Industry, Baby!

As soon as Pandora’s car pulled up outside the sprawling mansion, everyone in the band stared in shock.

“That’s a house?” Evan said, his jaw practically on the floor.

“Yeah, it belongs to some big-shot music producer,” Pandora replied, glancing at Evan through the rearview mirror with a smirk. “He’s huge in the industry—can’t remember his name. But what matters is that everyone who’s anyone will be here tonight. So, be prepared.”

“Do you guys think I’ll meet Beyoncé?” Barty joked, barely able to contain a giggle.

Evan rolled his eyes, laughing. “Oh, absolutely, Barty. I’m sure she’ll be dying to talk to you.”

Everyone laughed, but more to contain their nerves than anything else.

When they all stepped into the party, they were hit with the pulse of loud music and a sea of familiar faces. Regulus caught sight of James across the room, laughing with Peter, Sirius and Remus. James’s gaze shifts for a moment, meeting Regulus’s before they both quickly look away, pretending not to notice. Marlene nudged Dorcas as they weaved through the crowd, giving her a playful grin as they made their way toward the bar. Mary and Lily travel together around the massive corridor-like hallway, rolling their eyes at any chaotic scene before moving closer to join their friends.

Barty, with his usual loud energy, dragged Evan along, pulling him toward the drinks table, and muttered something that has Evan smirking in response. Pandora and Emmeline gravitated towards each other naturally, both commenting on the decor and taking in the party scene. Meanwhile, Sirius was busy pulling Remus into a conversation about the music, gesturing wildly as Remus chuckled, barely able to keep up with his enthusiasm.

Regulus watched it all with a small, reluctant smile. He rarely attended parties, but he couldn’t miss this one—not with everyone here. He headed toward the kitchen, grabbing a glass of champagne and leaning against the wall, pulling out his phone to take a breath amidst the noise.

James noticed Regulus backed up against a wall, looking slightly overwhelmed, and began weaving his way over—only to be intercepted by a random producer who had other ideas.

“Ah James Potter! Just the man I was hoping to see tonight,” He smiled while clapping James on the shoulder. His smile looked almost creepily practiced. “I’ve been hearing some incredible things about your latest track. You know, I think we could work on something… bigger. Theres sponsorships which you’ll get instantly if you stay with me,”

“Thanks, that means a lot,” James responded, giving a courteous nod, but it was clear his interests lay somewhere else. “We’ll have to talk more sometime or something,”

The producer noticed James’ disinterest and attempted to grab hold of his full attention once more. “Just think about what I could do for you—hell, you’d be rivaling The Old Gods even more,” The mention of the other band made James pause for a second, but he still wasn’t interested in the producer.

James gently but firmly pulled away. “That sounds great,” he breathed with an easy smile. “But, uh, there’s something I need to catch up with first.” He made his way to over to where he intended to go, Regulus.

James found Regulus backed against that same wall, scrolling mindlessly. His finger doing the same repetitive movements.

“Fancy actually seeing you here, baby Black. Thought you hated parties,” He smirked at Regulus, but there was curiosity in his eyes.

Regulus shrugged, indifferent, although slightly pink after James used that nickname. The same nickname he had used throughout their adolescence. “I don’t hate them. I hate pointless ones.” He glanced around, clearly unimpressed by the scene, which earned a smirk from James.

James chuckled, leaning casually against the wall beside Regulus. "So, this one’s worth it, then? Must be if it got you out of hiding."

Regulus glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about." He looked away, taking a slow sip of his drink, though a small smile crept onto his face.

"Right," James teased, nudging him lightly. "Or maybe you wanted to scope out the competition."

Regulus snorted, amused but composed. "Hardly. We don’t have competition."

James laughed at that, shaking his head.

"Of course not. I’d expect nothing less from the lead singer of The Old Gods."

They shared a look. Then Regulus shrugged again, expression blank. "So, how's the night treating you? Besides dodging that producer with the weird smile. He got you in the end,”

James rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of relief in his voice. "Wouldn't call it perfect, exactly. But, hey, you were the better option."

"Naturally," Regulus replied dryly, but his eyes softened as he looked at James, still with that same unreadable expression.

James looked at him and said, “It’s been a while, though. You doing alright?” It’s wasn’t quite gentle, but it was real, and it threw Regulus off for a second.

“Don’t go soft on me Potter, wouldn’t want to ruin whatever image you’ve got going along for yourself,”

James laughed and took a step closer. “You’re right. I wouldn’t want anyone to think I’ve gone soft. But maybe I’ll see you around tonight. If you’re not too cool for that.”

“mhmm,” Regulus mumbled before James left him standing there again. Ugh, I HATE him. He thought to himself, still sipping on his drink.

“REGULUS!” A voice he recognised shouted, he turned around and a face was put to it. It was Lily! She was dressed in a simple yet elegant dress. It was an emerald shade and clung to her figure, the fabric silky and smooth, with thin straps that allowed the soft curls of her auburn hair to cascade freely down her back. It had a subtle shimmer in the light, catching the reflection of the chandeliers above as she moved, making her seem almost ethereal in the sea of people. She wore minimal jewelry—just a delicate silver necklace and small earrings, keeping her look understated but chic. Her makeup was natural, with a touch of shimmer on her eyelids and a soft pink hue to her lips, giving her an effortless, glowing appearance. She looked like she had made the effort, but if she didn’t she’d still look good.

“Hi Lily, you alright?”

“ I just saw Charli XCX, I’m starstruck,”

Regulus raised an eyebrow, amused by Lily's excitement. “Didn’t think you were the type to get starstruck.”

Lily grinned, still visibly thrilled. “Oh, come on, even I’m allowed to have my moments. It’s Charli-fucking-XCX!”

Regulus chuckled, shaking his head. “Fair enough. Where’s Mary?” He glanced around, noting how everyone seemed to be caught up in their own chaotic adventures.

“Last I saw, she was dragging Marlene to the dance floor,” Lily replied with a smirk. “Probably trying to get her to do some ridiculous dance move by now.”

Regulus shook his head, a soft laugh escaping him. “That adds up.”

Lily nudged him, her curiosity piqued. “And you? Found anything remotely interesting tonight?”

He shrugged, feigning indifference. “Just the usual scene. Lots of people, lots of egos.”

“Spoken like a true misanthrope.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “But seriously, it’s nice to see you out here. I know parties aren’t your thing.”

Regulus shrugged, glancing around as he answered, “Just thought it might be good for us to be here, I guess. Not my scene, but... well, you know. We can see our you know.. idols,” He took a slow sip of his drink.

Lily watched him, clearly sensing there was more to it. “Well, glad you came. You should come say hi to everyone in a bit, yeah?”

“Maybe,” he said, eyes scanning the room briefly. “But for now, I think I’ll just watch from the edges.”

She smirked. “Classic Regulus. Just don’t make any dramatic exits without saying goodbye first.”

He cracked a genuine smile at that, feeling oddly comfortable. Lily excused herself to search for Mary,leaving Regulus glancing around the room again.

The energy in the room was pretty relaxed and fun, but there was an underlying tension. Everyone was aware that their appearances and impressions mattered. The most fun thing was to overhear people’s conversations, celebrity drama sounded like it came from teenage girls, but it was still so entertaining to listen to. He walks around for a bit, bumping into people he knew, all knowing him because of his band’s reputation.

As it got later and later, the party began to wind down. The biggest stars leaving as there was really no reason to be there. Nothing that big had happened, nothing interesting to stay for.

“Barty!” Regulus called out as he spotted his bandmate. “Are we leaving?”

“Yeah I think so,” Barty shrugged his shoulders. “Have you seen the rest of them?”

“No. I want to speak to Sirius though,”

“Oh he’s literally in there,” Barty pointed towards a room to his left.

“Thanks!”

Regulus slipped through the dwindling crowd, heading toward the room Barty had pointed out. Inside, he found Sirius and Remus lounging on an overstuffed couch, deep in conversation but visibly relaxed now that the party was winding down.

“Hey,” Regulus said, leaning against the doorframe with a half-smile.

Sirius looked up, a little surprised. “Thought you’d vanished.”

“Not yet,” Regulus replied, glancing between Sirius and Remus. “I figured I’d come find you before we left. I wanted to say hello,”

Sirius raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. “How noble of you, baby brother.”

Remus chuckled and gave a small nod. “Good to see you survived the industry vultures tonight.”

“Barely,” Regulus deadpanned, but his eyes sparkled a little. “You ready to go?”

Sirius exchanged a look with Remus before standing up and stretching. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.” He threw an arm around Remus, and they all made their way out together.

As they walked toward the exit, Regulus spotted the rest of the bands gathered near the doors, talking quietly and looking equally ready to call it a night. Lily gave him a quick wave, and Barty shot him a mock salute.

Outside, the air was crisp, a welcome contrast to the stuffiness inside. Regulus took a deep breath, feeling a mix of relief and satisfaction. It hadn’t been the most exciting party, but he realized he was glad he’d gone, if only to see everyone together.

“OH, IT IS SO FUCKING COLD!” Marlene shouted dramatically, stumbling against Dorcas as they made their way to the car.

“Marls, I know it is, but keep it down,” Dorcas whispered, trying to keep a straight face. “We just got about twelve dirty looks.”

Marlene nodded in exaggerated agreement, barely holding herself up. “Mhmm. I LOOOOOVE you, Dorcas,” she slurred, then paused, squinting up at her. “Do.. do you have a girlfriend?”

Everyone laughed; Marlene was clearly very drunk.

“You should.. you should… dump herrr. I’m wayyy better. Like why don’tcha… why don’tcha jus’ date me insteada... whoever.”,” Marlene announced confidently, making everyone burst into giggles.

Dorcas rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself. “Lucky me, then,” she replied, steadying Marlene with a sigh, but there was fondness in her voice.

“Get her inside the car right now,” Emmeline laughed, her dark blue hair falling around her shoulders as she glanced at the others with a knowing grin.

“I second that,” Mary sighed, smiling as she watched Marlene wobble.

It took a while to get everyone—mostly Marlene—into their cars, but eventually, they managed. Regulus, Barty, Dorcas, Evan, and even Pandora were completely drained.

The band members were slumped in the backseats, each one too tired to muster more than a few words. The ride was quiet, save for the occasional chuckle when someone accidentally bumped into someone else or let out an exaggerated sigh of relief.

The car finally rolled to a stop outside their hotel, which was closer to the party than alm their apartments, the sudden silence making the tension in the air even more palpable. For a moment, no one moved—too tired to do anything but stare blankly at the hotel in front of them.

Barty was the first to move, stretching and groaning dramatically as he unbuckled his seatbelt. “I swear, I’m never soo tired… exhausted. Someone help me!,” he grumbled, pushing open the door and stepping out.

Dorcas followed suit, giving a small laugh as she slipped out of her seat. “Be for real” she teased.

Regulus let out a heavy sigh as he unclipped his seatbelt, then leaned his head back for a second. “I’m never leaving my room again,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. “If I never see another flashing light, I’ll be happy.”

Evan rolled his eyes, a grin tugging at his lips as he swung open the door. “You guys are such drama queens. It wasn’t that bad.”

Pandora, the last to leave the car, leaned against the door for a moment, eyeing the building ahead. “I’m with Regulus,” she said, shaking her head. “Never again. Did arrange something for you guys, a collab you might say,”

Regulus’ head swivelled around. “Collab? With who? What for? What do you mean?”

"Surprise," Pandora replied with a mischievous smile. "But you'll just have to wait and see."

With a collective groan, they all made their way out of the car. Barty immediately started walking toward the lobby, muttering, “Room service better be open, or I’m going to throw a fit.”

“I’m too tired to even think about food,” Dorcas said, catching up with him and shaking her head.“Just get me to the bed.”

Evan gave Regulus a side-eye as they started heading toward the entrance. “You’re unusually quiet. Did you actually have fun tonight?”

Regulus gave him a tired look but didn’t answer, too busy thinking about what Pandora had said.. and sleep.

Pandora chuckled softly, walking alongside Dorcas. “Let’s just get inside. We’ve earned it.”

As they made their way toward the entrance, the exhaustion of the night finally settled in. All that was left was the long walk to the elevators—and a much-needed rest.