Golden Retriever Black Cat

Part 12

James blinked at the new brightness, patting around for his glasses.

"Merlin! You're awake!" Sirius sat up, Remus's head falling off his shoulder.

James groaned, his throat sore.

"How're you feeling?" Regulus lifted his head from James' legs.

Remus nudged Sirius. "Go get Pomfrey."

"But-" Sirius frowned.

"Go." Remus pointed, pushing him away.

"What happened?" James murmured, voice scratchy.

Slowly and carefully, Regulus and Remus explained what had happened.

"And he wasn't expelled?" James rubbed his eyes.

Regulus wiped some tears from his eyes. "No."

Closing his eyes, James took a few calming breaths.

"So I have to walk around this school, having been sliced open by another student, and feel safe?" James' voice shook.

Madam Pomfrey arrived with Sirius and Professor McGonagall.

"Mr. Potter, I assure you that your safety is our priority," McGonagall spoke.

"If my safety was your priority, then why am I in this hospital bed?" James raised his voice.

"Beleive me, your injury is my deepest regret. In the past twenty-four hours, that group of boys has been under constant surveillance." McGongall's face became stony, eyes clouding over. "I have done everything in my power to assure that this never happens again."

James stared at her. "Your regret didn't keep me out of this hospital bed."

"James," Remus warned quietly.

"No, no, Mr. Lupin. He's right. My regrets didn't keep him out of here," McGonagall agreed.

Regulus reached for James' hand, craving some sense of normalcy, some part of him wanting to have the assurance that his boyfriend was okay.

"Mr. potter's bandages need to be changed if you'll excuse us, Minerva." Madam Pomfrey bustled about, finding new dressings for the wound.

Sirius and Remus stood, but Regulus sat stubbornly in his chair.

"Reg-" Sirius gestured, but Remus pulled him along.

"It's a long story. Come with me," Remus sighed.

"How are you doing, my love?" Regulus moved to sit on the bed.

"I've been better," James joked.

"Lift!" Madam Pomfrey tapped his arms.

As James reached, he winced. Every straining muscle threatened to burst with movement. He could feel his wounds opening again. No amount of magic would be able to heal the wounds, nor fix the scars.

"Poppy, his wounds are opening again!" Regulus fretted, pushing James' arms back down.

"Right, yes. Sorry, Mr. Potter," She tutted.

James lay with his hands behind his head, waiting for his bandages to be changed, contemplating every choice he had made to get him there.

"Is it too tight?" Regulus inquired.

"No." James smiled assuringly. "It's fine."

"Okay."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. And it's my fault."

"What makes you think it's your fault, my love?"

"If I hadn't let you walk me to class, you wouldn't have been in the corridor at the time that he was and-" Regulus rambled until he could feel James's cold hand on his.

"Reg, love, I made a choice. But you had nothing to do with it, okay?" James spoke quietly, making room for the other boy.

"But I feel bad. You scared me, you asshole." Regulus lay beside him, curling into James' side.

"I know, I'm sorry," James sighed.

"I'm just glad you're okay," Regulus yawned.

James closed his eyes, so tired. He fell into a deep dream, a rather tumultuous one at that.

Quidditch was a game that was generally played on brooms. This particular match was played on flying dolphins over lava. 

Passing through layers upon layers of fog didn't help how blind he was. Without glasses, all he could see was blue and silver blobs from the other team.

"Pass the quiddle!" A tall orange blob yelled at James.

He looked down at his hands, a small tennis ball lying in his palm. As he threw it, it fell at an alarming rate.

Then, so did he. As he tumbled, a large gold net captured him, releasing him onto a fish tank. Except, it wasn't fish inside. It was his friends and family having a tea party.

The tank wouldn't open, so James jumped off the side. 

James sat up, heart beating quickly, sweat pouring down his face, dripping out of every available pore.

"Alright?" Regulus murmured, still half asleep next to James.

"Yeah, I'm alright," James rested on his elbows,mystified by his unusual dream. "Just a nightmare."

"Tell me about it," Regulus turned, arm around James.

James described everything in great detail, only then realizing exactly how ridiculous it was.

"So you jumped off a fishtank because you didn't want to search for a way in?" Regulus laughed softly.

James chuckled. "I don't think I'm very smart while I'm dreaming, love."

"Are you sure it's just while you're dreaming?"

"I can be smart when I'm awake!"

"Can you? I hadn't noticed!"

"Oh, shut up."

Regulus smiled, watching James as he fell asleep.

-

Heels clicked quickly down the rows of beds, Madam Pomfrey racing down to the double doors.

Curious, James rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, peering past his curtains.

"-don't care how long it's been, get out of my way, Minerva!" A booming voice shouted over the protests of a higher voice.

The doors flew open, a tall man marching through, looking through the beds for someone. No, not just someone. His son. Regulus threw himself into a chair, doing his best to look awake.

"Is that-?" James whispered.

Regulus nodded.

Regulus' father was there, and he had not intention of leaving.