The Hobgoblins (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Out of Head

Sleep results in the headache breaking away sometime at night, only for sore muscles from sitting up on the couch at his aunt's and uncle's to replace the headache.

Even stranger—

"You're already over here?"

Regulus' eyes blinked, his mind registering Adrian's presence as he turned his head, only to cringe upon seeing he'd slept in until noon. He let out another yawn, stretching and turning back to Adrian. "But you're here as—hey! That's my notebook."

"I was just curious..." Adrian said, flipping through the notebook as he crossed his legs in one of the chairs.

"You shouldn't be digging through..."

"...whether you managed to write any more lyrics," Adrian said. "Which you have."

"They're not any good, though," Regulus sighed.

"Come on." Adrian closed the notebook, waving it. You have actually managed not to disappoint."

"I..." Regulus stopped speaking, never getting to the point of asking if Adrian spoke the truth. "Sorry, but I can't do this."

"Look. I'm sorry about taking your notebook, but..."

"Not that. I mean the band." Regulus let out a sigh. "Not with how things are with Sirius right now, not until I know things aren't—I really don't know how things stand."

"There you are!" Ignatius said. "I'd invited Adrian over as I figured you needed a friend your age, given how crazy things are with everything that's going on with Sirius right now."

"What do..." Regulus closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. "How much did Papa and maman say? Regarding Sirius?"

"That," Ignatius said, is a conversation for another time, my dear boy. "You simply need to relax as it's the beginning of your summer term before the two of you take your O.W.L.s, which will be a very stressful year of studying, so please take time to enjoy yourselves. And I'm glad you two are friends."

"Family," Regulus corrected. "We're family."

"Really?" Ignatius said.

"It's not as if she'd ever approve of anyone as a friend," he muttered. He thought, with silence, that nobody in the room had heard him.

"By that, do you mean Walburga?" Ignatius said. "I know things are difficult, what with her not approving of any of your older brother's friends..."

"I honestly can't think of a single person she'd approve of," Regulus said, leaning into his hand.

"Not my Adrian here?"

"Adrian's family. He doesn't count."

"Adrian, I do apologize," Ignatius turned to Adrian. "Regulus can be a bit..."

"Odd?" Adrian said. "I already know about this. Instead of asking him to invite over friends, ask him to invite over acquaintances instead, though there may be no telling who he'll invite over."

Regulus shrugged, but then, he looked right at Adrian. "Wait? Was that an insult?"

"Can we discuss this later?" Adrian said, looking at his uncle. "Maybe when..."

"I'll leave!" Ignatius threw up his hands. "Then you two can chat."

The man left, leaving them. Regulus frowned, closing his eyes, wanting to go back to sleep, the familiar smells and textures of his aunt and uncle's place calming him. "So, what did that mean?"

"I've got the feeling you, for one thing, would invite over the sort that mother of yours wouldn't approve of," Adrian said, returning to the notebook.