Chapter Text
Regulus was screaming.
And he had been for a while now.
“You're pathetic Regulus Black” his mothers voice cuts through his screams, and with another slice of her wand a new curse attacks his already battered body, cuts breaking out along the area of skin her wand arc had crossed.
“Cohorting with Blood traitors!” She continues.
Agony floods Regulus’ system, starting his screaming anew. He can’t breathe past his own shriek. He didn’t know when he’d started to sob but his cheeks were damp and horrible pained sounds came from him when the curse began to fade.
“Crucio’” his Father this time. From the edge of his blurring vision he catches sight of the Black crest above the mantle of the fireplace, the crest forged in unblemished silver.
Regulus’ almost wants to laugh as he writhes beneath the metal work. The Ancient and Noble House of Black, look at them now. Sirius gone and…
And that thought is just enough to offer some clarity to his swimming head.
Sirius is with James.
His James.
If he could just get to them. And suddenly that crest above the mantle seems less like a mockery of his pain and more like a shining arrow to his only chance at escape.
The fireplace.
In the shadows of the room he sees a wand being raised ready to deliver another curse.
Go he thinks, his body urging him to save himself. In a spike of adrenaline Regulus shoves upwards reaching for the Floo Powder. He grabs a handful and half falls half rolls into the fireplace.
His father shouts and his mother…
“CRUCIO!”
“POTTER MANOR!” Regulus shrieks, barely getting the words out before the curse forces screams from him.
He feels himself ripped away and lands hard against the ground, the remnants of the curse attacking his nervous system. He’s still screaming from the pain of it all
Distantly he thinks he might have heard several sets of footsteps banging against the ceiling. Keep breathing he thinks.
“Merlin!” He thinks he hears someone say.
Moments later the first shadow settles over him. Regulus flinches on reflex waiting for the next punishment his parents deem fit. “Please…” he groans, desperate for a reprieve.
Suddenly gentle hands are on his shoulder, his side, his face, and then he sees that face. That beautiful golden face in front of him
“James?” Regulus whimpers.
“I’m here Regulus” James responds. Pulling Regulus carefully to him scared of causing Regulus’ broken form any more pain.
In that moment more shadows begin to appear in the room and Regulus’ unfocused eyes look past James to see three more people coming through a doorway.
“Reggie?” A familiar voice.
And two voices he doesn’t recognise.
“James what’s going on?” A male voice echoes, causing Reguls to flinch into James
“Oh Merlin James!” A more feminine voice.
“Mum I heard a scream and when I came down Reg was screaming and writhing on the ground” his breaths are coming quicker now panic staining James voice “ I don’t know what to do” James’ voice breaks and Regulus wants to reach out to comfort him, if only his body wasn’t too busy being locked up dealing with tremors of excruciating pain.
“I…” the familiar voice starts again but Regulus still can’t place it in the haze of pain.
“Sirius, breathe!” James’ voice calls out from above him. In that moment he realises that it’s his brother standing in the doorway. And that in this moment Sirius is panicking.
“Siri” Regulus whimpers, though it’s drowned out by the others.
“Take a breath!” James calls out more assertively panic still lacing his voice but with that insufferable undercurrent of tenderness James always seems to convey. Regulus loves him for it.
From the corner of his eye he sees a wand being raised and he starts to panic, a shout pushing up his throat past his lips.
“No, please don’t!” He tries to shove away from it but his arms are too weak to do more than rock him into James. “Please! I’m sorry, I..”
“Shhhh Regulus, your okay” James says
Regulus whimpers as the exertion sends more tremors through his body, fear of the wand wielder heightening his panic.
James starts to speak again “You're at Potter Manor, your safe. Please Mum and Dad just want to help…”
Regulus realise he’s still trying and failing to struggle away from the woman. James’ mum, Mrs Potter. And as James' words finally sink in, Regulus finds himself going limp. He’s at the Potters, he’s safe. A sob works its way past his lips as all his fear and pain and exhaustion crashes down and the adrenaline high fades.
“Regulus, my name is Effie, I’m James’ mum and I’m a healer, please let me help you, you are severely injured.” James’ Mum speaks gently.
Regulus hesitates and when James notices he leans down to Murmur in Regulus' ear with a teary voice. “Let her help Reg”
Regulus looks from James to Mrs Potter and offers a single jerk of his head in confirmation.
Mrs Potter raises her wand again having lowered it during his panic and quickly performs a diagnostic spell. Her face is pulled into a grimace and Regulus thinks he sees anger and pity in her eyes before it’s hidden under a healer's expression. Steady and calm.
Mr Potter re-enters the room, Regulus didn’t realise he’d left, and hands his wife several potions. Regulus watches as Effie opens the stopper and gives the bottle to him to drink.
“A pain potion” she clarifies though Regulus has seen more than his fair share and recognised it almost instantly. He swallows the potion with James’ help, feeling the relief swirl around his body in a matter of seconds. He hadn’t realised just how much everything hurt until the potion dulled it.
Mrs Potter begins checking each of the physical wounds she can see while James cradles Regulus’ head tenderly in his lap
“Oh my love” James whispers silver tears filling his eyes.
“I’m okay,” Reguls mumbles. It’s a lie but he needs to help James. Needs him to be okay
The exhaustion of the night has moved from disorienting Regulus to downright dragging him into unconsciousness. James’ hand falls into his hair,in a comforting gesture. James always liked his hair and to be honest the gesture has always helped to comfort Regulus.
Before he fully goes under he hears James’ “ Sirius he’ll be okay, just focus on your breathing”
“He… I can’t… they…” His brother's broken words weigh heavy with grief and just as Regulus gets swept away in sleep he hears the shuffle of feet and the rustle of clothes that sound an awful lot like someone being hugged.
“Thanks dad…” he hears James say and then Regulus is gone, pulled into a blissful oblivion.