"So where do you come from, Regina?" Favian asked politely from over a mound of mashed potatoes.
"Alaska, and the name's Reggie, please," Reggie shoveled a pile of peas into her mouth.
"Ooh, sorry," Favian blushed.
"It's okay, just don't do it again," she grinned. "What about you, you in seventh year too?"
"Yeah, Albus is my brother, actually," she twitched her head to indicate Fro with a mild look of distaste.
Regina's eyebrow's shot up.
"It's Fro, Troll-Face," Fro snapped at his sister.
Favian's eyes became narrow and she hissed something vicious at him.
"Those aren't decent words to be using as Head Girl, are they, Favian?" Fro said in singsong.
"Shut up,"
Dinner transformed into desert, and Tonks couldn't resist a bit of everything. He knew his stomach wouldn't thank him later, but that was okay.
"So you're in Gryffindor, a Malfoy in Gryffindor," Sirius grinned mischievously. "Must be a first."
"It is," Reggie smirked. "Dad'll be pissed out of his mind. He told me that once I realized that I was a Slytherin, I could be a true Malfoy."
"Well, you'll have to change your last name to please him at all,"
"Yesh, to shumthig like," Fro swallowed, "Muggle-Loving-Fool."
When desert was over, Headmistress McGonagall stood before the hall and bid them goodnight.
"First years, you can follow me," Favian said politely over the heads of the Gryffindors. "I'll get you there." She lowered her voice, "you can come with me too, Reg."
Reggie nodded.
Sirius, Fro, Robbie and Tonks went off on their own before the masses of first years could block the way. Down the hallway they traipsed sleepily, talking pleasantly about the year ahead, Quidditch matches they'd read about or seen, and girls.
The Fat Lady, dressed tonight in a dress of golden silk, watched them fondly as they arrived.
"Welcome back, boys," she fluttered her eyelashes at them. "Password?"
"Pixie dust, my lady," Sirius bowed to her.
"What a gentleman! So handsome too!" She swung out of the way and the four boys crawled through.
The fireplace of the common room crackled with warm orange flames that heated the scarlet sofas and gave the room a pleasant and sleepy sort of look. It was nice to be back in the old castle, where the stairs moved and ghosts had free movement. The boys clomped up to the boys' dormitory.
"Top room this year, mates," Fro grinned. "After you, Sir Sirius the Gentleman,"
"So kind," Sirius fluttered his long, dark lashes jokingly and scooted in. Robbie shoved Fro away from the door and bolted in.
"Don't be such a twat, eh?" Fro called after him.
Tonks, grinning mischievously, gave Fro a hand up.
"Thanks, mate,"
"No problem,"
After they changed into their pajamas, brushed their teeth and all those necessaries, the four boys crawled into their four-posters and fell asleep.
The next morning came all too soon for the sleepy seventeen-year-olds.
"Morning must be the absolute worst time of day," Fro muttered as he spooned oatmeal half-heartedly into his mouth. Professor Granger, the head of Gryffindor House, was passing out schedules to each student. Her professional forest green robes swept behind her giving her an air of importance.
"'Lo Mum," Fro said as she handed him his schedule.
"Good morning, Albus," she pursed her lips, disliking that he called her "mum" whilst in school. However, their relations had never stopped her from giving him grades that he very much deserved. "Give this to your sister, won't you?" She handed him an extra one. "Here you are, Mr. Potter, Mr. Jordan, and Mr. Shacklebolt."
"Thanks," Tonks mumbled as he took his schedule. This morning he had kept the same look as he had used yesterday. His eyes were still dark blue and his hair was still a chocolate-y brown. His nose had kept the same shape as he had settled on just the day before. "Aw crap, I have Potions first thing this morning."
Fro looked appraisingly at his sister's. "Favian does too, the prat. I told you, you should have dropped," Fro said smugly and then looked at his own. "Study of Muggles, dull as that is, at least Snape Senior doesn't teach it."
"Me too, mate," Robbie slapped Fro's shoulder. "I hate Potions. Professor Tilden may be a bit off sometimes, but he's fair."
"That's just 'cause you almost lost an eye in fifth year," Sirius grinned. "Should have been looking at what you were putting in, not Maureen Turpin's ass-"
"So glad you're having a pleasant conversation as I walk in," Favian sat down next to Tonks and shot Sirius an unusually dirty look.
"You're still sore that I caught you and-."
"You didn't 'catch' anything!" Favian snapped, stabbing a hole through the piece of toast she was trying to butter. Her face was bright pink and clashed with her reddish hair.
"Here's your schedule, little sister," Fro shoved the piece of parchment in front of his sister's face. Favian was too flustered to berate him for calling her "little sister."
"Potions first period," she scoffed. "Good start to my already sunny morning."
"What did you catch her doing?" Robbie muttered in Sirius's ear.
Sirius looked at Favian quickly, who was deeply engrossed in her schedule. "I'll tell you later," he whispered back.
"Where's Reggie?" Tonks asked before Favian could ask what they were muttering about.
Favian blanched. "Oh no! I'll bet she's lost somewhere!" She shot out of her seat and ran down the hall.
"Good thinking, Tonks," Fro slapped Tonks' back. "You got rid of her,"
Tonks grinned. That hadn't been his intention, but no reason to voice it.
"Now is later, Sirius," Robbie said quickly. "She may be back soon."
Sirius looked over his shoulder and then leaned in. "You know how we live in my dad's godfather's old house, right?"
"Yeah, headquarters for the Order," Tonks waved for him to move on. Of course he and Fro knew perfectly well, after all their parents were avidly involved. Robbie had a pretty good idea of what that all meant too. He was one of their best buds; he had to be clued in on some things.
"Well, I don't know if you remember that bloke from France who came to stay with us over the summer…."
"Beau Delacourt?" Fro looked disgusted.
Sirius's face began to spread in an eager grin. "I guess he was giving her some French lessons."
"Oh no- no, no, NO! Get out of my head!" Fro clutched the sides of his skull and squeezed his eyes shut in misery. "Favian and the Frog? That is horrible."
"I must say, I thought it was rather fun to watch," Sirius sat back and crossed his arms lazily.
"Sirius! She's your cousin!" Robbie laughed.
Sirius sat up in revulsion. "I didn't mean that, you twit!"
"Sure, you incestuous pig. I remember when you saw her in the beginning of last year-."
"I hadn't seen her all summer! I didn't recognize her!"
"-and her boobs were-."
"AGH! You shut up! You're both disgusting!" Fro ducked under the table and started reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood with his fingers in his ears.
Tonks pat his back comfortingly, looking around the hall at the same time, half hoping he might catch a glimpse of Reggie before he finished breakfast. Ronald Yatzquitz, a fourth year Hufflepuff, was staring at Janeen Massey as she bent over to retrieve her dropped quill.
"You two really are disgusting, he's right," Tonks laughed. "Even I would never leer at one of my cousins."
"Tonks," Robbie said matter-of-factly, "all your cousins are either dead or in Azkaban."
"But the point remains,"
Fro sat up and unplugged his ears carefully.
"Well, now that your done trying to blow yourself-."
"Oh shut up, Sirius."
Once they had finished breakfast, they were about to leave when Reggie and Favian returned. They were followed by three lost first years. Reggie's cheeks were pink with embarrassment. Today her hair was pulled back in a loose bun that framed a softer looking face. However, her eyes were still the same icy blue. Favian was stopped by her fellow Gryffindor friends, Valerie and Ayumi. Ayumi had dated Sirius for a few months. Over the chatter of the Great Hall, the friends caught some of what was being said. Ayumi smiled kindly at Reggie and mentioned something about being a metamorph mage too. Reggie just smiled and nodded, not looking all that interested.
"Should we head to first period?" Robbie asked Fro.
"Yeah, see you later guys," Fro eyed his sister, looking on the verge of being sick. He bolted off, barely pausing to grab his stuff. Robbie shot a sly grin over his shoulder and followed.
"Boys," Tonks clicked his tongue.
However, Reggie did not head for the Gryffindor table but towards the staff table. Professor Granger smiled at her while Professor Potter gave her an odd look. Reggie and Granger chatted for a few minutes before she took her schedule and headed to the table with Favian, Ayumi and Valerie. Tonks made a show of placing his spoon in his bowl just so and draining his already empty glass of water. Sirius didn't notice, doing the same himself.
"Maybe we should go now," Tonks said abruptly.
Sirius looked startled. "Really?"
"Yeah… er… we don't want to be late. You know how Old Snape-y is," Tonks laughed forcedly.
"Er… yeah," Sirius shot a glance at Reggie. "Yeah, I guess you're right-."
"You guys aren't leaving, are you?" Favian asked brusquely.
"Of course not," Tonks and Sirius chimed.
Favian jumped a bit in surprise. "Er- good. I mean to say… all right." She took her seat back. Reggie was staring at her schedule as she sat down, looking a bit overwhelmed.
"Are you okay?" Ayumi asked in concern, sloe-eyes getting larger. Metamorph mage though she was, she tended to stick to her Japanese origins, though her eyes were a sparkling gray color.
"Huh? Oh yeah… it's just this school is so… big," Reggie shrugged. Then she grinned, covering any signs of confusion that she'd shown before. "But all that wandering around and getting lost has me starving. What's that gray stuff?"
"The oatmeal?" Valerie lifted a thick eyebrow. Fro swore that the girl had werewolf blood.
"Oh, just making sure it wasn't something gross like haggis de matin or something," she scooped some oatmeal into her mouth and then looked at Tonks and Sirius as though for the first time. "What class do you have this morning?"
"Potions," they chimed.
She swallowed some more oatmeal. "Where's the curly guy? Fro?"
"Muggle Studies," Favian said.
"Didn't you say your mom was Muggle-born?" Reggie was frowning.
Ayumi giggled. "Well, Fro is kind of lazy. I think he's just taking it for the easy grade."
"He is," Favian grumbled, tearing the crusts off of her toast and putting them bit by bit into her mouth until little black crumbs lined the plate and her fingers.
"Oh, here comes the swine squad," Sirius muttered.
Tonks looked up and saw four Slytherin boys coming their way. Sarth Snape, Archibald McAllister, Vlad Rasputin, and Haruki Miyano. Slytherins were not generally known for their devious good-looks, and this particular group had a fifty-fifty attractiveness. Archibald had greasy yellow hair and squinty yellow eyes to match. He was wiry and tall with a greasy face full of acne. Vlad had been gifted in the looks department, with a large black unibrow that nearly stretched across his entire forehead. Where Archibald was tall and skinny, Vlad was short and wide, but not with fat. To compensate for his lack in height, Vlad spent a good deal of his time lifting weights and getting muscular. It only added to his trollish appearance.
Though Gryffindors hated to admit it, particularly male Gryffindors, Sarth and Haruki were not half-bad when it came to how handsome they were. Haruki, being of Japanese decent, had a certain grace about him that few males had. His face was pleasant, smooth, and cunning. One girl went so far as to describe him has "drop dead sexy" at which Sirius had feigned gagging himself in revulsion. Sarth had dark hair, dark eyes, a square jaw and broad shoulders. Somehow he had managed to overcome his father's greasy-hair gene and seemed to have pretty decent hygiene overall. A jerk was still a jerk, good-looking or not.
"Do you have a reason for standing so near?" Sirius asked irritably.
"I just wanted to find out which classes I have the misfortune of sharing with you," Snape sneered. He grabbed Favian's schedule and looked over it, comparing. Favian didn't object, to Tonks' surprise, but looked up curiously instead. He threw it back down at her.
"How many?" Favian asked, lip curling slightly.
"All of them," it sounded painful. "Gryffindors galore."
"What makes you think we have the same classes as Favian?" Sirius asked.
"You all stick so close together, it's pathetic," Sarth said. He strolled off.
"That was weird,"
"Let me look at your schedule," Sirius grabbed it and compared it to his. "Well, good thing we don't take Runes or Arithmancy, eh, Tonks? Wait, you take Arithmancy, don't you? At least I have some sense. And I dropped History of Magic too, so that's one less."
"You dropped history?" Favian asked in amazement, grabbing his schedule as though to verify the fact. "But history is important!"
"Not unless you teach the ruddy stuff," Sirius disagreed.
"And it's boring," Tonks put in.
"But you didn't drop it," Favian said. "Did you?"
"I didn't," Tonks shrugged. "My mum almost had an aneurysm when I dropped Runes and Astronomy, so I didn't want to try to drop another."
"You dropped… and…?" Favian couldn't believe it.
"We're not all overachievers," Sirius pointed out.
"You're right. Some of us don't achieve anything," Favian spat back, looking distinctly pink at the ears.
"Okay, you guys," Reggie interjected, smiling cheerily. "Enough's enough already. Let's get to class."