For NeonDomino, I hope you like it!

Word Count: 666


choices have consequences


A couple of days later, everyone had gotten somewhat used to the lone Slytherin in Gryffindor Tower. Regulus still had to listen to some ridicule and quite a few of the Lions still openly glared at him, but their number seemed to decrease every day.

While he still sat with the Slytherins—in particularly Stewart Johnson and Ana Fawley—during mealtimes and in class, he also made friends with some of the Gryffindors in his year, like Sebastian Morris and Tiana Goldstein.

He had not spoken with many others in his year so far, but Regulus still had plenty of time left to do that.

He was also helping Sirius, James, and the other Marauders with the Map to the best of his ability—which admittedly mainly consisted out of listing the most confusing spots of the castle, but it was something.

His classes, too, were looking very interesting. Personally, Regulus liked Charms best It simply seemed like the most useful—at least so far. And of course that was followed closely Astronomy, because it gave him an excuse to stay up late.

So what. He was eleven. Staying up late was very exciting and it wasn't like he could do it at home.

All in all life at Hogwarts was looking better every day.

Until someone told Professor Slughorn that he had stopped sleeping in the dungeons.

The man hadn't even given Regulus a chance to defend himself and his—or rather James's—actions during the tirade. It felt like it last for hours upon hours.

When he told James and Sirius that he would have to return to the Slytherin dorms—and say the word—they were beyond furious.

"Not if I can do anything against it!" Sirius yelled in protest as he stormed off to—presumably—Slughorn's office.

If Regulus was honest, the expression on his brother's face made him worry. For Professor Slughorn, because Sirius looked just about ready to commit murder.

"Who does the man think he is, that he can order you—and by extension us—around like that?" James ranted.

Was that a trick question?

"Err, my Head of House? Maybe?" he replied, but James simply laughed and clapped a hand on Regulus's his back.

"Ah, you're so naive. No one can order the Marauders around. No one." Then James paused as a thought occurred to him. "Okay, no one except for my Mom, but she bribes us with her cooking and baking and that's technically blackmail, so it doesn't really count."

"What about Professor Dumbledore? Surely you follow his orders?" Regulus questioned incredulously. Dumbledore was the headmaster after all. They couldn't risk expulsion for something this stupid, could they?

James frowned. "And why should we if they don't make any sense? If the proposals of him—or anyone, really—sound logical, then your brother, Peter, Remus, and I have no issue with following them."

That, Regulus supposed, actually made more sense than blindly following what they were told.

The Gryffindor quickly interrupted his thoughts. "Come on, let's play a game of Snitch Snatcher! while we wait for Sirius to return. Pete got one from his Mom for his birthday over the summer. It's awesome!"

"If you say so. I haven't had the chance to play it yet."

James gasped and put a hand over his heart. "That, my friend, is something that we have to correct immediately. Everyone should have played the boardgame version of Quidditch at least once!"

And with that, James dragged Regulus into their dorm—at least currently—and they played the game.

James was right. It was awesome.

Twenty five minutes later, Sirius returned, kicking the door against the wall and grinning like the madman Regulus was starting to suspect he was. "Slughorn would like to formally apologize. He had no knowledge of the specific password and thus could not judge the situation accurately. He will speak with the Slytherin Prefects and you will only have to return once the password is changed."

James grinned at him. "See? We're not letting you go that easily. We're just clingy like that."


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~Marvelgeek42