── Friday 1st September 1972

Following his encounter with Sirius' friends, most of the train ride to Hogwarts had indeed been spent on the floor of a bathroom as gross as it was. However his avoidance technique was cut short when some desperate kid started banging on the door, eloquently requesting he pack it up and get the fuck out already because some of us need to piss. To say Regulus had been shocked by such unwarranted vulgarity would've been fair - he could tell Hogwarts was going to be a lovely place full of lovely people.

Regulus had to force himself up, stepping out of the bathroom to find a tall, shaggy-haired brunette who shoved past him without any regard for simple manners. The attitude was unbelievable, honestly. The boy pressed his lips into a thin line, mildly annoyed as he walked away, trying to figure out where Narcissa was sitting.

To be truthful, Evan had invited him to sit with Rabastan and him, but Regulus could not be bothered with their constant chatter at the moment - Evan would make one snarky comment about Sirius and the boy was certain he'd start sobbing from the frustration, which would just be embarrassing. He'd done enough of that already that summer, and he wasn't willing to lose the few friends he had because he'd acted like a baby.

Narcissa would understand him, on the other hand, even if she didn't know why exactly he was upset. Besides, he had yet to properly see her ever since the news that Andromeda had... left. Regulus was sure she was distraught, and even just simple company could be comforting.

After a series of humiliating moments made up of him wandering into compartments full of strangers, Regulus finally struck gold as he approached one at the front of the train and opened it to find his blonde cousin. Though to his displeasure, she was accompanied by Lucius Malfoy and Corban Yaxley, the latter who eyed him with interest, as their conversation came to a sudden halt. Regulus didn't mind Lucius, he was okay, but something about Yaxley had always unnerved him, and if he was just going to ogle him like that, then he wasn't helping his case.

Narcissa had looked up from her book as he'd entered, confusion forming on her delicate features. "Regulus? Is something wrong? I thought you were sitting with Evan."

He shrugged, trying not to pay attention to Yaxley's unrelenting gaze, "I got bored. Can I sit here?"

She nodded, moving to make space for him, "Here." Regulus sat down next to her, and across from the two older boys. "How's life treating you?"

"Well-"

"How's the Dark Lord treating you?" interjected Yaxley loudly, with narrowed eyes. His tone was almost envious. Regulus' eyes darted to look him, shocked by his inability to be subtle. Was he trying to let the whole train know or something?

"Lucius, darling, try to keep your friend from interrupting us, hm?" came his cousin's sharp response and Regulus was thankful for it. Lucius blinked, immediately fumbling to scold his friend. "Reg?"

"Oh, um my life's fine," Regulus lied, suddenly not feeling up to group therapy. "Just thinking about the sorting, I guess."

"I wouldn't worry about it, Reg, you'll no doubt get into Slytherin. You're so incredibly intelligent, what more could they want?"

Regulus offered her a small smile, deciding not to point out that Ravenclaw had intelligent people too, or that Sirius had always been smart when it came to his studies. He glanced at Lucius and Yaxley who were now conversing between themselves, careful to choose his next words, "How are you... holding up then?"

Narcissa blinked, her smile faltering for the smallest millisecond, before it returned. "I'm great, Reg," she said though he could've swore her eyes had become glassy.

Regulus nodded, settling into the silence that followed as he understood privacy would no longer be an option while he was here - not when there were so many people around at all times. Well, he supposed, perhaps secrets would have to be their always from now on.

── ✧ ──

Upon arrival to Hogwarts, the first years had been escorted to the lake from which a wondrous view of the school was on display, lit by candles that resembled still fireflies in the water.

Regulus had held a deep love for the water ever since he was a small child, when he'd spend most of his swimming lessons letting it engulf him completely. He recalled Sirius would always jump in, trading in the peace for his contagious chaos as he'd splash about. It was funny - in a way, Regulus felt he was the eye in his brother's storm. Sirius had always looked for space to take up, even if it meant defying every rule he came to. To his brother, rules had always been a constraint while to Regulus they provided purposes. Regulus would've been happy remaining stationary, surrounded by his brother's chaos even if it suffocated him in the end.

"Never thought a spot of water would be so interested," hummed Rabastan, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Let's share boats?"

Regulus looked around, "Where's your other half?"

"Evan? Ditched me for Wilkes, said he's making new friends, which don't worry I don't get it either - the Wilkes are as poor as dirt these days," he claimed, rolling his eyes. The boy glanced at the boys in question, his dark eyes sparkling gold as the lights shined on his face, "I heard his father gambled away all their money."

Regulus furrowed his eyebrows. Yes, he did recall Uncle Cygnus discussing that once, but he hadn't cared much for it. As far as he knew, the Wilkes were still part of the Sacred 28, so their wealth was none of his concern. He was sure such an infamous family would be able to rebuild their assets rather quickly, one way or the other.

Regulus and Rabastan headed for the shore along with the rest of the first years, climbing into the small, wooden boats. The rest of the ride was quiet, as Regulus was tired and Rabastan seemed a bit ruffled that his best friend had chosen some stranger over him.

As they reached the gates of the school, anxiety started to stir in his mind as the closeness of his impending sorting became more and more prominent. As he grasped for some sort of comfort, he supposed he wasn't like Sirius. He wasn't brave like Sirius, so Gryffindor couldn't possibly be an option. Regulus didn't feel he was particularly loyal, nor too smart despite what Narcissa claimed and so Slytherin had to be his default. Okay, alright then, he was right, and ready to be sorted now.

He trailed after Rabastan as they were lead into a giant hall with four tables that went the length of the room, each one corresponding to a different house. Awe-inspiring charms were put on the ceiling to create the illusion of a sparkling night sky, but unlike the mudbloods who were gawking at it, Regulus wasn't fazed by them - it was nothing he hadn't seen before.

Slowly heading to the front of the room, Regulus searched the sea of students under the lion banner of Gryffindor, eventually catching sight of Sirius sitting between Potter and Macdonald. His brother tapped the latter on the shoulder and then immediately looked away, suppressing giggles, as if it wasn't obvious who the culprit was. Regulus huffed at his childish behaviour - classic of his brother to mess around with some idiots instead of be interested in the matter at hand - did he even care which house Regulus was sorted into?

An old wizard who Regulus assumed to be Albus Dumbledore, school headmaster, stood up and clapped for everyone to quiet down, before welcoming them to Hogwarts. Then all attention was brought to the sorting hat who rather ridiculously sang about the important aspects of each house. They were really dragging this entire thing out. Regulus just wanted to get it over with now, but at this rate he'd be 6 feet under before they'd even started sorting. Regulus Arcturus Black. His gravestone would read. Death from prolonged nervosity.

Oh. On second thoughts, perhaps he would live - it seemed they'd finally started the sorting ceremony. A witch with a serious expression stood by the hat, introducing herself as Professor McGonagall and proceeding to call for each first year, in order of surnames, from a scroll of parchment. The first few sortings went swiftly, each one taking no more than two minutes, and then, then his own name was called.

The room went substantially quieter as Regulus walked towards the stool. He sat down, the hat was placed on him, and suddenly he felt that he had been too hasty and that maybe the hat could've sung another verse of that riveting house song.

"Another Black!" the hat's voice exclaimed in his ear. "Well, there's certainly a smart mind in here. Courage and ambition, too, though it would have to be prompted... perhaps not Gryffindor like your brother then, maybe Ravenclaw, unless..."

No. Regulus thought. You're right, not Gryffindor. Put me in Slytherin please.

"Oh? Well I suppose it's not far off... SLYTHERIN!" it announced, a subtle sigh of relief escaping Regulus at the same time. He got off the stool for the next boy, Edgar Bones, to take, glad the hat hadn't chosen to argue with him, as that would've just given people more to scrutinise.

Regulus kept a confident composure as he approached the Slytherin table, careful not to make his earlier uncertainty evident as he sat down next to Narcissa. His eyes travelled to meet his brother's from across the room, though Sirius immediately broke the eye contact, clear disappointment etched into his face. Regulus blinked - he had to have imagined that. Sirius couldn't possibly be irritated by his sorting.

The sorting ceremony continued and Regulus found that Lucius enjoyed commenting on each first year that was called. It seemed he didn't have a great opinion on Charity Burbage, Hufflepuff's newest member, or even the pair of pureblood twins sorted into Slytherin - Alecto and Amycus Carrow - who the older boy insisted had nothing to their name.

"Margot Fortescue!" Professor McGonagall called out, adjusting her reading glasses, and a red-headed girl came and sat down, promptly being sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Thomas Fortescue!" A timid, brunette boy moved towards the front of the hall.

"I wasn't aware Alice Fortescue had siblings," Lucius mused.

"She doesn't," Narcissa spoke, slight irritation creeping into her voice as she did. Regulus' brows furrowed, puzzled by her tone. "Those are her cousins."

"Elijah Fortescue's twins?"

His cousin nodded.

"Who's Elijah Fortescue?" Regulus asked, eyes flickering from the boy who was still sat on the stool.

Lucius scoffed, "Some auror - he was a blood traitor, always contesting the pureblood way of life. Well, eventually he got what was coming to him - three, four years ago, was it? The last person he had a spat with was Aelius Rosier, and then he died a few weeks later. It was all over the papers."

"He died from illness," Narcissa added hurriedly. "The fight with my uncle was simply a coincidence."

Lucius smirked, as if he was in on some secret, eyes still on the small boy, "Of course. He's taking quite a while being sorted, isn't he? Almost a hat stall."

As if to spite him, the hat loudly announced "HUFFLEPUFF!" and Thomas Fortescue quickly rushed over to his sister.

Lucius' commentary went on as the sorting commenced. Rabastan was sorted into Slytherin the second the hat had touched his head, and Evan had been too, those his sorting took about a minute more.

The two had taken seats by Evan's cousin, Levi Nott, not too far from Regulus. Though his blonde friend seemed almost horrified, eyes continuously flickering between the sorting and where Sirius sat, as if his brother had personally offended him in the last two minutes.

"What's wrong with you?" Regulus saw Rabastan question, gaze focused on Professor McGonagall as she called for "Drystan Wilkes!"

Evan stared at Sirius for a moment longer, a deep frown forming on his lips, before he shrugged. "I'm just thinking how embarrassed I'd be if I were Sirius Black," he responded, much louder than necessary. Several students and teachers around the room stopped to look at him with expressions ranging from amused to judgmental, including his brother who scowled.

Though Evan's own gaze was now transfixed on the sorting, ignorant or unbothered to the glances he was receiving. Regulus frowned at him, wondering what could possibly have him so irritated by his brother's presence.

── ✧ ──

you guys dk memphis fortescue yet but you will and you'll know that that's my baby!! 

this is all regulus pov bc i got carried away and wrote too much but we shall to sirius next chapter bc equality 💪💪

anyways i think my favouritism is showing bc like if i was in a life or death situation and the way to get out was don't ever mention evan rosier again i would simply be dead🥰

ALSO MERRY BELATED CHRISTMAS TO ANYONE WHO CELEBRATES <33 if not, happy holidays still!

26.12.23