The Rookies
“James, darling, if you’re not going to help me cook, at least set the table,” Euphemia said, pointing the knife she was using to cut vegetables at him. Sirius’ eyes sparkled mischievously as he put the vegetables he cut in a bowl.
“Yes, Prongs, be a deer and help out will you.”
James glared at him. He had been leaning against the door frame as he watched his mother and Sirius prepare dinner. During their time together, Sirius had never flat-out told him about anything his parents did, but James knew they were awful. It was evident by the way he had first reacted when he met James’ parents. His face seemed to light up the second his eyes fell on either Euphemia or Fleamont.
“Padfoot, stop being a dog,” He replied pointedly, prompting Sirius to laugh. They had met each other in high school, hitting it off immediately. And the moment they next saw each other on the karting ring, they knew a friendship between them was destined.
James can’t pinpoint the exact moment it started, but sometime during their school years, they had made quite the name for themselves. Students and teachers knew their group as “the marauders”: the nickname under which they did their pranks. To assume anonymity (even though the entire school knew it was them) they had made up code names, corresponding to their inner animal (the result of a Buzzfeed quiz Sirius had forced them to do).
After graduation and going into the formulas, their friend group sort of splintered. Remus Lupin, nicknamed Moony, had to stop with Formula 3 after a nasty flare-up of his chronic illness. Not wanting to drop out of the racing world altogether, he took on a job as a strategist.
Peter, nicknamed Wormtail, was still fighting for a spot in Formula 1, currently having to be satisfied with a seat at Formula 2. Out of the four of them, only James and Sirius managed to get a seat at Formula 1, even better, Sirius had been able to create his own team.
Although the team wasn’t really his, he had planted the idea in the heads of some wealthy people and he was a shareholder. It had been a risky move, starting a new team, but the sponsors loved his bold move and his public distaste for his family, who were racing legends. Thanks to their love for the older Black brother, Marauders Racing had been able to build a car that had brought them to their first championship.
“How was Monaco?” Fleamont asked as he emerged from his workshop, the smell of food working like a spell on him.
James grinned, thinking back to the months spent partying and enjoying Sirius’ championship win. “It was great, Dad. We spent some time with the other lads and I remodelled the balcony, so if you want to watch the Monaco Grand Prix you can watch it from the apartment.”
“Oh, that’s great, darling,” Euphemia said as she placed the food on the table. She walked over to her husband to give him a quick kiss. “Had a good day at the workshop?” She asked him before putting away her apron as everyone sat down at the table.
The room filled with their small talk, laughter, and the smell of delicious food. As much as James loved the races, parties, and the adrenaline, nothing could beat the feeling of being home.
“Regulus signed at Slytherin Racing,” Sirius announced well after everyone was done with their plate. It was a regular occurrence at home, sitting at the table well after dinner just to keep talking. The room fell silent and filled with an awkward tension.
“Oh, that’s…” Euphemia started, her words hesitant.
“Let’s just wait until pre-season testing is over before you try to slander him,” James reminded him. “A couple of years have passed, he’s not the kid you remember anymore.”
“You’re awfully optimistic about him,” Sirius replied. James just shrugged.
***
Regulus Black tried to eat his dinner in peace. Keyword tried. But who was he kidding, a peaceful dinner was not achievable when you were eating with the drama king that is Barty Crouch Jr.
“I’m just saying, I definitely signed the better team. Like, come on, Slytherin Racing is so much better than Butterbeer,” Barty said, swinging his fork violently at Evan. “Just look at it historically, how many world championships does Butterbeer have and how many does Slytherin have?”
He had his smug face on, the one when he knew he had given a good argument. “And how many of those have been in the last five years, hu?” Evan countered, a similar expression on his face. “You’re right, historically Slytherin is better, but face it, your team has gone to shit in the last few years. Besides, they signed you and Reggie, two rookies. Twist it how you want, Butterbeer is definitely better. At least I have an experienced teammate.”
Regulus grimaced at the mention of his name but he stayed quiet. Evan was partly right; it had been a big leap for Slytherin to hire two rookies this year and he had no doubt the entire world was doubting the decision. As much as he was advised against it, he had seen the comments online, people did not trust Regulus or Barty to put it in the good results. It didn’t help that their principal was his father, Orion Black.
“They signed two rookies because they knew the talent Reggie and I have. Years of experience don’t matter when it comes to talent.” Regulus raised an eyebrow and glanced at Pandora, Evan’s twin who was sitting in front of him. She raised an eyebrow back, glancing at Evan and back at the young Black. They both knew this would turn into a bloodbath soon if they didn’t interfere.
“What?! So you’re saying I have no talent? Do I need to remind you—“
“Panda, are you excited for your second year at Ravenclaw,” Reggie said, interrupting Evan. She smiled gently at him.
“I am, although I have no illusions that I will compete for the championship, I do think I might be able to get there somewhere at the top.”
That effectively shut Barty and Evan up, both of them agreeing with her statement. If there was one thing the boys had in common, it was their love for the woman in their midst. The topic quickly shifted to the pre-season testing that was coming up. All of them were eager for it to come and see the car they would be racing for the coming year. But Reggie felt sick to his stomach whenever he thought of it. It would be the first time he would see Sirius again since he was 15. Sure, he had seen him on TV, seen him denounce his family name and publicly cut ties with them. But to see him in real life, he wasn’t sure whether he was up to it.
“I’m finished,” he announces all of a sudden, the urge to be alone overcoming him. “If anyone needs me I’ll be in my room but please be hesitant to knock.” Barty grinned at him while Evan rolled his eyes.
“Gonna dream about the love of your life before you see him again?” Barty taunted, a boyish smirk on his face that Regulus wanted to knock off.
“For the last time, James is not the love of my life, he is the nothing of my life.”
“But you knew who I was talking about.”
Instead of responding, Regulus just flipped him the bird as he walked to his room. He could hear Barty’s booming laughter up until he closed his door.
Owning a house with his friends who were also in Formula One had its perks but at moments like this, he wished he lived alone. But anything beat living with his parents, he supposed.
Sure, they weren’t the kindest and he was glad he only saw them occasionally now, but they did everything out of love for him and his brother. Neither of them would’ve put so much time into karting to get them where they are now without their pushing. Sirius could huff and puff all he wanted, but at the end of the day, he got that driving seat thanks to their parents. But every time he tried to have this conversation with him, the ignorant bastard would just immediately shut him down and start berating him.
He opened Instagram to take his mind off things and got greeted by a post from Sirius because of course. He scrolled through the dump until he stumbled on a photo of James. He was wearing a white t-shirt that was completely soaked and thus fully displayed his abs. Hands were at his lower stomach, partly to hold him up as he was being carried by the crowd, and partly to feel his abs. The purple light on him did wonders as well and after staring for a long minute he saved the post without liking it.
***
“Pre-season testing has officially begun here at Albert Park Circuit. Here we’ll finally see the cars the teams have built and how well the drivers will be able to handle their new cars.” A man well into his 50s announced into the microphone as he walked through the paddock. A camera was following him and his companion, a slightly younger woman with a microphone in her hand as well.
“Yes, John. I am curious to see what car Marauders have made this year, after their exceptional season last year. And of course, how the midfield is going to look like this year. Many rookies will be joining us this year, better yet, Slytherin has signed two rookies, making it the only fully rookie team. That is a dangerous move for the beloved team, we’ll see today whether that was a smart choice or not.”
“I think it’s never a good idea to hire two rookies, especially for such a wonderful team as Slytherin. But I suppose if the team principal is your father, it is rather easy to get both you and your best friend hired.”
John was about to open his mouth again, probably to spew more bullshit when the tv went out with a zap. “Absolutely not. You will not watch this shit while we prepare the car to go on track. You are a good driver and you made the team through talent, same as Barty. Your father owning the team has nothing to do with it and we have full trust that the two of you will bring this team to greatness.”
Regulus eyed him wearily. The mechanic looked genuine but Reggie knew that Orion owning the team had everything to do with it. Sure he and Barty could’ve gotten in on their own but in a team like Slytherin in their rookie season? Yeah right. But he didn’t speak up about it because for some reason people always thought he was being self-deprecating instead of just facing the facts.
Instead of replying he went to his driver’s room. It would’ve been considered rude but everyone knew this was just how he was and honestly, he couldn’t give a flying fuck if they thought he was mean.
Today would only be a matter of time before he ran into Sirius or James and he wasn’t ready for either. On top of that, it would be his first time in a Formula One car that was actually his, with his name on it. The situation still felt too surreal. The team had notified him earlier that he would go out on the first session, and Barty would be out tomorrow, which added to the stress because he knew the fans were fixating on his performance today.
Regulus Arcturus Black, F2 champion, son of the great racing family Black, and a rookie at Slytherin.
At times like this, he wondered if he truly wanted it. The spotlight on him and fans wanting to know every detail of his life made his skin crawl. If it were up to him, he would work behind the screens, perhaps as an engineer or team principal. At least they get less attention. But who was he kidding, nothing could replace the rush he gets when he’s in the car. The adrenaline was like a drug and he would rather die than give it up, even if it meant living in the spotlight.
His door opened slightly, “Ten minutes to lights out, Regulus. You need to get in your car.” Well then, let the show begin.