The Day the Music Died | Jegulus, Wolfstar

The Dark Mark

Life is a mystery,
Everyone must stand alone.
I hear you call my name,
And it feels like home.
When you call my name, it's like a little prayer.
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there.
In the midnight hour, I can feel your power.
Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there.

Regulus opened his eyes lazily, his body ached, he was numb from sleep. The room was lighter than he recalled, the bedsheets softer, and it smelled like red licorice, orange chocolate and... coconut, he only remembered one person that smelled like coconuts.

He lifted his head weakly and looked at his chest, a curly brown-haired boy was lying on his chest gently, arms crossed to hold his weight, he seemed pretty much asleep, like he'd been seconds before.

He smiled feebly, the pain from last night was still palpable in his various bruises, but the blood was nowhere to be seen, and the rib pain had completely vanished, he took a few minutes to remember the night he'd passed, and the horrors of it slowly crept back to his memories.

The younger Black was now a Death Eater.

Panic crawled to his head, he lifted his sleeve ignoring his shakiness, and there it was... obscure ink permanently embedded to his forearm, the dark mark, from a human skull slithered a vicious snake, it was evil, it was terrifying. Suddenly, a subtle movement made him hide the mark once again, James got up idly, he took his glasses off, and he rubbed his swollen eyes, when the specs came back to his nose, he finally discovered Regulus was awake.

James pounced to his friend and gave him a bear hug, Regulus didn't reciprocate it, but he deeply, desperately needed it, the coconut scent was stronger now that the Gryffindor's boy's hair was almost up his nose. Once he retreated, they both stayed silent for a few seconds, just admiring each other, till James spoke.

  "How much have you been awake?"

  "Less than a minute," Regulus replied, he wished to just spill it all out, but there was a plug in his throat, he couldn't get rid of it.

  "I thought you were dead," James mumbled, more to actually convince himself he wasn't, Regulus suspected.

  "I'm sorry to've come here unannounced, I didn't quite have the time to think it through. I hope I wasn't much of an inconvenience for your parents," Regulus apologized, but James shrugged him off.

  "You don't have to apologize Reg, you have no idea how relieved I am now that you're with me. You made a Black's worthy entrance, too, pretty rad."

Regulus' heart gave a jolt, although he didn't want to acknowledge it, James was starting to make him feel things he shouldn't, he was a boy after all, his brother's older best friend, which made it immediately wrong, very wrong. He nodded, slowly.

James touched his shoulder, automatically making their eyes meet.

"Would you like some tea? Biscuits? Maybe a chocolate frog?, we've got lots of those," he asked attentively.

The younger Black shock his head.

"No, thanks, I'm alright."

Knock, knock, knock.

The two boys stared at the door, it opened gently, Euphemia Potter peaked through the gap.

"I noticed you two were talking, and I assumed you were awake. Once you feel better, Regulus, Dumbledore wishes to speak to you, we'll wait downstairs, if you need anything, just ask me, alright?"

  "Yeah, I'll be there shortly, thanks for everything Mrs Potter," poshly thanked Regulus, James' mom smiled and left the two boys alone once again.

  "Dumbledore can wait, Reggie, stay here till you feel good enough," James grinned, Regulus bit his lip, 'Reggie' was new.

  "I'm alright," he repeated, but as he was about to get up, he realized he wasn't, fully dressed, to say, James' mom appeared to've changed him into some sort of night gown, "where are my clothes?" he questioned.

"Oh, those fancy dressing robes? Mum must've taken them, they were... fairly bloodied, when you had them on, she figured it might not be the best to see all that when you woke up".

Regulus nodded feebly.

"Could you er... lend me some?" he sheepishly asked.

James giggled.

"Yeah, you can have a few, I'll be right back."

After a few minutes waiting in silence, James returned with some grey track-bottoms, a button-up cream colored shirt, and a Gryffindor jumper, Regulus frowned.

"Really? A Gryffindor jumper?"

James shrugged.

"Do whatever you want, be a proud Gryffindor or freeze your arse off."

They both stared at each other, and for the first time since James'd known him, Regulus broke into laughter, he joined the raven-haired boy's soft chuckle.

  "Fine, give it to me, I'll get to experience what it feels to be James Potter," he said, stretching his arms.

James tossed the clothing pieces to the boy's lap and smiled.

"Pretty rad. Come downstairs after you're done, and call me if you need help, alright?" he winked, Regulus smiled.

  "I'm fine, see you in a minute" James nodded and closed the door behind him. He was just like his mother, helpful, attentive, caring, and hauntingly beautiful, his presence was warm, and his hug felt like a cosy fireplace with self-roasting Honeydukes marshmallows. Regulus dissipated his thoughts away, a single look at the Dark Mark was enough to rip any happiness away from him.

He dressed up and exited the room after neatly folding the bedsheets out of habit, the Potter's house was spacious, covered in warm colours, the floor, and the stairs were made out of what appeared to be fir tree wood, and there were red rugs all over it, maybe it had to do with their Gryffindor adoration, Regulus thought, after all, his house was completely green as well, except Sirius' room.

Wonder if he's alright.

He'd ask James to send him a letter once all of this was over. The clothes were definitely too big for him, the trackies touched the floor and no matter how he much he rolled it, the Gryffindor jumper was still loose on him, but that wasn't the most worrying matter at the moment. He walked down the stairs without looking up, the silence when he arrived indicated they'd been waiting for him, the room smelled like scrambled eggs, bacon and orange juice, he figured that was the usual in familiar houses, he'd never experienced a thing quite like a family breakfast, he couldn't lie, he'd been looking forward for it, but he reckoned, that wasn't going to happen.

A pair of blue, piercing, honest eyes were staring right at him. His gaze was not reproachful, but curious.

"Regulus, I've been waiting for you," Dumbledore said.

He couldn't look at him in the eye, he —even though he was forced— betrayed Dumbledore's trust. And now he was about to betray his own family, not to mention the Dark Lord himself. Death was very much expected at this point, but he didn't think it would be so soon.

"Sit down, dear," offered Euphemia, "once this is over I'll make you breakfast, you must be starving."

Regulus did as he was told, he hid his hands inside the sleeves of James' jumper, it made him feel protected, somehow.

"I'm going to need you to tell me everything, Regulus. This is, as you may understand, of vital importance," Dumbledore started, he was clearly in a hurry.

He wanted to speak, but it was as if someone sealed his lips with a hex, he frowned, still looking at the floor, and nodded.

"What happened when you got home from King's Cross Station? If I didn't hear wrong, it appears that Barty Crouch Jr. accompanied you to the entrance of your house along Miss Bellatrix, is that right?"

Regulus looked up, he found James already gazing at him, he smiled. What a beautiful smile he had, reassuring and kind. He was there, he wouldn't let anything happen to him now.

  He nodded, "that's right"

***