Chapter 16
"now will you tell me what's going on?" Sirius asked as he met Evan outside the Gryffindor common room that evening.
"I have a surprise." Evan announced.
"Okay? What is it?"
"Follow me." Evan took his hand and began leading him down the corridor.
"Where are we going?" Sirius frowned.
"The attic rooms."
"There are attic rooms?" Sirius had been too busy mapping the grounds when Remus and Peter were mapping the upper levels of the castle to pay attention and he rarely used the map anymore to really have it memorised.
"You're gonna love it!" Evan told him as they walked.
"How do I know that, when I don't know what it is?" Sirius whined, he hated surprises, surprises in the Black household usually ended up as punishments or engagements.
"Relax, it's a good thing." Evan replied. "And fun."
"You're not making sense." Sirius replied. They had reached the attic rooms now, Evan opened the next door to show Barty, Regulus, Pandora, a girl Sirius recognised but couldn't place the name and Marlene.
"Took you long enough!" Barty exclaimed when they walked in.
An old gramophone was playing a record that sounded similar to something Remus had played him over the summer. "Sirius!' Marlene stumbled up and hugged him, she had a bottle of cheap beer in her hand. "Glad you came "
"Hey Marls." Sirius smiled at her.
"You haven't met Dorcas properly, have you?" Regulus asked.
"Meadowes, right?" Sirius asked. The girl nodded.
"Yeah, nice to meet you." She grinned back.
"Nice to meet you too." He smiled back. He'd seen her around, but never really interacted with her. He'd also seen her and Marlene together a lot more often. "So what are we here for?"
"We." Barty said, slinging and arm around his shoulders. "Are having a party."
"Why?" Sirius asked.
"It was their idea." Regulus shrugged, pushing a drink into his brother's hand.
"Well." Sirius took a sip, butterbeer, something he rarely indulged in. "can't let it be said Sirius Black ever misses a party."
Barty cheered loudly down his ear. "That's the spirit."
"Sirius!" Pandora appeared beside him. He smiled at her, there was something so unique about her and he really liked it.
"Pandora, how are you?"
"I'm good, how are you?" She touched his elbow.
"I'm okay." He nodded. "This is nice."
"It is." She smiled back. "It is indeed."
"Where did this music come from?" He wondered aloud.
"I borrowed it from Lily." Marlene shrugged, topping up his butterbeer with her own foul-smelling beer. "Drink up."
Sirius laughed. "Alright." He downed his drink, butter beer had a questionable taste at the best of times, mixed with something else, he didn't even want to think about it.
"That's the spirit!" She cheered.
"Dance with me!" Barty demanded, grabbing his hand and pulling him closer to the music. Sirius laughed, doing his best to follow Barty's dance moves.
Marlene whistled. "Whoo! Go on!"
"Come on Marls, you two join in!" Sirius called to where she sat with Dorcas, who grinned and pulled her up.
It felt nice, it felt natural, sometimes when he hung out with his brother and his friends he felt like an outcast, but this really felt like they were all together, all one group of friends.
Subbing out with Evan, Sirius went to sit with Regulus after a while.
"Hey." He nudged his brother with his shoulder.
"I'm glad you came Siri." Regulus told him. "I talked to Evan about what happened in your defence against the dark arts class."
Sirius' smile fell. "Reg-"
"Let me talk." Regulus interrupted him. He nodded. "I understand why you didn't tell me. But you don't have to protect me like that anymore."
"I want to protect you!" Sirius argued.
"We got out Sirius. You've given everything to protect me, from our parents, through my transition, I just... Thank you."
"You don't need to thank me Reg." Sirius replied. "I'd do it all again."
"You're traumatised Sirius."
"No I... I'm fine." But his brother's words echoed through his mind. Was he traumatised?
"You had a flashback." Regulus continued. "Mother's punishments have left scars on your mind."
"If that's the price I have to pay, I'll pay it." Sirius replied. "There's not much magic can do if I'm fucked in the head."
"You could talk to someone, I know you haven't told your friends." Regulus paused. "I can't believe I'm suggesting this, Barty and Evan probably know more than the Gryffindors, they really like you, they'd listen. They listen to me."
"I couldn't burden them like that." Sirius shook his head.
"At least think about it?" Regulus' eyes were pleading and Sirius thought his heart would break at the anguish in them.
"Okay." He agreed, more for his brother than anything. "I'll think about it."
Regulus gave him a rare hug. "I love you Sirius."
"I love you too Reg." Sirius hugged him back. He'd always protect his brother, always.