Jinxes and curses

Chapter 8; goodday

Lily's POV

"Bye dad." Turning around, I faced the Hogwarts express for a second time. I was even more excited than my first time, but showed it less.

I searched endlessly for an empty compartment, until finally, I found one, and Remus with it. "Jesus you grew," was the first thing that slipped my mouth.

"Good day to you too." We bursted into laughter. "When's the next full moon?" I asked right after. Remus seemed a bit attacked.

"Again, hello. In a week or three."

"And you care about that?" That came form a high- class voice I just hated. "We're not in astronomy class, love."

"Shut up."

"Well, everywhere else is full, so we're joining you today." He smiled a bit too much. I stood up on the bench and ruffled through everything I'd packed for Hogwarts, until I found my wand, and a book, for good measure.

"Hey, Potter," Remus said. "Silencio," I muttered. James opened his mouth to speak, but no sound seemed to want to come out. "Got  trouble speaking?" Remus finished.

"You used a charm. That's a difficult one, how'd you-" Sirius asked. I smiled and raised the charm. "I needed to practice it anyway. Thanks." James sat down, grumbling, and didn't say another word.

Peter put his arm jovially around James' shoulder and laughed, with Sirius. I couldn't help it either. Remus didn't move a muscle, though.

During the sorting ceremony, my stomach rumbled. Couldn't they hurry it up? Didn't expect it, but hoped for it anyway. I got distracted from it, until..

"Black, Regulus," McGonagall called.

"Black?" I asked, to no one in particular. An answer I got, "That's Sirius' brother, yeah. Probably to be a Slytherin. Make place, Lils."

And indeed, Regulus was a Slytherin. The hat took a while to figure it out, but ended up choosing Slytherin either way.

I could see Sirius watching from the Gryffindor table, on the other me side of the hall. He looked with pride, relief, and something I couldn't recognise. Because Regulus was one of the first to be called, I only had to wait longer and it made me moody.

I did try to put up a conversation with Regulus, though. "Hi."
"What?" He asked.
"My name's Lily. You're Regulus?"
He nodded. "You're the mudblood, aren't you?"

"Uh, rude." I replied.

Regulus rolled his eyes and moved further away from me. I didn't take out in any more effort and went back to being hungry.

The following days were extremely bland. One day, I even walked past Peter and he didn't pay attention to me. He seemed all worked up in a personal project. I had no clue.

I saw Regulus every day after the sorting, but often he just seemed very busy with whatever. Could be anything. A book, homework, writing letters to whoever.

I tried talking to Remus about him, but Remus told me to leave it. I mean, fair, but something about Regulus just talked to me. It felt like I had to talk to him. And thus, I looked for him everywhere.

"Narcissa says you are to be expected the third of November." Regulus said. "Well you can tell her, I'm not coming." I think it was Sirius whom he was talking to. I wondered why. I have never heard anyone speak of a stable relationship between the two boys.

"Oh, but I won't be telling her that. It's not like we're interested into it either. Just agree and keep us all out of trouble." I heard Sirius sigh and he started to walk away, unfortunately, in my direction.

I swung my bag around my shoulder and hastily scurried off somewhere. I found a dusty broom closet and hid myself there. When I heard Sirius walk, no, stamp past it, I sighed in relief and dared to open it.

Regulus stood waiting on me. "Good day to you too." I swear boys had something with that. "Hi." I nervously laughed. I clenched my lips together into an awkward smile. "Just- eh- practicing lumos.."

He looked straight through my soul. "Right. Well, I ought to be going. See you round!"

I hurried off. I wasn't supposed to be scared of some first year, I know, he was so intimidating, though. Later that same evening, while I was coming from my dorm room to find my way to dinner, he was sitting in the common room, frowning over a book.

I recognized it. It was his charm's book. Well, not your regular first- year- Hogwarts- spell book, but one from the library. I'd taught myself as many spells from it as possible, last year, when the three Gryffindor boys had been taunting us.

He muttered something through his breath whilst making an incorrect movement with his wand. I approached him. "Silencio," he said again, "SILENCIO!"

"You're moving your wand into the wrong direction."

Regulus looked up. "I think I can figure it out myself." I shrugged and said, "Let's see it then."

He read the instructions one more time, and I noticed, whenever he read, he whispered it aswell. Like it helps him remember.

"Silencio," he pointed his wand at me. I spoke, or don't. I tried to say something, anything, but notice myself failing altogether. I felt like James in the train all over. I almost laughed, until I remembered I can't make noise.

"Guess you were right after all, mudblood." He joined his book and feather together and walked off.

I went to find Remus, ask him to lift the spell. In the meantime, I hastily scribbled on a piece of parchment, explaining the situation. Instead, I bump into Sev. Not my plan, but that works aswell.

He was walking with some other guy, from Slytherin. I'd seen him plenty times round, but I never bothered with him. He always appeared surly and in a bad -no- horrible mood.

I was about to say, "Hey, Sev," when no noise left my mouth. I stood still for a second, mentally punishing myself. Then I ran to join the two guys again. I turned over my paper and wrote "Finite" and gave it to Severus.

He turned to his friend and back to me. Then he took out his wand and lifted the curse. I gasped. "Oh, thank you, Sev!"

"Hurry along, Lily."

I stood still. He broke our eye contact and continued walking. "Or not."