Jealousy, Jealousy || Jegulus & Rosekiller

7. Don't cry over spilled potion

James

James is tossing all the things he needs in his bag. They were scattered all over the dorm room, and he couldn't find a quill or some parchment anywhere.

"I'm so sorry for you, James", says Sirius with a slightly harsh tone.

"Sirius stop..."

"No, I really am. I don't know how you manage to be in a room with him for a whole hour. Let alone talking to him. Doesn't it make you want to die?"

"No, Pads, it doesn't...", answers James resignedly. Every time he goes to a tutoring session, it's the same thing. Sirius talks a lot about his brother even if he claims not to have one.

"He's insufferable. Spoiled, snob, coward, pretentious-"

"I don't think he is-", James stops as he sees the look Sirius gave him.

As he walks across the corridors, he's thinking that, actually, today he would prefer to do anything else than be stuck in a room with Regulus for an entire hour.

He takes his time to reach the dungeons. He waits for the moving stairs every time instead of taking another way. He dreads the moment he will see Regulus and hear his voice again.

Seeing him from a distance at mealtimes has already been difficult. And he is unable to not look in his direction. He wishes he had more willpower.

He has never been able to.

When they were younger, he looked at Regulus, and he replayed in his head Sirius' words about his brother, and he was fascinated by him.

When Regulus and Sirius drifted apart, James looked at Regulus, searching his movements and expressions for all the unpleasant things Sirius was saying about him.

Then James saw him fly, win quidditch matches, hex Snivellus, and laugh in the corridors. And little by little, his head was filling up with Regulus Black.

When Regulus became his tutor, James couldn't believe he was presented with the opportunity to get to know him.

But while he was looking at him, he also saw Regulus becoming closer and closer to Crouch.

And he kept looking at him, even after he learned that he and Crouch had started dating. He wishes he hadn't.

He is weak in the face of Regulus Black.

When he enters the classroom, Regulus is already there, and the cauldron is already on the fire.

"Today we will brew the Potion of Dark Waters. It's advanced, but I think you should learn it", says Regulus, turning to him.

He thinks about the last time he heard his voice. See you later, resonates in his ears. Everything seemed to go well between them. Except then he spent the rest of the night kissing Crouch.

"Okay", he murmurs.

"I have already put on the fire the Full moon water, which is an ingredient used in most disillusioning potions", says Regulus. "Now you should add two spoons of Acrumantula powder. Acrumantula powder has the property of making you invisible. It can also be sprinkled on people or objects, and it will have the same effect. But it doesn't get rid of the shadow".

When James takes the first spoon, however, he does it with too much force, and he knocks the vase, causing the powder to fly everywhere. "Sorry", he mumbles as he takes two spoons from the remaining powder and throws them in the cauldron.

Today, it doesn't feel good to be with Regulus, as it usually does. Everything feels off.

"Now you have to add the dried Asphodel", says Regulus. "Together with the Dragon blood, it makes you unplottable from spells trying to locate you".