been mindlessly flicking his wand but was now surprised that Sirius was already gone.

Maybe if he hadn't stolen that chocolate he would have never found out.

Or if Regulus hadn't been changing.

Or if he hadn't left home, none of it would have happened.

He walked through the Slytherin common room not caring for the daggers being stared at him and made his way to Regulus' dorm.

"Hey Reggie, I don't care if you're being a lazy sod this morning but I need a chocolate frog," he said and then he stopped, Regulus had been changing, he had just buckled his trousers and had a towel draped on his shoulders stopping water from slipping down his chest.

Regulus' eyes widened in panic and Sirius noticed it instantly, the air knocked from his lungs and all he could breathe out was a short "No,".

He was staring at the mark on Regulus' arm, the black one with a skull on it and he felt his blood boil and all compassion and care he had felt for his brother disintegrate.

His eyes bloomed with angry tears as he looked from Regulus' arm up to his face. The face that used to belong to a small boy, scared but smart, a boy Sirius cared deeply for, who he would go to the end of the world for, the boy who was his brother now belonged to a man, a cruel one that Sirius didn't recognise.

"Sirius please," Regulus began to beg and Sirius was sure it was that small boy helplessly calling out, and as much as Sirius wanted to reach out and help the small boy he could not find him.

"I thought you were better than them," was all Sirius found himself capable of saying, it was bitter and had a venomous effect on Regulus, Sirius couldn't stand in this room and before Regulus could even have a chance to explain himself Sirius was out down the stairs at a hurried pace, not even noticing Marlene calling his name out from the Slytherin couch.

His brother was dead for what he knew, he was no longer there, now replaced by someone who looked like him. His mind was a blur but somehow he found his way back to his dorm on a morning that was meant to be calm.

"You forgot his frog, did you eat it on the way?" James chuckled as Sirius entered. Sirius looked at him, his face unreadable.

"Go to Regulus and ask him what's on his arm," Sirius said to James, he was frozen in place.

''What?" James asked confused and Remus placed down his book.

"Go to him and ask him to show you what's on his fucking arm," Sirius yelled and it made James jump, he was scared, something had happened that had shaken Sirius to his core, so he left to go to Regulus.

"Sirius," Remus stood up, daring to cross the room to walk over to Sirius, his former annoyed mood disappearing. Sirius was visibly shaking, his hands balled into fists.

"He's got the mark," Sirius spat and before he could even realise it he was sobbing. Remus much to his own discomfort pulled him into a hug, Remus was holding back tears himself, he had lost a friend, but Sirius had lost his brother.

James was confused about what Sirius was angry about but he made his way to the Slytherin common room, Marlene who was sitting beside Dorcas acknowledged his presence but didn't interfere because of how close it was to when Sirius had just stormed out.

James walked up the stairs and knocked open the door before opening it, Regulus was at the end of his bed, fully dressed, his palms against his eyes, he didn't look up.

Regulus knew it was James, ye could practically smell him. "Regulus.." James spoke, there was an uncertainty to his words, not knowing if he was meant to be angry or concerned.

"James," Regulus managed to speak, but it comes out as a wracked sob as he looked up at James.

"Sirius, Sirius told me to ask you to show me your arm," James said, he's mumbling it, he wishes to be over comforting Regulus for whatever he was upset about, but something was stopping him.

Regulus let out a dry chuckle through his tears. "That didn't take long," he said softly, no longer looking at James but at the floor in front of him.

"Reg..." James said softly and Regulus would have preferred in James had just come over and ripped his heart from his chest instead of saying his name like this.

In the spur of the moment he stood up and came over to James, this was his last chance, the last moments were he had James as his, so before he lost it all he had to have James one more time, he kissed him with no remorse attaching their lips together making James let out a noise of shock before kissing back.

James didn't understand what this was, Regulus did though. This was a goodbye, a final goodbye.

When they broke away Regulus grabbed his sleeve hastily his eyes screwed shut holding it out in front of James.

James looked down at it, adjusting his glasses and Regulus could have sworn he watched the light disappear from his eyes. His face fell and he took a few steps backwards, unable to take his eyes off the mark, unable to look at Regulus.

"No no no, you didn't you wouldn't," James began he was almost glaring at the mark hoping to be able to burn it away with his eyes, there was no use, it was there.