Friends and Brothers AU

[morgynleri]

Title: Those Left Behind
Word Count: 1027

Previous Stories in the universe: Watching Your Back, Protecting the Innocent, and Guardian's Worries

Lily stepped out of her office, looking down the corridor towards the children's dormitories, a soft smile touching her face at the sight of Regulus at one of the doors. Her feet were quiet against the deeply carpeted floor, not announcing her presence until she spoke, reaching out a hand to place it on his shoulder.

"You have to sleep sometime, Regulus." She kept her voice hushed so she didn't disturb the children, looking up to meet the haunted grey eyes that turned towards her. "He'll be fine. They both will be."

"I know." He stepped away from the door, closing it before padding beside her down the hallway. "They've a brilliant foster mother and medi-witch to watch over them, the best they could wish for."

Lily blushed, ducking her head. "Flattery, Regulus. I'm no angel, just a normal witch, trying my best to contain a rather large mess."

Regulus reached out to stroke back a stray lock of her hair. "You're my friend, Lily, one of the few I've left. The work you do, with the orphans, I don't know anyone else who can. You're bloody brilliant, and you've earned more than your fair share of flattery."

Lily shrugged uncomfortably, opening the door to one of the girls' dorms, checking on one of the girls who had nightmares off and on. "As you like." She leaned against the door a moment after she closed it, rubbing her arms to ward off the weary ache in her bones. "Too many children have been orphaned in this war. Too many who must grow up without their parents because of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. And they did nothing, were only killed because of an accident of their birth. Senselessly killed."

Regulus wrapped her in his arms a moment, kissing the top of her head. "I know, Lily, I know. It's the pure blood belief that they are better than the rest, that those with Muggle heritage are worth nothing more than a bit of entertainment value. My parents were like that."

"Yet you turned out just fine." Lily pulled back, giving him a sharp look. "You are one of the most decent people I know, Regulus. You followed what you knew was the right path, not what was easy, and you are a good man."

"Thanks to Sirius being a good brother, I turned out this way. If he hadn't, I could easily have fallen into the same poisonous trap as my parents and cousins." A wry smile tilted one corner of Regulus' lips up. "He would sneak out, and take me with him, owled me constantly when he left for Hogwarts. Protected me. Thank my brother someday for how I am, Lily."

"I will. If he would stop treating me like some delicate jewel to be protected from the dark, evil world." She stepped back into her office, making for the large desk that took up much of the room. "Why he's so over protective, I've not a clue. I'm not a child, and I'm not helpless."

Regulus stayed at the door, watching her. "I think it's an older brother thing. He knows you're not helpless, the same as he should know I've grown up. Intellectually. His instincts still scream that he has to protect us both."

"Perhaps. Go sleep, Regulus." Lily sat down, briefly entertaining the idea of pulling out the bottle in the bottom drawer of her desk. "You can let your guard down enough to get real sleep here. Both of you."

"Yeah. I know. It's nice to sleep in a real bed sometimes." Regulus sighed, turning away towards the stairs.

Lily knew she should follow him to the sleeping quarters downstairs, and rest herself, but she'd been finding it harder and harder to sleep lately. The stress of caring for and protecting all the children was taking its toll, and she had no one to lean on. "Ah, James, I wish you were here," she murmured, leaning her head on her hands. "God, I wish you were here."

She ignored the hands trying to stop her, lashing out with a sharp elbow and a hex at the one person who actually had the balls to grab her as she fled the library and her studying. All she could hear was the frantic pounding of her heart, and the slap of her feet against the stone floor as she ran towards the hospital wing.

::Please, please, let James be all right. God in heaven, let him be all right.:: She kept up a litany of prayers as she ran, pushing open the heavy door to the hospital wing, looking around frantically. Regulus was sitting next to a bed, his hands both wrapped around one of his brother's, his eyes fixed on Sirius' face.

Other students who'd gone to the village that weekend occupied the other beds, but no matter how desperately she searched, she couldn't find any sign of James. Lily grabbed Pomfrey's arm as the medi-witch came up, meeting her eyes with fear clawing at her heart.

"James. Where is James?"

"Lily..." Pomfrey trailed off, uncertain how to tell her, but the expression on her face was all Lily needed to know. She didn't hear Pomfrey's concerned questions, didn't notice her friends running up behind her, catching her as she fell. All she could feel in that moment was a hollow emptiness where her heart should be.

Lily reached for the drawer, shaking her head sharply to dispell the memory. Pulling out a vial, she looked at the dark potion for a long moment before standing shakily, making her way to the door that led from her office to a smaller room with a cot. Normally, she'd have the newest arrival in here, but tonight, the boy slept in the hospital wing, and she could use the cot herself.

Pulling out the stopper, she lay down on the bed before pouring the contents down her throat. She needed to sleep that night, and she wasn't about to let the others find out what she kept in that little drawer. She needed to sleep, not dream, not remember the hell of her sixth year.

Comments

[ladybeth.livejournal.com]

True. That and guys seem to have it biologically installed in them to have help with anything means they lack something. Which isn't necessarily true, but telling them that doesn't seem to help.

I didn't say this before, but I liked this part.