Truce

9

Regulus-

Regulus had nothing to celebrate. He was sitting next to a badly disturbed Pandora on the Hogwarts express with direct orders from his mother to ditch Potter, something he would never do. This was the first time where she had used direct magic to cause his pain and Sirius was forced to watch miserably. Of course, it wasn't helpful that Regulus defended Gene by calling him a three-fourth pureblood which caused Sirius to chuckle. That only landed both of them punished in the study for two days. It was terrible. Sirius had tried to talk to his brother but fell silent. Sirius was secretly impressed. He had never seen Regulus whole-heartedly stand up to their mother and it was amazing to see him have a half-blood friend, even if Regulus would never admit it. But then there was something else bubbling in his stomach. He felt jealousy. He understood his brother's friendship with Pandora and Jacob, but he didn't understand why Regulus was so keen on protecting Gene's name. It made his insides curl. But he forgot his jealousy when James owled him telling him how Jacob was being starved. Sirius showed Regulus the letter and Regulus had been scowling ever since. The news about Jacob had quickly traveled to Pandora hence why she was so disturbed. How could a heavenly figure like Euphemia Potter be so cruel to her son? It was unheard of, absolutely indescribably forbidden. And yet she did. She starved Jacob Potter, the second heir to the Potter manor and now the Potters were facing mass controversy.

"Do you think Jacob knows?" Pandora whispered, wringing her hands through her hair in an attempt to calm herself. 

"Probably, it's all over The Prophet. I'd assume that he found it the moment he returned." Pandora let out a quivering breath, unsure of whether or not to be happy he reached safety or anxious that he would probably be forced to return to his home over the summer. The two remained quiet as the final students filed into the train and the train finally began to move. Sirius had peeked his head into their compartment and hesitantly sat down. Regulus watched with weary eyes, not wanting his massive ego to ruin an already terrible train ride. 

"I just wanted to say how it was interesting that you stood up to mother," Sirius mumbled, clearing his throat before continuing. Regulus could see the rest of the marauders standing beside the door of the compartment, James' sullen face causing Regulus to raise his brow in speculation. "And, we'll stop picking on Gene. You seem to... care about him a lot,"

"That's right, I do," Regulus muttered, crossing his arms in discomfort. He had never achieved such a brotherly conversation before and it was terribly awkward.

"Just, stay safe. I heard it was Lucius who exposed your friends. I'd be wary," Regulus sneered, something extremely Slytherin of him to do, and glared at his brother.

"Be wary, what a funny little term. Were you ever wary, Sirius?" Sirius gulped, looking away. "Were you ever wary when hanging out with the half-blood and the Gryffindors that you would be ratted on?" 

"I didn't have to be wary because-,"

"Because you would just go to the Potters? Watch Jacob be mistreated and yet bite your tongue like an obedient dog? Force me to sit through horrors just so then you could be your true Gryffindor self?" Sirius winced, wanting nothing more than to contradict every truth that Regulus was forcing down his throat. "I had to watch you get beaten to death while father threatened me the same fate. I know I'm not as selfish or as obstinate as you are, but don't ever tell me to be 'wary'. Gene is my friend and is one-quarter more pureblooded than your boyfriend. Don't tell me to be cautious around the same people you told me to stop kissing ass too." With one last huff, Regulus finished his tangent, fully turning his body so that Sirius would have no other option but to talk to his back. Pandora gave Sirius a light smile, one he did not return, and lightly patted Regulus' back in solidarity.

"Have a nice ride, Siri," Pandora's dreamy voice echoed through the compartment with unknown strength that both brothers had ever heard.

"You too," Sirius sighed, closing the compartment doors and locking them.

~

And thus the four were reconnected. They sat at the Ravenclaw table, Gene gaining a hug from both Pandora and Regulus before they all started eating. James and Jacob made awkward eye contact, neither wanting to approach the other. Pandora embraced Jacob in such a tight hug that Jacob was immediately winded. She was stronger than Jacob could ever expect and her arms didn't release Jacob until Gene peeled her off him. Xenophilius watched in jealousy and Jacob could feel his glare against his neck. Regulus was next and embraced him lightly, both boys despising physical contact but still attempted to nurture each other. Gene and Pandora watched with soft eyes before hugging each other.

"'Ello Panda, we missed you,"

"I missed you too," Pandora chuckled, the four sitting down to eat. The now fourteen-year-old felt eyes on her neck and turned to see Xenophilius staring at her lovingly. Her face turned fifty shades of pink before offering a small smile. 

"How are you doing, Jacob?" Regulus muttered, the two making eye contact only for Regulus to subtly shake his head. Pandora knew what was happening so she distracted Gene. He didn't have to know. 

"I'm fine, just hungry," It was supposed to be a joke while he cut into the piece of steak on his plate but his friends all stared in pity. Even some of the Ravenclaw students glanced at the intimidating boy in worry. Jacob put down his fork midbite, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms. "Lay off, would you? It was a joke,"

"A bad joke," Gene grumbled, his appetite suddenly disappearing in a thick haze of guilt. Jacob rolled his eyes, finishing his steak before grabbing his cup of water. He quickly glanced at James, noticing how James was constantly trying to avoid eye contact. Jacob frowned, his eyebrows creasing, before tossing his fork back on the table. He turned to his friends.

"Are you guys full?" His friends all blinked before nodding and the four were off. James watched with a small pit in his stomach. The four sat in the Ravenclaw common room, Pandora immersed herself in her notes while Gene rested his head on her leg, closing his eyes. Regulus and Jacob talked in hushed whispers, the two discussing the dangers that they faced back at their homes. Although Gene always hated being left out, he had little to no problem being disengaged from their conversations about abuse. It made Gene nervous and he always hated being nervous, it made him do stupid things. 

"They won't snitch, Jacob," And now Gene was nervous. The Ravenclaw duo looked up at the two boys who had started bickering.

"We don't know that!" Pandora and Gene exchanged eye contact before staring at the pair. Jacob glanced down at them and gave them a tight-lipped smile.

"We're not talking about you,"

"Well that's reassuring," Gene quipped, rolling his eyes. His pillow stood up, crossing over to the boys with a firm hand on her hip. The two boys stopped whispering amongst themselves and immediately sighed. 

"What's going on, Reg? You can tell me," 

"We need to be careful. Apparently, Lucius exposed me to my mother and now we don't know who we can trust,"

"Why would that be a bad thing? You hang out with me and...," Pandora stopped midway through her thought, taking obvious notice of the sudden discomfort weighing down the room. Gene gave a tight grimace, standing up to join his friends.

"And me, right?" Nobody dared to talk. Gene stuffed his hands in his pockets, turning to go up to the Ravenclaw dorms only to be stopped by Jacob.

"Gene, she isn't just mad about that. I mean he's hanging out with me. I'm the blood traitor," Gene just gave a soft smile.

"You're a Slytherin, mate. I'm a Ravenclaw and am three-fourths pureblooded. I doubt your mother was too happy about that, ey?" Regulus stayed quiet, wanting nothing more than to express how much he had fought for Gene. How he had gone through hundreds of punishments in order to defend the boy and how Regulus wanted nothing more than to give the boy a hug. But instead, Regulus broke eye contact, allowing Gene to calmly walk up the stairs. The three waited for five seconds until a deafening slam broke the quiet. Pandora sighed.

"I'll go check up on him," Jacob and Regulus nodded, giving Pandora a quick hug goodbye, before exiting the Ravenclaw common room. Unbeknownst to them, Gene was sobbing in his covers, wanting nothing more than to disappear.