I Will Follow You Into The Dark || Jegulus

73. Everyone Adores You (at least I do)

"I'm so sorry that your yard got ruined all because of me." Regulus apologized to the Potters.

"Reggie, that was not your fault honey!" Effie placed her hands on his cheeks, "We can always fix our yard. We can't lose you."

"B- but the flower garden. I know that was important to you guys." Regulus looked over at James with sadness in his eyes.

"I can re-plant them. Most of them didn't even grow in yet anyway." James offered his arms out for a hug, which Regulus took. "We will always protect you. No matter what."

By now the party was long over and all of the partygoers had left, though he never even had a chance to open his gifts, which still sat piled up on the table.

"Where's Sirius?" Regulus asked. Sirius had been gone since the fight was over, not even talking to Remus as he apparated away.

James shrugged, "I wish I knew." He frowned. "Do you want to open your gifts or wait for him to get back?" He asked.

"I'll open them now. It's getting late." Regulus said, and tried to offer a smile, but he still felt somber.

"Here's mine" James handed Regulus a thin box. Regulus opened it to see arrangements of pressed flowers, plucked from James's garden. "Look, we still have some remnants of my garden." He smiled.

"Oh James I love it." He kissed James on the cheek.

"Reggie darling, this one is from Molly." Effie held out a gift.

"She didn't have to. She has enough kids to worry about" Reg said as he opened it. He pulled out a green and black sweater that was handmade.

Regulus got a few more gifts. Some paint supplies from Sirius and Remus, which Regulus wished he could thank them for, but it would have to wait. He got a muggle watch from Andromeda, Ted, and Nymphadora.

The final present was from Fleamont and Effie, and it was a large poetry book, the author being some famous muggle Regulus had briefly heard of.

"Thank you guys. You really didn't have to go through all this effort." Regulus said to James's parents, who had gone out of their way constantly to make him feel comfortable. He felt undeserving of their love, but that never stopped them.

"Regulus. You are living under our roof, we love you like our own son, so of course we're going to put effort into things for you. James loves you, and we love you." Monty said.

"I don't deserve you guys." Regulus felt tears threatening to well up in his eyes, but he kept a straight face until after he and James were alone in their room.

Their room. Regulus still wasn't used to that after all this time. But even then, he still wasn't sure how he would manage an entire Hogwarts term without seeing James around.

James would spend his fall with Sirius, and Remus, and Peter, and Lily.

Lily. That reminded him of his thoughts of earlier. Of James and Lily together, happily raising a kid. Something James and Regulus may never have.

Of course adoption existed, though it wasn't normalized in the Wizarding world.

"What's bothering you love?" James rubbed his hand over Regulus's back and shoulders, massaging gently.

"It's not important." Regulus muttered. How would James react to these thoughts? Of course he would reassure Regulus that he loved him no matter what. James was so pathetically head over heels, it was adorable, but that didn't stop these thoughts.

"Of course it is, darling." James said, looking at Regulus with his large doe eyes.

Regulus sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, thinking of how to articulate his thoughts. "Do you think in another universe you and Lily are still together?" He asked.

"Where is this coming from? There's infinite universes, I'm sure there's one where I end up friends with Snivellus." James grimaced.

"I just... you would be an amazing father and you deserve someone who can give you that." Regulus frowned.

James reached for his boyfriend's hands, "Is that all this is about? I mean I love kids but I really don't need any." James said in a soothing tone, though Regulus could read James like a book.

"You don't need them. But do you want them?" He asked.

"Of course. And you know there's plenty of ways we could have children. We could adopt or even get a surrogate mother." James suggested.

A surrogate. "Isn't that only something straight people can do?" Regulus muttered.

"No. You only need one persons DNA to do it. The muggles came up with it." James grinned. Regulus's face went red with embarrassment. Of course he wouldn't have known that, because his muggle hating homophobic mother would tell him any lie to keep him in the dark. "Are you alright? I know you've been having doubts, but if it's only because of children then you don't have to worry." James offered a small smile.

Regulus sighed and looked around the room. "I'm sorry James. I don't know what got over me. It's just - I guess seeing you around kids looked so natural and it seemed like you would be so much better off with someone like Lily"

James just looked at his boyfriend for a minute, "You do know I've been enamored with you since your first year. I don't think things would have ever worked out with Lily. I love her as a friend, and I love having her around, but I am completely and totally in love with you. You make my heart beat, you make the world spin."

Regulus went to sleep that night by James's side, feeling happier than he ever had despite the day they had. Regulus knew he needed to properly communicate his feelings better, but in the meantime, this was fine.

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ive gotten a little obsessed with crocheting. Ive been making a blanket almost nonstop for hours every day, but thats just the silliness taking over ig. 

I watched deadpool and wolverine. It was some pirated version recorded by some dude, but I AM going to see it in theaters in a few days! It was genuinely one of the best movies I have ever seen and I am obsessed with it. 

Anyway guys I promise you will find out about Sirius soon! This chapter is important in the overall story, and next chapter will let you guys know what happened.