Chapter 3
After we finish eating I thanked Kristy for the delicious food, and Ethan led me to his room. The room had white walls with one dark blue accent wall, a Ravenclaw banner, and posters of different bands I don't know. He had a large bookcase filled with books and pictures of his family and, I'm assuming friends. The bed had blue sheets and gray blankets with white and green pillows. On his desk, there are school books and organized vinyl next to a turntable.
"You're in Ravenclaw" I observed turning to look at him.
"Oh yea," he nodded.
"And I'm guessing you like to read," I questioned.
"Yes, do you?"
"Yea, can I," I ask gesturing to the bookshelf.
"Sure, what do you like to read" he looked at me as if he was trying to figure something out.
"I like mystery mostly, and I've been trying to read all the classics but I haven't really had the chance" I answer picking out one of his books, Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, I read it when I was staying in our summer house in France. Before Uncle Alphrad was disowned he would bring me different muggle books when we saw him. Ethan's look turned sad but still curious.
He laid down in the middle of so his bed feet hung off, and patted next to him for me to join him. I put back his book and laid down next to him. When I looked at the ceiling there when plastic stars suck to the roof. We both just stared at them for a while.
"Do you like stars?" I ask.
"Yea but I don't know shit about them," He answered still looking at them. Then he randomly asked, "Do you talk to your brother?"
Turning to look at him I answer "No, not really,"
We sit for a while "Why'd you ask, about me brother" I ask as an afterthought.
Ethan turns to look at me "I was hoping you could ask him to stop pranking the Ravenclaws, the second years hate it, though the third years seem to find it funny"
I look at him and answer solemnly "I would ask but I think it would just make him do it more"
I wish Sirius cared about what I had to say but since I got sorted we didn't talk much and once he ran away it was even less, we slowly started resenting each other more. He hated I did whatever Maman asked and I hated that he left me with her.
"Damn marauders," he remarked.
"Wait, what the fuck are the marauders," I asked confused.
Now he looked confused "That's what your brother and his friends call themselves, and they have those weird nicknames"
"I know about the names, Siri wouldn't stop talking about Prongs, Moony, and Worm something when he got back from his 1st year," I let his nickname slip on accident and Ethan gave a strange look when he heard.
In truth, I knew more about my brother and his friends than I should. He and Potter are best friends, he often said they were like brothers. Peter is the shy one and his other best friends but in different ways. And Lupin was the werewolf Sirius was in love with, he was also the only tolerable one of the four.
"Stupid name if you ask me," Ethan said.
"Yea, it's probably an inside joke"
"Probably," he agreed. We both look at the ceiling for a little when asks "Do you not talking have anything to do with him running away"
I sigh thinking of the least pathetic way to explain what happened, opening and closing my mouth a couple of times before giving up and just glaring at Ethan. I settle on answering "It doesn't matter"
Ethan just hums "Your probably tired so I'm gonna go and let you get some rest," he said sitting up and leaving the room looking back once more.
I lay down and close my eyes trying to fall asleep but every time I do I see my mother standing over me, wand in my face and anger in her eyes. I try to get up and lay down properly this time and once I finally drift off I can hear her voice yelling at me, saying I'm a disgrace, or I hear Sirius saying James' the brother he never had. I don't know what's the worst, disappointing Mother or Sirius.
Eventually, I give up and stare at the stars. I think about Ethan's family, they seem like some of the nicest people I've ever met. Kristy is sweet and has a motherly feeling to her, Carl seems to actually care about his kids and what happens to them. Ashley, Kate, and Ethan talk and tease each other but never in a seriously mean way. I can't help but be filled with jealousy, I wonder if this is how Sirius felt and the Potters. A tear falls down my face and I rush to wipe it away.
After wallowing in self-pity I decide it's a rather pathetic sight and stand up to go downstairs. As I walk downstairs I see Kate in the living room watching something in a large box with poles on it. She sees me go towards the back door "Hey Regulus, Ethan said you were sleeping?"
"Oh yea I'm just going to get some air," I say gesturing towards the door and continuing to outside. Closing the door behind I see Kristy watering flowers in a flower bed.
'Hey sweetie, I'm just watering some flowers before I forget, what's up" she asks.
"I just wanted some air for a little," I answered as I sat down on one of the chairs looking at the flowers.
"Let me or Carl know if you ever need anything while you're here," she said and went back to watering the flowers.
I nod at her and put my legs up and hug them to my chest.