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Regulus

Sirius called a meeting with everyone who we trust. Apparently that includes my friends and James' parents and Peter. It's a crowded house at the moment, and I'm not sure I like it. I just found out my father died and I'm not allowed to go to the funeral and then the next day, Sirius fills the house with everyone we fucking know, and demands that we all dress up a little bit. James doesn't seem as confused as I do, so I'm assuming it's one of their schemes and I'm probably going to be mad at them for a while after this.

I thought everyone who was supposed to be here was here, but then the door opens again and in comes Mary, Marlene, and Lily. Three people I didn't want to see. James notices my reaction to seeing them and takes my hand gently in his. Sirius doesn't realise it, but this was a bad idea.

I haven't spoken to Mary since that one party where she tried to get me to spill all of my secrets. The one where I spent the night in James' bed and then woke up the next morning, freaked out and ended things with James. That was the beginning of the end for us and seeing her brings all of that up again.

She doesn't even glance over at me, and thankfully Sirius doesn't say anything that brings me into their conversation so I don't have to speak to her.

Lily breaks away from the group once she sees me and James. Oh lovely. James squeezes my hand when he notices her coming. He's probably telling me to be nice, but I don't want to.

"Hi, James." she says sweetly as she approaches us. Then she turns to me and smiles brightly at me. "Hi, Regulus. I'm sorry to hear about your father."

I blink.

"How did you hear about my father?" I ask her. James smirks and shakes his head.

"Sirius told me- he invited me to the... what did he call it? Celebration of life?" Lily explains, but I notice how she's being genuine. "I lost my father a couple years ago, and it was the hardest thing to go through. I wasn't informed about the funeral so I ended up missing it..."

I didn't want to know that. I did not want to know that I have something as shitty as this in common with her because now I sympathise with her. I don't need any reasons to like her. I don't want to like her.

"Why weren't you told about the funeral?" I ask her. I can't help but ask because I always assumed she had it easy. A good family.

"My sister, she's a muggle and she's always hated that I have this magic she doesn't. Anyway, we don't see eye to eye... she uh- she told my mother I wouldn't be able to get there in time so they shouldn't even invite me."

At some point during our conversation, James slipped away and I didn't even realise.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I say genuenly. "That's shitty of her."

"It was," Lily says. "That's why I thought it was really sweet, what Sirius and the boys are doing for you."

"What are they doing?" I ask her.

"They didn't tell you? Oh, well I suppose I just ruined it."

"This is supposed to be some kind of funeral?"

"For your father, yeah."

"No offence, but why did you come? I mean, we don't know each other." I ask her. She doesn't seem offended by my bluntness, and she seemed to have been expecting that question.

"I want to be apart of their lives after school. I want to stay in their lives because they're my best friends. I want to be supportive of James too. He loves you, and I feel like we could be friends. I don't want to-"