"JAMESSSSSSSSSSS!"
"SIRIUSSSSSSSSSS!"
The two boys ran from opposite sides of the hallway towards each other, arms wide open and huge grins on their faces. Sirius jumped into James' arms, making his glasses fly into the air while he fell back with his best friend still clinging onto him as they hit the floor.
Children. Mentally they're absolute children, you shook your head as Remus and you calmly walked towards the reuniting group of students coming back from winter break.
"Idiot one and idiot two are finally reunited." Lily slightly shook her head before pulling you into a hug. "It's so great to see you again, (y/n)! You'll have to tell me all about the new year ball I've heard rumors about after dinner tonight!"
"I'll tell you anything you want to know, Lily. Oh, I'm so glad that you're all back," you smiled, hugging Peter next. "It was a great break, but dealing with Sirius' separation anxiety with James became a bit of a challenge."
At the mention of his name, Sirius skidded towards you, pulling James along with him as the latter grabbed his broken glasses off the floor. "LILYYYYYYYYYYYY!" Sirius exclaimed with the same enthusiasm as he pulled her into a tight hug.
"Oculus Reparo," you incantated with your wand pointed at James' eyeglasses, which repaired in an instant. "You really have to learn that spell, you know?"
"Why would I do that when I have you to cast it for me?" he hummed as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "Ah, now I can see clearly! Dearest (y/n), how are you on this lovely evening?!"
"...That was so out of character, even for you, James." You held in a laugh, pulling him into a hug. "Can't blame you though, I'm so missable that you don't even know how to react now that you're seeing me again."
"Oh and I'm the one who's out of character?" James scoffed, patting your back a few times. "Says the one who's acting a bit too much like Padfoot."
"PETERRRRRRRR!" Sirius was on a roll with giving everyone hugs as he slightly crouched down to be at the other's height before throwing his arms around him.
"Sirius, I missed you too, but I can't breathe!" Peter gasped, shaking his arm in the air a few times before Sirius finally let him go.
"REMUSSSSSSSSS!"
"I spent the break here with you, idiot!" Remus grumbled, trying to free himself from Sirius' grasp with no success.
"I suppose you've also spent a lot of time with (y/n), Moony. You're becoming very salty," James commented.
"At least our words have flavor," you shrugged as the tall boy nodded in agreement, finally getting rid of your boyfriend.
Sirius, somehow being touch-starved, decided you would be his next victim, and clung to your arm invasively, leaning his chin on your shoulder. "Look at us: not only are we bad omens together but we can also be compared to food. You're salty and I'm spicy."
"Why are you spicy?"
"Obviously cause I'm hot," he smirked as you rolled your eyes.
"Of course. Why did you even ask, (y/n)?" Lily shook her head and crossed her arms.
"...I missed this," Peter spoke out. "I'm glad we're all back at Hogwarts together. With all the terrible things you read on the Daily Prophet about the war, it feels reassuring to be with you all again."
James threw an arm over the smaller boy's shoulder, pulling him into a friendly side hug which made their cheeks squish together. "You're such a softie, Wormtail! Don't concern yourself with all that right now. Let's enjoy the fact we're all safe and reunited for the time being, Okay? So, what good things happened in our absence?"
Sirius and you both instinctively stared at Remus who was tugging on the collar of his shirt nervously before looking back at each other with small, knowing smiles.
"Oh, wait I know. (Y/n)... HOW ABOUT YOU TELL US ABOUT-" James drastically dropped the volume of his voice- "your animagus!"
As you were about to reply, the head of the four houses started calling groups of students towards the Great Hall, and a multitude of people was now at a range too close to talk about animagi. "...I promise I'll tell you about it all. Come find me after dinner."
"We'll ask Remus and Sirius to fill us in, but we still expect you to tell us in more detail," Lily mentioned as she, Remus, James, and Peter separated to regroup with a bigger group of Gryffindors.
"You should go too," you told Sirius, who still had a hold of your arm.
"Fine. I'll see you after dinner," he sighed, kissing your cheek before skidding off.
You lingered your hand where he had placed his lips as you walked into the Great Hall, pushing yourself through the students as you headed towards your usual spot in the Slytherin table. Regulus was already seated in his usual place, looking awfully concentrated on the cup he was holding.
"Hey," you caught his attention as you sat across from him.
"Hey."
"How've you been? I've barely seen you since the new year ball," you smiled, which he returned.
"Sorry, I've been busy. Things are getting restless back in London," he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Not things you'd be interested in. I've received way too many letters from 12 Grimmauld Place that it's making me want to chop the wings off my owl."
"Yeah, please don't do that," you chuckled nervously. "I'm not sure what's better: you receiving an overwhelming amount of letters from your parents, or me not receiving a single one, per usual."
"Are they gone on another business trip? Your parents, I mean."
"Probably," you shrugged. "It's hard for them to widen their influence to Scandinavia in times of war. The last time I heard, they were reaching out to the Karkaroff family for business."
"And you'll be in charge of keeping all those connections in check when they'll pass it down? You sure you'll be able to manage it, (y/n)?" Regulus smirked knowingly.
You scoffed a laugh and glared at him. "Oh please. Is there something I can't do?"
"Oi! If it isn't our pride and joy!" The cheery and loud voice of Ansel exclaimed as he and the rest of the Slytherin team members headed towards you and Regulus, dissolving the friendly tension between the two of you.
"I think it's best we don't ask who you're referring to, as it would start a competition between (y/n) and I, am I wrong?" Regulus hummed, swirling his cup a few times before sipping the drink inside.
"That is corrrrrrrrrect!"
"...You talk like that and then you wonder why you're still single," he looked up from his cup with the most genuinely bored expression you had ever seen, which only made Agatha and Dustan explode into fits of laughter.
"Oi! I'll have you know I get plenty of girls!" Ansel gasped, sitting down in the space next to you. "You just don't get a chaser's charm, Black. Am I right, (y/n)?"
"Oh, most definitely," you terribly held in a laugh as you scooted over to make Dante and Evan space on the other side. "I see the whole team's here."
"This sounds like the perfect time for a word from our captain, no?" Dustan asked as he leaned his chin on the palm of his hand, leaning forward on the table.
Regulus nodded and was quiet for a few seconds, thinking of what to say. He dusted off his Slytherin robe before clearing his throat and looking at the rest of you with a serious and almost intimidating stare. "What I have to say is... I am always right, so Ansel, you will stay single forever."
There was a silence in the Slytherin team's little bubble, followed by explosive laughter from every member except the senior chaser, who slouched back into the bench with his arms crossed and a very visible scowl on his face.
"Respect your seniors, captain!" he grumbled as the rest of you calmed down. "And as long as I have Quidditch, I don't need anyone."
"That seems like the type of thing a very single person would say," Ambrose snorted.
"I'm your senior too, you underling!"
"Give up on them, Ansel," Dustan shook his head as he dried tears from his eyes. "You know every member of our team is unreformed. Should I remind you how you were when you joined?"
"That's a hard pass," Ansel scoffed. "Even you betray me, (y/n). I was expecting you not to laugh. Totally disappointed about that."
"I have disappointed my fellow chaser," you sighed dramatically. "Dear Merlin, whatever should I do?
"How about use your unreasonable amount of raw skill to win the Inter-House Cup?" Evan smirked.
"Well, who am I to refuse such a request?" You returned the expression. "I have a feeling this will be our year!"
☆☆☆AUTHOR NOTE☆☆☆
This chapter took so much energy out of me for absolutely no reason. I'll be honest, I love writing The Project, but I was just so glad I finally finished this chapter. It really tired me and I'm not sure what for. I suppose it's because it's yet another needed transition filler chapter. Hopefully that feeling goes away for the next chapter, cause it really sucks.
Also, let me refresh your memory:
Ansel (7th year) and Ambrose (6th year) are the two other chasers alongside (y/n). Dustan (7th year) and Agatha (5th year) are the beaters, Regulus is the seeker, and Dante (6th year) is the keeper. Evan (5th year) is the substitute seeker. AND BOOM: SLYTHERIN TEAM OVERVIEW.
I know it's been many chapters now, but it feels so weird not to write Lucinda whenever I include the Slytherin team in chapters. It feels so out of place without her. I have developed emotional attachments to these characters it's not even funny at this point.
It was so weird writing this chapter. I just wrote three different parts of it at the same time and kept getting things mixed up. All in all: not my finest moment or chapter. Sorry if it's an absolute mess.
-Camille
Rashomon will be absent until I see my cats again because my heart is in ✨pain✨