Pretty soon now you're gonna get older
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James
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James finally found his room after accidentally walking into the girls’ dorm area by accident because he was too busy following Marlene to think about the very obvious difference between them. Luckily James found his dorm and when he got there his roommate was already laying on their bed.
He has long black hair sprawling behind his head as he stares at the ceiling above him, almost like he doesn’t notice James is there. James notices only the essentials have been unpacked from his deflated and empty looking bags which surround his bed. James would ask where all of the things that would make the dorm his room but he doesn’t want to seem rude so he’ll keep that in until they become friends.
“Hi, I’m James.” James smiles brightly, holding his hand out for his new roommate. “Nice to meet you!”
“I’m Sirius.” The boy grins back, shaking James’ hand, hard. James feels some kind of connection to the feminine looking boy already, they’re going to be good friends, he can tell.
“My paapa’s gonna be here in a second to bring some of my bags along so, heads up. He’s kinda... overly friendly so uh… just a warning.” James says awkwardly.
“Cool.” Sirius nods, seeming unbothered.
“James, please help me out here, I’m old and in dire need of a hip replacement and these bags are very heavy.” James’ dad calls from just outside the door.
After James helps the man shuffle through the door his eyes fall on Sirius. “Ah! You must be my son’s roommate, nice to meet you.” Fleamont grins, holding his hand out to Sirius just like James did seconds before.
“He’s Sirius.” James smiles, noticing the boy flinch as he introduces him.
“Not to be nitpicky but it’s they.” Sirius says awkwardly, taking James’ Paapa’s hand with an awkward grimace on their face.
“Oh… shit… I mean oops.” James says with a quick apologetic glance to his dad for the language he knows he’d be told off for if Sirius wasn’t there before looking back to Sirius. “I didn’t mean anything I just-”
“Nah, it’s fine. I don’t meet many new people so I kinda forgot I needed to do that.” They smile brightly. “Not your fault.”
James and Fleamont unpack James’ things as quickly as possible so he can be back to Euphemia sooner, saying goodbye to his son before leaving him and Sirius to their own devices.
“So… what position do you play?” James asks, throwing the small football Frank got him for his birthday last year up in the air before catching it.
“Striker, you?” Sirius asks, turning their head from the ceiling - which they’ve spent more time looking at all sad than they’ve looked at anything else.
“Same.” James grins.
“Ah, so partners then.” Sirius grins, holding their hand out for James to pass them the ball, which he does.
“What are we? Cowboys?” James laughs, catching the ball that was seconds away from whacking him in the face. “Howdy partner.” James says in a terrible Texan accent before breaking into laughter with Sirius.
“Please never do that again.” They laugh, and James likes to see them looking actually happy rather than miserable on their empty and lifeless side of the room.
“Ah! Dinner time! I heard they do the best roasts here.” Sirius smiles, jumping up from their bed. “Are you coming?”
“Yeah, I just hope the chicken is seasoned with more than just thoughts and bloody prayers.” James laughs, jumping up to follow his excitable roommate.
“Gravy gives it all the flavour you need.” Sirius smiles, bumping their hip into James’.
“You’re so British yet you sound so French.” James says, sounding jokingly disgusted, causing Sirius to bark with laughter. “I think you and my friend Pete would get along well.”
✧✩✧
Regulus
✧✩✧
Regulus was luckily sharing a room with Evan, a boy who grew up with. Rooming with him thanks to his mother’s many connections.
The boy grew up in aristocratic London and was his cousin’s cousin along with his twin sister Pandora and little brother Felix. Regulus envied their closeness.
Regulus has an older brother who refuses to look at him. Ever since Sirius turned 11 they decided to grow that backbone that they didn’t have for the 11 years before. It is not lost on Regulus that this was the same year Sirius’ favourite cousin - Andromeda - left the family because she came to this very school and met a working class, half Filipino boy who grew up on a farm with a single mother and a half brother from Newcastle named Ted and fell in love. He was everything their family hated - poor, not white, not from a nuclear family, northern and - worst of all - actually loved her unlike whoever a Black was meant to marry. All bullshit to Regulus but of course the boy didn’t bother to speak out against his aunt and uncle’s anger towards Andromeda or anyone for that matter because he values his own safety.
Regulus always wondered why Ted’s race mattered when the three Rosier siblings were all dark skinned but accepted thoroughly by the aristocratic society. It really shows money is everything - even their so-called morals.
Regulus hated her even though he barely remembers a thing about her, he usually spent his time with Narcissa whenever his cousins came over because the two were very similar - the youngest and never enough in their parents eyes with everything including their looks and staying quiet rather than charming like Sirius or mad but entertaining to the rich investors like Bellatrix. Both trying whatever they had to to slip past both of their parents undetected. Though if the Rosiers were also around he’d spend all his time with them actually letting himself be a child like he should have been. Though he could only afford acting like that around them or his brother in the comfort of their rooms away from the prying eyes of the adults who watched every movement the aristocratic children made.
Sirius started fighting back against their parents and Regulus didn’t try to stop them, he knew it was a lost cause. They’d provoke them and get punished harder. They’d step in and make them punish them on the rare occasion Regulus messed up and was ready for whatever sadistic ritual Walburga Black was just itching to use on one of her sons and she didn’t care which one would fall a victim to it.
The love they had for each other was ripped apart by their parents but Sirius showed Regulus they still loved him despite how obvious it was that they resented him for still loving their parents and nodding along to whatever they said - no matter what his true thoughts on the matter were.
Regulus was being led into the school’s basement by Kreature - the family’s butler that Regulus had taken a liking to despite how his family had treated him and the other butlers the family had in the past. He was led through the gloomy common room to the dorms. His eyes met the blond dark skinned boy - Evan - who had already claimed the bed closest to the window that stretched out into the dark lake - knowing how much water and the ocean scared the younger Black brother.
Kreature quickly helped the two boys unpack in silence before leaving them, handing Regulus a slip with his number on it in case there was any time he needed the older, overworked, frail man, who was the closest thing Regulus could call a father after Sirius - not unfairly - abandoned him.
Regulus and Evan left for dinner into the large Great Hall, walking over to the Ravenclaw table - even if they hadn’t been sorted into that team - both of Evan’s siblings were sat there and Evan wanted to be there for his baby brother’s 13th birthday.
The two weren’t bothered much with team spirit, it was common knowledge that Slytherin needed them - the whole team being filled with families who paid for their kids to join because they have no real talent. Evan and Regulus were known to be the only promising players on the team.
Regulus wished he’d been put in another team but apparently being in Slytherin was an aristocratic tradition so they’d organised it for him but they hadn’t bothered with their outspoken heir who - funnily enough - had then been put with Slytherin’s rivals the Gryffindors because Walburga and Orion hadn’t bothered paying to make sure with Sirius because they assumed Hogwarts would be “respectful” to the Black family and put their heir into Slytherin without having to make sure like they had made sure to do with Regulus.
“Happy birthday Felix.” Evan grinned, messing up his little brother’s white curly hair, causing him to pout and try to fix it once they’d finally gotten to their table.
“Happy birthday.” Regulus said, sitting next to Pandora who flashed him a quick thumbs up in question - smiling brightly when Regulus nodded.
“Who the fuck is that?” Evan asked, bringing Regulus’ attention to a pale boy sitting next to Felix. He’s skinny, every feature sharp and pointed, messy brown mop of hair atop his head and angry looking green eyes staring at the white haired boy opposite him.
“Oh! He’s my roommate, his name’s Bartimus or something!” Felix smiled excitedly, blue eyes flicking to the boy next to him. “I think you’d get along well.”
“Bartimus?” Evan laughed under his breath, Regulus turned away from the angry boy, concealing his laughter behind his hand, earning a vile look from the brown haired boy opposite him, causing Evan to laugh harder.
“It’s Barty.” He spat. “But your brother insists on calling me that .”
“But that’s your name, Regulus hates it when I shorten his!” Felix gasps.
“I’m sorry, you’re named after a fucking star and you want to mock my name.” Barty gasps in what Regulus assumes is faux anger. “At least my name is actually a name and not a bloody ball of hot gas!”
“Oops, we hit a sore spot.” Evan sings, plopping some chicken - that Regulus was sure wasn’t on the plates when they got there - onto his plate, along with a criminally large amount of roast potatoes and smothering it all in gravy before shoving one - whole - roast potato into his mouth without even cutting it. If Evan’s mother could see him Regulus is sure she’d die on the spot at the thought of her son eating like a savage - Regulus hopes she decides to walk through the door but that would also mean caring about her children, which Regulus knows would only happen when hell freezes over.
“It’s my dad’s name, I’m not entirely a huge fan.” The boy shrugged.
“I have a feeling we’re going to get on swimmingly.” Evan grinned after he’d finished chewing that potato like a maniac.
“I was thinking we could get one of the cooks to make Felix a birthday cake.” Pandora smiled dreamily opposite him, with that expression Regulus is very used to.
“Since when do we get cakes on our birthday?” Regulus asked, placing a proportionally sized piece of roast potato into his mouth; grimacing at the taste of gravy that must have splashed from Evan’s lagoon on his plate. Ruining his perfectly good potatoes with the soggy substance.
“Since our parents aren’t here to shove proper society practices down our throats, or do you like having no joy in your life, Regulus?” Pandora asked sharply, her blue eyes set with pure hatred at the thought of their and Regulus’ parents.
“Wait, you guys don’t get cake on your birthday? Isn’t that like the bare minimum?” Barty asked, seemingly appalled at the thought of a birthday without cake.
“No, we only really get like family relics and stuff when we turn 16.” Felix shrugged. “The other 15 years go on like usual. The day isn’t really special until you turn 18 - old enough to become the man of the house or old enough to be married off to another rich family like cattle if you are unfortunate enough to be born a woman in our society. The best thing is to be one of the younger male siblings, no heir duties or anything.” The boy said simply, and though Regulus is used to this he can understand why Barty is looking so shocked at how he’s talking about it like they’re discussing the weather. “Me and Reg got the best option.”
“He would have if Sirius wasn’t such a-”
“Evan.” Regulus warns lowly. “You may know better than most people what happens in the Black house, but you still don’t know half of what happens in that house. I’d advise you to stop inserting yourself in family dynamics which are too complex for you to understand.” He spits, and the blonde boy does so, plopping anothing whole, gravy soaked, roast potato in his mouth in an exaggerated show of silence, chewing with his mouth open.
✧✩✧
After dinner, Regulus, the three Rosier siblings and Barty all make their way to the kitchens. When they walk in they’re met with many cooks wheezing around, refrigerating uneaten food or cleaning up the dirty cutlery left behind by the hungry teenagers. One of the cooks finally notices the 5. She’s small and wearing a dirty apron, she’s obviously very drunk as she stumbles over to them with a huge grin on her face.
“What can we do for you?” The woman grins. “I’m Winkey.” She holds her hand out to Regulus, who eyes the palm that has gravy smothered all over it, he wrinkles his nose in disgust causing Evan to take the woman’s hand and shake it, whispering apologies to her. Regulus thinks she should be the person apologising, trying to get the boy to touch her grubby hands.
“Pandora.” The dreamy girl smiles. “It’s my brother, Felix’s birthday and we were wondering-”
“A cake?” The cook asks like this is common practice. “Posh kids like you always come here for birthday cakes, I think here you can do the things your rich parents never let you do, right?” The lady smiles. “It’s sad you’re only getting an important childhood experience at… however old you are.”
“We didn’t want sympathy, we just wanted that birthday cake.” Regulus grumbles, not actually wanting to be here in the first place and the fact he’s being pitied by this lady he doesn’t even know is making him wish he had it in him to refuse Felix’s puppy eyes but, alas, he hadn’t developed that skill yet.
“Oh, I like him.” Barty grins, slinging an arm over Regulus’ shoulder, ignoring when Regulus bristles at the contact.
“Told you!” Felix shouts excitedly.
“I’m sorry Winkey, he's just very… sensitive about these things.” Pandora soothes, shooting a bitter look at Regulus who feels absolutely no sympathy for the cook who smiles at the five teens before turning away to start on the cake with her coworkers.
Once they’d been given the cake the cooks had cleared out quite quickly, probably as a result of Regulus’ rudeness but the boy doesn't care, not because he thinks he’s better than them - though he does - but more because she was getting on his nerves, giving him sympathy he didn’t ask for.
Barty somehow finds matches and a candle - which he complains about because apparently you’re meant to have the same amount of candles as however old you're turning but Regulus quickly shuts him up because if he didn’t tell them then they would find no problem with it. Once he’d lit the candles like a maniac, waiting until the fire just brushed his fingers to press it to the candle before shaking it to put it out, laughing as Evan panicked over him and forced him to run his - not at all burnt - fingers under the tap.
“So are you guys gonna sing or what?” Barty asks, leaning against the counter next to Felix, who’s grinning at the chocolate cake that even Regulus can admit looks good.
“Sing? You people sing? Are you fucking kidding me?” Regulus groans, rolling his eyes at the brunet who’s standing across from him.
“Yes, we sing, it’s actually quite fun though we don’t have to if the thought of enjoying yourself offends you.” Barty grins, causing Evan to snigger next to Regulus, earning a sharp elbow to his side. “So do you know it?” He asks.
“I think I’ve seen it in a show before!” Felix gasps excitedly, looking to Pandora who nods along to agree.
“Nope.” Regulus and Evan say in unison.
“Me and Regulus spent most of our time playing football, we didn’t have time for that stuff.” Evan says bitterly, obviously thinking about the full days where Evan and Regulus weren’t allowed to rest until it turned too dark to continue practicing, remembering the days where the boys were so close to passing out from exhaustion but the coaches didn’t care. Performance is more important than feelings.
“Right, I'll teach it to you real quick.” Barty smiles, quickly singing it at them before signalling for the other kids to start singing after he’d finished. Once they’d finished their rendition of the birthday song, Felix blew out his candle and the five kids spent the rest of their night eating chocolate cake out of the tray and talking excitedly through their sugar high.
Regulus would admit that he enjoyed such a frivolous celebration, something his mother would surely look down on him for if she knew he was participating in it but he did.