bruises - james potter

one hundred and fourteen

The laughter of the three had attracted the attention of others at the station, and when a couple hugging their first-year son gave the group a dirty look, Regulus was quick to tell them to shut up.

"Sorry Reg," Sirius said while trying to stop his laughter, "but a marshmallow? Really?"

"It wasn't exactly my first choice," Regulus replied while shaking his head, he ran a hand through his hair. "but at least it wasn't about a giant strawberry this time."

Within an instant, the three began laughing once again. This time it was Cassie who nearly fell over, James grabbing her waist to steady her. Just when Regulus thought the laughter was soon to be over, Sirius let out a snort which only made the three laugh harder.

Regulus stood there, watching his siblings and his sister's boyfriend laugh. His lips were pursed but the smallest hint of a smile was tugging at the corners. He stared at the three of them, waiting for them to finish laughing.

"Regulus!" A voice called throughout the crowed station and Regulus was quick to smile, turning away from the three in font of him - who hadn't seem to have heard the voice over their own laughing - and smiling even wider when he caught sight of one of his best friends, Ellie, rushing towards him.

She was followed by her trunk, and Regulus watched two adults - who he assumed were her parents - stare at her retreating figure for a moment before they turned and left.

"Ellie, hi." Regulus said with a warm tone and he was quick to engulf his friend in a hug, holding onto her tightly for the few moments that they held each other in an embrace.

When they pulled apart, Regulus noticed that Sirius, Cassie and James were no longer laughing and were oddly quiet.

He slowly turned around to face them, and he let out another sigh when he saw James and Sirius wiggling their eyebrows at him while making kissy faces and Cassie just standing there, once again looking as though she was trying to hide her laugh.

Regulus turned back to face Ellie and she too looked as though she was hiding her laugh as she watched the people Regulus called family mock him.

"Ellie, meet my sister, Cassie-" Cassie smiled brightly, "my brother Sirius-" Sirius smiled as well, still wiggling his eyebrows "and my sister's boyfriend, James." James copied Cassie's smile but he had stopped wiggling his eyebrows at the look on Regulus' face

Ellie smiled and waved slightly at the three of them in a greeting, "Nice to meet you all - I think your pranks are hilarious by the way." she admitted, letting out a small giggle at Cassie and Regulus' reactions.

"Don't say that," Cassie said before Regulus could get a word in, "it'll go straight to their heads and they'll have another prank war." she sent a sharp, yet fond look at the two boys behind her who only looked away as if they were innocent.

"I don't want to have the water in my shower turn into maggots again-"

"In my defence - it's James' bathroom! I thought it would get him." Cassie gave her brother a sharp look, but Sirius only returned her glare with a smile.

"They're all my ideas." James said with what he thought was a modest grin, but it was far from it.

"You wanker. I came up with the pumpkin idea-"

"If I remember correctly, I was the one who said we should make the teachers pumpkins."

"Yeah, and I was the one who found the spell."

"Only because your boyfriend sits in the library all day and you were hoping to get lucky later-"

James was cut off by Sirius wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him into a headlock. James began hitting Sirius' arms in an attempt to get his head free, but it was no use and he didn't let go.