Triad: Regulus/Lily/James

Submission for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)

Assignment #3 Arithmancy Task 2: Write about a person who changes their mind about something after a fortune-telling.

Love Over Hate

The fortune teller's shop was dark and cramped, and Regulus nearly bumped his head on the low ceiling. Wind chimes made of a curious mixture of metal, bone and feathers clanged as he brushed past them, and a shiver crept up his spine. The shelves were loaded with all sorts of wares; crystal balls, tarot cards and several cracked tea cups, along with a variety of teas. Regulus strode past them all, and waited by the desk. He'd been drawn toward the shop, and hadn't been able to bring himself to walk past without going in.

A young woman bustled out of a back room, hidden behind a pile of books that she dumped beside the till. She was pretty, with long auburn hair and wide green eyes and she gasped when she caught sight of him.

"Oh - shit," she muttered. "And I don't even have the costume on." She grimaced at him. "Here to hear your fortune, are you?"

"Costume?" Regulus asked, intrigued.

The girl rolled her eyes. With a flick of her wand, she was transformed into the image of a Romanian traveller, headscarf, heavy makeup and jewellery galore, the exact image of what he'd expect a fortune teller to look like.

"Ah. I preferred you before," he said with a chuckle.

"Welcome to Madam Elena's Emporium, Fortune Telling and Fate Reading for those uncertain of their futures… but you can just call me Lily," she said, and with a flick of a wand removed the glamour.

"Regulus Black."

Lily's eyes twinkled. "Oh handsome, I know. Now, come along, take a seat."

She led him into the backroom, a study of sorts with bookshelves lining the walls, and they sat opposite each other in two plush armchairs.

"Now, hold out your hand."

Regulus wordlessly offered it to her. Lily eyed it, then him and then, without touching it, began drawing patterns on his palm with her wand, the wood smooth and ticklish against his skin.

"Hmm… well, if you get that tattoo you've been thinking about, you'll be dead within the year," she said, quite cheerfully. Regulus' jaw dropped. "And I'd avoid lakes for the rest of your life. Reconciling with your brother will lead you to true love, not with him, hopefully, and reconnecting with an old school friend will bring you only bitterness."

Lily looked up, and grinned, but there was a strange edge in her eyes. "That'll be five galleons, at least for you, seeing as you can afford it, hot stuff."

Regulus blinked at her. "Right," he croaked. He stared at Lily, and she gazed back, brow arched.

"JAMES!" Lily bellowed when he continued to stare. "HOT CHOCOLATE."

An interminable amount of time later, a man tumbled down a staircase he'd not noticed before, bearing three steaming mugs. Regulus was force-fed the sweet drink, to his disgust, but had to admit that that it brought him back to his senses.

"Dead!" he exclaimed. "What?"

Lily shrugged. "I can only tell you what the future tells me."

"Oh Lily," the man, presumably James, said with a sigh. He was handsome, with messy dark hair and hazel eyes hidden behind spectacles. "You can't just go around telling people they're going to die."

Lily glared at the man, who winced. "Come on love, you know it."

"Oh, fine." Lily huffed. "Perhaps I was a bit abrupt."

"I have to go," Regulus said, and fished five galleons out of his wallet, placing them onto the table with shaking hands. He scrambled to his feet, and raced out of the door, swearing never to return.

"Reggie?" Sirius' eyes were wide, his jaw gaping. "What on earth are you doing here?"

Sirius had run away from home the year Regulus had started Hogwarts – the same year that Sirius had graduated, and Regulus hadn't seen him since. Now, he was standing on his doorstep, having managed to wrangle the address out of Cissa, who knew everything about everyone, especially when concerning family.

"I…" Words failed him. "I…"

Sirius arched a brow. He was handsome as ever, although the crow's feet that crinkled in the corners of his eyes hinted at the time that had passed. "Well, I suppose you better come in."

Regulus stumbled in through the doorway, embarrassingly grateful to not have been turned away.

"Mum wants me to take the Dark Mark," he said, once they were both seated, an untouched cup of tea before him.

Sirius had just taken a sip, and promptly choked on it. "What?" he gasped around coughs. "Is she fucking barmy?"

Regulus admitted to himself, for the first time, that perhaps she was. Even Cissa disapproved of the Dark Lord, and Lucius' association with him.

"They're saying he's actually killing people! His political opponents! You get caught with that Mark, you're going to jail, and when you're out, you'll have no job prospects. The Malfoys have been losing business, and fast, ever since the rumours about Lucius and the Dark Lord started circulating, and they're not the only one."

Regulus gulped. "I refused," he whispered. "She kicked me out."

Sirius froze mid-rant. "Oh. Oh Reggie – I'm so sorry." Regulus was embraced in his first proper hug in years, and he shook with the warmth of it. "You need somewhere to stay? I've got just the place. My best mate, Prongs, he and his wife have got a spare room. They'd love to have you."

Regulus pressed his face into Sirius' shoulder. "Yes please," he mumbled. Sirius rubbed his back in a strangely soothing manner, and he didn't let go until Regulus reluctantly pulled away.

"I've got to get to work, I'm afraid," Sirius said, looking genuinely apologetic. "But I'll write Prongs a note that you can give him."

He scribbled on a piece of parchment, and shoved it into an envelope. Regulus tucked it into his pocket, and joined Sirius by the fireplace.

Sirius grinned encouragingly, and took a handful of floo powder. "Ready? I'll pop over once I'm back, see how you're settling in."

Regulus took a breath to calm himself, and smiled weakly. "Ready."

"Madam Elena's Emporium," Sirius called, and shoved him through.

"What!" Regulus screeched, and tumbled out the other side, to land at Lily's feet.

"Up you get," Lily said, beaming. "I'm so proud of you!"

They were in the same room where Regulus had had his palm read so peculiarly. James was hovering over him, looking anxious, and tentatively excited. Regulus stood, and brushed himself off, glancing around warily.

"Why didn't you say that you knew my brother?"

"What?" James was blinking with confusion.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Because I wanted you to make your own decision, of course." She snatched Sirius' letter out of his pocket, and handed it to James. "Read that, darling."

"Why are you doing this for me?" Regulus asked, bewildered, as she ushered him up the stairs and onto a sofa. The flat above was tastefully decorated, and was much brighter lit than the shop below.

"Because you're our soulmate," Lily said, as if it was obvious. "We've been waiting for you for a while. I'm so glad you've chosen love, over hate."

"She hasn't stopped going on about it," James added. He was smiling, and joined them on the sofa.

Lily took one of his hands, and their skin began glowing silver. Regulus stared at it in shocked fascination. When James took the other, and extended his spare to Lily, all three of them glowed gold. Regulus shivered with delight when they both put their arms around him, and relaxed, allowing the bond to join their souls together. With the two of them holding him, he felt as he'd been completed in a way that he'd never known to miss. Their hands were warm where they were touching him, fingers interlinked with his own. It was strange, unnatural, but Regulus couldn't find himself resenting it, because he'd never felt so safe in his entire life. He had soulmates, two of them. It was almost too brilliant to believe.

"How do you know?" he whispered. Lily tilted her head so that it was rested on his shoulder.

"I Saw it," she said. "Years ago. Had to wait for you to come to us of your own free will, of course."

"I'm bloody glad that you did," James added.

Regulus smiled, and knew he'd made the right decision.

Word Count: 1394

Initially this was going to be on the edge of a bit naughty, but then somehow it became a soulmate!AU. *shrugs* I blame last month when that was pretty much all I wrote.