#the main gate

@jegulus-microfic July 11, Word count 993

He stared up at the main gate into Hogwarts, seeing it up close for the first time. It was his first Hogsmeade trip as a third year, and he’d decided to walk back to the castle alone. He’d seen the gate as the thestrals pulled the carriages through them, travelling to and from the Hogwarts Express. But he’d never had the time to leisurely admire the ironwork and the stone winged boars that adorned either side. They were some of the ugliest things he’d ever seen, but he could admire the craftsmanship that had gone into carving the stone. 

He found a comfortable place to sit and pulled out a sketchbook to draw them. He didn’t have much in the way of drawing materials. His mother would throw a fit if she found him devoting his time to such frivolous things. So he was stuck with an unlined notebook and a quill that he quickly transfigured back into the muggle pencil he’d snuck out and bought. He’d use them until they were nothing but nubs and sneak out again to get another one. It wasn’t worth buying more than one. If he suddenly had an abundance of quills, someone might end up borrowing one and they’d start asking questions. 

This one was about half used. It would last him until Christmas, he hoped. He put his pencil to paper and began.

He was lost in his work and didn’t hear the approach of a group of students. 

“Hey, Sirius, isn’t that your brother?” Peter called after the bounding boy in front of him. 

“Huh?” Sirius spun around, bringing James Potter with him, who was in a headlock under Sirius’s arm. “Oh, yeah, it is. Oi, Reggie!” He bellowed. Regulus startled and drew a thick pencil line straight through his drawing. He growled at the mess and used his wand to erase the offending line. 

“Go away,” He sneered at his brother as he tried to hide what he was doing, but Sirius was too fast. He snatched the notebook out of Regulus's hands and flipped it open. 

Sirius stared down at the first drawing in the book. It was of the window in the Slytherin Common room when the giant squid had a tentacle creeping across the glass. He flipped through the pages, his brow furrowing more and more. He finally looked up.

“Does Mother know about these?” Regulus thought he heard a touch of concern, but with Sirius, you never knew if it was genuine. 

“No, and nor will she, especially from you,” He snapped, getting into Sirius’s face, and jabbing him with his pencil in the chest. Sirius set his jaw and glared into his brother’s eyes. 

“Wow, these are really good,” Regulus’s head snapped to the person who’d spoken, forgetting all about Sirius. “No, really, they’re beautiful,” James smiled at him, his head at an odd angle as he peered at the upside-down picture in Sirius’s hand. 

“Where do you get the pencils from?” Sirius asked, holding up Regulus’s hand. Regulus snatched it back.

“I sneak out and go to the post office down the road,” Regulus confessed, daring his brother to say anything about it. 

“Wow, Reggie, I’m impressed. How has she not found them yet?” Sirius asked, eyes still on the pencil in Regulus’s hand. 

“I only get one at a time. Now can I have my book back? I want to finish before dinner,” Regulus held out his hand for the notebook. Sirius looked down as though he’d forgotten he still had it. James grabbed it and handed it over. 

“Here,” He said, a big stupid grin on his face. Regulus grimaced. 

“Thanks,” And opened his book back to the page he was working on and continued from where he’d left off. 

“Come on, I’m hungry, let’s go see if we can charm the house elves before dinner,” Remus said quietly, putting an arm around Sirius and leading him away. 

“Remus, I just watched you eat a week’s worth of chocolate. How can you still be hungry?!” Sirius barked out a laugh, but let Remus lead him through the gates and back towards the castle. Peter followed them, chuckling at Remus’s look of shock at Sirius’s statement. 

“They really are beautiful,” James said, leaning over to see the final touches Regulus was adding to the boar’s wings. “Do you really only have one pencil?”

“Yes,” Regulus answered curtly. Why was his brother’s replacement for him still hanging about?

“Alright then, see you around,” James said awkwardly. Regulus nodded at him and he left.

The following morning, an oddly familiar owl landed beside him with a messily wrapped parcel. He took it from the owl, who flew off hooting happily and opened it. Inside was a copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. 

He already had a copy, and he hadn’t ordered a new one. He examined it. Something was off. He took his wand out and waved it over the book. The book shuddered and fell open. Inside was a brand-new pencil set. They were all different degrees of hardness. From the thickest dark graphite to the lightest tips that would barely leave a mark. He ran his fingers over them, marvelling at them as they knocked together, making a clicking sound. 

A note was tucked underneath the pencils. He plucked it from the box and read the words written there in a messy, heavy hand. 

‘From your not-so-secret admirer. I hope I’ll get a peek at whatever you create from these. Enjoy, James.’