bruises - james potter

𝘀𝗶𝘅𝘁𝘆

"That's why I'm worried." He said, his frown deepening as he stopped shaking his head. He looked at her and shook his head once more before he stood still.

"You think you know what you're doing, but you don't. You can't control them, you don't know what they are going to or when they are going to do it."

Regulus let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair, messing up the perfect side swept look that he always had.

"Cassie, I know you like acting brave all the time, that you don't want to see that they hurt you. But you can't act like it doesn't hurt you when I know it does. Everyone knows it does-"

"You think I don't know that?" Cassie exclaimed as she mirrored Regulus frown, shaking her head softly.

"You think I'm not worried about that too? But I am." Her voice was reduced to a whisper, she looked back down at the floor, she ensured that she wouldn't let the tears fall this time.

She never cried infront of Regulus, and she never wanted to. She was fine telling him about how she felt.

Talking to James and Sirius made her realise that telling someone how she was feeling was a good thing to do. It wasn't pushing her problems onto someone else's shoulders so they could share the weight that she carried, it was helping them understand and in a way, helping herself understand.

"Regulus, I shake everytjme I think of going back to Grimmauld Place for even a week, my hands shake so much that I can't even hold my wand for what seems like an hour. The thought of the spell makes me feel as if I'm going to throw up." She took a deep breath, not looking up.

"Regulus, promise me something - scratch that, promise me two things."

Cassie finally looked up, meeting her brother eyes. Regulus was looking at her with an eyebrow raised, his eyes darted to the scratches on her face before they went back to her eyes.

"What?"

"Promise me that if I die, if they kill me, that you'll go to James and Sirius."

Regulus let out a shaky breath as he blinked a few times before responding.

"I promise." Cassie smiled ever so slightly, but the smile quickly slipped from her face.

She raised the her hand, the one that wasn't holding onto her wand, and fiddled with the small strands of wool that were coming off James' scarf.

She looked down for a moment, before she nodded and looked back up at Regulus. He was watching her intently.

"This one, I know it will be harder for you to promise, but I need you to. Okay?" Regulus furrowed his eyebrows, but he nodded nonetheless.

Cassie met out a short breath, before her eyes met his once again. Regulus could already see the pleading in her eyes, which only made his eyebrows furrow deeply.

He nodded, hesitantly.

"Promise me, and I mean a pinky promise, so you cannot break it. Promise me that if I say we're going, that you come with me without a word. I may not know what's best for me when it comes to mother and father, but I do know - sort of - what's best for you."

Regulus didn't look away from his sisters eyes, it hurt him both physically and mentally to see the pain in her eyes. Even though her eyes were full of plead, the pain in them still stuck out by a mile.

He knew when he promised the first thing that it would have been something bigger for the second one. Regulus knew that Cassie knew what was best for him, he'd known it for years.