The Lucky Ones (xoxo)

Chapter 2

Sirius black

Sirius didn't know where he was. The room was spinning. And his head was in the toilet, at least as far as Sirius could tell. He could feel the cold ceramic of the seat against his cheek. He could feel someone's fingers wrapped around his hair, holding it back. No, not someone. James. He could taste the burn of the liquor as it was coming back up, but the one thing Sirius couldn’t gather was how he ended up there in the first place. It seemed that he was done puking, at least for now, he knew it as soon as pieces of last night began coming back to him. The liquor cabinet. Mary. The Gossip Girl blast.

Regulus.

He groaned loudly as he lifted his head up to look at James, who was just sitting there beside him on the edge of the tub. Sirius tried to look him in the eye, but he was still spinning, opting to lay his head on James' lap. They were both silent, comforted by the presence of each other. James’ hand stroked Sirius’ hair, brushing the sweat soaked strands away from his face.

“He’s really back,” Sirius stated, more to himself than james.

“He’s really back,” James replied, full of melancholy. But they weren’t speaking to each other. Not really. Each of them sat there silently musing, grappling with what this could mean for them. Sirius, wondering how he could navigate his new life knowing his little brother was back in that house. With that woman. The same little brother who abandoned him without a word, and hadn't sent him so much as a text message in the year he had been away. Regulus clearly had no qualms with abandoning Sirius, throwing him to the wolves. So why did Sirius feel the urge to march over to that prison and rip him out of Walburga's cold, bony hands? It was a conflicting feeling, because the other half of him disagreed. The nastier half of him wanted to leave Regulus there. He knew the effect their mother had on Regulus. The same insults that had made Sirius rage and lash out made Regulus smaller, more docile. The crueler part of him wanted to leave Regulus there to rot.

The entire situation was much too complex for Sirius at the moment, still half drunk as James continued to twirl his hair mindlessly.

James seemed to snap out of it when the bathroom door creaked and opened just a crack.

“You boys decent?” Euphemia asked.

“No mom, Sirius and I have actually fallen madly in love, gotten married, and decided to consummate our holy union in my childhood home,” James replied humorously.

Euphemia popped her head in before replying, "Well you are teenage boys after all, It doesn't hurt to ask. Plus, it really isn't my business what you get up to privately in your childhood home, as long as you're being safe, of course,” she said with a wink.

“Mom!” James groaned, feigning annoyance.

“James!” Effie replied, in that same childish tone. Sirius tilted his head to look at her. Her hair fell down in waves, tucked behind her ears. She was still wearing the same dress she had worn at her party. A deep emerald green, flowy and soft. Sirius realized that that must mean it was still the same night. He didn't usually crash this early in the evening, leave it to Regulus to waltz in and ruin his night. Effie crouched down, pressing a hand against his forehead.

“Hiya Effie,” Sirius replied, words slurring slightly.

“Hello, my love,” she said, her voice soft and sweet.

“He’s back,” Sirius continued, his voice only slightly above a whisper. Her eyes softened instantly, and from that Sirius knew that he was clearly in quite the state.

“I know, honey.”

“How?” Sirius asked, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion. Surely Effie and Monty didn't spend their time checking gossip girl.

“Sirius. You know it's my job as a mother to keep track of everything concerning my boys,” Euphemia smiled. Boys. Plural. Because that's how it was at the Potters. Anyone who walked through those doors was immediately one of their own, and Sirius had been one of her boys since the day James brought him home at 11, after their first day at preparatory school.

Fleamont popped his head in then.

“Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes,” he said as leaned against the door frame.

“A sight he is,” Effie mumbled under her breath before continuing. “Monty, be a dear and grab me a glass of water, two aspirin and a wet washcloth. James, help me pick him up, we're gonna take him to bed.”

“It's okay, Effie. James and I will move him.” Remus piped up from where he was standing behind Monty.

“Are you sure-”

Remus cut her off before she could finish her sentence. "Yes, Effie. You're much too talented to be doing the heavy lifting. Instead, any chance you could whip up a batch of that hangover cure, vovcus relidium or something?” Remus asked, somewhat reserved.

“Vocatus remidium,” James corrected kindly. “We do have school tomorrow, mum. And I'm not sure McGonagall will be too happy if he arrives in this state.”

“Yes well, alright then. You boys make sure he takes the aspirin and drinks at least half the water. The wet washcloth on his forehead, too. I’ll go start a batch now, so he can have a dose before he falls asleep,” Effie said, clear and confident as she stepped out of the bathroom.

Remus Lupin

Working together, Remus and James barely broke a sweat getting Sirius into bed. It was getting him to change his clothes that was the issue. When Sirius was drunk he became very fussy, even in the condition he was in, he made it impossible for them to get anything done. At the end, they decided to relent, letting him sleep in the sweatpants and band t-shirt he already had on. James crouched down so he was face to face with Sirius.

“Pads, you gotta take these,” he spoke softly, holding the aspirins in his hands.

“Do I have to?” Sirius said, half into his pillow.

“You know you do. I’m gonna go get a garbage can in case you need to puke again, but Moony here is gonna stay with you, alright?”

Sirius made a garbled sound of agreement.

James walked out and Remus sat down on the edge of the bed.

“How are you feeling, mate?” Remus asked Sirius softly.

“Shit.”

“Yeah,” Remus chuckled, “a dozen shots of fireball will do that to ya.”

“No, not the fireball, Remus. Regulus. What the fuck am I gonna do tomorrow?” Sirius groaned.

“Maybe you could just talk to him?” Remus asked.

Sirius lifted his head up before responding, "And why the fuck would I do that?” A genuine look of disgust on his face.

“Because he’s your brother. And I know he left without warning, and that he hasn't so much as texted you in almost a year, but you know better than anyone how hard it is in that house. Maybe that was just his way of getting out,”

Sirius mulled over the words for a moment, and his voice was softer when he replied, "But why didn’t he take me with him? I mean, do you know how many times Effie offered to let me stay here? And how many times I said No, because I knew he’d never come with me. Why should I be the one to talk to him first?”

“I didn’t say you had to talk to him first. He clearly wants to talk to you. He came here first thing after getting off the train.”

“He didn't come here because of me, he came here because she sent him to fetch me.” Sirius grumbled

“Just hear him out, yeah?”

“Ask me again when I’m sober.”

“Okay, Pads.”

James walked in a few minutes later with Effie. Sirius had gone quiet, but he wasn't asleep, his mind was somewhere far off. James set the waste basket down as Effie crouched down, the same way James had earlier. They were so similar, James looked exactly like her. Except for the hair, no, he got that from Monty. Even the way they spoke, James had that same softness to him.

“Sirius, darling, you have to take this before you fall asleep,” she said tenderly. In her hand she held a small bottle, about the length and width of two fingers. Inside, the liquid was a weird colour, shifting between Green and Yellow. Remus didn't know what it was made of but he did know that it worked. It was the kind of miracle cure that would make billions if they sold it, but the Potters had more than enough money as is, and Effie refused to share her recipe with anyone.

Sirius sat up on his elbows and he drank it all in one go, before promptly laying down and falling asleep. Effie winked at Remus before getting up.

“I put some melatonin in there, he needs all the sleep he can get with the night he’s had. I’ve set up the spare room for you Remus, I know you've been drinking too and it wouldn't feel right letting you walk home this late. Plus,” she smiled warmly, “I like having you here. Oh and I let your mum know you're sleeping over here so don't worry about it,” Effie said quietly, not wanting to wake Sirius up. She walked out of the room and Remus didn't even respond, a little awed at the woman. James put his arm around his shoulders.

“Don't worry, Remus, you'll get used to it eventually.”

Regulus Black

Regulus knew exactly where to find Sirius that morning. He was where he always was before school started. At the steps of the MET. He wasn't alone either, not that Regulus expected him to be. He was surrounded by all his friends. Regulus knew them all to different degrees. He knew James, of course, and Remus had come up in conversation enough. The rest he knew more distantly. Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon, and Mary Macdonald. It was impossible not to, in this world. Everyone knew each other, at least by name. This was especially true for families like theirs, who had ties to the New York elite, next in line to join the ruling class, even if that didn't include going into politics. You could see it even within the halls of Hogwarts, how they were all treated differently, the social hierarchy modelling the world they would soon be stepping into. The six of them were inseparable, and it was almost impossible to join their ranks. It's hard to know who to trust when everyone around you wants a piece of your life. A life you can only inherit by blood, one they are willing to rip you up piece by piece and suck you dry in order to get a taste of.

Regulus knew he had to go talk to him eventually, but for now he settled for just observing. Sirius looked so comfortable, so carefree. He never looked like that when he was at home, but then again who could?

They were all laughing at something James had said, he knew because of the way James’ eyes lit up. He always loved to do that, to make others smile. Even if he was the butt of the joke, it didn't matter to James, because it meant someone else wasn't.

Regulus had to do something. He was attracting stares himself at this point. He glanced at their group once more and caught Lily’s eye. You wouldn't notice it, her friends around her surely didn't, but Regulus did. A small, almost imperceptible nod. Regulus didn't understand how she knew, but he did understand what she meant. He took a deep breath and approached, climbing to the top of the steps to reach his brother's domain. Just as he reached them, he noticed a short boy. Small and skinny. His shoulders were slumped in and his hair was a mousy brown.

“I finished writing out the invites for the kiss on the lips party,” the boy said to Sirius.

“Right on, Petey boy. Did you write one out for yourself?” Sirius asked the boy, and Regulus could see the boy's eyes grow two sizes in worry.

“I would never, not without your permission at least,” he replied nervously.

“Well you have it, Peter,” Sirius said with a smile. “I’ll see you there, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Peter replied shakily, even if a smile was starting to bloom on his face. Peter quickly scurried away, and there was nothing left to distract Sirius and Regulus from talking to each other. Regulus could see it. The moment Sirius realized why all his friends had gone silent. Why they were no longer laughing at James’ jokes. The warmth in Sirius’ eyes had disappeared the moment he had laid eyes on Regulus, but it was replaced by a different kind of heat. One that was fiery and vindictive, but Regulus relished in the burn, it was a stark contrast to the ice in his mother’s eyes, cold and unfeeling.

“When’s the party?” Regulus asked as he raised a brow. There was no reason for pleasantries, nothing about this was pleasant. Sirius leaned back onto Lupin, who was sitting on the step above him.

“Tomorrow, and you're not invited, since, until 12 hours ago, everyone including me thought you were at boarding school,” Sirius replied.

“Hm. Can I just speak to you privately?” Regulus asked directly.

“Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of them. They’re basically family anyway.” Sirius knew that statement would hurt Regulus. But no one else did. No one else knew him well enough, but out of the corner of his eye, he watched James scrunch his eyebrows.

“Fine, You're clearly busy now with your family but I'll see you tonight at the Palace hotel at 8.” Regulus said.

“I’d love to, dear brother,” Sirius began, “but I have plans with Remus tonight.”

Regulus glanced at Remus for a moment before sending a challenging glare towards Sirius.

“Remus will wait,” Regulus stated, leaving no room for argument. He watched as Remus placed his hand on Sirius’ shoulder. He watched as the tension visibly leaked from his body. Sirius paused for a moment.

“I could probably do a half hour,” Sirius replied, trying to seem nonchalant as his friends watched silently.

“Thanks for making the time,” said Regulus, his words dripping with sarcasm.

“You’re my little brother,” Sirius stated with a smirk filled with almost as much venom.

Sirius stood up, dragging Remus along with him. The rest of his friends followed behind. James seemed to linger, waiting for an opening to speak but Regulus wasn't going to give him that. He turned, and as he did he spotted her immediately.

Pandora.

Her white blonde hair was down, tucked behind her ears, and even from this far away he could see how the cold air had stained her cheeks and the tips of her nose pink. He immediately started walking towards her. When Regulus had left New York, he was probably the least worried about what Pandora would think. She always had this uncanny ability, even as a child, to read people. Whenever Mother and Father had a business trip, they would always drop them off at their cousin’s house. It was a huge contrast to the still silence at their house, silence that was so thick and heavy, it sometimes felt like he couldn't even move. Pandora’s house was different, her parents were rarely ever home, and she and her three sisters were raised by the governess her mother had hired. Bellatrix, Andromeda, Narcissa and Pandora, born in that order. Pandora and Narcissa were actually twins, with Narcissa being a few minutes older, a fact she never let Pandora forget. Regulus had always been closest to Pandora, they just worked, the two of them, balancing each other out, and Pandora's ability to see through the veil he put up made her one of the only people other than Sirius who truly saw him. Sirius, on the other hand, had a special connection with Andromeda. She was 2 years older than Sirius and three years older than regulus. Sirius and Andy had that same special look in their eyes, spirited and passionate. They both liked the same music, not that Sirius had any to listen to at home, but because Andy's parents were never home, she had the freedom to listen to whatever it was she wanted to. Both families didn't really talk to Andromeda anymore, but that never really stopped Sirius or Pandora.

“Welcome back, Reggie,” Pandora said with a smile. "Your hair’s longer,” she continued, standing on the tips of her toes to ruffle his hair.

“Yeah it is,” Regulus started, fighting a smile himself, “I’ll have to get it cut soon.”

"No, don't. It suits you," Pandora said with a shake of her head. Her smile became brighter.

Regulus tilted his head slightly. "You're not mad at me for disappearing?”

Pandora’s eyes softened.

“It's the same as when we were kids, really. Once I knew where you were, and that you were safe, I knew to just let you be. I knew you’d come back once you were ready, just like I know you're eventually going to tell me what freaked you out so badly you had to flee the country,” she said as she patted his arm, and before Regulus could even respond, he felt an arm hook around his shoulders.

“Evan, did you know our Dear Reggie was back in town?” Barty asked, his arm tightening on Regulus’ neck before he managed to slip out.

“Why Barty, I did not know that. You’d think he would call and let us know before he just appeared here again,” Evan replied, narrowing his eyes at Regulus playfully.

“You would think that, wouldn't you,” Barty said, pretending to be deep in thought before narrowing his eyes the same way Evan had.
“Then again, he didn't call us before he left either.”
“You know, I was just about to ask you where these two idiots were, Pandora. Maybe you're not the only one who can read my mind.”

“Oh Reggie, we both know that no one truly knows what's going on in that brilliant head of yours,” Evan quipped as they started walking toward their class.

“Seriously though, we missed you, dude,” Evan nudged his shoulder. Regulus glanced around at his friends.

“Yeah. I missed you guys too.”