jegulus ♡

Chapter 10: Fractured Hearts

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The aftermath of Regulus and James's newfound closeness rippled through Hogwarts like a dark tide. Their relationship, once a private affair, had become the subject of whispered conversations and harsh judgments. It wasn’t just Sirius and his friends who were affected—Finn Mickley, who had been Regulus's frequent companion and occasional lover, was especially troubled.

Finn had always been kind, but lately, a shadow of bitterness had crept into his demeanor. The once friendly and affable student had become sullen and irritable, his feelings now a turbulent storm. His jealousy was evident to anyone who noticed, and it soon began to erode the bonds between the trio.

It started with small comments. Finn would mutter under his breath about Regulus’s apparent betrayal. These whispers, laced with hurt and resentment, gradually morphed into outright hostility. He began to accuse Regulus of deceit and manipulative behavior, blaming him for the unraveling of their friendship and his own bruised ego.

One evening in the common room, the tension finally reached a boiling point. Regulus and James were sitting together, engrossed in conversation, when Finn stormed in, his face a storm cloud of anger.

“Regulus, what’s this I hear?” Finn’s voice was sharp, his eyes flashing with fury. “You think you can just toss aside everyone who cared about you? Is James all you care about now?”

Regulus looked up, taken aback by the sudden confrontation. “Finn, that’s not fair. Things have changed, but I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” Finn’s laugh was harsh. “You didn’t just hurt me; you’ve torn everything apart. I thought we had something real.”

James, sensing the escalating conflict, tried to intervene. “Finn, please—”

“No!” Finn snapped, cutting him off. “This isn’t your place, James. You’ve already taken enough from me.”

The argument quickly spiraled out of control, with Finn’s anger growing more intense. He lashed out at James, blaming him for Regulus’s perceived betrayal and accusing him of taking away something precious. The heated exchange left everyone in the common room on edge, the normally comforting space now heavy with animosity.

The fallout wasn’t limited to Finn’s outburst. Regulus, caught in the crossfire of emotional turmoil, began to retreat inward. The stress of the confrontation and the strained relationships triggered a resurgence of his anorexia. He found solace in control over what he consumed, obsessively tracking his intake and pushing himself to dangerous extremes.

Days turned into weeks, and Regulus’s condition worsened. His once vibrant demeanor became shadowed by exhaustion and pallor. He withdrew from his friends, including James, who tried in vain to reach out and offer support. But Regulus was trapped in a spiraling vortex of self-doubt and isolation, his once manageable struggle with anorexia now consuming him entirely.

The environment at Hogwarts, once a source of camaraderie and learning, had become a battlefield of fractured hearts and strained connections. Finn’s toxic behavior had created a rift that seemed insurmountable, leaving Regulus and James struggling to navigate the fallout of their relationship and its impact on those around them.

In the midst of this chaos, Regulus’s hope for solace seemed distant, and his attempts to reclaim control over his life felt increasingly futile. The world around him, once bright with possibility, had dimmed under the weight of betrayal and heartache.

As the school year progressed, the atmosphere remained tense. The ripple effects of Finn’s jealousy and Regulus’s unraveling continued to impact everyone involved. For Regulus, each day was a battle against his own demons, and finding a way back to balance seemed like an elusive dream.