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Chapter Text

Professor McGonagall looked sternly at the four students in front of her, lips pursed. With her was an uncomfortable Slughorn.  Pale, cloudy moonlight glowed through the windows as Peeves cackled down the corridor while the other students were filtering into the Great Hall for supper.

"Black, I cannot say I'm the least bit surprised. Potter, I would not have been surprised only a year ago, but one would think you would wear that Head Boy badge with respect." As she spoke, James and Sirius just avoided eye contact, boredly waiting for the lecture to be done with. McGonagall sighed and redirected her attention to the third Gryffindor. "That said, Mr. Lupin, I expect better behavior from a prefect and I have to say I am quite disappointed."

"But professor, we're the ones who dragged him into it. He didn't actually do anything," Sirius argued while Remus stared at the ground, too embarrassed to look at anyone.

"That is precisely my point, Mr. Black. A responsible prefect would not enable other students like this, even if they are his friends. Ten points each from Gryffindor. We will discuss your punishments momentarily." She glanced expectantly at her fellow professor, who cleared his throat and addressed the sole Slytherin.

"I am absolutely shocked, Regulus. You have always been better than this– a model student and prefect!"

"Sometimes my brother doesn't understand that one day, he may go too far with his pranks and end up with repercussions he might not be able to handle. One would think he has learned his lesson already." The boy was very calm, but there was a sharp edge to his tone as he glared at the other three. Sirius felt himself pale.

"That doesn't excuse you from your own actions. You know such use of hexes are against the rules, but you used them nevertheless. It pains me to do, but I'll have to take twenty points from Slytherin."

"What?" Indignation washed over Regulus' face. "They each got only ten."

"A prank is not really at the same level of seriousness as a hex."

"You would be surprised, sir," he said curtly. "What about our punishments then?"

"You all will be serving your detentions this Saturday," interjected McGonagall. "You and Mr. Lupin will be out cleaning the broomshed. No magic of course, and Madam Hooch will be checking your progress."

The two quickly glanced at each other, both thinking it could've been worse. Regulus was just glad he didn't have to work with his brother.

"What will James and I be doing then?" asked Sirius.

"Do you really think we wouldn't separate you both for this? You will clean the trophy room and Mr. Potter will be cleaning out cauldrons."

James groaned before he could stop himself. He hated cleaning cauldrons and briefly considered trying to switch their punishments, but decided otherwise. Though really, it didn't seem like Remus had it easy either, having to serve detention with a Slytherin. That particular Slytherin.

"Now, it's nearly time for supper, so you're all dismissed."

---

The three Gryffindors moseyed into the Great Hall, soon joined by a fourth, and found a spot at their house table.

"So, how did remedial lessons go, Wormtail?" James grinned. "You missed a grand adventure."

"You went without me?" Peter asked, a little hurt. Then again, he had already fallen behind and extra detentions would only eat into his free time. "Who was it?"

"Padfoot's little brother."

"Really?" His eyes widened. Yes, he didn't quite feel as bad about missing it anymore. "How did that go?"

"Oh, he tried to hex us and we all got detention." James waved it off. "They're separating me and Sirius, but Remus has to do detention with little Black. Good luck with that by the way, Moony. Ooh, since you'll be there, you can hex his broomstick or something so we're sure to win the next Quidditch match!"

"James. That's not even funny." Remus frowned.

"Sorry, sorry. Just joking, really."

"You have a point though, Remus," Sirius said somberly in a hushed tone. "I think Regulus knows about that time that...you know... I..." He trailed off for a moment, remembering how angry the three of them had been. He hadn't thought of how Remus would have felt if he accidentally killed someone, even if someone worthless. "Snivellus must have told him. Don't let him get to you. It's not just muggle-borns my family is against."

"Thank you, but I should be fine." Or at least he hoped.

---

"You know they deserved it, Regulus," said a Slytherin girl. "They're always causing trouble." 

"I suppose so. There's no use whinging, I just want to get it over with." Regulus started to eat, not wanting to draw any more attention. He thought it wasn't worth getting concerned with. There were more important things to think about, after all.

---

Saturday afternoon, the sky overcast, Remus and Regulus silently walked past the Quidditch field to the broomshed, met by Madam Hooch who had a box of supplies including dusters and mundane brooms.

"Remember, no magic. The faster you finish, the faster you can go. And if I were you, I wouldn't waste time. The weather doesn't seem to be on your side today." She unlocked the shed and left them to it.

Aside from the Quidditch teams' brooms, there seemed to be a thick layer of dust on everything, as well as cobwebs in every corner. It smelled old and musty. Given the size of the place, it would definitely take a while, but at least neither of them heard anything scurrying around. They immediately got to work, cleaning wordlessly.

Given his wealthy family had a house elf, Regulus was quite clumsy in his cleaning in comparison to Remus, who was more used to such chores and was a bit faster and efficient. If he was being honest, he would admit to feeling useless not knowing how to do such a simple thing. However, he started to get the hang of it, especially after seeing how the other was going about things. They got a good third of it done before anyone said anything.

"I'm very sorry, Regulus," Remus said after a sigh, momentarily stopping his work. Regulus finished dusting one of the window sills then turned to him, face neutral.

"Don't apologize for them."

"I'm not apologizing for them. They can speak for themselves, although I doubt they will. I'm sorry for not doing anything about it. It was wrong of me. I should have refused." If Regulus was surprised or grateful or angry, Remus couldn't tell.

"Why even be friends with them when you disapprove of their behavior?"

"They're really not that bad. Both of them, even if it doesn't seem so. I do enjoy a lot of the fun, but sometimes I just think they go too far, especially Sirius. And once they're friends with someone, they're incredibly loyal."

"And yet you can't seem to say no to them?"

"I–" Remus momentarily lost his words. "It's my own problem, not theirs. They've done nothing to make me doubt them in that way, quite the opposite."

"I believe you." Regulus turned around and continued his cleaning. "It's because of what you are, correct? You're afraid of being rejected due to being different."

What in Merlin's name was he trying to do, get a rise out of him? He supposed this is what Sirius meant. Remus wasn't about to let that happen. Still, he was caught off-guard.

"So you know about me..."

"Yes. I'm the only one Severus told, presumably because it had to do with Sirius," Regulus said, hearing the fear in Remus' voice. He stopped cleaning again once he got to his racing broom and put a hand on it fondly, like he was recalling a nice memory. "He has no issue with that sort of thing. Probably why he so readily befriended you. He reveled in being different from the rest of us, being in Gryffindor."

Remus walked over and stood next to him, still wondering why Regulus was saying all this. And somehow, he felt confident that his secret wouldn't be spilled.

"What about you? What if you ended up in Gryffindor?"

"Tch. My parents would probably stop talking to me like they did to Sirius when they got the news. And don't offend me like that."

Remus suddenly felt a small pang of guilt. His own parents would never have done such a thing, yet Sirius had been pushed aside so easily.

He looked over at Regulus, noticing for once the more overlooked differences between him and his brother. People always said the two looked almost alike, but had opposite personalities. He found it wasn't quite true. Yes, one could easily tell they were related, but it ended there once you actually got a good look at them. Regulus had finer features, whereas Sirius' were a bit stronger, was just slighter of frame, and his hair was a couple inches shorter. Instead of a cool grey, Remus noted, the younger Black's eyes were a light shade of brown, practically amber. Looking into them for a second too long, he felt his breath hitch and quickly but subtly glanced away.

"Have you always liked flying?"

There was now a different but still indiscernible expression on Regulus' face. "Changing the subject then? Yes, I often practiced as a child."

"It shows. James sometimes complains they need a better seeker or else they'll never beat Slytherin. I never saw the appeal personally, but James and Sirius seem to love it."

"Well, he can keep complaining. Now, we have work to do Lupin, or do you want to be here all day?"

"Right."

They continued to work, and were about three quarters finished when Madam Hooch came to check their progress. She told them they could go back to the castle whenever they were done, and rightly trusted them not to skip out. Once they were done, however, it had started to pour.

"What do you want to do?" Remus asked.

"Perhaps we should wait a little to see if it lets up at all."

"Alright. Might as well." He sat against the wall, taking the opportunity to rest a while. Regulus joined him, though at least a couple feet away. The first few minutes were silent aside from the raining pounding against the roof. "We weren't in on it, you know. James and I. We had no idea what Sirius was going to do and once we found out, we were furious. I wanted to tell Snape in person, but I doubt he'd listen to me."

It took nearly a minute for Regulus to respond. "I'll tell him for you."

"Thank you." It was quiet for another few minutes and Remus' mind began to wander until he was pulled back into reality.

"What are you staring at me for?"

"What?"

"I said what are you staring at me for?" 

"Oh..." Remus hadn't even realized it. "It's just that people always say you look like a miniature version of Sirius, but I disagree. You're very different. That's all."

"At least someone realizes it," Regulus scoffed. He gazed out the window at the rain hitting the glass as though willing it to stop. That wouldn't do any good though, as it continued to rain steadily. His face remained neutral, but there was a faraway look in his eyes. 

It had only been about fifteen more minutes, but to them waiting in silence, it seemed like twice as long.

"The rain calmed down a little," Remus pointed out. "Do you want to wait longer and see if it stops? Or we can just push through it."

Regulus thought a moment.

"Let's just go. It's cold, and the sooner we leave, the sooner I can be by the common room fire." He stood up, brushing himself off on impulse although they had dusted completely.

"Alright. I agree." Remus followed suit, and both of them put up the hoods of their cloaks.

Once they were outside, they quickly shut the doors and jogged across the grounds. They held their hoods up, but halfway to the castle, it didn't really do anything to keep them dry. Regulus was faster, but didn't go so fast as to leave the other behind, and Remus couldn't help but wonder whether or not it was intentional.

When finally inside, they stopped to catch their breaths, leaving water all over the floor. Filch certainly wasn't going to be amused by it.

"Well, that was fun," Remus joked with a weak laugh. 

"Oh yes, loads of fun. I love getting soaked to the bone." Through the sarcasm, one could swear there was a small glimmer in Regulus' eyes.

"I'll see you around then, I suppose."

"I suppose."

Both of them then went to their respective common rooms, appreciating the warmth.

---

Remus entered the Gryffindor common room to find Sirius and Peter playing a game of exploding snap while James and Lily were relaxing on one of the sofas.

"Hey, look who's finally back!" said James. "Have a fight with the weather, mate?"

"What took you so long? Prongs and I finished our detentions ages ago," Sirius said as Remus took off his damp cloak and sat by the fire.

"The broomshed is much bigger than the trophy room, you know. Plus, as James pointed out, the weather. It started to rain before we were done, and we decided to wait and see if it would stop. Didn't seem like it, so once it wasn't raining quite as hard, we decided to just run back to the castle."

"Somehow, it's difficult to imagine my brother doing that. Speaking of, on a scale from Malfoy to Snivellus, how insufferable was he?"

"Sirius!" Lily said, frowning. "He doesn't seem all that bad."

"You haven't known him your whole life."

"Lily has a point though," Remus replied. "Considering the expectations you've given me, he was relatively polite."

"Oh. Really? Did you talk about me?"

"Not everything is about you, Sirius." There was a bit more bite to his tone than intended, and he himself was surprised. Remus felt the immediate urge to apologize, but suppressed it. What did he have to apologize for? He wasn't the only one surprised though, Peter was staring and James looked particularly amused, perhaps a little impressed. "I... I don't understand why you antagonize him so much. Before coming here, you must have gotten along, right?"

"I suppose." Sirius looked away indignantly. "But imagine getting shut out by your family once you got put in a house they don't like and have opinions that they don't agree with! You'd think my little brother would continue to speak to me like a decent human being, but no, it's like he's embarrassed to be seen with me! He's kinder to the bloody house elf. And he always does whatever mother and father tell him without batting an eye. It's pathetic."

Slowly, an idea sunk into Remus' mind, and the realization overcame him. Perhaps they weren't so different, Regulus and himself.

"Sirius, have you ever thought he saw how they treated you and is too scared to go against them, even the slightest bit, lest he receives the same kind of rejection?"

"Padfoot-" James tried to interject, realizing where Remus was going with this.

"Well then he's a coward of a Black, wrong side or not!"

Remus felt the pain in his chest like a knife. He knew it wasn't directed at him, but in principle, it was the same. His fear of saying no.

"Sirius-"

"Not everyone is like you either, Sirius." Remus turned and headed to the dormitory. James looked to Lily for affirmation, and when she nodded, he got up and went to the dorms.

"No you don't, Black," Lily warned as Sirius began to get up. He sat back down.

---

When James came in, Remus was laying on top of his bed staring at the ceiling. He sat at the edge.

"Hey." No response. "I'm sorry we didn't listen and that we dragged you into it. For all the times we dragged you into things, really. It was stupid."

"I accept your apology. Just yours, at least for now." Remus' voice was soft and quiet.

"Understood. And for the record, I don't think you're a coward at all." He finally received full attention.

"Thank you. But I am. It just... hit harder coming from him. I know it wasn't directly to me but... it still felt like it."

"No, you're not. You were sorted into Gryffindor for a reason. I don't know what happened, but something did. He must have said something to make you stand up to Sirius."

Remus sat up to talk more properly.

"Not really. We just had a lot of time to talk." He sighed and hesitated. "I know it sounds strange, but I wish I could be his friend, James, but I know I can't."

James whistled. "Wow, yeah that's a tough one. So, he was nice to you then?"

"Hard to say. He was... blunt, but not necessarily rude. Just a bit cold and distant. He could have ignored me or insulted me the whole time, but he didn't do either." He decided not to say that Regulus knew about him being a werewolf. "And he seemed to soften up a bit toward the end."

"Well, I'm sure even a Slytherin can see how good a person you are."

"While I appreciate it, there's no need for flattery." Still, Remus allowed himself a small smile.

"See what I mean? Anyway, though I still think he must have said something to rile you up."

"Nothing out of line, so to speak. He only pulled out things I already knew to be true, but didn't want to admit. That's all."

"I'll believe you," James said after taking a moment to consider it. "So you think he may not be as bad as his parents then?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure. There was plenty opportunity for him to be particularly scathing, but he wasn't."

"You've always been the one to try and find the good in people. Just don't let it blow in your face, okay?"

"I've been okay so far." 

---

Regulus sat in an armchair next to the fireplace, quietly reading a book. In the background was the sound of the rain, the lake, and the murmur of a full common room.

"So Black, how was detention with the Gryffindor?" asked Evan Rosier. Nearby, Severus halted his potions assignment to listen in.

"As exciting as you would expect cleaning to be. I wasn't there to socialize, you know." He didn't bother looking up from his book. "Though I suppose I did get the least obnoxious of the three." Really, he didn't find Remus to be obnoxious at all. Maybe a bit chatty in comparison to himself, but his voice was soft and pleasant. Not that Regulus would admit any of that out loud.

Rosier snorted. "I guess. Oh yeah, I've been meaning to bring this up. Is everything okay with you? You've seemed a bit off recently."

Regulus finally looked up, hiding any hint of surprise.

"Have I? A bit tired, perhaps. I plan on taking N.E.W.Ts next year, and I'm making sure I'll be prepared. Plus, there's Quidditch practice." Not a lie, per se.

"Okay, that sounds like you," he laughed. "Take better care of yourself, mate."

"I will do what I can."

---

Chapter Text

The Great Hall was bursting with cheerful noise and savory smells as Hogwarts indulged in its evening meal. The faux-sky ceiling showed a clear, starry night. At the Gryffindor table sat James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Peter together as usual. It had been just over two weeks and the detentions were definitively in the past and everyone had moved on from the conversation. Sirius had apologized to Remus, who forgave him.

Over those past two weeks, Remus found himself trying to get there before his friends in order to choose where they all would be sitting. He didn't realize it at first, but was now very aware of the fact that he made sure he was facing the Slytherin table. Remus stared, momentarily forgetting about his food, across the way at a certain Regulus Black. He noticed an increasing giddiness in his chest whenever he saw his friend's brother, and often caught himself staring in his direction.

"Remus?" Lily asked for the third time. She put a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of it with a startled jump.

"Huh? Yes, what happened?" He found the other four of them looking at him.

"Sorry for startling you. We've been calling you. Are you alright?"

"Something interesting at the Slytherin table?" said Sirius, looking over to try and see what Remus had been staring at.

"O-oh. No. It's okay, I just spaced out is all. Didn't sleep well I suppose. Sorry. What did I miss?"

"Nothing really. You were only gone for a minute or so." Peter shrugged.

"Told you to not study so late," Sirius laughed.

"Yes," Remus chuckled weakly. He ate quietly for the rest of the meal. What am I doing?

---

Merlin, why did this keep happening? Regulus tore his eyes away from the Gryffindor table, his heart racing. Since they had finally spoken to each other, he often caught himself glancing over at Remus, and could have sworn he sometimes found the other glancing back. Or was it just wishful thinking? Then there was the dream he had last night. He sighed, not wanting to admit the thing he was afraid might be true. I have enough to deal with already, he thought, I don't need this too.

"Something the matter?" asked Severus, having heard the sigh.

"What? No, I'm fine. Just thinking of work I have to do." He paused. "Severus, can I talk to you about something later?"

"Of course. Are you certain you're alright?"

"Yes, yes. It's not even about me, so don't worry about it. I'm just keeping my word on something."

---

Later that night, James and Remus walked through the halls during their patrol duty. It was very quiet, the only sound being their footfalls. Amazing how different it seemed late at night in comparison to the daytime liveliness. The emptiness was almost eerie.

"So, you've seemed a bit spacey as of late, Moony." James snorted once he realized the pun he just made. "Anything wrong? You're not still bothered by what Sirius said, are you?"

"Have I really? No, nothing's... wrong, per se. Though, I've meant to ask you about something." At the thought, Remus' cheeks started to color.
 
"Yeah, what is it? You know you can talk to me about anything."

"Thank you. I mean it." Remus gave a smile. "I... ah... how do you know if you fancy someone? How did you know Lily was the person you wanted to be with?"

James' eyes widened and a grin spread across his face.

"What have we here? Who's the lucky one, then?" He lightly nudged his friend with an elbow.

"There's no one to name! I'm asking because I'm trying to figure out if there is someone."

"No wonder you haven't been quite... present. You've probably just been daydreaming. Just keep these questions in mind if you want your answer. Do you get butterflies in your chest? Do you feel protective over her? But really, if you're thinking you may fancy someone, you probably do. It's not that complicated."

"Not a her," Remus said quietly before he could stop himself. Once he realized what he said, he went pale, feeling his blood run cold. James stopped after nearly tripping over himself.

"Oh. Aren't you full of surprises, Moony? Him then."

"Well, it's a surprise to me too, to be perfectly honest."

"I see. At least it's not as shocking as the last one. Thank you for telling me though. Like I said, you can tell me anything."

"I didn't mean to. It just sort of... slipped out." He laughed nervously, still a bit shaken. But he started to feel his limbs again. "Sorry for dropping another thing on you."

"Don't worry about it. You're my friend, I just want you to be happy. So Sirius and Peter don't know then, I assume. When will you tell them?"

"I don't know. Haven't thought about it yet." Remus wanted to give James a hug of gratitude, but decided otherwise. "When the time feels right, I suppose. Unlike just then."

"Maybe it was just right, and you just didn't know it consciously. I won't bother you and keep asking who it is. I trust you'll say so when you're ready to." James smiled and pat his friend on the shoulder. "Come on, let's head back. I'm tired and have Quidditch practice in the morning."

"Thank you, James. And it's none of you blokes, by the way, so you better not even think it."

"My ego is so bruised right now." James laughed, clutching his heart dramatically as they headed back to the dormitories for the night.

---

"What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Severus asked. He and Regulus had found a quiet corner of the Slytherin common room to talk where they were least likely to be bothered. It didn't seem as though anyone was all that interested anyway.

"It's about what happened with Sirius, when Potter saved you."

"What about it?" His eyes narrowed, and his tone cold.

"I'm by no means defending my brother, first of all. What he did was reckless, dangerous, and moronic, and he can be a real bastard. I know this. However, I really think neither Lupin nor Potter were in on it."

"Did he tell you that then? And you believed him?"

"I know how that sounds, but I thought about it, and I decided to tell you. Potter may be a right git, yes, and I understand why you hate him. I don't necessarily like him, either. But if there was one thing he isn't, that's a coward. I don't think he would have gotten cold feet in the middle of something. I know you don't want to hear it, but Evans clearly sees something in him, so I imagine he must have some sort of standard, even if it's low. But not low enough to where he would put someone's life in danger, rival or not."

"And what of Lupin?"

"Oh please, so much for scary werewolf," he scoffed. "He's far too soft to do something like that. Yet also too soft to stay angry at Sirius, like a lapdog." Jealousy grew in him at the thought. "Pathetic, really."

"You may be correct about Lupin." Severus vaguely remembered Lupin's anger at the situation. It was hard to remember details when you just narrowly escaped death. "Still, I don't trust Potter."

"Well, I did what I said I would, and now it's no longer up to me. Take the information as you will."

"I'll think about it. Regulus?"

"What is it?"

"I know you probably don't want to hear it, but you have been stranger than usual. I can't help but think it's something other than schoolwork."

Regulus' jaw tightened, and he took a moment before speaking again.

"It's just... I'm under some pressure at home, is all. I don't really want to talk about it with anyone. It will pass." That was a lie. It would not pass. But he couldn't burden Severus with such things.

---

It was the second day after that month's full moon and Remus was just being released by Madam Pomfrey. Bright afternoon sunlight shone through the frosty windows. He walked down the hall away from the private area he was always given, pocket full of chocolates that had been left for him. As he got to the main section of the hospital wing, however, he recognized the person in one of the beds and stopped in surprise.

"Regulus?"

Regulus Black looked over to him, his face tense from trying to hide the amount of pain he was in. He of course was not surprised to see Remus there.

"Lupin."

"What happened, are you alright?" Remus tried not to sound quite as worried as he was, but it still peeked through.

"Damnable sport," Madam Pomfrey huffed as she gave Regulus a potion to help with pain. "Got hit by a bludger during Quidditch practice, the poor thing."

"I just have idiots as teammates is all. I'm perfectly fine, thank you very much," Regulus seethed and tried to reject the potion, but the healer wouldn't have it and he drank it reluctantly.

Remus cringed, thinking of all the times James had gotten injured due to Quidditch. It was one of the main reasons he never saw the appeal. He bit his inner lip, hesitating, then went to Regulus' bedside and set down one of his sweets.

"Here," he said. "I find that it really helps. Not the pain, but at least it makes those potions taste better."

"I don't need or want your pity. It was just a bludger." But Regulus didn't reject the gift.

"Pity wasn't my intent. Just a friendly gesture, but I apologize if it bothers you to associate with someone like me." While Remus turned walked away from him, Regulus tried to decide whether or not to say something. Before he could, however, someone walked through the door.

"Ah, there you are Moony!" Sirius grinned. "We all thought you'd be back by... now." His grin faded as he realized his brother was there. "What happened?"

"None of your business," Regulus practically hissed, glaring. "You've retrieved your pet dog, Sirius, now go away."

"You- !" Sirius lunged forward, but Remus quickly held him back.  "Don't you ever speak about my friends like that!"

"Sirius, don't!" Remus was still feeling weak from the transformation, but thankfully Sirius controlled himself just enough. Perhaps it was the desperation in his voice.

"You're just going to let him insult you like that?!"

"It's not worth it. Plus he's injured. Quidditch accident."

"Fine." Sirius noticed the sweet next to Regulus, not knowing quite what to make of it. Then he turned and headed back to the door. "Come on, Moony."

Remus followed, but not before giving a quick glance to the younger Black, eyes meeting.

"What were you doing, talking to him for?" Sirius asked once they were in one of the corridors. "And... did you give him that chocolate? It's one that we left you."

"Do I need permission from you to talk to people, Padfoot? And yes I did." There was no guilt in his voice.

"I didn't mean it that way, you should know that. And he doesn't deserve anything from you."

"I have plenty and thought he could use a bit of kindness. For some reason, I doubt his teammates visited him at all."

"You're too kind for your own good, you know."

"Yes, I realize that."

"You shouldn't assoc-"

"Sirius, I don't want to argue with you. Talking about your brother seems to end in just that."

"I guess. Not that we had a real argument. Though coming from you, I suppose it might as well have been. You almost never get so... snippy with me. I can see why though, I was being an arse."

"At least you admit it." Remus sighed. "Time to catch up with homework." At least it was a good distraction for his mind.

---

Once the two had left him in solitude, Regulus closed his eyes, his heart beating as though he had just won the final match for the House Cup.  He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to steady his breathing. Why? He thought. Why did the stupid wolf have to look at him like that? It wasn't fair. And it wasn't fair that his even more idiotic brother had to come and interrupt.

For the next hour, he kept glancing at the door in hopes that maybe someone would come in and see him, but when no one came, he gave up the thought. A dull ache formed in his chest. Finally, he took the chocolate bar and unwrapped it carefully before taking a small bite. He savored the taste, grateful for the small gesture of generosity. He knew he did absolutely nothing to deserve it. But Remus was right; it did help.

Regulus nearly jumped when he heard the door open. He almost smiled when he saw Severus come in.

"Are you alright, Regulus? I was wondering why you hadn't come back, and just now heard."

"I'm fine, and I should be out by tonight. While it's appreciated, no concern is necessary." Still, he was touched. He really considered Severus to be the only one who was truly his friend.

"Did you have a visitor?" Severus noticed the chocolate, but didn't bring attention to it.

"Hm? No, you're the only one."

"I see." Lupin would be the only one already in there aside from Madam Pomfrey, and he was sure she wasn't in the habit of giving out gifts. A rather odd idea eased its way into his mind as his gaze bored into Regulus. He looked away, thinking no, no that couldn't be correct. He would have to think about it more. "Well, I do hope you feel well enough to show up for supper."

"Leave a spot open for me."

---

The Marauders and Lily hung out at their usual spot in the common room, Remus diligently catching up with work. James and Sirius urged that he'd be let off easy as always and shouldn't worry about it so much, but he insisted. He always did.

"So a strange thing happened today," James said.

"What'd that be?" Peter asked curiously.

"Well I ran into Snivellus."

"His name is Severus," Lily reminded him. "And he goes to this school too, you know."

Sirius and Peter snickered.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. Anyway, that wasn't the strange part. He mentioned that... y'know, the shit you pulled on him, Padfoot." At the mention, Sirius stiffened uncomfortably, but Remus' attention was grabbed. So Regulus did talk to him? "He said that he acknowledges that Remus and I had no part in it. Not that he forgives us or anything. He just knows Sirius was the only guilty one."

"You're right, that is strange. What do you think made him do that?" Still, Sirius was glad blame wasn't on his friends anymore.

"It was Regulus," Remus said quietly.

"What?" James and Sirius said in unison.

"When I had detention with him, I asked him to tell Snape that James and I had nothing to do with it. I didn't know if he actually would or not." Remus felt a warm happiness.

"Wait so..." Sirius lowered his voice, "he does know about you?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Remus finally looked at his friend.

"I didn't want to worry you."

"Damn right! What if he outs you? You know that would be disastrous!"

"See this is what I mean. Don't you think he would have by now? He's had plenty of time. Why wait until my last year?"

Sirius tried to come up with an argument, but ended up just sitting there in frustration. Irritably, he muttered, "I don't understand why you try to be nice to him."

Admittedly, James had similar thoughts. It was no secret that Remus was the most kind-hearted person of the lot, but still, his adamant defending of Regulus the past month or so seemed a bit out of place. James started to wonder.

"Hey, we best be getting to the Great Hall. Dunno about you, but I'm hungry."

---

Severus found it hard to believe, but there it was. Regulus was definitely staring at Remus Lupin.  There was the chance it could just be in the direction of Remus Lupin, but based on recent behaviors, Severus decided that probably wasn't the case. Upon further observation, Potter kept looking over at Lupin as well, and then over at Regulus. Interesting. Then, Lupin himself glanced to the Slytherin table, and Regulus immediately went back to his food as though he hadn't been staring. So there indeed was something going on, and Potter was aware of it too.

But what exactly was it? It was clear to him that after the interaction between the two, Regulus had been a bit strange about the Gryffindor. He had done a favor for no particularly good reason, yet then started speaking more harshly about Lupin than usual. Given that Regulus usually never even mentioned him, the insults seemed a bit excessive, almost as if to make up for the favor he did. No one had questioned his dislike of the Gryffindors, yet it was like he felt the need to prove it. Severus didn't know the degree of his friend's fondness for Lupin, but he knew it existed.

---

"Regulus." Severus got the other's attention in one of the halls once the last classes of the day let out. "I need to speak with you."

The younger boy followed him into an empty corridor and looked at him in curiosity.

"What is it?"

"Please tell me the truth." He would know if Regulus was lying, but thought it best not to say so. "What is going on between you and Remus Lupin?"

Regulus felt himself go cold. Was it that obvious? Then again, he knew Severus to be particularly perceptive. He sure as hell wasn't about to tell him he fancied the bloke, but the truth really was that there was nothing. As if there would be anything but nothing. He shook his head and looked his friend in the eye.

"Nothing. We have only ever spoken a couple times. We're not friends."

"I see." So far alright. "Do you want to be?"

Ah, there it was. Regulus nodded silently. It wasn't necessarily false, but he could still sense something was off.

"You know you shouldn't, Regulus."

"You think I don't know that?" He paused, immediately feeling bad for snapping. Severus didn't deserve that. "Sorry."

"Just... be careful, alright?"

---

Chapter Text

Remus flopped onto his bed after prefect duty, tired from a long day. He yawned, waving at the two friends who had been waiting for him.

"Hey, where's James? He usually comes back with you," asked Peter.

"Oh, he has a couple Head Boy things to do. He'll be back soon."

"Pffft, he and Evans are probably just in an empty classroom or something," Sirius said, grinning. Remus and Peter laughed.

"Perhaps. I wouldn't put it past them."

"Y'know, speaking of." Sirius crossed his arms. "Moony, I've never noticed you ever being interested in someone. Peter fancied that one girl in Ravenclaw, and I've had a few girlfriends, even if it wasn't serious or anything."

Remus felt a knot in his stomach. Now that the subject came up, it was as good a time as any. James reacted just fine, so this should be okay, right?

"It's not like I've never fancied a girl. Just never one at Hogwarts. But er..." he started to fidget, "I've been meaning to tell you that er..."

Sirius' eyes widened.

"Do you have a girlfriend you haven't told us about, Moony?"

"No, no I don't. It's just that... I'm not only interested in girls." Even his ears were red.

"Bloody hell, Remus. Really?" Sirius sat in silence a moment, letting the information process in his mind.

"You can't help it, right?" said Peter. "If we can accept you being a werewolf, we can accept this."

"Wormtail's right. I mean, the werewolf thing kind of overshadows anything else. Nothing would be quite as surprising after that." Sirius nodded. "Caught me by surprise though. Thank you for telling us, Moony. Though you waited long enough. When are you going to tell Prongs?"

"To be honest, I only realized it recently. And James already knows."

"He does? How?" Sirius looked a bit hurt.

"Ah, it wasn't on purpose! I accidentally let it slip. And it wasn't very long ago. I was waiting for a good time to bring it up. You did that for me."

"Oh, that's alright then. Wait, if you just realized it recently, does that mean there is someone?"

"Whether there is someone or not, I will tell you when I'm ready to. And as I already told Prongs, I'm not interested in any of you lot, so don't ask."

"I'm sure his ego is bruised," said Peter.

"That's exactly what he said," Remus laughed, feeling much better than before, like a huge weight was lifted.

---

It just seemed so unlikely, but there the evidence was. James sighed, class nearly over, as he thought about Remus' apparent fixation on Regulus Black. He knew of course that Moony wished he could be friends with Sirius' brother, but it really looked like more than that. Mostly all the spacing out and staring while in the Great Hall. He glared at his desk in frustration. Out of all people, why Regulus? Personally, he held no grudge, but he knew Sirius would have a hard time accepting it. And not that he really cared, but he was aware of how disastrous it would be for Regulus if such a relationship came out into the open. But Merlin, how he wanted his friend to be happy.

Once class was over, he was halfway down the corridor when he heard his name right behind him, making him jump visibly. Snape.

"Bloody hell, you're a damn spectre! What do you want this time?" he said irritably, but mostly because he had been so startled. Severus ignored this.

"I need to ask you what you know about Regulus Black and Lupin." As usual, Severus was unreadable. James now forgot his anger.

"You've noticed as well?"

"Obviously, or else I wouldn't mention it, Potter. What do you know?"

"Well, not much actually. Remus told me ages ago that he wouldn't mind being friends with him, that's it. So is Black being a bit odd too?"

"Yes. He seems to have similar sentiments, and I've reminded him that it would be a poor decision. However, it hasn't stopped him from constantly glancing at the Gryffindor table."

"We seem to be observing the same phenomenon then."

"I was hoping you knew more, but evidently not."

"Even if I had more information, I wouldn't tell you so don't waste your time."

"Useful as always," Severus said with a hint of exasperation in his voice, then turned and left. James headed to his next class, thinking. There was more research to be done.

---

"Hey Lily?" James asked in a sing-song voice, putting his arms around his girlfriend as they patrolled the corridors.

"What is it? You're heavy," she laughed.

"So Slughorn is having one of those Christmas parties for his weird club thing you're in, right?"

"Silly, you know you're invited to go with me." Lily smiled, taking one of his hands.

"Regulus Black is in the club too, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well, I have a favor to ask of you actually." James returned to her side. She gave him a raised eyebrow and he continued, "I want to you take Remus to the party instead and keep an eye on him."

"Wait what? Not that I mind spending time with Remus, of course I don't. It just seems like a strange request. And what does B-" it dawned on her. "Do you think there's something between them?"

"Maybe, I don't know. They might be secretly friends or something, or want to be."

"Why do you think that?"

"He's been weird about other Black. Pretty much every day he's looking over at him and has been very defensive about him. Plus, Sirius said Remus was very friendly with his brother in the hospital wing."

"This is Remus you're talking about. He's friendly to everyone."

"Yes, but in this case, it's weirder than usual! And... Snape came up to me recently and told me Regulus has been acting similarly."

"Alright, that is strange, I admit. So, what exactly are you looking for?"

"Good question. Just what their interaction is like, I suppose. It'd be nice to have a perspective from someone who isn't one of their best friends. I mean, you are Remus' friend, just not as long as I have been. A bit less biased. I would love your opinion."

"I can do that. What are your views on this? Do you support this possible friendship, or are you opposed to it?"

"Personally, I think he should be friends with whomever he wants, but I know Sirius would have a hard time with it. He would disapprove for sure."

"Right, supposed to be 'the enemy' and all that nonsense." She opened the door to one of the last classrooms of the night. No surprise, empty.  "But yes, I'll invite him. He'll wonder why though. Should I just say you wanted him to feel included, or...?"

"Hmm... sure. And that I just want him to have a nice time. Because I do. And thank you so much. I owe you one." He kissed her on the cheek.

---

On the day of the Slug Club Christmas party, Remus was nervous. He was confused but happy when he was invited, and couldn't help but wonder what James was trying to do. He had a good idea, but he couldn't be sure.

"Relax and just enjoy yourself," Lily said as they approached the door.

"Ah, Lily! Glad you can join us," said Slughorn amiably. "Oh? You didn't bring Mr. Potter this time?"

"No, he insisted that Remus get invited today."

"How generous. Well, it's nice to see you, Mr. Lupin. I hope you both enjoy the festivities!"

"Thank you sir," said Remus with a polite smile empty as Slughorn's greeting. He knew he wasn't one of Slughorn's favorites. Once they walked further into the room, he caught sight of Regulus, who was talking with Snape. His heart fluttered. Suddenly, their eyes met and he quickly looked away, desperately hoping his face wasn't reddening. To him, Regulus always looked nice, but tonight Remus thought he looked particularly handsome.

Lily could hardly believe it. Was he blushing at the sight of Regulus Black? It was too quick for most people to notice, but as those well acquainted with her know, she was good at noticing these kind of small details. Plus, it was her goal of the night to pay particularly close attention. Now she wondered whether James left out a particular detail, or if he was just unaware of it. This was going to be interesting.

"Come on, there's some cake on the table. It's always very good," she said, gently pulling Remus toward the food.

"Does it ever get awkward at these parties, considering Snape is in the club too? Y'know, once you stopped talking to each other." He felt sort of bad for asking, but it was something he really wondered about.

"Well, a bit. We just don't pay attention to each other, really. I don't necessarily talk to the Slytherins either, but mostly it's because they rather not talk with someone like me. Though I doubt Severus would even come to these if it wasn't for Black."

"Why do you say that?" Remus briefly glanced at them again.

"When he talks with anyone else, it appears like it's out of obligation. As for Black, he seems to attend out of obligation, and Severus is the only one he ever seems actually interested to talk to. It's as if Severus only comes so Black doesn't have to talk with the other Slytherin pure-bloods the entire time. Which is a bit odd, now that I think about it. Of course, this is just what I've noticed. I think they're legitimately good friends, as opposed to the false friendships based on status that are so common in that house."

"I never approved of how James and Sirius talked to them, you know. I lacked the backbone to stop them from bullying Snape, and I'm very sorry about that. You were good friends before. He must not have been that bad."

"I know." Lily gave him a forgiving smile. "He's not a bad person at heart, but he's been influenced by the worst sorts his whole life. At least that's what I believe. Still, some things I am am not ready to forgive quite yet. And it's hard to stand up to your friends. I'm sure you felt bad, knowing you, but it was a good thing when you stood up to Sirius."

"I can believe it." Remus sighed. "I've always thought Sirius was unfair to his brother. Now that I've spoken to Regulus, he doesn't seem like the same person Sirius berates."

"He's a good prefect. Like you, he doesn't take advantage of the position. I realize you've never actually worked with him. Admittedly, I haven't really talked to him much outside of my Head Girl speeches to all of you, but he's always very polite, even if in a detached sort of way. Very closed off." She then decided to test things. "I'll be back in a bit okay, Remus? I'm just going to go say hello to another friend."

"Oh, no problem." He watched her walk across the room and greet a blonde Ravenclaw girl. Unsure of what to do now, he poured himself a cup of tea and remained near the food table. Then to his surprise, and of no good to his nerves, Regulus started walking toward him. He just sipped his tea, pretending he didn't make any note of it.

"What are you doing here?" Regulus asked neutrally as he began to get some food for himself, taking his sweet time to do so.

"I was invited. James insisted I go in his stead for some reason. He's been extra generous lately."

"I heard you had a fight with Sirius. Is that true?"

"What? Oh that. No, we didn't fight. I got angry at him, yes, but it didn't escalate. Are people saying we did?"

"You know how people exaggerate."

Remus nearly dropped his cup as Alecto Carrow purposefully bumped against his shoulder, getting between them.

"Black, what are you talking to filth like him for?" she asked, hand on her hip. "We were wondering where you went off to."

"I was just asking about a rumor concerning my idiot brother is all," Regulus said icily. "I'm finished now."

Meanwhile, Lily was listening to her friend talk. Well, mostly listening. She was quite surprised when she saw Regulus approach Remus. At first, she thought perhaps it was just coincidence. Maybe Regulus really was just getting food. But then they started conversing, like he had been waiting for her to leave to he could get to Remus alone. Then Carrow intervened. She never liked her.

Instead of watching Remus, her eyes were now following Regulus. She furrowed her brows as she saw him mutter something under his breath, and then to her amazement, Carrow's face started breaking out into awful pimples. Lily didn't know which was more incredible- that Regulus could perform wandless spells, or that he jinxed a fellow house member whom he was supposed to be friends with. What in the world did Carrow say? She quickly glanced at Remus, who looked absolutely bewildered.

Carrow gave a horrified shriek, and among the other party-goers, a mixture of outrage and giggles. Yet, no one knew who who performed the jinx. No one had taken out their wand, as Snape was so generous to point out. Given what James told her, she figured Severus probably knew it had been Regulus. And now she knew for sure James was on to something.

"What is going on here?" Slughorn huffed over, flustered by the commotion.

"Someone has jinxed my sister!" said an angry Amycus Carrow.

"But no one saw anybody draw a wand," added a young Hufflepuff girl.

After a good chiding about school rules, Slughorn reversed the jinx and after few minutes, the party had continued. Lily introduced Remus to some of her friends in the other houses, who were rather decent people, he had to admit. Every once in a while, however, he would glance to Regulus, but it was never returned, as he was trying not to bring any attention to himself.

---

In the Gryffindor common room, James and Sirius were playing a game of wizard's chess as Peter watched on one of the soft chairs. It was a bit emptier than usual, since many students were off at various parties.

"By the way, Prongs," said Sirius, "Moony told us. You know what I'm talking about."

"Really? Good, I'm glad he didn't wait too long. How did it go?"

"Reasonably well, I guess. I brought up that it was strange he never seemed interested in anyone. He was nervous, but he just went ahead and said it. Gave me a shock, but it's fine."

"Surprised me too, I'll admit. Say, if there was anyone you would be completely against him dating, who would it be?" James tried to sound as casual as possible.

"What kind of question is that? I would assume he has good enough judgement to not choose someone we would disapprove of. For instance, I highly doubt he would be interested in say, Snape or something." Sirius cringed at the thought. "Not as if that would happen. Hard to say, since I don't know who's even available to him."

"I suppose you have some good points. I was just curious." James shrugged.

"Why?" Sirius asked in suspicion. "Does he like someone I wouldn't?"

"He hadn't mentioned anyone to me, no." James felt guilty keeping information, but it was technically true.

---

"What in Merlin's name was that?" hissed Severus as he and Regulus walked back to their common room after the party. "You're lucky no one else knows you can perform wandless spells."

"She was being annoying. And deserved it." Regulus paused. "Thanks for trying to cover for me. I really appreciate it."

"This is the type of thing that got you in detention."

"It wasn't that bad. And it would be worth it." That is, if he got detention with Remus again. But he knew that wouldn't happen. Severus almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked at Regulus, baffled.

"Others have been saying you haven't been yourself. I'm starting to see what they mean."

"And how exactly would they know that?" Regulus said bitingly, though his brows were furrowed as he met eyes with his friend. It has gotten too exhausting, he thought. Severus glanced to the side.

"I suppose they wouldn't. But I know you better than they do. At least I like to think so."

"You do. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

---

"Are you absolutely certain?" James asked, shock on his face. Lily had relayed to him everything of significance that happened during Slughorn's party. "Why would he do something like that?"

"She must have said something he rather disliked. Plus, he seemed annoyed the moment she interrupted whatever conversation he was having with Remus. And like I said, Remus kept looking over at him the whole time. I think you're definitely on to something."

James tried to think, head resting on his interlocked hands.

"What should we do about this?"

"Prefect duty," she said.

"What?"

"Remember they're both prefects. As Head Boy and Girl, we can assign them to work together." At James' surprised face, Lily figured he probably hadn't realized it. She lowered her voice even though no one was around. "James, I think Remus fancies him."

"So you think so too!"

"Wait, you've already guessed that?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't sure. I was going to ask you what your opinion was on that, but obviously you've already answered. It's more certain now. He already came out to me, so I figured I might have been considering things in a biased way. But you didn't know and still came to the same conclusion."

"Huh." Lily leaned back in her chair and casually crossed her arms. "What does Sirius have to say?"

"I don't think he's considered Regulus as even a possibility. Or any Slytherin for that matter. Thinks Remus has better judgment than that."

"Do you think Regulus is poor judgment?"

"I don't really know the bloke." James shrugged. "He does his prefect duties just fine, but basically keeps to himself. I know Remus is too kind for his own good, but he does have sense when it comes to who he regularly associates with."

"Exactly. Maybe he's really not that bad."

"Just don't tell that to Sirius."

"Both those Black brothers should get over themselves, really."

James laughed. "Perhaps. Sirius would eventually come to accept it, I think. Or rather, I would hope. Regulus, on the other hand would have a lot more to worry about. Not that it concerns me, but if Remus cares about him, it would concern him, and that would concern me. Unlike Sirius, Regulus is still under the control of his family and something like this wouldn't sit well with them. He would definitely be joining Sirius in the disowned club." He saw Lily's look of disbelief. "Yes, they really are like that. So the question is... do we really want them together?"

She thought for a moment, chin resting upon her palm. "If we do this, there are a number of things that could happen. One, they start dating. Secretly, of course. Two, they end up not liking each other at all once they get to know each other more. Three, one rejects the other. Four, any infatuations subside and they just end up friends. Five, nothing. Everything stays the same and they don't do anything about it."

"I don't know which ones are the most and least preferable."

"Well, maybe we can let them decide. Give them a chance to talk and they can figure it out on their own. If anything bad happens, we'll be here for Remus during the fallout."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. In that case, prefect duty it is."

---

Chapter Text

Remus nearly gaped at Lily once he got his prefect assignment. She could tell, he was sure of it. Or was it really coincidence? He wasn't so sure about James, though, who hadn't said much about it. Nevertheless, he nodded in affirmation.  He glanced at Regulus, whose expression was unreadable, and gave him a half-hearted smile before they started their rounds. He was feeling giddy, but didn't want to appear too thrilled.

"At least it's not detention this time," he said, turning the corner to another corridor.

"That is not happening again," Regulus said quietly, though still with a bit of an edge to his tone. "First and only time I will ever end up with a detention."  Remus nearly laughed.

"You better be careful then," he said while checking the first empty classroom.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"At Slughorn's party, it was you, wasn't it? Who hexed Carrow."

Regulus tried to retain his stoic composure, but his lips twitched into a small frown nevertheless.

"How would you know?"

"Why would anyone else have done it? You were clearly irritated at her. The only other person there I think would even have the skill to perform wandless spells is Snape, and I don't think it was him." He paused, waiting for some sort of response. Met with only silence, he continued. "That's very impressive, by the way. I've tried, but haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet."

Against all the will he had, Regulus felt himself start to blush, and inwardly chided himself on giving in to flattery.

"I'm surprised, really. Didn't think Slytherins would have a go at each other like that. Incredible house loyalty and all."

"Only because it's expected. Not that I actually care about most of them. But aren't Gryffindors all friends with each other? You talk about house loyalty, but you lot are just as competitive."

"Ah, so you admit there are similarities between Gryffindor and Slytherin?" Remus grinned.

"I...well, I suppose. But Gryffindor is much more obnoxious about it."

"I see, I see. And just so you know, not everyone in Gryffindor are friends. Generally friendly to each other yes, but friendships still have to be made. Realize, we generally make friends based on merit, not because they happen to be in the same house."

"What about other houses, then? Gryffindors are friendly with Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, but are immediately judgmental toward Slytherin, lumping us all together as the pinnacle of evil or something."

"Ah yes, judging an entire group as if it's one entity. Not as if you just did that yourself?" Remus did not speak meanly, but the irony still dripped from his voice.

"I..." Regulus' expression slowly dropped as the realization dawned on him. He swallowed his words, eyes like a deer in headlights.

"Not many people seem to realize they even do it."

"You did though." He sounded distant.

"Lily said it's why she paired us together. I'm the only one who wouldn't complain about working with a Slytherin." That's what she said, at least. However, Remus couldn't help but feel paranoid.

"I always thought she was smart for a muggle-born. She did used to be friends with Severus, after all."

"For a muggle-born." Remus almost regretted repeating it, but then he thought about Regulus' realization of his hypocrisy. Perhaps he was like his brother, as he seemed different than most Slytherins sometimes. More willing to reassess his values. Or just impressionable and naive, as Sirius put it on occasion. Still, Regulus seemed like a genuinely good person, just brainwashed with a twisted morality. He didn't have to end up like the rest of his family. Remus sighed, calming himself in order to prevent sounding accusatory. Regulus, though, took it as it was before Remus could say anything more.

"It slipped out."

"Out of habit, or because you believe muggle-borns are inherently less intelligent?"

"I don't know," Regulus answered after a moment of consideration.

"Thank you for your honesty, at least." Regulus looked so conflicted; Remus felt awful and decided not to continue this line of questioning for now. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for the conversation to turn this direction. We can change the subject."

"Why do people tend to think a conversation is necessary?" Regulus had a difficult time formulating his next thought in a way that was neither too incendiary nor too friendly. "Silence isn't always a bad thing." He still wasn't satisfied, but left it as it was. At the moment, he just wanted to quietly enjoy his present company– of course he wasn't about to say so.

"We don't have to talk," Remus said gently.

Regulus turned his head away, heart fluttering. It frustrated him immensely. Why did Remus have to talk like that? So kindly and gentle, even when he didn't deserve it.

---

"Hey, what're you thinking about? You've been a bit off since you got back tonight," Sirius said. "My brother isn't offending you, is he?"

"Hm?" Remus looked over at his friend in the next four-poster. "No. I just don't understand it is all. We actually have civil conversations-"  he paused and gave a stern look at Sirius' disbelieving scoff, "Yes, we have civil conversations. But then it's as if he realizes we're getting along and so he gives me the cold shoulder."

"You're not exactly difficult to get along with," said James. "Lad probably is having a hard time coming to terms with the fact he can enjoy a chat with a half-blood Gryffindor werewolf."

"I suppose I can't understand fully where he comes from, but what you said does make sense. I just... you know, can't help but assume it's outright dislike."

"I don't see the point though. So what if Regulus doesn't like you? He likes hardly anyone. No big loss to you, Moony." Sirius yawned.

"Some people rather not work with someone who dislikes them, Padfoot. Right Moons?"

"Yes," Remus said gratefully. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to sleep."

---

The next week of prefect duty was calm and mostly quiet. At the beginning of each shift, they exchanged pleasantries, Remus asked how Quidditch practice was going, Regulus asked how courses were in seventh year, etc. The rest of the time they did their duty silently, and said polite if bumbling goodbyes before heading to their respective dormitories.

The week after, however, he started asking questions.

"Lupin?"

"What is it?"

"How is it that muggle-borns can use magic?"

Remus raised his brows, looking at the other curiously. "It's not random. As you know, it's genetic, which means a muggle-born must have a relative somewhere that was a witch or wizard. A common scenario is that a squib marries a muggle and it isn't for at least a few generations that a child is born with magical abilities. Then, if that muggle-born has a child with a witch or wizard, then that child is far more likely to have magical ability."

"I see. That makes sense, I suppose."

"How did you think? Or, what were you taught?"

"One thing I hear is that they steal magic. That doesn't make any sense though, or else there wouldn't be any squibs, right?"

"Right. You can't change the color your hair grows, or permanently change your eye color. Either you're born with magic or you aren't. I know you don't like to hear it," Remus made sure his tone was as inoffensive as he could muster, "but the whole idea of blood purity is nonsense."

So Sirius had told him a thousand times. He didn't want to listen then.

"What are they like, from your point of view? Muggles."

"You've never met one?!"

"No, I was never permitted to go near them. Told that they're violent, primitive, and dirty."

Remus resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands and groan. He really shouldn't be surprised by now, the types of outlandish things purebloods tend to be taught.

"They're just like us, just without magic. We're all human, you know. There are kind ones and cruel ones, some who are bright and some who are as dim-witted as any witch or wizard can be."

"But they hate us, right? Most of them."

"Lack of understanding. Most know as little about us as you do about them. Statute of Secrecy and all."

Regulus looked at Remus with a hint of concern and confusion. Remus went on.

"How do pure-blood families treat house-elves?"

"What? Worse than they should, especially Sirius. Elf magic is very advanced, but people really underestimate it. They deserve our respect." Suddenly, he winced, recalling the time when his mother decapitated their previous house-elf when he was small. The elf had merely gotten too old to carry a tray. "Why are you..." As Regulus spoke, he realized the answer to the question he didn't finish. Remus wanted to make a parallel between misunderstanding of house-elves to the misunderstanding of muggles. With a small voice, just barely above a whisper, he asked, "Do the Death Eaters really kill innocent people?"

"Yes. Regulus, what do they tell you?"

"That muggles are a danger to us, and that they should be killed." His stomach started to ache.

---

For the fourth day that week, Regulus woke up in the middle of the night and had a hard time getting back to sleep. He stared at the ceiling, his heart racing with anxiety. Christmas holiday got closer with each day– closer to going home. For ages, he knew what was coming. He could tell from the letters he'd receive. And what made everything worse was Remus Lupin. He didn't want to be like Sirius. He didn't want to be disowned by his family and shunned by his house. For his whole life, he listened to his parents, tried not to think about it. But now, Regulus felt his foundations crumbling beneath him. It wasn't the dissenting points of view that frightened him– it was the fact that they made sense. And he was starting to believe them.

---

It was the final night before Christmas holiday, and Regulus was very much out of sorts. All day, he had been pestered by his house mates for being particularly stand-offish and icy, which really didn't make things any better for them.

He considered shirking off prefect duty that night, but his sense of responsibility wouldn't let him. For the first half of the shift, he was exceptionally quiet. No questions, no comments, and it made Remus a bit concerned. Not to mention, he looked paler than usual, with tired eyes.

"Regulus, are you alright? You've been really off tonight. And you look a bit peaky. I hope you haven't come down with something?"

"I'm fine," he muttered. It took a great deal of control to not show it, but somehow being asked if he was alright made him feel worse. Regulus breathed deeply, trying to block out the heavy feeling that seemed like it was wrapping itself around him, taking hold of his neck. He just had to focus on what he was doing. Perhaps distract his mind by talking to Remus. However, the feeling wasn't going away, and he couldn't find any words. As the hour progressed, it only got worse.

He recalled a day during one summer that Bellatrix came to visit. She was showing off her Dark Mark on her arm. She was so elated to be working so closely with the Dark Lord. She was even happier than the day she announced her engagement to Lestrange. After that, the hints they all would give Regulus were obvious. He dreamt about it himself occasionally. The Dark Mark was on his arm and it wouldn't stop burning. Burning so hot he was desperate find something, anything to get it off, even if it meant cutting off his own arm.

By this point, Remus was doing all of the work, but he didn't want to complain, pretending as if he didn't see Regulus' hands shaking. 

They walked down the stairs of the fourth floor corridor, and without having to think about it anymore after attending the school for this long, Remus skipped the disappearing step. Regulus, however, hadn't noticed where they were. At the sound of a small gasp, Remus just barely had the time to catch him. He was about to let go, but when Regulus remained clinging to him, he continued to hold him.

In his arms, Regulus shook violently as he tried and failed not to cry. "I'm not fine," he choked, soaking Remus' shoulder. But that didn't matter.

"I know," he said in a whisper. "Come on, let's move somewhere else." While they were alone, he still felt uncomfortable in such an open spot, so they moved to the nearest corner. Regulus slunk down to the floor, burying his face in his knees. Remus calmly sat next to him, refraining from putting an arm around him. "I will listen if you want to talk. But I won't force you."

Several minutes went by as Regulus' tears slowly subsided. Once he had calmed down enough, he finally spoke.

"I can't go home tomorrow."

"Why is that?"

"They're going to ask me, I'm know it." Regulus turned his head enough to look at the other with red, puffy eyes. "They're going to ask me to join the Death Eaters, they've been hinting at it all year. I don't know if it will be immediate, or if they intend for me to join this summer, but they do intend it to happen. I don't want to. They think I do. I can't. They're going to disown me if I don't, I know it."

"Regulus, I..." Remus' heart ached, seeing the other in such a state. Part of him was still glad, however, to know he was right about Regulus. He wasn't one of them. Remus knew he needed to help Regulus through this. "You still have a year of school left after this one. Can't you ask them to wait until you're done? Then that would give you more time to figure out something else."

Regulus closed his eyes and took deep breaths to try and calm himself down, and once he mind was clear enough, he considered the suggestion. They would want to know why he was requesting this delay. He supposed there were ways he could convince him. After all, what did Slughorn say he was? 'A model student and a prefect'. Bringing honor to the Dark Lord's House he supposed.

"That might work. There's a good chance it might work. But... what if it doesn't?"

"Let us hope it does. If it doesn't, well, you'll have to decide for yourself which is worse: being a Death Eater, or possibly being disowned." He felt awful as he said it. "Which you don't know for sure will happen. Maybe they'll just be disappointed?" Regulus cringed.

"I don't even want to think about it. But you're right, I know."

Remus gently dried the boy's cheeks with his sleeve. Regulus' breath hitched, and he lowered Remus' hand, though not aggressively.

"This is humiliating," the Slytherin said. "Please don't tell anyone."

"Of course not. Here." He conjured a glass and filled it with water. Always good to have after a cry.

Regulus nodded and silently took the glass, taking his time in drinking it. He hoped his eyes would stop being red soon. He didn't want Severus, who was surely waiting for him, to be able to tell he had been crying.

"We should start to head back before our roommates become suspicious. Sirius would probably question me to death." He offered an awkward smile and stood up, holding his hand out to help Regulus up if he so wished. Regulus hesitated, but ultimately accepted.

---

Now that his panic had subsided, Regulus could think about what happened before he broke down. He wrapped his blankets tighter around his shoulders, recalling the warmth and comfort of being held by Remus, vaguely remembering his pleasant scent. Though now he couldn't help but wonder if it was worth it to hold on for so long. Surely, Remus found it odd. Then again, Remus hadn't pulled away.

---

It was the second evening of the holiday, and Regulus silently ate his supper with his parents. He was always irritated with how much of a ruckus Sirius would make at the table, but now that his brother left home for good, he found the silence maddening.

"Regulus, we need to talk to you about a few things," said Mr. Black. There it was. He set his knife and fork down.

"What is it, father?"

"It has come to our attention that you received a detention a couple months ago," Mrs. Black interjected. "With a Gryffindor no less. Explain yourself."

Oh. He hadn't expected that. Regulus sighed.

"I'm afraid my patience wavered. Sirius and his idiot friends decided to prank the wrong person. I tried to hex them and got caught. It won't happen again, mother. I'm sorry."

"I see. While I'm sure he deserved it, I don't want to hear anything like this again. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"That's a good boy. Now for the other thing."

Regulus took a deep breath in preparation.

"Your father and I discussed it, and we thought it necessary for you to join the ranks of the Dark Lord."

He nodded.

"I figured that you would ask me eventually. I've given this a lot of thought."

"You accept your duties, then?"

"I have a request, however." He dared not to say yes to that question so directly.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I wish to wait until I am finished with my schooling."

"Whatever for? The Dark Lord is anticipating another Black, you realize, as he has been pleased with the efforts of Bellatrix." Walburga's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, and why not make it worth his while? I still have a year and a half. That's a year and a half longer to make sure I have the skill worthy of serving the Dark Lord." Regulus made his voice sound slightly breathless, as if in awe at the prospect of his servitude. "Next year, I plan on receiving as many N.E.W.Ts as I can. Not only will the knowledge make me a better Death Eater, but it is important to me personally. Not to mention prefect duty. And while not quite as important, I also have Quidditch. I would like to make my house proud. Our- the Dark Lord's house proud. Afterward, there's the rest of my life I can dedicate to the cause."

Orion and Walburga listened as he spoke, taking in his argument. Walburga still seemed displeased, but Orion nodded thoughtfully.

"You make a reasonable argument. It is very like you to want to perfect things before anything." He noted his wife's expression. "We shall discuss it and let you know when we've come to a decision."

"Yes, sir. Thank you for considering it." There was still a chance. Regulus was grateful that it hadn't been flat out refused the moment he asked.  Though the wait was going to feel like forever.

"If you are finished, you may go."

He nodded and retired to his room. To distract his mind, he started on his holiday homework, and worked on it for just over an hour before he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in."

His father then walked in, a stern expression on his face. It made Regulus nervous.

"We have discussed it at length, and you will be allowed to wait until you finish school. Of course, we expect to see those N.E.W.Ts."

"Thank you." His relaxed considerably, the issue gone to rest, at least temporarily. This gave him the time to come up with a real way to get out of it for good. "Of course I strive for more, but I will not earn fewer than five."

"We will hold you to it."

"Yes sir." Once left alone once more, Regulus got out a blank sheet of parchment on impulse. He took his quill then paused and put it back down on his desk. He stared at the blank page for a moment before standing up and starting to pace around his room. His first thought was to write to Remus. Tell him of tonight's success, and perhaps... wish him a Happy Christmas. No, no he couldn't do that. What if Remus was with one of his friends? That wouldn't do. He sighed and flopped down on his bed, supposing he had to wait the entire holiday.

---

Chapter Text

In the prefect compartment on the train ride, Remus and Regulus had to make an effort to avoid looking at each other. Meanwhile, Lily and James kept glancing between the two and one another. Regulus was in a far better mood than usual, but was trying hard to keep a neutral face. Not only was his request accepted, he was now on the way back to school. He couldn't wait until prefect duty so he could talk to Remus about everything.

It was difficult for him to keep ignoring Remus, but got temporary relief whenever one of them was assigned to patrol the train corridors. He did wish he had someone enjoyable to talk to during the trip, but Severus always stayed in the castle during Christmas. Regulus also found out he was right to resist sending any letters, as he learned Remus had spent a bit of time at the Potters'. Sirius, of course, had been there too. While his holiday was far better than he expected, he couldn't help but feel a little bit left out as he listened to the friends talk. His own holidays were never exactly fun. Plus, his least favorite cousin had come to visit. It put a bit of a damper on his good mood.

---

"So how was your holiday?" Severus asked once Regulus joined him in the Great Hall.

"Rather good actually." By the time they got to the castle, he had been feeling a bit better. He handed his friend some sweets he had bought from the trolley. "Did you enjoy the peace and quiet here?"

"Of course. Thank you." Soon, the room was completely filled and echoed with stories of the holidays. Regulus hadn't been assigned prefect duty for that night, but frankly he was feeling quite tired and was glad to crawl into his four-poster after unpacking his trunk.

After a good night's sleep, Regulus' cheerfulness had completely returned. An added benefit was that none of his housemates were bothering him anymore. They thought perhaps it really had been the workload and that taking a break had done him a lot of good.

---

"He seems unusually cheerful," Sirius said during supper, looking over at the Slytherin table. "Weird."

"First you complain about him being moody, but now about him being cheerful?" James laughed. "Perhaps you should be more clear about what you wish upon your brother."

"Oh shush. Remus, do you know what's going on with him? You talk to him for some reason."

"Perhaps he had a pleasant holiday," Remus offered, trying to sound unphased. "He's taken on a lot of work, so maybe he just needed a break."

"It's still odd that he even speaks to you."

"Perhaps you don't give him enough credit."

"Perhaps you're too trusting of him, Moony. Maybe he's leading you into a false sense of security," Sirius said in sincerity. "Also, I must admit you've gotten more of a backbone recently. Don't think I haven't noticed."

"I think you're being paranoid. And do you find that to be a good thing, or bad?" Remus raised his eyebrows.

"Am not. And generally a good thing. Just not when it's used against me." He smirked to show he wasn't actually saying it seriously.

"As riveting as this conversation is," James commented, "can I just mention all the homework we've gotten on our first day back? Outrageous."

---

They weren't the only ones in that boat. Nearly every minute not in class, Regulus spent on schoolwork. Not all of it was due the next day, but he wanted to get it out of the way as soon as possible. Still, he happily shut his textbooks once it was time for him to meet for prefect duty and couldn't seem to get there fast enough.

Once there, he tried not to look as excited as he felt. However, he couldn't keep it up completely.

"So, I assume your holiday went rather well?" Remus asked, smiling warmly as the two walked down the quiet corridors.

"Excellently," he said, unable to hold back the smile. "It went far better than I expected."

Remus' chest fluttered. He couldn't remember ever seeing Regulus smile like that. If only it happened more often. "That's great to hear. Can you tell me about it? If you want to."

"Well, first off I got lucky, considering..."

"Considering?"

"My parents found out about our detention. But I explained what happened and they were quite willing to shift the blame all to Sirius. They were probably just disappointed I got caught." He didn't see Remus roll his eyes. "After that, they asked me. Er, not really asked. More like stated their expectations. They had to consider my request for a while, but in the end they accepted under the condition I bring home enough N.E.W.Ts next year." Regulus didn't dare tell him his first compulsion was to write him a letter about it.

"That's wonderful, Regulus. I'm very happy for you." Remus knew the problem wasn't gone for good, but he didn't want to ruin this victory while it was still fresh. The other nodded in acknowledgement.

"Other than that, my holiday wasn't very interesting. You seem to have had a good time."

"Oh, yes. The Potters are always very welcoming." He didn't want to talk about it too much, not wanting to sound like he was bragging. "Easter won't be as fun, though. Y'know, the full moon."

"You don't have to do that," Regulus grumbled.

"Do what?"

"Downplay how much you enjoy your holidays for my sake."

"Sorry."

"Easter is going to be better for me anyway, since I'm staying here."

Remus was mildly surprised. "Avoiding your family?"

"Of course not. Severus has always stayed in the castle during holidays. I stay during Easter holiday every other year so he has some decent company. I wanted it to be every year, but my parents wouldn't allow it."

"Oh. That's very kind of you." Seems both he and Snape had made a good decision in befriending one of the brothers Black, Remus mused.

"I care about my friends as much as you do about yours, you know."

"I didn't mean to imply otherwise."

---

It was a few weeks later, and everything seemed to have returned to a comfortable normal. Regulus and Remus had prefect duty a few times a week, becoming more and more comfortable talking to each other. Temporarily free from his home burdens, Regulus' house mates had stopped bothering him, having accepted his prior moodiness was due to his eccentric study habits. Sirius had stopped pestering Remus about whether or not his brother was offending him. James noticed this.

"Padfoot, you haven't asked Moony about your brother for a while. Have you finally gotten bored?" he asked as he pushed aside his Divination homework. It was time for a break, as he was running out of ideas for ridiculous predictions.

"I hope so. I don't miss it one bit." Remus glanced at James' assignment in disapproval.

"No. He's been coming back too content to have been offended. But if anything seems amiss, you know I'll be on that," Sirius said pointedly.

---

"Regulus?"

"What is it?" The two walked right next to each other, the distance between them much shorter than it had been before Christmas.

"What was Sirius like when he was a child? Before coming to Hogwarts."

Regulus once again felt his chest tighten in that twinge of jealousy. "Not much different. Always loud, vain, and with no respect for authority." No, that wasn't quite fair. "But..." his voice lowered, "he was a good brother. That was then. He hates me now, of course."

"No. No, I can't believe that he hates you. But he thinks you hate him." Remus paused. "Do you?"

"...I don't think I really could. It's so easy to be angry at him, though. You know how he gets. Why are you asking me all this, anyway?"

"Well, I figured the two of you must have gotten along at some point. I knew you didn't hate each other." He half-smiled. "But yes, I know how he gets."

"He taught me how to fly. I loved it instantly. He always made sure I wouldn't fall." Regulus thought of his brother shouting at him desperately, trying to convince him that their parents were wrong. Not to follow the Dark Lord's cause so blindly. "He tried not to let me fall in other ways, too."

"I wouldn't either."

Regulus looked at him in confusion. "'You wouldn't what?"

"I wouldn't let you fall." Remus instantly regretted speaking. He didn't know why he spoke in the first place.

Regulus nearly forgot to breathe; his cheeks were burning. Why would he say something like that?

"Well, you've caught me once already, Remus."

Remus could hardly believe his ears. The desire to embrace the Slytherin again rushed through him, but he forced himself to keep walking.

"Thank you. For all of it. I still hate how you had to see me that. I was a disgraceful mess. But nevertheless, you..."

The Gryffindor frowned. "You can always come to me. Just know that. I didn't want to mention it right away, but it's been long enough now, I think. You still need to figure out what you're going to do next year. This is only a temporary fix."

Regulus reeled back in his emotions. "I know, Lupin."

"You were calling me Remus."

They walked in silence for a while until they heard a crash coming from a nearby classroom.

"Come on." Remus said as he rushed to the room and opened the door.

"Peeves!" Regulus raised his voice slightly, causing the poltergeist to look over, stopping his hobby of sending furniture flying across the room. "Do you want me to get the Bloody Baron? Because I gladly will."

The response was a loud raspberry before disappearing with a little pop.

"That always works. When in doubt, threaten him with the Bloody Baron."

"What a mess," Remus sighed, looking at the wrecked classroom. "I suppose we better get to work."

They started putting the room back together, mending desks and piling up papers. For a moment, they stood to examine the chair that had gotten stuck in a small chandelier, admittedly a little impressed. It was balanced quite perfectly.

"I almost don't want to fix this one."

Regulus snickered. "I'm starting to see why you're friends with them. Seems like something Sirius would appreciate."

"Yes, I'll have to tell him about it. Alas, it has to go." With his wand, Remus directed the chair out of the fixture and set it neatly behind the desk.

"Very nice."

"Thank you."

Suddenly, they heard a creaking sound. They looked at each other nervously, but then Remus swiftly shielded Regulus as the chandelier fell from its base. Regulus jumped at the loud noise, causing Remus to hold him a little closer.

"Did anything hit you?" Regulus asked.

"No, I'm fine. Are you?"

"It could have."

"I suppose. But–"

He could hardly breathe; Remus was holding him again. Protecting him again.

"You haven't told anyone what happened, did you?" Regulus interrupted. "When... when I broke down."

"Of course not. And you've never told anyone what I am."

"And I won't."

"Thank you."

"You didn't have to comfort me. Or help me. But you did. Thank you." He rested his forehead against Remus' shoulder. "You don't have to concern yourself with my problems."

"You don't have to let me."

"You're holding me still," Regulus said weakly.

"You haven't pulled away from me."

He looked up, meeting green eyes, feeling overly warm and light-headed. 

"I'm afraid, Remus."

"Me too. But at least one of us has to try to be brave."

Experimentally, Regulus put a hand to Remus' cheek. He could lightly feel an old scar. For a second, he nearly panicked, feeling the urge to back out. But as Remus leaned in closer, the thought left his mind completely. He shifted his hand to the back of Remus' head, fingers tangling in his light brown hair as he pulled Remus' lips to his own.

It only lasted a few seconds before Remus pulled away, looking... afraid?

"I... we... we should go."

Speechless, Regulus nodded, eyes fearful.

I'm so stupid, he thought as he headed back to the Slytherin dormitory, hand over his mouth. How could I be so stupid?

---

Remus entered the Gryffindor common room, heart racing. Thankfully, it was already empty; he didn't want Sirius to see him like this and question him. He sat down on one of the chairs, burying his face in his hands. He needed to calm down before going upstairs.

Then, he nearly jumped out of his seat as he heard footsteps. Oh thank goodness, it was James.

"Moony? There you are, I was wondering where you wer- what happened? Are you alright?" He took Remus by the shoulders, brows furrowed.

"James I..." Remus looked around just in case and lowered his panicked voice. "James, I kissed Regulus."

He let go, looking stunned. Slowly, he sat down. "Well shit. I mean, I was wondering when you were going to tell me you were interested in him, but I wasn't expecting you to skip that step. But shit. What did he do? You look terrified."

"He's the one that started it. He- wait. You know?! Is it... am I obvious? Does Sirius know?"

"No, it's only me and Lily that know." James waved a hand. "Pete is oblivious and Sirius is being selectively blind. He doesn't think you'd ever be interested in a Slytherin, let alone his brother. It hasn't crossed his mind." It suddenly clicked. "Wait, he kissed you first?! What's the problem then?"

"I just... panicked. Maybe Sirius' words just got to me and I figured it must have been some sort of trick. Why would he ever want someone like me? He must find me repulsive."

"For someone so smart, you can be a real idiot sometimes, Moons." James sighed. "I suppose it never crossed your mind that he could return your feelings."

"It did cross my mind, at least for a moment. But he can't. Everything is wrong with me."

"Oh please, I see the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching. Besides, I don't think he would go that far for a trick. That's just stupid."

"I know. It just seemed too good to be true. I pulled away so soon. Oh no, what if he thinks I've rejected him?" Remus put a hand to his forehead.

"Well then, you'll just have to fix it in a few days. Yeah, he'll be kept hanging until then, but it'll be fun for me to watch him squirm." James shrugged with a smirk.

"You're awful." He smiled half-heartedly, but then frowned again. "Sirius will be furious."

"Ah... yeah." James ran a hand through his messy hair, grimacing. "Perhaps you should wait until you and Black have figured things out before telling Sirius."

"Probably for the best. One thing at a time." Remus' nervousness had died down, now replaced with giddiness. He actually had a chance with Regulus Black. "By the way, the chandelier in classroom ten has fallen. Thought you should know."

"And neither of you fixed it? What happened?" James crossed his arms.

"Well we heard noises and found Peeves wrecking the room. Regulus shooed him away and we cleaned the place up. It fell after that, but then he kissed me and we left too soon to actually fix it."

"That would be a distraction. It's always possible Peeves came back after you left, so there would be no way for you to have known it fell." James winked. "Come on, before they send a rescue party."

"What's taken you so long?" Sirius huffed once James and Remus entered the dorm.

"There was some trouble with Peeves," James said automatically.

"There was a chair balanced quite nicely on a chandelier. Aside from the wrecked classroom." Remus smiled. "I thought of you."

"You know me well." Sirius grinned.

---

When Regulus walked into the common room, there was only one person still in there. While waiting, Severus had dozed off, book in hand. At the sound of the door, he reawoke.

"Regulus, there you are."

"You've been waiting the whole time. Sorry for waking you."

"No, I wouldn't want to sleep here all night." Severus' eyes sharpened. "What's the matter? You look awful." 

Regulus hesitated, feeling a lump in his throat, before sitting beside his friend. He took a deep breath. "I can trust you, right? I can tell you anything?"

"Of course," Severus said gently. Regulus looked so pale, and it concerned him. He didn't look this bad since before Christmas.

He fidgeted, his hands shaking slightly. "Promise you won't tell anyone. Anyone."

"I promise."

"I'm serious."

"As am I, Regulus."

"I... I want Remus Lupin."

"You want him," Severus repeated slowly. "Romantically, you mean?"

"Yes."

He folded his hands on his lap and calmly mulled over this information. "How long?" 

"Since... since October I suppose?"

He nodded. "Why wait until now to tell me?"

Regulus was silent for a long time. Severus was patient.

"He found out tonight. That I fancy him."

"He rejected you then?"

"I think so." Regulus bit his lip. "He just... left so soon. It seemed like he felt the same, but then-- perhaps I misunderstood. I must have made a complete arse of myself."

Severus decided he didn't quite want the details of what exactly happened. "Why Lupin?"

"I know you hate the lot of them, but Remus? They don't deserve him. He's so kind, even when I haven't earned it. His eyes are so beautiful and patient and warm," he said breathlessly. "He's clever and funny. Braver than I've ever been. He believes in me, and trusts me. Plus, of course, I don't think I could get tired of looking at him."

Severus made a face, but he knew he had walked into it.

"He's a werewolf."

"I'm perfectly aware."

"He's a half-blood."

"So are you, and you're my best friend. I don't care."

"A Gryffindor."

"I don't care."

"You know it's for the best that you're not together? Your famil-"

"I don't give a fuck what they think! They wouldn't have to know anyway."

He gaped at Regulus. He'd never heard him speak that way, especially about his parents. "Regulus, think about what you're saying."

"I've thought about it for months now! Since summer. I'll never be as reckless as my brother, but next year, they cannot own me anymore. They will not."

"So you will leave home just like he did?"

"If I have to."

"I suppose Lupin supports this?"

"I haven't told him. But I think he will."

"Why not?"

"I've only just realized."

"But you've just said you thought about it for months."

"Yes, but I've just now come to accept what I have to do."

"So, are you going to join your brother then?"

"I don't know." Regulus looked away, scowling. "I still don't forgive him for what he did to you." He glanced at Severus curiously. "You seem surprised."

"Evidently he wronged Lupin that night too. I thought you would go straight to his defense." The words weren't meant to sound so bitter.

"Sev, you're the most important person in the world to me. Of course I thought of you first."

"That means a lot to me, Regulus. It's not my place to tell who you can and cannot care for. I just can't help but be concerned for you. For your safety. That's not what I mean," he added as he saw the indignance on his friend's face. "Him being a werewolf is one of my least concerns, against any sort of common sense. When it comes to him, there will only be trouble from me if he breaks your heart, and I can promise you that. I just know what your family is capable of."

To Severus' shock, Regulus pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you so much."

Hesitantly, he returned the embrace. He closed his eyes and couldn't help but notice how nice Regulus' hair smelled. He almost refused to let go.

---

Chapter Text

James Potter had to suppress any laughter as he kept peering across the Great Hall over at the Slytherin table. For the past couple nights, Regulus had been looking rather desperately to the Gryffindor table, but tonight James thought he looked absolutely petulant. He clearly looked too amused by it, as Remus had to elbow him in the side.

"What's so funny, Prongs?" asked Sirius, annoyed that James wasn't paying attention to the joke he was trying to make.

"Ever notice how weird Parkinson's face looks? I'm pretty sure his animagus form would be a toad."

Peter nearly choked on his food, laughing. "I don't know, he sort of looks like an angry pug."

"That's an insult to pugs!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Not very nice at all," said Remus, yet he couldn't help but grin. Good save James, he thought.

---

That night, James patted Remus on the back before prefect duty. "Good luck, mate."

"Thanks." He smiled politely.

"You'll have to tell me how it goes. I'll be waiting." James winked.

Once Remus met up with Regulus, they stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"I suppose we should talk," Remus finally said. Regulus nodded. The Gryffindor opened the nearest classroom, closing the door behind them. He looked to the ground, suddenly feeling nervous. "I'm sorry about before. Just leaving like that. I really shouldn't have."

"I understand if you don't feel the same way. I thought you did, so I..." Regulus' heart ached. "But that was stupid, I guess. If you're too disgusted to look at me I understand..."

"No. I was being the stupid one." They looked at each other now.

"What do you–" but before he could finish his thought, Remus was already kissing him. He unintentionally made a small noise of surprise, and he could feel Remus smiling against his lips. Regulus snaked his fingers through the taller boy's hair and felt arms wrapping around his waist. For that moment, there were no burdens, no war, no decisions. Everything was alright. Finally though, they needed to breathe.

"I should have done that the first time."

"Why did you leave like that? I thought you had rejected me." Now that his disappointment had gone, Regulus had a slight whine to his voice to match the petulant expression he held during supper.

"I'm so sorry. I got afraid. Thought you couldn't possibly want someone like me."

"Clearly you've never met you."

Remus blushed deeply. "You can do better than me."

"That's not a fair thing to say. I would think..." he clutched some of the fabric of Remus' robes, as if the other would run off again, "you would be more interested in my brother. Everyone likes him. Well, most people. And you're so close to him. He seems like an obvious choice."

"Sirius?" Was Regulus possibly jealous of him? He laughed in disbelief. "He's one of my best friends, so of course I care for him a lot. But I'm not interested in him the least bit. Never have been."

"You didn't have to laugh." Still, he was pleased with that answer. "Does he know about me?"

"No. Not yet."

"Do any of them?"

"Yes, James and Lily. They sort of... figured it out on their own. They don't have a problem with it, in fact James is being rather supportive. Yes, I know, it's a little weird," he added, seeing Regulus' surprise. "What about you? Does anyone know about me?"

"Severus. I told him the other day after... you know. He was the only one I could go to."

Remus nodded in understanding.

"What do we do? I still have a year and a half here. If any of my other housemates find out, Remus, it'll be hell. At least I'll be of age next term. My parents will have no say anymore. But other Slytherins... I suppose I could handle it."

"Are you saying you want us to be in a relationship?"

"Of course, why else would I have kissed you? Why?" Regulus took a step back, frowning. "Do you not want to be?"

"That's not it at all! I really, really want to be with you. I just figured you might think it too risky."

"Oh." He sighed in relief. "I understand. And I know it is. Severus tried to talk me out of it, but while I appreciate the concern, I decided I would try to put aside my fear. After all," he offered a wry smile, "I'm supposed to be a Slytherin, and do whatever it takes to get what I want."

"This is surreal." Remus pulled him in close, grinning against dark hair. "I can hardly believe it. Of all people in the world, I'm dating Regulus Black."

"My sentiments exactly. One of you lot. I tried to block it out at first. Push my feelings aside, but I just couldn't. Once we started working together, it got worse and I just couldn't ignore it anymore."

"Well, we have James and Lily to thank for it. I think they figured I might have feelings for you when they reassigned everyone."

"So you lied before, when you said Evans paired us together because you would actually work with a Slytherin?" Regulus withdrew slightly.

"No. That's exactly what she told me. And she was right. I just had the suspicion that it wasn't her only reason."

"Ah. That's okay then, I guess." Regulus considered James and Lily for a moment. "So the other two don't know? I figured you all tell each other everything."

"Like I said, James and Lily figured it out on their own. I didn't want to tell Sirius or Peter unless it actually turned into something, which, no offense intended, I highly doubted." Regulus shrugged in affirmation before Remus groaned. "Sirius is going to be furious, I know it."

"You don't have to tell him."

"I don't want to lie to him." He shook his head. "Best to just be honest and tell him instead of risking him finding out the hard way. Like opening a Howler before it explodes on its own."

"Why do you have to be right all the time?" Regulus joked.

"Bad habit." Remus chuckled. "He won't be able to stop us." He kissed Regulus again, who clung to him tightly. They were still a bit awkward and clumsy from their lack of experience, but were slowly getting the hang of it. Finally, Regulus pulled away, face flushed, and put his hands on his hips in mock arrogance.

"Now, we have work to do Lupin, or do you want to be here all night?"

"What's this deja vu I'm having?" Remus laughed. "We better hurry."

---

"I was starting to think you weren't coming back, Moony," James said as Remus walked into the common room. He grinned, eyes lighting up. "You seem to be in a good mood!"

"It went rather well, obviously." Remus blushed. "Sorry for getting back so late. We had to do our job, of course."

"So glad to hear it." He patted his friend's back.

"I'm surprised you're even alright with this, considering..."

"Not gunna lie, I do, er, question your taste." James smiled guiltily. "I suppose objectively speaking, he's a good-looking bloke, but... you know." He shook his head. "But you really seem to like him, and I want you to be happy. Of course if he hurts you, he'll have me to deal with."

"As I'm sure he's aware. But thank you. Truly." Remus looked nervously at the stairs going to their dorm. "Can't I stay down here tonight? Or is Sirius and Peter already asleep?"

"Ah. Right. Moony, you can't avoid it forever."

"Y-yeah." With a deep breath, he followed James upstairs.

"Well you took bloody well long enough! Was is Peeves again?" Sirius asked curiously. Remus fought the urge to say yes. He calmly sat down on his bed, folding his hands neatly.

"I have to talk to you about something."

"Is everything alright?" asked Peter. "You can't possibly have another secret to tell us?"

"Yes, I'm alright. And no, nothing I've been keeping from you. More or less. Recent development."

"More or less?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"I've started seeing someone. As of today. I didn't want to mention anything before, in case it didn't come to anything. After all, I didn't think I had a chance at all. Incredible, really."

"Really? Well, isn't that good then? Congratulations." Peter smiled sincerely.

"Yeah, that's great! Who is it then?" asked Sirius.

"Er...you see..." Remus fidgeted.

"Moony, you have to tell him," James said gently.

"Tell me what?" Sirius started to frown.

"Sirius, I... I'm seeing Regulus."

It came as such a shock, it took a few moments for it to really sink into Sirius' mind. At first he thought it might be a joke, but when no one started laughing, it was like he was hit with a Stunner. He could hardly conceptualize that the person Remus had been fancying this term was Regulus. Remus had feelings for Regulus. Peter's eyes were wide, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

"My," Sirius had suddenly gone hoarse. "My brother?" Soon, the shock turned to anger. "My brother?!"

"I know. I'm sorry. I knew you would angr-" 

"You're SORRY? Right. Of every person in the entire damn school, you choose HIM? No, in the entirety of the bloody UK! You know how I feel about my family!

"You can't CHOOSE who you have feelings for, Sirius!"

"But you can choose not to act on it if he's a piece of shit!" Sirius' hands were balled into fists. Finally, the other realization occurred to him. "He... it... it's mutual? But... how? You're against everything our family stands for."

"Clearly, you underestimate him!"

"You KNOW what my family did to me! I can't believe you, Remus. You know what he is! I don't understand. He can't possibly want someone like you!"

He knew Sirius would be angry. He knew Sirius didn't mean it personally, but that statement hurt Remus more than anything. Even James and Peter turned to Sirius in outrage.

"SIRIUS!" James shouted.

"You haven't listened to a word I've said about him, have you?" Remus said in resignation.

In white-hot anger, Sirius stood up and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him. He didn't come back up until the rest were asleep.

---

Sirius knows, doesn't he, thought Regulus. Over at the Gryffindor table during breakfast, he could see the Marauders sitting together as usual, but things were a bit off. Sirius looked to be in a bad mood, and kept pointedly looking away from Remus every time the latter tried talking to him. James and Lily sat between them, and Peter sat on the other side of Remus from James. The three were talking to Remus quite cheerfully when they weren't seeming exasperated with Sirius. Clearly, they were siding with Remus in the argument they must have had. This was the same during lunch and supper.

That evening, Severus was helping Regulus with his potions assignment, but about two thirds through, Regulus let out an impatient sigh.

"You're distracted." Severus put down his quill.

"Yeah. Sorry."

Once he was sure no one was looking, he cast the muffliato charm. "What's bothering you? Does it have to do with your brother giving Lupin the silent treatment?"

"See through everything, don't you?" Regulus half-smiled.

"Not everything. I take it you know why they're fighting."

Regulus nodded. After a long moment of Severus looking at him expectantly, he glanced down to his parchment, though wasn't really looking at it. "I have to tell you something."

"Yes?"

"Well..." A slight tinge of pink appeared on his cheek. "It had been just a simple misunderstanding before. He is interested. We've decided to try a relationship."

"I see." Severus had been expecting something like this, but it was uncomfortable to hear it nevertheless. A dull ache started to form in his chest as he kept his face expressionless.

"He must have told Sirius already. Last night, probably."

"Why didn't you tell me then?"

"Please, you were asleep in the common room again, and not completely awake when I told you to go to bed." Regulus raised his eyebrows. "Do you remember me telling you that you don't have to wait for me when I'm late?"

"Vaguely," Severus muttered almost sheepishly. He would do so regardless.

"My point."

As much as it pained him to say it, "You know I think this is a bad idea. But I will not stop you. It's your decision."

"That means so much to me, Sev. Thank you. I know the risks, but I'd like to think it's worth it."

"I wish it so."

---

The next day, the silent treatment continued. And the day after that.

"I can't believe he's doing this to you!" exclaimed Regulus, shutting a door a little too hard. "Well, I can, but I really wish he wouldn't!"

"He'll come around eventually, I think." There wasn't much certainty in Remus' tone. 

"At least the other three aren't being complete prats to you. Merlin, he's supposed to be your friend! Sev doesn't approve either, but at least he's still talking to me."

"I'm very glad to hear that," Remus said earnestly. "Really. I know you're close."

"Thank you. Let's just talk about something else. Something less upsetting."

"Of course. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Er..." Regulus fidgeted. "Are N.E.W.T level courses in seventh year really as difficult as people say they are?"

"I thought you wanted something less upsetting," Remus laughed.

"So it is difficult?"

"It really depends on the course and what you're good at. Transfiguration is rather tough, but Charms isn't too bad. Slughorn isn't nearly as strict as McGonagall, but Potions just isn't my strong suit. But I don't think you'll have any trouble. You're doing just fine this year, right?"

"Well...yes." Regulus failed to hide a flattered smile.

"It's not that much more difficult. Just more work to prepare for the exams."

"Oh, I can't wait." He rolled his eyes.

"How are Apparition lessons going, by the way?"

"Dull. I've already gotten the hang of it, so it's just getting extra practice in by now. It's mostly just annoying having to wait half a year to be able to apparate outside of the lessons."

During the pause, Remus tried to figure out when that would be, but didn't have quite enough time before a clanking sound caught both of their attention. They headed into the corridor on the left, where the sound started getting louder.

"For goodness sake, we're supposed to make sure any students aren't getting into trouble, but Peeves causes more trouble than anyone," Regulus huffed. Once the poltergeist saw the two, he immediately disappeared, still taking the threat of the Bloody Baron to heart. They looked at the suits of armor that had been knocked over and quickly restored them.

"Can I ask you something?" Remus asked curiously.

"Obviously you just did." Regulus smirked. "But you may ask another."

"You twat," he chuckled. "Have you never done anything to cause trouble? I mean for fun, not like hexing Carrow or anything like that."

"I really come off as too serious, don't I? You wouldn't be the first to tell me."

"It sounds bad like that. But I suppose at first, yeah, you do seem that way. However, I know you do have a sense of humor, even if it only likes to show itself rarely. More like you only let it show itself rarely."

"Nice to hear that someone else pays attention. Yeah, as children, Sirius and I used to mess with each other all the time, pranking back and forth. Until our parents got tired of it and punished us. I stopped, but Sirius kept at it when getting to school. Obviously." Regulus lowered his voice. "Sometimes I think it would be fun to try again."

"Do mine ears deceive me? Am I hearing this from a dutiful prefect?" Remus grinned.

"You are," Regulus said haughtily.

---

The next week, nothing had changed besides Remus looking more discouraged in the Great Hall. James was trying his best to cheer him up while still being friendly to Sirius. It was really starting to get exhausting, but he wasn't about to give up.

To his surprise, again, he found Snape coming toward him looking incredibly disdainful. More than usual, that is.

"What do you want from me this time, Snape?" he said impatiently.

"Black listens to you, right?"

"Sirius, you mean?"

"No shit, Potter."

"Alright, alright. No need to be so testy." James put his hands up defensively. "Yeah, more or less."

"Then tell him to start talking to Lupin again."

"Trust me, I'd love for them to get along again. But why do you care? You hate Remus as much you hate the rest of us."

"It's not for his sake, you idiot!" Through the anger, desperation shone through Severus' eyes. "Because he, for some inexplicable reason, cares for the bloody wolf, he's been very upset by this and you're going to make it stop."

"And he's sent you, has he, instead of doing something about it himself?" James scoffed, realizing Snape was talking about Regulus.

"He doesn't know, so you can kindly lay off him."

"Talk about defensive. I thought Remus was his boyfriend, not you," he joked. But when the other's normally pale face flushed red and he failed to come up with some sort of insult, James realized perhaps that joke had been a bad idea.

"Oh my God, you don't..." His mouth hung open. "You do... holy shit."

"If you value your well-being, you won't speak a word." Severus' voice was pure venom.

"Wouldn't dream of it." James was surprised to realize that he felt kind of bad for him. Just a little. He might even go so far as to say he felt a little guilty. For the second time, one of the Marauders has taken someone Severus cared for. "I'll talk to Sirius. Y'know, about Remus. I can't promise anything, Sirius is very stubborn, but I'll try."

---

Lily, James, Sirius, and Peter walked through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room, unaccompanied by Remus as he unfortunately was spending the weekend in the hospital wing.

"Sirius, I have to talk to you," James said solemnly, nudging his head away from the others to imply it was a private matter.

"Uhh... sure." Sirius had a sinking feeling he knew what this was about, but he followed James into their dorm anyway. He sat at the edge of his bed. "What is it?"

"So..." James sat next next to him. "Moony, Wormtail, and Prongs missed Padfoot last night."

"Tch. I knew you were going to bring this up." He crossed his arms and looked away, scowling. "I'm not talking to him."

"Sirius, this is getting ridiculous. You're being completely unfair to Remus. Do you think he wanted to upset you? No. Is them being together hurting anyone? No, it isn't. You're only angry because you have a grudge. I'm tired of this behavior, and I'm not the only one."

"And I'm not hurt by this at all?"

"Oh please, you're acting like this was a personal insult toward you. I don't think it matters to Remus who Regulus is related to. They probably would like each other even if he wasn't your brother. You know what must hurt though? One of your best mates not speaking to you."

Sirius muttered something under his breath that James didn't quite catch. He decided he didn't want to know.

"Please think about this, Sirius. Is this really worth your friendship? I mean, imagine if instead of Regulus, Remus chose, say, Snape." A snort of disbelief came from Sirius. "It's just an example. I would be disappointed in his choice, yeah, of course. He knows how much we loathe each other. But I would rather accept it and let them be happy, all with my friendship intact."

Sirius grumbled, annoyed that James was making a decent argument. "Fine. I'll think about it."

"Great. Now, I have a date with your brother." James smiled and stood up, receiving a flabbergasted stare. "Okay, maybe that was in bad taste. I'm just taking over for Remus tonight. Good chance for me to give the you're-dating-one-of-my-best-friends talk. Goodnight!"

---

Chapter Text

"Heya!" James greeted cheerfully at the Slytherin.

"What are you doing here?" Regulus asked, but then felt stupid for doing so. It wasn't weird for Head Boy to come talk to a prefect.

"Well, as you know, Remus is currently... indisposed. So I'm covering for him tonight." James put an arm around his shoulders. "Which means you'll have to put up with me for a little while."

"Fine then." Regulus immediately removed the arm as if it were something contaminated. "Am I going to get a lecture or something? Try to talk me out of seeing Remus? Is that it?"

"Hmmm... you almost have it. I'm not going to try and talk you out of it. For some reason, he really seems to like you, so I don't want to get in the way. Unless you give me a good reason to, of course."

"At least it looks like you have more sense than my brother, Potter. It's not like I'm going to be throwing people to the Dark Lord or anything, especially not Remus. I'd never."

This took a moment to really process in James' brain. It felt as if that all should have been sarcastic, but there was absolutely no hint of sarcasm, only sincerity, and it confused him. Perhaps Remus was right after all. "Really? Sirius always said you were a shoe-in to join."

"Of course he thinks that," Regulus said through clenched teeth. "Perhaps he should talk about things he actually knows about."

"So you–" James stopped talking as the other glared daggers at him. "Alright, skipping that for now, then. So, why Remus? You can't deny it's surprising. One would think he would never even be a consideration for you, being male aside."

After thinking about it, Regulus decided this question wasn't as offending. "You know Remus, right? You've known him for nearly seven years now." He let out a short, dry laugh.

"Fair point. Hard to imagine anyone hating him once they've met him."

"And have you looked at him?" He blushed, embarrassed to have said that. James laughed, amused.

"Not exactly my cup of tea, you understand, but I get what you mean. I know he'd say the same about you. Alright." James thought perhaps he should have thought up questions beforehand instead of having to come up with them off the cuff.  "Hmm... describe him in one word."

"I thought I was getting a lecture, not an interrogation."

"A lecture can be ignored. Humor me?"

"Fine."

"Well?"

"He's selfless."

"That's... a good answer." James smiled softly. "Accurate. Do you have an example to share?"

"Yes, I have plenty of examples. None of which I care to share with you, thanks."

"Too personal between you? Alright. So, when did you realize you fancied him?"

"Er..." Before he could argue again, he started wondering that himself. He thought back, trying to pinpoint it. He knew how long it had been, but hadn't thought of the actual moment he realized it. "It was somewhere in between when we met and Christmas. I was in the hospital wing due to a Quidditch accident. He was being released. I mean, the thought crossed my mind before then, but that's when I couldn't... deny it anymore."

"Huh. Thanks for telling me. You didn't have... to... " James frowned in confusion as Regulus started laughing almost sardonically. "What is it?"

"Who would believe this? Me having a chat with my best friend's sworn enemy. About a half-blood, Gryffindor werewolf whom I happen to be in a relationship with. The world's really turned upside-down, hasn't it?"

"Certainly feels that way. Yikes, I can just imagine that conversation with Snape." He put on an exaggerated posh accent. "'So how was prefect duty?' 'Oh, just fine, I just chatted with Potter the whole time. I know you hate him and all, but I hope that doesn't bother you.'"

Regulus bit his bottom lip to try and keep himself from laughing. "Right, as if I'd say that. More accurately, I'd say 'Had to do prefect duty with Potter. Nothing short of torture, only slightly more tolerable than the Cruciatus Curse.'"

"Ouch. That's not true, right?" James pouted exaggeratedly.

"No, it's not quite true. Though I suppose I should have expected one of you to come hound me. Knew it wasn't going to be Sirius. Surprised he hasn't tried to punch me or something, but maybe he's just too busy being angry at Remus. The idiot."

"To be frank, Sirius' behavior is really getting on my nerves. I've just spoken with him, trying to get him to talk to Remus again."

"Well good."

"You know, that's how it is for Sirius. As if you befriended me and Snape had to just deal with it. I'm sure he'd be furious."

"Yes, I imagine he would be disappointed. But I like to think he knows I wouldn't be replacing him as a friend or anything. Certainly, I would assure him of that fact. He would know I wasn't trying to hurt him. Plus, he doesn't have the same awful temper that my brother has."

"S'pose not. Not to give him any credit, but it's hard to imagine Snape staying angry at you."

A thought finally made its way to James' mind, slightly delayed. Had Regulus actually experienced the Cruciatus Curse before? He made the decision not to ask.

"So what's the purpose of this? To figure out whether or not I'm good enough for Remus?"

"Well it sounds bad when you say it like that."

"How am I doing then?" Regulus crossed his arms.

"So you care what I think?" James grinned.

"I never said that!"

"You implied it."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You still haven't answered."

"Oh. Right," he chuckled. "Can't tell you yet. We're not finished."

Regulus nearly said 'get it over with then', but despite everything, he did care what Remus' best mate thought of him. He hated it. "What else do you want to know?"

"What would you do if you met his parents, considering his mother is a muggle?" James knew what his parents thought of muggles, but didn't actually know what Regulus thought of them. He wondered if Sirius really knew, or was just making assumptions.

"Getting a little ahead of yourself, are we? I don't know. I've never even met a muggle. But I suppose I'd be polite. I don't want to offend him."

James was pleasantly surprised, but took a deep breath before his next question, rephrasing his earlier one. "If we, as in my friends and I, fought in this war supporting Dumbledore, would we have to fight against you?"

Regulus knew his answer right away, but it was difficult for him to admit it to anyone other than Remus. It went against everything people expected of him. His voice was quiet as he answered. "No."

"Really?" James sounded a little more surprised than he would've liked.

"Yes. I have been... apprehensive about joining the Dark Lord for a long time now, but Remus gave me the little push I needed to finally come to the decision not to. Don't say anything about this to anyone, Potter. You can't."

"Not even Sirius?" James felt a bit uncomfortable listening to someone use the name The Dark Lord, but figured perhaps it was pure habit. It wasn't worth making a fuss at the moment.

"No. Not yet. I will tell him when I feel it's time to. I can't trust him to keep quiet."

"Fair enough. I won't say a word. Why are you trusting me? I mean I really appreciate it, but it's just a bit unexpected is all."

"It's not like Sirius, where I've known him my whole life. We have our personal issues with each other. To be honest, I still think of you as the toerag that bullied Severus. But I know you've quit. I suppose you grew up a bit, where Sirius hasn't. And very importantly, Remus trusts you. You've never told any of his secrets. You're a good friend to him, as far as I'm aware. I want to be able to trust you."

"I won't let you down." Despite his best efforts, James actually felt a little honored. "Suppose that's enough for now."

"So what's my score?" Regulus smirked.

"Well, I can appreciate a bit of snark, so you almost got an E, but you were a bit tetchy at the beginning, plus you called me a toerag. Okay granted, that one was deserved. But still. For now, you get an Acceptable."

"I'll take what I can get. I'm sure Sirius would give me a D for existing."

"I wish I could deny that one."

---

There was a bunch of giggles coming from the portrait hole as the Gryffindor Quidditch team got back to their common room after practice.

"What's happened?" asked Peter.

"You seem to have had fun at practice." Sirius had been twirling his quill around, procrastinating on an essay. It was distracting both Peter and Remus, who were actually trying to get things done.

"Ask Potter," said one of the players, an amused grin on her face.

"Never thought I'd say this," said one of the others, "but I wish I could award ten points to Slytherin. I mean, it had to be one of them– they had the field right before us."

James himself looked like he was struggling between laughing and being annoyed. "So. We're all ready to start practice, right? We decide on what we're going to do. Then I get on my broom with the quaffle and... now, nothing is affecting my ability to fly just fine, but as I fly, my broom is leaving a trail of red and gold glitter and streamers."

The rest of the team started laughing again, along with everyone else in the common room.

"I wish I could have seen that!" Sirius exclaimed. "You sure it was a Slytherin? Seems too harmless to be one of them." A few people from the team shrugged.

"Dunno. I suppose it could've been a Hufflepuff. They had practice yesterday. It's a mystery at this point."

"I can't even be angry though," said James as he flopped down on a sofa. "It was a good one."

---

For the next night that Remus and Regulus had prefect duty together, James decided to walk with Remus to the usual starting point.

"So uh, before you go, I realized I forgot to tell you that while you were in the hospital wing, I kinda took over your shift for you," James said sheepishly.

"Oh. Wait so you did prefect duty with Regulus?" Remus had a rather hard time imagining James and Regulus having a friendly conversation. "You both didn't give each other a hard time, did you?"

"Nah." James waved a hand nonchalantly. "Well, he definitely doesn't like me, but he was patient enough. For the most part. Probably just because he wouldn't want to upset you. Just thought you should know, in case he mentions it. I didn't want it to come as a surprise."

"Should I be worried? What did you talk about?"

"That's between us, Moony. No need to look concerned though, w- oh, here he comes."

As he walked over, Regulus looked at James with a bit of confusion, but made a point to smile at Remus and give him a kiss. Remus was surprised he'd kiss him in front of anyone, but was pleased nevertheless. James made a sour face.

"Missed me, then?" Remus smiled.

"Of course. What're you doing here?" Regulus turned to James. "Going to follow me again?"

"No, not today. I'll be leaving now then." James was just about to turn away, when Regulus spoke again.

"Oh yeah, did you have a nice Quidditch practice? Would've been nice to see if it had worked correctly."

"Wh- it...it was you?!? You jinxed my broom?"

Regulus smirked and put a finger to his lips as if shushing. Remus covered his mouth, holding back laughter.

"Well." James grinned now. "I suppose you've exceeded my expectations with that one."

Regulus just chuckled and started to walk away, motioning for Remus to follow. Soon, they were alone.

"I can't say I was expecting that one." Remus couldn't stop himself from smiling. "I think he's impressed. But it's nice to see it's still in you."

"Not that it matters, but I think I've gotten his approval." He paused. "The jinx did work, didn't it?"

"As far as I heard, yes. I wasn't there. By the way, how long is it supposed to last?"

"It will definitely have worn off by the match, but it might still have some effect for the next few practice sessions."

"So why him? I heard he did prefect duty with you; was he that annoying?" Remus laughed. "Or were you trying to impress him?"

"Yes." Regulus shrugged, still looking rather pleased with himself. "He was mildly annoying and I thought I'd be killing two birds with one stone, so to say. Did he struggle between being amused and annoyed at first?"

"Definitely."

"I wish I could have seen it."

Remus merely nodded his head in agreement, but was smiling. Walking in silence, he wished he could hold the other's hand, but they had decided at the start that it would be too risky to walk around like that, even during patrol.

"Regulus, I've been meaning to ask you..."

"Yes?"

"Well, a Hogsmeade weekend is coming up soon, and I was wondering if you... wanted to try and meet for a little while? Perhaps there's somewhere people aren't likely to find us. James has an invisibility cloak, and I'm sure he'd let me borrow it for an afternoon so no one sees us going to the same place."

Regulus thought about when that would be, then blushed in spite of himself. "That's Valentine's Day."

"I-it is. Er, we don't have to do anything for it if you don't want to. I just thought it would be nice to see you outside prefect duty, even if it was just a normal weekend."

"Me too. I like the idea. I'll think about somewhere we could possibly meet and let you know in a few days." He was giddy, which made him feel a bit silly. Still, he couldn't help it. The idea of seeing Remus on Valentine's Day made him happier than he expected, though he really wished they didn't have to sneak around. Perhaps one day, if it wasn't too much to ask for.

"Alright. I'll think about it too, and perhaps James or Sirius might know."

"I noticed he's talking to you again."

"Yes, technically. But he's still being rather cold. At least it's progress." Remus sighed.

"Well he better just get over it, because nothing is changing any time soon," Regulus said huffily.

"Good to hear it." Feeling a little bit daring, he gave Regulus' hand a light squeeze before letting go again.

"How are you feeling? You seemed more tired this time."

"Did I?" Remus didn't think anyone would even notice. "Yes, I suppose I had a bit of a rougher time this month. It happens. I'm feeling much better now though. Aside from all the homework I have to catch up on, of course." He chuckled.

"Doesn't all the staff know? I would think you would be excused from at least a few assignments."

"They do. And they've tried before, but I wouldn't hear it. I've always insisted."

"And I've been told my study habits are eccentric." They both laughed.

"Though I admit it's been a bit difficult with all the extra work seventh years have been given due to the exams. I'm considering asking for a bit more time on a few assignments. I think McGonagall might be alright with that."

"I think Slughorn would let you off easy if you asked. He's reasonable. Plus, I think he just assigned a pretty long essay to your year, so it would be a good idea to get extra time on that one."

"Thanks for the heads-up. How are classes going for you?"

"Oh, just fine. Though it's beyond me why Binns is still permitted to teach."

"It's really one of the world's greater mysteries." Remus chuckled, but then saw a figure a bit further down. "Oh, look."

Soon enough, a Gryffindor second year was politely sent back to their dorm after trying to sneak into the kitchens.

---

"Finally back, eh?" James said as Remus entered the dormitory. "You should be a little more careful. According to the second year you caught, you, and I quote, 'looked a bit too chummy with that Slytherin'."

"Discussing classes is too chummy?" Remus rolled his eyes. "It's not as if she caught us snogging in the corridor or something."

Sirius resisted the urge to gag. "You don't do that, do you?"

"Of course not. We use an empty classroom, obviously." He smiled at Sirius defiantly, who looked offended.

"You are joking, right?"

"Who's to say." He shrugged.

"Will you two quit it?" James said impatiently. "Padfoot, you just have to get over it, mate. And Moony, please stop goading him. And really, as if you don't snog in an empty classroom."

"It's not like it'll last anyway, I guess," Sirius grumbled. "You may be attracted to him, but that won't get you anywhere. Either he'll hurt you, or the more you get to know him, the more you'll realize what a little bastard he is. I mean, you're not in love with him or anything, right?"

"You're wrong about him, Sirius." Remus' cheeks were red. "And it's far too soon to say, but for your information, I like him more every time we meet. I do care about him."

"You're clearly taking the piss. Prongs! You talked to him. Can you really still be okay with this?"

"I can," James answered, though he wasn't very thrilled to have to give his opinion. He didn't want to have to take sides between his two best friends yet again. "I think we should give him a chance."

"You can't possibly be serious."

"No, you're Sirius." He almost regretted the joke as Sirius gave him a murderous glare. Still, he let out a snort of laughter. "But really, I do sincerely think we should give him a chance."

"You've both gone mad."

"Perhaps if you just talk to each other in a civilized manner, you would see that we haven't," said Remus.

"Now that I think about it, you never did talk to me about how it went with him, Prongs. He can't possibly have been friendly to you. So how can you defend him?"

"It's true that he obviously dislikes me." James half-smiled. "And any and all insults directed at me were completely deserved. But I'm pretty sure there's more to him than you think. There's not much I can say without betraying trust, but I think he can come round to the right side."

Remus looked at James curiously, now really wondering what kind of things Regulus said to him. He made a mental note to ask about it next time they saw each other.

"And you're just going to hide things from me?!" Sirius said indignantly. "He's confided in you?"

"I know it sounds strange. He hasn't said so, but he probably appreciates that I'm not trying to keep them apart."

"Whatever he's said to try and convince you that there's hope for him, he's lying. He's going to stay with the rest of his bloody Dark Arts cronies, join You-Know-Who just like dear cousin Bella, and make mummy and daddy proud."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you had seen him." Remus pleaded. "I cannot tell you exactly what happened but I promise you he was unquestionably sincere. There's a good and sensible person under all the rubbish your parents pushed onto you both."

"He cares about Remus," James added.

Sirius was silent for a long moment as he let everything sink in.

"Why him?"

"Well, it's not like I can control who I'm attracted to, and he's so beautiful. Ever since we spoke to each other, I've been more and more intrigued. He seems so serious at first, but if you haven't forgotten over the years, he does have a sense of humor. And he's so smart and clever. There seems to be much more to him than what he normally shows to people, and whenever I get a glimpse of that self, I get more pulled in. There's a kindness there. Plus, he likes me in spite of what I am."

Again, Sirius didn't respond at first, but soon flopped onto his bed and pulled the blankets over himself.

---

Chapter Text

As usual during Hogsmeade weekends, Honeydukes was filled with Hogwarts students emptying their coin purses and stuffing their pockets with various sweets. Four students were leaving the registers after buying their sweets, trying their best not to accidentally elbow people in the crowd.

"Well, I promised Lily I'd meet her in the Three Broomsticks in about five minutes, so I better be going," said James. "Meet up again later, yeah?"

"I better go too," said Remus, checking the time. "It's a bit far, so I might be a little late coming back."

"Good luck." James grinned. Remus rolled his eyes, but smiled nevertheless.

"I guess we can go to Zonko's or something. Up for it, Peter?" Sirius asked.

"'Course!"

"See you lads later then," Sirius said pleasantly, and the four of them went out the door, facing the bitter February cold.

Once sufficiently hidden behind a building, Remus took out James' invisibility cloak and slipped it on before continuing on. Their meeting place was on the further side of the village where students didn't really go, as it was away from the main shops, well past the Hog's Head. There was a smattering of trees and an empty bench.

Glad to have gotten there first as planned, he removed the cloak and sat down to wait. In comparison to the hustle and bustle of High Street he found the quiet, lonely bench hidden in the trees to be rather relaxing. Soon the buzzing in his ears from all the noise started to subside.

It was only a few minutes before he saw Regulus walking up to him. Seeing Remus there, he sped up a bit.

"Sorry if I had you wait too long, it took a while to ditch everyone."

"Don't worry about it." Remus smiled brightly and once they both cautiously looked around, kissed as though they hadn't seen each other in weeks. "Merlin, Regulus, you're an icicle!" He chuckled, pulling the other into a tight embrace.

Regulus held on just as tightly, burying his cold face in Remus' scarf. For a minute they just enjoyed each other's company and warmth. Once he felt as though his nose was thawed enough, he looked back up and smiled.

"How have you been?"

"Pretty good. Great now that you're here. And you?"

"Pshh. How sappy." Still, he laughed. "Same."

"Beautiful."

"What is?"

"Your laugh." Remus gently placed a hand on Regulus' cheek.

"Absurd." Regulus grabbed the collar of Remus' cloak and pulled him down into a rough kiss. Remus took a step back to try and balance himself, but his legs bumped into the edge of the bench, resulting in the opposite effect. He was now sitting down, Regulus on top of him, chuckling against his lips.

"You did that on purpose."

"Maybe. Are you complaining?" Regulus teased, smirking.

"Not at all. I seem to quite like you sitting on top of me, actually. Though perhaps it's not-" Remus let out a tiny gasp as his neck was being kissed, "not the best idea to do in public."

Reluctantly, Regulus stopped and removed himself from Remus' lap with a pout. "I suppose. Can I hold your hand at least? That's more easily hidden."

"Sure." Remus smiled reassuringly and took his hand, making sure they were obscured by their cloaks. They could explain being seen talking together. On top of each other, not so much.

"It's all my fault. If I were pretty much anyone else, we wouldn't have to hide like this."

"Well, I like you, not 'pretty much anyone else'. I knew what I was getting myself into. There's no place for me to complain. And it's not like you're making it easy on yourself."

"I guess not. We have a tendency to make things more difficult for ourselves, don't we?" Regulus slightly tightened his hold on Remus' hand, as if he was afraid he'd never get to hold it again.

"That indeed seems to be the case. At least one obstacle has been overcome though. Sirius is being friendly again. Of course he still hates the fact that we're together, but at least he's trying to be reasonable."

"He better be." Regulus sighed, his breath visible in the chilly air. "It'd be nice to be in The Three Broomsticks right now."

"I know, I agree. After this I- Regulus, no wonder you're freezing. Why aren't you wearing a scarf?"

"Er, I was in a hurry and it slipped my mind. And I was a bit distracted at the time." He looked away from Remus' concerned stare.

"Here." Remus freed his hand, to the Slytherin's reluctance, and removed his own brown and light blue one, carefully wrapping it around Regulus' neck. "Better? It looks nice on you."

"Y-yes." He immediately felt warmer, and the red on his face wasn't just from the cold. "What about you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Return it at your leisure. I still have my Gryffindor one, although not with me. I just grabbed the first one I saw."

"Thank you, Remus. Ah, what were you starting to say before?"

"Hm? Oh, just that I'm going to Scrivenshaft's after this is all. Then I'm to meet up with the rest of my mates for butterbeer. James and Lily are already there, but the rest of us are y'know, giving them a bit of time together. It'd be nice to see you there, even if we can't talk."

Regulus thought a moment, then dug in his pockets, taking out a bit of gold which he placed into Remus' hand. "Get something you want. A new quill, butterbeer, something from Honeydukes, whatever. A Valentine's gift from me."

"Ah, but I don't have anything for-" But Regulus shook his head and smiled, eyebrows raised.

"Do you really think you're going to get this scarf back anytime soon?"

"Oh... I suppose not then." Remus laughed and kissed him softly. "Thank you."

"Damn it, Remus, you can't be paranoid about someone catching us, then kiss me like that and expect me to not do anything about it." Regulus pulled his face toward his own, once again closing the gap between them. At first, Remus seemed to melt into it, but then suddenly stopped and pulled away.

"I've just thought of something! Dunno why I didn't think of it before. Wait a moment." He got out his wand and in a figure eight type motion, performed a nonverbal spell.

"What was that?"
 
"A protective charm. No one will see us until I lift it."

"Brilliant." Regulus said, impressed. "What about sound though? Could someone still hear us talking?"

"Oh. No, I don't think it helps with sound." Remus frowned in disappointment.

"Please, I may not know your protection charm, but give me some credit." He easily cast Muffliato. "There. No one will be able to overhear us."

"That's handy." The Gryffindor brightened again. "I'll have to remember that one."

"Now, if I recall correctly, we were in the middle of something." Regulus traced his thumb against Remus' bottom lip. "And there's no more excuse for you to suddenly stop again. Twice within a half hour is a new record for you."

"You're right." Remus nearly felt his breath leave him. Finally feeling safe, he pulled Regulus onto his lap, smashing their mouths back together.

Regulus was leaning his head on Remus' shoulder, feeling relaxed and comfortable wrapped in his arms. Both their cheeks were flushed from the cold, but neither of them minded very much at the moment.

"Remus, what is it you want to do once you finish school? As a career."

"After this war, I assume?"

"Yeah." Regulus' voice was suddenly more constricted at the thought.

"I'm not exactly sure, to be honest. There aren't many people who would continue to employ me once they find out what I am. Though I admit, I'm fairly interested in teaching. Sirius and James have said I would be good at it."

"Here? I think Dumbledore would certainly hire you!"

"Thank you for saying so." Remus smiled kindly and brushed away a lock of hair that always seemed to fall into Regulus' face. "Though certainly he wouldn't hire someone as a professor just out of school. If he even would hire me, I'm sure he'd expect me to have other work experience first."

"It's still a possibility. What are you interested in teaching?"

"Hmm, probably Defense Against the Dark Arts. It's the subject I'm best at."

"That post is apparently jinxed though. You would only be here a year at a time."

"I wonder if Dumbledore knows why that is. Well, if that's ever solved, I'll be happy to take up the post."

"Well I hope that does get taken care of. It makes for very inconsistent standards."

"I suppose it does," Remus said thoughtfully. "But at least there are so many teaching styles to look at, I can decide what works well and what doesn't."

"That's one way to think about it."

"What about you though? Dare I ask?"

"I don't know yet. I know things I don't want to do, but that's the extent of it. I'm keeping my options open."

"That's alright. You still have some time."

Regulus nodded and blew that lock of hair out of his face.

"I wish we could go on a proper date somewhere."

"Yes, I know the feeling. If we had the choice, what would you want to do? We can make a list for when we can be seen together."

"Frankly, I'd be happy to simply have an ice cream at Florian Fortescue's. Though I'm also interested in seeing other countries."

Remus used a lot of self control to hold in his laughter.

"What a giant leap."

"Oh shush." Regulus blushed.

"Sounds nice though. First chance we get, we'll go to Diagon Alley and get some ice cream."

---

"Had a good time, I assume?" James asked as Remus joined him in The Three Broomsticks, smirking as he eyed the brown hair that was significantly messier than it was before they left the castle.

"Yes, thank you. How about the rest of you?" He wanted to steer the subject away from himself, as Sirius was clearly putting a lot of effort into keeping his temper down. Still, he failed to suppress his happiness.

"Alright I guess." Peter shrugged, not really wanting to talk about the day either, as he had been stuck with Sirius, who was on edge the entire time. He got tired of it rather quickly. Sirius also gave a noncommittal shrug.

"What fun you lot are," Lily laughed. "I'm happy for you, Remus. Don't let Sirius ruin it for you."

"Thank you. Sincerely."

"Speaking of, James, you're coming with me to Slughorn's party tonight, aren't you?"

"Of course, wouldn't miss it." James put his arm around Lily's shoulders and kissed her cheek. Looking at the expression on Remus' face, he guess what he was wanting to say. "I'll let you know if I saw your boyfriend there and give you the details."

Remus merely blushed, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Oh, he won't have any fun without you, I'm sure," reassured Lily. "Like you saw before, he's always a bit bored at these things. Unless he skips it altogether, he'll just be there with Severus as usual."

James nearly choked on his butterbeer, though thankfully nobody noticed.

"Does Remus have competition, then?" joked Peter. James cracked up laughing, which by some miracle didn't sound as nervous as he felt.

"As if anyone in their right mind would choose Snape over Remus."

---

"That's new," Severus said impartially to Regulus as they walked back to their common room before getting ready for Slughorn's party. "You didn't leave the castle with it, and it's too shabby to be yours."

"Yes, Remus gave it to me." He lightly clutched the scarf, looking defensive. They were quiet for a few minutes longer before Severus spoke again.

"Do you love him?"

"W-what? I... I haven't really thought about it actually. I don't know." Regulus shrugged. "We haven't been together very long, and frankly I'm not sure what it's supposed to feel like. I've never been in love with anyone. I mean I know what it's like to love in general, but not... romantic love."

"It's almost the same."

"Hm, I suppose it would be. Why are you asking?"

"Curiosity." Severus looked like he wanted to say more on the subject, but they became too close to other people as they approached the entrance to their common room.

"Ugh, I sort don't even want to go. I can already imagine all the pink decorations and people acting utterly vapid just because it's Valentine's Day."

"I have similar sentiments. Perhaps I can get away with leaving early; last time I decided not to go, Slughorn hounded me incessantly before the next one. As long as he sees that I was there..."

"At least he likes you for your talent, and not because of your name. And don't worry, I won't make you go alone." Regulus smiled. "And I'll try not to hex someone this time."

"I appreciate it." Severus most faintly returned the smile.

---

"There they are," James said quietly as he noticed Severus glaring daggers at him, standing next to Regulus, who looked particularly dignified in his fine, deep hunter green dress robes, his dark hair combed neatly. Considering how exceptionally beautiful Lily looked (as she did all the time, in his opinion), he couldn't help but figure that, as much as he may despise him, Snape certainly had fine taste. If it wasn't for Remus, he'd actually consider trying to get the two Slytherins together. Secretly, he wondered if Snape would even have a chance if Regulus knew about his feelings. "Though they don't look all that happy to be here. Especially Black. Why do they even come?"

"Oh well, Slughorn can be very, er, insistent," Lily informed him as he collected himself some snacks. "Now, this is a little bit odd, but Severus doesn't seem quite as displeased to be here as usual."

It took a lot of control for James to not tell her why he thought that might be the case. He was frustrated that he still felt a bit sorry for Snape, while at the same time wanted to keep those two apart when he could for Remus' sake. "When are you planning on having the next prefect meeting?"

"Abrupt subject change, but alright," she laughed. "Actually, I was thinking of having one before Easter holiday."

"Great! Now I have an excuse." James got a bit closer so that he wouldn't get the attention of the whole room. "Black."

Hearing his name, Regulus looked over to see James motioning for him to come over.

"What does he want?" asked Severus.

"Dunno. I'll be right back." He reassuringly touched Severus' arm and went over to James. "Yes, Potter?" Honestly, his opinion of James recently was heading steadily to neutral rather than the disdain he's held for years, but he couldn't appear to feel the least bit friendly in a such a public setting.

"Well, just wanted to let you know, since we're both here, that Remus' birthday is on the tenth next month. Knowing him, he's probably forgot to tell you," he said, voice low so that no one else could hear. "Thought you might want to be aware of it. Also, so you don't have to lie about our conversation, there's going to be a prefect meeting right before Easter."

"Oh," Regulus responded with a trace of surprise getting through. "Thanks."

"See you," James said in a sing-song voice before walking away and rejoining Lily.

"What was that about?" Severus glared in James' direction again.

"He was informing me about a prefect meeting," Regulus said just loud enough for a few people in the vicinity to hear. "Nothing interesting."

---

"Welcome back," said Remus, books and parchment around him as he caught up on homework. Both Flitwick and Slughorn allowed him extra time to finish the essays he had missed, saying he could turn them in at his leisure. McGonagall had given him extra time too, but had an actual due date, so he had finished hers several days ago.

"Oh, hey that's rather nice. I haven't seen that before," James said, impressed, as he motioned to the new eagle-feather quill in Remus' hand.

"Valentine's gift from his boyfriend," Sirius said, homework long abandoned. The words tasted sour.

"Perfect gift for him really," smiled Peter. "You've been wanting a new one."

"Yes, because I chose it," Remus chuckled.

"How lovely," Lily said cheerily as he sat down next to him, looking a little sly. "Speaking of him, it's a shame you didn't see him tonight. He looked princely."

"I'm sure." He blushed, picturing how Regulus probably looked. Even better, he imagined, his normally tidy hair a mess, a sultry expression on that fine, aristocratic face as he straddled Remus. And how it felt to grab that small, perfect bum–

"Stop it!" Sirius threw an empty chocolate frog box at him. "No having dirty thoughts about my brother around me! I know you are!"

"So have you shagged yet?" James asked conversationally, looking rather amused.

"Prongs, no! I don't want to hear about it!" Sirius covered his ears.

"What? No, we haven't." Remus' face turned even more red, shaking his head for Sirius' benefit, who now hesitantly uncovered his ears. "It's a bit difficult you know, considering the circumstances. Even just snogging in an empty classroom at night is a risk."

"Is it possible for him to visit during the holiday? He could come to your house or mine." James offered. Sirius let out one of his bark-like laughs.

"As if he'd lie to our parents about where he was going."

Remus shook his head. "No, he's staying in the castle during Easter."

"Oh right, he stays here with Snape sometimes, doesn't he?"

"That so." How disappointing, thought James. Clearly, Remus found no reason to be concerned. And it was obvious to him that Regulus had no idea of his friend's affections, and he couldn't help but be worried that Snape would get bolder and try to win him over while Remus was out of the way. Perhaps he was just being paranoid.

"At least I might get to write to him," said Remus cheerfully. "No chance of your parents getting suspicious if the letters are coming here instead."

"That reminds me." Sirius looked over to Remus curiously. "Are you going to tell your parents?"

"Ah. I admit that completely slipped my mind. Yes, I suppose I should, if they won't tell anyone, and there's no reason why they would."

---

"I have no idea what to get him," Regulus said, pacing around as Severus sat on one of the soft common room chairs, his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook open on his lap. "I know he likes to read, but I don't know what he has or hasn't got. Well I guess I can get someone to find out for me. Some sweets? No, that's too impersonal. Sev, what should I do?"

"As if I'm supposed to know," Severus said with furrowed brows. "Ask your brother or something."

"I'm not talking to him." He made a face.

"What about Potter then? You seem just fine talking to him."

"That's out of necessity. He's Head Boy and I'm a prefect. It can't be helped."

"If you say so." Severus was unconvinced.

"I do say so."

---

With the amount of schoolwork everyone was getting, the next month flew by rather quickly. Most students didn't really mind that much though, as the weather had been too miserable to do anything outside. Thankfully, both the weather and the workload had lightened a bit as March begun.

On the second Friday of the month, Remus happily started the day with a handful of gifts being thrust into his arms. This of course included some books which he mentally put at the top of his personal Easter and summer holiday reading list. There were also some homemade treats from his parents, as well as a bunch of products from Honeydukes. Lastly, there was a neatly wrapped package with a note attached.

"Who's that one from?" asked Peter. Remus opened the note and smiled.

"It's from Regulus." He opened the parcel, revealing a new scarf. It was a rich burgundy, made from what felt like cashmere. "This seems expensive."

The other three read the note, Sirius familiar with the sharp handwriting. 

      "R, 
            To replace the one you gave me. I saw it and thought the colour would look lovely with your eyes.

            Have a happy birthday, 
                                                  ★ "

Sirius snorted.

"He signed it with a star? How lame. And 'I thought the color would look lovely with your eyes.' I never knew he could be so sappy."

"Well he couldn't exactly sign it with his name, now could he? A bit clever considering it would work to symbolize your name, too." Remus put the scarf on, heart fluttering. It was incredibly soft.

"Shame you don't have duty tonight. You'll have to wait to thank him properly." James winked.

"You seem to be having far too much fun with this, Prongs," Sirius said in exasperation.

"Maybe a little." He shrugged half-heartedly. "As much as you hate it, I kinda just have a good feeling about them being together."

"Tch. If you say so."

---

Chapter Text

"You'll be sure to write to me?" Regulus asked insistently, his back against the wall of the locked classroom. It was a couple nights, and their last prefect duty, before the Easter holiday, and they were making sure to spend it right. After doing their job, naturally.

"Of course." Remus left a gentle trail of kisses down his neck, causing the other to, quite satisfyingly, squirm against him.

"Good. And stop teasing. You can be a little rougher, you know. I'm not delicate." He greedily pulled Remus' hips closer. Remus let out a soft, breathy moan, then chuckled.

"Such a spoiled prince. I know you're not delicate. I just don't want to hurt you; I don't know what would happen if..." He dared not finish the sentence.

Regulus didn't want to admit that truthfully, it gave him an odd sort of thrill. Deep down he knew Remus would never actually hurt him, accidentally or otherwise. Nevertheless, some reckless part of him found it utterly exhilarating to have a werewolf pinned against him.

"Please," he whispered against Remus' lips.

"Manipulative little snake," Remus said, having felt the effect of that one word throughout his whole body. He found it ridiculous that Regulus could be so irresistibly convincing just by the way he speaks. Ridiculous and damn alluring.

"You like it."

His answer was a rough kiss, shoving Regulus further against the wall. After a moment, Regulus pulled away for air, then promptly clamped down on Remus' lower neck, giving it a hard suck. Remus let out a sharp gasp, his nails digging into the other's back. A shiver went down Regulus' spine, his moan muffled by Remus' skin. He lifted his head back up, laughing breathlessly.

"I suppose we're both a bit masochistic in our own way, aren't we?"

"I suppose so. Wait." Remus went quiet, listening for any sound. There was a faint echo of footsteps, perhaps down the hall. "I think Filch is coming. We better go."

Regulus nodded a bit disappointedly and they both quickly left the room, turning the corner opposite of the footsteps. While they had excuses ready, they rather not have to use them.

"That's going to leave a mark, you know," Remus said, rubbing his neck.

"That was the intent," Regulus smirked, looking quite pleased with himself.

---

The school was incredibly quiet during the holiday, as very few students remained in the castle. Regulus was very happy about this, as it allowed him to speak freely most of the time. He only had to be careful during mealtimes, and when he got his first letter from Remus on Easter Sunday, he swiftly hid it in his pocket before anyone could ask him about it, waiting until he got to the common room to open it.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Severus glanced over to the letter as Regulus read.

      "★
 Thank you for your previous letter and for the Honeydukes. It was a lovely surprise to wake up to, and very thoughtful of you. I hope you continue to have a good holiday! Peaceful, I assume. I'm still a bit tired from the other night, but I'm having a nice day regardless. It's good to see my extended family. Tomorrow, I'm going to Prongs' for his birthday. I think he mentioned something about going to London. Aside from that, we've been given an awful lot of holiday homework. I hope you haven't been given nearly as much. The potions essay is killer. –"

At that point, he nearly let out a scoff, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. He had already finished that essay.

 "– Anyway, I'm supposed to be resting a while. While mum isn't nearly as strict as Madam Pomfrey, I still rather not get fussed over. Thinking of you, 
          -R "

Once he was finished reading, Regulus rushed to get some parchment, ink, and quill, nearly tripping over chairs in his eagerness.

"I've rarely seen you so... energetic," said Severus. "Responding already?"

"Of course! I won't take long. It's a beautiful day; we should go outside in a bit."

While he wrote, Severus too got out some parchment and started writing something down as quickly as he could. In his haste, he resorted to bullet points as opposed to full paragraphs. Once he realized Regulus had finished, he handed him the paper.

"Include this with your letter." 

"Hm, what is it?" Regulus looked it over. "Potions notes?"

"It has never been Lupin's strong suit."

Regulus couldn't help but wonder why Severus would do something nice like that for someone he dislikes, but still, he smiled brightly.

"That's really good of you. Thanks."

And that was why. It was worth it if it made Regulus smile at him like that.

"No problem," he muttered.

"Come on, let's go to the owlery then get some sunlight."

It really was a sunny, beautiful day, although it was still rather chilly. Regulus wore Remus' old scarf, which he noticed to his dismay had lost Remus' scent by then. But still, he chose it over his others.

"Severus, I've been meaning to ask you about something," he said, gazing at the shimmer of the lake.

"What is it?"

"Do you still intend to join once you leave here?"

Severus didn't answer right away, though he was sure his silence was an answer in itself.

"Are you about to try and talk me out of it, Regulus?"

"Of course. I know you're better than that. You're too good; you'll be destroyed by them."

"Are you saying that I'm too weak?" Severus said, sounding a little insulted.

"Not at all. You're brilliant and can overtake any of them in a duel, except for maybe the Dark Lord himself. I'm talking about your soul, Sev. My cousin Bellatrix joined, remember? And her husband. Cissy and Lucius as well. They've been to my home several times, I've seen what they're like. How they've changed. Bella was always a bit unbalanced, but she's only gotten more frightening. You're not like them, and I don't want to see you become them." When Severus said nothing, he continued, "And you don't actually believe all the things they're preaching. You just like the Dark Arts. Once you join, it's for life."

Severus was still quiet, letting the words really sink into his mind, now acutely aware of Regulus' gaze burning through him. One fear in particular intruded his thoughts.

"If I join, will you despise me?"

"I don't think I could do that. I'll certainly be disappointed and angry."

He nodded.

"I will consider my options," he said just above a whisper.

"Thank you, Severus."

"What are you going to do then? Your family still thinks you're going to join. What will they do when you say you've changed your mind?"

"I really don't know how angry they'll get, or if they'll only be disappointed about it. It doesn't matter though. I think I might just leave once I'm of age."

"What?" So he had been serious after all.

"Of course, they will certainly be angry then. I'm... really starting to understand how Sirius felt."

"Where do you plan to go?"

"I don't really know yet." He shrugged. "Maybe to Sirius. He would be the first person who ought to know, I think."

"Think about what you're saying, Regulus," Severus pleaded, lightly taking Regulus' shoulders. "I remember when you told me your brother was disowned. How cruel they were to him. And I remember, vividly, how afraid you were that they would do the same to you if you put one toe out of line. Don't deny it. And now you're going to walk into it readily?"

"Yes. They might hurt me. They might blow my name off the wall. But I don't want to have to pretend to believe in something I don't, or blindly serve a man who is willing to kill innocent people. The excuse 'for the greater good' is horseshit. If he thinks that's a reason to kill people who have done nothing wrong, it's hardly a leap to think his followers are expendable to him, that if you fail him, he won't hesitate to do away with you. I don't want that to happen, Sev. Not to you. And I know I won't be able to do everything he might ask of me, so joining would be a death sentence. I rather save my skin."

Severus couldn't ignore this truth, as uncomfortable as it may be.

"I hope everything works out for you. I truly do."

"And you as well."

---

"So how was your trip to London, dear?" asked Hope Lupin to her son during lunchtime. Having spent the night at the Potters', Remus got back home in the late morning.

"It was very good," he answered brightly. "Of course, I ended up constantly explaining Muggle things to them as usual, especially Sirius, but it's always amusing. James has gotten very adept; perhaps Lily has been giving him lessons."

"It's been a while since you've had your friends over here. It's awfully quiet without them." His mother laughed softly.

"Definitely during the summer, yeah." Remus recalled one of the things Regulus had written in his letter, and suddenly became nervous. I would like to visit you at your home someday. He wished it too.

"What's the matter, Remus? You suddenly look troubled."

"Well I... I've... there's something I should tell you." He knew he needed to tell his father too, but he thought perhaps one parent at a time would be easier. "Please don't judge me too harshly."

"What is it? Have you gotten in some sort of trouble?" Even as she said it, it didn't sound right. She was more worried than anything else, as he couldn't think of anything Remus could possibly do that could make her upset. While he got into minor trouble with his friends, it was never anything serious. She knew it wasn't in his heart to do anything like that.

"No, I..." He fidgeted, hands under the table. "Well I, er... it's just that I have a boyfriend."

"Oh." It took a short moment for it to sink in. "Oh." Then she sighed in relief. "Oh, Remus, that's all? I thought something awful might have happened. Come here, it's alright." Mrs. Lupin stood and went over to him, giving him a reassuring hug.

"Thanks, mum." He smiled, and couldn't have asked for anything better.

"So do you? That's wonderful, dear. And it explains that mark on your neck." She said knowingly, smiling in amusement as he turned even more bright red. "For how long?"

"J-just a bit after Christmas. It wasn't really something I wanted to say via owl post."

"That's understandable." But then, she became concerned again. "Does he... know about..."

"Yeah." He nodded. "He's known what I am for a while actually. He doesn't mind. At least, he says he doesn't."

"You do generally show good judgment when it comes to who you associate with. May I ask about him?" A curious thought crossed her mind, and her eyes widened. "Is it Sirius?"

Unfortunately, Remus had been taking a drink while she was talking, and tea nearly went out his nose at the question. Ignoring the pain now in his nasal cavity, he started laughing very hard, his head nearly touching the table as he doubled over, arms clamped against his stomach. 

"Wrong, but an excellent guess regardless! Although I'm not sure if he swings that way."

"Why is it so funny? He's a very handsome boy!"

Finally, his laughter started to subside, and once he completely calmed himself down, he realized how sensitive this information could be. 

"You have to promise not to tell a soul. Not for my sake, but for his. His family is far less forgiving."

"I see." She nodded. "I promise."

"You, er, were actually very close. It's his brother, Regulus. Sirius is very good-looking, yes, but I just don't feel that way about him. Then I met his brother and, well..." He shrugged, giving a sheepish smile. "It's funny because Regulus also thought I'd be more interested in Sirius."

"Oh, I had no idea he has a brother. Never mentioned him."

"Yeah, well as you know, Sirius left home at sixteen. He can't stand his family. The two brothers used to get along, but they eventually had a falling out. Sirius thinks Regulus is like the rest of their family, pureblood supremacists, but he's wrong. Sirius is starting to come 'round, but he still holds a bit of a grudge. He was very angry with me. We're on good terms again though." Remus sighed. "But this is why his family can't find out. Dating a half-blood werewolf? Special emphasis on the werewolf bit. They'd disown him just like they did to Sirius. Not to mention it means they'd get no heir."

She listened intently, understanding the best she could. While she didn't have the complete cultural implications ingrained in her mind as someone who grew up in a wizarding family would, she still understood quite a bit. After all, her son was friends with purebloods.

"You are going to tell your father when he gets home from work, right? He won't have a problem either, you know."

"I know. Honestly, if he'll have a problem with something, it'll be that I'm dating a Black, let alone a Slytherin."

"I've always thought that house rivalry is nonsense." Hope crossed her arms. "For competitions like sports I suppose it's fine, but it affects other aspects of life far too much."

"Oh, I completely agree. I could date a Ravenclaw, and no one would bat an eye. If a Gryffindor is even friends with a Slytherin though, then they're mad. It's like they think every single one of them is into the Dark Arts. Which is blatantly untrue once you bother to find out."

"That tends to be the case with a lot of things, doesn't it? You can't judge anything without finding out for yourself. You have a kind heart, Remus. I just want you to know that I'm very proud of you for it."

"Thank you, mum. It means a lot." He smiled gratefully, then remembered why he had brought up the subject in the first place. "Hey mum?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Would it be alright if Regulus came to visit sometime? I don't know when, but I expect in late summer."

"Of course! He can stay whenever he likes, just like any of your friends. I'd love to meet him."

---

After planning an afternoon outdoors, Remus, Sirius, and James were stuck inside the Lupin household once they saw dark rain clouds approaching. The weather seemed alright earlier.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" James whined as Sirius leaned on him boredly.

"Have you finished your holiday homework?" offered Remus. James looked scandalized.

"How could you say something like that?"

Remus and Sirius laughed. 

"I'm just joking. Mostly."

Just then, an owl tapped on the window, sitting on the sill until Remus let it in.
 
"Thank you," he said as he took the letter. "You better hurry back. A storm's coming you know." He gave the school owl a nice pat and let it on its way. 

"From Reggie?" asked Sirius.

"Yeah." Remus recognized the handwriting right away now. He smiled and sat back on the sofa. To his surprise, there was a second bit of parchment in writing he didn't recognize. Once he realized what it was, he started laughing.

"Are those... Potions notes?" said Sirius, looking over Remus' shoulder. On the other side, James also looked over at the page.

"Snape sent you Potions notes!" James also started laughing.

"Dunno if it's supposed to be an insult or just helpful, but still I certainly appreciate it." Remus grinned. "I had mentioned in my previous letter to Regulus that I was finding the current essay a bit difficult."

"Yeah, it is one of Slughorn's more challenging ones."

"But can you trust it? What if he's setting you up?" asked Sirius.

"Nah, this all looks right, mate," James confirmed, looking over the content of the notes. "Seems even Snape is looking out for you, whether that's in intent or not." Though he knew it wasn't really for Remus' sake. Probably just wanted Regulus to think he was being nice or something. "Now, what about the letter from Regulus?"

"Don't you dare!" Remus gasped, pulling the letter away from James' grabby hands. Seeing the opportunity, Sirius deftly snatched the parchment from Remus' fingers.

"Let's see what my little brother has to say."

      "R,
That sounds lovely. Assuming you'll receive this afterwards, I hope you felt well enough on your trip. I've never been to Muggle London, although that probably doesn't come as a surprise to you. I would be interested to see it. And don't tell anyone else I said this, aside from him of course, but I wish Potter a good birthday. I hope my brother isn't getting you down.
Good luck on the essay, I know Potions can be difficult sometimes. As for me, I think I will go outside for a walk. It's a nice sunny day and I rather not waste it. Have you thought about what I said in my first letter? Feel free to tell me once you get back. Have a great remainder of your holiday. See you soon,
         ★
  PS. Severus wrote down some notes for you to help with the essay. They should be useful– I only have an O in Potions because of his help. "

Once he finished reading it, Sirius was silent, an odd expression on his face like he didn't quite understand what he had just read.

"Are you happy now?" Remus asked tersely. "Am I allowed to read my own letter now that you're done with it?"

Still saying nothing, he handed it over to James, who held it so that Remus could read as well. As he read, James started to smile. He had to wonder what it was Regulus had said in the first letter, but he decided it wasn't his business.

"Well at least he's enjoying good weather." James laughed. "Until tomorrow probably. And it seems as though he doesn't hate me! That's rather nice. Do you have anything to say, Sirius?"

"What did he tell you Remus, that he didn't want to put in a letter?" Well so much for that.

"Oh. Nothing secret." Remus blushed slightly. "Just mentioned wanting to visit me."

"That sounds great. Hell, he could come over to my place if he wanted to." James rolled his eyes at Sirius' indignant expression. "Oh come on."

"Our parents will never allow it anyway." Sirius crossed his arms. "We were always rarely allowed to visit friends, even Regulus. And he can't just lie and say he's going to another pureblood Slytherin's house, because they'll confirm if he's actually there. And... now that I left, I don't think they'll trust him to go anywhere alone." His voice started to slow as he finished the sentence.

"Are you starting to understand, Sirius?" asked Remus gently. Sirius avoided eye contact, staring at the ground with his hands folded together.

"It seems like he's good to you."

"He is. And I know that once school is out, I won't see him until probably the end of summer. That's when he comes of age right? I don't know the exact date."

"Yeah. In August."

"Once summer comes, I'll have to wait so long to see him," Remus whined, flopping onto his stomach, face against one of the sofa pillows.

"Not to make you feel worse, but after that, you'll have to wait until holidays to see him since he'll still be in school," said James.

"Thanks." His voice was muffled through the pillow.

"Do you really think he'll resist the pressure they're putting on him to join the Death Eaters? You both act so convinced." It was rare to see so much uncertainty on Sirius' face.

"We've been over this. As an unbiased third party, I don't think he'll join. But I suppose you won't be convinced unless he tells you himself. Even then, I'm not so sure." James sighed. "You're very stubborn and completely uninterested in talking to him."

"Whatever."

For a moment, the only sound was the pitter-patter of rain against the roof.

"Should I get us some tea?" Remus offered.

"That would be great." James smiled.

---

Chapter Text

"Not again!" Sirius exclaimed as he found his king in checkmate.

"Maybe one day you'll beat me." James laughed.

"Oi, you haven't won every game!"

"Those have all been stalemates." He grinned.

"So what now? Moony should be back soon." Sirius laid down on the floor of the empty common room.

"There's something I've actually been meaning to ask you about for the past couple weeks, ever since we got back from holiday."

"It's about Reggie isn't it?"

"No, not this time."

"Oh good." Sirius laughed. "What is it?"

"I've just been thinking about what comes after this. There's not much time left. Are you still interested in fighting in the war?"

"Yeah, I haven't changed my mind. Why, have you?"

"No. And Lily is on board too. I think Remus still is, and I'm not sure about Peter. He seems a little hesitant. That's okay, he doesn't have to involve himself if he doesn't want to." James secretly wondered whether there was a chance Regulus would join them too. Of course he was aware the Slytherin wasn't going to fight against them, but he thought perhaps it could change the course of things, having Slytherins turn to the other side. Having insight from them could be so valuable.

"It's really weird, isn't it? Knowing these will be our last couple months here."

"...Yeah. Really strange. You won't end up moving all far away, will you?"

"Nah, I don't want to do that. I rather not be too far from my friends. And I can't see Moony moving too far from home. He's too fond of his parents to ditch them." Sirius chuckled. "You and Lily going to find a place?"

"I hope so! I wonder if her family will like me."

"If they're decent people, then for sure they will! Oh hey."

Remus came through the portrait hole, looking a mix of exasperated and flustered.

"What happened? Or do I not want to know?" Sirius asked, really not wanting to know about any romantic escapades.

"Eventful night. Peeves was causing trouble again, and we caught a fifth year trying to sneak into the library. Probably freaking out over the upcoming O.W.L.s."

"So glad we don't have to worry about that!"

"Oh no, we just have to worry about much worse exams." Remus practically fell onto the squishy chair, the reality sinking in. "I have so much to do . There's so much work, how will I do it all?!" 

"You'll be alright, mate." James pat him on the shoulder a few times. "We'll all do fine."

---

"Something is bothering you, Mr. Black."

Regulus nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard Dumbledore's voice.

"Oh. Hello professor." He debated asking the headmaster why he was wandering the school at night, but wasn't sure if it would sound accusatory.

"I find the castle to be very relaxing at night. One can think clearly without the hustle and bustle of daytime. That answers your question of why I'm here, does it not?" Dumbledore said gently, smiling.

"I–" He felt awkward now. "Sorry."

"No need to be. Come, let us walk." The headmaster motioned for Regulus to follow. He did. "I hoped I would find you around here."

"I mean no offense, sir, but if you wanted to talk to me, why not call me to your office?"

"A fair question. There are some things best not heard by certain ears." At Regulus' puzzled expression, he continued, "I'm speaking of your great-great-grandfather, Phineas Nigellus Black. His portrait, naturally. Who, if I'm not mistaken, has a second portrait in your home."

"Oh. Right." The Slytherin took a sharp intake of breath. "What are you saying, Professor?"

"According to him, it appears as though your parents are concerned about you." There was a special emphasis put on the word 'concerned'. "That is, concerned about your loyalty, fearing you may go down the same path as your brother."

Regulus was surprised that Phineas Nigellus would bother even mentioning it. But more importantly, he had thought he was in the clear so far.

"I'm nothing like Sirius," he said automatically, though he knew as he said it how untrue the statement really was. "Well, not completely."

Dumbledore's eyes had their usual twinkle.

"Should I give old Phineas my reassurances then?"

"I..." Regulus looked down at his feet as they walked. "I rather you don't mention me at all, sir."

"I understand. Would it be presumptuous of me to conclude that this is what has been bothering you?"

"Partly," he said hesitantly.

"I would like you to know that you are always welcome to come talk to me if you so wish. Especially if you are considering your, ah, options."

"You want me to join you instead of the Dark Lord."

"I cannot and will not force you, of course. You merely have the option. Naturally, you also have the choice of neutrality."

"What..." Regulus bit his lip, "what happens if I take your side against the Dark Lord?"

"You would have the advantage of my protection. I assume you will want some time to think about it."

Regulus nodded. "Professor, do you promise not to say anything?"

"I cannot promise you anything, but I can guarantee a reasonable amount of discreteness, depending on what it is you want to tell me."

"I've already decided months ago that I will not follow the Dark Lord." His gaze remained downturned, unwilling to look the headmaster in the eye. "Though I'm still not completely sure of how I'm to leave it all behind. Without... breaking their hearts like Sirius did."

"You can probably imagine how pleased I am to hear that. As much as your family will be disappointed, I'm sure, there are far more who will be equally if not more pleased that you not go down that particular path."

"If my brother ever trusts me again," Regulus said bitterly.

"Perhaps you underestimate him. And speaking of those who support you, there is still the issue of the other thing I suspect may be nagging at your mind?"

"What is it, sir?" He finally glanced up at him, rather curious to know, as he had no idea what Dumbledore could be referring to.

"The reason why you had to be alone tonight. I assume you know by now why Mr. Lupin spends so many nights in the hospital wing?"

"Yes, sir." Regulus wanted to ask how that was relevant to anything, but he had the suspicion by now that Dumbledore knew Legilimency. Now that he thought about it, it wasn't surprising. Because of this though, he figured it best not to play dumb and get straight to the point he was now sure Dumbledore was trying to get at. "I can't help but think about how much pain he is in."

"Perhaps a visit from you might do him some good. Incredible how the healing process quickens with the support of loved ones."

"You know." He felt his heart sink.

"Not to worry, the rest of the school remains blissfully unaware."

"How did you figure it out?" He really wanted to prevent others from figuring it too, so perhaps there was a way to be even more subtle.

"Being old as I am, one starts to have an eye for that sort of thing."

---

The next day, as soon as he had time to spare, Regulus went to the hospital wing. He wondered why he had never visited before, and chided himself on the fact. Was it fear? He wasn't sure. Now that he became aware of it, he felt he had to. Wanted to. Once he got there, he was out of breath from rushing.

"Is everything alright, dear? Is someone hurt?" asked Madam Pomfrey, rather alarmed.

"No, no." Regulus shook his head. "I'm here to visit Remus. Please."

"Oh. Well, he... he doesn't–" As only his three friends and the staff knew about his condition as far as she was aware, she was hesitant to let anyone else into the closed off area. Thankfully, she was spared the need to turn Regulus away, as James and Sirius arrived.

Sirius froze when he saw his brother, jaw clenching tightly. Regulus just glared at him, saying nothing. James, however, smiled pleasantly.

"I was wondering when you'd finally decide to come." He then looked at Madam Pomfrey to inform her, "Oh, he knows, it's fine."

She nodded, a bit surprised, but motioned them to go ahead.

"Come on, and no fighting." James practically pushed Sirius further into the hospital wing. "Do you have anything to say to each other first?"

Both the brothers then realized that they hadn't had a real conversation, at least directly, for over a year, the void only filled with anger. How do you break that sort of silence? They decided on more silence.

"Fine. Maybe later." James sighed and continued walking to the back, pulling open the curtain once they got there.

Remus was sitting in bed, reading a novel. He looked up at the sound and smiled at the sight of his two best friends. He was still very pale, and looked exhausted with dark circles under his eyes. His hair was a bit messy.

"Look what we found, Moony!" James grinned as Regulus followed them in. Remus' face brightened.

"Regulus!" He then looked to James and Sirius. "You didn't drag him here, did you?"

"Nah. He actually got here before us. I think Madam Pomfrey was about to send him away. We got here right in time," said James.

"I think she would have let me in anyway, since I was also going to tell her that I knew about him. You just got to it before me," Regulus informed them, armed crossed. Now that James and Sirius were in the room, Remus realized, Regulus spoke with a particular disdainful arrogance in his voice, as he usually did. He had almost forgotten Regulus spoke that way to most people, as that tone had nearly been completely shed when they were alone.

"Feeling alright? I know you had a rougher time the last two months," Sirius asked in concern, feeling guilty now for having not shown up. Still, he ignored his brother. "Sorry."

"Yeah, I'm not nearly as bad this time. Thank you." Having Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs all together really did help.

"I guess you must be, if you feel well enough to read." Sirius look in disbelief at the presence of the book. "I think you have a problem, mate."

"He can do whatever he wants! Far more sensible than any of your hobbies, I'm sure," Regulus scoffed, once again glaring at Sirius.

James had been wondering which one of them was going to speak to the other first. Well that answers that.

"I was only joking," Sirius retorted, grimacing.

"Perhaps you should be more clear then, or better yet, don't insult the things someone likes just because you don't."

It was clear to Remus and James that the two were restraining themselves, keeping themselves from a proper shouting match, but both of them found the looks on the brothers' faces to actually be a bit startling, even marring their handsome features somewhat. The animosity was so strong between them, they really were like a clichéd cat and dog ready to rip each other apart.

"Bloody hell, can you not? Both of you," James said impatiently.

"Fine. I'll come back later." Sirius said coldly, lips pursed, then turned around and left.

Remus looked at Regulus with a sad disappointment, and the Slytherin immediately started to feel ashamed of himself. He sat on one of the guest chairs beside the bed and buried his face in his hands.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make him go... I thought it would be a good thing if I came here, but now I've upset you. My first reaction was to be angry at him, and I shouldn't have."

Remus didn't say anything at first, his eyes downcast as he thought things through. James was a bit surprised. He had seen the change in Regulus' attitude before during prefect duty, but that time it had been more gradual as he had warmed up a bit to James. But this abrupt change once Sirius left threw him off. He found it to be both a compliment and a problem. It wasn't going to improve anything, but at the same time, James was pleased that Regulus apparently felt comfortable enough to let his guard down around him.

"At least you spoke to each other," Remus finally said. "Maybe it can only get better from there."

"You forgive me far too easily."

"Maybe." He smiled weakly.

"We're supposed to come to make you feel better, not the opposite."

"And I thank you for that. I'm happy you're here, even if you have to see me in such a sorry state. I'm sure I look awful."

"A little. You look like you haven't slept, and your hair is worse than his." Regulus smiled wryly and motioned to James.

"Hey, I can't help it!" James mock pouted, trying and failing to flatten his hair. Remus chuckled quietly.

"Anyway, that's no reason for me to not see you. I knew what I was getting myself into, and I should have come to visit you since the beginning. I promise to come next month, too."

"Thank you." Remus offered his hand to hold. Regulus gladly accepted.

--

Sirius stood listening, quietly unseen on the other side of the curtain with a curious expression. Was it only him? Regulus spoke so differently to Remus and James. So much more kindly. Is that really how it is? His mind swimming, he really did leave now.

--

"What are you reading, by the way?"

"Oh, it's an old muggle novel." With his free hand, Remus showed the battered copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula, the bookmark about a third through. "It's about a vampire, and rather fun actually, in the way it's written."

"Something about a werewolf reading a novel about vampires is hilarious to me." James grinned.

"When did you and Sirius find out about him?" Regulus asked, the thought suddenly occurring to him.

"We figured it out by our second year. " He shrugged.

"I was terrified. But you really came through for me. I've gotten more support than I could've dreamed of." Of course, Remus wasn't about to admit his friends were animagi without their permission.

A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came in carrying a potion. Remus and Regulus quickly released their hands.

"It's time for your potion, dear, so I'm afraid your friends will have to go soon. You need your rest," she said.

"Please, can they stay until I fall asleep?" The potion worked wonders to ease the pain, but it also put him to sleep pretty quickly. He didn't want them to leave so soon.

"Oh, alright. Just a while longer then." She waited until he took the potion, then nodded and let them be.

"Sorry you couldn't stay very long."

"It's alright, I told you you look exhausted. I don't want to keep you up if it'll be bad for you." Regulus gently brushed some hair out of Remus' face.

"Thank you for being here. Both of you."

"You know I never skip out if I could help it." James smiled reassuringly.

"I know." Remus yawned and closed his eyes, now finding them hard to keep open. The other two were quiet for a minute, and once he was sure Remus was asleep, James spoke again.

"You love him, huh."

Regulus stared at James with his eyes wide, not knowing quite how to respond.

"Why do you look so afraid? It's a good thing, you know."

"If it's a good thing, then why does it hurt? It wouldn't if I didn't care so much."

"You're worried about him then? He'll be fine. He always is. I think it would make him sad if you worried too much." James put a hand on Regulus' shoulder as a friendly gesture. Regulus made no effort to remove it this time.

"I noticed new scars after Easter. He didn't get any the time before that, at least that I was able to see or feel."

"Ah, well, at home he doesn't have the advantage of a hospital wing. It tends to be a bit rougher when he's not at school." James said carefully. They couldn't always keep him company during school breaks. Perhaps he could tell him eventually about them being animagi.

"What will happen once you all have left though? What is he supposed to do? I can't do anything to help him while I'm here. I can barely do anything for him now. I can't stand the thought of him hurting himself."

James could hear the pain in his voice.

"Yeah. You really do care about him."

"I thought we've established this."

The thought still fresh in his mind, he suddenly wondered what Regulus might be as an animagus, if he ever decided on becoming one. He knew one's patronus didn't necessarily have to reflect one's animagus form, but he figured it might give him a rough idea.

"I know this seems completely out of the blue, but what form does your patronus take? Just curious."

"What?" Indeed Regulus thought it an odd change of subject. Not that he wasn't grateful for it. However, he looked uncomfortable at the thought. "Er... I've never produced a corporeal patronus. Only silver wisps."

"Oh. Sorry for asking." He thought Regulus certainly had the skill for it, so the implication of him being unable to produce a true patronus made James feel a bit sad, like when Regulus had mentioned the Cruciatus Curse in such a blasé manner.

"You couldn't have known. Though... granted, it's been a while since I've tried." He did have happier memories to work with now, after all. "What's yours?"

"A stag," James answered proudly.

"Figures." Regulus snickered. "Explains the name 'Prongs'. Why were you asking, anyway?"

"Well, it says a lot about a person. Like you weren't surprised about mine at all, clearly."

"What do you think mine might be then?"

"Hmm, perhaps Remus would be able to guess more easily, but maybe some sort of cat. Or maybe a snake. And I don't mean that in a bad way necessarily, or because you're in Slytherin."

"What's your reasoning?" Regulus huffed.

"Both cats and snakes are more solitary. They take a while to warm up to people and will hiss at you if you're overstepping your bounds."

Regulus tried to come up with an argument, but found out he couldn't.

"I guess."

"Anyway, I guess we should go before Madam Pomfrey shoos us out." James stretched. "Do you want to go first or should I? I assume you don't want to be seen walking out of here with me."

"I'll go first," he said a bit reluctantly. "I got here first anyway. Then Sirius can come back whenever he wants."

"Alright then."

Regulus watched Remus fondly for a moment, then placed a soft kiss on his forehead before leaving the hospital wing.

---

"You go to the shrieking shack when you transform, right?" Regulus asked as he and Remus came close to completing their patrol.

"That's correct. Madam Pomfrey takes me there before each transformation." 

"How is it that no one has noticed?"

"There's a tunnel," Remus answered patiently. "Hardly anyone knows about it."

"Oh. That makes sense then." There was a long pause before he spoke again. "I want to see."

"What? Are you sure?" Remus looked incredulous.

"Not during the full moon, of course! But... I want to know. I feel it's something I need to know since we're together. What life is like for you so I can understand. I don't want to remain so ignorant."

It was times like these were Remus felt such a rush of affection toward Regulus.

"Thank you, Regulus. I will find a way to bring you there, and we can talk about it. Perhaps I'll have to borrow the cloak again."

---

Chapter Text

"Look what I got back!" James exclaimed as he burst into the dormitory, waving around what looked like an old, blank bit of parchment.

"Excellent!" Sirius pat James on the back, beaming. "Good job, mate." 

"How did you manage it?" asked Peter, looking impressed.

"Peeves was messing around and Filch ran out of his office, leaving his door open. I saw the opportunity and snatched it."

"You're supposed to be Head Boy. Have you learned no responsibility?" Remus tried to chide, yet was grinning in spite of himself. They had worked so hard on the thing, after all.

"Hey, I couldn't bear the idea of leaving the school without it. Who knows what would become of it, after all our hard work? It might have sat rotting in that office forever! Besides, I needed a little fun to help relieve some of the exam stress."

"It can now be handed down the generations of troublemaking Potters," Sirius laughed.

"Speaking of ways to sneak around the school, Regulus asked me to see the Shrieking Shack. He wants to learn more. I told him I would." Remus had the air of someone who was about to ask for something, but was still trying to think of a nice way to do so.

"Glad he's showing an interest. Yes, you can use the cloak again," James answered, anticipating the question.

"Thank you." He nodded. "There's another thing though. And I understand if you say no. But if he promises not to tell, and I would make sure he promises, is it alright if I tell him about the three of you? If we're together long enough, he might find out eventually, but I rather not keep things from him. But it's also not my place to tell him that without your permission."

The three of them were quiet as each of them thought things through in their own way. James was the first to answer.

"Sure. I'm fine with him knowing. I actually kind of wanted to tell him myself, but didn't want to out these two against their will," he motioned to Peter and Sirius.

"You wanted to tell him?" Sirius asked in surprise.

"He was wondering why Remus had new scars when he came back from holiday and not after his transformations at school! I had to say something about Madam Pomfrey and having a hospital wing. I rather have given him the complete truth, which is clearly what he wants too."

Sirius couldn't bring himself to ask how Regulus had even noticed something like that. He found though, that he did want to trust his brother again. Seeing as they fought once they were in the same room together, he realized it was certainly easier said than done. But he wanted to get along again, even if it was going to be difficult.

"Fine. He can know. What do you say, Peter?"

"Well, I guess if the rest of you trust him, I can too."

"Thank you very much," Remus said, relief washing over his face.

---

About a week later, Remus and Regulus sneaked to the Whomping Willow under James' cloak during a free afternoon. Remus pressed the knot on the tree by sending a stone to go hit it as Regulus watched in amazement.

"This is why the tree was planted the year I started," Remus explained quietly, leading the other into the tunnel. "The only way in or out of the Shrieking Shack is through here, and it's too narrow for me to get through while transformed. It's a very good system."

"A very long walk though." Seriously, all the way to Hogsmeade?

"Yes, I know," he chuckled, now finding it far enough to remove the invisibility cloak. "It's a nice bit of exercise."

"It's amazing that you can joke about it."

"Why not? I rather be able to make light of this situation I have to live with, instead of being depressed about it."

"That's one of the things I like about you." Regulus took Remus' hand. He wished he could be as optimistic. But he couldn't even produce a corporeal patronus.

"I'm glad there's at least one thing!"

"There are many. But I can't fathom why you would like me."

"You say as you're led into a werewolf's den."

"Come off it." Regulus tried sounding light-hearted, but it came out grumbly anyway.

"Alright, alright. I admire your courage."

"What? Are you joking?" Regulus asked incredulously.

"No, hear me out. I know how afraid you get. Of letting people see how you're really feeling, of your uncertain future, of rejection. But courage isn't being unafraid. It's facing what you're afraid of. Despite your fear, you opened up to me, to new ideas. You're facing the dreaded unknown."

Regulus said nothing, but tightened his grip just slightly harder.

"Plus you're so smart," Remus continued. "Learning magic just seems so effortless for you, just like James and Sirius. I have to study far more than you do. Also, you're a great Quidditch player. And you make me laugh with your sarcastic humor. When I look into your eyes, which are very beautiful by the way, I see a good person. Sometimes a sad person, but good. It's unfortunate I see that sad person so often, because your laugh is probably one of my favorite sounds. And when you do, it's adorable how your nose wrinkles slightly. And how your hair always ends up in your face."

He stopped both talking and walking as he heard an odd muffled sound coming from Regulus. 

"Oh, Reg," he said sympathetically. There were tears welling in Regulus' eyes, and his jaw was tight as he fought them back. Remus pulled him into a tight embrace, stroking his hair affectionately. "Have I said something? I'm sorry."

Regulus shook his head.

"Thank you," he whispered. "For saying those things."

"They're all true." Remus understood now. Regulus rarely if ever was told things like this.

"I hate how emotional I get. This is the second time I've cried in front of you. I try so hard to be in complete control of myself, but I can't always. It's frustrating."

"Good to know you trust me enough to loosen your emotional control around me. Besides, it's not healthy to keep it all in a hundred percent of the time. Not saying you should be like your brother and wear your heart on your sleeve constantly. I understand the desire to be in complete control of one's self very well. But you don't have to be ashamed of it. Especially not with me." Remus rubbed Regulus' arm in reassurance. Regulus contemplated these words, and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

"This wasn't supposed to be about me. Come on." He took Remus' hand again and smiled at him weakly.

"Alright." Remus nodded and started leading him down the tunnel again. "We'll be there soon."

After a little while longer, Regulus was starting to get impatient. He was about to ask how much longer, but the question died in his throat as Remus suddenly stopped and opened a trapdoor.

"Well, this is it. Do you want to go first or shall I?" Remus asked as he steadied the ladder.

"Er... y-you first." Regulus eyed it nervously. This was really it. The entry into the Shrieking Shack.  He wasn't about to bail, but he certainly didn't want to be first. "You're used to it."

"Fair enough." Remus climbed through and waited for Regulus, taking his hand and helping him up off the floor. "I know it's not exactly luxurious, but it doesn't have to be. It serves its purpose."

Regulus looked around, taking it all in. It seemed like an ordinary house. He wasn't quite sure what he was expecting, perhaps something more rundown and forlorn. Sure, it was certainly old and a bit dusty with the windows boarded up, but it looked like it must have been properly lived in at some point.

"I didn't expect it to quite as..." he trailed off, not wanting to offend.

"Intact?" Remus offered with a half smile.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"It's alright. Much of the furniture does get pretty wrecked, but I like to fix it afterwards. I rather not come to a destroyed house each time. After January's full moon, I left it the way it was, and I regretted it when I came back. What a mess." He looked around, looking for anything he might have missed.

"What did you do that for?" But then after thinking about it, he realized. "That was when Sirius wasn't talking to you."

"I was pretty upset. It used to be worse though. The past few years haven't been as bad." 

"Don't get me wrong, that's great, but what makes the difference?"

Remus went to one of the ratty old sofas and sat down, patting the cushion next to him for Regulus to join him. As he did so, he knew whatever was coming was going to be important.

"So James said you were asking about my scars. Why I only get them sometimes."

"Does this mean I'm going to get the real answer?"

"Yes, if you absolutely promise not tell anyone. Even Severus."

"Even Sev? But..."

"Please. If it got out, it could get them in a lot of trouble." 

Regulus hesitated for a brief moment, but finally nodded. Remus had said that in a rather more stern tone than usual.

"Alright, I promise not to say anything."

"Thank you. Well, he wasn't lying. Having a hospital wing available really does help. It just wasn't a complete answer. But now I've gotten permission to tell you everything. At the time, James didn't have permission from the rest of us, although he wanted to tell you. About himself at least, but it was really all or nothing."

"What do you mean?" He found himself annoyed at the vagueness.

"You see, a transformed werewolf is only a danger to humans. It's harmless to animals for the most part."

"Yes, I remember learning this in Defense. What does– wait, are you saying what I think you're saying? Is Potter... Merlin, that's illegal if he's not registered!" Regulus stared in near disbelief.

"Yes, he's an animagus. And that's why it's a secret even more important to keep than my lycanthropy."

"He turns into a stag, doesn't he? His nickname is Prongs and he told me that's his patronus."

"Yes, that's right." Remus was admittedly surprised at how much James and Regulus have told each other.

"Sirius and that other one. Pettigrew. They're both animagi too, aren't they? It's why neither of you could tell me without their permission."

"That's correct."

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. That makes sense now. Is Sirius what then? And I take it Pettigrew is a rat or mouse."

"Right. Peter turns into a rat and Sirius is a dog."

"When did this happen?"

"As you know, they figured it out by our second year that I was a werewolf. Then in our fifth year, they surprised me by announcing to me that they had become animagi. Ever since, they've kept me company during my transformations. Their presence helps to keep me from hurting myself while I'm not in my mind. That's why I only get scars when I'm not at school. They can't always be with me."

"My brother didn't come in January, did he?"

"No, we were missing Padfoot that night. It's the only one outside the holidays that he's skipped. But Prongs and Wormtail were still there. Though it didn't change the fact that I was angry." Remus smiled.

"I almost can't believe it. It's incredible they managed to do that at fifteen."

"I know. I wanted to be angry at them for breaking the law, but I was so impressed and grateful I just couldn't. Anyway, I figured that down the line, you would find out anyway, and I didn't want to keep it from you."

"I understand why you did until now. It wasn't your secret to tell. Did Sirius really agree to let you tell me?" That seemed almost more unbelievable to him than the actual secret.

"Yes, he did. He was hesitant at first, but James was adamant about it. He seems to really want us to be together."

"Yeah... that's kind of weird, but still I appreciate it."

"Me too. You know what?" Remus asked, his voice suddenly much more light-hearted.

"Yes?" Regulus answered slowly, a bit concerned at the change of tone.

"We're alone."

"Yes, of course we're al- oh. Yes we are. And no one can catch us, right? And we have a lot of time until we have to show up to dinner."

"Right. Only James, Sirius, and Peter know where we are, and they certainly aren't going to risk showing up during the day, especially without the cloak."

Instead of saying anything, Regulus leaned forward to kiss him before climbing onto his lap. Remus moaned into it, grasping at the back of Regulus' cloak. He quickly glanced to the stairs then paused the kiss, murmuring against the other's lips. 

"There's a bedroom upstairs. I'm rarely up there."

"Why didn't you say so in the first place?" Regulus removed himself and helped Remus up. They headed to the stairs as if they couldn't get up there fast enough, learning the hard way that it was difficult to try and snog while climbing steps. Once they got there, their cloaks and shoes were promptly dropped on the floor. Regulus pulled Remus onto the bed with him.

"You're eager." Remus grinned. He softened his smile, gently caressing Regulus' cheek.

"Of course. We finally have a chance. It's not like we can go to each other's dormitory and kick out our roommates for awhile. Now, I think you may be wearing too much." He tugged at Remus' shirt, helping to pull it off, then fumbled with the buttons of his own as he tried to kiss at the same time.

"Did you know you're gorgeous?" Remus said breathily, staring longingly. Regulus was small of frame, yes, but lithe and slightly toned. After all, Quidditch really required more physical strength than one may expect. He certainly had that Seeker's build.

"If you say so." Before he could argue about his level of attractiveness, he inhaled sharply as Remus kissed along his jaw and neck, teasing him with his tongue. Regulus grabbed Remus by the hips and pulled him against himself, a satisfied smirk on his face as Remus moaned next to his ear.

It was incredible really, to Regulus, how a thing as simple as skin touching skin could render him speechless, but every small touch, whether to his back or chest, made his head swim and his body burn.

He let his own hands wander, tracing over the scars he had gotten to know so well. He thought maybe it would turn away some, but to him it was frankly hot as all hell. Now he took Remus by the shoulders, playfully pushing him against the bed as they switched places. Eyes filled with desire, he clumsily undid Remus' trousers, and after a nod of affirmation, started kissing down his chest and torso.

"What time is it?" Regulus asked, leaning back against Remus, who sat with his arms around him. Remus reach over to check his watch, which was lying on the nightstand.

"We should go very soon. If we leave in the next few minutes, we'll get back with plenty of time to get to our common rooms and go to the Great Hall with everyone else."

"If we must." With a little sigh, Regulus moved off the bed and picked his clothes up off the floor. He smiled, knowing Remus was staring at him as he leaned over. "We'll just have to come back here again another day." He paused. "Maybe not too soon. I think I'm going to be sore for a couple days."

"A-apologies." Remus blushed.

"No need. Definitely worth it." Regulus laughed and kissed him. "As much as I would enjoy it otherwise, you might want to get your clothes back on for supper."

---

"What's up with you?" Sirius asked Remus, who had a sort of dazed look about him.

"Huh? Nothing, nothing. So how has your afternoon been?" He responded cheerily, positively glowing.

"Fine. So did you tell him? How did he react?"

"Yeah. It made sense to him once I told him. And he was able to guess right away what each of you are, more or less," Remus chuckled. "Now he understands our nicknames. I must say though, he was shocked that even the three of you would do something so risky. I made him promise not to tell beforehand, but once he knew, he realized just how important it is that it not get out. He won't say anything."

"Well, it's not so surprising he guessed me," said James. "I had already told him what my patronus is."

"So he told me. What brought that up anyway?"

"You see, I was wondering what he might be if he became an animagus." James shrugged, smiling a bit sheepishly. "So I asked what his patronus was. Of course, I wasn't going to be rude and not tell him mine."

"Oh," Remus said lightly. "What is his patronus?"

"He can tell you on his own."

"I suppose that's fair. How are the exam studies going?"

Sirius, James, and Peter all groaned simultaneously. Remus couldn't help but laugh.

"We'll do just fine, like you said."

---

Unable to sleep, Regulus sat in one of the common room chairs in front of a fireplace, the soothing sound of the lake in the background. Decisively, he got out his wand and concentrated on a particular memory. One he always went to when attempting the Patronus Charm. There was a rush of silver as he recited the incantation, but as usual, it hadn't a definite shape. It wasn't particularly weak, but not quite strong enough to hold a form. With each attempt, however, his increasing frustration made each one weaker and weaker until it was just a faint wisp. He huffed, nearly throwing down his wand in his anger. Restlessly, he paced back and forth.

"What are you doing up?" a soft voice asked. Regulus whipped around, but relaxed once he saw Severus coming down the stairs. Seeing his face, Severus could tell something wasn't quite right. "What's the matter?"

After a moment of debate, Regulus finally answered.

"I can't make a patronus. Not a true one, at least. It's been a couple years since I've tried, but I still can't. And don't reassure me that it's a difficult charm!"

"I wasn't going to say that. I know you have the skill. Perhaps you need to use a stronger memory."

"That's part of why I'm frustrated. The one I use should be strong enough."

"What is it?"

"It's personal."

"About Lupin?"

"No."

This seemed to surprise Severus.

"Perhaps you should try that instead."

"I suppose. I still think the current memory should work. I understand why it might not have worked last time I tried, but I thought it would be fine this time." After all, his feelings had changed since then. No longer did the memory have the hint of bitterness in what was an otherwise happy moment.

Severus couldn't really understand how the effect of a particular memory could change over time, but decided not to say anything about it.

"Can I see?"

With a nod, Regulus performed the charm for him. It was more like his first attempt of the night, but even a little stronger.

"It's very good for not being corporeal. Seems the memory is nearly good enough." Like there was only one thing missing from whatever it was. His curiosity almost got the better of him, but he thought it wrong to use Legilimency on Regulus for this. It clearly wasn't something Regulus wanted him to know. "But really, if it doesn't work, then it just doesn't work. You should try a different one."

Regulus thought perhaps Severus was right. He had just grown attached to the one.

"Wait, why are you up, Sev?"

"Not important."

"Will you stay with me awhile?"

"Of course." He would stay as long as he had to.

---

Chapter Text

"You seem tired," Regulus said, footsteps echoing down the dark corridor. 

"Exam review," Remus groaned. "There's so much to go over. Yet James and Sirius are doing half the studying I am. Well, I suppose that's a testament to how important it is. They usually don't do even that much. But they always end up with decent marks."

"Sounds like my brother. Brilliant but lazy. At least you have responsible study habits." For a moment, there was uncertainty on his face, as if he was having trouble making up his mind as to whether he should say something further or not. He caved. "You must tell me how well he did once your scores come in the post, so I can make sure to earn more N.E.W.T.s than him next year."

Remus burst out laughing.

"Alright. And I'll hold you to it. I'll be sure to ask you to show me your results. Also, will you still be playing Quidditch next year?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Well since this is James' last year on the Gryffindor team, I can in good conscience root for you to win the House Cup for Slytherin next year," he winked.

"I'll try not to let you down," Regulus said proudly, suddenly standing a little taller.

"You are a great Seeker. Even if Slytherin lost against Gryffindor this year. Everyone has a bad day."

Regulus blushed fiercely, remembering that match earlier in the year.

"My team got so angry with me."

"I can imagine. What happened, anyway? James said the snitch was practically right next to you."

He nearly tripped over himself at the statement, his face still red.

"Er, well..." Regulus' voice was small. "At the time, I had already started fancying you, so... and it was his last chance to beat us... yes, he's not Seeker, but by extension..."

Remus stared in awe.

"You let Gryffindor win?!"

"Please, please don't tell Potter! And my team just thinks my game was off that day. Though that didn't stop them from glaring at me for a full week afterwards."

"I'll say nothing. He owes you one though, since they went on to win the Cup," Remus chuckled. "He better root for you to win next year too."

"I'll write to you about every match." He paused. "How often is too often to write to you?"

"Perhaps every day might be a little too much. Maybe a couple times a week?" Remus smiled encouragingly.

"Okay then. I'll miss you. Especially during the summer since we won't be able to correspond."

"I'll miss you too, Reg." Remus felt a bit sadder just thinking about it. Not just because he would miss him, but he knew how unpleasant at home it was going to be for Regulus.

"We should spend one last day together. You know where. If you can find some time."

"Well, there's a Hogsmeade weekend once exams are over. It's the perfect time to disappear for a while."

"Alright, we'll do that then. Good luck on your exams."

---

Upon entering the sitting room of the Shrieking Shack, Remus flopped down onto the worn-out sofa.

"It's finally all over."

"Oh, I hope you're not too tired," Regulus said, avoiding crushing Remus' feet as he sat down.

"I think I may have gotten question three wrong on the History of Magic exam. And added too much peppermint to my potion."

Regulus sighed, smiling and climbed over Remus to give him a kiss.

"It's done with. No use worrying. And I'm sure you did fine."

"I suppose you're right." Remus turned onto his back to face him. "So you'll be visiting me again in the hospital wing this month?"

"Of course. I promised I would. And I'll try not to fight with Sirius this time."

"I'd appreciate that. But I can't say I was surprised."

"It wasn't intentional." Regulus glanced away in embarrassment. "I thought we could talk normally, but it just didn't turn out that way. This time, I'll try harder. Hopefully he will too."

"At least you seem to get along just fine with James."

"Yes, I suppose I do." He let himself relax, resting his chin on his arms, which were folded on Remus' chest. "Severus isn't very happy about it. Well, he hasn't said so, but I can tell. I mention your friends to him as rarely as possible."

"Hmm, yes. If I started to become friends with Severus, I think I'd avoid mentioning him to them. Especially Sirius. He gets particularly jumpy. But, I can't say I'm not glad you get along with at least one of my friends. I would try to be friends with Severus if he would let me."

"Am I allowed to tell him you said that?"

"I don't see why not." Remus reached up and brushed his fingers through Regulus' hair.

"Remus, I really want to see you this summer."

"You know you're always welcome. We'd love to have you over."

"That's great to know, really it is. I just can't think of a way to do so." Regulus hesitated to say more.

"What is it?"

"I...you see, after Easter, I thought everything was fine. That my parents didn't suspect anything. But evidently, they are concerned about me following in Sirius' footsteps after all. I don't know to which extent they distrust me. But I'm sure my freedoms will be restricted. Even if they aren't, they would find out if I were lying about where I was going."

"How did you find that out?" Remus asked, alarmed. "And you couldn't go to Severus' and then to mine? They know who he is and he'd be able to confirm that you were there."

"My parents have never let me over there. Would never, since his father is a muggle. And a rather worthless piece of rubbish whose only useful action was allowing Severus to exist in this world." Regulus said venomously.

Remus' alarm turned to incredulity.

"Oh, not because he's a muggle, I assure you. From what I've gathered over the years, Sev doesn't talk about it much, he's just a sorry excuse for a human being."

"I see." Remus felt a bit sad now, along with a pang of guilt he hadn't felt for nearly a year; he had always been capable of standing up against the bullying Severus had endured, but had always been too afraid. It made him feel worse knowing now the abuse probably wasn't only at school.

"To your other question, Professor Dumbledore talked to me last month. Apparently, Phineas Nigellus told him."

"Phineas Nigellus Black? Right, you're related to a previous headmaster. How did..."

"He has a second portrait in one of the rooms at home. He's rather nosy."

"That so. What are you going to do when you get home for summer? Just pretend everything is alright?"

"Nothing else I can really do. Maybe it'll put them in a good mood when my grades come in the post. They'll know I meant it when I said my education is very important to me." Regulus sighed and nuzzled into Remus' neck. "I will try to write to you at least once during the summer. Dunno if it will be safe for me to receive a reply, however."

"I understand. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble because of me. I will look forward to hearing from you though." He softly kissed Regulus' head.

"When September comes, it will be much better. If only there was a way to correspond without anyone else being able to read what we're saying. A revealing charm is too obvious. It would be the first thing anyone with a brain tries."

"Yes, I wouldn't insult someone's intelligence like that. It would have to be more se-" Remus gasped quietly.

"What?!"

"I've just thought of a possible way!"

Regulus' spirits rose.

"Really? What is it?"

"There's a way to enchant a document to where only someone with the correct password, so to speak, can read it. I've never done it on my own though."

"On your own. How do you know this?"

"Er, I have to talk it over with James, Sirius, and Peter."

With slight difficulty, Regulus sat back up. He looked mildly exasperated, though also the tiniest bit amused, as he crossed his arms.

"Honestly, just how much mischief do you lot get into, to where you have so many secrets?"

"Loads," Remus said with a grin. Regulus opened his mouth to say something, but changed his mind last second. He momentarily had an odd, indiscernible expression on his face before settling on smiling back. 

"I really should expect it by now. Have you always been like this, or was my brother a bad influence?"

"Oh, he's a terrible influence," Remus laughed. "I'll forever be grateful. Are you going to complain? It's partly his fault we're together in the first place. James too."

"Bloody hell, you're right. If we hadn't gotten detention...is he aware?"

"I haven't the faintest. I dare not ask him, as I rather not suffer the consequences."

"Probably smart. He might die a little on the inside if he realized it."

"Maybe he is aware and just hasn't said anything due to the shame."

"Serves him right for acting like a twat," Regulus pouted. "Good thing it happened. I don't like thinking of you having ended up dating someone else."

"Now. But you wouldn't have cared if we hadn't actually met each other."

"I guess you're right. Er... is there anyone you might have had your eye on before?" he asked self-consciously.

"Not really," Remus shrugged. "I mean, there was a muggle girl in my neighborhood I thought was quite kind and pretty when I was growing up, but it was just a passing fancy. Plus, I started paying more attention to school and my friends. And perhaps I just pushed the possibility aside, afraid of having to tell someone what I am."

Regulus nodded.

"I admit, it would be a huge shock if I had found out after we were together. I don't really know how I would have reacted."

"The fact that you knew sure made things easier. Now, it's only fair if I ask you the same question."

"I was hoping you'd forget and I wouldn't have to answer." Regulus blushed, looking uncomfortable.

"So there was." Remus raised his eyebrows, mildly surprised.

"Yes, but he was very much interested in someone else. Still is, I assume. Can't be sure. But anyway, I got over him last year, so it doesn't matter. Besides I... I found that the way I feel about you is different than how I felt about him. I'm meant to be with you."

"Still, you rather not say?" Remus' cheeks burned at the last statement.

Regulus gave a noncommittal shrug. His mind briefly wandered to the Patronus memory.

"That's alright. He missed out. You're not embarrassed to say who, are you?"

"Certainly not! Just like I'm not embarrassed by being with you. If it wasn't for the circumstances, I would probably brag that I got you." He smirked reassuringly. "I don't know the random muggle girl you knew in your childhood, but you know a lot of Hogwarts students, so the situation is different. I don't want to make it awkward."

"Alright, I can understand that. I like to think I wouldn't get jealous, but I can't guarantee it. However, it does make me feel better to know you'd brag about me if I could. I would brag about you too." Remus smiled back, though he had an inkling about who it was that Regulus used to fancy.

"You, bragging?" Regulus snickered. "You're one of the humblest people I know. It's hard to imagine you bragging."

"Goes to show just how lucky I think I got. You could have gone for someone with fewer... problems."

"Yes yes, I could have maybe dated someone who wasn't a werewolf or a Gryffindor, but you also could have dated someone who wasn't debating joining the Death Eaters and had a nervous breakdown because of it."

"I'm pretty sure we've established that neither of us make things easy on ourselves. Now, I've gone too long without kissing you."

"You're right." Regulus leaned down again, kissing him ever so gently before pulling away again. Remus nearly whimpered, lips in a slight pout, as Regulus got up off the couch. "I think it's time we went upstairs." He said, slipping off his shoes and loosening his tie. He then grinned at the look on Remus' face. "As much as I like seeing you undress me with your eyes, I'd prefer the real thing."

"I certainly prefer it too." Remus forced himself off the couch and followed him up the stairs.

---

"Hello," Remus said cheerily behind James, Lily, Peter, and Sirius, causing them to all jump as they headed back to the castle grounds.

"Merlin, I nearly jumped out of my skin," Sirius exclaimed, laughing. "For a moment there I was thinking you may have lost track of time. Nice of you to catch up."

"I admit I almost did."

"You're going to come with us for the last Hogsmeade trip next weekend, right?" asked Peter.

"Yes, of course. It's our last Hogsmeade weekend, of course I'm going to spend it with you four."

"What do you say to one last prank at the end of term?" James looked to the rest of them, hoping Lily wouldn't object. For a moment, it looked like she wanted to, but instead she just shrugged with a half-smile.

"If you must."

"We have a prefect, Head Girl, and Head Boy. No one will expect it," Sirius said gleefully. 

"Well then, we have some important planning to do." Remus smiled. "It should be something people will remember."

---

"Have you had a good day?" Regulus asked Severus as they, too, headed back to the castle.

"Alright, I suppose. Managed to get away from most people and relax."

"Good to hear," he said sincerely.

"I suppose you enjoyed yourself?"

"I did." His tone was a little bit odd. Severus picked up on it quite quickly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes, I really did! It's just that, well," Regulus fidgeted, "I almost told him that I love him, but I got cold feet."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Sev?"

"Yes?"

"Would you ever consider trying to be friends with him?"

Severus felt his jaw tighten.

"That seems a little far-fetched."

"Not really. He wishes he could be friends with you, just so you know."

"Why would he want to do that?" His first thought was that Remus felt guilty about not defending him in the past.

"He's a decent person. Plus, I know you hate it, but recently I have been getting along with Ja- Potter, more or less, and Remus finds it only fair that he try and be on good terms with you, since I've put in the effort to get along with one of his friends."

"You know Potter despises me just as much? How would he react if Lupin associated with me?" Severus wasn't sure if his jealousy could even handle that.

"Well I talk to Potter and you haven't ditched me. He's loyal to his friends too. I'm not going to try and force you. It's just something to consider."

---

"So, have you talked to them about the document enchantment?" Regulus asked about halfway through the night's prefect duty. There was a general damper in the air, as it was their last duty before the end of term.

"I have!" Remus said, glad to try and cheer up the atmosphere. He opened the door to the nearest classroom, and looked around to make sure it was empty before motioning for Regulus to come inside. He closed the door and removed the roll of parchment from his robe pocket. "Remember you can't tell anyone this exists. Even Sirius is trusting you."

"As usual. But what is it?" He looked at it curiously. It just looked like an old bit of parchment. Remus smiled at him mischievously and he unrolled it.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Regulus stared in awe as a perfect (as far as he was aware) floorplan of Hogwarts appeared on the page with its little labeled dots, which for the most part were stationary and concentrated in the dormitories. He quickly spotted the dots labeled 'Remus Lupin' and 'Regulus Black' in the classroom they were currently in. A few floors down, he saw 'Argus Filch'.

"This is incredible. 'Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs'," he read aloud, "'Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present The Marauders Map'. The four of you MADE this? That's brilliant. Really advanced magic. How long ago?"

"We made it throughout our fifth year. Filch confiscated it near the beginning of term, of course he had no idea what it actually was, but James managed to steal it back recently. He couldn't bear the thought of our hard work rotting in Filch's office," Remus chuckled. "Could do with some editing though."

"Why's that?"

"Well, at the time, Sirius and James thought it would funny to charm it to insult Severus if he ever got his hands on it. However, I find it's no longer in good taste. James would probably agree."

"I as well. Though I really shouldn't be surprised," Regulus said pointedly. "So how do you clear it? Another phrase?"

"Exactly. Mischief managed." Almost immediately, the parchment went blank.

"That really is amazing. It would be great to use this concept to send letters to each other. I suppose we would have to decide on a password for them or for more security, change it each time and give hints to the new password in the previous letter."

"Actually, that sounds a bit fun, like a puzzle or riddle to figure out each time." Remus lit up at the idea.

"It's settled then. Now I actually have something to look forward to this summer." Regulus smiled at him brightly. "Thank you for showing me. No wonder you lot were able to get away with so much."

"Of course."

"So, how do you do the charm? And we should decide on the first password."

"Yes, we should do that, shouldn't we? Come on, let's sit." He sat at one of the desks, then laid out the Marauder's Map next to him. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. Just in case we see Filch coming."

---

"You have another visitor," said Madam Pomfrey, allowing in Regulus. Peter, Sirius, and James were all there at Remus' bedside; they had been laughing at something James had said.

"Hello," Remus said cheerfully. It was a bit too crowded for Regulus' taste, but he decided to just deal with it.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not so bad right now. Tired as usual. Thank you for coming."

"That's good to hear. I told you I would." Regulus smiled just for a moment before turning to Peter and offering a handshake. "You're Peter Pettigrew, right? I realize we've never actually met."

"Nice to meet you," Peter replied, hesitantly accepting the handshake.

"Likewise." He glanced to his brother, the memories of last time coming back to him. They looked at each other awkwardly, uncertain what to say, until Sirius finally spoke.

"I'm sorry. For acting the way I did." He uncomfortably ran a hand through his hair, avoiding eye contact.

"Thank you," Regulus said, also with his eyes to the ground. "I... me too. I was overly defensive."

"Did hell just freeze over?" James said, absolutely flabbergasted.

"I think it did," added Remus.

"Oh shush," Regulus smirked a little.

"So, Regulus," James grinned, "what do you think of our masterpiece? I'm aware Moony showed it to you."

"Brilliant!" he answered earnestly. "And I never knew there were so many secret passages out of the castle. I realize some are unusable, but still."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. His memory flickered to when they were children, if just for a moment. The playful high-jinks they shared.

"Are you saying you're interested in ways to sneak out of the castle?"

"I never said such a thing." Regulus blushed slightly.

"It was implied."

Suddenly, James' face lit up.

"Hey, little Black. How would you like to help us out with something?"

"What sort of something?" Regulus asked in suspicion.

"An end-of-term prank sort of something. It'd make things much easier with someone from a different House."

"Oh." His expression lightened. "Tell me more."

---

"What are you doing back so late?" asked Severus, who was just about to go up the stairs to the seventh years' dormitory when Regulus walked into the common room.

"Nothing important." He looked around, then went up to Severus with an impish smile. Regulus whispered into his ear, causing a shiver to go down his spine. "Tomorrow, don't step on the second step of any of the staircases."

"They've done something, haven't they?" Severus asked crossly. "I suppose I should thank you for the warning– wait. You didn't participate, did you?"

Regulus smiled and winked.

"Regulus."

"Well, I'm going to bed. Goodnight!" He pat Severus on the shoulder and, rather pleased with himself, went to his dorm.

---

Chapter Text

"I mean, there's no way they could have charmed every staircase in the castle, right?" a Hufflepuff girl was saying, but even so, she was uncertain about stepping onto the stairs in front of her.

"Dunno, those four are masterminds, especially Potter and Black. And I think it was definitely them. Who else could it have been? Only one way to find out though," her friend replied. Hesitantly, he started going up the stairs, but once he got to the second step, which he treaded on particularly carefully, he nearly lost his balance. "Yeah, this one's Spongified too."

On the final day of term, the atmosphere in the Great Hall was quite vibrant. As usual, there were many students discussing their holiday plans or fretting about receiving their exam scores in the coming month. Today, however, there was also a mix of giggling and whining about the prank the day had been greeted with. While there was neither proof nor admission, everyone knew it had been the Marauders who pulled it off. And over at the Gryffindor table they sat, trying not to look too pleased.

"Why the second step?" asked Lily.

"Well, we didn't really want people falling down an entire flight of stairs," explained James. "But the first step wouldn't be any fun. The first is normal, giving a false sense of security."

"That makes sense." She observed the room then laughed. "Look at the staff table. Some of the professors don't seem very impressed, but Dumbledore looks cheerful enough."

Indeed, a few of the staff, like McGonagall and Slughorn, looked a bit flustered. Dumbledore, on the other hand, looked quite amused.

"By the way, we're going to change one of the staircases in the evening, so that it's the third step," Remus said. "We're not sure which one yet, but we'll tell you."

"Oh, that's sneaky! But thank you for warning me."

"It was Reggie's brilliant idea actually," Sirius smirked. "Very Slytherin of him, but in this case, it was appreciated."

Finding that a good excuse, Remus glanced over to the Slytherin table and quickly found who he was looking for. Based on his demeanor, it was as if Regulus had absolutely no interest in what was going on, let alone having anything to do with it. He just ate his breakfast with the air of utter boredom, as if such things were far below him and not worth his attention. In reality, he was very entertained at first, though now he was rather irritated, as many of his housemates were saying rude things about the Marauders.

"You're just angry you were made fools of," Regulus scoffed. "If you paid any attention and noticed people falling over themselves, you wouldn't have been tricked by it."

"Not defending them now, are you?" sneered Avery. "Defending your traitor brother?"

"I said nothing of the sort," he sighed impatiently. "Was it a childish prank? Yes. But it's amazing how unaware some people are of their surroundings. Did you really not expect those idiots not to pull something on their last day?"

"You do know your brother more than the rest of us. Perhaps that's why you were expecting something like this," said Severus, trying to avoid any incoming argument. Though he was a little bit surprised about how nonchalantly Regulus indirectly insulted himself for the sake of avoiding suspicion.

"I suppose that's true. And they have been relatively well behaved this year, so perhaps everyone else's guards were down. I expect no one thought a prefect and Head Boy would cause any trouble." Two prefects for that matter.

"Dumbledore has certainly gone senile. Who would ever think it a good idea to make someone like Potter Head Boy? Absolutely mad," said Avery.

"I agree. No idea what he could have been thinking on that one," Regulus said this actually quite sincerely. Lily Evans as Head Girl he could understand, but James really didn't seem like Head Boy material, as much as he liked him. Remus seemed like a much better candidate. Oh well, it's not like the world ended. He looked over to the Gryffindor table, making eye contact with Remus. He allowed himself a small smile before looking away.

The next day, for the very last time, Remus and Regulus sat across from each other in the prefect compartment of the Hogwarts express.

---

Summer was the most lonesome season of the year. While Kreacher did provide Regulus with someone tolerable to talk to, sometimes he wished for company of the more human sort. Sure, his parents were there, but they weren't necessarily anyone he cared to talk to as of late. He would appreciate a day where his loyalty to his family and the Dark Lord wasn't being "subtly" questioned, or told to neaten his hair and not wrinkle his robes and sit up straighter and for Merlin's sake, stop playing with your food and eat your supper properly, boy.

He opened his trunk and started taking out his textbooks to he could finally put them away after week of letting it all sit there. Of course he could have used magic to take care of it with little time and effort, but he was feeling restless and needed something to do. As he walked back to his trunk after organizing his books and putting them on his shelf, he stopped in front of the mirror. For a moment, he considered his appearance, then put a hand through his hair to mess it up slightly. He smirked in satisfaction and went back to cleaning out his things.

Once he was finished, Regulus flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. Although it was the afternoon, he started to drift off, but was suddenly pulled awake again by the sound of tapping against his window. With a new burst of energy, he leapt up and let the owl in, removing the apparently blank bit of parchment it was carrying.

"Thank you. You can go on to the owlery and have a rest." As the owl left, he sat back on his bed and holding the parchment, said "Crystallized pineapple."

Words formed on the page, which he read hurriedly.


"Dear Regulus, 

I do hope you have been alright. You seemed a bit frustrated in your letter, but perhaps I was just reading it that way. It's understandable that you want to avoid your family, but staying in your room for days isn't very healthy. Please know I don't mean to lecture, and that I only care about your wellbeing. Perhaps you can manage a trip to Diagon Alley so you can get some fresh air? Or perhaps your parents would prefer you went to Knockturn Alley.
As for me, I've spent the week relaxing and doing a bit of reading. Peter has just gone on holiday with his family, and James is meeting Lily's family. I certainly hope that goes well for him. She has told us her parents were excited to have a witch in the family, so James will probably be perfectly fine as long as he behaves himself. Sirius is looking for a flat of his own so he doesn't have to live at the Potters' anymore. Since the others are gone for a while, I'm going with him the day after tomorrow to help him search, but he's being very particular, so this will likely take months. I'll tell you how it goes.
Aside from that, there isn't much to report from here. There are two months until you go back to school; only one last summer you have to stay at home. I know you can get through it, and I'll try my best to make it easier.

Sincerely yours,

Remus

PS. I find it interesting that there has only been one Slytherin Headmaster at Hogwarts. I wonder if it's due to discrimination, or a lack of interest or qualification?"

Regulus smiled and nearly laughed as he read the Post Scriptum, knowing what the next password would probably be. It was a fair question, though. In any case, he was glad Remus was able to relax. He knew, like himself, the other had a tendency to overwork. But take a trip to London, huh? He will certainly try, but not right away. He needed to get his parents in a favorable mood first. Perhaps in a week or so. Fondly, he read the letter for a second time, then cleared the parchment with the word "undo" (They wanted their "mischief managed" equivalent to be simple and easy to remember) and put it in his desk drawer. He would respond in a few days, so that it wouldn't be suspicious that he was constantly sending letters out.

With a sigh, he laid down on his bed again, secretly imagining going to visit his brother in his new flat. Remus, James, and Peter would be there too, of course. Ideally, Severus would be there too and they all got along, but he knew that was overly optimistic to the point of absurdity. But he could dream.

---

"Dear Remus,

I have confidence you will help my brother make a sensible choice. Good luck. And for the sake of Evans' family, I hope James isn't staying too long. Any good impression he might have made could be ruined with enough time. In any case, it's great that you have been able to relax. Have you gotten your N.E.W.T results yet? I don't think you need to worry though. You'll have done perfectly fine.
As for asking my parents for anything, I'm waiting for an opportune time. I must catch them in a good mood, which they haven't really been in recently. That said, thank you for your concern. Just the thought makes me feel a little better. Hearing from you really helps me get through the days. Merlin, that sounded sappy. Ignore how sappy that sounds.
Concerning your comment about the lack of Slytherin Headmasters, it's too bad the only one to hold the position didn't even enjoy teaching. Odd that he accepted it in the first place. Well, at least we can say we had one. Now that I think about it, perhaps that's why he accepted it. I could try and ask, but he's usually in his Hogwarts portrait. Though I suppose Hogwarts is a much more interesting place to be a portrait than here, especially if you have one in the Headmaster's office.
Sorry that I don't have much to say this time. My thoughts are with you.

Yours truly,

Regulus

PS. Here's a riddle. If two hours ago it was as long after one o’clock in the afternoon as it was before one o’clock in the morning, what time is it right now?
PPS. Please know I was only poking fun at James and didn't actually mean it "

Regulus needn't worry, because Remus laughed when he read the first paragraph. Considering how down Regulus has been, it made Remus very proud that he has found it in him to joke. Perhaps the Marauders have been a good influence. He found himself grinning through the rest of the letter, and blushed when his mother commented on it.

"It that from Regulus?" she asked, bringing their dishes from lunch to the sink.

"Yes. He's being rather silly and it's quite cute." He could clearly imagine his flustered expression.

"May I?" Mrs. Lupin asked, curiosity getting the best of her as she looked over his shoulder and read. "Oh, he's adorable."

"I know. And usually we just provide a clue, but this time he's sent an actual riddle to solve," Remus chuckled. "I'll play that game. Perhaps I should send him a difficult one to figure out, to keep his mind off things. I think he'd enjoy the challenge anyway."

---

"Maybe it looks better on the inside?" Remus offered as they examined the aging apartment complex. 

"Maybe." Sirius answered without enthusiasm, judging the peeling paint of the facade. 

"We won't know unless we go in."

"I know." He sighed, and they both walked in. 

To their pleasant surprise, the inside was indeed taken care of much better than the outside. In fact, it looked as if there might have been an interior remodel somewhat recently. Most importantly, it seemed very clean. 

After greeting the landlord, they were taken to the available flat to check it out. It was a bit small, but still pretty nice. 

"See, I told you it might be nicer on the inside." Remus smiled.

"Yeah, but it only has one bedroom. What if one of you ever needs or wants to stay over? I don't want to make you have to sleep on the sofa." 

"You know none of us would mind. But I understand. Still, for one person this is quite adequate. Plus it's clean and there won't be much noise. I think you should consider this one if two-bedroom flats end up being too expensive for you." 

"Alright. I'll consider this one a possibility." 

"Well today was a failure, wasn't it?" Sirius groaned, picking at his food. The two had stopped for a bite to eat after the day's search.
 
"Not really. At least you have a couple places in mind. Perhaps next time, you'll find something better. This is only the first day, and you don't need to find somewhere right away."

"I know. It just seems like every place we look has something wrong with it."

"You'll have to make some sort of compromise; decide what you're willing to live with. Besides, you said you're not looking for somewhere permanent." Remus tried not to sound like he was lecturing. "For instance, the place where we found the cockroaches. That's definitely a deal-breaker. But having small rooms or no animals allowed you might just have to live with for a little while until you can find and afford somewhere better."

"I know you're right." Sirius sighed, but then half smiled. "I guess I've gotten a bit spoiled at the Potters'."

"Yes," Remus laughed. "And you'll have to get used to being careful about using magic if there will be muggles around you. And I know you're fascinated by muggle flats, but you should still consider remaining in a wizarding community for the sake of resources. Nevertheless I should really teach you more about using muggle household things."

"But if I live alone, what's the problem?"

"What if a neighbor or your landlord stops by and you don't know how to use the stove?"

"...Point made." Sirius grinned. "I should come over to your place and you can teach me."

"If you want. And when you can use the stove without me being afraid of the house burning down, I'll introduce you to the washing machine."

"Great! So, changing the subject but I've been wondering. How's my brother been? He's only written to you, and, well, I assume Snape."

Before Remus could verbally say anything, the look that came over his face already said everything.

"Not good, huh?"

"Could be better," he said. "To be honest, he's sounding a bit like you did before you left for James'. He really doesn't want to be there and is looking forward to going back to school." He paused in consideration. "Maybe you're right to look for a two-bedroom."

"You really think he might leave?"

"It's likely."

"Even so, he'd probably want to stay with you, not me."

"Dunno." Remus shrugged. "Maybe. Even if that's true, it doesn't exclude the possibility of him wanting to come see you and stay over sometimes. You're finally starting to reconcile, and it would be great for you to spend time together."

"Yeah... I'd like that."

---

It had now been a few weeks into the summer, and Regulus still hadn't asked about going to Diagon Alley. The timing just hadn't yet felt right. He was also getting more and more nervous, as his final marks hadn't come in the owl post. Surely, they ought to arrive soon? He also hadn't gotten his supply list for the next term, but that wasn't as anxiety inducing. Besides, the two things usually arrived together. It just seemed to be taking a bit longer than usual.

Finally, however, an owl arrived while he was eating lunch with his parents.

"About time. I've been wondering if I've managed to maintain my O in Potions." Though as he opened it, he realized something a bit odd about it. It was heavier than usual. "Well that's strange. It's like when-" He stopped short, eyes widening in shock as the parchment fell from his hands.

"Regulus, what's the matter?" his father asked. "It there something wrong with your marks?"

At this idea, Mrs. Black's eyes narrowed, mentally preparing to be disappointed. But none of them expected what was to be uttered.

"I... I've been made Head Boy."

"What?" asked Walburga, as if she didn't hear correctly.

"I've been made Head Boy." It all feeling surreal, he showed them the shiny badge, green for Slytherin.

"Why would Dumbledore choose you?"

"I don't know. Perhaps Slughorn recommended me. I'm one of his favorites. Plus, I'm a good student and a good prefect, so maybe Dumbledore noticed that." Still in awe, Regulus took out the rest of the envelope's contents and found what he was looking for. Almost smiling, he handed the parchment to his parents. "All O's except an E in Herbology."

Excellent school performance, Quidditch Seeker, prefect, now Head Boy. How could he not appear favorably in his parents' eyes?

"Well, we're pleased by your academic performance," Mr. Black said matter-of-factly. "And earning Head Boy is an achievement. Is there anything you want? New books or dress robes?"

"Thank you, father, I can't think of anything at– actually, I would really like to go to Diagon Alley."

"Of course we're going to go to Diagon Alley. We have to get your new school things," Walburga said impatiently.

"No, I mean on my own. Actually, no, with Severus. I'm sure he would be willing to go. I really want to tell him the news, and I rather do it in person."

"Isn't he the half-blood?" Orion asked hesitantly.

"Yes. This was his last year at Hogwarts, so it would be nice to see him every so often, and I know I'm not allowed at his house. Plus, I would like to treat him, as he helped me get my Potions marks to an O. He's pretty much a genius in the subject."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. He even corrects the textbook. His work is always perfect." A certain thought was recalled in his mind. Regulus hoped it wasn't true anymore, but in this case, it could be a convincing piece of information. "Also, he plans to join the Death Eaters, if he hasn't already."

This certainly got their attention. They looked at each other, assessing their position on the matter. Aspiring Death Eater seemed to have cancelled out the "issue" of half-blood.

"You may go," his mother finally said. "But only for a few hours."

Regulus' face brightened, more than it had since the beginning of summer.

"Think of getting a haircut while you're there," his father grumbled, looking at him judgmentally. "Don't look like Sirius." 

Regulus ignored this.

"Thank you, Mother, Father. If there is anything you need me to pick up while I'm there, just let me know. I'll go write him and plan which day." With a burst of energy, he rushed upstairs to his room, where he wrote two letters.


"Dear Severus, 
I hope this letter finds you well! Are you interested in going to Diagon Alley later in the week? I was thinking of Friday or Saturday. It would only be for a few hours, but I would really like you to come.
Sincerely,
Regulus" 

"Dear Remus,
I've gotten permission to visit Diagon Alley! It will likely be sometime on the weekend. While I realize we wouldn't be able to be seen walking around together, would it be possible for you to be there and we can meet up at some point? Even just briefly. I have some big news, and I rather tell you in person! If not, it's alright. It'll just have to wait.
Sorry this is so short, I wanted to get this to you as soon as I could.
Yours,
Regulus
PS. I'm glad we had detention in the same place"

After writing, he placed the necessary charm on the letter to Remus, then went up to the owlery to send them both. 

---

And so, Regulus met with Severus that coming Saturday. He smiled as he hurried up to him, as Severus was already waiting. His parents followed, who insisted on seeing him off to make sure he was with who he said he was going with. Remus was unable to make it that weekend, but he was determined to have a nice time nevertheless.

"Remember, Regulus. You are to be home no later than four o'clock."

"Yes, father."

Once Mr. and Mrs. Black Disapparated, they started walking down the street. Regulus needed to stop at Gringotts before they did anything else.

"I'm surprised they allowed you to come," said Severus. "How did you convince them? I thought you said they were suspicious of you."

"Well, they were a bit hesitant, but what came in the owl post for me was very convincing and they had asked me if I wanted anything." Regulus grinned. "And they were a little more comfortable with the idea once I suggested I don't go completely alone. Don't get me wrong, though, I was going to invite you from the start. But it was certainly useful in convincing them."

"So I take it you did very well this year? Good to know my assistance has paid off."

"You can say that." There was a bit of a spring in Regulus' step, and Severus couldn't help but notice.

"There's something else that happened. What is it?"

"Well..." Regulus looked around then said quietly, "I've been made Head Boy."

"Are you serious?" Severus exclaimed, caught off-guard.

"Absolutely. I was just as surprised," he laughed.

"Why you though? No offense intended."

"None taken. I have no idea why Dumbledore would choose me. I suppose I will just have to ask him myself when I go back." Though the idea actually made him a bit nervous. He had never been in the Headmaster's office before. "The reasoning I gave my parents was my school performance and prefect duties, but I doubt that's the complete picture."

"Well, congratulations, nonetheless."

They walked through the door of Gringotts, where Regulus took out enough gold for the day, plus extra for 'just in case', as he inwardly considered it. Severus noticed, but said nothing. It was quite a bit.

"Hmm, what to do first," Regulus mused as they headed back onto the main thoroughfare.

"Perhaps get your school list out of the way?" Severus offered. "I can advise you on the things you'll need."

"Probably a good idea. I rather get it done as quickly as possible so we can actually do something fun."

"Finally. That took longer than I wanted," Regulus sighed once they finished with the errands. Still, he was glad he was with company he actually enjoyed.

"At least it's out of the way. Now what would you like to do?" Severus asked. "I have nothing in particular in mind." Not that he had the money for anything, and he didn't want to impose on Regulus.

"Hmm... right, I would love some ice cream. How about Florean Fortescue's?"

"Whatever you want."

Happily, Regulus picked a raspberry vanilla; he had many sweets at home, especially cakes and tarts, but he realized he didn't often have ice cream. Severus waited a bit awkwardly.

"Sev, what would you like?" he asked cheerfully.

"What? You don't have to..."

"It's no problem. I'd like to treat you to something at least. You've done a lot for me this year."

"If you insist on it."

"Yes I do," Regulus grinned.

"Thank you." Severus smiled just slightly as he chose a neapolitan, and then found a place to sit where they could talk freely.

---

Remus looked up from the book he was reading at the sound of a tapping at his window. He got up and let the owl in, but quickly realized the letter wasn't from Regulus. Yet the handwriting was still familiar.

"R. Lupin, 

No doubt a letter from me is a surprise to you, but I find that being in contact with you might become necessary. I am sure you will receive a letter from Regulus very soon, if you haven't gotten anything already. It will certainly contain our day in Diagon Alley, but other than that I am unaware of the other types of things he includes when he writes to you. What I mean to say is, I do not know what he has told you, but I am concerned about him. I am worried he will do something reckless. 
There was a particular happiness about him when he was away from his home and left to his own device– a feeling I understand very much. I know he wants to leave, especially after this taste of freedom. This in itself is not a concern. In fact, I believe that is what's best for him. Yet there is an unease I feel when he talks about it, as if it won't be so simple. I hope there is some light you can shed on this.

S. Snape"

---

"Severus,

May I refer to you as such? Thank you very much for your letter, though it is not as unexpected as you may think. In any case, I find your intuition is rather correct. I have not had the privilege of speaking to him in person since summer started, but his letters have me worried as well. They are all too familiar, as they take my mind back to when Sirius left home. (I suppose these sentiments are something both of you understand more than I can) It is clear to me that is his intent. Knowing him, he would want to be quiet about it, unlike Sirius, but the best laid plans– well, I feel your concerns are valid. It is the unpredictability of his parents that has me the most worried. 
I hope things go as he intends. If it doesn't, we should be ready.

Remus"

---

Chapter Text

As he slowly woke up, Regulus was hit with the realization that he was now officially of age. He dressed and went down to the dining room, where he found Kreacher setting up an elaborate breakfast. Strangely, however, he didn't see his parents.

"The young master is awake! His favorites have been prepared for his important birthday," Kreacher said in his low creaky voice.

"It looks wonderful, Kreacher, thank you." Regulus smiled at the elf. "Do you know where my parents have gone?"

"Master and Mistress said they are to be back by the afternoon. But Kreacher knows not where they've gone. Perhaps they look for gifts to reward the young Master Regulus for his recent successes."

"They really shouldn't," he muttered as he sat at the table, filling a plate. "Kreacher, by any chance have you noticed my parents talking to Phineas Nigellus at all?"

"Not that Kreacher has noticed." The elf thought a moment. "Wait, Kreacher is mistaken. Mistress was seen talking to the portrait while Master Regulus was at school. This was twice."

"I see. Thank you. Please don't tell them I asked about it."

"Of course, Master Regulus."

After breakfast, he went back to his room to see if he had anything sent to him. He didn't expect any gifts, only perhaps a few letters, and was pleasantly surprised when he found a small pile waiting for him. His eyes first went to the largest parcel, which had a note attached in a slanted handwriting he wasn't familiar with.


"I thought this might be useful to you, both in and outside of your classes, and perhaps an enjoyable challenge.
May I remind you, you are always welcome for a chat."


Regulus unwrapped the paper to reveal a book written in runes. Upon further inspection, he realized it was a book on defensive and offensive spells, though certainly beyond the material of even N.E.W.T-level Defense Against The Dark Arts course books. A wave of awe rushed through him. This must have been from Dumbledore. First the badge, then an actual birthday gift? What was the old man thinking? He gingerly set it aside and went to the next note, which was from Remus, as it looked blank at first glance.


"Happy birthday, Regulus! I know it's not much, but I hope you like it regardless. Hope to see you soon, 

  Remus"


Along with the note was a small cake, which he assumed was homemade. He smirked a little; it was his birthday, he was of age, and no one could stop him from eating cake right after breakfast. But first he wanted to finish opening everything.


"Regulus, 

I hope you are having a good birthday. You know I wish the best for you. If you ever need anything, you need only ask. 

  Sev "


He knew Severus couldn't afford to give any gifts, so he never expected anything from him. Besides, in his view, Sev has always done more than enough for him, which he found more valuable and important than any store-bought gift.

Regulus would have been more than satisfied with what he had received thus far, but it was pleasantly unexpected when he saw there was one more thing. Though curiously enough, two notes attached.


"Happy birthday, brother! I bet you weren't expecting this. Well, me and Prongs were shopping around a bit (I'm looking for a flat of my own! Though I'm sure Moony already told you) and we decided to get some things for a care package to send to you. I think he's writing a letter on his own, but the stuff is from both of us. Amazing that mother and father let you go to Diagon Alley without them, you really got lucky. I hope you had a good time!

  Sirius" 



"Happy birthday, little Black! Please enjoy this little stash of treasures! We had your well being during the next term in mind. I hope you're not suffering too much at home. Maybe all of our letters and gifts will help brighten your summer, as I know Sirius and I aren't the only ones who sent you anything. Also, feel free to write if you want.

  James

PS. Remus made that cake on his own without magic, but was probably too modest to say so. I've tried his cooking, it's pretty decent. Odd that he can cook alright, but has difficulty with potions. I've always thought the two things were similar. Can Snape cook well? Lily is excellent at cooking and has always been great at potions. Oops, this is getting longer than the actual letter. That's awkward. Hope to hear from you sometime!"


He was glad no one was home, because by that point, he was laughing out loud. It didn't even matter what they sent, it could be dungbombs for all he cared, because getting a letter from his brother on his birthday made him happier than everything else he received. Still smiling, he opened the package, which ended up filled with various goodies, like sugar quills and miscellaneous magical pranking things, which he would definitely try to put to good use.

Feeling this happy for the first time since his trip with Severus, he laid on his back, letting the moment really sink in.

Happy...

The thought struck him suddenly, and he quickly got back up, scrambling for his wand.

With deep concentration, he incanted, "Expecto patronum."

Eyes wide and mouth slightly open, Regulus stared in amazement at the silver lion staring back at him. 

Once the irony of the thing hit him, he laughed, allowing the Patronus to dissolve back into nothing. He expected Sirius and James would find it particularly hilarious. Still, he couldn't be more pleased. It seemed his name was as suited for him as Sirius.

For the next couple hours, he started to read through the book Dumbledore sent him. It was slow to get through, but he found it rather interesting, and as Dumbledore predicted, enjoyed the extra challenge of it being written in runic script. Plus he ate his cake, which he admitted to being pretty good. However, once he heard the front door open, he slammed the book shut and put it on his shelf.

He came out of his room, shutting his door behind him, and went down the stairs to greet his parents.

"Hello, mother, father. Welcome home." He tried to sound as sincere as he could.

"Have you had a good morning, Regulus?" his father asked.

"Yes, thank you. I've just been reading my new textbooks, as there's less than a month until term starts. I think this year will quite challenging, but very interesting. I look forward to it." Regulus found that it was much easier to lie when the lie is surrounded by truths.

"It's good to hear that kind of attitude."

Regulus was glad to hear that, yet something seemed not quite right. However, he didn't dare comment.

"Be sure to make yourself presentable," his mother pitched in. "It's an important day, and your cousin Bellatrix will be coming to visit this evening. Narcissa and Lucius were invited too, but regrettably are unable to make it."

"Yes, mother." A feeling of dread now formed in the pit of his stomach. Bellatrix was the last person he wanted to see.

When he got back to his room, the first thing he did was open his school trunk. Inwardly telling himself it was only a precaution, he started packing it up as if he would for school. He packed nearly all his clothes, his textbooks plus some of his favorites, the letters and gifts he received, the rest of his school supplies, along with the extra gold he had withdrawn from Gringotts. He reopened his book and tried to resume his reading, but found his mind was now too full.

He spent the rest of the afternoon trying to keep to himself and think of how he was to act and behave when Bellatrix would be there. She arrived just before dinner time.

"I hope you've been well, Bella, and congratulations on your wedding," Regulus said politely as they greeted each other.

"Quite well, and thank you. It's a shame you couldn't see Rodolphus tonight, but he had prior duties to attend to."

"I'm sure I'll see him at some point." He smiled pleasantly, though knew this was going to be a long night.

He was spared for a little while as dinner was being served, for most of the conversation was between Bellatrix and his parents, mainly about work and the state of the wizarding world and, as usual, how the Dark Lord has the right idea. He just ate quietly, not involving himself in the conversation for as long as he could. Alas, attention went back to him at the end.

"So I've heard my dear cousin has been doing very well in school," Bellatrix said in a sweetness than nearly made Regulus cringe. But he could play that game too.

"Well, I don't wish to sound like I'm bragging," he said in a modest tone, "but yes, I've been rather successful. I have worked very hard for it though, so I suppose it's not undeserved."

"A prefect and now Head Boy. Perhaps you'll end up headmaster like your great-great-grandfather."

"I don't know about that. I've never really had an interest in teaching. But then again, neither did he, I suppose."

"And what is it you eventually want to do?"

"I think I'd like to work at the Ministry."

"The Ministry?" his mother repeated in mild surprise.

"Yes. A war has started, you know. But I'm not sure that such force is the best way to go. If we want change, why not do it more subtly from the inside? I know Lucius has entertained the idea of joining the Hogwarts Board of Governors. That's the right idea, I think."

"Being a Black does give you a great sphere of influence," Bellatrix agreed. "Indeed Lucius has thought along the same line."

"This would be a very agreeable plan of yours, that is, if you weren't lying through your teeth, Regulus," Walburga said matter-of-factly.

He felt his blood run cold.

"We would have believed you, too, if we hadn't known better. The fact that you were able to lie to us so plainly without flinching..." his cousin trailed off, sneering.

"I don't kno-" he began to say before he was cut off by his father.

"Don't pretend you don't know what we're talking about."

"A couple of your classmates came to us today and we had a little talk." Walburga started to explain, anger etched on her face. "According to them, they've seen you speaking to Sirius and his Gryffindor friends in what they deemed 'a positive manner'. And that you have been seen visiting one of them in the hospital wing. Explain yourself."

It was hard to breathe as the fear and anxiety started to rise in him. He tried desperately to find some sort of way out, but he knew it was impossible. The charade was done. Who could it have been? He bet it was the Carrows. Not that he had proof, he just wanted someone to blame. He really would have liked to just leave when no one was looking, without causing a scene, but they've ruined it.

"There is no explanation I can give. They saw what they saw."

For a moment, they all looked taken aback, as if they weren't expecting him to simply admit to it. Perhaps they wanted to be mistaken, that the students had been the ones lying. But just to be sure, Orion asked,

"So you willingly admit that you have been associating yourself with them?"

"Yes." Regulus tried so hard to keep his composure, his expression neutral, although he was terrified. Perhaps he should have said the students were lying. But he didn't know how far he would be able to go with his own lie before getting found out.

"You have been lying to us this whole time then," Walburga said. "From the moment you asked for more time. You never intended to join the Dark Lord."

"Correct."

"Why not say in the first place that you didn't want to join? Why lie?" Although he was calm, rage was in Orion's eyes.

"Because he's a coward," Bellatrix said shrilly. "He didn't want you to think he no longer supports the Dark Lord. That's it, isn't it?"

"That's also correct. Though even if I did still agree with him, I would not join as I disagree with his methods either way. And even if I had told you I didn't want to, I would still have to have lied, considering I do not, after all, still support his... and your views." This conversation was being too civil and it made him nervous.

"Has you good-for-nothing brother corrupted and brainwashed you then, is that what happened?" Walburga asked, temper on the rise.

"No. I didn't start talking to him again until near the end of term." Regulus carefully started to stand up, his voice rising slightly. "And also, you're the ones who were doing the brainwashing. Ever since we were children. But Sirius figured it out. He figured out everything you try to teach us about blood purity and muggles is horseshit. I was just too stupid and naïve to not see it at the time."

Then came the shouting from his mother.

"YOU DARE BETRAY YOUR PURE BLOOD AND BRING SHAME TO YOUR FAMILY NAME."

"Of course that's what you care about! Not me as a human being. Or your son, for that matter." His hands were gripped so hard on the back of the chair he had been sitting in, his knuckles were white. "And speaking of bloodlines by the way, I'm in love with a half-blood from Gryffindor. Chew on that for a moment."

"NO SON OF MINE WILL BE A BLOOD-TRAITOR." Fuming, Walburga looked to Bellatrix. "Take care of him!"

Bella suddenly looked gleeful, as if this was the moment she was waiting for. She whipped out her wand, and Regulus darted for the hall. His parents weren't following. Apparently they had given her the privilege of punishing him beforehand. That must be it, he figured.

"Crucio."

He had half made it to the stairs when he suddenly toppled to the ground, a white-hot pain burning through his whole body. 

"Aww, is baby Reggie crying?" she asked in mock-concern. 

He then became aware of the tears in the corners of his eyes. His throat also felt hoarse; he hadn't realized until then that he must have been screaming. But seeing the moment of opportunity, he once again made a run for it, though only got to the bottom of the stairs before he doubled over for a second time. It was worse this time, with the stairs digging into him. Once he was released again, he laughed weakly.

"I always was the favorite, wasn't I? If I were Sirius, I wouldn't be able to move still, huh?"

"CRUCIO."

He felt himself nearly black out. There was definitely more effort in this one; she must have gotten embarrassed by his statement. Or maybe his strength was gone. His brain was buzzing and he didn't realize the next opportunity to run again. Before he knew it, another burst of what felt like a hundred knives went through him. This time, he was aware of when it was over, and started to clamber up the stairs, nearly tripping over himself as he did so. Regulus thought he might be able to get to his room, but it was too much to ask for. With another gleeful incantation from his cousin, he cried out, his nails digging into his arms without his realizing.

Though his hazy vision, he finally made it to his room. With all the energy he was able to muster, he grabbed the handle of his trunk and Disapparated.

---

Although he was expecting it to happen at some point, Severus still jumped as Regulus Apparated right into his room. What shocked him more, however, was the physical state his friend was in. Regulus was paler than he had ever seen him, and dark circles were prominent under his eyes. He held himself weakly, as if he would fall over at any moment. It was incredible he was able to Apparate like that.

"Regulus! What have they done to you?" Severus held the shivering form, keeping him from collapsing. He then pulled away slightly in order to get a good look at his face. To get the truth. "They used the Cruciatus Curse on you didn't they?"

Regulus tried to speak, but instead just nodded and buried his head in the crook of the other's neck. His shoulders shook as he started to sob without inhibition. After six years of knowing him, Severus realized he had never seen him cry before. Regulus tended to keep his emotions more or less in check, after all. It was something they had in common. But like himself, there was always a breaking point. The best thing was to just let him get it out. Gently, he rubbed Regulus' back, waiting for him to calm down enough to talk. He placed a small kiss on his temple, but Regulus didn't seem to notice.

"I'm so sorry. What must you think of me?" Regulus finally said.

"No less than always," Severus responded quietly. "Sit, before your legs give out on you."

He sat on the bed, everything aching, allowing Severus to dry his face with his sleeve. If he had been more focused, he would realize just how lovingly the gesture was done.

"I left," Regulus whispered.

"Yes."

"Just like Sirius."

"No. Not like him." Not that he really knew. He only said it to make Regulus feel better. "I only have potions for normal pain, I'm afraid. I suppose those wouldn't work for the Cruciatus Curse." Once it became clear Regulus might leave home, he figured there was a chance he might need that potion. But he found there wasn't enough time to acquire it, or to even make it himself. He felt useless.

"That's okay." Regulus closed his eyes, trying the best to think. "Dreamless Sleep."

"Yes, I have that one. Are you certain?"

He nodded.

"Alright." Severus noticed the marks on his arms. "You've injured yourself."

Regulus looked at them. He hadn't noticed.

"Oh. I guess so."

Severus used a quick healing spell on Regulus' cuts, as well as his face, which got banged up by the stairs. He then got up and opened a cupboard where he kept his potions, looking for the Dreamless Sleep. While he did so, Regulus performed some sort of spell the elder didn't recognize. "What was that?"

"Protection, just in case. I know it's unlikely, but I don't want them to get you." His voice was quiet.

"Here." Severus pointed to different levels of the potion bottle. "This much is enough for a few hours. This much for a full night. Any more, and you'll sleep through half of tomorrow."

"Thank you Severus. I don't know how to thank you enough. I'm so sorry that I've made you deal with this. Thank you."

"No need. You are always welcome with me, especially when you need it most."

"You'll be here when I wake up, right?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad." Regulus leaned down to take his shoes off, but recoiled from the pain.

"Don't push yourself." Severus knelt down and took off his shoes for him, Regulus staring in vague wonderment, thoughts not quite completing. He considered the potion for a moment, then drank enough for a full night's sleep. He tiredly laid down, and Severus pulled the blankets over him.

"Don't leave," Regulus whispered, loosely grasping Severus' shirt. "Please."

"I won't." Severus sat beside him, not getting back up until the other was for certain asleep. He sat at his desk, burying his face in his hands. Damn it. He breathed deeply, containing himself. This was no moment for him to be weak. Hesitantly, he got out a sheet of parchment and addressed it 'James Potter'.


 "Regulus has left home. He has been subjugated by the Cruciatus Curse and as per his request, I have given him a Dreamless Sleep potion. Please send an address to which I can Apparate, so I can bring him to his brother. I assume he is with you. With your permission, we will be there tomorrow morning. Inform Lupin.

    -S. Snape"


After rereading it a few times, he folded the letter up and stepped silently out of the room to where the home's only owl was kept. He sent it off and returned to the safety of his room undetected. He gazed at Regulus and brushed away that stubborn lock of hair as he was sure Lupin often did. With a sigh, he found a separate blanket for himself and laid beside him. Of all the times he dreamed of Regulus lying next to him, this was not how he imagined it. 

---

In the morning, Severus awoke first to the sound of the owl tapping against the dirty window. Carefully, he got up and let the owl in, taking what must have been James' response. 


 "I've sent word to Remus at the same time as this reply. Sirius and I will be here waiting  for you. Thank you for informing us– I know he is in good hands. 

  -James" 


Below the signature was the address to what Severus assumed was the Potters' home. After memorizing the address, he wiped the parchment clean so no one else could read it, then went back to bed, though he had no intention of falling asleep again. Regulus was laying on his side, still fast asleep. Severus curled up next to him and closed his eyes. He was able to hear Regulus' heartbeat. 
It wasn't for about a half hour until Regulus finally woke up. Severus opened his eyes again at the stirring. 

"Is is morning?" Regulus mumbled.

"Yes. How are you feeling?"

"Still hurts, but not as much. Last night is a vague memory. Or maybe it's because I haven't completely woken up yet. I don't know."

"I've written to Potter. I'm taking you over to him and your brother whenever you're ready. Lupin will probably be there by then as well." 

"You did that?" Even in his sleepy state, he was surprised Severus would willingly contact James or Sirius. "Thank you. Thank you, you're always so good to me." Regulus embraced him loosely.

Anything for you, he thought, his heart pounding. "You should get ready to go. They'll be waiting for us." 

Regulus nodded and forced himself out of bed. As he looked in the mirror and tried to neaten his hair, Severus conjured two glasses of water. 

"Oh, thank Merlin. I'm so thirsty." He nearly downed the whole glass in one go. A bit hesitant, he glanced at his trunk. "I almost can't believe I've really left. They'll never let me back. Not that I want to. And... you've left school. And so has Remus, and Sirius, and James. There will be no one left there." 

"I'll always be waiting for you. So will they, I'm sure." Severus' defenses were failing. The pain he was feeling was starting to show on his face. 

"Sev, what's the matter?" Regulus asked, his worry rising. Severus seemed to take several seconds to put his thoughts together.

"I apologize if you get angry with me. I know where your heart lies. I..." he hesitated. It was the most distress Regulus had ever seen on Severus' face.

"What are you saying?"

"Fuck. I've been scared for you, Regulus. I dreaded them hurting you like this, or even worse. I'm so glad it's not worse. I didn't know how far they would go. I'm so glad you're safe now. I was so afraid." His voice nearly broke as he was close to tears. Relieved at seeing him in one piece and now safe, with passion and perhaps greed, Severus cupped Regulus' cheek in his hand and kissed him. 

Regulus was so surprised, he couldn't think to do anything, let alone pull away from the kiss. It wasn't until Severus ended it himself that the full weight of what happened dropped on him. 

"Severus..." he whispered, a sorry and despairing expression on his face. 

"I-I understand if you're angry. If you don't want to look at me. I just couldn't bear the thought of not... never telling you... but I'm sorry for kissing you, I..." But to his bewilderment, Regulus pulled him into a tight embrace. 

"You're one of the three people I love the most in this world, Sev. I will never stop being your friend. I don't want to lead you on, or give you false hope. But I want you to know that my love for you is in no way lesser than my love for Remus, even if it isn't the same." 

"I love you, Regulus." 

"Thank you," was the only think he could think to say in direct response. He finally let go, now looking at Severus eye to eye, easily as they were the same height. "If you were able to somehow get over Lily Evans, you can get over me. Either way, you're still my best friend. I don't want that to change. Maybe it'll be uncomfortable for a while, but your friendship is so important to me." 

"I am glad I haven't lost you." That was what he was most afraid of. He only planned on admitting his feelings, not kissing him. One of the reasons why he preferred keeping his emotions in check; acting on emotion results in regrettable actions.

"Of course you haven't. Especially not after everything you've done for me." 

"We really should be going soon," Severus said after a slightly uncomfortable silence.
 
"Er, yes." Regulus made a face at his clothes, which were wrinkled from having slept in them. He shrugged it off though, and started putting his shoes on as Severus dressed into proper clothes. He smiled a little, determined to break the awkwardness. "At least comb your hair, or are you trying to resemble James?" 

"Certainly not!" Severus said with a more light-hearted indignance, which showed he recognized it had not been meant to be taken seriously. And more of a dig at Potter than at him. Still, he got rid of his bed-head. That was one of the things he appreciated about Regulus; he was good at returning situations to a comfortable normalcy. "Are you hungry?" 

"Yes, now that you mention it."

"We'll have to go to the kitchen. I don't know if my parents are awake yet, so we should be quiet." 

After giving the door a disdainful look, Severus led him out to the hall and to the kitchen. Unfortunately, his parents were already there, looking as if they just had a disagreement. At the sight of Regulus, Tobias Snape stood, looking sour. 

"Boy, what do you think you're doing?" 

"Getting breakfast," Severus said coolly. 

"You've brought someone in my house without my permission!" 

"As if it would be given." 

"Don't get mouthy with me!" He lifted his hand, and while he saw what was about to happen, Regulus couldn't react fast enough to prevent Severus from getting hit. He quickly and roughly pointed his wand at the elder Snape's neck. 

"You lay a hand on him again and I will hex it off, I promise you."

"What did I say about bringing your unnatural friends into my home?" the man fumed, but there was still a hint of nervousness as he eyed the wand.

"Regulus, let's just go," Severus pleaded. 

"Regulus? As in Regulus Black?" his mother finally spoke up, a glint of fear now in her eyes. Realizing the implication, her son smirked.

"Yes. The heir of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. Practically wizarding royalty. Standing in your kitchen and treated with such disrespect." 

Now, the word 'royalty' was something even a muggle like Tobias Snape could understand. He took a step back. Regulus got the drift. There were even people in the wizarding world this would work on. Well, he wasn't sure how long he would still be able to use this advantage, but it certainly helped get out of this situation for now.

"If I ever catch wind of Severus being mistreated here, you will have me to answer to," Regulus seethed, thinking he should have done this years ago. He turned and headed back to the bedroom. "Let's go." 

They hurried in and shut the door. The side of Severus' face was turning red where he was hit. Regulus realized he didn't know how to fix it.

"I'm sorry that happened."

"Don't worry about me, Sev. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. We should probably be going." 

Regulus nodded. He grabbed the handle of his trunk with one hand, and offered his other. Severus took it, interlocking their fingers, and briefly savored the moment before Disapparating. 

---

Chapter Text

They found themselves in front of a large house, which most certainly was the Potter estate. At the popping sound of their Apparition, the front door opened and James hurried out to usher them in, followed by Sirius who helped James bring in the trunk. 

Once they were safely inside, Remus came into the foyer from the hall, worry all over his face as he pulled Regulus into a tight embrace. 

"I came as soon as I got James' letter. He's told me what happened."

Regulus just held on, burying his face against Remus' chest. Sirius stood there awkwardly, but James addressed Severus.

"Thanks," he said sincerely. "Thanks for telling us so soon and bringing him here. It was really good of you."

"You know I always just want what is best for him," Severus responded quietly.

"Yeah, I know." He offered a half smile. "It's still appreciated." He paused, momentarily hesitant. "I really am sorry for everything, you know. I was a huge idiot and a complete bastard to you. I want to sincerely apologize."

Severus didn't know what to say; he hadn't expected anything like this in the slightest. He stood in stunned silence for a moment, but he knew James was being truthful. Finally he nodded. 

"You were. But... I know you're being sincere."

James was pretty sure this was the other accepting his apology, but he still wasn't completely certain, so he held out his hand for a handshake of solidarity. Severus hesitated at first, but ultimately reciprocated. He couldn't yet forgive, but it didn't mean he had to reject the apology outright. For a moment, Severus and Sirius looked at each other, but neither of them could bring themselves to speak.

Meanwhile, Regulus had let go of Remus to receive a hug from his brother. He couldn't remember the last time that happened.

"Are you alright, Severus?" Remus asked carefully, motioning to his own cheek.

"I'm fine," Severus insisted. Hearing this interaction, Regulus pulled away from Sirius, now seething.

"I shouldn't have even bothered with my wand and just punched your father right in the jaw," he nearly growled out. Unnoticed by the others, Sirius furrowed his brows ever so slightly, looking to the ground. He had no idea it was like that.

"How about some breakfast?" said James in an effort to dissipate the tension.

"That's a good idea," Remus agreed.
 
"I suppose I shouldn't intrude any longer. I will get out of your way," Severus said neutrally.

"Why not stay a while?" James offered. "At least have something to eat."

"Yes," Remus smiled. "It's the least we can do for you."

Severus didn't want to admit just how hungry he was. And although he felt as though he didn't quite deserve it, he recognized this as a gesture of kindness and reconciliation. He found it would be an insult to reject this olive branch.

"Thank you," he said.

---

Severus had to admit (though not out loud) that the food was delicious. There was a comfort in it, like being at Hogwarts. While they all ate, Regulus recounted what happened the previous night now that the initial shock had died down and he was able to think clearly. To Severus' relief, he said nothing about the morning.

"I'm really proud of you, Reggie, for standing up to them and leaving," Sirius told him.

"That means a lot to me, Sirius. I doubted myself for a moment, but once Bellatrix drew her wand, I knew I was making the right decision. Thankfully I had prepared for it. I knew something was off when they got home." It took great effort for Regulus to hold in his emotions. His brother said he was proud of him.

"Some birthday, huh?" James said with a wry smile.

"Yeah. Speaking of, though, thank you for your box of gifts." Regulus looked to James and Sirius. Just thinking about all the things he received lightened his heart. "I'll certainly try to make use of it all. And thank you, Remus, for the cake. It was very good."

"I'm glad you liked it." Remus practically lit up at the compliment.

"We hope you do!" Sirius grinned. "They wouldn't expect a prefect." He winked. Once realizing Regulus hadn't told them about his new badge, Severus felt he could have laughed. However, Regulus did that for him.

"A prefect indeed!" Regulus nearly surprised himself when he smiled. "I haven't told any of you yet, since I wanted to do so in person. But I've been made Head Boy."

Sirius dropped his fork.

"You're joking!"

"It's true. Between getting the badge and earning nearly all O's, that's why I was able to convince mother and father to allow me to go to Diagon Alley."

"That's amazing. Congratulations," said Remus earnestly. "I'll sure you'll be better than James."

"Hey! Well... that's probably true," James laughed. "I guess Dumbledore really has confidence in you."

"I suppose he does. He bought me a gift, actually. I mean, the note wasn't signed, but I'm quite certain it was him."

"That's unusual," said Sirius, sounding a bit impressed. "What was it?"

"A rather high level book on defensive and offensive spells written in runic script. It's very interesting. I have it in my trunk. I'll have to thank him once term starts. I've been meaning to speak with him anyhow."

"Y'know, we should do something proper for your birthday before the end of the month," said James. "Whatever you want. After all, you don't have to pretend not to talk to us anymore."

"I would like that." Regulus smiled.

"Severus can be invited too," Remus insisted.

It was still unusual to him to be addressed using his first name by one of them. But even more surprising to him was the invitation. By Lupin no less.

"I appreciate the offer," Severus said quietly, his emotions mixed. He was being treated so well by those whom he so recently viewed with animosity. For Merlin's sake, James Potter invited him into his home. They were supposed to be the other. The antithesis of himself. Then there was Remus Lupin, offering friendship. If only he knew. 

"You know, I should give little Black the grand tour and show him where he'll be sleeping," James said after breakfast. "Well, actually. Do you want your own room, or share with Remus?" He wiggled his eyebrows with a smile, and Sirius nearly choked.

"Whatever he wants," Remus said, blushing slightly.

"I'll stay with Remus," Regulus decided without having to even think about it.

"Now that's settled, come on," James said cheerily. Sirius started to follow but was stopped. "How about you put the dishes away?"

He got the point; James wanted to speak to his brother privately. He didn't know why, but he assumed there must be a good reason. Sirius nodded and went back into the kitchen.

Now being the only two in the sitting room, Remus and Severus caught each other's eye.

"We should talk," said Severus.

"Yes, I agree."

---

James helped bring Regulus' trunk upstairs, where he brought it to the room where Remus was to stay the night. That wasn't initially planned, but James figured Regulus was going to end up staying there at least one night, and sure enough, Sirius urged once they had gotten the letter from Severus that his brother should stay with them. Unsurprisingly, Remus decided he would stay the night too.

"You have a very nice home," Regulus said. "It's much more cheerful feeling than Grimmauld Place."

"Thanks. I'm rather fond of it myself." James smiled.

"Now what did you want to talk to me about? I assume there's a reason you didn't let Sirius follow."

James shut the door and sat on the desk chair.

"Well first, I'd like to congratulate you again on becoming Head Boy. After all, I'm pretty much passing the torch to you."

"I'm sure I'll do better than you." Regulus smirked, taking a seat at the edge of the bed.

"Snarky bastard." James laughed, but then his expression got a bit more serious. "I also want to tell you just how worried Sirius has been about you. He would definitely deny it if he were in here. But you should have seen him before you arrived, pacing around like a nervous wreck."

"He was?" Regulus' brows furrowed, a hint of surprise in his tone.

"I know you're still mending your relationship and you fought for so long, but to him you've always still been his little brother and he cares about you a lot."

He fidgeted with his hand in his lap, looking unusually meek.

"How are you feeling, by the way?"

"Hm? Better than last night. Everything still aches, but it's not nearly as bad as it was."

"I'm glad it's not as bad. You know, Sirius was irritated that you went to Snape first. I needed to remind him he's your best friend."

Regulus rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of though, before we went upstairs, you had a weird look on your face when he and Remus said they needed to talk," James went on. "I suppose it would be a bit odd considering our history, but you're usually supportive of them getting along."
 
He drew a sharp intake of breath. What was he supposed to say? He felt he needed to tell someone what happened, someone who would keep it to themselves and not overreact.

"Do you promise not to tell anyone? Especially Sirius. He would probably lose it, and I don't want it to be an issue."

"I promise," James said calmly.

"Well, this morning..." Regulus hesitated, "Severus kissed me."

"Bloody hell." He was legitimately astounded. "I didn't think he had the guts."

"He- wait. Did... did you know he's in love with me?"

"Figured it out ages ago," James shrugged. "Said I wouldn't tell, but obviously it doesn't matter that I tell you now since he's done it himself. How do you feel about it all?"

"Mixed. The thing is," Regulus bit his lip before continuing, "if I had known a year earlier, I probably would be with him instead."

"Huh. That so," he said in mild surprise.

"Just a few years ago, I was utterly infatuated with him. But I came to the conclusion that I never had a chance, and eventually got over it and was perfectly happy with our friendship. Am happy. We both want it to continue like normal. He knows how much I love Remus and accepted there's no longer a chance for him, but he wanted to tell me how he feels, lest he regret not doing so. That said, it's also very flattering, even if I feel a bit bad about it."

"So there's a difference between how you felt about Snape... Severus, and your feelings for Remus? You were particular about your wording."

"Yes, I realized afterwards. You see, with Severus, I would try so hard to impress him. And to be so in control of my emotions so that he wouldn't think of me as weak. I mean, I know now that was completely unfounded, that he wouldn't mind if I was completely myself around him. But with Remus, the more I fell for him, the more comfortable I felt letting my guard down. I think he's seen me cry more than my own brother has."

"Y'know, to be completely honest, I wouldn't have been surprised if you and Severus were together. That said though, I'm glad you ended up with Remus. I think it's a good thing for both of you; you both have influenced each other in positive ways. And it's done good outside of that, too. Like you repairing your relationship with Sirius, avoiding a very bad life decision, getting out of a bad home situation. You get my drift."

"That's just me though. What about for Remus?"

"Who knew I'd end up making friends with a Slytherin," James smirked. "And finding respect for someone who was my 'nemesis' for so long. Remus never approved of my attitude toward all of you, you already know that. Because of you, he pushed us into becoming more open to change. Plus he really got more of a backbone. I know he's glad some good has come out of his relationship with you outside of yourselves."

"I am too," Regulus nodded. "I wonder what they're talking about."

"Dunno. It's probably awkward as all hell though, so I'm glad I'm not a part of it."

"No kidding."

"So..." James suppressed laughter, "who's the better kisser?"

"Bloody hell, James!" He blushed, flustered. "One's not better than the other, they're just different. Remus is more soft and gentle, initially at least, and Severus is more firm and decisive."

"I regret asking." James pressed his fingertips against his temple.

"Why ask? You have your eye on Severus?"

"Merlin, no!"

"I'm just joking," Regulus laughed. "One, that would be extremely weird. Two, you and Evans are very good together."

At this, James' expression brightened.

"By the way, does she know you're an animagus?"

"Ah... no. Not yet," James answered sheepishly. "I'll get to it."

"You probably shouldn't keep that for too long. Ah, right. There's something else you might me interested to know."

"Oh?"
 
"I've figured out my Patronus. It's a lion. Though I doubt that would be my animagus."

"Yeah, that might be a little inconvenient. Impressive though. A lion, huh? How ironic. Suits your name, in any case."

"Yes, I think Sirius will find it rather funny. Can I confide something else in you?"

"Sure thing."

This was something Regulus had never told anyone before, so he momentarily faltered.

"During my sorting, the Hat wanted to put me in Gryffindor. I asked for Slytherin."

James' jaw nearly dropped.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you? Damn. I think this is also something Sirius would be interested to know."

"Eventually. It's just that he'll make a big deal out of it." Regulus scrunched his nose.

"Oh, yeah. He would. Anyway, perhaps we should go back downstairs before everyone thinks you've ditched Remus for me."

"Can your ego get any bigger? Seriously." He rolled his eyes as James laughed. 

---

"Thank you," Remus started off once the others were gone. Severus was taken aback.

"What for?"

"For letting us know so quickly and taking care of him last night. I'm really grateful, especially since we're not necessarily your favorite people in the world."

"You give me too much credit," Severus said quietly. Remus gave him a questioning look, and Severus realized he didn't know. So Potter really could keep promises. He debated whether he should say something.

"What is it?"

"I... I don't want you to get the wrong idea. He adores you and I have no intention of getting between you both, but I care for him as much as you do. Many of the things I do for Regulus comes from my love for him."

Remus found himself speechless. Did Regulus know this? He thought of their conversation in the Shrieking Shack and that hint of jealousy again crept through him. Though he wasn't going to let it overtake him.

"Oh." 

"If it couldn't be me, at least he chose you. He could have done worse."

Was that... approval? A bit reluctant, but approval nevertheless.

"Thank you for saying so."

"Please take good care of him."

"I promise to do my best. Please don't stop being such a good friend to him."

"Never." 

"By the way, I was serious about my offer." Remus smiled. "Whatever we plan to do for Regulus' birthday, you're absolutely free to come. I would never want to exclude his best friend. The rest of them would just have to accept it. But it does seem as though James at least is willing to include you. Though of course, it's up to Regulus, not me, but I assume he'll want you to come with us."

Severus felt a wave of emotion well up inside him, but he fought it down. He thought this was an incredible amount of kindness, more than he deserved, and he was so grateful.

"I would like that." They stood there awkwardly for a moment. "They've been upstairs for a long time."

"They have been. You know, I actually never expected Regulus and James to get along as well as they do. I'm glad of it, but it's still surprising."

"What about your other friend?"

"Oh, Peter? They don't really know each other very well. They really only met properly near the end of term. And you only contacted James because you knew Sirius was here. If Sirius lived on his own, would you have contacted James?"

"I suppose not." 

Remus nodded.

"Peter will be filled in later. Hey Severus?"

"Yes?"

"What do you plan to do? Regulus said you have an interest in teaching." He smiled encouragingly.

"Ah, yes, I mentioned it." Severus was rather surprised Regulus apparently spoke about him to Remus. "What else has he said about me?"

"Only good things, I promise you." Remus chuckled. "You would be a great potions master. Your notes really saved me."

Severus already knew he would be a great potions master, but there was a different position he had his eye on. Now, however, he was questioning his own intentions. It was time to reconsider everything.

"I would be, though I haven't decided what exactly I would like to do. What about yourself?" 

"Oh I... I don't know. I mean, it doesn't matter, once someone figures out my condition, no employer is going to want to keep me," he shrugged. "There's no chance of job stability." 

"Dumbledore would surely employ you. He made it possible for you to attend school, did he not?" 

"I feel like it would be asking too much..."

"If you say so." Severus rolled his eyes while Remus was busy looking at the floor meekly. "Where do you think he will stay? With you, or with his brother?" 

"Ah, I'm not exactly sure. As much as I would like for him to stay with me, it would probably be better for him to stay here, at least until Sirius moves out. He has been looking for a place, with the chance of Regulus moving in with him in mind."

"That's... that's good."

"Yes. I'm glad they've started to get along again."

"I as well. I remember clearly he was very upset when his brother left home. According to him, they were close until they started school. Normally, I would object to the notion of them being close again because of my history with all of you, but as things stand now, perhaps things need to be reevaluated." 

"That is pretty much the story I got too." Remus had no siblings, so he had a difficult time imagining how they felt. "Severus?"

"Lupin."

"Perhaps you have no interest, or would find it too strange considering everything, but you're welcome to come to my house. Or probably here as well. If you ever feel you need to go somewhere." Remus looked at him with furrowed brows, and Severus felt a mix of being embarrassed, humbled, and grateful. It took him a moment until he was able to find an answer. 

"Thank you," he nearly whispered. "I don't deserve this much kindness from you." 

"I prefer it over being enemies." 

"You might be the only one."

"No, I don't think so." Remus shook his head. "Like I said, I think James is willing to make that change. I'm uncertain about Sirius. He's incredibly stubborn, but he was able to reconcile with Regulus after all. It's not outside the realm of possibility. And it falls on you too."

Being friends with the Marauders. What a concept. Just a few months ago, Severus would have considered the idea ludicrous. But now, it didn't seem so far-fetched. It would be awkward at first, yes, but maybe... maybe the payoff would be worth it. It sounded cold when he thought about it like that, but then again, he had gotten so used to being cold he nearly forgot what it was like to be warm toward others. Aside from Regulus. Even then, he kept a certain control. But he wasn't just thinking of selfish payoff. Somehow, he felt as though something could happen that was bigger than themselves. It felt important. This side was perhaps the right choice, and Regulus had led him there.

"So it does." 

Finally, they heard Regulus and James come back down the stairs. 

"Nice of you to join us," Remus joked. "Your house isn't that big. I suppose Sirius can come back in now?" 

"Yeah." Regulus poked his head in the kitchen, where Sirius was making random objects float out of boredom. "You can come back in now. Sorry about that." 

Sirius put all the things back and joined the others, mildly disgruntled. 

"So am I important again?" 

"And you said I have a big ego." James grinned. "He can't go ten minutes without needing attention." 

"Just because his is worse doesn't mean my statement was invalid," Regulus said pointedly.

"In any case, nice to know this part of the house still exists and wasn't blown up or anything. Also, we should decide what to do the rest of the day. I imagine you might want to relax, but we could do something else if you want." 

"Yes, I rather rest today. We can plan my proper birthday." He offered a small smile. 

"I should let you all be. I've intruded longer than intended," Severus said quietly.

"If you want to, sure," Said James. "But you can stay as long as you want today. After all, I highly doubt you're in hurry to go home. Am I right? Either way, the choice is yours." 

He flinched slightly, thinking of how it will be when he gets back home. 

"If... if it's alright."

---

That evening before bed, Regulus sunk into a hot bath, letting his aching body relax. It had been a good day. A really good day. He was safe here, spending time with the people who care about him, and whom he cares about the most. And miraculously, no one fought. There was some uncomfortable moments, but it was a step in the right direction. They all even made great plans for all them to do before he had to go back to school.

And still, now that there was no distraction for his mind, the reality of what he had done once again hit him. He covered his face as tears welled up, and he cried silently so no one could hear.

---

Chapter Text

Regulus awoke warm and comfortable, and smiled at the still-sleeping form beside him. He glanced at the clock and was surprised at how late he slept. Gently, he shook Remus' shoulder. Nothing. He did so again, and finally the other started to stir.

"Remus," he whispered.

The answer was a sleepy grunt.

"Reeemus." Regulus started kissing his neck and cheek. "Time to wake up."

"Mmph." Remus started to smile a bit, eyes still closed, and wrapped an arm around Regulus. "What time is it?"

"It's nearly ten."

"Really? Bloody hell." He finally blinked awake. "But I'm so comfortable."

"Me too. But the plan isn't to sleep all day."

"Yes, that will probably be tomorrow," he chuckled. "Come on, let's see if everyone else is awake yet."

It had been a few days since Regulus arrived at the Potters', where he was welcomed very warmly. He was feeling much better, at least physically. And most of the time, he had other people to distract his mind with positivity. They hadn't really done much over the past days, allowing him to rest, but this day would be different and he hoped it would be a particularly good one. After all, they were going to Muggle London. That's what he decided he wanted to do. Remus hadn't been surprised, and Sirius and James were excited. Privately, Remus thought it would be entertaining to teach Regulus about muggle things.

Once they were up and dressed, they headed downstairs, where the other two were already serving themselves some breakfast.

"There you are! Food's getting cold," said Sirius, pouring himself some tea.

"Good morning to you too, Sirius." Regulus smiled and started filling a plate.

"Sleep alright, then?" asked James.

"Yes, thanks. I'm getting a bit bored of sleeping, to be honest. I'm glad to be finally getting out of the house for a while."

"I know that feeling," sighed Remus.

"Okay, just so I have it right," said Sirius, "we're first stopping at Diagon Alley so we can exchange gold for muggle money. Peter is meeting us at the Leaky Cauldron, then Snape at Trafalgar Square? Then we all go from there."

"Right," James nodded.

"Sure, the square is basically right there, but why isn't Snape just meeting us at the Leaky Cauldron or in Diagon Alley like one normally would?"

"I... I was going to give an example, but I realize it doesn't apply to you. After all, you started hanging out with us no matter what people thought. You didn't care if you were called a traitor or anything."

"Damn right."

"See, while Regulus abandoned his, Severus still has a pretense to uphold." Though James didn't know why. They were out of school now, after all. It worried him to think Severus had more reasons to avoid being seen with them.

"He shouldn't," Sirius scoffed, thinking along the same lines as James. Plus, he was irritated that Snape actually agreed to go with them. "Besides, he could still be seen with us this way. It's not like we're the only wizards that visit Muggle London. But it's less likely I suppose."

"Yeah, I dunno what he's thinking on that one."

"There must be a reason though. He doesn't do such things without a reason," said Regulus. Though he did admit to himself it was a bit of an odd thing. He would ask later.

---

An unexpected nervousness welled up in Regulus as they arrived in Diagon Alley. He wondered how far the knowledge of what he did had spread. Not that it really mattered to other people, but after all, his family was prominent. Everyone knew when Sirius had left. But that hadn't been surprising. Him leaving though, now that's something that could have seemed to come out of nowhere. Noticing his nerves, Remus briefly put a gentle hand on his shoulder. He let himself breathe.

Still, as the four of them headed to Gringotts to exchange their currency, he pointedly avoided looking at anyone around them, not wanting to notice the students who still had to do their school shopping.

"You've gotten all the things you need for this term, right?" asked Remus.

"Oh, yes, that's all taken care of. So, how much money should I exchange?"

"Well, it's up to you I suppose. It's five pounds to a galleon."

"Alright. So five galleons is twenty-five pounds?"

"Correct." Remus smiled.

"What about sickles and knuts?"

"Well, one pound is made of a hundred pence. And funnily enough, one knut is roughly equal to one pence. And I know from experience that one pound is three sickles and twelve knuts."

"That sounds like a lot of coins to carry around."

Remus laughed before he could stop himself.

"Oh no, no. Aside from just one penny coins, there's also 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 pence coins. Then 5, 10, 20, and 50 pound notes. They're made of paper, so they're very light."

"Made of paper?!" Regulus exclaimed in astonishment. "That's really strange. Though... I suppose it's more convenient than heavy coins in your pocket. But still, how can a piece of paper be worth the same as ten galleons?"

"Eventually you'll start asking questions I don't know how to answer. I'm probably grossly oversimplifying, but notes represent the weight in gold without having to carry it around."

"Oh, I see. That makes some sort of sense, I suppose."

Soon, they were leaving the bank, Regulus examining his thirty pounds curiously.

"Anything you want to do here before we leave?" asked Sirius.

"Hm? No, I'm alright. I don't want to stay here very long."

"I suppose you wouldn't. It'll be okay you know. Even if it might not feel like it, most people aren't giving us a second thought as we walk by. Don't think about them either and just go about your business."

"Yes I know," Regulus sighed. "But easier said than done."

"I guess. Just try to keep it in mind," Sirius offered a smile and patted his brother on the shoulder.

Soon, they were in the Leaky Cauldron, waving at Peter to get his attention. He smiled once he noticed, and hurried over to join the group.

"Nice to see ya, mate!" said James, patting his friend on the back. "Have a good holiday?"

"Yes, it was great, thanks!" He turned to Regulus. "I heard what happened. Have you been holding up okay?"

"Oh, yes, these three have been nothing short of spoiling me during the past few days." Regulus smiled.

"Have not," laughed Remus.

"We definitely have," nodded James, grinning.

"I'm glad you're doing alright," said Peter with a smile. "Sirius was worried about you."

"What?" Sirius turned his head, giving Peter an exasperated look.

"I know." Regulus smirked. "Come on, let's get a move on then."

And so the five left the pub, Sirius huffing in embarrassment, going out into muggle London.

It was so loud. Regulus stared in amazement at the cars going by and the crowds of people walking around. Places like Diagon Alley got busy, sure, but this was a loudness he wasn’t used to and really had to concentrate to separate the different sounds. The cars were the loudest as he tried to listen to the people walking by. He caught a snippet of a group of friends talking about going to the cinema, then a couple speaking another language he couldn’t place. He nearly tripped over the curb as he focused too much on listening to someone speaking English but in an accent that certainly wasn’t British. Was it American? Regulus then felt he didn’t have enough eyes as he tried looking everywhere.

"What's that?" he asked in interest, motioning to a large building as they walked towards the square.

"That's the National Gallery," Remus explained. "I think you'd quite enjoy it, actually. We should go sometime. They would get bored too fast." He waved in the direction of the other three.

"I feel I should take offense to that, but I'm also pretty sure you're right," said Sirius.

"Hm, now to find Severus."

"Over there," Regulus motioned, where Severus was sitting at the base of one of the bronze lions, reading a book as he waited.

"Oi!" James called out. Severus looked up and stood to greet them. Remus, Regulus, and to an extent, James, greeted him warmly, which he returned politely if a bit awkwardly. Sirius and Peter gave and received uncomfortable nods.

"Have you been doing alright the past few days?" asked Regulus.

"Alright as I can. The real concern is how you're doing."

"Don't say that. And I'm much better."

"So, where do you want to start?" asked James, also rather excited for a muggle tour.

"I don't really know. Everywhere if there were enough hours in the day. Remus, what do you recommend to start with? If we're planning to come back to see the gallery. You're the expert."

"Oh, well..." Even though it was technically true, the compliment still made Remus flustered. "Hm, it would probably be good for us to visit Westminster. It's of historical and political importance; you ought to learn about this world's government."

"You do have a point." The historical aspect interested him more than the political aspect. "Is it far? Ooh, will we get to take a bus?"

Remus wanted to laugh at Regulus' excitement over a bus.

"Hmm, it's not that far, but if you want to. If you don't mind more suggestions, you might also be very interested in seeing the Tower of London. We would definitely take a bus to get there."

"What's interesting about that?" asked James earnestly.

"The history. Which you'll find out about. Also, it's nearly as old as Hogwarts. Nearby, there's a section of the old city walls, which is certainly older than the school."

"London used to have walls around it?" said Sirius.

"The City of London, yes, up until the 1700's. It started getting torn down after the Great Fire of London. Of course what we consider London now is much bigger." Remus saw the blank stares from everyone except Severus, the only person who knew what he was talking about. "Dear Lord, perhaps I should become a history professor."

"You have always liked the subject." Peter nodded. "Maybe you can teach Muggle Studies."

"Hey, there's an idea!" James grinned.

"I suppose I never thought about that." Remus thought perhaps it was something he could consider.

"So, we'll walk to Westminster and spend some time there doing whatever you do there. Then we can have some lunch? Then after that take a bus to the Tower of London and see the things to see there. Then at some point have dinner and go home? Is there time for more?"

"Sounds like a good plan.” Remus smiled. He didn’t know how he ended up being some sort of group leader, but he supposed it made sense since he was the most familiar. Well, Severus was likely just as familiar as he was, but doubted he’d be as easy to follow. Of course, his doubt was only on a particular three.

"Shall we get going then?" asked Sirius.

"Yes, let's."

"Lead the way, Moony!"

---

Regulus kept nearly tripping over himself as he tried to look at everything around him, and there was so much to look at. He already wished there was more time, and they had barely begun their adventure. They soon passed through an archway of a large structure, which Regulus stopped to look at in wonder.

"Anno decimo..." he trailed off as he read the rest of the Latin. "'In the tenth year of King Edward VII, to Queen Victoria, from most grateful citizens, 1910.' So that was the name of the king at the time?"

"Yes," answered Remus, a bit impressed by the other's ability to read Latin. How did he not know this before?

"Then who was Queen Victoria?"

"His mother."

"Oh I see. " He started walking again, not wanting to hold up everyone. "Who is the monarch now? I thought there was a muggle minister?"

"Queen Elizabeth II. And yes, we have a Prime Minister too." Inwardly, Remus was hoping he wouldn't end up being asked something he didn't know the answer to.

"Oh. How does that work? Do they share the power?"

"Well, the Queen appoints the Prime Minister and represents Britain on state visits and such, but aside from that, it's mostly symbolic and tradition. The Prime Minister is the real political leader."

"And who's the Prime Minister? I would sound really idiotic to any muggle if I didn't know."

Remus laughed.

"I suppose you would. It's James Gallaghan."

"Nice name." James grinned.

They continued along St. James’ Park, complete with more jokes from James once he saw the name of it, who ignored the eye rolling he received from both Severus and Remus.

"It's rather nice with the trees all around," Regulus said as they continued along The Mall. They had good luck with the weather that day. It was warm and only a little cloudy.

"It is, isn't it?"

"Remus, you're going back home tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, unfortunately. I'd like to stay, but I feel bad for imposing on James for so long. Besides, the full moon is coming up soon."

"I'll visit you afterwards." He knew Remus was only staying at the Potters’ for a few days, but he still wished it was longer.

"I would like that." Remus smiled.

"Have you been to Remus' house yet?" asked Peter.

"No, I haven't," Regulus answered. "I look forward to it though. I hope his parents like me."

"They will. They're very nice, especially his mum," said James. "They always make the three of us feel welcome. I know they'll treat you the same."

"Exactly. Just be polite and they'll love you," Sirius agreed.

“Then how do they like you at all?” Regulus joked. Severus suppressed a laugh. James didn’t suppress his laugh at all, especially at Sirius’ offended expression.

“Hey I can be nice!”

"You said they reacted well when you told them about me, right?"

"Yes," said Remus. "Mum was very supportive. Dad was a little worried, considering the family you come from, but knowing Sirius made him worry less. I think actually meeting you would be a good thing."

"I suppose his concern isn't unreasonable," Regulus paused. "I'm sure my name is burnt off the tapestry by now, and that the whole family knows what happened."

"Probably," grumbled Sirius. "You know, maybe sometime we'll be able to visit cousin 'Dromeda. I think she might be okay with that."

"That would be nice. It's been a really long time and I quite miss her. I always preferred her visits over Bella's." Regulus regretted bringing up her name. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his heartbeat.

"Same here. Or Cissy's."

"She was alright until she started bringing Lucius over."

"Hmm, I don’t know, maybe. She certainly was never as insane as Bellatrix. But she’s also always been deep in their worldview."

"Oh right," said Remus, recalling the Blacks' cousins. "Andromeda married... was he a muggle, or a muggle-born?"

"Muggle-born if I recall correctly," Regulus answered. A small smile on his face, he looked around as they walked, enjoying the light breeze as he pushed his other cousins out of his mind again. There certainly were a lot of people, both walking and on bicycles, some taking pictures of things. People visiting from other countries, he guessed, remembering the various languages and accents he heard at the square.

"Severus, have you been here before?" asked Remus cheerfully.

"Hm?" He was still getting used to being addressed as such. "I have. Here exactly, no. But I have spent time in Hyde Park, as well as Bankside and the City of London."

"That so?" Remus was a bit surprised that Severus visited Bankside, and wondered if he enjoyed Shakespeare. Of course the Globe Theatre had been gone for centuries, but the area was still known for it. He debated on asking, but he thought maybe they should all get to know him better, and vice versa. “Do you like Shakespeare at all, then?”

“Er, a bit,” Severus answered a bit flustered, not anticipating any questions about himself. “Did you know there are plans to build a replica of the Globe?”

“Oh!” Remus did not know. “I quite like the idea of that.”

“What are they on about?” asked Sirius. James and Regulus shrugged.

“A famous playwright. I think you’d like him actually, Sirius.” Remus saw Severus look at him in confusion. He clarified. “All the dirty jokes.”

“Ah,” Severus said. “Of course.”

"So have you been to the Tower already?" Remus asked as Sirius was pondering whether or not he should be feeling insulted. But damn was it weird seeing Remus and Snape getting along.

"Yes, although I certainly don't mind going again. I hadn't gone inside."

"Well, I'm glad that can be a new experience for everyone!"

As they approached their first destination, Regulus' eyes widened.

"That's a lot of people."

Regulus knew there would be a lot of people, but he underestimated just how many there would be, even more so than at the square. It was a bit overwhelming. Still, he stared up at the Victoria Memorial, drawn to how the light of the sun was reflecting off of the gilded goddess of victory. A weighted profundity came over him as he recognized the symbols of Truth, Justice, and Courage just below the figure of Victory. He could not see the carving of Motherhood on the other side, facing the palace rather than him.

"You okay, mate?" asked James, bringing Regulus out of his reverie.

"Hm? Oh, yes," he said quietly. Severus looked at the monument curiously, trying to figure out why Regulus seemed so taken. After a moment, he understood. Better than Regulus did, as he knew what the entire thing looked like, realizing the full extent of the irony. Regulus did hold a victory for these things. He nearly laughed.

"Nice statue isn't it?" Severus muttered to Regulus, who smiled satirically.

"Very."

"So what do you think?" asked Remus. He kept his friendly tone, but rather didn’t like them muttering to each other. He felt guilty for feeling so.

"It's a very beautiful place. This is where the Queen lives, correct?"

"That's right."

"I'm sure it's magnificent on the inside."

"It is. I've seen photos, as it's not open to the public."

"So we can't see any of it?" Regulus didn't bother hiding the disappointment in his voice.

"Unfortunately not. There is the Queen's Gallery though, which is a public art gallery. Another thing we can do sometime if you wish to."

"Yes, I'd like that."

"We can have a trip dedicated to museums and galleries then." Remus laughed.

"Sounds perfect."

"Sounds boring," Sirius teased.

"Well don't worry, you're not invited," Remus quipped. James and Peter laughed, while Sirius stuck his tongue out at them.

"So where are we going now?"

"To see the rest of Westminster," Remus answered as they turned onto Spur Road toward Buckingham Gate. "We've seen the Queen's house, now you must see where the parliament is. And it's, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful areas of London."

"I'll see about that, I guess," Regulus teased. "Sev, have you been there?"

"I have."

"What do you think then?"

Severus hesitated, thinking of how his name had been used recently. Surely he could… 

"I must agree with Remus."

"Well he does have good taste," Remus said, smirking. He was nearly thrown off-guard by being referred to by first name, but didn’t want to make a production of it. The joke was lost on Sirius and Peter. As for James, it took all the effort he had not to laugh.

"If you say so," Severus said as neutrally as possible, but he could hardly believe Remus would make such a joke.

"So, what were you reading?" Regulus asked in an attempt to diffuse the conversation. That was far too awkward for him. Severus hesitated, thinking if he said the author, that Remus would find it amusing and possibly laugh. Because of course someone like him would enjoy Poe.

"...Just a collection of short stories."

"Alright." Regulus wondered if he was embarrassed to say. They walked on.

A light breeze blew through the narrow street, a welcome thing on such a warm August day. Perfect to be outdoors. Just as when they were at the palace, he was surprised at the number of people, though the more he thought about it, the more he figured he shouldn't be. Those people were just like him, in a way. Coming to learn about this country, probably far away from their own. Except in his case, it had been right under his nose his entire life and he never even bothered. He inwardly lamented his own ignorance.

"What are you thinking about?" Remus asked softly after Regulus had been quiet for a while. But he didn't really want to answer.

"Cars," he said matter-of-factly. "If you cannot use magical means of transportation, they're very practical. But I only wish they didn't smell so awful. Especially in these smaller spaces, the air feels dirty."

"I think most people would agree with you on that one. Magical and muggle alike. But I think most muggles have gotten used to it."

"Maybe I will too."

There was a lot he needed to get used to. It wasn’t as if his life was completely uprooted— he was still going back to school like normal, Severus was still his friend, Sirius was once again his brother, Remus was still there for him. He left 12 Grimmauld Place behind, but as a result, a larger world opened up.

---

Chapter Text

The group continued toward their next destination, ignoring the occasional side-eye they’d receive due to being a group of moderately rowdy young adults. Mostly Sirius and James. They all kept close, but naturally formed two smaller groups. Severus was staying near Regulus of course, therefore Remus too. This kept Sirius slightly away though, and James kept going back and forth, not wanting Sirius and Peter to feel left behind.

Less than five minutes later, Regulus' eyes widened as Westminster Abbey came into view.

"It should be even better on the inside." Remus smiled at him. "Ah, right. There is an entrance fee."

"I..." Severus hesitated to say he didn't have the money for it. But Regulus was one step ahead of him.

"Don't worry, I'll pay for yours. No." Regulus looked at him sternly, seeing the look of protest. "It's fine. Really."

Once they paid their admissions and walked through the doors into the nave, a sense of awe washed upon Regulus, a feeling that was familiar somehow, but that at the moment couldn't quite articulate.

"Sort of reminds me of when we walked into the Great Hall for the first time," said James. Yes. That was the feeling. That was it exactly.

As reluctant as he was, Severus agreed with James completely. It was like one's first experience in Hogwarts. This was an important place. A sacred place. Not in any religious sense, he believed in nothing of the sort a church though it may be, but in a historical sense. A place like this could be felt in one's bones. He thought perhaps he could say so.

“Yes,” Severus said gently, staring off toward the high altar. “That’s something one can never forget.”

“Going to miss your dungeons?” James very lightly teased, giving a friendly grin. Severus responded with a defiant smirk.

“Certainly.”

James laughed. Something about that reminded him of when he first started befriending Regulus.

“I think I’m starting to get how you and Regulus are friends.”

Severus couldn’t figure out whether or not that was some sort of compliment.

"There certainly are a lot of tombs here," Sirius stated as they explored the giant space, Remus looking quite enamoured with the coronation chair.

"I guess if you're important enough, you get put in a place like this," said Peter.

"Who is Sir Isaac Newton?" Regulus asked. Remus suppressed a chuckle.

"I'll lend you a science book. You might find it interesting."

"Alright. Must be important then. Ah, hey. If the royalty lives at the palace, why is the coronation chair here?"

"Well, because the coronations are done here. Royal weddings, too, for hundreds of years."

"Oh, okay. You know, while the feeling was the same, this is a lot more… decadent than Hogwarts. The entire building seems like a work of art."

"Castles were originally built for defensive purposes," Severus decided to answer this time. "They had no use for decoration. Plus, this was built over multiple time periods. It started out as something likely much more modest."

"I see."

"Oh." James let out a sound of surprise as they entered the quire. Over to the side, they could see a couple of monks chatting with each other. However, one got startled and looked mildly irritated as a muggle tourist walked right through him.

"Best not to talk to them," said Remus. "Remember, the muggles can't see ghosts, so it would look like you're talking to nothing. This must be where the original abbey was."

As they walked past, Sirius smiled and winked at the ghosts, causing Regulus to snicker as the monks looked a bit thrown by the fact people could see them. Remus sighed. He should have figured someone would completely disregard his advice. What made him feel better about it though was for that second, those two were so clearly siblings. He definitely preferred this over the day in the hospital wing.

"Ah, magical folk, it seems," one of them said. "Every so often, we got one in here."

"To answer a question we get often, no Geoffrey Chaucer is not a ghost, and neither is Charles Darwin," said the other. "However, if you wander around enough, you might find Sir Isaac Newton. He doesn't like loitering around his grave."

Both Remus and Severus seemed vaguely surprised by this information and looked at each other in confirmation that this was indeed an interesting development.

"You know, I'm a little surprised to see the ghost of monks, but now that I think about it, there's no reason that none would end up being wizards," Remus said in the direction of James.

"Yes," said the second monk. "It's something we had to suppress."

"Sounds awful," said Sirius.

"But it seems I can skip that book, if I can just speak to the man himself," Regulus said to Remus.

"I suppose so," Remus laughed. "I didn't know he was magical. Perhaps there was something to his alchemy after all."

"Yes," piped in the first monk. "He has on occasion mentioned something called the Philosopher's Stone?"

"Fascinating," Severus said, rather intrigued as he vaguely recalled the term from a chocolate frog card.

---

Peter had a hard time wrapping his head around all of it. Regulus, he could understand. Regulus was Remus' boyfriend, and he knew how the younger Black had ended up here with them. Yes, everyone else seemed to always be a step ahead of him, but that was usual. He was often slow on the uptake and it wasn't always their fault. They didn't purposefully leave him in the dark about things. But being friendly with Snape so suddenly? It almost seemed to have come out of nowhere.

He pondered this as they all walked toward the Thames, Regulus talking excitedly about their adventure at the abbey and the connection of alchemy and muggle science.

Throughout their years at school, he had no reason to hold a grudge against Regulus Black aside from just taking Sirius' word on what a terrible person his brother was. He was very surprised then when he found out Remus fancied him, but Peter decided to give him a chance. After all, he trusted James and Remus. Plus, he was glad he wasn't the only one who had been oblivious. He knew it never crossed Sirius' mind that it could be Regulus. That was such a frustrating thing, Sirius not talking to Remus like that. While bewildering, this situation was definitely better. He thought it an awful thing that happened; the letter James had sent to him was quite alarming. But if things ended up like this, perhaps some good came of it.

But still, it was never properly explained to him why Snape was there. And why everyone, with the exception of Sirius, was being so friendly with him. Alright, Sirius wasn't being mean, but he was still avoiding conversation, unlike the others. Remus, maybe that made sense. Remus was nice to everyone. But James talking to Snape as if he was a friend? That was surreal. For a moment he thought he had misread when he saw the words ‘then we're meeting up with Severus’ in the letter containing their plans before Regulus had to go back to school.

Weird or not though, he had to admit that it was a bit relieving to think Snape might be on the same side as them. After all, those Slytherins were very intimidating in his opinion.

Sirius, on the other hand, understood. He knew Snape was Regulus' best friend, and Remus wasn't about to exclude him. It was a bit unexpected to him, though, that Snape had agreed to hang out with them for the day. Maybe that was just exemplary of how close friends they are if Snape was willing to be around the rest of them. James was clearly trying to make up for the past and it looked as though Snape was being receptive of this. Sirius thought perhaps he should try to do so as well, but he had a hard time bringing himself to talk to him. That said, Snape was different than he expected. He expected someone more reproachful and scathing. That’s the side Sirius saw over the years (He didn’t want to admit just yet that maybe that was the side they forced out of him). Watching him now, Snape wasn't necessarily a warm person, but not so cold, at least to the others. It was strange, but not unwelcome to see him look at Remus and James with something that wasn’t hatred. And he flat out smiled at Regulus. At this, Sirius felt a combination of conflicting things, causing his face to tighten.

Severus caught Sirius looking at him that way, and thinking Sirius was glaring at him, glared back before focusing his attention back to the conversation he was having with James about Paracelsus.

---

"I don't know about you lot, but I'm getting hungry," said Sirius.

"Yes, I could eat," Regulus answered.

"What would you like?" Remus asked. "This is your day, so whatever you want."

"I'm not sure. Something I haven't had before."

As the others discussed where to go, Remus explaining different options, James quietly nudged Severus' arm.

"What?"

"We don't want you to go hungry." James stuffed two five-pound notes into the other's hand. "I didn't really think you'd want a show of it once we were actually there. So here."

"I appreciate it, but you really don't hav-" He saw how much he had been given and looked at James, wide-eyed. "This is too much."

James just shook his head.

"Nah, keep it, even if you don't use it all today. Though I can give you a couple galleons instead."

"No. No, this is… thank you." Feeling a little dazed, he folded the notes and put them in his pocket. "Why are you doing this for me? Is it pity?"

"Not pity, necessarily. Guilt and conscience more like. Is it wrong of me to try and make up for everything I did?"

"You have changed after all." The more cynical side of Severus wanted to accuse James of just trying to solve his problems of guilt with money, but he knew in reality that wasn’t necessarily the case. It was a true desire to help and in this particular situation, that’s just what was currently going to be helpful.

"I think we all have, at least a bit. In good ways, I like to think."

Severus was quiet a moment before speaking again.

"We need to talk about something later."

"I know."

---

Remus bit his lip, trying really hard not to laugh as they all sat on a bus going to the other side of the Thames. Regulus was turned toward the window, looking out in excited, child-like wonder, almost like a puppy wanting to stick its head out the window of a car.

"I'm glad you're having a good time," he said, smiling. Regulus turned to face Remus now, eyes bright.

"Certainly one of the best days I've ever had."

"Good to hear it."

"I like being here with everyone," Regulus said quietly. "It will also be nice to go out with just you, though."

"Yes, I agree. We will, I promise. I'm sure Sirius will be wanting to spend quality time with you too."

"Of course that's going to happen, since it seems likely I'll eventually be moving in with him. At least for a while. That… that will be good though."

Remus nodded.

"It will be healthy for both of you. But, 'for a while'?"

"For a while. That is, until you and I live together," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Remus' cheeks burned.

"You want to?"

"Eventually. I need some time. Perhaps when my life is a little more stable."

"I'm just happy the possibility is in your mind. Take what time you need; we're still young and there's no reason to rush into things."

"Oh, we're stopping again."

"Seems this is ours." Remus smiled and motioned to the rest of the group to get up.

---

"I'm glad we live now and not back then," Sirius said as they went through one of the recreated bedrooms in the Tower of London. "That furniture seems so uncomfortable."

"Yes, a bit," Remus chuckled.

"Plus, I don't know… it seems hard to sleep in a place where they also did a bunch of executions outside. And those two kids..." he shuddered.

"It's a sad feeling place," said Regulus. "It's incredibly fascinating, but has a dark, heavy feel to it."

"The yeoman was hilarious though." James nodded.

"Yes." Regulus laughed. "And how he's partially right about the hauntings."

"Haha, yeah. It's definitely haunted, but not by who they think it is."

"Has no one tried to correct the mistakes?"

"How would you prove it?" Sirius asked, more rhetorical than anything.

"Okay, good point."

"I'm going to miss the castle, I think," said James with a sigh. Severus couldn't agree more, but didn't feel as though he had to say so.

"Me too. Buy hey, onto the next adventure, right?" Sirius pat James on the back happily.

"Obviously you'll just have to come visit. Come to the House Cup and support me." Regulus smirked. "If I don't get kicked off the team, that is."

"I think you will be alright," said Severus. "I doubt Talkalot would go against Head Boy."

"I hope not. She is relatively reasonable and knows I fly well."

"Hmpf. If anyone gives you trouble, you just tell me, okay?" Sirius requested. "I'll make sure they think twice about bothering you again."

"While I appreciate the sentiment, please don't."

"Plus, it seems you have Dumbledore looking out for you." Remus smiled. "And you're one of Slughorn's favorites. You have power on your side."

"That is reassuring," Regulus said as they headed to Wakefield Tower.

---

"Are you sure you don't want to eat with us at James' house?" asked Regulus.

"You're welcome any time," said James, giving Severus a pointed look, as he couldn't quite say what he wanted to at that moment.

"Thank you, and I'll keep it in mind." Severus nodded knowingly as he saw them off near the entrance to Diagon Alley.

The five finally made it back to the Potter estate, legs tired from so much walking, yet still full of energy. Regulus particularly ached, but he was in too good a mood to care; his mind was still fully awake.

"Welcome home," said Mrs. Potter. "Hello Peter, it's nice to see you again!"

"You too," Peter answered, offering a smile.

"Did you all have a good time?"

"It was great," said Regulus earnestly. "Very enlightening."

"I think I've gotten the hang of public transport," said James.

"Good to hear," his mother chuckled. "Lily will be pleased. Speaking of, she sent an owl saying she might stop by if it was alright. I figured it would be. Also, your father should be home very soon as well."

"Of course it's alright!" James' eyes practically sparkled.

"Maybe it's a good thing Snape didn't stay then," said Sirius. James just rolled his eyes.

"A shame," said Mrs. Potter. "That boy could use a few square meals."

"Don't worry. We made sure he ate something today," James reassured. Soon enough, Mr. Potter arrived home. "Hey, dad."

"Oh, you got here before me!" he said.

"Just barely. We've only been here a few minutes."

"That's good. I didn't want to keep you all waiting for me. Oh, hello Peter. I trust your summer has been pleasant?"

"Yes, sir, thanks. Good to see you again," Peter replied.

"This house is getting fuller by the day, isn't it?" he laughed.

"Lily might be coming tonight too," added James.

"Well, there will be plenty of food for everyone," said Mrs. Potter kindly.

The friends lounged around in the sitting room, having a nice time relaxing. Now in a non-public area, Regulus curled up next to Remus, slightly leaning against him.

"So, do you think you'll have moved into a flat by the time I come back for Christmas?" he asked his brother.

"I expect so. Regardless, I'll be there to greet you at King's Cross."

"Frankly, it'll probably be a welcoming party," laughed James.

"Bloody hell." Though really, it warmed Regulus' heart.

"I can't believe I'm going to be rooting for Slytherin to win the House Cup this year." James shook his head. "Absolutely ridiculous."

"Looks like you're going to have a busy year," said Peter. “Quidditch, N.E.W.Ts, and Head Boy duties?”

"Yeah, looks like it," Regulus agreed. "I don't really mind though. It might be a good thing though. All of it will provide a nice distraction and keep me productive. As long as I have time for Hogsmeade visits, I'll be fine."

Just then, there was a polite knock on the door and James rushed over happily. Once everyone else got there, Lily was cheerfully greeting the Potters, receiving a particularly big hug and kiss from James.

"Oh, you and Peter are here too?" she asked Remus as she gave him a friendly hug. "Wait, you've been staying over here, right?"

"Yes, though I go back home tomorrow morning. I shouldn't impose on their hospitality too long," he chuckled.

"Oh, you're never imposing, dear," Mrs. Potter said.

"Thank you for saying so." Still, Remus felt like he shouldn't ask too much.

"Regulus, it's nice to see you. You seem well." Lily smiled, but felt sad knowing what had happened. She was invited to their day trip, but James had the forethought to tell her Severus was going to be there as well. She wanted to be able to rebuild their friendship, really she did, but felt she needed just a little more time. She’d later ask James how the outing with him went, influencing her decision.

"Yes, things are good right now. And thanks, you as well."

After a slight moment of deliberation, she pulled him into a gentle embrace.

"I'm so happy for you."

One thing that still kept catching him by surprise was the utter love and kindness toward him. He had been welcomed with open arms by the Potters, Lily Evans caring about his wellbeing. He wouldn't cry. But he felt a wave of emotion and hesitantly returned the hug.

"Everyone ready to eat then?" said James once the moment was over.

"Definitely." Sirius grinned.

And with happy hearts, they all sat together around the table.

---

Remus turned out the light, and Regulus wrapped an arm around him, resting his head against the other's shoulder.

Regulus was exhausted, but filled with a blissful contentment, and a certain warmth in his heart that he didn't quite know how to describe. As Remus leaned over to kiss his temple, the word, the surreal realization finally came to him.

He was accepted here. He belonged here.

"Remus?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Quiet. Then, Remus turned over and held Regulus close, smiling against him.

"I love you too."

---