︰୨୧・꒱ ────sixth year: four-eyed potter bastard
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summary::
when athena finds out about regulus seeing someone and remus tells her a little bit too much about james's side of the breakup.
notes::
kinda short chapter i'm sorry:(( everything is literally kicking me in the ass & i'm so sick rn sorry baes will try ++ be faster
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"mix up your soul with mine tonight„
21st september 1977,
she got there before him..
athena sat at the astronomy tower, all their work in her book bag and she waited for regulus to arrive. it was two minutes past eight. she didn't mind that he was late, she was just confused, seeing as he can't stand people being late.
five minutes pass.
ten minutes pass.
fifteen minutes pass.
as soon as it turns twenty past eight, regulus is rushing down to the tower and sitting next to athena, out of breath.
"jesus christ! you took your time," she said, though not really bothered.
she barely noticed what he looked like. his best hair was stuck upright, messily sitting in his head. his shirt was unbuttoned, only the first two buttons. his zip wasn't up the whole way and he had his right sleeve rolled up. only the right sleeve, again?
"ah," she sighed with realisation. "right.."
regulus had been ... messing around with a girl before he got here. makes sense.
he smiled a cheesy smile and took the books out. athena rolled her eyes, sorting out the work she had in front of her.
"so, who was it?" she asked, trying to start a conversation.
he grunted. "we don't need to talk, jenkins. just get on with the work, will you?"
"fine," she said. "wanted to start a conversation."
he looked up at her and sighed, "i'm sorry. that was harsh for no reason. but i'm not telling you who it is."
"why not?" she shot.
"we're not friends," he said. "why would i tell you?"
"i'm curious."
"no."
"yes!"
"jenkins. no."
"black. yes."
"nora parkinson," he blurted out. he covered his mouth and avoided eye contact. "uhm— i wasn't supposed to say that.."
"parkinson?" athena snorted. "i never thought she had such low standards, seeing as she's one of the nicest girls in school. and pretty. she's a lot more attractive and extrove—"
"i get it," he snapped. "she's better than me. no need to remind me of it.. but we're seeing each other, so you don't need to worry about her."
athena's heart dropped. she felt bad for saying that now. he was the worst human being she ever knew, but after she had her heart broken, she can't really be one to judge relationships.
"as long as you make her happy," she muttered. she wanted to say 'as long as she makes you happy', but she obviously doesn't want to make it known that she cares about his feelings.
he looked up at her, smirking slightly. "don't act like you don't care."
"what?" she snapped. "i don't."
"you do."
fuck. how did he know?
"you're upset that your perfect relationship didn't work out so now you're bothered about mine."
okay. not exactly what was going on. but she'll take it.
"mhm," athena nodded. "how'd you guess.."
as they finished and started to pack away, regulus cleared his throat. athena turned around and stared at him, her eyebrows raised.
"why did — uhm — why did you and james ... break up?" he asked, clearing his throat. his speech was unclear and athena only just understood it.
"we were fighting," she started, confused as to why he asked. "about me. how i acted up and i guess he finally revealed how he was tired of me acting the way i act."
"which is?"
"i act like an idiot and whenever someone calls me out i use me being less privileged against them."
regulus scoffed, "likely of you."
she felt like in the last few minutes, when she told him what had happened, that he was listening and that he cares. she felt as if he shaped up a heart of glass for her.
but now he's dropped it.
"gee, black. remind me not to open up to you again. 'likely of you?' thank you, honestly," she said, standing up and whipping her bag around her shoulder, scoffing.
"fuck off," he laughed. "like you're any better? if i were to sit here and talk about my life i can put money on the fact you wouldn't give two shits."
"well, you've got a load of that to be throwing around anyways."
"fuck off," he repeated.
she began to walk away and he spoke up again.
"i was about to do it, you know?" he said. athena turned back round, tilting her head at him. "i was about to actually talk to you."
"why didn't you?"
"oh, i wonder why. maybe i was reminded about how you called me inbred."
"not you, just your—"
"athena."
regulus shook his head and walked past her. she let out a sigh and ran her hands though her hair in a frustrated manner. that's when it hit her.
she had feelings for regulus black.
no. she didn't like him. not even close. but she wanted to know about his life, she wanted to help him in a way. she wouldn't say it was caring about him just yet. but for once, there were feelings there that weren't completely negative.
"what a fucking knob," she muttered, as she walked off, shaking her head.
someone knocked into athena, hard. and it didn't feel like an accident. when she looked up, she realised it was definitely not an accident.
"a knob?" the person laughed. "what, you describing yourself?"
"go away, potter, i'm not in the mood."
"seems like you're never in the mood," james scoffed. "who were you with?"
"it's none of your business," she said. "let me go back to bed."
"tell me—" he towered over her "—who you were with. or i'll report you for being out after hours."
athena groaned. "black. we were finishing a project."
"ah, the usual excuse."
"we were! you think i'd hang out with that twat for my own fun? you're having a laugh, then."
"nah, nah.." james smiled. "i think you'd use him to make me jealous. or, wait, you already did that. in the relationship."
"you're joking!" she laughed manically. "black? i'd use black to cheat on you? fuck off."
"someone told me they saw you leaving his dorm, tina," james said. "and pandora said that same night she thought you were with me. but i left early.."
athena sighed. she couldn't escape telling him. it was inevitable.
"nott tried to — he tried to do something bad," she muttered. james's face dropped. "black stopped him. bare minimum. he didn't let me leave his dorm. nothing happened, i swear to fuck. you know why? because i loved you. still fucking do. now let me sleep."
james choked out, "tina, i'm sor—"
"yeah. so am i."
***
1st october 1977,
it's nearly been two weeks since athena had spoken to either regulus or james. things were starting to not completely suck.
pandora and xeno were .. well, they were good. to say the least.
athena can't count the times she had walked in on them. doing .. good.
"panda!" athena screamed, opening the dorm room. "i need my—"
pandora was up against a wall, xenophilius pushing against her. athena gasped and shut the door again, covering her eyes.
"hairbrush," she mumbled, trying to clear her mind of xeno's bare fucking ass.
but at least things were good. athena sometimes spoke to peter, remus and sirius, but it was rare, seeing as she never went into their common rooms.
as she walked to her last class on wednesday afternoon, remus tapped her on the shoulder and began to walk next to her.
"how are you, ath?" he asked, smiling widely.
"alright," she responded, nodding. "i miss him. but it's fine. i haven't run into black or any of his dogs either."
"that's amazing," remus said. "i hate them. all of them. even black."
athena laughed at the irony, "not your black."
"never my padfoot."
they kept walking, an eerie silence falling over them when athena cleared her throat and spoke up again.
"how's james?"
remus bit his lip and looked around. he pretended to notice someone walking by. athena called clear bullshit.
"lupin."
remus looked at her and snapped. "fine. he's been good. too good."
"is he hurting himself?" athena asked, the concern and worry on her face growing quickly. "he hasn't turned to —"
"no, athena," remus sighed. "he's sleeping with lils."
athena's mouth dropped. he was never over her. the bastard was always in love with lily evans. even when he dated athena jenkins.
she was fuming and didn't even try to hide it.
"of course he went and ran off to her! what an idiot, honestly. i'm betting he only got with me to try and move on and failed. clearly. remus, be honest, did he cheat on me?"
remus's eyes widened. "slow down there. no, he never cheated. but i can't totally disagree when you said the first idea.."
"wow," she laughed manically. "and he never thought about cheating?"
"i'm not going to lie to you, ath, he definitely did consider it.."
"thank you, remus," she said with genuine gratitude. "this whole situation has been eating at me. i couldn't guess why he was so fine with it but now i get it."
"uh— you're welcome?"
athena unexpectedly kissed remus's hand and walked off, her pettiness rising. she needed to get back at that four-eyed potter bastard.
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song at the start ::
açai bowl by dominic fike
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