The Day the Music Died | Jegulus, Wolfstar

The Silver Stag

Ooh, a storm is threatening,
My very life today.
If I don't get some shelter,
Ooh yeah I'm gonna fade away.
War, children,
It's just a shot away'
It's just a shot away'
War, children.

  "STOP!" bawled Regulus, his voice ravine, his throat raw, and then a loud thump!

James didn't think twice, he tackled the door, and instantly knelt next to the unconscious boy, there were tears on his cheeks, his hair was ruffled, and his ears were dripping a scarlet red liquid, so was his nose.

  "Reg, Reg!" James blubbered while he shook the boy desperately, as soon as he realized that wouldn't work, he took a few deep breaths to calm himself and lifted him from the ground bridal-style. He carried him downstairs and left the lifeless body gently on the couch, his mind racing, trying to find a solution.

«Mom, she'll know what to do» he thought, but reaching her was another problem.

He didn't know how muggle phones worked, he was banned from using floo powder for safety reasons, and he didn't yet learn how to apparate, so there was absolutely no way to call her.

«What would Remus do?» He thought, Remus always knew what to do.

A complicated spell, probably, he knew how to do everything he set his mind to, except the Patronus classes, that was his Achilles heel, probably because... wait. Patronus... Patronus! That was the answer!

He got his wand out and closed his eyes. A happy memory, a powerful one... the Marauders, they were his everything, they were his happy memory.

  "Expecto Patronum!" he bawled, but barely a thin silvery matter came out of his wand, vanishing before it could even adopt a shape.

James blinked in astonishment, that was his happy memory, he'd always managed to do a Patronus that way... why wasn't it happy any more?

Because the marauders were separated, probably. James ran his hands through his hair, there was no use in moping, for all he knew, Regulus could be dying. He closed his eyes once again. Fast thinking, fast thinking.

"Focus... focus," he whispered under his breath, "something happy... something happy"

He breathed deeply, emptying his mind, relaxing his arms, then his fingers, his wand almost slipping out of his hand, he felt the magic spread from the tip of his fingers. Regulus. Regulus was his main source of happiness right now, he depended on him, he needed James' help, and he wasn't going to let him down.

Suddenly, a calm, beautiful warmness caressed his whole body.

"Is that a good thing, James?" Regulus' sweet whisper made him smile, they were together in James' bed, facing each other, eyes glistering against the pale light of the artificial stars.

  "Definitely," James answered, his hand went hot with the feeling of a very powerful magic, which soon extended to his entire body, and without thinking, a silver stag, the biggest one he ever managed to do, formed from the tip of his wand, it gave him a serene look, and then he rushed out of the window with big, ostentatious jumps.

He stayed on his place, gazing the place the stag had been seconds ago. Was Regulus his happy memory? The feeling of his lips against his, his delicate skin and his charming voice... maybe, for now, he had to let it be. It was his only chance of saving him.

He knelt next to the boy, while he wiped blood out of his nostrils and ears with his sleeve, which ended up stained with a dark red.

  "It's okay... help is on the way, eh?" he sighed, knowing Regulus couldn't hear him. James grinned, watching Regulus' eyelashes, his eyes were closed, his breaths were deep, but slow. He looked like an angel when he slept, like all of his pain was taken away, exposing what Regulus Black actually was, a young boy born in the wrong family.

A few minutes later, —which felt like hours— the door opened loudly, hitting the wall, James instantly got up and pointed his wand at the intruder, but relaxed when he saw Euphemia at the door, she didn't lower her wand.

  "What did you answer, when I asked you, what did you want to become once you left Hogwarts?" She asked, her tone inscrutable.

  "Mum, there's no time for that, Regulus-"

  "What did you answer?" Euphemia repeated, her hand was gripping the wand fiercely, she looked menacing.

James snorted. "I want to fight in the war with you and dad, I won't rest till it's over," he calmly answered full of confidence.

Euphemia immediately ran to his son and gave him a tight hug, she had dark under eyes, and she looked exhausted, but still wearing her warm smile. "Sorry," she flushed, "we can't be too careful these days."

"Mum... mum you've got to help him, please..." blubbered James turning his head towards Regulus.

Euphemia rushed to the boy, she pressed her wand on his chest. "What happened to him?" She stressed, muttering things James couldn't understand.

"I-I don't know, he went into the bathroom, I heard him vomiting, but then, he went silent, and I got worried. I asked him if he was okay, and he wouldn't answer... he yelled...he yelled stop, and then collapsed, I found him like this"

She nodded with her eyebrows furrowed, when she saw her son's worried expression, she smiled. "He's going to be alright, dear. I don't know the cause, it might be..." she cleared her throat breaking their eye contact, "I'm afraid... I can sense dark magic. Yes, very dark indeed."

James' insides stirred, his eyes perched on his forearm from which a dark ink was leaking, but he decided to keep quiet, for Regulus' sake. Euphemia wiped all the remaining blood with a swing of her wand, she asked James to sit him upright on the floor and lift his legs, once he finished, he sat next to the boy.

"I have to get back to the hospital, dear..." she said in a breathy voice, adjusting her cloak, "lots of, erm... attacks... I have to help," she seemed uncomfortable speaking of the subject, James realized, and she had plenty of reasons to.

"It's fine, I can take care of him," he grinned grimly.

She returned his smile. "Right. Fleamont will probably want to question him, later. Make him rest, alright?"

James nodded, Euphemia then exited the house and left the boys on their own. The young Potter had already dealt with lots of fainting, so his mother no longer gave him instructions on how to manage it.

James followed her steps till she closed the oak door, he felt like she was keeping something away from him, something important, both of his parents were.

***

The Gryffindor boy was sitting in an armchair next to Regulus, he still hadn't woken up, he gave the pale boy a quick peek and raised his glasses to his head, caressing his face, numb from the lack of energy, he rubbed his eyes while he expired and ran his hands through his own silky hair, taking care of Regulus was exhausting him; he knew it was selfish to think something like that in a moment like this, but he could've used a bit of help, Sirius' help.

He couldn't quite understand him, he couldn't understand Regulus either, he just knew he was scared, regardless of the brother's pride, Sirius' rants were the last thing he needed.

Suddenly, beside him, a desperate gasp of air filled the room, Regulus had woken up, his eyes were bloodshot, glassy, they weren't focused, he looked terrified. James approached him slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder, to which Regulus flinched. Their eyes suddenly met, James felt his guts twist at the look on Regulus' face: his pupils were tiny, revealing his steel blue eyes, his eyebrows were twisted in horror and his mouth was slightly open, hyperventilating.

"You're okay Reg, everything's alright," whispered James, caressing his shoulder, feeling Reg's breathing normalize.

"He was here, James, he talked to me," mumbled Regulus, he'd never seen him so weak, so scared.

"Who? Who was here?" He asked, feeling the hairs of the back of his head bristle.

Regulus swallowed, his eyes wandering about in the room, unable to meet James', he shivered, his mouth went dry. And with a brittle voice, he maundered:

"Voldemort."

***

What a shitty chapter, my apologies.