Chapter 15
Regulus
Practice was miserable.
James barely spoke to him.
Which, to be fair, was already a bad sign—because James never shut up.
And when he did, it meant something was wrong.
Regulus had tried to brush it off.
Maybe James was just in a mood.
Maybe he was hungover.
Maybe he was actually concentrating (for once).
But then—
The next day, Regulus made one comment.
Just one.
They were warming up on the ergs, and James had yet to say a single word to him.
So Regulus had done what he always did—
Poked.
“You’re awfully quiet today, Potter,” he murmured, glancing at James out of the corner of his eye. “All the blood from your brain going somewhere else?”
It was a joke.
A lighthearted, suggestive, completely normal joke.
And James—
James shut it down immediately.
“Regulus.”
His voice was sharp, clipped, not playful in the slightest.
Regulus hesitated. “What?”
James’ hands tightened around the erg handle.
“It’s not like were having sex, James, Sirius is fine,” Regulus added, lowering his voice slightly. “You can relax a little.”
James let out a cold, humorless laugh.
“This isn’t about Sirius,” he snapped.
Regulus frowned.
James finally turned his head, eyes dark, jaw tight.
“It’s about you.”
Regulus felt something sharp twist in his stomach.
“…What? I just thought-”
“You thought this was something,” James said. “You thought we were something.”
Regulus opened his mouth, something hot rising in his chest—
“But you thought wrong.”
Regulus’ breath caught.
James’ eyes were like ice, his voice too cold, too cruel. It didnt feel like James at all, and Regulus felt himself sink under the weight of it.
“I don’t like you,” James continued, voice low, deliberate.
“I’m not like you.”
Regulus flinched, but James wasn’t done.
“I kissed you to get you off my back, so just leave me the fuck alone.”
The words hit harder than they should have.
Regulus didn’t know what he had been expecting—
But it wasn’t this.
His face burned, his throat felt tight, but—
But he refused to let it show.
He lifted his chin instead, swallowed the ache, and forced his voice to stay steady.
“I guess I was right about you after all,” he said coolly.
James’ eyes flashed, but Regulus kept going.
“You are mean.”
James’ jaw clenched.
“You are fake.”
James exhaled sharply through his nose.
“And I never want to see you again.”
Regulus stood up, grabbed his things, and turned away before James could see the way his hands were shaking.
“Oh,” he added over his shoulder, voice sharp as a blade, “and you can find someone new to row the pair with.”
James tensed.
“You were hopeless anyway.”
And with that—
Regulus walked away.
By the time he made it to Evan and Barty’s apartment, he felt ready to collapse.
Evan opened the door, took one look at him, and sighed.
“Oh, no.”
Regulus pushed past him, storming inside like a hurricane, barely even acknowledging Severus, who was sitting on the couch.
Barty looked up from his phone.
“Reg, what’s—”
“He’s a fucking dick,” Regulus snapped, throwing himself onto the couch, burying his face in a pillow.
Severus blinked, confused. “Who—”
“Potter,” Barty and Evan said at the same time.
Severus just nodded like that made sense.
Barty plopped down next to Regulus, rubbing his back dramatically.
“Honey, what did he do?”
Regulus mumbled something into the pillow.
Barty frowned. “I need actual words, sweetheart.”
Regulus lifted his head just enough to speak.
"He said"—Regulus swallowed—"that he doesn’t like me, that he’s ‘not like me,’ that he kissed me out of pity, and to leave him the fuck alone.”
Regulus was rambling, tears falling from his eyes.
Barty’s eyes widened in horror.
“He’s evil.”
Evan let out a low whistle, shaking his head.
“He’s a fucking idiot,” he corrected.
Barty nodded. “That too.”
Severus, however, still looked mildly lost.
“…I feel weird asking this,” he said slowly, “but wasn’t your whole plan just to hook up with the guy? Why are you acting like he broke your heart?”
Barty gasped, offended.
“Oh, Snape,” he said dramatically, “you know nothing of how nuanced this romance is.”
Severus raised an eyebrow. “Clearly.”
Barty gestured wildly.
“The hookup would just be—" he waved his hands, "—as the name says—to get him hooked.”
Regulus groaned, burying his face in his hands.
Barty grinned. “And then they could fall in loveee.”
He whined the last part in a sing-song voice, making Evan snort.
Regulus lifted his head again, voice flat.
“But now the plan is off.”
Barty frowned. “But—”
Regulus’ face was stormy, his voice quiet but firm.
“Because now I know that every bad thing I’ve spent years believing about him is true.”
There was a beat of silence.
Then—
Evan exhaled. “Okay, okay.”
Everyone turned to him.
“I hate to play devil’s advocate,” he said hesitantly.
Immediate groans.
Barty flopped backward like he was physically in pain.
“Evan, please.”
Evan lifted his hands. “Just hear me out.”
Regulus glared. “I don’t want to.”
“I know,” Evan said, “but I’m gonna say it anyway.”
Regulus huffed, crossing his arms.
Evan exhaled, looking at him carefully.
“What James said to you was not okay—full stop.”
Regulus lifted his chin slightly.
“But…” Evan continued, “have we considered how fucked up James might be feeling right now?”
Regulus froze.
Barty frowned. “What do you mean?”
Evan sighed.
“As far as we know,” he said, “you very well could have been his first and/or only experience with another guy.”
Regulus’ stomach twisted.
Evan gave him a pointed look.
“…And his crowd?”
Regulus swallowed.
Evan exhaled. “I’m not saying to give him grace. I’m just saying—if I were in his shoes?”
He shook his head.
“I’d be really fucking scared.”
The words settled in the air.
Regulus didn’t respond.
Didn’t want to respond.
But Evan wasn’t done.
“And,” he added, “you were laying it on a bit thick.”
Regulus snapped his head up. “Hey!”
Barty dramatically clutched Regulus’ head against his chest.
“No victim blaming!” he declared.
Regulus mumbled something against Barty’s hoodie.
Severus, who had been quietly observing, sighed.
“Well.”
Everyone turned to him.
Severus simply shrugged.
“This is all stupid.”
Regulus groaned. “Tell me about it.”
Evan patted his leg. “You’ll survive.”
Barty sighed wistfully.
“So much drama. So much angst.”
He grinned, glancing at Evan.
“They’re so in love.”
Regulus groaned louder.
Evan just shook his head.
Regulus still felt like absolute shit.
But at least he wasn’t alone.
Regulus let out a long, painful groan, tilting his head back against the couch.
“Ugh. What do I do now?”
Barty patted his leg sympathetically.
“You play some sad, gay little songs on your violin,” he said sagely.
Evan nodded solemnly. “You wallow for a bit.”
“And then,” Barty continued, voice sharp with determination, “you buck the fuck up because you are not gonna let James Potter take your opportunity to be in the 1V.”
Regulus sighed, rubbing his temples.
Evan leaned forward. “And maybe,” he added carefully, “you move on.”
Regulus lifted his head slightly, eyes narrowing.
Evan lifted a hand in surrender.
“I’m just saying,” he continued, “this whole plan thing? It’s given you a new confidence I’ve never seen you have before.”
Barty nodded enthusiastically. “Big ‘new era’ energy.”
Regulus huffed, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.
Evan held his gaze.
“He can’t take that from you,” Evan said firmly. “And you can still use it to your advantage.”
Regulus snorted, shaking his head. “What, you think I should keep flirting with him just to fuck with him?”
Barty perked up immediately. “YES.”
Evan rolled his eyes. “No, dumbass. I think you should take what you’ve learned about yourself from this whole thing and put it toward someone who actually deserves your attention.”
Regulus blinked.
Barty scoffed. “Boo, boring answer.”
Evan ignored him, tapping his fingers on the couch. “I mean, there are plenty of other guys out there. You just need a distraction—someone who’s hot, fun, and won’t make you spiral into a full-on identity crisis.” He shrugged. “Like, I don’t know… Remus?”
“Woohoo, way less boring!”
Regulus frowned immediately. “Remus Lupin?”
Evan raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, why not? He’s hot.”
Barty grinned deviously. “It’s genius is what it is.” He turned to Regulus, eyes alight with mischief. “Think about it—hot rebound action, rub it in Potter’s stupid face, and actually get your mind off him? Triple threat.”
Regulus rolled his eyes. “You two are ridiculous.”
Barty smirked. “Ridiculously right.”
Evan shrugged. “Just saying, if you wanted a distraction, he’d be a pretty good one.”
Regulus huffed, crossing his arms. “I’m not that desperate.”
Barty gave him a pointed look. “You’re literally sitting in my apartment, eating my food, and complaining about a boy. You are so that desperate.”
Regulus scowled.
But… he didn’t entirely dismiss the idea.
Regulus sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Okay, but seriously. What am I supposed to do about the pair?”
Everyone went silent.
Because yeah.
That was the real problem, wasn’t it?
Regulus would have been fine never seeing James Potter again.
Would have been fine icing him out, letting him stew in his own misery, treating him like he didn’t exist.
But they were literally stuck together.
On the same goddamn boat.
Every. Single. Day.
Barty was the first to break the silence.
“…Maybe you quit.”
Regulus glared. “You quit.”
Barty held up his hands. “Okay, damn, just brainstorming.”
Regulus shook his head. “I’m not giving him the satisfaction.”
Evan nodded. “Good. So you stick it out.”
Regulus exhaled sharply.
Barty smirked. “And you make his life miserable.”
Regulus frowned. “How?”
Barty grinned.
“By being better than him.”
Regulus froze.
Because—
Because that was actually a good fucking idea.
He wasn’t going to quit.
He wasn’t going to cry over James Potter forever.
No.
He was going to show up to practice.
He was going to row his ass off.
He was going to be so good that McGonagall wouldn’t dare take him out of the 1V, no matter what happened.
James Potter was going to regret every single word he had said to him.
Regulus inhaled deeply, sat up straight, and set his jaw.
“Alright,” he said. “I can do that.”
Evan nodded approvingly.
Barty threw a fist in the air. “YES.”
Severus, still mildly confused, simply sighed.
Regulus rolled his shoulders, feeling a little lighter.
Barty smirked. “Oh, Potter is so fucked.”
And for the first time that day—
Regulus grinned.