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“James, run.”
Gunshots fired everywhere but James was glued to the floor, unable to move. It wasn’t until he felt Regulus’ cold hand grab his own, did he properly comprehend what was happening. He saw Evan and Barty firing their guns and heard Dorcas’ panicked voice telling them to get out.
He ran and ran, not daring to look back even for a second. A gun fired; Regulus fell beside him. He’d tripped, surely, he had just tripped. It can’t have. He can’t have. James turned around to face Regulus laying in a pool of his own thick, red blood.
“No, no, no, no!” James begged. He can’t die, James won’t let hm die.
“Peter! Peter where are you!?”
There was no response. Regulus coughed up droplets of blood as James held him, delicate as a flower. No, not a flower. A bomb.
“Regulus, Reg what’s wrong? Tell me what’s wrong, tell me how to fix it. Please Reg how do I stop it?”
James was crying now.
“James...” Regulus coughed, “James it’s ok. I’m ok. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
James knew that was bad. He knew Regulus was dying. He knew it. And there was nothing he could do. He had failed, he couldn’t save Regulus. He couldn’t save himself. Because if Regulus was in pain, James was too.
Regulus attempted to reach for his pocket but was interrupted by another round of vicious coughing.
James desperately tried to remember what Peter had taught them in that lesson all that time ago. ‘The exit wound of a bullet hole will be worse than the entrance wound. Always try to find the exit wound and stop the blood flow.’ Or was it the entrance wound that was worse? For once, James wished that he has spent less time being mesmerised by Regulus’ touch and instead, spent more time listening to the lesson.
He gave up trying to remember and instead just held Regulus close to himself, a feeble attempt to block both the entrance and exit wound.
But fuck, there was just so much blood.
“James,” Regulus said, snapping James out of his momentary unconsciousness. “James please, look at me.”
James opened his eyes to see Regulus holding a blood-soaked ring. It was serpent shaped with an emerald stone for the eye. Regulus was proposing. Regulus Black was proposing to James Potter. This should be happy. This is not happy.
“No. Reg no, I can’t. You’ll give this to me later. When you’re better. You’ll be better. You’ll be ok. Peter is on his way, you’ll be alright Reg. You’ll be ok-“
“James, nobody is coming, it’s just us two.”
No. No it wasn’t. Peter would be here any second now. He would fix Regulus and everything would be ok. He would be ok.
He won’t die.
He won’t die.
He won’t die.
“Peter!” James screamed. He was talking through the earpiece, but he was convinced that anyone would be able to hear him, earpiece or not. “Peter where on earth are you!?”
“Right here,” said a voice from behind James. Peter, “I’m here, what happened?”
How was he so calm. Couldn’t he see? Didn’t he care?
“He fell. He was shot. I don’t know who, I don’t- “
“Quickly, help me get him to the vans.” Peter said whilst already tucking his arm under Regulus’ limp shoulder and lifting him up off the floor. James copied Peter’s movements on Regulus’ other side.
He was dripping blood as they walked. Blood that stained Lucius’ snow-white floor. Regulus’ blood.
They moved as quickly as they dared until they reached the back door where Barty and Sirius were waiting with a stretcher. They slammed the doors to the van shut as Barty climbed into the driver’s seat in sped off.
“Can we get him to the hospital in time?” James asked, his voice hoarse and trembling.
“The hospital? Are you mad?” Barty shouted from the driver’s seat, his voice also trembling but he was trying not to show it, “Sure and how are we gonna explain that to them huh? Oh yeah, he got shot illegally trading away artwork that we stole. Oh, and when, we will all go to fucking prison so yeah, brilliant idea James. Bloody brilliant.”
“Barty, please.” Sirius cried “Don’t say that, please. I just got him back. Please don’t take him. I only just got him back!” Sirius prayed to a God that he never believed in.
All the while, Peter was surveying Regulus’ wound. He had gone unconscious and by the look of it, Peter was panicking. And if the one person who had the ability to save Regulus’ life right now was in a state of panic, well…
James didn’t know what to think.
He wouldn’t die.
James would not let Regulus die.