Curse Breaker (or how to find answers)

Young mornings and old nights - pt.2

***

James was alone in the Gryffindor Headboy Dorm, sitting cross-legged on the floor, looking attentively at the cauldrons bubbling, when the door clicked and Regulus entered the room. Startled, he turned around, to see it was him.

"Oh, it's you," James said, lowly, genuinely surprised.

"Yes, it's me," Regulus shrugged, and James turned back to the cauldrons. Regulus came sitting next to James, folding his knees to his chest, circling his arms around his legs, looking at the cauldron too. "Who else were you expecting?" He half-asked, half-affirmed.

James chuckled lightly at that. "No one else."

They stayed like that in a comfortable silence for a few long seconds, only listening to the bubbling of the cauldrons, and looking at the Lacewing Flies stewing peacefully.

"I didn't think you'd be there," Regulus finally said. "I thought you'd let me handle this part alone."

James shrugged. "Of course not. We're making Polyjuice for me in the first place," He replied, looking at his feet. "It's the bare minimum."

"Oh, don't worry," Regulus quickly added. "It's— the bare minimum to make some for you. I guess," He sort of stuttered, and James looked at him patiently, waiting for him to find the words. "You've helped me from the start," Regulus risked a look in James' direction, but he quickly looked away, as if it was burning him to look at him, in the eyes. "It's only fair that I don't leave you behind."

James smiled at that. "Remember that I sort of forced you, huh?" He pointed with a laugh in his voice. "I put myself in this situation by myself . What would be fair would be for you to leave me there, since I wasn't supposed to be helping you, at first."

"Potter," Regulus looked at James, in the eyes this time, with raised eyebrows. "Do you realise this is awfully sad to say, right? We're friends, if I remember correctly."

"Yes, you're right," James said, raising one of his knees to prop his elbow on it, smiling. "I still can't believe it," James added with a lower voice.

It seemed that Regulus' eyes wanted to tell more, but he just sighed, and James smiled more.

They once again fell in this comfortable silence; they were used to it, by now, with all the meetings and all the searching they did before. To be honest, James didn't mind. By Regulus' silences, he knew how the latter felt, and it was good to see that today was a good day.

At some point, Regulus leaned closer to the cauldron, to test expertly the temperature, and then he said:

"It's going to be ready for Christmas. Maybe a bit later."

"And? It's good?" James asked, not really knowing if that was a good statement to make.

"Well, maybe in the meantime the teachers will have removed the spell."

"Good. What happens if they do before the potion is ready? We throw it away?"

"I guess," Regulus shrugged, sitting back to his previous position. He nudged his chin in the crook of his elbows. "Do you need some Polyjuice?"

"Not really," James grinned wryly at the strange question. "You?"

"Me neither," Regulus had a mild downward smile. "So yes, I guess we just... throw it away, indeed."

James nodded. He fiddled with the hem of the sleeve of his red jumper. He had put this one on because it was the first he found, and now, he regretted it. Because he wore it the day before, and now, maybe Regulus was going to think was never changing his clothes. For some reason, James didn't want Regulus to think that.