(55 : SLAUGHTER'D YOUTH . . .
FOR HERE LIES JULIET)

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     THE EARLY NOVEMBER BREEZE RATTLED the room, the various vials of ingredients shaking from the force of the blow. In the face of the harsh weather, Severus Snape remained steadfast and nimble, barely glancing up as he motioned for Juliet to close the window. Although she obliged, her calculated gaze remained pinned on the preparation process, still suspicious of the boy.

Just as the morning sunlight flitted through the broken shutters of the home on Spinner's End, Snape lifted a vial into the air and the pale pink colour of the potion was illuminated. "It's done and I do believe that makes us even."

"And you're confident it has been brewed right? I still think you should've cut and not crushed that —"

"Whilst you may be adept at abysmally failing in whatever you dare do, I am not," Severus drawled, monotone as ever. "I am quite certain that I have brewed it correctly. Now, if we are done here . . ."

As he shooed her towards the door, she narrowed her eyes. "And I am quite certain that I will haunt your miserable arse if you have done anything —"

"How could I when you have been looming over my shoulder like a poor imitation of a shadow the entire time?" sneered Snape, his mouth curling down in distaste. "Like I said, I have repaid my debt and I want nothing more to do with your moronic scheme. In return for your help with Mr Dagworth-Granger's apprenticeship, I have brewed you one perfect bottle of the Draught of Living Death." He failed to meet her glower as he began to methodically tidy the work station. "Ah, don't let the door hit you on the way out."

     "Do you take me for a fool, Severus?"

Unbothered, he snorted. "Are you sure you would like me to answer that?"

Snatching Snape by the left arm, Juliet applied pressure to where she knew his mark was located. "Here is how things are going to work, I am going to drink this pretty little potion and you are going to call the aurors with my location." Her voice dropped an octave and she continued, "If Voldemort is as smart as I think he is, he will then want his most skilled potioneer to verify my death. You are going to confirm my death, claim what I drank was poison, then you will come back the next day and give me the antidote. Nobody at the Ministry will even care to check the cause of my death as long as wizards continue to drop like flies under Voldemort."

"No."

"No?" echoed Juliet, almost bemused by his automatic rejection. "You would still say no even if I could promise that Lily Evans would start speaking to you again?"

He stilled. "You can't promise that."

"I can't," she agreed with a noncommittal hum. "Yet I'm willing to bet my life on it. If you agree to my terms, we'll take an Unbreakable Vow."

"And if I disagree?"

Juliet knew he was only stalling. From the second Lily's name left her lips, he was sold. "I don't think you want to find out."

Severus contemplated this, then pointed out, "There's nobody to bind us."

"Well, I've heard you fancy yourself a spell maker," she mentioned, smirking. "Let's see what you've got, Severus. And believe me, I'm in no rush."

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Somewhere in London, Sirius Black was blowing out the candles on his birthday cake. Remus and James were cheering loudly whilst Regulus fiercely glared at the latter from his place on the couch, disinterested in the party that was taking place in the apartment he now shared with his brother. Although the party was only small, it was still a lively affair. In spite of all the loss everyone in that room had felt, they were doing their best to celebrate their friend's twentieth birthday like they weren't at war.

"Where's Pete?" Remus frowned, checking his watch.

More concerned with finding a decent music channel on the wizarding radio set, James shrugged. "I don't think he's coming. Apparently his mum has been roping him into helping out around the house more."

Regulus, who had barely acknowledged the other boys since their arrival, chuckled darkly at the exchange. "Oh, come on, don't tell me you actually believe that."

In suspicion, James' head snapped up. "He's been our friend since we were eleven. Why would Wormy lie to us?"

"Wild guess here, but I'm thinking it could be because you stuck him with a nickname like Wormy. I mean, that's enough to send anyone off the deep end," taunted Regulus, never letting his eyes drift from James. "Or, even wilder guess, maybe because he's currently a sp—"

"Shut up," ordered Sirius suddenly. "Prongs, turn the radio up."

Too distracted by Regulus, James had barely been paying attention to the radio, but the sense of authority in his friend's tone was enough to make him tune in. He promptly turned the volume up and everyone started to listen intently. Even Regulus seemed to be holding his breath.

"—ing news, we interrupt this broadcast of Glenda Chittock's 'Witching Hour' to announce the death of fugitive and Sacred Twenty-Eight member, Juliet Fawley. She was wanted by the Ministry of Magic for refusing arrest and murdering her father, Arin Fawley. Her body was found by an anonymous wizard in Cokeworth, England and our sources say it was suici—"

Nobody stopped James when he fumbled to switch the radio off. Nobody spoke at all for a few minutes. It was Regulus who unwillingly broke the silence when he groaned in pain, clutching his left arm.

     "The Dark Lord is calling a meeting," whispered the boy. "I — I guess that confirms it."

"No," spat James, grabbing his coat and scarf from the hook. "Julie — Julie can't be dead. I don't believe it. I mean, I've already bought the house in Godric's Hollow and she — she said she had a plan."

Guilt-ridden, Regulus twisted the mercury ring — the ring that had saved his life — around his finger to avoid meeting anyone's gaze. "And what plan was that, Potter?"

James gulped. "I don't know."

"You don't know? Marvellous. Some boyfriend you are!" Regulus sarcastically remarked, standing up and pointing an accusing finger at James. "This is all your fault. Juliet is dead because of you and all those stupid, idealistic notions of some forbidden romance you put into her head. Are you happy now? Are you happy now that loving you has killed her?"

"That's enough, Reg," snapped Sirius, his stormy eyes focused steadily on the blank wall in front of him. "You're lashing out, I know, but she was our friend too. Just go. It's not like you can keep your precious master waiting as it is."

Regulus knuckles turned white as he balled his hands into fists, taking several deep breaths through his nose. "Fine. Whatever. It's not like I care."

Once the door slammed behind Regulus, Sirius stood up on shaky legs and touched his best friend's arm. "Prongs?"

"I'm going to Cokeworth."

Being the most levelheaded of the group as he wasn't all that close with Juliet, Remus blocked the exit. "James, think about this. You can't —"

"But she isn't dead." James' voice splintered and he suddenly sounded like a young child again. "It's — it's a mistake. Maybe it's someone who looks like her. Yeah, that has to be it. It's someone who looks like her because she isn't — she isn't dead, she can't be, not when she promised me she would survive."

On that note, Sirius watched as James shoved Remus out of the way and left for Cokeworth. Only once James was gone did Sirius allow himself to truly fall apart, the birthday banners seemingly mocking him as he threw the radio against the wall and writhed when Remus moved to hold him back. No amount of soothing words could change the fact Sirius was sick of funerals. And now he was sick of birthdays too.

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     James was unapologetically pushing himself through the gathered crowd, only to be stopped by a line of police tape. In desperation, he scanned the area in search of someone magical and almost breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted Alastor Moody conversing with a muggle man in uniform. James knew Moody both from his training and the Order of the Phoenix.

"Alastor!" James yelled, almost bursting from the excess energy his body was trying to burn. "Auror Moody!"

Moody's head twisted to find who was calling him. "What are you doing here, lad?"

"I'm here to help with Jul—Fawley," he corrected quickly through his panting. "Dumbledore, uh, sent me?"

"Right, get over here, Potter." Moody lifted up the tape and James ducked under it, doing his best to appear unruffled. "A body was called in about an hour ago. The pureblood girl it is. Higher ups in the Ministry ordered us to stay put, so I sent word to Dumbledore as it seems mighty suspicious they don't want us to investigate more. I suspect it has something to do with You-Know-Who and his influence though." The man beckoned for his trainee to follow him before halting. "You have seen a dead body before, haven't you?"

It was a wonder James had managed to nod with how loudly his heart was hammering in his chest.

Leading James towards a dilapidated house, Moody kicked the door open and checked over his shoulder before barking, "Keep your wand up." He nudged James forward. "Dumbledore expects —"

     Everything around James evaporated into white noise and Moody's tirade was lost to the abyss. James stumbled through door and immediately fell to the floor at the sight of the same blue eyes that he had once swore would belong to his children. But, in the end, he didn't scream or cry. Instead, he brushed an errant strand of red hair from her pale face, looped his fingers through one of her cold hands and welcomed an unfamiliar darkness as it swept through him, finally snuffing out his light.

Maybe Regulus was right. Maybe James had killed her.

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A.N: I have mixed feelings on this chapter, mainly because it went very off plan and took on a life of its own. I'm sure some of you all saw this potion coming if you read R&J though, let's be honest. Anyway, we'll see more of James' reaction and how he copes next 'chapter' (it's actually an interlude). This is kind of the flip side to how James handled grief after losing his parents with him being more numb than emotional.

Question, do you have a fic rec with Harry as a love interest? Yes, this is a selfish question but I'm struggling to find any good ones and I'm a simp for the Potter men and I feel like I've read every James one there is at this point.