Sweet innocence ~ Jegulus

01.

Regulus and Pandora stood at platform 9 3/4 waiting to board the Hogwarts express. Tomorrow was their first day of fifth year.

"D'you reckon we'll get a compartment to ourselves?" Pandora wondered as they watched their peers gather around the platform. "Probably not, Barty mentioned that he wanted to sit with us." Regulus mumbled, not looking up from his book. "He fancies you." Regulus added after a brief pause. Pandora scoffed and swatted at his arm. "Well I wished he didn't." She muttered.

Regulus finally looked up from his book to give his friend a small smile, but something over her shoulder caught his attention. Lily Evans and James Potter stood slightly off to the side of the platform, speaking with their heads down. Though he couldn't hear anything that they were saying, Regulus could tell that they were arguing over something.

Regulus watched as Lily threw her hands up in an exasperated manner and stormed away from James leaving him alone. Regulus lowered his gaze back to his book before Pandora could catch him staring.

After what felt like an eternity, or at least that's how Pandora described it, they finally boarded the train and found an empty train cart to claim. They put their trunks up in the storage and sat opposite of each other. Pandora kicked off her shoes and lifted her feet to rest them in Regulus's lap. He glared at her, but made no attempt to take them off so she knew that he didn't mind.

"I have to go to the washroom." Regulus said, finally setting his book aside. They were now about half way to Hogwarts. Pandora nodded, her mouth full of chocolate frogs from the confections trolley. Regulus left their cart and closed the door behind him. He walked through the narrow corridor of the train, occasionally greeting some of his house mates or people from his year.

Regulus turned to the door of the toilets and reached up for the knob, but stopped when he heard muffled sobs coming from behind him. Looking back, he found James Potter sitting on the floor of an empty train cart with his head in his hands. Regulus looked at the door to the toilets and then back at James. He looked to the toilets again, then back to James again. He couldn't just let someone cry in the back of a train, could he? Even if that person was his nemesis.

Forcing himself to pull his hand away from the doorknob, Regulus took a few steps towards the open carriage and stood at the door. When James didn't immediately notice his presence, Regulus cleared his throat catching the boy's attention.

James looked up from his knees and gave Regulus a once over before dropping his head again. Regulus nodded to himself as he took a seat and looked out the window then back down at the boy on the floor. He briefly wondered if James was uncomfortable from being curled into himself in such a confined space.

"Why are you crying?" Regulus's voice came out harsher and colder than he'd intended. He cleared his throat again and looked down at James. "Why are you crying?" He asked again, pleased with himself that he sounded more genuinely concerned.

James didn't reply for a while and Regulus took that as a sign to leave. He got up, and reached for the door, but a hand clutched his ankle before he could get out. "Lily broke up with me." James mumbled, squeezing his hand on Regulus's ankle. Regulus looked down at the older boy and shook his leg to make him take his hand off, which James did. Regulus looked at the door to the bathroom that was merely two feet away. So close but so, so far.

"That's rough. What did you do?" Regulus asked, turning away from the bathroom to sit back down. James snapped his head up and glared at Regulus. "What makes you think I did anything?" His tone was defensive. Regulus shrugged and looked out the window. "Lily's like near perfect so I doubt that she'd have done anything to you... And you're the one that's crying in a back room so I doubt that you were the heartbreaker." Regulus said, leaning back in the seat.

"I didn't do anything. Or at least that's what she says." James sniffled and wiped his nose with the back of his hand to which Regulus silently cringed at. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief and dropped it onto James's knees. James made a sound of appreciation and blew his nose into the black cloth. When he went to give it back to Regulus, the latter only pushed his hand away and made a face. "Keep it." He muttered, a look of utter disgust taking over his face. James shrugged and shoved the cloth into his pocket not caring that it was sticky.

"She says that we've just grown apart and that the relationship isn't going anywhere." James said after composing himself. "I just- I thought that we were doing good, you know?" James looked at Regulus as he spoke. In reality, Regulus didn't know, but he nodded nonetheless because really what harm could it do?

"We've been together since third year. Maybe she's just getting tired of me." James added after a long sigh. Regulus fumbled with his fingers in his lap. James Potter, the boy who he swore he hated, the boy who he dedicated his entire time at Hogwarts to destroy- dramatic, he knows- was crying over a broken heart and Regulus didn't know how to deal with it.

He thought about telling James to gather his wits and get up because he looked like a damned fool, but ultimately decided not to in fear that James would just burst out into tears again. "Maybe she just needs a little break. She'll come 'round." Regulus shrugged. James tilted his head in contemplation and nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah, yeah maybe." He seemed to cheer up at the thought and pulled himself up into the seat opposite to Regulus's. Their knees brushed against each other's and Regulus pulled back at the contact hoping that James didn't notice the heat rising to his cheeks.

"So, how's your girlfriend?" James asked after taking a moment to catch his breath and even his tone. Regulus scrunched up his nose in confusion and looked at James as if he was stupid. "What girlfriend?" Regulus asked incredulously.

"Lestrange?" James raised his eyebrows. Realization washed over Regulus and he let out a sound between a breath and a laugh. "Pandora? She's not my girlfriend." Regulus shook his head and found himself smiling at the thought of the girl. "Oh please. You guys are always together giving each other love eyes." James replied, his usual teasing tone coming back. Regulus hated it.

"Love eyes? What the fuck are love eyes?" Regulus grumbled. "I don't know. It's a certain look that you give the person you're in love with." James shrugged as if it were obvious. "Don't be daft. She's just my best friend, practically my sister." Regulus muttered as he averted his gaze back to the window.

At the mention of the word sister, James seemed to have perked up as if he suddenly remembered something. "Sirius is with the others." He said, watching Regulus carefully. "We can go talk to him if you'd-"

"I don't want to talk to him." Regulus cut him off with a sharp glare. James nodded his head seemingly understanding but opened his mouth to speak again. "I think you should." He said, smiling softly. Regulus rolled his eyes and stood up. "Well I just wanted to see what was up with you. I'll be going now." He said not waiting for James to reply before he darted out of the carriage and went back to his own where Pandora and Barty were waiting for him. Regulus smiled at the boy as he entered their compartment.

"Took you long enough. Were you shitting?" Barty asked as Regulus closed their door behind him. He scoffed and sat down beside Pandora rather than his previous seat in front of her that Barty was now occupying. Pandora looked at him curiously as Regulus dropped his head onto her shoulder and closed his eyes. He didn't care about the fact that he still had to pee or about the voice in his head telling to go find his brother, Regulus ignored everything and drifted off to sleep.