Content warning: (I guess?) alcohol and underage drinking

also I've never tasted alcohol much less been drunk so now my google account thinks I'm some crazy alcoholic cause I had to research, not the craziest thing I've had to look up for a story tho

this was my first time writing both Slughorn and Pandora so hopefully I wrote them well

No beta read it's late but I might come back tomorrow and beta it then

hope you enjoy

"Regulus, your potions turning a little red there" Slughorn warned. Regulus was a bit distracted by avoiding his roommates who were glaring quite intensely at the back of his head.

"oh, thanks professor" he nodded correcting his potion and breathing a sigh of relief when it turned back to the green it was supposed to be.

The rest of potion's followed similarly, Regulus just barely managing to not screw it up and not draw too much attention to himself with Slughorn lurking around him.

OoOoOo

After class Slughorn asked him to stay for a moment.

"your potions grades are going down as well as your other grades" the head of Slytherin informed his student.

"sir, my potions grade had never quite been the best, but you'll find that if I've dropped in my other classes it's not by very much, I am still the top of astronomy, charms, and arithmancy" he informed the potions master with a respectful but firm voice.

"I suppose you are, but if you're other grades drop anymore you'll not be in the Slugclub" he warned. In truth Regulus never really cared for the club, it did present opportunities in the future however.

"yes professor, thank you"

"Speaking of Slugclub, an hour after dinner is our meeting time for tonight"

"I'll be there. Is that all?" He asked after a brief pause.

"yes, go do your homework or hang out with your friends" his head of house waved him off. "Don't forget to bring a date tonight" Slughorn called as Regulus exited the room.

OoOoOo

"can you come with me to the Slugclub tonight?" Regulus asked Pandora as they walked up the stairs to the Ravenclaw common room.

"sorry, I have a date" She said.

"how dare you, I thought I was your one true love!" He said dramatically.

"sometimes I doubt if you and Sirius are actually brothers but then you say something like that and there's no questioning it" she said through laughter.

"oh come on, I didn't sound like him that much"

"sure, and your mum didn't marry her cousin" they laughed at the overused joke. Merlin, he missed hanging out with Pandora, he hadn't laughed this much... since... before the break? Since before Sirius left?

OoOoOo

Regulus ended up going without a date, he would simply say his got sick or something.

"It's sick how they make House elf's do all this work when we could simply wave our wands" Lily Evans, a Gryffindor prefect and the girl James wouldn't stop bugging, said to her date. Her date being a shorter, dark skinned girl with curly and slightly poofy hair, who was in Gryffindor based on the red and gold accessories she wore.

"I know. They shouldn't have to do any of this" Regulus agreed. The house elves were required to serve food and clean up at the party.

"oh, I didn't realize you were right there" Evans -the Gryffindor girl not his roommate- said jumping a little.

"sorry, didn't mean to be rude, I just don't hear too many people talking about house elf rights too often" he apologized.

"well you wouldn't considering who you hang out with." The redhead replied.

"hey Lils, want to dance with me?" Her date asked holding out a hand.

"sure," Evans took hold of it and the two girls went off twirling, they looked good to anyone who hadn't been taught ballet and formal dancing since before they could even hold a wand.

OoOoOo

Regulus stayed by the refreshments for most of the party. He got a bit more drunk than any fifteen year old at a school party should but almost everyone was a bit drunk. Slughorn was completely out of it as he danced clumsy by himself.

The young Slytherin was just about to get another cup of fire whiskey when he heard a commotion at one side of the room, no one really cared to look and see what happened. They were busy snoging and trying to keep drinks down.

On second thought Regulus may have just been the most sober person there. Seeing as drinks were always at Black family parties he'd gotten quite used to alcohol from a young age and could down half a bottle of fire whisky and be only a little tipsy.

"Oi! don't speak to him like that!" Evans girl shouted in the center of the ruckus, as Regulus made his way over.

"why not?! It's his job to keep the drinks from spilling" Snape responded slurring his words quite a bit. As the two came into view Regulus saw there was a houseelf cleaning up spilled drinks on the floor at their feet.

"are they getting paid?"

"no. Their elf's "

"no, they're living talking beings" Evans, no Regulus was too drunk to keep calling her that. He'd keep getting her and his roommate confused in his head. So Lily responded.

The two continued to argue as Regulus stooped down to help the elf, and saw that it was actually Cranky.

"hello Cranky, sorry about him" Regulus nodded to Snape.

"hello, Regulus. Cranky is gl-"

"what's that supposed to mean Black?!" Snape asked.

"huh?"

"why are you apologizing for me to an elf?"

"You're a git"

"he's not a git!" Lily interjected, seaming to forget that she was mad at the slimy kid next to her.

"sure" Regulus didn't feel like arguing with her, she has a famously nasty temper. He went back to helping his friend.

"why are you even helping that creature?" Snape asked.

"well, one; I'm not a complete jerk. And two; I'm friends with him. Yes you heard me friends" he finished helping Cranky and stood up, still being shorter than Snape though.

"I understand that's a foreign concept to you though"

"hey Lily, I need to talk with my house mate, go have fun, save me a dance" Snape told the redhead. She looked uncertain for a moment but was dragged back over to the dance floor by her date.

"Black, you shouldn't call me a jerk. You wouldn't want news of your disowning being spread would you?" He threatened.

"w-what?!" Regulus's mind was spinning and not because of the alcohol, though that couldn't be helping.

"did you not know I've started tutoring students in defense dark arts? Your roommate Rosier is one of my favorite students" he laughed sounding quite evil.

"don't tell anyone" if anyone knew- his life- everything he's done- would it have been for nothing? If he really wasn't a Black- the Black heir then, then, was everything he's done been in vain?? All the work he's put into being perfect, all those late nights studying, everything-?

"I won't. Just don't annoy me anymore" Snape said turning around to go back to the party.

Regulus wanted to simply leave the party and not ever see Snape again but he couldn't leave now. It would be incredibly suspicious and he couldn't give Snape the satisfaction of knowing he's won. So Regulus resolved himself to getting completely wasted by the drinks table for the rest of the night.

I head canon that all the Blacks had to learn things like proper handwriting, formal dancing, ballet, Astronomy, ect. from a very young age so that may come up again.

Also Reg is bad at potions because it's normally the Slytherins who are good with potions but as a Slytherin I would probably be quite bad at it (depends on is it's more like chemistry or cooking (I'm terrible at chemistry))

Lily's date is Mary MacDonald because I will go down with that ship (although they're not dating currently just hanging out as friends)

I loved writing Pandora so if y'all'd like to see more of her I could probably arrange that.

Hope you liked this chapter 3