#empty home

@jegulus-microfic August 10, Word count 937

Previous part First Wolfstar part

Potter Manor was not what he expected. It looked more like an overgrown cottage except it was four storeys high. The iron gate at the front twisted and flowed into flower heads and the gardens beyond were full of colour. 

The gates opened fluidly when they approached and a sweet-looking little house elf appeared at the front door to let them in. 

“This is Flitsy, she’s been in the family for years,” James introduced her. “Flitsy, do you know who this is?” James pointed at Regulus. She squinted at him and moved closer, peering up at him from her low height. 

“He be looking like Master Sirius but more pointy,” She said seriously. Regulus was shocked at the way she spoke. His family’s house elves would never have described a guest as pointy. “Too skinny as well. But he be having pretty eyes, Master James. If Flitsy had to be guessing, Flitsy would say the new master is master Regulus Black, Sir,” She finished stepping back to her position beside James. 

“Excellent guessing, Flitsy. Now,” James bent down so he was level with the elf. “I need you to promise me that you won’t tell a soul that you’ve seen him, especially here and especially with me. Regulus is in hiding, and we'll put him in danger if anyone knows he's alive. Do you understand?” The elf rolled her eyes. Regulus had never seen an elf do that before. 

“Yes, Master James, Flitsy is not being an idiot. Flitsy be knowing what a secret is and how to be keeping one,” Flitsy walked back into the house shaking her head at them. She called over her shoulder just before she disappeared. “Flitsy will be putting some tea on for the masters,” 

James stood back up and smiled fondly in the direction Flitsy had gone. 

“She’s er, quite the character,” Regulus said, still a bit stunned at the elf’s behaviour. 

“She’s amazing, isn’t she,” James chuckled. “Right, anyway, library.” He strode into the manor and out of sight. Regulus quickly hurried in after him, straightening his clothes as best he could, expecting an introduction to James’s parents at some point while they were there and not wanting to look any more like his scruffy brother. 

The manor was easy enough to transverse, and soon he’d caught up with James, who was throwing open a double set of oak doors. The library itself wasn’t far off the size of the one in Grimmauld Place, but the stark difference between the two setups was like night and day. Like literal night and day. Where the Blacks library was dark and shadowy, the Potters was light and airy. Huge windows lit the room and soft light wood floors made it feel even more open. He began to walk up and down the shelves of books, tracing a few spines and plucking a couple from their spots to search through. 

“When are your parents getting home? Should I hide myself? I don’t want them to be in danger if someone thinks they know where I am,” Regulus asked as he scanned the next row of books. 

“Oh, they're in no danger,” James said absentmindedly as he looked at the book Regulus had just levitated onto the nearest desk, but Regulus detected an odd note in James’s voice. “Mainly because they died of Dragon Pox just under six months ago, not long before Sirius and Remus were captured.” Regulus dropped the book he was holding and spun to face James. The little he knew of James Potter was that, apart from Quidditch and his friends, his parents were the most important things to him in his life. He looked closer at James and saw the tension around his eyes that he hadn’t spotted before, the tiredness in the way he held his body and just how vulnerable he looked. “This house is too quiet without them,” He said sadly. “Flitsy has been telling me off for not coming home, but I just can’t,” James’s voice was thick, he turned away from Regulus to look out of the window. 

Regulus warred with himself. One side wanted to ignore the man and do what he came here to do and the other wanted to go over to him and wrap him in his arms and tell him he’d be alright. In the end, when James tilted his head up to try and force the tears back into his eyes, Regulus chose to do the latter. Before he could think any harder than he already had done, he was standing in front of James Potter and was wrapping his arms around him, holding him close, showing just a hint of his softer side. James latched on and hugged him tighter, letting his head drop onto Regulus’s shoulder and breathing deeply. 

Regulus let him have a few minutes of comfort before he awkwardly patted him on the back and said. 

“We need to start our research. I’m sorry, but it can not wait,” James heaved a great sigh and gave him one last squeeze before letting him go.

“Where do you need me?” He asked, whipping the back of his hand across his face to rid it of the tears that had trailed down to his chin.

“Start looking through the books I’ve put on the desk, see if you can find any mention of Horcruxes or eternal life,” James went and sat behind the desk, pulling a heavy book towards him and flipping it open as Regulus continued to browse the shelves. There just had to be answers here. They needed there to be answers here. 

Misc has weird pets.

Macro scenario. Empty home