One Day... A Jegulus Story

Chapter 13

A few days later, Remus returned home, and the rest of the half term passed swiftly.

Soon, the day came when they would all go back to Hogwarts. Sirius, Regulus, James, and his parents had just arrived at Platform 9 3/4.
"So.. back again." Said James, beaming.
"Yep." Sirius said, clapping James on the shoulder.
Regulus stood on James's right, and both of them were fighting the urge to link their hands together, but they (as well as Sirius and Remus) were always in a delicate situation. It was the 1970s, and being queer was not highly accepted. If you were brave enough to come out, or if you were more likely outed by someone else, then you'd often be subject to a lot of abuse. So, for now, they restrained themselves from being affectionate.
Moments later, two other boys approached them, a small, plump Peter Pettigrew along with Remus Lupin, towering over him. "Hiya." James greeted them as they stopped.
"Hi!" They both replied before swapping pleasantries such as the "How was your Christmas?" And "How's your family?"
It wasn't long before the Hogwarts Express arrived, and they bid the Potter parents goodbye before hopping on the train.
As they moved around the interior of the train, looking for the perfect compartment, they bumped into a focused looking Evan and Barty. "Wow, everybody getting together now." Regulus muttered sarcastically.
"Reg, you big moron!" Barty exclaimed,
Sirius stepped slightly forwards protectively.
"We've been looking for you everywhere!" Barty continued, and Sirius relaxed and shrunk back. "Yeah, yeah." Regulus replied and quickly turned to James, "I'll come and see you before we get to Hogwarts. Promise." He said under his breath, and James nodded back at him and discreetly reached for Regulus's hand before letting him leave with his friends.

"Have you guys got a compartment?" Regulus asked Evan and Barty after all the others had left. "Yeah, follow us." Evan replied, and they led him to a compartment a few doors down. Once they'd all sat down, Evan spoke straight away, "We need to talk."
"I know." Regulus said, amused at the seriousness of them.
"Well," Barty began now, "Me and Evan are together."
"I know."
"Yeah." Evan spoke matter of factly, "No opposition to it then?"
"No." Regulus answered.
"Good." Barty added, then he immediately switched gears, "Now. You and Potter."
"What about me and Potter?" Regulus looked down at his nails nonchalantly.
"Oh my merlin, you could feel the love in the air, and you could see it from a mile away. He's mental about you. We know you really like him, and something between you has quite obviously shifted. He laughed, but he wasn't really joking.
"Yeah." Evan agreed.
"Okay. Fine." Regulus gave in, "I kissed him."
They both gasped.
"And basically after that, he asked me out."
"Mate, if you think you're getting away with just that, you're sorely mistaken. Where's the details?" Barty said, leaning forward. He was really nosey.
"What details?" Regulus rolled his eyes.
"OK. OK. Let's start with this." Evan began, "How in Merlin's name did you end up kissing him?"
Regulus loved his friends, but it was unbelievable how they could shamelessly pry into other people's business. "Oh, wow, ok. Well, it started when I went downstairs in the middle of the night for water, and he was there too. He asked me about Hogwarts, and then he.."
Barty and Evan leaned forward in their seats.
"And then then he asked if he could kiss me."
Evan gasped, "Then you said yes, and you kissed, and it was super amazing and romantic?"
"Er- no." Regulus said awkwardly, and Barty and Evan looked very confused.
"I freaked out and kind of didn't say anything. Then he thought I didn't like him and he backed up....so I just, you know, kissed him." He blurted out, blushing as he relived the memory.
"Wow," Barty and Evan breathed in unison.
"Erm, yeah, and there's more..."
"TELL US!"
"The next day, he gave me a rose and did this sweet little spell that made mini fireworks. And then he got on one knee and asked me to be his boyfriend." He paused, "And I said yes."
Regulus rolled his eyes as his two best friends made sounds that resembled squealing pigs. "Now we're all in relationships." Said Evan.
"And all of those relationships happen to gay." Sighed Barty, grinning.
"Yes, what a bunch of queers we are." Regulus added, and they all chuckled.

Moments later, there was a bang, a crash and a few various screams, and a dazed looking first year girl wandered into their compartment. "Pandora?" Regulus said, Pandora, the strange yet intriguing girl from that train journey, stood before him. "Ah, Regulus." She said in her thick, Irish accent. She seemed more distraught than usual, her hair sticking up in a few more places, and a large smudge of what seemed to be ash on the left side of her face.
"Are you.." he pointed towards the smudge on her face, "Okay?"
"Yes, certainly." She replied, "Just a little homemade potion gone wrong, is all."
"Oh well, OK." Regulus looked at Evan and Barty. They seemed very confused. They had never met Pandora before, and Regulus knew from experience that the first time you spoke to her, her nature could be a bit.. hard to follow. "Erm well," Regulus began again, "feel free to sit with us."
"Oh, I was planning to." She stated, like it was a well-known fact. She took a seat and looked Evan dead in the eyes, "I don't know who you are." She said, her voice sounding like someone calling from far away. She turned Barty, "I know you." She paused, "You're the one who pranked that rather slimy second year boy."
"Yeah." Barty swallowed and stuck out a hand. "I don't shake hands," She said, looking at Barty with pure truth in her eyes. She was not trying to be rude. She was just sincerely stating facts. "I believe it to be.. unimaginative. Did you know that thestrals greet each other by walking a circle and bowing their heads. It would he much more interesting if humans did that." Pandora babbled on.
"I'm Evan, by the way." He flashed a smile at her, and she returned it politely and bowed her head. "Like the thestrals do!" She grinned when she lifted her head, And they all laughed.

An hour or so passed, and when the trolley witch came, Regulus thought he ought to go and see James and his brother. He excused himself from the compartment, leaving Evan and Barty to get to know Pandora and went in search of the Marauder's compartment. They usually sit towards the front, so it didn't take Regulus long to find the right one and open the door. "Ah, he's arrived!" Sirius yelled as Regulus stepped through the door. He looked around at the state of their compartment. It really was awful. Wrappers and chocolate frog boxes all over the floor, fizzing wizzbeez and berty botts thrown all over the place.
Sirius was lead over Remus lap flicking through a Quidditch magazine, taking up a whole bench, Peter was slumped sleeping on the floor, and James was slouched on the opposite bench to Sirius and Remus, beaming up at Regulus. "Merlin, guys. Your compartment is a shambles."
"Yeah.." Sirius said, waving a hand dismissively at the mess. "Oi pete!" He flicked Peter on the head, and he jolted awake. "Oh, hi Regulus." He said dazed.
"Hello Peter. Now get up and help me clean this up." Regulus replied.
Peter sighed and heaved himself up, "No worries, I'll just do it. You sit down."
"Oh, okay. Thanks." Regulus felt a hand meet his from behind. James. James pulled Regulus to sit down next to him, and he immediately relaxed into his arms.
"Nearly back at Hogwarts, you know?" James said softly.
"Good." Regulus replied. "But, for now, to avoid getting a load of grief. We keep this," he gestured to himself and James, "quiet. Just around the rest of the school. I will give you this, though, anyone who you told about your crush on me before, who was supportive, you can tell."
"Yes, I agree about keeping it quiet. This isn't really that accepted in society right now." James agreed.
"Okay then."
"Yeah, okay."
There was a moment of silence before the wise voice of Remus Lupin broke it, "One day," he said, and Regulus held his breath. That phrase had gained some kind of symbolic meaning to him, somehow.
Remus continued, "One day, we will be accepted for who we are. We will be able to walk the streets freely and not be pelted with hexes or even physical abuse. One day, we'll live our truth."

A/N- Hiya. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you're all having a lovely day/night. Feel free to give me constructive criticism or ideas and suggestions. Is there anything you really want to see? And are you enjoying it so far? Love you guys' loads!
Bye!
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