All in the Family

Chapter 140: The Slug Club

Twilight mist still hung in the air around them, and the deserted station left an odd taste in their mouth as the scarlet train hung behind them without moving off for once. Steam was still pumping out of it, there were even a few pets waiting on the ground cooing or hissing at them for their owners sudden departure as the eight of them landed in Hogsmeade station.

Peter had landed painfully on a bench and didn't feel up to moving. Regulus stumbled into seemingly nothing to him, though thankfully the Thesteral only gave him a look of mild annoyance and didn't take a snap. The dejected look he gave James and Sirius before stalking onto the train to be alone was heart wrenching to Peter, but he really didn't know how to help with this one, he still had his own issues to work out with those two idiots, even if he had thought the prank had its merits and could have been funny under better circumstances.

Spotting the book down in the tracks of the train, he swallowed uncomfortably and watched for several extra moments to make sure it wasn't going to spontaneously try to run him over as he eased himself down and darted back up with his prize in hand before following Regulus in even if he didn't know what he was going to say.

There was only one compartment with all the curtains drawn, and Regulus was sitting inside chewing on his cheek so hard Peter had to fight the urge to tell him not to bite through his face.

He sat down across from him and opened the book with a whispered, "thanks." Regulus smiled and nodded while Peter started, but kept pausing for extra breath than was needed just in case, offering company but silence at least for whatever Regulus wanted.

Things had been going so well there for a moment, Regulus wanted to sob on his new friend's shoulder like a child. He'd really thought Sirius was trying to rekindle some old familial bonds with the two games and asking after him, but he couldn't get the look not really Sirius had given him out of his head, and his brother hadn't even apologized! Like he should be laughing the whole thing off like Potter had clearly wanted to back in the shop, obviously annoyed as piss at him still. Even Peter had clearly found the whole thing funny, but at least he was restraining himself from saying so and acting normal.

Regulus listened as Harry's friends blew off Harry's aspersions of Draco being a Death Eater though and at least found that of some interest. Harry and his mates got into fights every year it seemed over something or other, maybe he really was still being a child hoping his brother would just go back to agreeing with him about everything. He could still get along with him even if they had a different idea of what was fun now.

He was not going to be like his parents, he genuinely regretted now losing his temper and he shouldn't expect Sirius to act exactly how he wanted him to at all times or he would be just like them. He'd either take his brother as is or not at all, and he still wasn't sure which yet.

Frank was still detailing for Lily exactly what the invisible horse looked like as she ran her hand in wonder over the silky main she couldn't see. They weren't covered in blood, so the thestral gave no indication it even cared they were there anymore than Trevor hopping past them.

They were blatantly ignoring Potter as he amused himself setting up some fireworks he'd filched from the last location, because setting those off was really the best way to make everything better apparently, even if none of them would deny enjoying the show when he did.

When they saw Alice coming over though from her landing, she gave Frank a careful look and whispered, "please try to talk some sense into her," and left them to it, going a few carriages over and then inside of one.

"Are you two really mad at me I don't agree with you?" Alice asked in surprise as she watched the display. They'd once even agreed with her to try interacting with them more before Snape's not too distant future hurt Lily so bad, and Sirius' future had imploded their lives again.