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“Which one should I get?” Sirius held up a teddy bear in one hand and a stuffed dragon in another. There was also a kneazle-like cat he was sure Regulus would like, nor did he think his younger brother would mind another Puffskein. Then there was the stuffed Niffler.
“Come on, Sirius,” James sighed. “Just pick one already.”
“Yeah. It’s just a silly toy,” Peter muttered in irritation.
“It is not just a silly toy,” Sirius said, glaring at his friend. Remus stood nearby, looking somewhat nervous in the shop that sold magical toys. “It has to be just the right one.”
“Wow. You sound like you’re trying to pick out the perfect teddy bear for that girlfriend you definitely don’t have,” Peter said, rolling his eyes. “Except it’s not for a girl.”
Sirius turned back to the two stuffed toys. “And?”
“Don’t you think that some people might get the wrong idea?” Peter continued.
“Woah,” Remus said, shuffling from one foot to another. “Not cool, Peter.”
“Yes. Not cool, Peter,” Sirius snapped, turning to look at the smallest in their group. “I mean, what do you mean by the wrong idea? That I have a thing for my younger brother? And that’s why I’ve never had a steady?”
James shook his head. “Nobody is going to get that idea.”
“Right,” Remus said.
Peter opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. Sirius turned back to the stuffed toys, only to overhear Peter muttering, “He’s a Death Eater. It’s all over the school that the professors found out. And that he should be at Azkaban and not St. Mungos.”
“Peter. Really?” James sighed.
Sirius started to chew on the corner of his lip, fighting back the urge to slug Peter, knowing full well he had a point. “To hell with it!” he said. “I’ll get all of them!”
“Wait,” Remus straightened up, his eyes going wide. “Really?”
“I might as well, given the fact I really need to make it up to him,” Sirius said.
“He’s a Death Eater,” Peter muttered.
“Hey, Peter,” Remus said, reaching out for the shortest. “Let’s go for a walk before Sirius loses it on you.”
Sirius carried all five to the counter up front so that he could purchase the toys. He pointed to a gift box. The shop owner turned. “I don’t think they’ll all fit.”
“I’ll make them fit,” Sirius said, taking a deep breath. He returned to his flat, James in toe as he started to stuff the stuffed toys into the box.
“You know, I think the shop owner is right,” James said. “I mean, you could use a spell.”
“I’m going to try,” Sirius said, trying different ways to stuff the stuffed animals in.
“You know, you’re going to be late. For visiting hours,” James finally said.
Sirius let out a deep breath, finally squishing all five in, tying the box off. He packed it under his arm, and they headed inside, where the mediwitch—
He ’d not expected an explosion of stuffed animals and the mediwitch to jump in fright. “Now I have to pack them all back in there.”
“Well, yes,” the mediwitch said. “You do understand that we have to inspect everything that comes through here, right?”
“Really?”
“Particularly since,” the mediwich frowned, lowering her voice. “You know that you don’t just leave the Death Eaters, so we’ve been asked to be extra special careful with this one. Poor boy.”
“Um. Yeah,” Sirius felt his mouth twitch as he tried stuffing the Niffler in. James started helping, and they headed towards Regulus’ room, a single room arranged for by his grandfather.
Regulus was there, sitting in the bed, reading a book. There were cards on the table and stuffed animals, but when Sirius first visited, he ’d seen Regulus stroking the head of his first stuffed Puffskein, with more to follow. “ You ’ve got a lot of friends, don’t you?”
Regulus had frowned. “ Don ’t have any, actually. And some of the cards are weird. ”
“Like?” Sirius said.
“Waxing bad poetry or saying they can eat me all up because I’m delicious. I’m not sure why that one passed the mediwitch on inspection.”
He read over the letters, thinking Regulus had more friends than he thought, along with unexpected one-sided crushes that Regulus was oblivious to. He ’d also seen how much his brother liked the stuffed animals.
“She doesn’t, though.”
“Oh?”
“She’s not been here since she first saw them and tried getting rid of them,” Regulus said. “I’ve not seen anyone else from the family.”
“Not even Orion?”
“I don’t blame him,” Regulus said. “But he tried a couple of times.”
To which Sirius learned Orion was busy with work, which wasn ’t new, and dealing with specific individuals in the ministry who weren’t thrilled in taking Dumbledore’s word for it when it came to Regulus. “ You should still visit him. ”
“You’re right.”
“Is that yet another Puffskein?”
“Oh. That one’s from papa.”
“He’s visited.”
“A few times. He’s sent a few other stuffed creatures. And letters.”
“That’s good,” Sirius said. “And I have something for you.”
“Oh?” Regulus said, smiling. “But they think I can go home soon.”
“Yeah, but,” Sirius frowned. “Not fair! I didn’t have a chance to get you anything. I mean, I could have gotten you something sooner, but I couldn’t make up my mind. So here.” Sirius held out the box.
Regulus stared, then opened up the box, the stuffed animals going all over the place. “Um, are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Overcompensating?”
“The girls I’ve been with would say I’m not,” Sirius said.
“Huh?” Regulus stared.
“And you don’t get it,” Sirius said. “You said something about going home soon?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you, um,” Sirius cleared his throat. “Have a place to stash them? I mean, given….”
“She’s been informed she’s not allowed to do anything about them,” Regulus said, reaching for the Niffler Sirius got him, petting it. “They help me calm down. Feel better. It would have taken longer.”
“Do you, um,” Sirius cleared his throat.
“Yes, but it’s not as bad,” Regulus said. “And papa,” there came a pause, and Regulus pouted. “He says you can come home.”
“Uh, no. I’ve my place. And you can crash there any time you want. The Order’s added extra security, given—well, you know. And you can bring your stuffed toys as well.”
“Visit?”
“I….” Sirius frowned. “You know the reason I left was because of her, right? I mean, I blamed both of them, and he was absent a lot, but I remember now that he did come to bat for us when we needed it.”
“Bat? What do bats have to do with this?” Regulus said.
“Uh—Muggle phrase involving a Muggle game,” Sirius said.
“He says he’ll intervene. I think he meant more visit than come home, home.”
“Oh?”
“Because he can’t be home twenty-four-seven.”
“No,” Sirius said. “I’ll consider it.”