Regulus POV
Regulus POV
I was eleven years old the first time I met James Potter. Of course, by that point I already knew all about him. He was all Sirius could talk about the summer. It was always “James Potter this” and “James Potter that.” He was over the moon about James. I hated him, he was stealing my brother's attention and he wasn’t even there.
Of course, this hatred only intensified once I actually started at Hogwarts: the academy for royalty where he and my brother attended. I thought I would be getting my brother back. I was wrong. Being a year younger I barely saw my brother as is and with James and my brother's other dorm mates always around, well my brother never had time for me. His time was filled with useless pranks and endless girl drama.
I got on fine even so, made friends with the other boys in my dorm, Barty and Evan, even a girl from another dorm I had a few classes with named Pandora. I didn’t like her at first as she inevitably was related to me in some way, a distant cousin I believe, she was an odd one probably due to the amount of inbreeding my family did so often but she was a persistent one. She saw me in a way no one else did. Even as a member of my family I wasn’t just a Black or Sirius’ little brother, I was my own person, so I let her in.
At least I got Sirius on the holidays, well at least until I was fourteen. Holidays were never a very festive occasion at my house. And my family was… rough. When my mother disapproves of something everyone had to know even if it meant getting physical and well, mother disapproved of Sirius’ choice of friends. She believed they were the wrong sort, illegitimate heirs to the throne or servants who wound up increasing in status,
“polluting our royalty,” she says. Sirius loved the wrong sort.
I at least knew how to fake being around the “right sort” Barty and Evan were both heirs to their own kingdoms, though Barty’s was questionable, he at least had enough of a claim and Evan and Pandora were related to him and it was very hard to disappoint mother by hanging around family, unless it was Sirius of course, this unfortunately lead me to partaking in the beginning of the year party that I would have much rather skipped.
“Come on Reggie,” Evan complains, throwing himself across my bed.
“Don’t call me that, Rosier,” I say, shooting a glare at the stupid childhood nickname, “I don’t care if you’re family, I’ll hex your arse off.”
“Oh Reg you really do know how to make me hot,” I roll my eyes as Evan wacks Barty with my pillow, “Oi! What was that for?”
“You’re mine Crouch, he got his turn mine now,” Evan and Barty had started dating over the summer, of course Evan's parents didn’t know. I’m sure if they did Evan wouldn’t be attending Hogwarts any longer. Barty’s dad on the other hand knew he was seeing a man, he lives and breathes to disappoint his father but would never dream of outting Evan.
“This will be the only party we drag you to this year,” Evan says, bringing out his pinky.
“We both know that's a lie but I’ll happily break your finger,” I say grinning as he realizes what he did. I dart forward looping our pinkies before he can pull away.
“You won’t let him hurt me right Barty?” Evan asks with puppy dog eyes.
“And interfere with Regulus? You fucked up pretty boy,” he leans down to kiss Evan but I throw a book at them and the yelp before pulling apart.
“No PDA.”
“Oh please you and Barty used to shag in here all the time.”
“Yes behind closed curtains and with a silencing charm you should really learn.”
“What you don’t want to join us,” Barty leans forward and smirks before he yelps and holds his ear ,”Okay, okay I get it Rosier, did you have to use fire?”
“Yes,” is all he says before blowing out the match and grinning at me. I sigh, realizing when I’ve lost, finding it stupid for me to even think about skipping the party. I haven’t missed one in the five years I’ve been at Hogwarts.
The three of us go down to the common room and the pair are automatically pulled away by someone to get drinks.
Great, I think I’m going to spend the whole night alone.
Actually, this might work in my favor. I’ll stay down here for an hour, get a single drink, stand on the edge, nop one expects me to talk to them anyways, and then escape to my dorm as soon as Evan and Barty are too shitfaced to realize I’m gone.
I go to find a wall to lean against trying to tune out at least some of the loud music that's blaring throughout the room and trying not to touch as many people as possible in the very crowded small space. which one of the only times the entire house gets together and you really just how many people go to the school.
I just finally reached the cool stone wall next to the window and looked into the lake when I feared a small hand tap the back of my shoulder.
“ hey reg noticed you didn't have anything to drink so I thought I'd bring you something,” I turned to see Adorabella greengrass, a girl my mother would probably highly approve of however her voice is like nails on a chalkboard so I've no interest in her, holding a green cup full of some mysterious liquid.
“ oh thanks I guess,” I Grimace at the sound of my voice and at the police look that appears on her face taking that as an invitation to stay when I would much rather her just go away the least amount of people I can talk to at this party before going back up to my dorm the better.
“ So how is your summer,” she asked perky. Her face is blushed and her people are slightly dilated. She has obviously been down here for a while and has had more than one drink.
“ Oh you know the same as every other year,” I don't want to tell her that in fact my summer was full of dark rooms and endless days of no food or water and countless strangers coming in and out of my house.
“ Well mine was wonderful. My parents took me to France for the entire summer. Did you know how many cool things are hard to see and how many museums there are in France?” she giggled and I looked down at my drink and instead of answering her, I did not want to talk about one of my favorite places with a girl that I could barely stand being around.
I finally take a swig and in that time she gathers the courage to place a hand on my arm and I freeze, “ so regulus,” Her hand dresses further up my arm resting lightly on my shoulder. “ We both know that we come from very high class families and we need high class Partners in order to appease her parents you're hot, I'm hot, what do you say? want to have a little fun?”
“ aha green grass,” I say, removing her hand from my shoulder, “ you see I'm not really looking to court anybody at the moment.”
“ Well obviously silly,” she giggles, replacing her hand and stepping closer, “ that's what our parents are for but that doesn't mean that we can't have a little fun before all of that starts.”
“ actually,” I travel off trying to think of something that would get her away from me the feeling of her body pressing against mine and the smell of her perfume hitting my nostrils is just too much to take I need to get out, “ I'm supposed to meet somebody I really must be going.”
“ oh really who?”
“ Oh nobody important but I really must go now,” I slid from under her body and quickly rushed to the door to the common room. I slip out and walk a couple of feet away before stepping and pressing my forehead against the cool Stone trying to catch my breath that is until I hear the door open again behind me.
“ regular are you out here?” green grass just really can't take a hint that
she steps out and spots me along the wall, “ oh there you are I thought I lost you in there.”
I turn around and pretend not to hear her as I swiftly walk and turn a corner trying to think of anywhere to go that might have somebody added at this point in time. with the astronomy Tower of course. As soon as I make the turn I start running. My footsteps aren't light so she will know which way to go but hopefully I can figure out who's in the astronomy Tower before she follows and I can explain to them what is going on. I just hope it's not some Gryffindor