Chapter 1
Evan felt his throat close up at the scene in front of him. His hand was clenching his knife and fork tightly in his hands, head whirling with a mixture of disgust and sadness.
Regulus and Barty had just told him they were dating. As much as he tried to be happy for them but couldn’t help the gnawing pit in his stomach. It was to be expected. Evan always knew deep down they’d end up together.
Evan had decided that he had a crush on Barty in their third year of Hogwarts. Barty had sat pressed up against him on Evan’s bed. Evan could barely think with the other boy next to him. He could feel Barty’s breath on his shoulder as he followed along to everything Evan was saying.
And so his thirteen year old mind could only put together the realisation that he had a crush on Barty. For at least a month after that, he couldn’t help but blush, as annoying as it was.
It also didn’t help that Barty was an extremely touchy person. He didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘personal space’ and was always putting his arms around his friends’ shoulders or putting his head into their laps.
Barty came out as bisexual at the start of their fourth year. They were both now in fifth. Despite Evan’s momentarily feeling of hope after this, he still knew Barty would never return his feelings. He would never look at him like Evan saw him look at Regulus. He would never leave the same lingering touches he left Regulus.
It was also clear that Regulus returned Barry’s feelings. Regulus was normally cold towards everyone. You could never truly tell what he’s thinking. And although he and Regulus were friends, best friends even, he would never be as open and carefree as he was with Barty.
They seemed to bring out something in each other no one else could really match. He didn’t mind this for a while because he had Pandora: his twin sister. They were always close growing up and stayed so in their teens despite her being sorted into Ravenclaw. She would always gift him trinket-type things he had no interest in, aside from the fact they were from her. She talked about the world in an interestingly unique way but he loved her all the more for it.
“Evs, you okay?”
Evan looked up. It was Barty. He looked concerned and slightly hesitant. He must have been worried at how Evan would take the announcement that both of his friends are now dating.
Evan looked down briefly at Regulus and Barty’s interlocked pinky. He blinked hardly and gave a weak smile, meeting Barty’s light brown eyes.
He swallowed and replied back gruffly, trying to sound sincere. “Yeah, course. I’m happy for you both.”
Barty grinned at him and went back to busying himself with his food, still pressed close to Regulus.
***
As soon as dinner was finished, Evan went as quickly as he could to the boys bathrooms. He needed a moment to think and breathe.
Luckily there was no one else in there so he gripped the side of the sink and rested his forehead against the cool mirror.
Evan let out a deep but shaky breath and as much as he tried to stop it, he couldn’t help but let out a soft tear. He knew nothing would ever happen between them, but this felt like a final kick in the teeth.
Evan pulled his head back, watching as the teardrop ran quickly down his cheek. He wiped them roughly, angry at himself.
He suddenly felt a deep tickling sensation in the pit of his stomach.
It got worse the more he tried to ignore it. Evan grabbed the sides of the sink with both hands and began involuntarily coughing. Painfully.
He gets extremely confused and worried as he looks down at a cherry blossom petal?, its blush-pink colour resting in a pool of his blood.
His eyes widened as he gasped softly. Another of his tears fell quickly at his confusion. Evan slowly sunk to the floor, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.
His mind whirls though a number of possibilities, wondering what on earth was happening or if maybe this was a horrid nightmare and he’ll wake up to go back to his usual miseries.
Another voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
”Evan?”
‘Oh shit,’ he thought. It was Pandora. She must have seen him go into the bathrooms. After getting sorted into different houses they decided to meet up after dinner every day so they could check in and hang out for an hour or two before bed.
He wiped his tears away or tried to but he couldn’t seem to get them to stop.
”Evan?” She spoke again, softer this time as she walked further into the bathroom.
Pandora rushed over to him after she saw him sat on the floor.
Her eyes glanced over at the sink and her eyes widened. She sat down next to him and pulled him into her arms, like she did when they were younger and he was upset. He could smell the same floral perfume she always wore. It comforted him greatly but also made him want to cry even harder.
”Ev, what happened?” Pandora asked after a few more seconds of silence.
Evan pulled himself away from her and looked into her questioning but kind, light blue eyes.
”Barty and Regulus are dating,” he said, hoping she’d get what he meant without him actually having to admit it.
Pandora’s gaze turned sorrowful. She noticed her brother’s crush on his friend almost as soon as he figured it out himself.
“Do…do you know why?…the flower petals and the blood?” Evan hated how his voice sounded…weak. He still looked at her with concerned, red-rimmed eyes.
Pandora had never seen him like this before. Sure, she’d seen him upset but never scared.
Unfortunately, she did know what it meant. At least, she thought she did. If it was what she hoped it wasn’t then her brother was most definitely going to die. She’d seen how cosy Barty and Regulus looked together in the great hall.
Pandora looked back up at him, hesitant to tell him.
Evan seemed to notice her thinking, “Tell me, please,” his voice broke slightly.
It made her heart break. She wanted to start crying but instead took in an unsteady breath.
”I…I might be wrong but there’s this ancient disease I've read about in a history book. No one’s said to have gotten in in decades. It’s…It’s called Hanahaki Disease and it’s caused by one-sided love.” Pandora looked to him at that, wanting to do nothing more than to wrap him in a hug. She refrained from now and carried on speaking. “There are three stages to it. The first is coughing up petals. The second would be full flowers and buds. The third,” she took in another deep breath and looked down at the tiled floor. “The third is when the roots of the flower finally seal all of your airways. It practically suffocates the victim to death.”
Pandora broke off into soft cries once she had finished talking. Evan just looked at her bewildered and stunned. He couldn’t believe what she had just told him.
”Is…Is there a cure?” He knew the answer just by the look in her eyes and how much she was avoiding his gaze.
She looks up at him with her sad eyes. “The only cure would be the other person liking the victim back…or by reaching stage three: death.”
Oh.
Pandora wouldn’t stop crying and to be honest it made him even more angry. Not angry at her, but angry at himself. If only he could’ve fallen for somebody else. Anybody else.