Chapter 2
His blanket hugged him tight. His whole body flet sore, it felt tiered. Near half a night on a roof did you no good. It did not do your body good, though it did your soul good. Beside him on his nightstand his alarm rang loud, unbearable. Today he would move, get away. He would be on his own, he would be free. He would get to live his own life, live like he wanted. Live mostly like he wanted. He would never live like he ever wanted to, not ever completely.
He stood up. He got clothed, he got ready. He went down. In the dining room sitting at the end of the table his mom sat waiting. Plates of beans and vegetables stood before stood before them. Classic breakfast in the house Black. He sat down. His head held low, not looking at his mom. When he looked up his mother did not smile. She nearly ever did. She started eating and so did he. The beans tasted awful; he could not stand them. He said nothing, he never did. It would not change that they would have them for breakfast, she would only get mad. He did not want that, not today, not ever. But today especially not, he wanted today to be good. He wanted to have the chance of going without more problems than it already would course.
“Regulus,” his mother started, her voice sharp. “Your training will start tomorrow, Slughorn will await you at six in the morning precise. Do not be late, I will hear about it, that you hopefully know. I will hear about everything; I will know everything.” While she talked, he looked at her, he tried to hold eye-contact. His mother always found that good, but he could not, he could not hold her eye for long. It made him shiver; it made him want to get away. “Oui maman” it is a simple answer. His mother doesn’t care. She knows that he will listen, she knows he is too scared not to. She has made him scared.
As they finished up their plates, his mother looked at him. “Do not disappoint me.” She gave him a pointed look. To other it may look like a smile, not him. Like she wanted it to, to him it was a warning. It was meant as a goodbye. His mother left; real goodbyes were not needed. They never where his mother had never thought so.
He went up to his room where his things stood packed in a corner. Only a few last things, had still to be put away. In mere an hour he would travel to Hogwarts, the University was a day of travel away. He would take a plane and his mother had organized that a fried of the family would come collect him. He felt uncomfortable at the thought of his mother’s friends. Most of them were not unlike her. He could not stand them.
He went over to the library to collect some last books he wanted to bring. The mansion of the family Black was big, it had been in the family for long. There were multiple free bedrooms that had not been used in generations. The library was not small, there were multiple ails, all sorted in themes. He went straight for the poetry section and chose a few books. All of them he had already read. He did not care, when a book is good you will always be able to reread it. He stood there in the aisle for a few more minutes, looking over the books` a last time. The library would be the only thing he really would miss. Not being able to go here whenever he wants would make him sad in way, he would miss to sit here alone, in silence.
He went back to his room, he hated it, everything was so pale, so un personal, so his mother. He had never felt save, never felt comfortable. Would he feel safe at university? Would he find friends? Would he be able to feel save around them? He turned around as he heard knocking on his door. It had to be Mr Catcher who would come to help him bring down his luggage. “Come in.” The door opened and Mr Catcher stood ready to bring down the suitcases. Kreacher is mother calls him, he does not deserve that, he is human too. Regulus smiled and pointed to the luggage. They both took two suitcases and went through the hall and down the staircase to the foyer. Mr Catcher opened the door and the trunk of the car. He put the suitcases in and took the other two from him as well and put those away. Regulus went up again alone, he wanted to get the last bag and say bye to his room. It was a short bye, he took a last look around and that was it, he would not miss it.
When he was down again and stood in the driveway of the manor, he turned around to look the house, it was so dark, so unfriendly. He went to sit in the back of the car, Mr Catcher would drive him to the airport. He would miss him in a way.
***
He felt warm. He was on the plane and would land in only 15 minutes. Soon. Soon he would be in England again. Soon he would be in Hogsmeade. Soon he would get out of this plane. He hated to be on a plane, there was always so, so many people. He did not know how to act; he did not know what to do with his time. He could not sleep; he was not allowed. It was not accepted. He would listen to music, but for the longer flights especially that was not ideal. He loved music. But after time in a room full of people he got anxious, could they hear it? Was it to loud? He tried to draw; it calmed him. This time it had helped, it did not always.
***
As he went through the exit of the luggage collects and out, he looked around. He did not know who was picking him up, nor did he know their name. He stood in the hall of the airport thinking about what to do. Would his mother send an acquaintance? Or would it be a closer friend of hers? He tried not to panic, there were so many people around him. He went for the exit to get his thoughts together, he needed to stay calm. When he was nearly there, he saw a boy, he looked somewhat familiar. Had he met him before? He had a sign in his hands. Before he was able to read it the boy came his way the sign tucked to his side. He was rather tall, if you were 1,68. He had white blonde and wavy hair, board shoulders and toned skin. Regulus found himself thinking he looked good.
“Hi, are you Regulus? Regulus Black I mean. I am supposed to pick you up if it’s you of course. Sorry, sorry, are you? Are you him, Regulus? I am Evan by the way.”
What was he supposed to answer? The boy hat rambled down half a bible. “Yes” the boy looked confused, “I mean yes I am Regulus”.
He hates interactions like these for a reason, he hates the awkwardness. Is he supposed to say more? Should he start walking? But where even to, he does not know this place. He looks at Evan, he tries to figure it out. Evan, it turns out is not the type to look away first, why was he staring so much? Regulus wants to sink into the ground, his skin is itchy, his head spins. He wants to say something, he needs to say something. Why is Evan still looking? Evan then smiles and Regulus feels worse is head spinning, he wants outside. Now, he needs air.
“Wanna go now?” he seems calm, Regulus nods. He hopes he will not have to interact much more. He wants to be alone.
Regulus follows Evan out; he seems to know everything. They head to a big entrance door from where Regulus follows Evan to a parking lot where his car must be waiting. Its silent and for the moment Regulus enjoys it, it is not uncomfortable. After they have walk for a minute Evan turns and nods in the direction of jeep. “Want help with your luggage?” it’s nice of him to ask regulus thinks, he seems okay. “Yes. Thank you.” He would rather do it alone, but he wants away, the air is sticky. He likes to do things himself; he knows he can that he is able to. He reaches for a bag and brings it over to the back of the car to put it in. Evan has already opened and put one in. they get the bag in fast and get settled into the car.
“We will be there in around an hour, Hogsmeade is not to long away. Wanna stop by the bakery on the way though?” “Yes, please.” He was rather hungry, hadn’t eaten for 6 hours. He nodded. He hoped Evan would not be irritated by this; his mother tended to be. Evan did not seem irritated; he sees it and just keeps driving. They turn silent again.
Was Evan going to keep track on him? Would he report back to his mother? He properly would, aren’t all his mother’s friends just like her? So, their kids would be no different right? But wasn’t he different to? Maybe just maybe Evan will turn out to be okay. Regulus hopes he will. He seems nice, he seems good.