Chapter 38, Growing pains
Severus savored each and every day of the rest of the summer. It passed far too quickly for his liking. Before he was at all ready for it to end, it was time to return to Hogwarts. He hadn't minded so much in the past when summers were over, because it meant that he would get to see his friends again. While at Raislen's however, he saw them every day, so returning to Hogwarts only meant he would also be seeing the Gryffindor gang of gits every day as well. There was no good trade off this year, as he saw it.
Though he was looking forward to returning to a few classes, potions, charms, and Astronomy mostly, he was not looking forward to them enough to warrant facing off with the git gang during each and every bloody class. Not only that, but he could learn all the Astronomy and potions he liked on his own. Only Flitwick truly had something to offer him that he couldn't teach himself. The little man was genius when it came to the innovative ways to combine charms to achieve effects most people would not even consider. Returning to classes and facing off with the gits rather than enjoying unstructured time with his friends and that precious library had him feeling glum. When he and Raislen met Regulus and Heather on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, it just felt wrong.
They all belonged back at Raislen's, not here amongst the clamor of other bothersome students returning to Hogwarts. It all just felt intrusive. "I would like for you all to meet my parents," Regulus said. He turned and waved to a couple who stood back a few paces, regarding Severus, Raislen and Heather with thoughtful searching expressions. The looks on Regulus's parents faces made Severus glad to be wearing neatly pressed robes thanks to Raislen's kindly house elf. "We hear that Sirius hates the lot of you," Regulus's mum said haughtily. "You especially," she concluded, dark piercing eyes honing in on Severus in a manner that made it extremely difficult not to squirm.
She and Regulus's father looked remarkably similar! They were both tall and willowy with black hair and proud elegant features. Both wore sweeping dress robes in patterns of green and silver though hers was of a far more feminine cut and style. Regulus's mum also wore a large emerald around her neck and his father sported a large signet ring on the well manicured hand that he extended to Severus and then Raislen.
"This, of course means that you must be doing something right," he said, and Raislen chuckled appreciatively.
"We try hard, Sir," he said.
"We certainly did not raise Sirius to behave as he does," Regulus's mum said. A brief expression of sadness and true disappointment flickered across her face. Severus knew that it would hurt to see such a look of disappointment on his own mum's face, but Sirius had richly earned it. Even worse, Sirius wouldn't care or he'd even be proud as if it was some sort of grand accomplishment. With that thought in mind, Severus was addressing Mrs. Black before he even realized it.
"I am sorry. I would hate to disappoint my mum so deeply."
To Severus's acute horror, Mrs. Black looked for an instant as if she might cry. "Thank you, child. I am quite certain that you could never disappoint your dear mum as Sirius has disappointed us. Not with such a perceptive heart."
Thankfully they had to board the train then. Thankfully, because Severus had no idea what else to say. While he was truly sorry for Sirius's parents, the unexpectedly emotional interaction was more than he'd expected or wanted. "That was kind of you," Regulus told Severus once they were all four settled into a compartment near the back of the train. He looked as discomforted as Severus felt, so Severus merely shrugged and nodded.
The train ride to Hogwarts was different this year, as there was no need for the four friends to catch up on what each had done over the summer. Instead, the conversation that Regulus's parents had begun on the platform continued in its way. "I didn't want to bring it up this summer, but Sirius has been a worse git than usual these past few months away from school," Regulus said. "I just thought you'd want to be prepared," he added, glancing over to Severus. "It really got him that I could spend time with my friends while he was stuck home with nothing to do. Nothing to do, because he hates my entire family and avoids us like the plague, so it isn't as if he'd ever want to share any activities with the rest of us."
Regulus's lip curled in scathing contempt as he spoke of Sirius. "He was unable to see his own friends because they were all off doing other things... you know with their families. As he hates his own, he had no one. He stayed shut away in his room most of the time, which suited Kreacher and I just fine." He smirked.
"Did he make you pay for it, though," Severus asked. "If so we'll all make him sorry." He couldn't help an eager smile from crossing his face at the idea of raining down retribution onto Sirius's head as he always richly deserved it for something.
"Not yet," Regulus said, biting at his lip. "Mum and Dad would've made him sorry. He may lie and get away with enough at Hogwarts when it comes to professors like McGonagall, but my parents never fall for his rubbish! Interesting, Severus mused. Regulus referred to Mr. and Mrs. Black as *his* parents rather than *their* parents. He supposed that made sense as Sirius clearly wanted none of them. "He will certainly make me pay for it now that he has his three git friends to help and no Mum, Dad or Kreacher to back me up, though," Regulus concluded glumly.
"You have us, though," Heather reminded, reaching to pat the younger boy reassuringly on the shoulder.
"Yes, but not in class, and not everywhere that he can get me or Severus alone," Regulus said, flashing a quick glance to Severus as he spoke. "He never comes after the two of you if you aren't with us. It's always us. You and Raislen have your own schedules, and you can't be everywhere they are just to look after us. I'm certain Severus and I could easily manage against them if we had all our classes together, but as we don't, each of us is vulnerable. I hate Sirius so much!"
Severus nodded in thoughtful agreement to Regulus's words."Yes, but it needs to be about making it too unpleasant for them to fight with us. It's about constructing hexes and curses that terrify them. Ones they aren't smart enough to replicate."
"That last bit shouldn't be difficult," Heather said with a derisive laugh. "Lupin is the only one with a real grasp of intensely complicated magic, and he'd never use the Dark sort of hexes that we will, so he won't ever be a threat."
"That and while he's better than the rest, he's no where as skilled as we are," Raislen said.
"Well clearly not," Heather agreed.
"I've been working on spells, but nothing has clicked yet. I haven't found The one yet," Severus said almost dreamily. "I'm close, though. I know it. The angrier they get me, the closer I bloody get."
"You just need that exact moment of inspiration," Raislen said and Severus nodded, knowing that he was right. "And when I find it, every single one of those Gryffindor Gits shall be sorry they ever trifled with me," he vowed. "You too," he added as a hasty afterthought to Regulus. "We shall make them sorry they ever trifled with you as well. When I come up with a hex dreadful and horrifying enough to force them to leave me alone lest I hit them with it again, you'll be the first person I teach it to. It shall be difficult, but you're intelligent enough to master it."
Regulus nodded, expression grave as he silently considered Severus's words. "What about us," Heather teased with a chuckle. "Aren't you teaching this fabulous new hex to me and Raislen?"
"Sure, if you don't actually help me come up with it instead," Severus replied with a grin. He was fine working alone, but he enjoyed those joint efforts with Heather and Raislen even more.
"Perhaps Kreacher would have some ideas as well," Regulus spoke up. "Elf magic is ever-so-powerful, after all."
Severus frowned. "Indeed it is. So powerful that it surpasses that of wizards. Whatever Kreacher could come up with, would be ever so simple for him, but likely incomprehensible to us."
"So true," Heather laughed. "My aunt's elf, Rosebud, folds bed sheets so perfectly with a spell in under one second. Give me one to fold and with or without magic, it takes ages and looks rubbish!"
Regulus bit his lip as he nodded. "That is true. Kreacher never allows me to help out in the kitchen even when I offer, behaving as if I can't do anything properly!" He shook his head. "Even something as basic as stirring a soup, he believes must be done a certain way else the entire soup is at great peril of being ruined! How can one stir a soup wrong, I ask you?"
Raislen chuckled. "I'm sure we could all somehow manage. It's the little things involved in their magic that our clumsy wizard eyes can't see. Granted I never feel that my wizard eyes are clumsy until I attempt to understand the beautiful subtleties of an elf's spell. So yes, surely Kreacher could help us stick it but good to your brother and his friends, but if he weren't around to work the spell, we'd never manage it."
Severus sighed. "I'll sort it eventually. And when I do, they will all be terrified of us!" Little did he guess that Bellatrix Lestrange would be the one to give him that inspiration on one of their Hogsmeade visits, though it would be nearly a year later.
When the snack cart came around, Heather and Raislen began to whisper as Regulus ordered something for everyone. "My treat," he insisted happily. He seemed genuinely pleased to have the funds to treat his friends rather than being a showoff prat about it. Severus could appreciate that. It made it easier to accept the gesture without being embarrassed. Of course Heather and Raislen would not need to be embarrassed, because they had the funds to treat right back next time.
Severus did not, thanks to Grandfather Prince. The thought of the horrible old man caused his stomach to knot. He knew he'd have to go home for Christmas. Then the old man could make him pay for getting away during the summer, and he certainly would. Spending time with his mum would be worth it, though. He worried about her if she spent too much time alone at Prince manor without him. The place was depressing at best, after all. "What are you two whispering about," he wondered grumpily as the door to their compartment closed behind the retreating snack cart. Severus knew that he wasn't so much peeved at Heather and Raislen for whispering as he was about the thought of dealing with Grandfather Prince for the holidays, but as he couldn't do anything about the holidays, he would simply be annoyed over his whispering friends.
"For us to know, and you to find out, isn't it," Heather snarked. Severus scowled, but as she had said he'd find out, he decided to let it go. If they were shutting him out or keeping secrets, they wouldn't want him to find out. He would learn whatever it was eventually, and he supposed he could be patient for a little while. Surely they had their reasons. He allowed himself to be distracted as Regulus began eagerly passing out Cauldron Cakes. After they had their snacks, Heather left to do her Prefect duty, as she called it. Raislen stared gloomily at the door of the compartment until she returned in around half an hour. Regulus and Severus chatted aimlessly about books, full and content from stuffing themselves on Chocolate Frogs and Cauldron Cakes. Raislen didn't say much, listless with Heather away.
"He's got it bad," Regulus mock whispered, jabbing Severus in the ribs. "I'm never going to be like that over someone. It's silly and ridiculous."
Severus nodded emphatically. "Indeed," he drawled. "Books are far better."
Raislen snickered. "Better stop shagging my books, kid! Or I won't allow you to sleep in my library anymore."
Severus spluttered indignantly. "I do not shag your books! Don't be disgusting!"
"Seriously," Regulus muttered, looking horrified. Raislen just chuckled again. The compartment door slid open, and Heather hurried back inside, to the relief of everyone. "I found the little prats," she said, smiling triumphantly at Raislen. "I told them they'd better leave Regulus and the kid alone or you and I shall have something really bad for them. They have no idea what, and I at least have them worried!"
Raislen cheered, waving his arms in the air as though they had just won a victory, which perhaps they had. "That is what you were whispering about." Severus said and Heather nodded.
"Yep. I wanted to attend to it before actually saying anything in case there was any sort of hitch. You two shouldn't have to worry about those prats." She sighed, resuming her seat. "Some day they'll hopefully grow up and out of this tormenting phase."
"Do you think," Severus wondered darkly. "It seems more a part of their bloody souls rather than something they shall ever grow out of."
Regulus nodded. "Indeed. It doesn't seem to be something they plan to give up, considering they enjoy it so much."
Fortunately for Severus and Regulus, the gits at least eased up some, thanks to Heather even if they did not entirely stop their bullying ways. There were only a handful of encounters with them before the holidays, and in most cases, Severus and Regulus came out on top.
The first half of the year passed uneventfully enough. Christmas break was as rough as Severus expected. Though he had no idea what old man Prince would do to him, he knew it would not be pleasant. He was not wrong. Grandfather Prince made him stay in his room for Christmas. Eileen went to their home at Spinner's End to make the Christmas dinner just as Severus liked it, and the two ate in his room alone. "There are no gifts this year, I am afraid," Eileen said, biting at her lower lip. "Father said that I was not allowed to buy you any, even with my own money or he would put us out. He is very angry over you leaving this past summer to go to Raislen's. I don't blame you at all, but I knew he would make you pay for it. Mummy is sorry." It was not the lack of gifts, but rather the tears standing in her eyes that set Severus's blood boiling with a silent rage.
"I knew he would make me pay for it too. Don't worry, Mummy. I don't need gifts." He gave her an impulsive hug, clinging and squeezing her tight. "You're plenty gift enough."
"Oh I love you so much, Baby. Your dad would be so proud!" Severus grinned into his mum's shoulder. Those words were the best gift she could've given him." Thanks, Mum," he said quietly. "He'd be proud of you too."
When the winter break was over, Severus was eager to meet his friends on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. To his relief, Regulus was there without his parents. They must have already gone. Severus did not dislike them, but the pity he felt for them made him uncomfortable. Glancing around, he silently wondered where Sirius and his git friends were. "They saw Heather and Raislen so hurried the other way," Regulus said happily, properly reading Severus's face.
"I love power!" Heather enthused.
Raislen laughed. "Little gits," he said.