Regulus Black and James Potter were married on January 25, 1979 at approximately 12:30 AM.

They eloped in the middle of the night, where the stars were bright and the hearts were full. Close friend Lily Evans was their witness, and a muggle pastor performed the ceremony in a small church in Wales.

The war was coming all too fast, and the lovers wanted to have something to hold onto. If nothing else, something to remember each other by. They knew that, being on opposite sides of the fight, it would be hard to stay together.

But they were determined to make it work.

Sure, James worried about Regulus when he went out on a death eater mission, or when he apparated to their small muggle flat in the outskirts of London, barely breathing. But he knew he could not change his husband's mind. Regulus was as determined to help this war end as he was to love James.

And yes, Regulus worried when James went out on an Order mission, or when he wouldn't hear from him for days because he was helping out people in an Order safehouse. But he knew how important it was to his husband to fight for his opinions, even if most days it seemed like they were always losing. James' courage was as powerful as his love for Regulus.

They fought, but never over the war. As soon as they got into the safety of their flat, they were Regulus and James Black-Potter, two young newlyweds just trying to make it. They had to play separate roles everywhere else, and being together was their only refuge.

For a while, they were happy in their own dysfunctional way. Lily was their secret-keeper of the flat. She was the only one on either side to know the full truth. It's better this way, they told themselves.

But all good things must come to an end, right?

James knew something was bothering Regulus more than usual, but he didn't want to break the blissful peace they had concocted. So he didn't ask. He wished he had.

Regulus didn't tell James his plan. He left a note.

Dear James,

By the time you've found this, I will be long-gone. But I didn't want to leave you without an explanation.

I found out something about Him, baby. Voldemort split his soul, and I have found the horcrux. I've known about this for some time (and don't think I'm stupid. I know you've noticed), and I need to act now or it might be too late. I must destroy the horcrux. I have gone to steal it from its hiding place, and I know I will not return.

Please know that I truly intended to stay with you through this terrible war. I tried. So hard, Jamie. Please believe me. I wish we had more time, but fate has other plans.

Just know that I will always be watching over you. All you have to do is look up at the stars, and you'll see me. I will always love you, my courageous lion.

Yours,

R.A.B.

PS: Try to move on from me. I anticipate my sacrifice will stop this war, and then you can have that family we always talked about. Try. For me. I love you.

James found the letter an hour too late. Just as Regulus has planned it.

At first, he tore through the flat, and apparated straight to the Order headquarters in his family's manor. He pushed past everyone, security questions be damned. He only had one thing on his mind.

He had to find Dumbledore. Dumbledore always had the answer. He could fix this. He had to.

He barely hears him as he explains that there was nothing they could do. That Sirius had already felt that magical tie break 20 minutes ago.

He knows that Sirius felt it. He felt it, too. But his didn't break, his connection shattered. His world crashed down around him. He had one thing keeping him fighting, and now it was gone. Just like that.

Lily eventually found him, hidden in the stables at Hogwarts. He hadn't remembered apparating, but figures he would have gone there. It was their place.

He had been watching Regulus for hours. He had watched him settle into the night, and then rise into the morning. James wasn't sure he had breathed since he had found the letter.

It had tear stains on it, but he wasn't sure if they were from him or from Regulus. Or both.

He saw Regulus everywhere he looked. Not just at night, where he would shine brightly in his lion.

No, James saw him in the bakery around the corner from their flat (the only place they dared to venture to without major wards). He saw him in the way a small child would become so excited to see a balloon, remembering all the muggle things he would never get to share with his love.

But worst of all, James was Regulus in Sirius. He always used to tell both brothers that they were nothing alike, because it would be an insult to either to compare them. But now it was all he could do. Same eyes. Same hair. Same crooked jaw. Same posh way of talking.

But still not the same at all.

Sirius carried his confidence like armor. He swaggered. Regulus floated into the background, hoping to hide his ethereal beauty that only James could show him.

It was horrible to experience. So he left.

Lily and him moved into a small cottage in Godric's Hollow. They were just friends, but they let everyone believe they had been married and were expecting a child. They never said it, but everyone assumed and spread the rumors. They just decided to not fight it.

Lily was one of Regulus' best friends, and no one had known. James was his husband and no one could ever know.

So they hid away.

At first from the world, but then from Him.

He came at night, two years after Regulus' death. James and Lily had known he was coming. They had prepared "Harry's" room. It was all supposed to be a show.

But then Wormtail had sent them an urgent message, saying that he had been switched to secret keeper, and that Voldemort had been killed. He never explained how he knew any of it, but James and Lily were too happy to complain. They would have to stay hidden for a bit longer, until it was confirmed that nobody else was after them, but they would be able to leave their cottage again.

They were wrong to trust Peter.

That was James' first thought as he opened his door, expecting one of his best friends, and instead finding himself at the end of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's wand. He had left his wand in the kitchen, and Lily was upstairs packing away "Harry's" room.

He just barely warned her before the green light shot straight into his chest.

It didn't hurt. He hoped that it was like this for Regulus.

It was cosmic. Leo was the brightest constellation in the sky that evening. And, as if by magic, a whole new constellation was revealed overnight. They called it Cervo, the Stag. It shared Regulus with Leo.

this was horrible but it was originally written for jegulus week 2022 and on the last day so it was rushed. this was my first fic in the marauders fandom, tho, so yay me! please interact and be kind :)

cross-posted on ao3, Wattpad (unfortunately), inkitt, webnovel, and Tumblr.