Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.

Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. Feel free to back out if that's you.

Author's Note: Lots of darkness here.

Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts (Term 11); MC4A
Individual Challenges: Slytherin MC; Minerva's Migraine; Yellow Ribbon; Yellow Ribbon Redux; In a Flash
House: Hufflepuff
Assignment No.: Term 11 – Assignment 03
Subject (Task No.): n/a
Other Hogwarts Challenges: Insane House Challenge [866] (Crime); 365 [128] (Unique); Galleon (hot cocoa)
Space Address (Prompt): n/a
Representation(s): Regulus/James (one-sided)
Bonus Challenges: In the Trench
Tertiary Bonus Challenges: n/a
Word Count: 452

(^^)
Potion Sweet
(^^)

Regulus was determined to attract James Potter's attention. For too long the Gryffindor Golden Boy had been distracted by chasing Lily Evans, who was pretty enough for a Mudblood but not enough to make up for her tainted blood, and the way that his own brother Sirius would often hang off of James like a lecherous lemur. And truly, Sirius was an incorrigible flirt, because he would hang off of that raggedly half-blood Remus Lupin and Evans just as much. Salazar's sausages, Sirius would even hang off every member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team if given half a chance as well as that Hufflepuff prefect that was betrothed to Frank Longbottom. Regulus couldn't remember her name, but honestly, she was a Hufflepuff, so how unique could she be?

But what was ambition without a goal to pursue? And while the Potters weren't included in the Sacred Twenty-Eight, that was clearly an oversight on Cankerous Nott's side. The Potters had held the Duchy of Peverell for longer than Hogwarts had been in existence! Who cares if the name Potter sounds Muggle when compared to that? As the next heir to the title, James needed someone worthy of being his consort. Of course, it had to be a Black, to better influence the bloodline. Dorea Black had always been a bit liberal and had clearly passed on those views to her son, but another Black, a more proper one, could bring the entire family back in line.

Regulus made a face at the thought of Fleamont and his wife. Maybe some housekeeping would need to be done once he was in position to do so. It shouldn't be too hard to arrange for some accident to happen to Charlus' brother. Kreacher would be perfectly willing to deliver some subtly spiked tea late one evening, and as an older elf, Kreacher wasn't as excitable as most of the creatures.

Regulus paused mid-stride. Now there was a thought. He knew from his brother's ridiculous prattle that James loved hot chocolate. It shouldn't be a problem to slip a bit of love potion into his next order from the kitchens. Kreacher didn't even have to be seen delivering it.

"No," he told himself. "It's too risky. His behavior would change too quickly." Regulus twisted the idea in his head a few times. "Then again, if I halved the amount of ashwinder eggs in the initial batch and then slowly brought it back up to full strength over the course of, say, a month. It would be subtle enough that no one would suspect until it was too late."

His lips twisted into a smirk. That just might solve all his problems getting the boy of his dreams.