When the Sun and Stars Unite (Jegulus Oneshots)

hope is the thing with antlers

James becomes quiet after the loss of his father. Thankfully, his husband Regulus knows how to navigate the silent world. Even when James spends his mornings in a nearby forest, transformed into a stag.

Comfort piece about love, family, grief and healing and cuddling with a big deer boy.

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"Hope" is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all (...)

from "Hope" is the thing with feathers

by Emily Dickinson

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When describing James Potter, "quiet" wasn't a word that once would have come to Regulus' mind.

James used to spend every waking minute talking or laughing, trying to coax the same reaction out of others and usually succeeding, with his golden boy charm and genuine sweetness that didn't bear to be ignored. He used to yell sometimes, used to let out a happy scream of joy or of feigned shock in an exaggerated, theatrical manner. He used to constantly tease and flirt with Regulus, who would tease back, pretending to be annoyed at his husband, which only sparked James up. Even at night, he would mumble incomprehensible little phrases, wild and puzzling out of the context of his dreams.

"Quiet" didn't suit him, before. And yet that's how he is these days.

Quiet.

Most of the time. He hasn't completely sworn off words and never, even on days when he would not make a single sound otherwise, does he ignore their son, answering Harry's curious toddler questions with great effort and patience. But once the boy is out of the picture to conquer a castle, a drawing board or a snack, James often falls silent, not to pick up his voice again till nightfall.

At night happens James' second exception. He always says goodnight to his loved ones, holding on to the goodnight he told his father one night and didn't get to say again the next one. Haunted by the possibility of every goodnight being the last one, he repeats it stubbornly every night, forcing the next evening and the next goodnight to come by his sheer will alone.

Fleamont Potter has been gone almost two months now. He passed away peacefully, in his own bed, next to his loving wife and in a house full of his loving family. Regulus remembers that night, remembers James singing while washing Harry's black curls, trying to distract the child from the streams of foamy shampoo water. He remembers James lively discussing some Quidditch article with Sirius in the kitchen after Harry's been tucked into bed. Remus and Regulus sipped their teas while their lovers playfully quarrelled and Euphemia escorted her husband to the bedroom, arm in arm. They had a matching twinkle in their eyes, always in on a private joke. Regulus remembers feeling warm and content. Feeling happy. He hopes Fleamont has felt the same on that last evening.

The next morning was very, very quiet and perhaps that was a prophecy of the future.

Regulus is well versed in silence. He's not only not a very talkative person, but his general nature has never been a loud one either. He's always enjoyed calm, quiet moments, be it in solitude or in peaceful company. It was James who for the first time made him enjoy the fuss and buzz.

Regulus misses his loud husband and he knows the world misses him too. But he knows how to navigate this quiet version of it, the quiet, muted universe, and he won't leave James to get lost in it alone.