Orchids and Sunflowers | Jegulus

•8

Pandora should have known something was wrong. She felt like an idiot for not realising it sooner. She blamed it on hope. Hope that Regulus would magically get better. That his feelings for a certain boy would fade on their own. But seeing him outside her dorm clutching a bloody flower and refusing to look her in the eye told her how wrong she was for that hope.

★☀

Regulus couldn't speak properly for a few hours. Every time he did his throat felt on fire. This also meant any sleep that night was interrupted by his throat randomly flaring up. Pandora convinced him to go back to lessons the next day, no matter how badly he didn't want to. He just wanted to continue avoiding everyone but eventually, someone would take proper notice and make a comment. Of course, the second he walked out of his dorm, he was greeted by Sirius. Thankfully he was alone but he still internally groaned.

"Hey Reg, coming to make sure you're going to lessons today," Sirius told him cheerily. He was way too energetic for Regulus. He just smiled and started walking. Sirius didn't catch on to how tired Regulus was and went on a few random tangents as they walked to breakfast. Talking about something funny Remus did earlier, or how Peter managed to roll out of bed a few nights ago and shock everyone awake. Every mention of James made Regulus wince but his brother never saw, too busy talking to notice.

Once they finally reached the main hall, Regulus expected them to turn their separate ways, but Sirius quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the Gryffindor table. He looked at him in shock then towards his friends looking at him from their table. He shrugged, hoping that would be enough for them to not come save him, and simply let himself be dragged away. What he forgot about was sitting at Sirius' table would mean sitting with James. That made Regulus stop.

"Sirius I can't sit with you-" Regulus started but he was interrupted.

"Yes, you can," Sirius said. Any argument quickly left Regulus when he finally saw James for the first time since yesterday. He didn't seem any different. Sirius sat down beside Remus and pulled Regulus down next to him meaning he was sat face to face with James. He barely looked up from his hands and everyone else went on with their breakfast. He knew he wouldn't be able to eat anything so he took a few sips of juice hoping it would ease the pain. Regulus hoped that breakfast would go without any problems, but the second he made eye contact with James for the time since their kiss, he had to get up and leave. He slammed his hands on the table and pushed himself up, running out of the main hall and ignoring the shouts behind him.

He couldn't have an episode like last night, he prayed that he wouldn't. He managed to get outside the main hall and a few corridors away before the flowers started coming up. Fortunately, it was only a few petals and a single flower head but his throat had not yet recovered and all he could feel was a burning feeling. He leaned against the wall, feeling too weak to stand, when Regulus heard a quiet gasp and he felt his heart drop. Turning his head slowly, he saw Sirius staring at him, with the rest of his friends behind him.

"Fuck" Regulus murmured to himself, his voice raspy. Sirius stared at him with wide eyes. His gaze flickered from Regulus' face to the flowers in his hand. He laughed to himself and ripped his gaze away from Sirius. He leaned his head against the wall, slid down the wall into a sitting position and looked at the ceiling.

"What-"

"Hanahaki" Regulus interrupted. He heard a little noise of surprise and he knew it was Remus. He was the only one smart enough to have any knowledge of it.

"A disease created from unrequited love. Causes the infected to cough up flowers till they either die, have their feelings reciprocated or have surgery to remove the flowers" Regulus told him. The more he spoke, the more accustomed he was to the pain.