Jegulus Oneshots ♡

How Could I Ever Hate You?

Regulus sat by himself under a tree by the Black Lake, staring in regret and disgust at his arm, tears escaping from his eyes. This is exactly what he had been doing for a week, ever since he returned back to Hogwarts from Christmas break. The absolute worst Christmas break of his life. When he wasn't in class, he was here. Alone. Where no one would bother him.

Well, almost no one. 

"Love?" a voice came from the trees. Regulus jumped, hiding his arm behind his back. He could recognize that voice anywhere.

"James?" he called back, frantically wiping the dried tears from his cheeks. The Gryffindor emerged from the trees, a bright smile on his face, his eyes glowing.

Both faded when he saw Regulus.

"You've been crying..." James stated, noticing the Slytherin's red-rimmed eyes. "What happened? Who hurt you? Do I need to-"

"No, baby, nothing happened..." Regulus managed a chuckle, but that was all. "I'm okay." That was a lie. James knew that as well as Regulus did, and he would not take it.

The Gryffindor stepped closer, hand rising to gently touch Regulus' cheek. "Truth only. What happened?"

Regulus' breath stuttered from the light touch. It was insane what James could do to him, how in love with James he was.

He wasn't going to lose that. 

He couldn't tell James the truth. James would be so mad... so betrayed... How could his own boyfriend do something like this? Well, it wasn't willingly, but it had happened. Regulus had been marked, and the proof was on his arm. No explanation necessary. He was one of them.

"Nothing," Regulus lied again. "Everything is okay. It's just... allergies."

Around anyone else, lying was the easiest thing in the world for Regulus. But, James always saw right through him. "Don't lie to me, love," he said gently, his hand moving from Regulus' cheek to his shoulder. "I want to know. I can help you."

No you can't, Regulus doesn't say. He wants to run, wants to hide away from the world, but his eyes stay on James'.

Oh Merlin, they're so gentle, so kind, so... so...

Regulus forces himself to look away. "You promise you won't hate me?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

"How could I ever hate you?" was James' soft response, his voice so incredibly gentle that Regulus was unsure if it was even real.

Eyes glued to the ground, he slowly brings his arm out from behind his back. He doesn't look at James, not wanting to see the reaction.

James' hand left his shoulder, and the Gryffindor sucked in a breath.

Fuck... this was a mistake... Why did he have to be so fucking stupid? Now James hated him, he wouldn't even want to look at him... This was the end of them, the end of everything...This was it, right here...

"I'm so sorry..." Regulus whispered, his voice shaking, on the verge of tears.

"Oh, Regulus..." James breathed, obviously in shock.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Tears began flooding Regulus' eyes again, and he chanted I'm sorry over and over again so many times, just because he couldn't think of anything else to say. And he truly was sorry. "I didn't want it, you know I didn't..."

"I know..." James whispered. His voice also shook. "I know, love..."

And then, James was hugging him, letting him cry into his shoulder. Clinging onto him tightly, as if he was never going to let go. Holding him close like he would protect him from anything, and keep him safe from everything that ever tried to harm him.

After what felt like forever, they pulled away, eyes red and breathing uneven. "You aren't mad?" Regulus asked, hopefully.

"Of course I'm not mad, love... Why would I be mad?"

"I'm..." Regulus shivered. "I'm marked... I'm one of them..."

"You didn't want that though. It wasn't your choice."

"But... but..." Regulus stuttered, staring directly into James' eyes. James wasn't lying. "You- you don't hate me?"

"Oh, Reg..." James sighed, his lips curling up in a small smile. "How could I ever hate you?"

~~~

Word count: 659