Chapter 2
James sat beside Regulus, observing the boy. His pale ivory skin, contrasted by the darkness of his curls, and the way his eyes seem like charcoal. Like he was drawn into this world. Too beautiful to be from here and then he grins a vicious but brilliant smile, making him look like a fallen angel as he says, "Macbeth."
After leaving, James can't help but feel that pressure in his heart that tells him that there is something special about him. For once after seeing the boy, he can't stop seeing him, it looks like by the look of his face Sirius has the same problem.
"I don't understand," Sirius sighed, "In all of my years at Hogwarts, he looks almost invisible and in this one, he is everywhere," he ate a lot that day, and as Marlene asked what was the play that Regulus had chosen.
"It's a muggle one about a brave Scottish general in King Duncan's army. However, upon hearing the three witches' prophecy that he would become King of Scotland, he becomes tyrannical and paranoid," Lily explained, her wavy hair over her shoulders, Remus seemed to like the play based on the look on his face.
In the next few days, Regulus holds auditions, to see who would be the extras and what characters fit the rest. He sits in front of the stage, a book and pen on his desk and a cigarette gracing his lips. Hogwarts had a stage in the astronomy tower. James thought he looked sinful.
People passed and everyone presented it, like they were going to give a report until Pandora grew tired of it and stopped the auditions and stepped into the stage herself and yelled for Regulus to join her.
He hesitantly stepped to the stage as Pandora said, "This is what acting should be like," before looking Regulus and whisper, "Caesar,"
Regulus nodded whilst looking at the seats full of people and folding his shirt sleeves. He had left his cloak at his seat, James noted.
Sirius snorted, "Pandora chose the worst person if she wanted emotion," his voice wasn't bitter or malicious but instead calm like he was saying a fact.
"Don't be a fool," Barty said from behind him, "Regulus is a very good actor. You of all people should know that," he said with the same tone that Sirius had used earlier.
Sirius turns around to see Barty, "What's that supposed to mea--"
Regulus started, cutting of Sirius. His voice was hoarse, but always lovely, "Should I have answered Caius Cassius so? When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous to lock such rascal counters from his friends, be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts; Dash him to pieces!" His voice was strong and full of emotion that echoed through the silent theater, the same way a hot knife cuts butter.
"Told you," Evan said besides Barty, the blond boy did have a sneer.
Sirius had turn around when his brother had started and now was trying to find the monologue Regulus spoke with such conviction much to Remus' amusement.
"I can't find it," Sirius whispered, his voice low so nobody heard him, unfortunately Moony did.
"It's not Macbeth it's Julius Caesar, you twat," Moony said, his voice amused, Sirius flushed with embarrassment. A talent that only Remus had.
James laughed at his friends but continued to watch the duo on the stage.
"I denied you not!" Pandora yells, her cheeks flushed, and she looks livid, almost manic. "You did!" Regulus replied to her yelling, matching her tone.
"I did not: he was but a fool that brought my answer back. Brutus hath rived my heart. A friend should bear his friend's infirmities, but Brutus makes mine greater than they are." She said, her voice laced with something like betrayal.
" I do not, 'till you practice them on me." He said the words, finality in his tone. James watched as Regulus performed and wondered how much it hurts to love an actor.
Pandora took a big breath and said, her eyes sorrowful, "You love me not,"
Regulus didn't falter and continued with the next line, "I do not like your faults,"
The blond girl smiled at the boy as she said the next line, "A friendly eyes could never see such faults."
Regulus laughed, low and deep but it nestled between James' ribs, "A flatterer's would not, though they do appear as huge as high Olympus."
Lily chuckled, looking far too happy with herself. "For a blood supremacist, he sure is educated." Remus nodded, agreeing with her statement.
Pandora looked at the students pointing at Regulus as she cried, " Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, revenge yourself on Cassius, for Cassius is aweary of the world, hated by the one he loves; brayed by his brother; cheque'd like a bondman; all his faults observed, set in a note-book learn'd and conn'd by rote, to cast into my teeth. O, I could weep. My spirit from mine eyes!"
And with that the little show that the two had performed ended. All the students applaud loudly and Pandora made a dramatic bow, whilst aloofness had already taken residence in Regulus' face. James scanned it and Regulus matched his gaze, effortlessly, as he was made for it. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment too long, and James mouthed, 'nice job.'
Regulus rolled his eyes, but his lips tugged upward in the subtleness of a smile, only for James to see. This is what it must be like to fall in love with an actor. James thought.
Regulus had assigned them the roles that same day, everyone either left satisfied or with grudge to hold, and
James stayed as the other boy picked up his stuff. He watched as Regulus moved with grace, till he finally left.
Maybe Sirius was right, because after that meeting with Dumbledore, James never stopped seeing Regulus.
Whether it be at rehearsals, or their eyes would meet at the Great Hall, or even in the hallways.
Two stars finding each other, with worlds apart yet still being pulled in even if the only result would be destruction. Lovers whose love had slithered from Eden, maybe as a gift, maybe as a curse. But if this paradoxical love they had between them was this, they would say thanks to Eve, for biting that apple causing the devil to give them such love.
Regulus dreams flashed with hands of Inferi, dragging him down, drowning him, at the tender age of eighteen. He was a child when he found out of the Horcruxes, and barely a man when he died. So why had the universe, the gods, the devil, the big man upstairs let him come back.
Let his scarred body enjoy music one more time, let his ruined eyes devour words, let his tainted hands touch the Sun's lips. He didn't understand, maybe because he was looking at a piece of the puzzle and not the entire pictures and that was his downfall.
But right he was sixteen again, not knowing if this alternate universe was an effect of the potion, a trick, a hallucination as he rot in the bottom of that cave.
The only thing he knew at the moment was that he woke up panting, his hands touching the locket, wrapped around is throat like a noose. Draining away everything he had. He jumped out of bed, his legs wanting to run out of there but his brain not understanding why, helplessly he followed. He went through the dark corridors, the coldness and darkness reminding him of home. He stood in front of the girls bathroom in untied boots and probably Barty's sweater but for the life of him, he could not remember when he changed.
He entered the bathroom, there where people yelling, so loud Regulus' ears almost bleed, there were words slithering from a corner in his mind to another until they touched his lips and he said in a language he did not recognize, "Open," he did not know what he meant just that the mirrors started to disarrange and the smothering smell of Death almost choked him.
Something had opened, a tunnel, a passage way, he did not know but nonetheless he entered, he crouched down and passed through, something below his boots cracked and crushed but he still walked, wondering what was calling out to him.
Finally he saw it, a Basilisk, taking up almost the entire floor, wondering why the fuck he was there but he approached the creature, cautiously, not wanting to spook it. The creature look at him like he was prey, maybe he was at this point but still he was so fucking curious, so he moved closer, but then it stuck. One of its fangs imbedded itself in Regulus' shoulder, but the boy didn't scream, the pain felt dull.
The basilisk made him crash into the wall, dislodging his fang from Regulus' shoulder and the boy fell, unto the floor and with a simple crack, he knew his leg was fucked.
The basilisk moved closer observing him and when Regulus met its eyes, he woke up. Bloody in his bed. White pain crashing over him and he wondered what in Merlin's beard was that.
A dream within a dream, it was not the first time it happened, but the first time he actively got hurt. His hand reached his shoulder and there it was, a fucking fang in his chest. Regulus moved quietly across the dorm, not wanting to wake neither Evan or Barty up. He picked his flask and wand from his bedside table and headed to the bathroom, which he locked and placed a very powerful silencing spell around the room.
His hand touched the fang and he winced at the pain it produced, how could this be real? Was it another dream? He wondered how could he be tangible in a dream. It was another astral plane, he couldn't get hurt in both realities, could he?
He pulled out the fang, biting his lip, smothering a scream, the skin made a terrible squelching sound, and Regulus' felt dizzy at the loss of blood, he could feel coldness seeping inside him, like a moth to a very cold flame.
The venom wasn't working, he didn't know why, he should be dead by now. He wondered if it had to do with the fact that he was already dead. He reasonably threw that thought away and started sewing himself up. Then he murmured a silent "Reparo," to fix his broken leg. Then stripped and showered, he was aching and everything hurt but for once since he came back he felt alive.
The next day at breakfast, Pandora sat next to him. Barty, Evan and Dorcas on the other side discussing trivial things. Regulus then asked her, "When you have your dreams, how do you know whats real?" Pandora was a seeker, kind and gentle, but also fierce.
She laughed gently, Regulus could tell she didn't understand the question, "I just know, reality seems different. Somber perhaps."
Regulus sighed leaning closer, he took his goblet of water to his lips, and after drinking he faced her, "What if you can't tell? How can you know what's real and what isn't?"
She -- bless her, didn't ask about why did he want to know she just answered, "If you don't know what's real or what's not, count your fingers, you have extra fingers in dreams, and try to read. You can't read in dreams,"
Regulus murmured a thank you and Pandora flashed her a smile, her too sharp canines flashing.
The rest of the day, Regulus continued to subtly count his fingers, making sure he wasn't in a dream, he didn't have rehearsals to day, so he booked the empty Quidditch pitch and flew in the rain, but then he saw someone waiting in the stands.
James Potter.
Regulus counted his fingers again, making sure he was awake, the boy smiled and Regulus almost went blind.
Stars in collision never know that they are going to explode, and neither did these two.
After the auditions it took Regulus a few minutes to choose everyone’s role. James was General Macbeth.
Everyone left except Regulus who had to pick up everything so when they all passed to go to the kitchen they heard Regulus and Pandora arguing.
Dorcas immediately tensed, sometimes the Gryffindors forget she was Regulus’ friend first.
“I can’t do this today, Dora,” Regulus voice was tired, and there was a dazed quality to it.
“I had a dream,” is all she says, Dorcas covers her mouth and shakes her head softly.
“You always have a dream,” he replied, not seeming to place much importance to the fact.
“You died,” Pandora sighed, “You died and you prayed and you begged because you were eighteen, Reg, and you died.”