November 1, 1978
REMUS JOHN LUPIN
Remus was slightly overwhelmed by all the new information he was learning. "Wait so Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were not the enemies everyone says they were and instead were secret lovers who created some kind of blood ritual thing that allowed them to have a daughter?"
Regulus nodded. "Yes, and me and Sirius are descendants of Esmeria meaning we are related to Salazar and Godric. Same goes for Andromeda and the rest of my family."
Pandora shook her head in disbelief. "Weird..."
"And you guys met and talked to young Voldemort in the chamber?" Remus asked to make sure he had understood the story right.
"Yep," James confirmed.
Kian let out a laugh of disbelief. "Merlin, we leave you two alone for a couple hours and you find out something that completely changes wizarding history, talk to two ghosts, kill a basilisk, almost die from basilisk venom, receive the sword of Gryffindor, and get saved by Dumbledore's phoenix."
Regulus flashed a wry smile at Kian. "What can I say? James and I attract trouble."
"Hey, I guess we know why majority of the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses are gay now," James joked. "I mean just think of the ratios between Slytherin and Gryffindor and the other two houses."
"Ratios? That's a big word for you, love," Regulus teased.
James placed a loud and dramatic kiss on Regulus's cheek. "I learn from the best."
Remus smiled to himself. There was no denying how made for each other and adorable Regulus Black and James Potter were. They were also the two bravest people he had ever met. All they had done in the last year was amazing. Remus didn't think he would have been able to any of it especially considering all the shit they had been through simultaneously.
"Will you two stop it? You are making me feel single and I'm not even single," Kian stated.
Regulus just blew the blonde haired boy a kiss. "Boo hoo, go cry about it, Ki."
Kian flipped Regulus off and the four of them all laughed at their friend. Remus missed Sirius more than anything but moments like this with his friends made it all better.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
November 2, 1978
JAMES FLEAMONT POTTER
It was a chilly November day. The weather was starting to transition into winter which made things slightly harder for James and his fellow Horocrux hunters.
Next to him, Regulus slipped the locket off his neck and set it down on the log in front of them. "So how do we destroy it?"
"Killing curse?" James offered with a shrug.
"That's too easy," Remus pointed out. "I mean this is Voldemort we are talking about."
"It wouldn't hurt to try," James reasoned.
"I physically can't cast the spell. Not after...." Kian trailed off.
Aidan, James finished mentally. "Same here," he agreed.
Regulus took a deep breath. "I'll do it. I've already casted Crucio before. I might as well add some more unforgivable curses to the list." James placed a reassuring hand on his boyfriend's free arm. "Avada Kedavra!"
As soon as Regulus cast the curse, Kian yelled. "Duck!"
James dragged Regulus down with him and afterwards. The spell bounced off the locket and came flying back at them. If Kian hadn't warned them, they would all dead.
"Well, that was fun," Pandora muttered staring at them all with wide eyes. "Any more ideas?"
Regulus bolted off back into the tent. His friends looked at James in confusion but he just shrugged. He had learned a long time ago not to question his boyfriend.
Regulus came back with the sword of Gryffindor in his hands and James instantly broke out in a smile and kissed him on the cheek. "You're a genius! I love you."
Regulus held out the sword. "Who wants to do the honors?"
Kian looked at Regulus like he was crazy. "You are joking right? It has to be you, Reg. The sword was given to you. You are the true Gryffindor. You also died to get this thing, it seems fitting you are the one to destroy
Regulus gave him a questioning look and James just gave him a nod. James watched his boyfriend raise the sword and then drive it down onto the locket.
Black mist erupted out of the locket and stopped at Pandora. As soon as the mist took form of Evan, James knew exactly what the purpose of it was. It was to show all of their insecurities and greatest fears. Pandoras was her twin going insane.
"Killing them felt so good, Dora. Your friends are next," Evan stated with a manic laugh.
Pandora looked shocked and scared. "Don't listen to the mist, it's only showing your fears," Regulus told her.
The mist moved to Remus next. Anger spiked in him as soon as it did because he knew where this was going.
Remus in werewolf form was howling at the moon. He then slashed his claws against something and the image shifted to all of them dead on the ground with claw marks covering them.
Remus looked terrified and his breathing was heavy as the mist moved on to Regulus. James stared at the mist version of himself.
"I hate you. You are exactly like your family. You are a fool to think I still love you after all you have done!" Mist him yelled.
The image shifted to Ezra. "Hezekiah would still be alive if it wasn't for you!"
A tear rolled down Regulus's cheek and James placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "It's not true, love. That isn't me. I don't think that and Ezra would never say that either."
Regulus didn't say anything as the mist moved onto James. What the mist showed didn't help him convince Regulus he didn't think that.
The mist version of Regulus smirked at him before slowly pulling up his sleeve to reveal the dark mark. Mist Regulus then pulled out his wand and pointed it at him. "Avada Kedavra!"
Guilt consumed him and he quickly turned back to Regulus. "I- I don't actually believe that, Reggie. I trust you, it's just a stupid fear. I love you."
Regulus looked hurt but James could tell he was trying to mask his hurt. "It's fine."
The mist moved to Kian last. As soon as James saw the moment, he felt his breath catch in his throat because this one wasn't a fake imagine, it was what had truly happened and Kian was about to see the thing that had been haunting James for the last year.
He had one arm under Aidan's armpit and his free hand was applying pressure to Aidan's wound. The two of them were limping through the streets of an under attack Hogsmeade.
Aidan's breathing was heavy. "Kian. I... I need to get to... I need... Ki."
"I know, we will find him I just need you to stay with me, Aidan," he told Aidan. They continued on until Aidan started to cough up blood. He stopped walking to examine his friend. "Shit, Barron."
Aidan stared up at him with teary eyes. "Tell Kian..."
He was crying now. "Tell him what?"
James never got his answer because that's when the death eater appeared and shot the killing curse at Aidan.
Kian screamed and he swatted at the mist trying to make it go away. "No, no. Stop! I don't want to see this!" The blonde boy sobbed before he bolted into the tent.
James's breathing was heavy as he processed everything that had just happened.
*:・゚✧*:・゚✧
November 10, 1978
REGULUS ARCTURUS BLACK
Just when Regulus thought things couldn't get worse, they did.
He felt tears roll down his face as he stared down at the letter in his hands. He could also feel anger boiling deep inside him.
Of course, at that moment, James appeared. He frowned as soon as he realized Regulus was crying. His eyes fell on the letter and he ripped it out of his hands.
Fear spiked in him, "James, wait!"
It was too late, James had already read it. His face fell and he shook his head. "No, no, no. This is fake. She's not- she's not dead. She can't be. Marlene can't be dead."
Regulus felt his heart clench. "I'm so sorry, James."
His boyfriend stepped forward and collapsed into his arms. Regulus held him tight as James wept in his arms.
"Her entire fucking family... all of them. I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill Voldemort," James stated, his sadness turning into anger now.
"It wasn't him this time. He didn't kill them," Regulus pointed out. "It was the spy."
"And you know who it is," James stated. "It's not just a suspicion like you originally told me. You know who it is."
Regulus could easily identify the request behind that statement and he frowned at his boyfriend. "Jamie, you know I can't tell you who it is."
James let out a noise of frustration that Regulus knew wasn't directed at him. "I can't just stand by and do nothing! They killed Marlene, my best friend! You know what, fuck that. She was like my older sister!"
"I'm sorry," was all he said because he didn't know what else to say.
"Look, you don't have to say a name. I can read the look in your eyes. I'm just going to list off people and I'll know by the look in your eyes who it is," James stated. Regulus gave him a small nod. "Lily?"
No.
"Sirius?"
No.
"Dorcas?"
No.
"Mary?"
No.
"Prewett Twins?"
No.
"Moody?"
No.
"Peter?"
Yes.
James's face fell and he stood up. "No, you must have seen who it was wrong. It can't be him. It just can't. The three of us have been friends all our lives. He would never kill her.
"Jamie, I'm so sorry," was what Regulus told his boyfriend.
"Fuck!" James yelled before he buried his face in Regulus's shoulder and began to cry again.
Regulus was beginning to wonder if this is how things would be from now on. Would life ever go back to normal?
***
I don't really like how I wrote this chapter but it's whatever. It's one of the chapters that just didn't transfer good from my head to writing.
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