Mastermind

A Match Into Water IV

Warnings:
referenced torture
referenced death

Also, this part of the song really introduces the theme/mood for the entire last part/rest of this fanfic. Enjoy.

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Say a prayer for you, I know that you're in pain
But if we die at the same time, does it still scare you?
We will bring the tidal wave
We will bring the tidal wave
We will bring the tidal wave
We will bring the tidal wave
We will bring the tidal wave!
We will bring the tidal wave!
We will bring the tidal wave!
And nothing will remain!
She's mine!
You stay away from her, it's not her time
- A Match into Water by Pierce The Veil

3rd of August 1978

James is woken up by Sirius hours later.

"Hey, sorry to wake you," he whispers, "But Monty said, if you don't eat within the hour, he will come in and feed you like a little child. He seemed quite determined, so I thought it would be better I wake you. – I always thought you got that from Effie, by the way, not Monty... though maybe you both got it from her."

They definitely got it from her. James looks back to Regulus, who seemingly hasn't moved the whole time while James was asleep.

"Monty has offered to stay with him while you come down. Dumbledore is there with basically the entire Order. They want to talk with us about Reggie. They think he's a spy – Moody is inclined to think I'm a spy, too, because we brought him here."

"That paranoid son of a bitch," James mumbles. He pushes his hand through his hair and gets up from the chair. "I'll just change my clothes then I come down."

Sirius looks at him and then at Regulus. James is still holding his hand.

"Monty and Peter said, he'll be okay. It won't be long now. You slept through it, but they gave him his potions, and they said, he's responding well to it. He isn't so cold anymore, either."

James knows. He can feel his hand being almost back to its normal temperature, which is generally colder than his own.

"Once he's well again, I will mock you so hard for how you were drooling on him in your sleep. Prepare yourself."

"Fuck off," James mumbles but he can't help the tiny smile on his lips. It would be a nice thing, just Sirius mocking them for their relationship, it would be so normal, so fucking ordinary. - He wants it.

James lets go of Regulus, and goes to his room to change his clothes. His bed is slept in, probably by Sirius. His eyes get caught on the picture on his desk. They have taken it last summer, in July. It shows his dad, Sirius, him, and his mum.

James takes the picture and looks at the woman. What would his mum have said when they brought Regulus? She would have fussed over him, most likely. Would have wrapped him up in even more blankets and James' hoodies, would have started cooking right away and would have pulled James into a tight hug all the while Monty and Peter tried to heal Regulus. She would have stayed at Regulus' side with him and reassured him that everything would be fine. She would tell him, it's not his fault. She would tell him, he did good with helping and rescuing him. She would tell him, he did well with trusting Regulus and going to him. She would tell him again to never lose that trust in people. The Good will outlast the Evil in everyone. That's what she would say. It's true about Regulus, too.

When he is dressed, he doesn't go downstairs right away.

He stops at his bedside table. He opens the last drawer and pushes papers, pictures, and rubbish away until he gets to the picture he hid at the far end of it.