Chapter 68, The Last Ride Of The Fab Four
"Where is Heather," Severus asked as they boarded the train. He walked between Regulus and Raislen, who had just joined them without Heather.
"Don't know. She wasn't on the boat with me either," Raislen complained.
"It's like the cycle of life, you know," Regulus said. "The way first and seventh years both use the boat, the former coming and the later going. Like some form of life and death."
"Well I'm not dead," Raislen grumped. Judging by the scowl on his face as he regarded Regulus he did not enjoy the comparison even if he could not disagree with it. The three were settled in a compartment before Heather finally arrived. She was out of breath and her cheeks were flushed.
"What took you so long," Raislen asked as she slumped down in the seat beside his.
Brushing stray tendrils of red hair from her right cheek, she paused to catch her breath before replying. When she did speak, she was scowling. "I stayed to detain Dumbledore. I was not fully satisfied with his assurances yesterday regarding the safety of The Kid over the next few years." Raislen nodded, and while Severus could've felt embarrassed, all he truly felt was relief.
It was nice knowing that his friends cared. Perhaps it would even matter in the end. Heather could be scary when she wanted to be, after all. Perhaps she had left an impression on Dumbledore. Heather's face softened as she smiled at Severus. "He told me a few things that made me feel better." Severus wondered if Albus chose to confide in Heather about the lessons he'd promised Severus in the future.
He did not dare to ask in front of Regulus, though. Regulus was a friend who they all truly liked, but considering his family's choices, he was also a friend around whom one had to speak carefully. It would not be right or wise to put Regulus in a situation that would only test his loyalties on both sides. Not to mention Regulus's loyalties were what would take Severus far if he had anything to say about it.
"Thanks, Heather," Severus said, giving her a warm smile. "I appreciate you and Raislen more than words can say. Over these years, you have been better friends than anyone I could want." He had to force out the words, though he truly wanted to say them and meant them with every part of his being. Expressing his feelings was often difficult, though. Difficult and embarrassing and he wasn't completely sure why.
Heather caught his hand and gave it a brief squeeze before letting it go. Severus found it difficult to meet her eyes, because they were full of tears. If he looked too long he just may begin crying as well. "You too, Kid," she said, voice breaking. "You have been the best beloved little brother anyone could want, and you always shall be. Nothing has changed just because we shan't be at Hogwarts with you for your final two years. That doesn't mean we won't miss you while you are away, though."
"Yeah," Raislen agreed gruffly. "Without you, Heather never would've spent as much time with me. You were the heart of our little group."
"Ah I still would've used you for books," Heather teased, giving Raislen a fond smile. "Severus was and still is the heart of our group, though. And he did keep me out of Azkaban." She grinned over at Severus. "Don't think I've forgotten that."
Severus laughed, still recalling throwing his full weight on Heather's pipe swinging arm and shouting a warning to her about Azkaban. She would've truly killed Raislen over those leaches in her soup had he not restrained her long enough to snap her back to reality. Had that really happened less than a year ago? It felt like so much longer.
"I won't be pranking Heather ever again," Raislen swore gravely.
"Leaches in my soup was not a prank, Raislen. It was pure evil!" Heather gave him a dark scowl.
"Agree and then shut up if you are wise," Regulus said, shooting Raislen a warning look.
Heather smiled. "He is a wise boy. Regulus, you shall make someone a grand husband when you are older."
Regulus flushed. "I can't imagine wanting to marry anyone."
Heather laughed. "You're still a baby. Wait a few years."
Raislen nodded in agreement, before returning his gaze to Severus, concern in his large green eyes. "You are the heart of our group and we will hold your spot while you are finishing up in school, Kid," he said firmly. Somehow those words eased the lump of sadness in Severus's heart and he smiled.
"Hey! Aren't you lot going to miss me even a little," Regulus quipped. Though he was grinning, Severus thought he saw a slight flicker of hurt in the younger boy's eyes.
"Of course we are, but we shall see you again as well," Raislen said and Heather nodded.
"It is going to be odd just the two of us while you two are at school and hanging with Kreacher and everyone else," she said a little wistfully. This seemed to mollify Regulus as is eyes cleared.
"You know you can join us in Hog's Meade any time, though," he said.
"We will when we are in town," Raislen said. Severus knew that living in London as they both did they would not be in town as often as he may like. Still he could work with that because Hogs Mead weekends were going to need to be for networking most of the time now anyway. With Heather and Raislen at Hogwarts, he could afford the luxury of distraction but with them gone, he had nothing else to focus on other than his goal for revenge against Voldemort.
He had cultivated Regulus in part for that very reason, and now it was time to put those plans into direct action. Heather and Raislen's departure ensured he no longer had anything else to do, quite literally. Of course it did not hurt, and most definitely helped, that he actually liked Regulus. Severus's own social skills were rubbish, and he knew it. He did not care about people enough to develop skills he had no true motivation to use other than with this revenge project. No. It was not that he did not care, he disliked people for the most part, and dislike of humans was not something that encouraged a natural propensity for social skills. One had to pick one's battles, and social skills weren't one of those battles he expected to win. So liking the person one had to deal with most to achieve revenge really helped a great deal.
"Do you have any exciting summer plans," Heather asked Regulus.
"Not really, but I am happy just spending time in the library at home with Kreacher," Regulus said. "It's nice to just be at home and rest now that Sirius isn't about to make everyone miserable."
"Bloody bet it is," Raislen agreed fervently.
Heather nodded, her gaze openly sympathetic as it rested on Regulus. "It had to be horrid not to truly feel safe at home from your own bloody brother."
Regulus swallowed, head bobbing in a quick motion of agreement. "I didn't notice just how much until he was gone and we were free."
"You and Kreacher," Severus asked, recalling that the elf had as hard a time with Sirius as he and Regulus.
"Yes," Regulus said. "Hell the entire family really. I mean though Sirius could not actually bully our parents, he certainly kept them stressed and enraged, which is quite as bad."
"Sort of the opposite as my family," Severus realized with a brief sardonic smile. "Sirius dislikes your entire family while my grandfather is always giving me and my mum trouble."
"Lack of regard from the younger or the elder is equally rubbish," Raislen said. "At times things are the same even when they appear to be opposite."
"True," Severus agreed. It was yet another thing he had in common with Regulus.
"You don't mention your grandfather much," Regulus observed. This was true, Severus knew. Saying too much about Grandfather Prince would lead to saying too much about Tobias, and that may interfere with the revenge plan. Severus could not afford complications with that.
"He isn't worth talking about," he told Regulus.
"I can relate to that," Regulus said with a grin. "When I never have to see Sirius, I expect I shall never wish to bring him up. This shall be the case after my own graduation I should think. I won't be bringing him up all summer long, and it will feel glorious!"
"It will, but there will be that knot in the pit of your stomach when term begins and you know you will likely run into him on the stupid platform or when boarding the train," Severus warned. "I feel that way at least, so do prepare yourself."
Regulus nodded, face falling a bit. "Oh I am sure I shall feel the same. It's a rude awakening returning to bullies after a peaceful time away from them, after all."
And there would be no Heather and Raislen to help, Severus thought. Something of this must have shown on his face for Heather spoke up. "You two stick together from the first second. Perhaps you should even meet before you leave for the train station and go together."
Regulus's face lit up. "That's a grand idea. Perhaps your Mum can Apparate you over to ours, and we can go together, Severus!"
He could use that, Severus found himself thinking. The more he was in with the Black family, of whom Voldemort thought well, the better. He nodded. "Yes. That does sound like a wise plan."
"Well good," Heather said, looking relieved. "I feel a bit better about leaving if the two of you stick together as much as possible. That combined with Dumbledore's assurances almost has me at ease." She sighed. "I just wish we were all graduating together," she lamented.
"I know," Raislen agreed gravely. "It would certainly make things better all round, wouldn't it?" He glanced away listlessly, staring past everyone, seemingly at nothing. "Part of me is happy to be done and excited and the part that isn't, is only wishing things weren't changing because I'm leaving my best friend behind. And you too, Regulus," he added hastily.
Regulus laughed. "I get it. It's fine. I get that Severus is your Kreacher." Heather sputtered a laugh and Severus choked. He couldn't help it! How in the hell was he anything like Kreacher? Though he understood Regulus's meaning to be a level of friendship, picturing himself following Raislen about with a look of blind devotion on his face was annoying.
Regulus scowled at their reactions. "I didn't mean anything derisive," he said defensively. "Kreacher is the best smartest most loyal person I know and I could never put another friend above him. I like all of you, but none of you can compete and that is alright because you wouldn't wish to. I only mean that Severus is that to you both, and you don't have to keep feeling rubbish because I am not your Kreacher."
Heather tittered again. "Well I can't help it," she squealed around the hand that she had clamped over her mouth as she squished herself down in her seat as if trying to hide. Severus finally snickered too, but more at her reaction.
Raislen patted Regulus's shoulder. "I understand and I agree. The kid is the best friend anyone could want and I hate leaving him just as much as you surely hate leaving Kreacher at home every time you head back to school."
"I really do," Regulus said, nodding as he gave Raislen a grateful look. Clearly he appreciated the older boy's understanding.
"I get that you weren't calling Severus a servant or less than us, because you don't see Kreacher that way in the least." Raislen said.
Regulus nodded. "Of course not. I've always told him as much. Hell by all rights, wizards aught to be serving elves! They're the weaker race, after all."
"Now hold on," Heather said, still chuckling. "No one needs to be serving anyone."
"Fair enough," Regulus said. "But if it's about power... That is all I'm saying." He sighed. "I'm going to miss these conversations," he observed sadly. "I really enjoy having found intelligent friends with whom I can share ideas and have healthy debates that make us all think a little differently in the end."
"Well we shall all still get together on the holidays and perhaps sometimes in Hog's Meade," Raislen said firmly.
"And you can still have such conversations with Severus," Heather reminded Regulus.
Regulus shrugged. "Severus and I aren't nearly as funny or as deep without the two of you around."
Severus nodded glumly, knowing that Regulus was right.
"Well you are making us feel quite needed," Raislen said. Though the smile he gave them reached his eyes, Severus saw the strain behind it. What should be a joyous day for him and Heather was bittersweet for all of them. Severus was proud of his friends for finishing school with high honors, but this did not make it any easier that they would not be returning. Now everything was different as well as worse. His main support was gone, and he was left to the Gryffindor gits and to his lonely and cold plan for revenge against Voldemort for his father's wrongful and untimely death. Though he had Regulus and even Dumbledore on his team against the Gryffindor gits, Severus already felt very much alone with his best friends graduated.
"So we'll visit you at yours next week," Raislen said. Something in his tone gave Severus the impression that he'd missed part of the conversation. He must have been more lost in his thoughts than he had realized. "Your grandfather won't think to tell you that you can't come with us if we are right there in his face."
"That's right," Heather said with a satisfied smirk. "It wouldn't look at all right to his friends if he did, and we can make sure it gets back to them considering our grandparents travel in some of the same circles."
"That does sound good," Severus said, giving them both a relieved smile. At least he would have some fun this summer before next year's hell began.