Chapter 3
Xeno takes his phone and searches everything he can.
"What- oh."
"What shit? What oh?"
"He didn't change his user name, it's Leo."
Pandora looks at Regulus and then others.
Sybil is the one who asks "Do you feel uncomfortable by it? By being called Leo?"
"Well, it's not my name. Not anymore. But I guess I should have thought of this before I posted anything. It's better to have a fake name, right?"
"Yeah I think so too. But if you feel uncomfortable then just change it, don't think of others, yeah?"
"Yeah"
They hear a loud thud and turn to the bathroom, Barty pokes out a hand "I'm fine! Just fell!"
"Oh right. I have to clean that up."
"I'll help." Evan offered.
"Yeah, Evan will help you. While me and Syb put on some music."
"Wow, we're so grateful."
"I'm going to be so sick." Barty complains and Xeno nods.
Regulus heated the room they all stayed in and cuddled to the only single person in the room.
"Reg"
"Yeah?"
"Would you be my friend even if I was like an alien? Or a horse?"
"Is this your version of 'Would you love me even if I was a worm'?"
"Maybe"
"Yeah, I love you even as an alien or horse. You gotta protect me tho."
"I will."
In the morning he was the first one to wake up, it was 4 am and he felt like he didn't feel for a long time.
Regulus stretched and drunk a glass of water but it didn't help.
He opened his twitter account and looked at what he got tagged.
'PRODUCER'S SON FINDS THE NEXT TALENT?'
It was a clip from a stream. His friends would call him chronically offline which might be true because he didn't know who this person is.
"Okay so my mod was searching for new singers and just now sent me another video of someone called- Leo? Woah, 30 minutes ago. Very fresh huh. Let's give it a chance?" This bloke smiled into the camera on his table and played his first song.
He bobbed his head down and up, he put down his glasses and wiped them before putting the glasses on again "Foggy, sorry" Regulus smiled at him.
"I can feel the raw emotions in his voice and his lyrics, really. Leo's voice is raspy which makes it so much better in my humble opinion." Regulus listened to every word carefully, sitting down at the dining table.
"But I do feel like it's not really finished. To me it does sound as if it wasn't full or as if it was- I don't know, the first part that we heard was written with more thoughts behind it than the second one. People can rush stuff they shouldn't and it ends up this way. But I don't think it was bad, I really like it."
Regulus frowned but let him talk.
"Leo if you're watching this I really liked it and I'm excited for more of your work, I'm sure you will improve with the time. You can always message me if you want any tips." The bloke winked again and the clip ended.
Regulus looked into the comments, hoping to find his account and found someone who tagged him.
He clicked on the bloke's post about the stream and commented. It was bold, Regulus felt bold.
He wasn't good at playing guitar, he could critique him for that.
His voice was all over the place, he could critique that too.
But his lyrics?
Regulus wrote lyrics before he started to walk. His lyrics were praised by the majority of high class musicians he had to meet because of his parents.
He was the talented kid in this aspect.
Thank you for your 'tips' but would you mind explaining your thoughts? More correctly, telling me your experience in writing lyrics?
"What's that look? Ooo are we arguing with someone?" Pandora came behind him.
"Arguing? Why didn't you invite me." Barty almost sprints to them.
Sybil comes next, sneezing on her way.
"I told you we get sick." Barty sadly looks around them.
"Don't look at them like that, it's your fault." Evan says, kissing Barty on forehead before he stands closer to Regulus and looks at his phone.
"Why are you messaging James Potter?"
"Who?"
Evan rolled his eyes "Sorry, forgot you're a grandpa. He's like a streamer slash singer slash nepo baby. He was in a drama not that long ago, someone saw him cheating on his girlfriend."
"Oh god, a cheater? A cheater and nepo baby is going to say I have bad lyrics?"
"You're one of the biggest nepo babies, Reg-" Sybil sighs.
"Shush"
"What did he say?" Barty asks, cracking a few eggs in a bowl.
"He said my lyrics sound unfinished and rushed."
"Oh no, we know how much Reggie hates getting hated on for his writings." Pandora says and hugs him from the back.
"Ok so we don't like Potter." Xeno stated and helped Barty with the breakfast.
"Yeah no, we're the only ones who can bully our little poet." Sybil frowned "I'm going to wish for him to spill tea on his socks and sleeves. And not get enough sleep."
His phone buzzed multiple times, when he looked down Potter had answered.
Yeah sure we can talk. Where would you like to talk? Here? Insta? Numbers? It's on you babe ;)
"What the fuck is wrong with this bloke." Regulus frowned, aggressively typing.
"What pictures do I have on Instagram?"
"Which one?"
"The one from years ago, the Leo one."
"Lemme check."
Barty glances at his phone and rolls his eyes "Why did you get that protective thing? I can't even be noisy because of it."
"Maybe instead of trying to read Reg's messages watch out for the eggs? Don't burn everything down?" Evan says but stands closer to Reg and reads from his phone.
"Ev, when did I ever burn anything."
"Last summer?"
"You were distracting."
Barty. Breakfast."
"Yessir, on it"
Pandora shakes her head "The account is clear. Nothing that could identify you, just a few pictures of birds, cats and fish."
"Maybe just in settings make it so no one can look through your following."
"Yeah I'll do that."
Great!! I'm Prongsie :)
Prongsie 5:46
Nice birds
L30_._ 5:47
Explain
Prongsie 5:47
Why are the birds nice?
Prongsie 5:51
Yeah sorry I understand
Prongsie 5:51
So you might not know who I am which is okay and I should've introduced myself first. I'm James Potter, my mother is a singer, you might've heard of her, Euphemia Potter. And my father is a producer, Fleamont Potter. I've been in the music world practically since birth. And I do sing as well :)
L30_._ 5:52
Okay, so why do you think my lyrics are rushed? I am very self aware of myself. I can tell all my mistakes in the video but none of them are about my lyrics.
Barty puts a plate in front of him and Regulus thanks, not looking away from his phone.
He shakes his head and looks around him, everyone watches him.
"What?"
"I would never think I'll see you on the phone like this. It's usually Xeno who can't take his eyes off the screen."
Regulus shrugs "I didn't know Euphemia Potter had a kid."
Pandora opens her mouth to say something but is stopped by Evan, Regulus raises his eyebrows at it but gets just a wave.
"I think we need to go through cultural moments in the past 25 years with you." Barty says.
"Ooo can we talk about the fights between Minerva and that guy, what was his name? Tom?" Sybil says, sipping her tea.
Regulus rolls his eyes and looks down at his phone just to find out there's no new message from Potter.
He put his phone down and started to eat "You know, I think I made the wrong decision yesterday."
"Why?"
"Shorter and dyed hair? Even if my parents ignore me someone will talk to them about me and then they'll say I'm misbehaving and I'm wronging their reputation-"
Regulus hands were in fists, gaze down on the carpet.
"You're spiraling, aren't you?" Pandora asks, taking his hand.
"They aren't the youngest anymore, they are too old to act like that. They might get mad at you, but what will they actually do? They will have to get used to your look." Barty said.
"Or they can kick me out."
"Your mother loves you too much to kick you out." Evan says with a raised eyebrow.
"And if she kicks you out? You can live with me!" Sybil nodded with a smile "I need a new roommate anyways"
"Isn't your roommate your aunt?"
"Yeah"
While doing the dishes he got a message that wasn't from Potter but from his parents.
Mum 7:26
Medication,,,
XXXXXXX 7:27
Yes mother
Mum 7:28
Your father bought you a gift. It's a dress, pretend to like them.
XXXXXXX 7:28
I will
Mum 7:30
Exercise at ten
XXXXXXX 7:31
I know mother, I will
Barty went home first, his father called him with a request. Sybil was next, her mother found out about the dyes she took from her salon. Then Evan and Pandora, their parents need them to babysit Felix.
Xenophilius was the last, he took a mirror and put it in front of Regulus.
"You see the dye is just at the bottom, just brush this hair down and there's no trace of green."
"I'm not as good at cutting as is Sybil but working for her mum I learnt that and that. It's still a bob just like you used to have, just a shaggier one."
Regulus looked at himself in the mirror, if he didn't know there's a green he wouldn't notice anything. He glanced behind him, Xeno was watching him with a soft smile.
"Thank you Xeno, I'm grateful for you."
"I'm grateful to have you as well. I'll show you how to sty
le it later yeah?"
"Yeah, I love you, Xeno"
"I love you too"
He closed the doors after him and sat down on the bed, the medication in front of him.
No one knew and that's how it will stay.
His phone buzzed multiple times.