Don't stop believin'
"But I want to produce music, not go to a boring college that will have no impact on my future", Regulus groaned, explaining for the millionth time that he doesn't want to go.
He knows that it's not going to make any difference. As usual, he gets the same clipped response about his family's future relying on him now and some other nonsense he can't be bothered to listen to.
So instead of being the perfect son and enduring it, he just hangs up. It's not like they can stop him, he's already half way to his new college. In the long run, it's not going to make much of a difference, considering he still actually has to attend lessons and such, but he counts the small victory as it's the biggest one he's gotten so far.
It's been like this ever since his parents gave up hoping that Sirius would 'come to his senses' and return. Honestly, Regulus doesn't even blame him. He would've done the same but it's made his life tremendously trickier.
Before, Regulus was allowed to do whatever he liked, so long as it didn't directly have a negative impact on his parents. And he always made sure that it didn't. It was always easier that way.
But now, he has all these responsibilities just piled up on top of him, and at this point, Regulus feels like he's going to break. That he's going to reach the tipping point and do the exact same thing that Sirius had done just a few months prior. Just leave. But he knows that he'd never get far.
He only has to deal with it for a bit longer anyways, at least until he saves up enough money to get his own place, and college is a temporary escape as it is.
He spends the rest of the journey listening to one of his newest mixes and basking in the afterglow of hanging up on his mother. It doesn't last long though because soon he hears the steady flow of loud chatter and the rush of newly enrolled students at Salazar.
✮✮✮
James Potter is having the time of his life. He got into the best school in the state, he's with his best friend and has the girl of his dreams.
He couldn't be happier.
And he projects this onto everyone and everything around him, by rolling down his window and giving a blinding smile and belting out classic rock songs. Most people take it in stride but he gets a particularly deathly glare from a boy about his age leaving a taxi.
Still, he doesn't let it ruin his mood and he just sings even louder, much to the disdain of the people around him. The dark haired boy who previously glared at him, now puts on his sweetest smile and strolls over to the place where James had now gotten out of the car and was carrying his luggage, still humming the tune to one of many, many Journey songs.
"James potter, nice to meet you," he says, holding out his hand to greet him, in the process dropping half of his belongings.
"If you don't shut the fuck up and stop continually ruining my already horrible day then I'm going to smother you in your sleep," he practically hisses,
James stifling laughter. "You don't even know where I sleep, so good luck trying," he snickers, only to be met with a smug look and a set of keys being jangled in his face.
"Oh sure I don't, roomie."