Behind the door of a room inside the Slytherin common room, the sound of curses being cast rang out, accompanied by screaming and the shattering of objects. The students lingering in the common room quickly moved away from the source of the noise, some even fleeing as the commotion grew louder.
"HOW DARE HE!" screamed Regulus, blasting yet another glass vase into shards as Dorcas lazily tossed it into the air. "THAT TRAITOROUS BASTARD!"
"Calm yourself, starlight. He doesn't deserve your anger to be wasted on him," Pandora said soothingly. She pushed Regulus down into a tall armchair, taking her place at his right side while Evan settled to his left, gently rubbing his arm and hand.
"Weren't you just dating him to get back at your brother, though?" Dorcas asked from where she lounged carelessly across from him.
"What does that matter?" Barty snarled, pacing furiously in front of them. "That blood traitor dared to cheat on our little prince with that Mudblood bitch of his!"
"How dare he cheat on me!" Regulus exclaimed, his voice trembling with rage. "Me! A pureblood! Heir of the most ancient and noble House of Black! With some—some dirty-blooded whore!"
"He doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you, mon prince à moi," Evan murmured, his lips brushing against the inside of Regulus' wrist.
"Merci, mes coeurs," Regulus replied with a faint, teasing smile, pressing soft kisses near Evan's lips, looking at both him and Barty with a tender gaze "However would I live without you both?"
-—-—-
James Potter hadn’t meant to cheat on Regulus—truly! He loved him. But when Lily had finally given in after all this time, how could he resist? He’d been after her since first year! Surely Regulus would understand—wouldn’t he? He still loved Regulus, but who said he couldn’t have his cake and eat it too?
Sirius knew, and he didn’t care. Hell, he encouraged James to go after Lily. “You’re young, Prongs! You’re not married! Go live your life!”
But now...
“Did you hear? They found them—”
Why...
“—in a classroom together!
Why...
“—they didn’t even stop when that second-year Hufflepuff walked in—”
Why...
“—Black was right between them—”
Why...
“—look, here they come!”
James turned toward the Great Hall doors, his heart pounding in dread. And there he was—Regulus Black—striding in like he owned the castle, his head held high and his expression colder than ice. On either side of him, Barty Crouch Jr. and Evan Rosier draped themselves over him like guards—no— like lovers.
Why...
Regulus caught James’ eye across the hall. For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
And then—he smirked.
James felt his stomach drop.
Was this happening to him!?