Star of Insanity I
James Potter
"Moons- we haven't seen the guy in a month. Do you think he's okay?" James asked in a hushed tone. Practical Astronomy wasn't supposed to start for a while, making the tower the perfect place to hang out and talk in private.
"I don't know anymore," Remus slumped further down the wall miserably. "He probably hates me-"
"Moony no, Sirius would nev-"
Peter never did get to finish that sentence, as all three of their heads jerked towards the door upon hearing someone enter, and in stormed a furious Regulus Black.
James' heart did a double take at the sight of the young boy, whose absolutely gorgeous features gave him the appearance of a dark angel. Between his aristocratic face, healthily pale skin, cold charcoal eyes and well-kept hair, he looked almost a more regal version of his older brother.
Bloodspots on the silver of his tie broke James from his reverie.
"Potter. Pettigrew. Lupin." Voice laced with venom, face fuelled by hate,
"Black. What do you want? If Sirius sent you-" Remus started, only to be cut off by a quiet tremor.
"How dare you."
Waiting for what would happen next, the marauders shared a glance.
“How dare you stand there and insult him? Do you even know? Did it cross your rodent-like minds what the repercussions of what you did were? Are?”
Toxins sewn through his speech, he looked manic; what borderline had they crossed to cause this?
Remus' old instincts must have kicked in, from the corner of his eye James could see him tense, as Wormy struggled to silently placate him.
"Listen- if you have something to say, spit it out already. Don't try prove yourself bigger, asshat." he snarled from James' left.
"Careful now, Lupin." "After all, I hear wolves have worse bark than bite."
He knew. How could he?
"Shit." James hissed. If he were to look Regulus in the face now, he knew exactly what he'd see- a manic smirk, sardonic, sadistic amusement playing across his countenance. The barb was small, but coated in another layer of poison- unless Snivellus had gone and told the entire House, the only other way he'd have gotten that information was from his brother.
Merlin, did he never learn? Did this whole melodrama not start just because Padfoot couldn't keep his mouth shut?
"Language, Potter." He let out an exhale of twisted amusement at that. "And please- don't be annoyed that someone with even an average intelligence could find out the worst-kept secret in all of Hogwarts. I'm still shocked that Severus even had to ask…"
His mind snapped to attention at the name. Severus. That greasy slimeball was going to pay if he hadn't already.
"Worst-kept my arse!!" Moony outraged. "t's only Sirius' fault that you know-"
"Actually, Sirius gave me no solid information to prove of your lycanthropy. Besides, I ought to know anyways, if he was being with a half-breed like yourself."
"EXPELLIARMUS-"
"Protego."
That wasn't good. None of them were supposed to know that spell, the Protection Charm was only taught to sixth-years and above- and to have cast it so flawlessly? Whipping behind as alarm bells screeched in his mind, James had time to spare the other two- Peter shocked and vaguely horrified- a glance that clearly could only mean 'do NOT engage'.
Unfortunately, it seemed their mere presence had already antagonized Regulus.
"Wondered why he was gone for a week?"
Yes. Sirius had been subdued for about a month after... what happened. Then one day he randomly stopped showing up to class- they all deduced he had been skipping classes- it made sense.
"You probably didn't, seeing how you were all wrapped up in your own lives, making mountains out of molehills that were dealt with within the week."
He had no right to say that. Remus had all but forbidden checking up on Sirius via the map, they had all agreed- besides, the wounds were fresh, and there was little point in trying to hunt down a ghost. Clearly one who didn't want to be found.
"Meanwhile, as you continued to betray, hurt, ignore my brother for something he had no control in, he was declining."
Turning, James' head followed Regulus as he walked to the edge of the Tower, where a muggle railing had been constructed.
Regulus snapped back to face them, arms somewhat outstretched in mock showmanship and grandeur. "Guess the view is truly submersive when you've jumped into it."
Cold, clammy horror stole over his heart. Oh.
"Then again," he spat, bitterness building like a barricaded tide, "suppose it's hard to see anything when you're drunk and delirious off blood loss."
A beat.
Pure, unfiltered silence was a rare thing to come by when the Marauders were in the same room as each other. Seemingly, there was nothing but it now.
Peter stepped out of the accidental triangle they had formed, wavering voice strong. "How bad?"
With an eye roll, Regulus raised an eyebrow and gave his answer. "He's in my dorm right now, sleeping and drunk. His arms are plastered in red that's classed as self-inflicted- but you worthless creatures may as well have done it yourselves." He added as an afterthought: "Despite being drugged by him, Sirius barely said a word for Severus."
Regret surged through James, mixed a wave with other emotions and a nauseating feeling of hopelessness and guilt. Drugged? A potion, most likely- nobody in Hogwarts had access to muggle drugs that easily.
"Hurt him again and I will ensure day's light will be a foreign concept to you. For the rest of your worthless lives, I swear to you."
And with that, the door to the Tower swung shut with a heavy thud, leaving the three marauders alone in their horror.
He jumped.
Had his brother not been the one who made arguably the most out of life? Had their ignorance really cut so deep that he was driven to that point?