Marauders Oneshots (Taylor's version)

💫Clean💫

"When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breath. And by morning, gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean."
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Summary:

James gets mad at Regulus after he gets the dark mark. They break it off and Regulus leaves Hogwarts in search of the locket.

WARNING: This is very very sad and there isn't a ton of Jegulus in it (it is still centered around their relationship though). You have been warned!
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"Why?" His eyes looked so sad and Regulus wanted to hold him forever if it meant he never had to look at him like that again. But he knew he couldn't. James wouldn't let him get any closer to him right now.

"I had no choice James. You know my family." Regulus pulled his sleeve back down. He didn't want to get the dark mark but he knew there was no other choice.

"Yeah I fucking know your family. But you don't see Sirius getting the dark mark do you? I asked you every summer to come stay with me but you always said that you had to go home. You didn't have to do anything. There was always another option Regulus." James was yelling now and Regulus was sure he'd never seen him this mad. James didn't get mad.

James looked between Regulus' face and his arm where the mark sat under his sleeve. He scoffed before turning and storming out of the Astronomy tower.

Regulus turned and punched the wall, never being able to deal well with emotions. Of course, his fist did nothing to the stone wall but he could tell he probably broke one of his fingers, if not more.

It didn't matter. None of it mattered. James was mad at him but Regulus was furious. James didn't understand. Sirius was nothing like him. After he left, Regulus was the heir, meaning he had no choice but to stay. His parents would hunt him down and restrain him to a chair for the rest of his life if he pulled the same stunt Sirius did.

He's tried to explain this to James but he never understands. How could he? James wasn't a pure blood, for one, and he had loving parents who would do anything for him. He could never understand what it's like to live in that house with the Black family name breathing down your back at every turn.

Regulus turned and stalked out of the Astronomy tower, leaving to get a healing potion from Madam Pomfrey

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Regulus stood at the edge of the cave. It had been 3 months since James had broken up with him with a letter. He had heard a rumor that James was with Lily Evans now. He didn't care. This was his last chance to rid the older boy from his mind.

Regulus had written letters to everyone in his life. He had one for Evan, Barty, Pandora, Sirius and even one for James. He had instructed Kreacher to distribute them should he not make it out of the cave. He was thinking about sending them out either way. Faking his death didn't seem like such a bad idea anymore.

Regulus knew what he was doing. He knew he was heading straight towards his death but that didn't bother him. He would never admit it out loud but James hating him had made him hate himself. James, the boy who saw the best in everyone and wanted everyone to feel loved couldn't even look him in the eyes and that hurt more than anything right now.

Regulus used his blood to open the cave and stepped inside. He instructed Kreacher to stay outside as he had already been forced to enter the cave once. He could tell there was some sort of water inside but it was too dark to see. He quickly cast some charms to make the cave lighter. There was water but it was filled with inferi, just as Kreacher had said.

Kreacher was waiting outside the cave as he was instructed to do but he quickly abandoned his post when he heard a scream from inside the cave. He ran into the cave and saw Regulus struggling against the inferi. Regulus saw Kreacher enter the cave and called out to him. He managed to rip one arm free to throw the locket to Kreacher who left it on the ground as he tried to save the boy.

Regulus soon realized that it was useless to fight against the army of inferi. He took a shaky breath before allowing himself to be pulled under the water. He was able to process that he was drowning but he didn't fight back. He let himself be pulled to the bottom of the lake and the last thing that ran through his mind before succumbing to death was one name paired with a face that he knew he could finally be free of.

James

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The next day, James sat next to Lily at breakfast. Remus sat across from him and Sirius sat with his head on the taller boy's shoulder. Peter was next to James asking questions about the potions exam. The owls came swooping in and dropped mail in front of Sirius and James. James had noticed owls with identical looking envelopes flying towards the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables as well.

Sirius flipped the letter over and studied the handwriting, trying to decipher who it was from. James did the same but he recognized the handwriting right away. The gasp that left his mouth when he saw it revealed the answer to Sirius as well.

There was a chorus of "no" coming from both boys as they ripped the letters open, the same happening for three other students in the great hall.

Pandora finished reading hers first and the other four boys knew what the letter entailed based on the scream that left her mouth and the sobs coming from her spot at the table.

Sirius had thought it was odd that his brother had been absent from his classes and from meals lately but he figured he was sick. This was worse. So much worse.

Lily held James as he sobbed into her shoulder. It was the hardest any of them had seen him cry. Sirius sat staring at the letter. Rereading the words and trying to make them change somehow. His hands were shaking and tears were welling up in his eyes. Remus noticed this and wrapped his arms around him, letting him bury his head in his shoulder.

At the Slytherin table Evan and Barty both finished their letters. Neither of them was willing to cry in the great hall though, so they both went back to the dorm and cried in each others arms for what seemed like the first time in their life.

Regulus Black was dead.

A.N.
I apologize...