Slytherin's party
Barty was waiting expectantly in the dorm room when Regulus stumbled in, travel weary and exhausted, a few days later.
“How was the train?” the blond boy asked, practically bouncing off his bed in excitement. Regulus squinted at him, his tired mind struggling to put together why his friend seemed thrilled. His last few days had been living hell, Sirius hiding in his room all day, and his mother resuming her usual strict regime with a doubled focus on Regulus. He had begun to suspect that Sirius’s reaction to his mother’s plan for him had sent Walburga seeking out her second son, in case he might be needed to fill the role Sirius left empty. The endless criticisms and lectures he had endured remained haunting the back of his mind even now; the grin on Barty’s face seemed strange and alien.
“It was okay.” Regulus responded, lowering himself onto his own bed with a deep sigh. “Where's Evan?”
“Don't know.” Barty said, still nearly quivering with barely contained enthusiasm. Regulus gave the other boy a look, noting the nicer-looking robes Barty was wearing, and his carefully tousled hair. Barty had stayed here this Christmas, Regulus knew. His trunk was unpacked at the foot of his bed, collecting dust slowly since the beginning of the term. Regulus didn't ask why his friend didn't go home for Christmas break, but he suspected Barty did not want him to ask. He seemed to get along fine by himself; plenty of Slytherin’s stayed at Hogwarts over winter break, probably because they didn't want to deal with their insufferable families.
What a luxury. Regulus thought drily.
“Anything you want to tell me?” Regulus prompted. Barty grinned.
“I was talking to Zambini the other day--Eleanor? The third year?” Barty said proudly, looking rather smug at Regulus’s expression of confusion. Barty’s chest swelled slightly, Regulus fought the urge to roll his eyes. “She said there’s gonna be a Christmas Party--late of course--tonight! It’ll be all the upper-years, in the common room. I heard Rudolphus is bringing firewhiskey.”
Barty looked at Regulus breathlessly, eyes shining with excitement.
“We have to go!”
“Absolutely not!” Regulus snorted, staring at his friend in shock. “Are you insane?”
“Are you?” Barty said passionately. “It’ll be bloody brilliant! We’ll have loads of fun, I can talk to…” he broke off, looking embarrassed. “...it doesn't matter. C’mon, Reg! You'll love it.”
Regulus highly doubted that.
“Are we even invited?” he asked.
“I mean…we haven't gotten an explicit invite, but it's our common room! What’re they gonna do, kick us out?”
Regulus privately thought they would do exactly that, and he could very clearly envision him and Barty standing outside the Slytherin dorms in the middle of the night, tired and cursing their stupid ideas.
“What would we even do?”
“Party!” Barty said enthusiastically. “You know, dance, talk…have fun. It's not like you've never been to a party before?”
Regulus didn't think the stuffy, pure-blood family balls the Black’s hosted each year counted as a party, but he didn't mention that to Barty, who was staring at him like he had suddenly sprouted three heads.
“Well, yeah, of course I have…”
“Then let's go.” Barty said firmly. “You’ll have fun, I promise.”
“Why don't you just go by yourself?”
“And face that embarrassment all alone? No thanks.”
“I don't want to face that embarrassment either!”
“Unfortunately, my friend,” Barty said cheerfully, grabbing Regulus’s arm and slinging it around his shoulders. “You don't have a choice. Party we go!”
Regulus decided it was useless to protest, and allowed himself to be ushered into the bathroom and get ready, fixing his hair and slipping into a pair of fresh robes. He caught his reflection in the mirror, white skin and eerily pale eyes framed by purple shadows, cheekbones sticking out gauntly and giving him a ghostly appearance. He wondered if someone swiped their hand at him if it would go right through him. He cast a single, longing look at his bed, warm and invitingly soft, before letting Barty drag him out the door and down to the common room.
______
“We definitely aren't supposed to be here.” Regulus whispered to Barty the moment they walked in. Older Slytherins, mostly sixth and seventh years, were scattered around the common room in clumps, laughing loudly and bawdily. Muggle music was blaring from a strange machine in the corner that Regulus recognized as a record player, something Sirius had been oddly obsessed with and worked in ways Regulus couldn't fathom. Several fifth years stumbled past Barty and Regulus, holding glasses of a reddish substance and giggling. Barty’s eyes trailed after them longingly.
“wonder where they got that” he muttered.
“I suspect over there,” Regulus said, nodding to a table in the middle of the room where a large handle of the same liquid was placed. Slytherins were clustered around it, joking with their friends and pouring themselves copious amounts into jars they conjured from the air.
“Don't even think about it.” Regulus said at the look on Barty’s face. “I'm not going to babysit you all night.”
“Ok, ok” Barty sighed, “so strict…”
“You should meet my mother,” Regulus said under his breath.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Let's go over there!” Barty said, his enthusiasm renewed. A group of pretty Slytherin girls were clustered by the fire, chatting animatedly with each other. One girl, a tall, willowy brunette dressed in a short green dress, glanced over at Barty and waved. Barty’s face lit up, and he almost tripped over his own feet in his hurry to wave back. Behind her, the brunette’s friends collapsed into giggles. Regulus held back a laugh for Barty’s sake, whose face was now crimson as he turned away from the girls.
“You still wanna go over there?” Regulus asked, struggling to keep his face neutral.
The look Barty gave him reminded him unpleasantly of an angry Walburga Black.
“Maybe you should have some after all” Regulus continued, now grinning at his friend. He walked quickly over to where the drinks were and poured Barty a glass of firewhiskey, handing it to him and hurrying away before anyone could notice. Barty took a large gulp without a word, and promptly collapsed into choking, spewing the drink all over the front of Regulus’s robes. This time, Regulus couldn't hold back a laugh, cackling as his friend regained his composure and straightened up, his face burning a brighter red than ever and his carefully placed hair askew.
“Good?” Regulus chortled.
“Shut up, Black.” Barty muttered, taking a much smaller sip and grimacing as he swallowed.
“Want some?”
It may have been the green fires flickering on the walls, casting an otherworldly glow across the room and making Regulus feel as if he was someone else, or perhaps the laughing students around them, and the feeling of relief that he was standing in this room and not at Grimmauld place, but Regulus felt rather more bold than normal.
“Sure,” he said, grabbing it from Barty and taking a measured sip. The firewhiskey burned going down his throat, but felt oddly bubbly and warmed Regulus from the inside. He let out a small cough, tears springing to his eyes, and choked down another sip. Barty snatched it back, not to be outdone, and took a large swig again, this time managing to swallow it without affair.
“Pretty good, mate.” Barty said cheerfully, patting Regulus on the back. Regulus grunted, throat still burning and eyes watering.
The firewhiskey disappeared quickly between the two of them, and by the time the glass was empty Regulus’s head had begun to feel funny and the room was swaying slightly in the green light. Regulus and Barty reclined to a corner, sharing a small worn sofa and watching the older kids laugh dazedly. A song Regulus faintly recognized came on, likely something Sirius had forced him to listen to when their mother wasn't listening, and he hummed along quietly to the tune.
cha-cha-cha-cha changes
turn and face the strange changes
Beside them, a pair of seventh years were smoking lazily on the floor, one’s head in the other's lap as they shared a cigarette. Regulus watched, captivated, as the boy brought the cigarette to his lips and exhaled gracefully. His throat bobbed as smoke drifted from his mouth, eyes slightly closed and head tilted back in ecstasy. As the green light illuminated the older boy's face, Regulus couldn't help but think it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
“Should we try to snag one of those?” Barty said quietly, noticing where Regulus was watching.
“Nah” Regulus breathed, his eyes still on the older boy and the way his lips formed a perfect o when he blew out. It seemed perfect, then, that he was meant to stare at this boy forever and he would exhale those smoke rings with lazy lips.
“She's pretty, isn't she.” Barty slurred, now looking at the couple too. Regulus hadn't even noticed the long haired blonde relaxing in the boy's lap, muttering quietly to him, a small smile playing on her cherry lips.
“Yeah” he said, startled out of his daze and looking away from the couple hurriedly. She was pretty; high cheekbones and sharp eyes that watched the other boy as if he was the only thing in the world.
“Maybe I should-” Barty rose slightly,
“Sit down.” Regulus laughed, shoving his friend back on the couch. “I know you think you're smooth, but she's a little out of your league.”
Barty chuckled, looking at the couple slightly forlornly.
“Someday” he said wistfully. Regulus couldn't help but to laugh. He made a point not to look back over at the couple, watching instead the drunken older students dancing slowly around the room, singing loudly to the words that they all seemed to know.
Time may change me
But you can't trace time
Strange fascination fascinating me
changes are taking the pace I'm going through
Smoke wafted by his nose, Regulus tried hard to ignore it.
Eventually the crowd dwindled, everyone slowly retiring back to their dorms to catch a few hours of sleep before classes tomorrow. Regulus and Barty didn't move, slumped on their little couch and hidden slightly in the shadows, talking ever so often and watching the Slytherins peacefully. Another glass of firewhiskey seemed to vanish between the two of them; Regulus felt the room shift slightly when he turned to Barty.
“I'm glad I was sorted into Slytherin,” he said softly, words tumbling out of his mouth too loosely for his liking.
“Me too” said Barty, leaning his head back and looking at Regulus. “I mean, it's the only thing I really wanted to be placed in.”
“I wanted to be a Ravenclaw.” Regulus said before he could stop himself. He blinked, pursing his lips before he could say more. His tongue felt thick and loose, thoughts swirling through his head and pouring out. It was okay, though. Regulus told himself. It was just Barty.
“Really?” Barty slurred, eyes widening. His friend laughed roughly. “Why? With all those nerds?”
“I like books” Regulus said simply, finding it difficult to focus on his friend with the flickering green lights in the room dancing before him. “They are quiet”
“Yeah, books can't talk, Reg” Barty roared, finding this hilarious and doubling over with laughter. Regulus joined in, not knowing why but cackling at the sight of his friend cracking up next to him.
“That's not what I meant” he wheezed, grabbing Barty’s arm and shaking him. “I mean that books are better than people. I wish I was in Ravenclaw so I could spend all my time with books.”
“But then you wouldn't see me,” Barty jokes, still giggling uncontrollably. Regulus frowned. “That is a good point” he said, creasing his brow. “But I would see my other friend, Pandora, and I'm sure I could visit you on the weekends!” His voice sounded oddly high pitched and cheery, and deep in the back of his mind Regulus wondered if the firewhiskey had been such a good idea.
“That loony girl? Why do you wanna spend time with her?” Barty asked, obviously trying to seem serious but nearly slipping sideways off the couch.
“She's not loony. She's nice. Like books!” Regulus slurred.
“Do you likeeee her?” Barty gasped, looking Regulus dead in the eye with an expression of utter excitement. Regulus froze. He had never thought of Pandora that way, but she was a girl, and she was pretty, he guessed. Shouldn't he like her?
“Maybe” Regulus said faintly. Barty let out a yell. “The mysterious Black likes a girl!” he shouted, bowling Regulus over in his celebration. The two boys fell to the floor, landing hard and staring at the ceiling in a daze. In the dim light, it seemed to spin and twinkle with emerald stars.
“So pretty” Regulus mumbled, transfixed by the swirling light. Barty said nothing for a while, seeming to have forgotten all about Pandora and was now staring slack jawed at the ceiling as well.
“Woah” he slurred, his blue eyes wide and unfocused. “So many stars”
“Those aren't stars, moron”
“Oh yeah? What are they then?”
“I dunno, lights?”
Barty snorted. “Sure”.
Regulus tried to shove him, but he was already on the ground.
“Should we go upstairs?” he said dreamily. The room was practically empty but for the seventh years still gathered around the fire, talking in low tones and splayed on each other's laps. In the corner across from him, Regulus saw a pair of shadowy figures entwined passionately.
“Nah,” Barty said. Regulus didn't argue, just tilted his head back against the floor and watched the ceiling dance, thousands of emerald lights glittering mesmerizingly and filling his head with a delightfully fuzzy feeling. From the corner, the music still played.
You're too old to lose it, too young to choose it
And the clocks waits so patiently on your song
You walk past a cafe but you don't eat when you've lived too long
Oh, no, no, no, you're a rock 'n' roll suicide