TW: underage drinking.

The Great Hall was always quite noisy during the Welcoming Feast. Students buzzing about their summers, and how excited they were for the new school year. Aurelia went with Pandora to the Ravenclaw table, while the boys took their separate way, to the Slytherin table.

During the sorting, the noise was the equivalent of flicking a light switch. It was silent for a second, and then there was the screams of applause that would come from the different houses, depending on what each first year got, and then silent again, as everyone listened in anticipation. Aurelia's head was pounding as it was, and the constant flickering of noise was not helping the case at all.

After the sorting was over, Professor Dumbledore shuffled to his podium, most likely to spew some nonsense about how help is always available at Hogwarts, and something about light and dark, and such. Everything that man said was taken with a grain of salt by Aurelia. Help was available at Hogwarts if he deemed you worthy of it. That's what she always thought.

Aurelia sighed, placing her head on the table, not touching the food in front of her, just trying to ignore the awful headache she had. She really just wanted to go to sleep. Too much was on her mind.

"Aurelia? Did you hear me?" Pandora nudged her.

"Sorry- no- What did you say, Dora?" Aurelia lifted her head up, almost dipping the sleeves of her robes in the plate in front of her.

"I asked if you were okay, Elia... You haven't touched your food- you've been off ever since the trainride." Pandora frowned a bit, worried for the wellbeing of her friend.

Aurelia sighed, "Yeah- I'm okay. I just have a headache is all. Tired." she nodded, reassuring Pandora.

Pandora frowned a bit, seeing right through her. Aurelia was far from okay, but she'd never admit it. "Ah- Do you need anything? Do you want me to take you to Madam Pomfrey-?"

"No." Aurelia cleared her throat, smiling, insincerely. "No- It's okay. I'll be fine."

"O-okay.." Pandora tilted her head, her voice had a comforting tone to it. "Well, I hope you feel better soon... because you know Barty will never let it go if you miss the party later-"

"Ugh- who even thought of that? A party on the first night back? It's so late already." Aurelia rolled her eyes, having the urge to bang her head against the table, but refraining from doing so. "Why do we have to go anyway? It's in the Slytherin common room. We're not even Slytherins."

"Our friends are Slytherins." Pandora took a pause, before sighing. "Well- Barty's a Slytherin. I don't think Evan and Regulus really count, they're our brothers." Pandora continued rambling about their friends, and who actually count as friends and who is just an acquaintance.

Aurelia was slightly listening, tuning out every few words. That was until Dumbledore began speaking again, "Well then, off to bed! Chop chop!"

As Aurelia and Pandora walked out of the Great Hall, they were ambushed by Barty and Evan, Regulus following, just not as energetic. Barty grabbed onto Aurelia's shoulders, making her jump.

"Fucking hell, Crouch!" Aurelia sighed, shrugging the boy off her shoulders.

Evan laughed, while Barty smiled. "You're both coming still right? Don't worry, we'll get you in! We always do." he winked.

Aurelia huffed, stopping for a second to allow Regulus to catch up a bit. He looked up and noticed the tired expression on his sister's face.

He cocked his eyebrow, the corners of his mouth falling slightly. "Aurelia? Are you feeling okay?"

"Not again-" Aurelia sighed. "I'll be fine." she pressed her lips together, nodding.

"Let's go, Blacks!" Evan called to the two, interrupting their conversation. "Leave your twincest behind, too."

Aurelia practically gagged, Regulus' face turning to one of absolute disgust.

"Oh calm down- I'm just kidding!" Evan laughed. Regulus scoffed, checking Evan's shoulder as he walked past to him. Evan started stammering, trying to catch back up to him. "No- No- get it- because the Blacks have a long line of- that.. and you guys are twins so- OW!" Aurelia cut him off with a punch in the same shoulder Regulus hit.

---

Aurelia and Pandora were snuck into the Slytherin common room by the three boys, and when they got there, it had seemed the back to school party had already started. The chaos ensued, prefects yelling for first years to go up to bed, while also telling everyone else to quiet down. Another group of Slytherins, presumably 6th or 7th years, stood in the corner of the common room, setting down bottles, most likely with alcoholic content.

The attention of one of the Slytherin prefects was grabbed by the group of fifth years, strutting towards them.

"Hey! You two are not supposed to be in here!" Malcom Mulciber pointed between Aurelia and Pandora. "Go back to your own common room!"

"Oh please, Mulciber. These two are practically honorary Slytherins. Besides, they're just here to have fun!" Barty rolled his eyes.

"Well- Well there's going to be no fun in this common room tonight! So- just- go!" Mulciber crossed his arms.

"You basically threw this party last year." Evan scoffed.

"That shiny new badge is getting to your head, Mulciber." Regulus spoke coldly, ignoring the attempt of a high five given by Barty.

Mulciber opened his mouth to say something, only groaning before stomping away.

"Coward." Aurelia coughed, making Pandora snicker.

As the small children finally disappeared up the stairs, the 6th and 7th years waltzed over to the middle of the common room, where the little group sat.

"So, what are you all sitting around for?" one said to the 5th years, "Take a drink! Have some fun!"

Aurelia's head rested on her hand, being held up by the couch cushion, while Evan grabbed a shot from the older students, coughing slightly as he took the drink. So did Barty, and then Pandora, but she hated it so much, and it was shown on her face. It came down to Aurelia. She hesitated.

"What? Never had a bit of firewhiskey before?" an older boy laughed, nudging the one beside him.

"Yeah- I'm 15." she scoffed at the boys, giving them a look of ridicule.

They took a second of silence, before holding the shot out again, "Well, no time like the present!" the guy cocked his eyebrow, smirking a bit.

Aurelia wasn't sure she'd recognized the boy. It was't unlikely, she only really recognized the Slytherin's in her year. "Fuck it." Aurelia shrugged, taking the shot from the boy's hands, letting the liquid burn its way down her throat, making a face of disgust. "Gross."

They went to Regulus next, but he didn't end up taking one from them. Instead, he simply ignored the older students, going up to Aurelia instead, who had decided to take another shot, for the hell of it.

"Aury- do you even want to be here?" Regulus asked, pulling her aside. He noticed how drained and miserable she looked.

"No- no I don't. In fact-" she hiccuped, swallowing again to get the burning feeling away from her throat. "I have about the worst headache in the world right now. But if I'm here, might as well try to enjoy it right?"

"Aurelia... I don't really think mixing alcohol with a headache like that is a good idea- have you eaten anything?" Regulus sounded genuinely concerned at this point, worried of the outcomes of his sister's actions.

Pandora came up behind him to answer his question, making him jump slightly, "No. She didn't touch anything at the feast, and she didn't eat anything on the train either, claiming she wasn't hungry."

Regulus was turned around, looking at Pandora. He took his eyes off of Aurelia for one second, and she was just gone. "Fuck."

A few minutes had gone by, Regulus had found Aurelia sitting in a corner of the common room, completely out of it. Come to find out she had taken one more, he crouched down to her level.

"Aurelia-? Hey." Regulus' tone was definitely different than it had been earlier, a more comforting bit to it, a tone that was reserved for, it seemed, Aurelia's ears only.

"I'm tired." she didn't move her blank gaze, staring ahead, passed Regulus.

"I know. Do you want me to take you back to your dorm?" He held his hand out, as Aurelia nodded in response. "Okay... Hey- Rosier!" he shouted towards Pandora, the familiar cold tone returning to his voice as he did so.

Pandora walked over to the small corner, her lips pursed in that same look of curiosity she always showed, "Oh, you found her!"

"Yeah, will you help me take her back to the Ravenclaw dorms?" Regulus huffed, reaching down to help Aurelia up.

"Yes, absolutely!" Pandora rushed over to help, holding Aurelia's arm up.

---

No one questioned the three, in fact, no one even noticed them leaving, all caught up in the firewhiskey and music.

When they made it to the dorm room shared by Pandora, Aurelia, and Dorcas Meadowes, who was already fast asleep when they came into the room. Regulus pushed open the curtains to the bed belonging to his sister, helping her lay onto it. Though, she had yet to let go of him.

Regulus sighed, "Pandora, can you give us a second?"

Pandora nodded, backing away from the curtains, closing them.

"Aury, you've got to let go of me, I have to go back to my own dorm." Regulus insisted, trying to pull Aurelia's arms off of him, but only letting her grip tighten.

"I won't." she refused, sounding persistent.

"Aurelia-"

"You'll leave. You'll leave just like he did." Aurelia muttered out, tightening her hold again.

Regulus was speechless for a second. "Aurelia, you're drunk."

"I had 3 shots." she shot back in defense.

"You're 15. You're a lightweight." he felt Aurelia's hold loosen a little bit, sighing in response. "I'm not going to leave you, alright? Just because I'm sleeping in separate arrangements does not mean I'm leaving you, Aurelia. Come on, we've done this for the past four years, we'll be fine."

"Promise?" she mumbled, her hold on regulus loosening completely, as she drifted off.

"I promise." he rolled his eyes, letting out a short laugh. "You and me against the world, yeah?" he looked down, and noticed she was asleep. He opened the curtains, moving off her bed, facing Pandora. "Make sure she's fine tomorrow. That she get's to her classes." he sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Of course..." Pandora yawned, watching Regulus walk towards the door. "Good night! Don't let the nargles bite!"

"Mhm..."

And he closed the door behind.

~

A/N okay so this is most definitely a filler chapter that i'm not super proud of? but its here! writing Regulus is actually so difficult because i want him to have those little moments with Aurelia but i also don't want to stray away from his character too much, you know? but anyhow! Remus will make another appearance in the next chapter! ;)

i hope you all are well mwah mwah mwah! take care of yourselves <3