The Life of Harry Potter

Unique Family

Regulus POV:

It's been fives years since that night and Regulus still blames himself for not saving Lily, if only he'd been a couple of seconds faster she might still be alive. Maybe he and James would still have their dear friend with them, and Harry, who Regulus loves more than life itself, would still have his mother.

They tried their hardest, and over time things got easier, they have a routine now, they're all genuinely happy as a unique family of three, but at the beginning things were rough. Both Regulus and James were grieving the loss of Lily, and trying to figure out if their relationship could still work after everything that had happened and after explaining to James that he and Barty only joined the Death Eaters because Evan was forced to. Not to mention that they were both clueless on how to raise a toddler by themselves. Regulus thoroughly more confused than James.

It took much longer for Regulus to forgive himself, than for James to forgive him. James accepted that Regulus did what he did for good reasons, and the fact that he almost died betraying Voldemort made it pretty obvious he wasn't a true Death Eater. And he risked himself again to save James and his son. Besides James loves Regulus so much, there is hardly anything he wouldn't forgive him for. At least that's what James told him.

Regulus is interrupted from his thoughts by a pair of warm, strong arms wrapping around his waste, which belong to James. "Are you all right, love" James breathes into his ear, giving Regulus goose bumps. "Just thinking" Regulus says relaxing into James. They were standing on the back porch of their home looking out into their overly large yard. No one could see them because of the fidelius.

They stand stand there in comfortable silence for a while before James breaks the silence "I miss him" he says so quietly Regulus can barely hear him. He doesn't have to ask to know that he's talking about Sirius "I know" Regulus looks up at the Sirius star where James is already looking "me too" Regulus replies just as quietly, "I know" James repeats what Regulus said minutes prior.

After Regulus and James started dating, when they were back in school, Regulus and Sirius and were starting to repair the damage that their parents had caused their relationship. They were learning to be brothers again. But then Regulus broke his brothers heart again by joining the Death Eaters, and he died before he could explain to Sirius why he did what he did. Well he didn't actually die, obviously, but Sirius thinks he did.

"He and Remus are probably living the high life right now, taking Sirius' bike out every night" Regulus says trying to lighten the mood, it must work a little bit because James smiles before he says "probably fucking each other senseless after they get back too, Remus has a bit of a bike kink"

Regulus can't help the surprised noise that he makes "I did not need that image of my brother" he groans, then they're both laughing hysterically, James has tears in his eyes. They do this a lot, simply just because they can, they're safe and happy, their son is soundly asleep in the house.

"Come on let's go to sleep" James says lacing his fingers into Regulus' and lightly tugging him into the house.

They are both already in their night clothes, so when they reach their bed they lay straight down and go into a spooning position, James as the big spoon Regulus as the little.

As Regulus drifts off to sleep he thinks about how far he has come, when they first got back together, Regulus couldn't sleep with James arms around him like this, because it reminded him of the inferi. Now he can barely sleep without the warm embrace of James Potter.

~~

Regulus doesn't know what time it is when he hears the door to their bedroom open. "Reg?" Harry says sniffling a bit, Regulus sits up and whispers "kitten?". Regulus' animagus form is a cat so he's taken to calling Harry that nickname. James, who felt that it was unfair that Regulus gets to use an animagus related nickname for their son, calls Harry bambi.