Chapter 2
Regulus awoke to a quiet dorm. Barty and Evan were both asleep. Regulus silently crawled out of his bed and walked to the common room. He watched the lake through the glass and thought about the dream he had just had. It was another dream about Sirius. One where Sirius never left and one where Regulus was friends with James Potter. To Regulus, it seemed like a better life, but one that would never exist. Sirius hated him and by extension, so did James Potter. It was the only thing he was absolutely certain of.
Regulus thought about the odd interactions he’d had with James throughout the day. Potions class stood out to him. He thought about what Lily Evans smelled in the amorentia and he thought about what he smelled. He and Lily had both smelled James, that much was evident, but that didn’t explain what James smelled or the fact that Lily had also smelled moss and parchment.
Regulus had been in love with James Potter from the moment he met him, but Regulus had also hated James Potter. He wish he could only hate the boy that had stolen Sirius from him, but deep down, Regulus was also in love with him.
Regulus stood in front of the glass and thought about what James had smelled. French cologne, broomstick polish, and lilies. Lily didn’t play quidditch and she didn’t wear french cologne. Could it be about Sirius? Regulus shook his head, it was unlikely. Sirius was clearly in love with the Lupin boy. Regulus knew it was foolish to even dare to think James could have smelled him, but his traitorous heart wanted to believe it.
“Reg?” Pandora’s voice softly called from the entrance to the girl’s dorm.
Regulus smiled at her, “Why are you awake?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” Pandora quipped.
“Couldn’t sleep,” Regulus replied with a shrug.
Pandora walked over to him and wrapped an arm around his waist, “Thinking about James?”
“Are you thinking about Lily?”
“Oh, we’re a tragic pair, you and I,” Pandora laughed quietly.
“Pandora, what did you smell today?”
“I smelled lilies and citrus perfume, Reg.”
“James only smelled lilies. He also smelled french cologne and broomstick polish.” Regulus whispered. Pandora was the only one who knew about his little crush on James Potter and he intended to keep it that way.
Pandora nodded thoughtfully, “Sirius hasn’t played quidditch in years and from what I’ve heard, abhors anything French.”
Regulus froze, he could’ve sworn he stopped breathing, “Don’t say things like that, Pandora.”
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“Because James Potter has to hate me. Sirius hates me and so does James.”
Pandora shrugged, “Things don’t have to be that way.”
“Yes, they do. I couldn’t handle James Potter not hating me.”
Regulus walked into the potions classroom with Pandora. They were early, as usual. They talked for a moment before the rest of the class started filing in and then Regulus took his seat next to James.
“So why were you all alone at the quidditch pitch last night?” James asked Regulus casually. Almost as if they were friends.
“I thought we agreed to only talk about the potion?” Regulus replied. Refusing to answer his question.
“We might as well get along. It would certainly make it easier to work together.” James shrugged.
“Sirius wouldn’t want us to get along.”
James whispered, “I don’t know if you noticed, but Sirius isn’t in this class with us.”
A shiver went down Regulus’s spine, “Oh, so sorry, I thought you both shared a minuscule brain.”
James laughed. It wasn’t a fake laugh, but rather a genuine one. One that Regulus had seen James make in response to his friends. It wasn’t a laugh that should have been directed at him. Regulus glanced at Pandora. His friend was staring at Lily and Lily was staring at James. They really were a tragic pair. Regulus refocused on James and on the potion in front of them.
“We need to add the lacewings and the rose oil,” Regulus said to change the topic.
James nodded and silently added everything as Regulus stirred the potion.
“Now we just lower the heat, cover it, and leave it to sit for seven days,” James looked at Regulus.
“We should pick who will check on it Saturday and Sunday,” Regulus replied.
James grinned, “I’ll meet you here after lunch both days.”
“We don’t both need to check on it,” Regulus argued.
“But where’s the fun in that?”
“I guess I’ll meet you here after lunch on Saturday and Sunday then,” Regulus sighed, giving in easily. James Potter didn’t seem to hate him, and he couldn’t resist the excuse to spend time with him.
“Over the next couple days we’ll have to add Ashwinder eggs, rose thorns, peppermint, powdered moonstone, pearl dust, and rose petals.”
“We add one every day,” Regulus agreed. Regulus heard Pandora snort and when he glanced over at her he saw that both she and Lily were laughing. He smiled at the sight.
“I didn’t know you knew how to smile,” James teased.
Regulus tensed up, “You’ve never done anything deserving of a smile, Potter.”
“Well, I know what my new goal in life is, Baby Black.”
Regulus walked into the dorm room he shared with Barty and Evan and his eyes were immediately assaulted by seeing them making out.
“Oi! Get a room!” Regulus yelled as he threw a pillow at them.
Evan laughed as he crawled off of Barty’s lap, “This is our room.”
“It’s my room too!” Regulus protested.
“Oh Reg, there will always be room in my heart for you,” Barty proclaimed as he grabbed his heart.
“So, are you crushing on Potter yet? The heartthrob of sixth year?” Evan asked teasingly.
Regulus rolled his eyes, “Only a blind and deaf person would have a crush on James Potter.”
“I don’t know, Reg. Potter is pretty fit. Have you never noticed him in the locker room after games?” Barty mused with a glint in his eye. Evan slapped his boyfriend’s arm.
“He’s Sirius’s best friend. I hate him.” Regulus shot back.
“Sirius this and Sirius that. Why don’t you just ask your bloody brother why he left you?” Barty responded. Evan slapped him again.
Regulus turned around and walked out of the room.
Dorcas and Pandora were in the common room arguing with Snape.
“You’re a bloody git, Severus! You’re the reason we keep losing house points!” Dorcas was yelling.
“It’s not my fault that Potter and his lackeys are insufferable twits,” Snape shot back.
“Bloody hell, all of you need to shut up,” Regulus groaned, “What did you do this time, Snape?”
“I didn’t do anything. Why don’t you ask your blood traitor brother about it.” Snape hissed out and left the common room.
Regulus looked at Pandora and Dorcas in confusion.
Dorcas shook her head, “His knickers are in a twist because of Evans and Potter.”
“He’s the one that called her a mudblood,” Regulus shrugged.
“That’s because she is one,” Barty said as he walked into the common room with Evan.
Evan nodded in agreement, “One day, Severus will see that he did the right thing. Cutting off his freak friendship with that Evans girl.”
“You’re all bloody mental,” Regulus muttered under his breath.
“What was that?” Barty asked.
Pandora spoke up before Regulus could, “He was agreeing.”
“Reg, Panda, and I are going to the library, boys,” Dorcas announced to Barty and Evan as she linked arms with Pandora and Regulus. He let her pull him out of the common room.
“Reg, you have to be careful about what you say. Remember, the dark lord is recruiting from all of our families. We’re all expected to join him,” Pandora whispered as they walked through the halls.
“I won’t join him. I’ll die first,” Dorcas replied in a hushed whisper.
Regulus nodded, “I know. I have no intention of joining someone that is going to lead to Sirius’s death like you Saw, Pandora.”
“Barty and Evan will join him. Barty will do it to spite his father and Evan would follow Barty into hell. We might end up joining even though we don’t want to.”
Dorcas wrapped her arm around Pandora’s shoulders, “It’ll all work out.”