Boys

3 hours later, and the group of 5 had made their part of the library a mess. There were far too many loose papers, half of which were different bright colors, some were sketches of the design, and many were notes upon notes about the spells they might have to use and make, the Latin words they’ll have to combine, the wand motions they’ll use, and much more.

They had transfigured about 20 different pairs of glasses and goggles from whatever of Remus’ papers were left. The glasses were all scattered across the table, different designs and lenses.

Spell creation was always made out to be much harder than it truly was. Or, that’s what the students at that table believed. To be fair, they were all decently advanced and one of them became an animagus at only 15 (not that anyone at the table but Remus knew this).

“Guys! Break time!” Regulus heard. The voice belonged to James Potter, who walked in front of the table and set down his tote bag.

“Oh, already?” Peter exclaimed in surprise. He turned toward Regulus, “Reg, will you be here tomorrow night?”

“Yes,” Regulus responded shortly.

“Anyone want snacks?” James asked, dangling his tote bag in front of the 5.

“Lay ‘em on me, golden boy,” Mary said, leaning back in her chair and kicking her feet on the table.

“Okay! We’ve got cut up strawberries, you can have melted chocolate chips or whipped cream with those, a bag of crisps, and dinosaur-shaped chocolate chip cookies,” James informed them excitedly.

“Score! Alright, let’s get out of here, I’ve done enough magic and studying for the night. It’s snack time. You guys coming?” Mary said, jumping out of her chair and offering a hand to Lily.

“Coming,” Lily said, taking Mary’s hand and smiling brightly before turning back to Regulus. “After study sessions, we always have snacks in the Gryffindor common room. Would you like to join us?”

Regulus nodded. “Will Sirius be there?” He questioned, getting out of his chair.

“Mhm!” James hummed in response, “He’s right outside the library, and speaking of-“

“Reggie!” Sirius exclaimed, ramming into his little brother for a hug.

“Get.” Regulus said with a glare, “Off. Me.” The younger Black brother removed himself from his brother’s embrace. He wasn’t quite as affronted by Sirius’ touch as he made himself out to be, not like how he would other people’s. He still didn’t know if he would be able to accept any outward affection, even if it was from his brother, any time soon in public.

“You love it,” Sirius said, his smile not deterred. “Ladies! How was the study session?”

“Regulus had an idea for a project. We’ve been working on it all night, it’s been quite fun,” Lily answered politely.

“Really? Suppose he would, he’s such a swot like you guys- fits in perfectly,”

“Who are you calling a swot?” Remus demanded with a playful glare, stepping in front of Sirius and stopping him. Regulus took this distraction as time to slip out from under Sirius’ side hug.

“Moony! You’re my favorite, I’d never dare call you a swot- you know this!” Sirius assured.

“Sure you wouldn’t,” Remus rolled his eyes.

“Hey, what about me?” Peter asked, elbowing Sirius in the ribs.

“I’ve no qualms about calling you a swot, Wormy,” Sirius said, elbowing him back.

“Hey, Tampon, catch up!” Mary called out. Her, Regulus and Lily were a bit ahead of the others.

“What project was it?” James asked Regulus, jogging to catch up with him.

“A pair of goggles that guide you in finding stars and constellations,” Regulus said with his device, eyes still straight ahead.

“Oh, cool! Why are you making it?”

“My friends can never find the right stars,”

“Who are your friends?”

“Pandora Rosier, Evan Rosier, Barty Crouch Jr., and Dorcas Meadowes,”

“You and Meadowes are on the Slytherin quidditch team, right?”

“Yes”

“When will we meet everyone?”

“Eventually. I don’t think they’d like you”

“Don’t worry, I’m charming enough,” James said, winking at Regulus and flashing a grin.

“Ladies!” A blonde girl shrieked, smashing into Lily and Mary. Regulus recognized her as Marlene McKinnon from Gryffindor’s quidditch team.

“Marls!” Mary shouted, pulling back from the embrace to kiss both of the blonde girl’s cheeks.

“Marys!” Marlene shouted in response, kissing Mary’s cheeks back

“I’m here, too” Lily intervened, half forgotten in her third of the hug

“Flower!” The girls both exclaimed, hugging her with renewed force. Honestly, what is it with Gryffindors, hugging, and handshakes?

“Oh, Marls, meet Regulus,” Mary blurted, turning back towards the younger Black brother.

“Baby Black! Pleasure to meet you like this, but I’ve also enjoyed beating your arse at Quidditch,” Marlene said, throwing an arm around Regulus like how Sirius had done not much earlier. Not that she was there to see that, or would have any reason to touch Regulus like she knew him properly. Regulus tensed up, feeling her arm around him like a bad bruise.

“If you don’t get your hands off me now, I will hex you until you don’t have them anymore,” Regulus seethed, glaring at the girl hanging on his side.

“Alright, enough of your dazzling fist impressions, let’s go eat James’ snacks!” Said Sirius, trying to break the tension in the room and grabbing Marlene by the collar to get her off his younger brother. They all headed to one of the coffee tables in the common room. Regulus got jammed between his brother and the arm of the couch he was on, thankfully.

“What game are we playing?” James asked, ignoring the tension that Sirius didn’t dissolve entirely. Everyone started answering hesitantly.

“Uno?” Peter suggested

“Alright, Regulus- I doubt it- but have you ever played Uno before?”

“No”

“That’s what I thought, Sirius would you explain him Uno while I get the cards and snacks out?” James suggested, patting Sirius on the shoulder while he stood up from his place on the other side of Sirius. “Wands in the center, no cheating!” Everyone threw their wands in the middle of the table. “Alright, everyone, I assume I’m shuffling”

“‘Course you are” Mary said, lounging back in her couch opposite to the boys, trying to ease the rigidity of the room. Regulus couldn’t see why they were making this a big deal. All he wanted was not to be touched. Well, as he started thinking about it, maybe threatening to hex someone’s hands off might’ve been a bit overboard. Oh well, it got the point across.

“Did you keep some strawberries whole?” Lily called after James.

“‘Course I did, love!” James replied, waltzing back around the corner with his tote bag never having come off and a deck of cards in hand. “Anything for you, my Lilyflower,” he declared, leaning down to kiss Lily’s head. She giggled and lightly shoved him back.

“Shuffle the cards already, you dunce!” Lily laughed while James went back down to his spot next to Sirius, smiling.

“Regulus, you’ll probably pick it up as we go, but the gist of it is you have to put down a card that matches the card already showing in either the number or the color,” Sirius said as the room went back to more comfortable conversations between everyone. “Wait one second, this’ll determine the rules further,” he said, gaze flitting to Mary and Lily who seemed to be making frantic repeating hand gestures towards each other.

Fist, flat hand, middle and pointer finger, again and again. At the end of their little charades games, or whatever it was, Mary pumped her fisted in triumph and Lily rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling in a gracious defeat.

“My rules, baby!” Mary said, turning towards Sirius. “Tell him!”

“Alright, Macdonald, calm down. So, Reg, there aren’t only number cards- there are special cards, too. If you get a +2, whoever’s turn it is next has to draw 2 cards-the goal of the game is to get rid of all your cards- but, the next player is allowed to also add their +2 if they have one, and the next person after them gets a +4, but they can keep doing that until someone can’t add on to it-“

“I’ve an idea,” Regulus interrupted

“Hm?”

“What if we become a team?”

“Duos Uno? I like that,” Sirius decided, smiling. “Hey, everyone! Wanna do Duos?”

A chorus of agreement blasted forward, so everyone paired up. Mary and Marlene, Remus and Lily, Regulus and Sirius, and James and Peter in order of who goes first. There were 14 cards between each group, and Regulus was pretty sure they were actually using 4 stacks of the normal amount of Uno cards.

The game started with a red 3 from the top of the drawing pile.

Mary and Marlene schemed together, silently telling each other what cards to use. They ended up with an anticlimactic red 7. The drama started when Remus and Lily gave the black brothers a +4 wild card.

Sirius reeled back “MOONY! LILY! I cannot believe you! The first thing you do is give us a +4?!” Sirius bellowed, betrayed.

Remus cackled and Lily said through giggles, “it was all we could do!”

“Like hell I’d believe that! You have 14 cards over there, I don’t believe not one of them are red or a 7!” Remus and Lily shared a glance, again bursting into laughter at whatever irony the 2 of them thought that statement held. “Ugh! You’re the worst!” He shouted, leaning his head back on the couch.

“Wait, do we do plus 8 now or just plus 4 still?” Marlene asked curiously, leaning forward in her chair.

“Plus 4!” Every group but Remus and Lily said. Regulus did as the card asked and the friends agreed upon, and drew 4 cards from the drawing pile. The Black brothers had a healthy mix of colors, maybe lacking a bit of green, but good overall.

“Oi, dumbarses, what color are you going to pick, then?” Sirius grumbled as he searched through their cards.

“Yellow,” Remus and Lily said in unison, still snickering.

“Yellow?” The older black brother whispered. “Hmm. Reg, we have a reverse card- this one” he held aforementioned card up, “but that only makes it Remus and Lily’s turn again. We have to save our wild card until there’s no other option, according to Mary’s rules. I say we go with a normal number,” Sirius informed him quietly. Regulus pointed at the yellow 3 in their hand, looking at his brother for permission. Regulus put it down on the pile after Sirius nodded minutely.

“Uh oh” James said. James and Peter looked at each other, wide eyed, before looking back to their deck. With a look and a sigh of relief so embarrassingly obvious on both of their faces, they placed down a green 3. Regulus was sure they’d lose at any game needing a poker face. He vaguely realized Sirius was still feuding with Remus and Lily next to him.

“You’re sick sick bastards, that’s what you are! Mary, Marlene, give ‘em a plus 4!” Sirius demanded, pointing at Mary and Marlene.

“Sorry, Sirius,” Marlene smirked, with Mary putting down a regular green 8. Remus and Lily were still chuckling, and Remus put down a yellow 8.

“Ugh, do we have to do yellow?” James complained, pouting.

“Not on my watch,” Sirius stated, putting down a blue 8.

“Oh, Sirius my love, you’re just the best,” James sighed, leaning on Sirius heavily.

“Don’t I know it, Jamie my dear,” Sirius responded, leaning onto James in turn. Peter snickered, pulling James off Sirius to contemplate their cards.

“My deer,” He mimicked, giggling.

“Alright, uhhh” James hesitated, hand hovering over the cards in Peter’s hands. “Blue… 2,” he said, finally putting it down. Mary and Marlene put down a blue 6, quietly. Remus and Lily put down a yellow 6.

“Are you kidding me? What, do you only have yellow?” Sirius rolled his eyes while Regulus put down a yellow 9.

“Sorry!” Remus chuckled.

That night ended in a very, very long game, with James and Peter as the unlikely winners. Remus and Lily did, in fact, have only yellow, and they had about 26 cards at the end. Regulus and Sirius were close second winners, getting down to Uno about 5 different times, and they only had 4 cards when James and Peter won. Regulus retreated back to his dorm for some sleep after.