This Trying Affair • Jegulus •

IX. Like You Don't Even Exist

Regulus sat at the Slytherin table listening to Emily talk on and on about her night with Lily Evans.

He was calmly eating the muffin he had buttered and jammed as he attempted to follow his friend's story of her night.

"Can you believe it, Regulus!" she said sighing dreamily.

"Can I believe that Lily Evans remembered your name at the end of the shift where you told her your name at the start? No, I can't. She's so thoughtful," drawled Regulus sarcastically.

He jumped as the hand slapped his upper arm harder than he had expected.

"You insolent little shit. I don't know why I'm friends with you." She narrowed her eyes at him when he merely smiled at her.

"Because I'm the only other person in our year with more than half a brain?"

Emily paused as she wrinkled her nose to consider Regulus's new cheery behavior.

"I'm not sure I am a fan of the way James is changing your personality. You're much too cheeky now," she grumbled, clearly not actually upset.

"Shh! Not so loud!" Regulus said. Though like always, they sat alone at the end of the table due to Regulus's continually being cold and uninterested whenever his fellow Slytherins tried to engage him in anything other than Quidditch.

"Sorry," Emily said, shrugging as she took a rather large bite of an apple. A bite so large that Regulus was sure his mother would have been mortified at the unladylike behavior.

Rolling his eyes, Regulus looked over at the messy haired boy that they have just been talking about to be surprised when those hazel eyes were staring back at his own.

Regulus watched James glance at Sirius before turning back to him and blowing a kiss. Regulus quickly glanced down at the table clenching his jaw. He lifted his head as casually as he could to glance to the Slytherins to his right to make sure none of them had seen what James had just done.

Upon seeing no one looking at James or him, he dropped his shoulders in relief. He wondered what that idiot Gryffindor could be thinking doing something so obvious in a place as crowded as the Great Hall. Was he trying to get Regulus caught? Trying to stop anything from truly happening between them before Regulus's parents caught him and put a stop to his behavior.

Regulus grumbled to himself before looking at Emily and suddenly asking her if she wanted to head to class.

The girl paused before swallowing the large piece of Apple in her mouth.

She nodded at him, "Yeah, sure. I wanted to ask Professor McGonagall for some help on the Vanishing Spell anyways."

The pair stood and began making their way out of the Great Hall. Regulus could feel the eyes on him, specifically the ones located at the Gryffindor table, but he refused to look even on the off chance that it was someone else than who he assumed it was.

Once Regulus had stepped out of the doors and into the entrance hall, he allowed himself to take a deep breath rather than the shaky shallow ones he had been taking during his exit.

"You good?" Emily whispered, nudging the boy carefully.

He glanced at her, taking one more deep breath to level himself before giving her a small smile.

"Yes, Em. Thank you." Regulus felt steady once more. There was no danger to the school discovering his secret now that he was away from James Potter. He had a control of the situation once more and for that he was grateful.

Emily nodded at him and started leading the way to their Transfiguration classroom.

Not shockingly, they were the first two there, allowing Regulus to sit calmly in his seat and enjoy time to himself, while Emily approached the Professor at her desk to ask the questions she had.