two
"Hey James mate. Where were you?” Sirius comes over to him, throwing an arm over his shoulders. “We got back to our dorm and realized you ran off.” The black-haired boy points out.
“Forget it Sirius” James pushes his friend's arm off his shoulders. His friend gave him a look before walking after him.
“James” he warns, putting a hand on each shoulder of the other boy. Sirius then moves James' head up.
“What the hell prongs? Is this a wand mark?” Peter jumps up having a look.
“Just get off me Sirius” James shrugged Sirius’ hands off himself once again. Remus comes up behind James and puts a hand on his arm.
“Prongs what is this about, you’ve been off since this morning” the three boys set James down on his bed.
“It's nothing alright?” James snaps, his voice coming out louder than he intended. It felt like his head was going to burst. The memory of Regulus’ wand on his throat, making him cough.
Sirius and Remus exchanged weird looks with each other and Pete before returning to James.
“James we can't help if we don't know” Peter comes up beside his friend and croutes down. James could feel the tears, his eyes burning with despair and rage at his friends seeing him cry.
“You” he stopped, his voice cracking. He wipes away a tear as fast as it could spill. James picks up his legs going into a little ball while sitting on the edge of the bed.
“You know that the order was going to choose someone to marry the blacks youngest son” Another tear slips out, He takes another deep breath trying not the shake. He can't bare to look at Sirius.
“Yeah well. The order they chose. They chose me” James gives a hand up to his mouth cupping his face, trying to keep from shaking. He could feel the other boys' shock without having to look at them.
“There is no way you can call it off?” Peter's voice was small and quiet as he spoke next to James. James shakes his head, knowing that if he tries to speak it will only come out as a strangled sob. James feels Remus’s hand go around his shoulder, his body sitting next to his own.
“It will be alright mate, we’ll figure it out” Remus gives James a little squeeze. After another a few moments of silence aside from James sobs, Remus pipes up,
“Sirius, don't” followed by a bang. James looks up to find Peter and Remus staring at the doorway, Sirius already out the door. James gives a little sniffle before standing up and following him out, the others trailing behind.
“Sirius stop.” James puts out a hand, trying to hold him back, but to no avail. Sirius pushes James back, shrugging him off and continuing on his way.
“Regulus!” Sirius yells out. Three Slytherins turn to look at the group. James recognized them, to the left stood Barty Crouch Jr. To the right, Evan Rosier, and in the middle. In the middle stood Regulus. James watched as if it was in slow motion, Sirius pulled Regulus by his robe, his right arm coming around hitting Regulus in the face. What continued was chaos. The Other two trying to pull Regulus away, Remus and Peter trying to pull Sirius off him. And then stood James, almost motionless.
He watches as Peter pulls Sirius away, Remus by his side, but James doesn't pay attention to them, his focus fixed on the other black brother.
Regulus waves a hand at his friends, as the other two walk off it becomes apparent to James that it is just to two of them.
“Merlin, are you ok?” James walks over to the other boy. His figure tips trace his jaw lightly where Sirius hit him. A purplish mark already blooming, a little blood trickled from his lip.
“I'm fine potter” His hand came up to swat James’ away. He could see the tears that sprung in Regulus' eyes, the way his jaw shook slightly.
“Regulus. You're hurt. Let me take you to Miss Pomfrey'' James knew that the other could probably see the tear marks from only minutes before but he didnt care.
“Its only a little cut, ill be fine” James could hear Regulus say more but he could make it out.
“I. I didn't want this” James reaches out for Regulus once more, trying to get him to understand, " I didn't know he was going to hurt you”. James could feel the tension growing in the room, his skin prickled with it.
“Screw off, James!” Regulus turned sharply, yelling in the other boys face. “Just because i'm a year below you doesn't mean i'm weak. I've gotten a hell of a lot worse, from a hell of a lot stronger.” Regulus turned back around trying to regain his composter.
“Sorry. I uh. I just wanted to help” The older boy takes a step back, at a loss for words. Regulus turned back around to see the other slowly backward. He wanted to say sorry. Apologies for snapping but all that came out was, “you’ve done enough Potter”.
As James heard those words he turned and ran down the hall back into the homeroom and up into his dorm.
“James!” Peter called after him as he ran up the stairs. “James mate stop-” The short boy was cut off by their door-room door getting shut in his face.