The "no songs about frogs" became lyrics about a song after all the moment Regulus calmed and brought his school bag back up with his notebook, but Adrian looked over Regulus' shoulder.

"I thought we agreed no songs about frogs?"

"I like frogs. They're adorable," Regulus said, not paying attention. "And I like the way they sound."

"Yeah, but..."

"Couldn't get the words frog song out of my head," Regulus murmured. "Do you think Ruiz and Figgis would like to revise with us?"

"Let's stick to making music," Adrian said, the door to the compartment opening.

"This is rather unusual."

"What's rather unusual?" Regulus said, still writing in his notebook, only for Adrian to clear his throat and close Regulus' notebook. Regulus stiffened, feeling insulted and still not paying attention to the person at the door. "Why did you do that?"

"Head boy and head girl," Adrian said, clearing his throat.

"Oh. Hello." Regulus nodded and looked up, though he didn't look them in the eye. "I apologize for missing the meeting."

"You're the new Slytherin prefect?" the head girl asked.

Regulus blinked, his mouth opening, his head turning. "Uh. Yes. Well. Girl."

"Regulus," Adrian sighed. "That was the worst response ever."

"Girls are mean."

"Stop that!"

"Evan should have been prefect," Regulus said. "Can't you just..."

"Yeah, but Slughorn picked you," the head boy said. "And what's this about girls being mean?"

"Didn't Rosier tell you?" Adrian asked. "Please tell me he told you?"

"Well, he just said you weren't feeling well," the girl said.

"Ah. Girl. Nice person?" Regulus asked. "Not going to ask me weird questions and call me small."

"But you are small? And adorable?"

"Uh, she means that in a good way?" the head boy interjected.

"Uh, I don't like being small," Regulus sighed, opening his notebook and writing something about being small, only for Adrian to close the notebook.

"Not now," Adrian said, tugging on the notebook.

Regulus didn't let go, frowning. "I want to pretend it didn't happen, so leave it, Addy."

"Give and actually hold down a conversation rather than making them think you're insane," Adrian said, tugging at the notebook, frowning.

"Ah, oh," Regulus said, looking at the ground. "I feel insane."

"Regulus!" Adrian sighed. "You're not helping.

"Yeah. But those girls..." Regulus shuddered, his hands lifting. "Giggling at me and looking at me when they didn't do that in previous years. What's changed? I don't like..."

"Your dumb brother decided he didn't want to be heir anymore?" Adrian said.

"Oh yeah. That" Regulus looked out the window. "Maybe I can convince him? I mean, he likes girls fawning over him, so..." And then his eyes widened, and he looked at Adrian. "Wait? Was that what they were trying to do?"

"You are so bloody slow," Adrian sighed.

"I don't like people in my personal space. They kept getting in my personal space."

"I—we'll speak with Slughorn," the head boy said.

"Yes," the head girl iterated. "He'll want to tackle the issue."

"But that will only," Regulus frowned. "I don't think that will work, but make things worse. It always makes things worse when he tells them not to do something because then they just make sure the teachers don't know."

"Hey. Don't forget you can dock points and give detention if you need to."

Regulus swallowed. "And that will really, really make things worse."

"Anyways, Ruiz and Figgis said they'd fill you two in," the head boy said.

"Is that why Rosier isn't here?" Adrian asked.

"Actually," Elias said, slipping into the compartment and snatching Regulus' notebook. "He's seeing to a certain member of my house who decided it would be hilarious to try and attack Sirius Black and his friends, although Lupin wasn't there as he was at the prefect meeting with us."

"Oh. That," Regulus said.

"Wait?" The head girl sighed. "You know about that?"

"Rosier told Crouch to go bug the other Black, pretty much," Adrian said. "Not Rosier's fault Crouch took it to mean what he thought it did."

"That..." Regulus frowned.

"Yes, well, anybody is crazy just to try and jinx Sirius Black, that brother of yours," the head boy said.

"We'll leave you be," the head girl said. "And promise. I won't get into your personal space?"

"Uh, what was that about?" Oscar asked, slipping in.

"Wow! I thought we weren't doing any romance songs?" Elias said, letting out a laugh.

"Ugh. I told you not to write the frog song, Regulus. I've not even read it, but..."

"Frog song. No. Not that one. The one..." Elias deeply breathed, "I love the line, 'That Muggle girl my mother doesn't know about.' It's absolutely yummy."

"Not a romance song," Regulus murmured as Adrian looked at him. "What?"

"Are you trying to be a conduit for your brother and channel what that moron's thinking?" Adrian asked. "Because..."

"And then there's the line, 'I met her at that bookstore over there.'" Elias laughed.

"Oh!" Regulus's eyes blinked, reaching into his bag, which he'd charmed to hold more items. "Almost forgot!"

"Don't you think, Oscar, the girls will eat that lineup?" Elias asked as Regulus pulled out the books, presenting them, quite pleased with himself and smiling.

"So, I don't think Regulus was trying to channel Sirius guys," Oscar said, his lips pushing together as he tried not to laugh.

"Huh?" Elias looked at the books.

"These are for you," Regulus said.

Adrian stared, then, "Regulus, where did you get those?"

"A Muggle bookshop," Regulus said. "Though I didn't read them as they were meant as gifts."

"Wait. You walked into a Muggle bookshop?" Elias leaned against the wall, staring at him as if he'd grown another head.

"Yes. Kind of. I mean..."

Adrian reached out and covered his mouth. "Are you crazy? Your mother would kill you!"

Oscar laughed as Regulus let out a sound of frustration. Elias pulled his wand, sighing, casting a spell to lock the compartment. "Was there a girl there?"

Regulus pushed Adrian's hand away. "Yes! Yes, there was!"

"Oh, bloody Merlin." Adrian leaned his head against the wall. "Why me? Why, why me?"

"And so you wrote a song about a girl?" Elias asked.

"Yes," Regulus nodded his head, still holding the books out.

"I have the other two, so I'll take this one. She's got a good choice in books about music," Oscar said.

"That was her older brother, who also works there."

"So, you actually did write a romance song?" Elias said as Adrian groaned, keeping his face to the wall.

"No. It's not."

"There," Adrian said, turning to look at Elias. "Maybe it's not a romance like you think."

"He describes her as bewitching," Elias said. "How do you think the girls are going to interpret this one?"

"Ugh! Regulus?"

"It's not a romance," Regulus said, becoming flustered. "Why would anyone think that?"

"Because you're a bloody oblivious moron?" Adrian said, turning back to bury his head in the corner, tapping with his knuckles.

"That's not nice, Adrian," Oscar said.

"So, you don't like this girl?"

"She's nice, so yes," Regulus said.

"He means as in like-like, not just like," Adrian said, turning his head.

"Oh." Regulus frowned. "I don't know why you would think that." He held out the books, indicating Adrian and Elias should take them. "I'm not allowed to like-like her."

"Dude," Elias laughed, his laugh sounding off. "You can't control who you like-like, if that's what you want to call it."

"No. I've got to like-like whoever maman and papa..."

"How about we discuss the prefect business until the train finally arrives?" Adrian asked, quickly grabbing the notebook from Elias. "And not breath word to anyone about our song that isn't a romance song that everyone is going to think is?" He handed the notebook to Regulus. "And you. Put this away. You are going to cause trouble for us if you're not careful before we even begin recording."

"Oh. Slughorn..." Oscar started saying, then. "I'll wait. Prefect business. Until the train gets there."

"And on the carriages, but I think we should ride with Regulus."

"Then no girls will get into my personal space."

"I wonder if that girl..."

"Elias! Please!" Adrian said. He then sighed.

"Fine. I'll fill you in," Elias said.

Regulus pulled out his notebook.

"Regulus."

"I'm taking notes."

"Maybe not..."

"It's my school notebook, honest."

"How can you tell the difference?"

"Because there's so many pages already used? See the edge? The unused pages are still pressed together, nice and neat."

"That is weird, but I'll start," Elias said, and Regulus filled in the notebook, noticing he'd entered the same notes multiple times.

"Elias is repeating so we don't talk about other things," Regulus wrote.

Adrian leaned over, letting out a sigh.

"What did he write down now?" Elias said.

"'Elias is repeating so we don't talk about other things.'"

"You didn't need to write that!"

"Yes, I did."

"Why?"

"I don't know why I do some of the things I do, but if I don't, it feels weird."

"Don't," Adrian sighed. "I've dealt with him all summer as Sirius hasn't been at home to..."

The train pulled to a stop. Adrian let out a sigh. "Thank goodness!" He grabbed Regulus. "Let's go, and please don't complain about not liking to be touched. We need to find a carriage that the four of us can all sit in so you don't ramble about things you shouldn't."

"I don't know why," Regulus said, nearly stumbling off the train, following after Adrian. "I mean, if there's someone else there, not in on it..."

And then someone crashed into him, knocking him to the ground, his wrist twisting as Adrian landed on top of him. His eyes blinked, and he sat up.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Oscar called out. "I'll take care..."

"I've got it." Lupin stepped forward as someone else helped Adrian, gently lifting Regulus' wrist and casting a spell to set it. "You'll still want to head to the infirmary once we arrive."

"Why do you have to be so much trouble?"

Regulus turned, seeing his brother. "I—Sirius."

"Don't talk to me."

"But..."

"I want nothing to do with any Blacks, any snakes," Sirius snapped. "But you didn't even show up to the prefect meeting? You've bloody got an issue with Lupin? Evans?"

"Evan?" Regulus' eyes blinked. "Oh. You mean..."

"Sirius, really," Lupin said, glaring at his friend.

"Why would I want anything to do with someone who's already shirking his prefect duties on the first day of school? Even better question, how did you..."

"Sirius Black! Detention!"

Regulus felt his mouth twitch as his brother turned to look at Lily Evans, her fiery red hair matching her temper. "If I write lyrics about her, how nice is she to me when Sirius isn't construed as romance? Oh. More lyrics."

"It's not even—the school's not even started, Evans!"

"Stop being mean to your brother!"

"He's not my brother!"

"Huh. I'm not allowed to say she's my sister in real life, but can I say it in lyrics? That will be fun, but maybe that will hide who it's about and not allow it to be construed as romance?"

"Regulus. Let's go," Adrian said, pulling him into the carriage.

"Wait? Are you writing more lyrics?" Oscar asked.

"No. You can't just," Adrian sighed.

"These are spelled so Barty can't read them."

"Wait? Only Barty?" Oscar laughed.

"He's the only one who goes snooping through my things, so yes."

Elias leaned over, then after Regulus got the lyrics out, said, "Huh. Another song about a girl?"

"Regulus! Please tell me..."

"Well, it is a romance."

"But I'm not."

"It's a bloody hilarious song about two brothers duking it out over a single girl while the youngest brother doesn't know who to root for but decides to root for the girl—because she's much nicer to him than his oldest brother and the other brother is mean to her best friend, but he doesn't want her to get with the best friend either because he's creepy, but he still wants the girl to be his older sister."

Oscar started laughing, sliding down. Regulus frowned. "Uh. That's not right, I think." He looked at the lyrics and then showed them to Adrian. "Addy?"

Adrian looked over. "Yes. Well, uh. Keep in mind your mind works in strange ways, mister oblivious."

"Huh, okay." Regulus slipped the book back into his school bag as the carriages arrived.