Chapter 14
James thinks the cravat is a bit much.
“It’s the perfect pink touch, Prongs.” Sirius assures him. He somehow even got the girls to show him the dresses before hand to make sure the stupid cravat matched properly.
Wonder if Pandora helped Regulus match something? He shakes the thought from his head. No Regulus tonight, he would be a proper gentleman and focus on his date. So he wears the cravat that’s the supposed perfect shade of pink, and he strolls down to the Slytherin common room to meet them.
The hall is a bit full, as people come and go, meeting their companions. James spots Pandora first because Sirius was right, the damn cravat was a perfect match. He follows the beacon of blonde hair and gets close enough to see them.
He cannot deny how stunning a pair they make. The pale blue of her dress and his matching moonstone brooch brought out the blue in his grey eyes. The black of his suit and hair brought out the contrast in her skin and dark features and rosy lips.
They look like something classic, like something out of a fairytale. The beautiful mortal princess and the dark fae prince. Pandora herself looked elven, rosy cheeks to match her dress. He tells her she looks lovely to announce his presence and then they are kissing cheeks in greeting, then Aurora; exchanging genuine compliments and commentary “you look sensational Jamie!” “You are an actual goddess.” “The vest!” “The leaves in your hair!” So on and so forth. He greets Regulus by eye contact alone at first, “Hey Reg.” He holds back the urge to pull the boy to his chest and hold him.
“Hello James.” Regulus replies, not quite meeting his eyes.
Aurora slips her hand into Regulus’s and heads to the ballroom.
James offers Pandora his arm, and they are off.
The ballroom is like an indoor garden, vines trail all the way from the ceiling, carrying fragrant, drooping flowers. Some flowers glowed, light coming from flowers, or little floating bugs of light, and the candles on the walls and in the chandeliers. Long, decorated tables are piled high with honey cakes, breads, fruits, and various drinks. The surrounding grounds were similarly decorated, with scattered tables and benches throughout. Music trills all around them, mixing with the chatter of the guests and clinking of glass. James notes the noticeable absence of Rory’s clunky headphones. Poor, brave soldier, Feeling sorry for his friends sensitive ears in this admittedly loud setting. Suddenly, he spots Lily in a spring green gown along with Marlene and Mary. He tries to get their attention and wave but they don’t see him.
They all gather as the music hushes for Dumbledore’s speech. He tunes it out, trying to catch Regulus’s eye but the boy is staring resolutely ahead of him. James gets a funny twinge in his gut and the crowd bursts into applause. He joins them unenthusiastically and then the music swells into the first dance. Somehow Regulus and Rory get pulled into the group.
“Are you a dancer?” James asks. Pandora shakes her head “Not like them at least, but I dance.” They both turn to watch their friends, who are surprisingly very good dancers on the ballroom floor. He supposed as much from Regulus, who seems to be infuriatingly good at most, if not all things. He is surprised given Auroras generally unbalanced nature, until he remembers the way she grew up. That sobers him a touch, brings him back to reality.
He isn’t thinking about Rory or Regulus, it should be about Dora. At the next song, He offers her a hand, which she takes with a sweet smile.
He finds that Pandora had been modest about her capabilities on the dance floor, she made for an excellent partner. He finally found Lily and joined her for a dance, as well as Marlene. He shared a few dances with all of them, before he joins Pandora at a table.
“Nice moves, Potter!” Pandora pours him a drink, which he gulps down gratefully.
“You’re quite good yourself, you know.” She hums and pours him another glass.
She smiles again, folding her hands in front of her. His stomach twinges.
“I know something you don’t.” Pandora teases.
“What is it?” James struggles to keep his tone light as his nerves flutter.
“Tonight is the night. He’s going to ask her.” She looks around the room lazily “it might have already happened. I don’t know where they are.”
James had lost track of them too, he can’t even remember the last place he saw them. His heart races, not from the dancing.
“Pandora, did Regulus tell you he is proposing to Rory tonight?” James asks, eyes intense. Pandora seems shaken by his reaction as she nods.
“I helped him pick out the ring, it’s really pretty! Silver and re- James!” She hurries after James, who has started feverishly scanning the room. She catches his sleeve when she gets to him, letting him pull her along as he journeys to the outdoor gardens.
He finds them framed by an archway of wisteria and white roses, the most beautiful picture. He all but runs at them, slowed by Pandora as she clings to his arm.
He puts one foot in front of the other and watches as Regulus slips the ring on her hand. James lurches to a stop before them, Pandora stumbling into him.
“I OBJECT!” He blurts. All heads snap to him. He looks around, Merlin’s beard, I’ve caused a scene. Every face in eyeshot was staring at them.
“James? What are you doing?” Aurora asks, looking confused and a little hurt.
“You can’t object to a proposal, that only happens at a wedding, or in court.” James turns to Regulus, who is looking at him coldly. Like a stranger.
“Then I’ll object at the wedding I-“
“Like hell you will!” Regulus all but shouts.
“You can’t do this Reg-“
“Enough.” Auroras voice cuts through their bickering, stern and tight. She walks quickly off, leaving the three of them no choice but to follow. She leads them to a hedge, leaving shocked and confused faces watching them go in their wake.
The instant they are behind the hedge, she whorls on James, jabbing a finger at him angrily “What do you think you’re doing?!”
James holds his hands up in surrender “It’s not what it looks like, I just- you have to know. It’s not right. Regulus tell her!”
“What the fuck James” Regulus hisses.
“You said you would tell her.” James pleads.
Aurora laughs, a dark angry thing. “Do you two think I’m stupid? You must either think I’m stupid or truly desperate.”
The two boys now join Pandora in their silent dumbfounded surprise as they stare at Aurora, glowing with rage.
“You think I don’t notice? You are the two people I spend the most time with and you don’t think I’ve noticed that you both go missing at the same times? For Merlin’s sake I’ve seen you two sleeping in the same bed!”
This illicits a gasp from Pandora. Aurora continues on “ I found that secret room, the room of requirement right? I found the room, and I found you, and I found out what the room was from the library. Because I’m not stupid. And you aren’t sneaky! I see the long looks, or how you both get nervous when the other one is brought up. I see it all.”
“But then why? Why would you say yes?” James is genuinely so very confused.
Tears pool in her eyes, Aurora throws her hands up in frustration and all but screams at them “Because I love him! I love you both.” She presses the heels of her palms to her eyes, “I’ll take what I can get. From you both. I’ll take what you can give.”
The ring on her finger gleams like blood on a sword.
Regulus reaches out to grasp her arm, and she viciously yanks her arm away. Taking a few steps back, she addresses them both “I love you. But I can’t stand you right now. I can’t believe-“ She chokes on her emotion. Turning to James, “I can’t believe you would ruin that moment. I can’t believe you would make a fool out of me like that. Out of Regulus.”
Shame settles like a pit in his stomach.
“And you.” She turns on Regulus, who looks like he is about to pass out from fear. “Were you ever going to tell me the truth? What if James had held his traitorous tongue? Would you have let me walk down the aisle in ignorance? Do you think yourself a hero for saving me?” She jerks her chin to James “if you’re so desperate to be a hero, join the party but leave me out of it.”
She crosses to Pandora, taking her arm. “In fact, just leave me alone period. You deserve each other.” And with that, she storms away, dragging Pandora back to the castle.
A long moment passes as they stare in the direction the girls fled.
James breaks the silence “Regulus…”
“No. Don’t you dare. Do you realize what you’ve just done?” He is upon him in an instant, fists pounding on his chest, pushing him as he shouts. He lets him. Lets him curse and punch until he is a sobbing, limp mass in his arms.
“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry” James repeats it over and over like a prayer. He means it, he knows he’s fucked this up. He knows he handled this as he usually handles things: tactlessly. His mother says he leads with his heart, and his brain lagged behind sometimes. He doesn’t know what she would say now. She would never have gotten himself into this position. She would have told him to break it off with Regulus and tell Rory the truth as soon as they became friends. It dawns on him that he is years deep into an elaborate and inevitable conundrum that could have been easily solved had he had the strength to leave Regulus. Or Rory. But both of those things were unthinkable.
Both of those things might be happening anyway.