War is Over

8.

I laid on the floor while Vega stepped over me trying to decipher if I was dying or not. I heard the front door open and close. Vega gave a slight growl, meaning it wasn't Regulus. I continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Really?" Remus' voice rang. "You've almost been murdered but don't flinch when I just open the door and walk in your home?"

"Only you and James have keys. I knew it was locked." He laid down on the floor beside me while Vega jumped on him.

"Why're we on the floor?"

"Contemplating life." He hummed in response before folding his hands and laying them on his stomach. We sat in silence for a few more moments.

"Can we have an existential crisis on the couch? Your floor isn't very comfy?" He asked. I shrugged and got up with him. "What're we contemplating life?"

"Felt right." He nodded.

"Fair enough. You eaten?" I shook my head. He popped up and went into my kitchen. Vega followed on his heels. "Clingy little thing innit she?"

"I like it. Nice when I'm home alone and can't do anything."

"You've always loved clingy, Vix." He joked as he pulled a pan out.

"There's soup from last night in the fridge, if you just want to reheat it." He popped around the corner and narrowed his eyes at me.

"What kind of soup?"

"Vegetable?" He smiled wide.

"I can't believe you made Effie's vegetable soup and didn't have me over for dinner!" He scolded as he ran to my fridge. I laughed.

"Yeah, meant to give you a ring then I was bombarded with a puppy and I got a bit frazzled." He laughed as he dug out the soup and two bowls.

"Are you gonna yell at me if I use magic to reheat this?" He called.

"I'm not my mother, no."

"She always said it would taste burnt."

"Then use the stove!"

"Do you really believe her?"

"She dealt with my dad before all of us, king of the quick way to get things done. Yes I believe she knows best about magical reheating." He laughed as I heard the stove flick on. He emerged a few moments later and handed me a bowl. He balanced a plate of bread on his forearm. I quickly grabbed it and set it down.

"I had that balanced quite well."

"I'm sure you did, but I need no more panics." He laughed. We ate in silence for a while before he struck up the conversation again.

"Do you ever worry you chose the wrong brother?" He asked. I nearly spit out my soup.

"Are you about to tell me you're in love with my husband?" Remus laughed.

"No! Ew! No! I just meant, do you ever wonder if you made a mistake with Reg?" I shrugged as I curled my knees up on the couch towards him. I rested my head on them.

"I used to, a lot. During the war. Before the war. Since the war, though, I dunno it's just all felt right. Why? You worried about you and Siri?" He fiddled with his ring.

"Sometimes, I dunno, I just think it could have been easier had I ended up with someone else."

"Like who?"

"I dunno."

"Exactly. No one holds your attention like Sirius. He always has."

"Yeah, but it's so hard-"

"You don't like easy. Neither of you do. You never have, if you two wanted easy Sirius would have dated me when I fawned over him. You would have died a lonely old book keeper-"

"Hey!" We both laughed. He smiled at me.

"You love Sirius, and he loves you more than anything Moony. Those two are a lot to deal with, I know, but that's what makes them so worth loving." He wrapped an arm around me.

"How lucky are we that we get to be in-laws? I mean not legally of course, but yanno." I looked up at him.

"You've always been my brother Moony. Marriages have nothing to do with that."

🗡️🗡️🗡️

"Amor, you will never-" Reggie stopped on his tracks upon seeing Remus. "hey Moony. You two will never guess what's happening."

"What's happening?" I asked. Moony just tilted his head, he already knew what was happening.

"Slughorn is stepping down, they want to offer Moony the position!" Reggie exclaimed. Me and Remus smiled at each other.

"How exciting!" I played along, Remus just smiled.

"Yeah, Minnie mentioned it a while ago. I- I dunno." Reg sat down in the chair and loosened his tie.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I don't know if I'd be any good."

"You'd be amazing!" Me and Regulus replied together. Remus shrugged.

"You want Minnie's position? I'll take potions." I joked. He laughed.

"Better yet, take my position. I'll take potions." Reg offered.

"No one can teach DADA like you, Reg." Remus told him. He smiled.

"You could." Remus just shook his head. The two of them did a lot together during the war, especially when it came to going behind Dumbledore's back. We had a don't ask don't tell policy for what happened during the war. I know they had to do some things they didn't want to, but the way I saw it, the war was over and I didn't need to know.

"Do you ever miss your parents?" Moony asked randomly. Regulus just shook his head.

"I have never, not once, in my life missed my parents. That includes when they were alive and that most certainly includes their death." Reg told him.

"Sometimes I just feel bad."

"Why would you feel bad?" I asked. Remus looked at Regulus. I turned between the both of them. Reggie just grinned at me. "Remus? Why would you feel bad?"

"He wouldn't, well, he shouldn't." Reg said. I looked at Moony.

"You didn't tell her?" Moony asked.

"I found out the day of our wedding party, everything was happening and I didn't want her to-"

"You killed his parents?" I asked. Both boys went silent. I smiled. "Moony! You killed the Blacks?"

"Yeah, so there's actually more to that, that I know you won't be so excited about." He admitted. I looked to Regulus who just nodded.

"Okay?"

"Okay. So Walburga and Orion came to Sirius and I's house and they might have tried to kill Sirius and I might have killed them."

"They tried to kill Siri?" He nodded. "No one told me?"

"It was two days after Peter, you were grieving. Regulus had to go into hiding. We didn't want to worry you more."

"Where did you go?"

"Your parents."

"Oh Merlin, Moony..." I couldn't find any of the words I wanted. He just pulled me into a hug.

"I love you." He whispered as he kissed my head.

"I love you."