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Icy

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Regulus

"I can't believe you're just randomly cutting him off like this. Don't get me wrong, Reg, I get why you're doing it... but he's... you two are..." Barty mumbles in confusion. 

"I can't put him in danger. You know what happens once we get the mark, Barty." 

"I know that, but you still have time." Evan adds as he looks up at us from his book. "You don't have to do it yet." 

"Yes, I do. I have to do it now." Merlin, I sound so pathetic. I actually sound so much like a baby right now. "If I don't do it now, I'll never do it." 

Barty and Evan are looking at me with pity in their eyes and it hurts. I don't want him them to look at me like that. 

"Look, Reg. I understand why you're doing this. I don't think it's going to work, though." Barty tells me.

"Why wouldn't it work?"  

"Because this is James Potter we're talking about. He's the most stubborn guy I've ever met. He's not going to just let you get away with pushing him away. I'm sorry to say that, Reg." 

I shake my head sadly and then nod, because he's right. Of course he's right. James Potter doesn't just let people leave his life. Not when he's really cares about him. 

"I know." 

"You're still going to try, though. Aren't you?" Evan asks, smirking up at me from his book like he knows me so well. 

"Fuck you, Evan. Of course I'm going to try. It's for his own good, okay?" 

"No, I get it. I just wish you wouldn't be so..."

"So... what?" 

"So... protective of everyone else and their feelings but not your own." Barty says and shrugs his shoulders. "But until you start doing that, I guess I'll have to protect you."

"Fucker, as if you could protect me while you're off doing Merlin knows what." I say to him and he flips me off. 

"Gits," Evan calls out and laughs before returning to his book. 

They both promised to back me up in the halls or in class if James tries to talk to me. I can't do this on my own, and despite them both being assholes, they'll help me if it's what I want. They know I wouldn't do this if I didn't absolutely feel like I have to do it. 

The three of us walk into the great hall and I try really hard not to look over at the Gryffindor table. I can feel him looking at me and it's almost like a magnetic force is tugging on my neck. Like I need to look over, but thankfully Pandora cuts me off as she joins us.

"What's wrong with you?" she asks me, and I look at her in surprise. 

"What do you mean?" I ask her, playing innocent but it's no use. She knows something's wrong. I don't want her to hear it from Barty first so I might as well tell her. 

"I'm breaking up with James." I tell her and she looks taken back by that comment. 

"Why? What did he do?" Pandora asks me, and I shake my head. 

"Nothing, he didn't do anything. I'm protecting him from my family... it's-"

"For his own good," Barty and Evan say at the exact same time. "Yeah trust me, Reg. We know that part." 

They continue laughing and making fun of me, and I glance over to the Gryffindor table. I regret doing that the moment I do it. He's staring at me and trying to get my attention so we can slip out. I turn back to my friends and ignore him.