This Trying Affair • Jegulus •

IV. The Road Less Traveled

"How did it go?" Remus whispered to James one Sirius's attention had been captured by something Peter and Frank Longbottom had been talking about. 

"Not the best. Very resistant, but he'll come around," James said. He smiled at his friend and took a large bite out of the bun in his hand. 

"James," drawled Remus. "Be careful. Don't get yourself into trouble. You can't save everyone." 

"I'm not saving everyone, Moony. Just have a knack for saving the Black brothers." 

Sirius had turned back to the boys and captured the attention of the often overly worried boyfriend of his. 

James smiled at the affection the two boys shared. He thought of the changes from first year Sirius, who would have never allowed himself to date a man or leave his own family. The large smile and twinkle of his eyes reminded James why he was attempting to save the remaining Black brother. 

His eyes slowly traveled to the table swathed overwhelmingly with the color green with a noticeable brown inner ring. Once his eyes found the black haired boy he had been searching for, he smiled. James Potter had a goal and now he just needed a plan. 

---

Formulating a plan to get close to Regulus Black had been harder than James had ever considered.  The boy was much more aware of his surroundings than a normal teenager. Anytime James had caught his eye sight, Regulus had managed to disappear before James could even approach him. Even when James thought Regulus hadn't seen him when studying in the library, Regulus would rush out of the room the second James neared the table. 

James plopped himself down into the now empty library table and glanced at the empty seat that hadn't even been pushed back in. 

"Oh, Black," James groaned, running his hands over his face. 

After a few minutes of wallowing in his misery, James stood from the table begrudgingly and began walking back towards Gryffindor tower. He weakly lifted his hand towards his friends greetings when he entered his dorm and dropped onto his bed. 

James stared blankly at the ceiling ignoring Sirius's very loud whispers to Peter and Remus about what could be wrong with their deer friend. He grabbed the Marauder's Map next to his bed and mindlessly watched students make their way through the halls of Hogwarts. He caught the name 'Lily Evans' and briefly watched it as he had done obsessively in earlier years. 

James did not have the time to obsess over Evans if he was going to save Regulus Black from his blood supremacist family. 

"Ah, see, Padfoot, James is okay," Remus said, loudly. "He's stalking Evans on the map again."

Sirius glared at Remus for letting James know about their conversation not knowing his own whispers had already let James know what they were talking about. 

"Is that what this is about, Prongs? Evans not interested still?" Sirius asked tentatively. 

"Yeah, Padfoot, just feeling a little heart broken. Nothing some sleep won't fix." James winked at all three of his friends and closed his curtains. His eyes had found someone far more interesting that Lily Evans on the map and he wanted to observe him without questioning eyes. 

Regulus Black was located in the Slytherin common room. James followed his movements closely and realized that he was heading into his own dorm. He watched the map for a few moments longer, but decided to rest his eyes when he assumed Regulus would not be moving for a while. 

James woke up suddenly and looked around his bed. He opened the curtains to see that it was still late out and that his best friends were all deep in sleep. When he stood to change out of his clothes, the still opened Marauder's Map fell onto the ground. He reached down and grabbed his wand, preparing to put the map to rest and return to sleep.