Changes
"Get this beast away from me!"
"Don't talk to our baby like this"
If Regulus could laugh, he would. Seing Sirius and Potter fighting was something he could watch all day. And that he, himself, was the reason for it, made him internal smirk even more.
He has spent the last few days with the marauders (still a stupid name) and has tried to rile up his brother at any given moment.
It seems like it's working.
Since Sirius doesn't get what he wants from Potter, he turns to Lupin and pouts at him.
"Moonyy, why are you even allowing this... monster in our dorm? You're a prefect! And as responsible students, we should give it to Minnie or something, she could sort out who is the owner and take it away from u- give it to the rightful owner, who is missing the cat surely very much."
Lupin snorts at that and looks up with a teasing grin, until he sees Sirius' face, frowns a bit and looks down with something that looks suspiciously like a blush.
Interesting.
He seems to catch himself again and continues smirking, but doesn't look up this time.
" Since when do you care about being responsible, especially with me being a prefect. And may I add, weren't you one of the two people that wanted this cat in our dorm? I think I can recall your words, wasn't it something like 'tiny cat' and 'helpless' and 'big, evil world'?"
Sirius grimaces at that.
"Well, to my defense, that was before I knew that the cat we adopted, out of good will, was some evil creature that loves scratching innocent human beings like me."
Pettigrew chokes on his drink and coughs loudly at that.
"Inno-" *cough* "Innocent? You?"
Sirius turns and glares at him, until Pettigrew puts his arms up in defence and continues drinking while listening to the conversation.
Regulus watches him with interest. He likes that one. Maybe he could start an alliance with him against Sirius, that would be fun, he supposes.
"Anyways, as I was saying, until I was so maliciously interrupted, thanks for that one mate, I was certainly not in the right state of mind when I gave my permission to let this beast live in our home, under my roof, sleep in my bed"
Regulus would never do that.
"so I think it would be fair to me and all of the other people that suffer from this evil creature, to let it go, so that it could never walk in our dorm ever again."
Lupin looks up tiredly and catches his eyes.
"Are you done now?"
Sirius holds the eye contact and nods dramatically.
"Good. The cat stays."
"whAT? Did you not just hear what I was saying? This cat is a demon. A cat disguised by the shadows to haunt us, to make us believe it is innocent until it catches us alone and-"
"Jeez, Pads, okay, we've heard enough, you're scaring the shit out of Wormtail here"
.
Sirius grimaces at that and turns to Pettigrew with an apologetic expression.
"Sorry, Wormy, wasn't my intention."
Pettigrew, who still looks a bit freaked out, who can blame him, nods with slightly wide eyes.
"It's okay, mate."
Lupin clears his throat and Sirius looks at him expectantly.
"Like I already said, the cat stays until the owner shows up, that is what our deal was about. We promised Prongs, don't you remember?"
Sirius does remember, Regulus can see that.
With a quick glance towards Potter, who is only half listening to the conversation, as he was too busy caressing Regulus' back (in his cat form), Sirius nods shorty and that was the end of the discussion.
Regulus has noticed rather quickly that it is an unspoken rule to never do anything that could hurt Potter in any way.
Slightly reluctantly Regulus was able to find out that Potter is the heart of the group. He is always there for his friends, no matter what.
For example with the thing that happened a few days ago.
It was two days after the black cat has become a part of the group, when Sirius came close to crying to Potter, because he and Lupin had a fight over something.
Regulus did not know what it was about (even though he was close to killing Lupin at that point), but Potter immediately knew what was going on and was there for Sirius without further ado.
As if he was his brother. While his actual brother would have been absolutely overwhelmed with the situation.
It made Regulus feel something that was close to loosing someone. In this exact moment he realized, that he hadn't been Sirius' brother in a very long time.
And in his absence he has gotten a new one. A better one.
It made Regulus want to rip his own hair out.
But that was also the moment in which he realized that James indeed was good for his brother. Better than he himself could ever be.
So, question solved.
He could've just left then and there and never having to be in their presence ever again.
So why didn't he?
Well, for one, Potter seemed to be rather sad when he was not with them.
That was an understatement.
He was able to hear his panicked voice all over the hall to the Slytherin table in the great hall during lunch, when Potter didn't have his 'little baby' directly next to him.
It stroked Regulus' ego rather well that someone like Potter, a Gryffindor, who himself was as popular and loved by the people around him as one could be, missed someone like him, a rather silent and unnoticed Slytherin (if the Black thing wouldn't be there), even if it was the cat within himself.
Still him, he reasoned.
His friends, who knew about him and his plan, sniggered rather obvious when Regulus abruptly stood up the moment the group did, and followed them hurriedly with yet a bit distance to not look suspicious.
And that James had the biggest smile on his face and a black cat on his arms a few moments later had nothing to do with it, clearly.
After his first shock, finding out that his cat-self rather enjoys the company of Potter, he figured that he would allow it, because it really is his plan to grow closer to the group and with that he has to act like a real cat.
He draws a line at being friendly towards Sirius, though.
And if he enjoys himself on the way?
Good for him!
It is hard work, observing and such. Especially with people that do not know what silence is.
A massage here and there is only fair, he supposes.
And that he only lets Potter pet him is a clear coincidence.
But really, a week in and he feels as happy as never before.
He now understands why Sirius chose this here over his own family, over him.
Internally, Regulus mourns a life that he could've had if he only was as brave as Sirius.
This here could be his normal life.
Laughing at a funny joke without being seen as weak. Waking up and actually wanting to stand up. Having a friend group that is always there for you, no matter if you are in a good or shitty mood.
But, to be fair, he has that already.
Barty, Evan, Dorcas and Pandora are all the People he could ever need, surely.
Or so he thought.
He enjoys his quiet life. He has always been a silent kid, even then when Sirius and him were still on speaking terms. Despising the loudness has always been a part of him, which is why he didn't really want to become friends with the group.
They are famous around the students for being troublemakers, not caring about anything and, especially, being audible, which results in everyone knowing things they don't want to know.
Like the exact details of Potter's quidditch maneuvers or how Sirius has confused Lupin's bed with his own, what was definetly a pure coincidence.
Right.
So, one could say with good conscience that Potter and his group are the exact opposite of being quiet, and everyone would agree.
So why is it, that now he is craving it?
It makes his head spin to think about it, so he tries not to.
Which is absolutely not Regulus' thing, normally.
But he really does not want to think about how he especially likes the presence of a certain south asian with round glasses, that is petting him at this exact moment.
So he doesn't.
What could go wrong, right?