Chapter Text
November 3rd, 1979.
Regulus was falling. No, not falling, drowning. He was drowning, pulled down by the inferni. The locket was in his hand. He had failed his mission. The locket would never leave this cavern. If only he had brought backup. Someone. Kreatcher, Barty, Evan. Maybe he could've even gotten Sirius. But how would he ever trust him ever again? Answer: he wouldn't.
The water was filling up his lungs, and his vision was getting spotty.
'This is where it ends.'
He thought.
That's when the locket lit up, it was glowing bright green.
And that's when Regulus died.
At least he should've.
He should've woken up and found him wherever dead people go. Heaven? Hell? Space? But no. When Regulus awoke he was, in someone's basement?
No, he recognized the someones,it was James Potter and Marlene McKinnon. But they seemed to be in the middle of a conversation. Something about Lily, and Mary, and Euphemia.
"Euphemia."
James said to Marlene
"She threatened me."
"Did she say she’d kill you?"
Marlene asked suspiciously
"What? No."
"So then, what’s the big deal?"
She says, crossing her arms.
"The big deal is if I don’t do what she says, then she’ll stop me from seeing Lils"
" Like, permanently."
He adds after a second
"You don’t understand, Marlene. She’s crazy."
Marlene may not understand that but, Regulus doesn't understand where the fuck he is, why he's standing ag a table setting up some game, and why he was with Marlene and James. He was holding a piece it looked like, but what was it? Regulus had no fucking idea.
"Hey, guys, what are we doing here? "
Regulus tried asking. He was ignored by the other two.
"I had no choice, Marlene. I really had no choice."
James defends himself.
"I just wish you’d consulted me, because the way you handled this, you’re in deep shit."
Marlene says, giving James a look. At least they both seem normal. But it seems like they're all in America, because James and Marlene have American accents. Regulus dosent want to risk talking. He's never seen this game before and now he seems to be the one setting it up. And Euphemia isn't James mom here. Where the fuck was here???????
Regulus found himself sitting bored by the table, drowning out the others conversation.
"It’s just one little mistake. I’ve made hundreds, thousands. Mary has dumped me five times." Marlene says, patting James on the knee.
Regulus zoned out again, until Marlene was leading James up the stairs and out the door. Leaving Regulus in their wake.
"I just…" Regulus started to complain. He was slowly adjusting to the situation here. They were in Hawkins Indiana. In the 1980's so just around the time it had been for Regulus. They were shopping for something for Lily because James had lied to her.
"I don’t understand what we’re looking for." he finished, looking around at the mall. This was so different then anywhere Regulus had ever been before.
"Something pretty and shiny that says “I’m sorry.”"
Marlene explains, looking around for a place to start.
"What, just something that literally says “I’m sorry”?"
Regulus clarified, still confused and hating this entire situation.
"No!"
both Marlene and James yelled at him as they started for a shop.
Eventually after wondering through a bunch of different shops at the mall Regulus was bored as fuck. The other two kept going on about the perfect gift and their girlfriends. Regulus wasn't sure he'd survive another day stuck with the two idiots. Gryffindors.
"Can we please go home now?" He asked them finally.
"No." James said
"No." Marlene agreed
"Isn’t this a nice surprise."
Mary grinned as she walked up to them, seeing the three of them together
"What are you doing here?"
James looked shocked as he saw Lily and Mary walking up to them.
"Shopping."
Mary said deadpan.
"This is her new style. What do you think?" She asked, looking from Lily to James.
"What’s wrong with you?"
James demanded, looking at Mary in almost disgust.
"You know she’s not allowed to be here."
"What is she, your little pet?" Mary looked at him in disdain. Well the most disdainful a 13 year old could look. Another thing Regulus noticed, they were all aged down.
"Yeah. Am I your pet?" Lily agreed and asked.
Regulus noticed she sounded more like a young kid speaking, not a teenager.
"What? No!" James said, the best way to discrim his face was flabbergasted.
"Then why do you treat me like garbage?"
Lily asked, glaring at him challengeingly.
"What?"
James asked, and he looked genuinely confused. God the little fuck.
That was when Regulus zoned out. Again. Because he could not listen to Lily and James quabble like kids.
"Also, we’re here to get a gift for you."
James said, like that could make his case better. (In Regulus' unbiased opinion it made it worse)
Just, we couldn’t find anything that suited you and I only have, like, $3.50, so it’s hard."
James pleaded, defending himself. Lily just looked done with him.
"You lie. Why do you lie?" Lily asked, disappointed with him.
Again it was her talking like she had recently learnt how to. Regulus would have to look into that.
The buss pulled up behind them, Mary glanced at it before glancing at everyone else again.
"I dump your ass." Lily and Mary turned around and got on the bus, giggling
The three of them watched them go, standing in silence. Until Regulus broke it.
"So does this mean were leaving?"
The other two sighed, turning around to their bikes," Yes! "
When they got back to James house (apparently his last name was Wheeler now????) Regulus did some research. Meaning he looked at the game he step up earlier. And he read the books. He was 'Reg the wise' he was a wizard and also a dungeon master. The person who ran/made up the game. And also judging by the fact he was the one who set this up, the only one who really cared about it.
God this worlds Regulus was a fucking whimp. But at least he could be a pain in the ass to James and Marlene. All it took was some purpleish blue fabric and yellow stars.