Attention

The first lesson of the day was potion class. Evan and Barty trailed after Regulus as they walked from the great hall after eating breakfast, to the classroom.

He felt like a dead person, and he probably looked like it too.

Pandora even stopped him outside of the great hall to ask if he was ok. He tried to reassure her that he was fine, but he didn't think he convinced her.

Evan had a lot on his mind after the late night talk with Potter in the empty classroom. He doesn’t know why he can’t get that meeting out of his mind. It seemed like Potter was suddenly everywhere now.

He never really thought about him before, though that may be because they had never directly interacted before. 

Maybe it was because he felt seen? Like someone finally understands him. That’s probably why he wants to talk to him again- wait what?

Evan stops walking, but continues after Regulus shoots him a look.

He wants to talk to Potter again? No, that’s not right. He is probably just tired. Evan didn’t sleep well last night. His friends decided to keep him up, and it took all his strength to hold in his sobs.

He should be used to this. Why isn’t he?

Everytime he hangs out with them, he feels sick and tired. He doesn’t know if he should be grateful or miserable that they haven’t asked him what was going on.

Regulus probably knows, he thinks bitterly, eyes shooting knives at his friend’s back.

Regulus was his first friend, one of his best friends, yet Evan starts to feel resentment towards him.

It makes him feel shameful and guilty, but he just swallows it down.

He shakes his head as if he can disperse his thoughts. 

They had arrived at the classroom and went to sit down. Slughorn was already standing at the front, hands clasped in front of him as he waited for all the students to sit down.

Evan noticed Pettigrew and Black were there, but not Lupin or Potter.

“Now,” Slughorn begins enthusiastically, “I want you all to go into pairs to find information about this potion and find a correct way to make it.” He gestures to a vial on his table, and goes on to explain it.

Evan already knows what it is, so he tunes out, instead focusing on his friends. Barty had already turned towards Regulus to ask him to be his partner, to which he saw him nodding in response to.

Evan clenches his fist under the table, willing his face to stay blank while he struggles to swallow. Will they start excluding him now?

He knows he is overthinking things, but he can’t stop the thoughts. 

“After finding information, I want you to find a new partner and explain to them what you and your former partner discussed-” 

A loud bang of the door behind him made him turn around, and there, barging through the door was Potter.

His hair was a mess, his clothes in disarray. He must have overslept and just thrown on his clothes. He also seems to have forgotten his bag.

“Mr.Potter!" Slughorn exclaimed in shock. “Five points from Gryffindor for tardiness and disrupting the class.”

Potter groans, throwing a hand over his face and dragging it down. He went to sit beside Black, who immediately started whispering to him. 

“All right now, go into pairs!” Slughorn finishes, turning around to look at his book.

Everyone started moving, while Evan just stayed where he was. There was no one else he was particularly close to. He wished they had class with Ravenclaw so he could team up with his sister.

Well, never mind. He would just have to work alone.

He opened his book and started reading. When he finished the first page, he felt someone sit beside him. He looked up to see Potter’s grin.

He blinked.

“I hope you don’t mind partnering up with me,” he began, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. “It seems like it’s only us left.” 

Evan cursed his luck. Potter had been on his mind lately, and now he had to work with him. 

“Fine,” he said in response, and went back to his book. 

“Eh,” he heard and looked up at Potter again, who still had a sheepish look on his face.

“I forgot my book.” Right.

Evan moved the book so it was between them. He hoped for no interruptions now.

He felt Potter moving closer to him and swallowed. He turned the page.

“Wait, I wasn’t fini-” Evan looked up with a glare, making Potter shut up.

He swears he isn’t usually this rude, but Evan was too tired to care. He just wants to be done with this class and go back to his bed, intending to skip the next class by faking illness. 

A few minutes went by, and Evan was almost done reading. His attention, though, was now captured by Potter’s leg, which was continuously shaking.

It was a small thing, but it made a flood of annoyance go through him. 

“Can you stop that?” he said through gritted teeth.

The leg stopped shaking with a muttered “sorry”.

He took a deep breath through his nose and read the last pages. 

“I’m finished,” he announced and waited for Potter to finish reading.

“Done,” Potter states, looking up with a bright face. 

“Alright, I thought about the order of which the procedure can go and,” Evan began to explain. 

“Are you ok?” Potter interrupted, making Evan go still.

“What?” he managed to utter. Potter looked embarrassed.

“I don't know, you look a little tired,” he mumbles out.

Now it is Evan who feels embarrassed and slightly indignant. 

“That is none of your business. Let’s just be done with this and split up,” he then continues with what he began to explain with. 

Evan can’t believe that Potter would ask him that. He can’t believe that Potter even noticed that he was tired. He doesn’t know why he cares, that Potter noticed.

Why is his mind still on Potter? 

“Alright!” Slughorn claps his hands, “let’s switch!”

Evan turns around and sees Regulus looking at him.

He freezes, feeling like he was caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to do. He felt eyes trailing across his face.

“Partner?” Regulus asked, to which Evan nodded yes to.

Regulus started to talk about his work, and Evan was only half listening.

His thoughts were on the person sitting across the classroom, his hair still in disorder.