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In Every Universe (It Was You)

Chapter 2: Piercing

Summary:

Prompt originally from @jegulusmicrofics on Tumblr
Originally posted 2 September 2023

Notes:

Content Warnings:
Character Death
Major Angst
Canon Setting (first wizarding war)

Chapter Text

A blood-curtailing scream pierces through the silence of the night. 

Then the choked-out sobs start.

“Regulus! Get out here!” Sirius cries, struggling to catch his breath. 

Regulus springs upright immediately in response. Bolting from his room and into the centre of the apartment. There Sirius sits at the dining room table, head in his hands. His body shaking with the force of the sobs he’s letting out.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong, what happened?” Regulus asks. He’s now crouched down next to Sirius at the table in an attempt to get Sirius to look him in the eye. 

“Sirius, look at me! What’s wrong?” Regulus says, a worried look setting across his face. “Do I need to leave? Is me hiding here putting you in any more danger than you already were in?”

Since the start of the war, their world has been falling down around them. Crumbling bit by bit, giving them no time to grieve the individual pieces of it all. But Sirius usually doesn’t have much of a visible reaction to it all. Neither does Regulus for that matter. Both of them are so used to shutting down their emotions starting at an early age. There was no other way to survive that prison of a house. But especially since Regulus had faked his own death and ran to Sirius they had been rather closed off around one another.

Finally, Sirius looks up. Blinking through his tears. Eyeliner running down his face leaving black streaks, fear deep in his grey-blue eyes. The same fear that now most likely reflects back on Regulus’. 

“They’re dead!” Sirius cries out between shaky breaths. 

“Shh, shh, whose de-“ Regulus stops when he sees what Sirius is holding. A piece of parchment which was now severely crumpled. The ink bleeding over the page from Sirius’ tears. 

Two simple five-word sentences. Both with enough power to pierce through Regulus’ soul. 

James and Lily are dead. Harry’s the boy who lived. It says in a rushed script. The reality of the situation pierced through him. No further explanations or instructions. But nothing else put on that page could have stopped the ringing Regulus now hears in his own ears. The world spun around him, vision going in and out blurring at the edges. Stars fill his field of view.

Memories flood through his mind of his and James’ short time together. 

How he used to hate James under the false pretences that he had stolen Sirius’ attention and affection from him. 

How in his 4th year hating James became harder and harder to do. He fought against his growing crush by throwing harsher and harsher comments in James’ way. And how apparently that just made James want to be around him and annoy him more and more. 

How, one day in Regulus’ 5th year James had followed Regulus up to the astronomy tower with the stupid ‘Marauders Map’ in hand. And James had professed his mutual affection to Regulus. And how there they had had their first kiss under the stars. 

How, almost 1 month later Regulus had first said ‘I Love You’ and James had responded with an equally meaningful ‘I Love You’. Holding each other in their arms.

How, sitting side by side in the room of the requirements they had planned out their entire lives together. Picket fence and all for after the war was over. 

And how Regulus had come back to school after the winter holidays his 6th year covered in injuries of varying severity. Which prompted James to beg Regulus to escape. To come live with him and Sirius. To which Regulus responded by pulling up his left sleeve. Revealing a black slithering tattoo that altered both of their lives forever.

James had since turned his back on Regulus. Leaving him behind, never speaking to one another again. Causing James to find a joy-filled life with his childhood crush Lily. 

Somewhere in the chaos of his own mind, he thinks he hears the door swing open. He feels his legs give way beneath him. Yelling starts, hexes flying around the apartment, the loud noises of things falling and breaking. Maybe even more wrenching sobs of Sirius’ begging. But, despite it all, Regulus can’t be bothered to care. Because James is dead. His James is dead. And he died thinking Regulus was dead as well. Most likely he died still thinking Regulus was a cruel and evil death eater as well. And there was nothing Regulus could do about it. Nothing at all that he could do to stop the piercing pain of his reality. 

Notes:

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