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Chapter Text

Summer of 1972, France.

There was nothing much to do at Black Manor besides reading in the library. At least, that’s what little Regulus Black believed. Since he could remember, his family would spend the summer in their ancestral state in France, and his brother and cousins loved it. He also adored the place; don’t get him wrong. But where the other Black children spent their days basking in the sun and playing in the pond, he had always been a sickly child, and, at ten years of age, his mother wouldn’t permit him to engage in such “strenuous activities”. That’s how Regulus Black spent his summers, and how he thought he would spend his life, trapped in the dark and forced to see the fun of others through the window.

And so, as soon as he learned how to read, he spent his days in the family library researching the many powerful wizards in his family line. He found it comforting; the many magical feats accomplished by his ancestors were almost a fairytale to him. His mother thought it most proper, but his brother, on the other hand, found it boring. Sirius Black was a child full of energy and a born leader, as their mother loved to boast at galas. He loved parading Regulus around as his second-in-command and hated it when his mother wouldn’t let him get his way and take little Reggie out for a while.

That summer, however, everything had changed. Regulus would start his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by the end of August, and Sirius was in “a rebellious streak”, as Father liked to say. The previous year, his brother had been sorted into Gryffindor, much to the distaste of their family. He had been the first Black to end up in the house of the lion in centuries, if not ever, and had started to frequent “distasteful companies”. He had started to talk back to their parents, and their punishments did not take long to arrive. Regulus tried to lay low for a while, immersing himself into his magical studies, and Sirius started to look at him differently.

“You know that’s all rubbish, right?” he said one day at the library. “Pardon?” asked Regulus without looking up from his book. Sirius’ eyes filled with disdain. “All that blood supremacist theory that you read, Reggie!”. Now, Regulus was paying attention. “My studies have nothing to do with blood supremacy; maybe if you stopped looking down your nose at me, you would have realized”. That only worsened the other’s mood. “I don’t want to mess with dark magic, thank you very much!”. Regulus knew his brother wouldn’t understand, but he couldn’t help but reply honestly. “I don’t see why not”. As if that was the worst thing he could have said, his brother turned around and left hurriedly.

Regulus’ obsession with his studies didn’t come just from purely academic purposes, though. He had a little secret that fueled his search for knowledge; he saw things. Not in a psychotic kind of way, far from that, he saw things that were happening were he couldn't reach or things that had happened even long before he was born. He had always had very lucid and vivid dreams, but the important things came to him when he was awake. He never lost things, for he always knew where everything was; he knew all the best-kept secrets, even if no one had told them to him; and always knew everyone’s names even before they introduced themselves to him. Most assumed he was just very careful and perceptive, but he knew better. He researched and found that many with his blood had the sight. It wasn’t a well-known fact, as none of them were oracles and their abilities were not seen as something useful, a “party trick” as his grandfather told him.
This, however, did not discourage him. The Blacks were declared dark wizards, and with that came a basic knowledge of the dark and light rites, but he knew there were many different branches of magic, and he wanted to explore them.

October 1972, Hogwarts.

Things were going as expected, well… more or less.
He was sorted into Slytherin, as expected.
He was doing well in his classes, as expected
His parents were pleased, as expected.
His relationship with Sirius had grown distant because of it, which was also, although sadly, expected.

His research on the branches of magic advanced rapidly now that he had access to a library whose main focus wasn't exclusively the dark arts, which was also expected.
However, there were some things not even he could predict: he had made friends, good ones. Regulus had always been a quiet child, forever in Sirius’ shadow, and many in his family feared he wouldn’t fare well at school, himself included. But surprisingly, that was not the case; he thrived in Slytherin. His dorm-mates, Evan Rosier, Dorcas Meadowes, and Barty Crouch Junior, were loud and outgoing, which got him out of his shell, but it was Pandora Rosier who truly helped him. She was the first to notice his abilities and convinced them all to do research with him.

She had an almost clinical approach to it, though. Dorcas was appointed to take note of every stimuli that made him see, while Barty and Evan put together the necessary literature for her to analyze the data. That’s how they arrived at the second unpredictable event of the year: as it turns out, Regulus was more partial to earthly magic.

Everyone thought he would declare for the dark; he was a Black after all, but he knew that wouldn’t be the case. It was Dorcas, in her infinite wisdom, who, after compiling the data, suggested a lesser-known kind of magic, earth magic, as her family and she herself were declared earthly mages. The others continued with their research, for “self-discovery,” affirmed Pandora, and although the Rosier twins confirmed their inclination for dark magic, Barty discovered a surprising aptitude for the light, much to his dismay.

They started to celebrate the rites of the wheel of the year together, much to Sirius’ disdain. After that summer at Black Manor, where their parents had tried to violently correct his ways, Sirius had completely repudiated the wizarding culture as a whole. Regulus realized this rather abruptly when he approached his brother and his friends to invite him to the Samhain celebrations. He had looked at him coldly and said, “I don’t associate myself with dark wizards”, and there was that. In retrospect, Regulus should have seen it coming.

Christmas of 1978, London.

It wasn’t until years later that all his studies came to fruition. Times were getting tougher, people were growing restless, and the wizarding world was more polarized than ever. Sirius had run away to the Potter’s two years ago, and since then, their parents had gotten more vigilant. They were insistent that he declare for the dark, but he had been able to keep their exigences at bay by attending every celebration of the wheel. It was during the night of the Yule celebration, after a guidance rite, that he saw it in his dream.

The faceless man.
The green light.
A ring under the floor.
A book on a shelf.
A cup in a vault.
A locket inside a cave at sea.
They were all one. They were all him.

He woke in a cold sweat, and he knew what he had to do. At first, Regulus thought about doing it alone, but as soon as that idea crossed his mind, the crystal plate next to his bed, leftover from his quick dinner the night before, cracked. Regulus was not one to ignore a dead omen.

He concentrated on his friends. Pandora and Evan were at the Rosier state; for some reason, so was Barty. However, Dorcas was occupied with a blonde in Glasgow, and it looked pretty intimate, so Regulus left that alone and flooed to the others. He woke them up quickly and sent an owl to Dorcas’ location, telling her where to meet. There was work to do.

Summer of 1980.

They had spent two years on the hunt. Regulus and his friends had destroyed three of the first four Horcruxes, but the maniac had made one more. His brother’s so-called brother, Potter, recently had a child with that redhead he was obsessed with at Hogwarts. He preferred not to think about that, but there was talk that the brat was on Riddle’s radar due to some kind of prophecy. Time was running out; they needed to work faster.

It was the night of Lammas when he finally decided to do it. Beltane, the night for balance and rebirth, would have been more appropriate for this ritual, but it would have to do. The five of them were reunited for the celebration when his turn came, the last of the night. “On this night, I wish to perform a rite of power”. The eyes of his friends were on him; he could feel that they knew what he was going to do, but they were hoping he wouldn’t. “I ask the Earth to reinforce my clairvoyance gift.” There was a collective gasp, and Barty let out a soft “Reg-” but Evan quickly hushed him; they all knew they couldn’t intervene. “I ask the Earth to aid me, and for that, I willingly renounce the earthly sense of sight. Tonight, I close the eyes in my body to fully open the eyes of my mind.” He closed his eyes and chanted, “Tibi oculos meos do ut videre possim”. He felt the earthly magic enveloping him “Tibi oculos meos do ut videre possim”. He felt the freshness in his face, “Tibi oculos meos do ut videre possim.” When he opened his eyes, there was nothing for him to see. Pandora closed the circle, thanking their guides. It was done.

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It took a while to get used to being blind, if one could truly call him that. His eyes didn’t work anymore, granted, but Regulus saw better than ever. He saw his visions and dreams more clearly now, and he could read the omens the earth sent his way without a fault. He still knew everyone’s secrets and names, even if they hadn’t even uttered them out loud. He still knew where everything was, even if he hadn’t touched the objects.

That’s why, months passed the ritual and with the diadem, the new Horcrux, taken care of, he felt especially uneasy when Evan found the location of the cave at sea. He had been postponing this moment, leaving the locket for last for some reason foreign to him. He knew if he put his mind to it, the location would be revealed to him, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it and had to relegate the task to his friends. He couldn’t postpone it anymore; they had to end this. The group was somber when they apparated to the cliffs, and he knew why. The moon had blood in it.

It was decided that he and the twins would go in and retrieve the locket while Barty and Dorcas stood guard outside the cave, and so, he opened the cave with a cut on his hand. Once they set foot in the cave, a wave of dark magic hit them like a wall. He realized what they were just a second before Evan declared, “Inferi” with a solemn face. The Rosier twins were dark wizards, but where Evan specialised in death magic, Pandora leaned heavily towards healing. “We need the boat,” announced Regulus.” It only fits two people”. “Reg and I will go to the locket,” declared Pandora. “You stay here and keep them at bay”. Regulus assumed the twins were having one of their silent conversations and waited until Pandora grabbed his arm. “It’s this way, Dora.” he guided her to where the hidden boat lay, and they took off towards it.

After a while, the boat touched rock, and Pandora helped him get off. It was cold, and he could hear the waves crashing. “It’s inside the basin,” He explained. “You’ll need to make me drink the potion.” She tried to protest, but he cut her off, “We wouldn’t be able to heal you, it has to be me”. She knew he was right, so she gently guided him towards the basin and helped him drink. He felt excruciating pain at the first sip. He was thirsty; he was dying; he needed water. Pandora was saying something he couldn’t understand and forcing more of that wretched liquid down his throat. By the time it was done, he couldn’t stand by himself. He knew Pandora was still talking, but he couldn’t even hear her anymore. Regulus knew he shouldn’t, but he started to crawl towards the water. He heard her scream, but by the time she reached for him, he was already underwater.

He knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it, he knew it.

He had seen it.

There was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon, there was blood on the moon.

He had seen it.

It was his.

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When Regulus woke up, everything hurt. He tried to sit, but a hand pushed him down gently. “You scared us there.” Said Barty. “It took Dora eight hours to fix up your arm; you almost lost it.” He drank the water they gave him and fell right back to sleep. In his dream, he saw Tom Riddle. He was midst battle when a rogue spell hit him. The green light surrounded him, and he fell to the floor. He was no more, and chaos ensued.
Regulus smiled.
The blood on the moon wasn’t his this time.

Autumn Equinox of 1985, France.

Regulus left England after the night it all ended; there was nothing left there for him. He settled in a cottage by the sea in côte d’Argent. His friends lived nearby and would come and go often by floo. Pandora often brought little Luna to play by the shore, and Regulus loved having his goddaughter around. It was a quiet life, far away from the chaos he left behind.

Back in the UK, things hadn’t ended when Riddle died, far from it. The victorious party had spent years rounding up the remaining Death Eaters, and no one went unpunished. Even his cousin’s family was affected. Good old Lucius Malfoy tried to flee to escape Azkaban, leaving behind his wife and kid to bear the brunt of his crimes. He was unsuccessful, of course, but that didn’t calm Narcissa’s anger. She wrote to him, the new head of the most ancient and noble House of Black, now that his parents were dead and his brother disowned, to reclaim the surname for her and her son. “Malfoy will no longer have an heir if I can help it,” she had said.

Regulus was watering the rosemary by his back-garden gate when he felt it. The broom by the door had fallen; a visit was due. He rushed back inside the house just in time to hear a knock on the door. He opened it and greeted the one behind it. “Ah, Draco Black, welcome”. The five-year-old started to explain with a trembling voice, “My- My mother said-” but Regulus interrupted him before he started to cry, “I know, child. I am sorry for your loss.” He usered the blond boy in “C’mon, get inside. There are some rules you must follow” He told the frightened child. “In this house, we have chocolate cake for breakfast, and we never bother with silly little things like bedtimes or brushing our teeth,” Little Draco giggled, walking inside the cottage, and Regulus followed behind, levitating his luggage. Narcissa Black was gone, and the heir of the most ancient and noble house of Black was now his ward. So much for a quiet life.

Chapter Text

May of 1991, France.

Time passed, and the child of Black grew. Maybe for the first time in its history, a home from the most ancient and noble house was filled with giggles and happiness. Draco grew up playing in the gardens and learning everything there was to learn from his uncle. He ran around the shore with his cousin Luna, both with hair so white and eyes so bright they could’ve been mistaken for twins if not for the girl’s darker skin. He helped around the garden and slept in the sun. He cried all night in his uncle’s arms after the first sunburn this gave him. Regulus soon found out that only the most potent muggle sunscreen worked on the little boy’s pale skin.

Not everything was perfect, far from it. Draco missed his mother horribly, and despite all of Regulus’ efforts to keep her memory alive and tell the child everything he knew about Narcissa, it simply wasn’t enough. He would tell him about the games they played as children, how her mother used to rule over Slytherin with an iron fist, how she helped him navigate the intricacies of the old black ways, and even her story with his father. That was the night Draco decided to change his middle name and get rid of that man’s mark on his life for good.

What Regulus couldn’t see coming, pardon the pun, was the falling of the broom by the door. “Someone’s coming, Uncle Reg,” came the young voice from the kitchen. “Go to your room, Draco, these are grown-up matters”. The child went up the stairs, but Regulus could tell he was listening in on the last step as he opened the door. “Minerva, I wasn’t expecting you this soon”. He signaled for the headmistress to enter his home, and she did. “You knew I was coming?” she said looking around “If you hadn’t known I would be able to tell, you wouldn’t be here today” she shuddered and said “Seers always give me goosebumps” Regulus put on the kettle and got started with the tea “You know I am a clairvoyant Minerva, not a seer. I expected you to know the proper terms”. The headmistress sat herself down on the kitchen table and looked up. “It’s an umbrella term”.

Regulus served her a cup of Earl Grey with a splash of milk and three sugars. “You know it’s not, and you know the answer to your question, too,” he said as he sat down as well. “That is where you are mistaken, Mr. Black, you don’t know all the details.” Regulus raised a brow over the rim of her cup. “Enlighten me then,” Minerva McGonnagal put down her own cup and looked at him firmly. “As you already know, Professor Slughorn has retired.” Regulus looked at her with a bored expression. “You already have Severus for that”. She nodded. “That I do, however, we both know he’s not… well-versed with children. He cannot assume the role of Head of House Slytherin”.

Regulus sighted, “Maybe if he’s not apt for looking after the well-being of children, you shouldn’t have given him the potions position”. Minerva pursed her lips. “You know as well as I do that it was a decision made by my predecessor,” she responded. “I wouldn’t trust Albus Dumbledor with making decisions over my cat, much less my child” he said calmly “I am well aware about your opinion on Albus’ ways Mr. Black, but that is no longer a concern of yours. Mr. Snape accepted his position but rest assured, it is not an irreversible decision.” Regulus nodded “Althought this was a delightful conversation Minerva, I trust you didn’t come to my house to talk about Severus Snape’s career prospects. Let us save some time and get to the point: No, I will not be your divination professor, nor your Head of House”.

McGonnagal set her empty cup down once again. “I know you are not a seer, Mr. Black, but you are as close to a competent one as we have. Divination is not only about seeing the future, as you well know. You will be able to teach the children how to learn the omens that surround them, give them a taste of something more. You must know we are implementing the class as a core subject for the first three years and as an elective from then on, it will pay you well.” Regulus gave her a deadpan look. “I am well aware the Blacks aren’t exactly lacking on that front, but it may be good for a certain someone to have a friendly face around. You know the sentiment around his family relations hasn’t been the best since the war ended.” With that, Regulus’ milky eyes focused on her with a razor-sharp focus. “Are you threatening my child, McGonnagal?” The woman shook her head. “I am simply stating a fact”.

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When the old women left without an answer, Draco came down the stairs as silently as a mouse. He knew it was of no use, for his uncle, blind as he was, still saw every movement made in this house and any other if he put his mind to it. Sometimes it was hard being under the care of a clairvoyant. For instance, Draco couldn’t lie to him, even in the most insignificant ways. Regulus always knew it was he who had eaten his last cookie, or that he was the one who had used the rose petals he was saving, not little Luna, as Draco had claimed. He supposed it would be even more bothersome when he would become a teen, as he could never leave the house without his uncle knowing, or even sneak anyone in.

But at ten years of age, Regulus' clairvoyance only brought Draco a sense of peace. He had heard McGonnagal; he didn’t need to be clairvoyant to eavesdrop in his own kitchen, and even though her highlander accent made it impossible for him to understand some of her words, he understood that they were true just fine. Draco was no fool; he was his uncle’s child after all, and he knew his parents didn’t leave the war with many friends. Even though they had, it was better to keep away. So, having a protector that could predict any and all attacks was comforting.

Draco was well aware he wouldn’t be well received at Hogwarts, but he was a cunning child. Granted, his uncle was aware of more things than many, but he could not read minds, so he began his act. “Uncle Reg?” The man was sitting somberly at the kitchen table, but when he heard the child’s voice, he raised his head, and his blind eyes softened. “Yes, darling?” Draco could feel his eyes welling up. “Is it true? Will everyone hate me there?” He could see his uncle was alarmed. “Of course not, boy! That’s just nonsense!” Draco sensed his real anxiety creeping into his voice. “But I remember how it was before living with you, uncle! Everyone knows that man is my father, she is right!” He could see his uncle’s resolve crumbling; it was now or never. “Please, uncle, I don’t want to be all alone there!” The tears started to fall, and he felt Regulus hugging him. “You are a Black Draco, it might not be much different than being a Malfoy to some, but you know what you are. And I won’t let anyone forget.”

That night, after being tucked in bed by his uncle, Draco saw Atalanta, the family owl, fly out the window, and he knew he had won. He was a snake through and through, he thought. He tried to ignore the heavy weight that had been lifted from his chest; his reasons to trick his uncle into accepting the job at Hogwarts were purely selfish. He just wanted to be safe. He wouldn’t even have missed the old man otherwise, he told himself, even as the idea of leaving him behind made his eyes sting.

Downstairs, Regulus drank his tea calmly and smiled fondly as he sensed Draco fall asleep. His little brat almost fooled him, emphasis on the almost.

June 1991, United Kingdom.

When Harry Potter’s Hogwarts acceptance letter was delivered via owl that morning, no one was alarmed. He was at his father’s house, and when he saw the bird and what it was bringing, he floo called her mum to tell her the news. That night, all his uncles and aunts came to celebrate, and he ate treacle tart until he felt like exploding.

He was supposed to be in bed by then, but the laughs and the excitement kept him awake. Harry walked silently down the stairs and went to the kitchen for some water. He wasn’t trying to spy on his mum and aunt Marlene, he really wasn’t! They just spoke very loudly, and the conversation was interesting. After all, Harry had always been a curious child. “Have you seen the school’s list Lils?” Said his aunt, waiving the parchment in his mother's face, “Yes, Marls, I saw.” She responded, “Does Sirius know?” Her mother let out a loud laugh. “The real question is: Does James know?”

Her aunt opened her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand before laughing out loud. “Oh poor bastard! I almost forgot about that! he had such a crush on him” Both women started nodding with smiles on their faces, as if remembering something “I think the only reason Sirius didn’t notice was because he had an even more envarassing crush on me” Said his mum “Ah! the good old days! Let’s hope Baby Black brings out our lover boy again” both of them laughed again and his mum shook his head “Regulus Black, my ex’s best kept secret, my child’s teacher. Never thought I’d see the day”. The conversation continued, but Harry wasn’t paying attention anymore. He had a first-year project in mind!

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Harry had convinced his father to organise a playdate before their trip to Diagon Alley. Ron, Neville, and him were hunched over a pile of candy on the floor of the Weasley’s sitting room when he began to explain his plan. “I trust you have already seen the subjects we will have this year, right?” Neville nodded through a mouthful of candy, but Ron looked like a deer in front of the headlights. “Divination is now mandatory, and, as it seems, my dad had a crush on the teacher back at school.” Both boys looked at him with interest, so Harry kept going. “And I thought, wouldn’t it be nice of me to help my dad out and find him a boyfriend? He hasn’t gone out with anyone since him and mum split!” his friends looked at each other knowingly. “Are you sure you don’t just want an easy O in divination? I wouldn’t blame you, I think it’s just all hogwash”. Said Neville. “I would never!” Exclaimed Harry with feigned indignation. “It might be good to have a little traction with the teachers, but Uncle Moony is already there, so I have my base covered in the getting out of prank-related detentions front. I really just want my dad to find someone!”

All the boys kept quiet for a moment until Nevile broke the silence. “But what if he’s not the right one for him? That may bring trouble.” They all nodded, but suddenly Ron perked up and explained, “We should cast a spell to guide us to your dad’s soulmate! That way, if the professor is the real deal, we would know!” Both boys looked at him, perplexed. “Ron, that’s brilliant!” Ron smiled, pleased. “What can I say?, I have my moments”. However, there were some details that they couldn’t resolve on their own. “Do you know which spell we could use, though?” Asked Harry. “Well, no. But I can ask the twins!”.

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A few days later, the three boys were reunited once again for a sleepover at the Longbottom’s state. They had the piece of parchment with the spell the twins gave them and all the necessary things to cast it: a lock of his dad’s hair, the petals of a white chrysanthemum, and a simple wooden bowl. “Okay, so I am supposed to mix the flowers with the hair in the bowl while we chant the words, so my dad’s magic will influence the spell. Then, if it all goes well, the soulmate’s qualities will be revealed to us.” The other boys nodded with enthusiasm and urged Harry to start. “Amas veritas,” The boys said in unison, “Amas veritas.” Harry started mixing in the bowl. “Amas veritas.” The petals started floating around them, higher and higher with each moment that passed, until they got lost behind the full moon.

When he couldn’t see the petals anymore, Harry looked back at the table, where the parchment with the instructions for the spell had changed. Instead of its original content, now lay a neat list.

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He will see your need from a mile away

He will hum your favourite song

He can ride a broom backwards

He can flip pancakes in the air

He is marvelously kind

His favourite shape is a star

He has eyes like the clouds

๋࣭ ⭑

July 1991, Diagon Alley.

“Hey, Dad?” James looked down at his smiling child. “Yes, Haz?” Harry seemed to hesitate, but finally asked, “What’s your favourite song?” James laughed out loud “You already know the answer to that Hazza”. Harry rolled his eyes with a groan. “Pa, you can’t be serious! La Bamba is not a valid answer for that question!” James couldn’t help himself. “Well buddy, first of all, Sirius is your uncle, my name is James, so no, I can’t be. And lastly, it might not be a valid answer, but it is an honest one. Can’t help it, your grandpa used to sing it all the time when I was your age, I am just fond of it.” And Harry couldn’t help but smile at that.

They walked around the street, visiting various shops with Harry taking the lead. The kid had claimed he wanted to take responsibility for his school’s supplies and had decided to be in charge of the list. James couldn’t deny him, but he felt a little blue at the thought of his baby growing up. They already had the books, the wand, and the potions' equipment. The only thing left was the school robes.

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Harry was waiting for his turn at Madame Malkin’s when he saw it. His father had left him at the store to go to Gringotts with the promise of coming back before he was done. He was bored at first, but then he caught a glimpse of long white hair. Madame Malkin’s signaled for him to enter the fitting room, and there he saw her, the most beautiful girl in the world. “Hello,” she said with a French accent that made Harry’s face warm up. “Hogwarts too?” Harry nodded. “My uncle’s next door buying my books,“ She said. “When we’re done, I’m going to drag him off to look at racing brooms. I don’t see why first-years can’t have their own. I think I’ll bully my uncle into getting me one, and I’ll smuggle it in somehow. He was a seeker, you know? The best in Slytherin! He can even ride his broom backwards!”

Harry couldn’t keep up with the onslaught of words, but he couldn’t stop looking at her. “Have you got your own broom?” the girl went on. “Yes,” said Harry absentmindedly. “You play Quidditch?” She asked excitedly, “Yes,” said Harry, this time more enthusiastically. ‘‘I do too! My uncle says it’s a crime if I’m not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Do you know what house you’ll be in yet?” Harry was about to respond , but the pretty girl didn’t give him time to. “Well, no one really knows until they get there, granted. But I know I’ll be in Slytherin, all my family has been.” She said, but her mood seemed to drop a little. “Imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?”.

As Harry was about to ask for her name, the bell rang, signaling that a client had entered the store. Both of them turned to see who it was, but the curtain around them obstructed the view. “Draco!” A male voice called. “Madame Malkin said you are done. Hurry up! We need to go get your wand!” The girl perked up and said, “That’s my uncle! I must go. It was a pleasure to meet you! I’ll see you at Hogwarts”. When Harry reacted, the girl was already getting out of the fitting room. “Draco,” he said to himself, “that’s a weird name for a girl”. He heard a laugh, “That’s because I’m a boy, dimwit!” came from behind the curtain. By the time Harry’s head was out of the curtain, the only thing he could see was that long white hair walking out the door beside a tall man with curly black hair.

Chapter Text

August 1991, France.

Regulus was stressing, a lot. Many would think that being a Hogwarts professor was a cushy job. For the “easier” subjects, such as divination, some wouldn’t qualify the position as more than a glorified babysitter. But the reality was much harsher. Regulus had spent months planning his classes, writing to McGonnagall to make sure the classroom was accessible for him and any other student who needed accommodations, and trying to survive Draco’s nervous and excited questions. 

“Uncle Reg, is it true that Slytherin has individual dorms for each student?” He had asked hopefully. “No, darling. Although from what I can remember, the rooms were bigger than in the other houses.” Draco seemed satisfied by his response, but he couldn’t help but add, “You shouldn’t count your chickens before they are hatched, Draco. You don’t know if you’ll be a Slytherin.” The kid looked at him as if he had just been slapped across the face. “But I must! I wouldn’t be under your care otherwise. And besides, all Blacks go to Slytherin”. Regulus’ smile faltered a bit. “I guess that’s true in a way.”

August 1991, United Kingdom.

Harry had been asking weird questions lately. “Dad, does Mum know how to flip pancakes in the air?” James lifted his gaze from the pan where he had been preparing Harry’s breakfast. “Your mother has many virtues Haz, but cooking isn’t one of them. Why do you ask? Want me to try?” Harry shook his head furiously. “No, pa! You’ll drop my blueberry pancakes and I’ve been craving them for days!”. 

James went back to his cooking. It was his last morning with his kid, as they would take him to King’s Cross station in a few hours, and he would leave for school until Christmas. Before he could get too sentimental, he heard the floo go off. “Is my baby ready yet?” Lily entered the room and went straight to Harry, giving him a big kiss on the cheek. “Mum, Pa made blueberry pumpkins! You want some?” He asked her with the brightest eyes, “But of course! How could I deny such a generous offer from the Potter boys?” They ate breakfast together, as a family, for the last time before beginning a new chapter in their lives.

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They met with Sirius and Remus at the station’s door, and they walked inside as a group. When they arrived at the Platform 9 3⁄4’s wall, the Weasleys were already crossing. On the other side, many families, some in Muggle clothing and others wearing wizarding robes, were roaming around. Some were talking amongst each other, there were sounds of children’s laughs and cries, but the spirits were high all around.

“Do you remember our first time here, Moony? I saw you there and I just knew” Sirius was making heart eyes and Remus, but the latter just laughed. “Stop lying, Pads, I looked like an awkward twig.” Sirius nodded solemnly, “Just my type”. James shook his head in disbelief and focused on Harry. His kid was conversing enthusiastically with Ron when suddenly he stopped talking and stayed strangely still.

A blond child came running their way and waved his hand happily. “Hello Draco,” Said Harry, his dark skin developing a red hue. “Hello! It’s so nice that I saw you’re here again. I was with my uncle, but he said I could come and say hi just as long as I returned to him quickly. He has to sort out the luggage, but I bet we could sit together if you want! I’ve heard the train ride is quite long, but we’ll manage. It will be so much fun!” He stopped his rant abruptly and blushed heavily. “Atlante! This is so rude of me, you must forgive me, but I didn’t ask for your name last time,” The kid exclaimed, his accent heavier due to his nerves. Harry seemed to snap out of a trance. “I am Harry,” he said. “And this is Ron,” he pointed at his friend beside him, who nodded in acknowledgement. The blond kid looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. He was about to say something when a man’s voice called for him. “That’s my uncle. I have to go. See you later!” And with that, as fast as he came, the blond child was gone.

James couldn’t help but feel fondness after witnessing the interaction, but when he lifted his gaze, he was ambushed by a familiar face. There, amongst the sea of families, was Regulus Black, as beautiful as the last time he had seen him more than a decade ago. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sirius’ irritated voice made him turn his attention back to the group. “Sirius Lupin, please don’t cause a scene right now.” Remus tried to placate his husband, “What is he doing here?” He asked. “Didn’t you say Narcissa’s child ended up as his ward? He must be around Harry’s age, right? Surely he’s just here to drop him off.” Rationalized Lily, but this didn’t seem to comfort Sirius. “Of course, He wouldn’t let the precious heir stray. Hazza, kiddo, stay away from any Malfoy child you come across. You don’t want to associate with the wrong sort.”

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Regulus tried to get a hold of himself inside his train’s carriage. He had felt eyes on him at the station, and his stomach flipped upside down. He had focused on that feeling and found that it was James Potter’s gaze on him. Childish butterflies fluttered around his upside-down gut, but then he had heard his brother's words. He was no stranger to his opinion of him and the Black name as a whole. He knew it was a deserved one, but he had to think about Draco’s well-being. His child wouldn’t go down the same road he had if he could help it, so he resolved to do whatever was necessary to change the reputation of the most noble and ancient house of Black.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of the door opening. “Uncle Reg, can I go sit with my friends, pretty please?” He could have sensed the kid’s excitement even if he hadn’t had his abilities. “Of course, darling. I assumed you would,” Draco didn’t say anything, but it was obvious he was hesitating. “Draco, I don’t expect you to stay glued to my side during your whole Hogwarts stance,” Regulus tried to sound as convincing as possible, but he hoped the child wouldn’t ignore him completely. “I just don’t want you to be all alone!” There and then, Regulus realized he didn’t have anything to worry about. “I am a grown adult, Draco. And I am fully socialized, I think I will manage.” Draco started to squirm in place. “Okay, if you’re sure then… Bye, uncle Reg. I’ll see you at the sorting!” And with that, he left, closing the door behind him and leaving Regulus all alone in the carriage.

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Harry was sitting with his friends in their train’s carriage. Neville was focused on his herbology book, and Ron was trying to get him into a game of magical chess, but Harry was too distracted. He felt nervous, and his stomach felt weird, but he didn’t know why. He was so agitated that when he heard the door opening, he even got out of his seat. “‘Has anyone seen a cat? A girl has- Harry?, Is that you?” Harry couldn’t believe his eyes. “Hermione! Are you a Muggleborn? oh god, I was so worried I wouldn’t see you again!” He put his arm around Hermione’s shoulders and turned to his friends. “Guys, this is my friend Hermione from my Muggle school! I told you about her, remember?” Both boys nodded enthusiastically and introduced themselves.

Hermione and him sat down around the table, and she started to speak excitedly once again, “Oh Harry, I wish I had known you were a wizard before! I have so many questions! I’ve already read all my school books! I even made my parents read Hogwarts: A History in case I didn’t catch something in my re-read. Did you know there are ghosts in the castle? How do you figure that works? I guess if one’s soul can have a physical manifestation, then there’s a big chance that…” She went on with her excited questions, but Harry got distracted by a head full of white hair. He was out the door in a second.

“Draco! We’re here!” the French boy turned around with a smile on his face. “Harry! I’ve been looking for you!” He felt himself blush, and his stomach got worse, but he opened the door to the carriage again and introduced Draco to all his friends. “Hello! My name is Draco, pleased to meet you,” he said as he sat down in front of Hermione. “Did you come all the way from France?” Asked Neville meekly, “Yes, I did. My uncle and I caught an international portkey from Mimizan this morning.” He explained. “If you’re French, why didn’t you attend Beauxbattons? I read in Hogwarts: A History that it is the school assigned for the French wizarding world. Did you know they used to participate in a wizarding tournament with Hogwarts and the Northern wizarding school? It is called Durmstrang. They stopped, of course, many of the participants ended up injured in some capacity, but it is an interesting part of magical history nonetheless! I’m dying to get my hands on a book that explains its intricacies in depth.” Draco seemed baffled, as if trying to figure out how Hermione wasn’t out of breath after her rant.

“Well, to answer your question, I am attending Hogwarts because my family has a long history with the school. I wouldn’t like to be the one to break a centuries-long tradition. And I did in fact know about the Triwizard Tournament, one of my ancestors even participated back in the 14th century. I actually have a book about its history in my trunk. I could lend it to you if you want.” Hermione was looking at him with bright eyes, but before she could answer, Ron interrupted their conversation. “Did you say centuries? Are you a pureblood?” He said, his voice filled with distrust. Draco’s expression fell for a second, but he composed himself quickly. “Yes, I am. My uncle and I are the last of the most ancient and noble house of Black.” He said with pride, “I gather you are a muggleborn, are you not?” He asked Hermione as Ron tensed up.

“Yes, I am! Guess it’s obvious with all my questions,” Draco nodded and said, “I have some questions of my own. Is it true the muggles have their own moving pictures? My uncle Barty said they are even capable of incorporating audio into them! How does this work without magic? Are they able to store this anywhere for people to rewatch?” Both kids kept talking animatedly, and Ron seemed to relax, but Harry couldn’t keep his eyes away from the excited blond.

After a while, Ron, Neville, and Harry grew tired of listening to the other two’s conversation and began exchanging ideas about how to continue with their first-year project. “Did the lot of you listen to La Bamba like I asked you to?” That seemed to attract the attention of the other two. “What is La Bamba?” Asked Draco, turning his head a little to de side. “It’s just a silly song Harry’s dad loves. We are trying to put together some clues for a project.” Hermione perked up at this. “What kind of project? Is it for extra credit?” The group of three laughed at that, and Harry started to explain, “We are just trying to get a partner for my pa. Ron’s older brothers helped us cast a spell to unveil his soulmate, and it gave us these clues.” He showed them the parchment, and Draco took it from his hands.

“Are you sure that’s a real spell?” said Hermione with a furrowed brow. “It is!” exclaimed Ron, offended on his brothers’ behalf. “Amas veritas,” nodded Nevile. “I have never heard of such a spell,” mumbled Draco, and then turned excitedly to Hermione. “This could make for a great investigation in the magical theory around soul spells!” They started to speak rapidly amongst each other again, and the other three kids could only look between themselves and shrug. “Okay, it’s decided.” Stated Hermione, Draco nodded curtly, “We are going to help you find this soulmate”.

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When the train arrived at Hogsmeade’s station, Regulus had already cast a featherlight charm and a shrinking spell on his luggage and stuck it in his pocket. As he was in an unfamiliar place, he resolved to use his cane to navigate the place. When he arrived at the thestral carriages, he concentrated in order to find which one was the one designated to the professors and got on.

He couldn’t help but get dragged back into his school days. He remembered the carriage rides with his friends, how the castle would feel warm when they arrived, the exquisite food that would be waiting for them at the great hall, the furtive looks across the tables, how they would lock eyes, and how that sweet amber gaze would make his stomach flip. Before he could go down that slippery slope, someone else got into the carriage.

“Black” greeted the man, “Snape,” he said back. The ride to Hogwarts was tense and silent, so when they arrived at the castle and got out of the carriage, Regulus couldn’t help but sigh. When he stepped into the great hall, he felt like an eleven-year-old again. The place was vibrating with magic, and he felt so nostalgic his eyes started to sting. He barely had time to sit down at the teacher’s table before the doors opened and McGonnagall walked in, followed by an army of first-years.

She walked up to the front and placed a four-legged stool where she placed the sorting hat. The room fell silent, and after a minute, it began its song.

๋࣭ ⭑ Oh, you may not think I’m pretty,

But don’t judge on what you see,

I’ll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I’m the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There’s nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can’t see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you’ve a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You’ll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on!

Don’t be afraid!

And don’t get in a flap!

You’re in safe hands (though I have none)

For I’m a Thinking Cap!

๋࣭ ⭑

The hat finished, and Regulus gave a mild clap as the room erupted in applause. He could feel the nervousness of the first-years, but he tried to focus on his. His eyes zeroed in on Draco, and when he felt the child looking back, he gave an encouraging nod in his direction. He heard Professor McGonnagall walk up to the front again and say, “When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted”. And so the sorting began.

A few children got into Hufflepuff, some into Ravenclaw, and a handful of them ended up in Gryffindor. The first child to get sorted into his house was Milicent Bulstrode, but Regulus' attention was elsewhere. He was completely focused on Draco, so when McGonnagall called the name of Hermione Granger and he squeezed her hand encouragingly, Regulus decided to switch focus onto her. When the hat on her head screamed, “GRYFFINDOR,” Regulus returned his attention to Draco, this time with a dry throat.

He repeated the same process with the other kids Draco seemed to have taken a liking to, growing more and more anxious when each one of them went to the lion’s house. He tried to suppress it, telling himself that just because his new friends belonged to the house of the brave, it didn’t mean Draco did. The kid was plenty brave and loyal, but it was the last quality that gave Regulus solace. However, this line of thought made Regulus feel awful. Was Regulus holding Draco back the same way his parents had with him? Was he trying to tie Draco down at Slytherin, not because it was where he belonged, but because it was where he wanted him to be?

All these thoughts stopped suddenly when McGonnagall called out, “ Black, Draco”. His long blonde hair floated behind him as he rushed to the stool. Draco sat down quickly and held on to the edge of the stall with a white-knuckled grip. As the hat descended into his head, he shut his eyes tightly, but the hat barely had time to touch his head before it screamed, ‘SLYTHERIN!’. Draco’s face split into a blinding grin, and he turned to look at him. Regulus released a breath he didn’t know he was holding and grinned right back.

He relaxed back into his seat and evaded himself for a while. A few more children got sorted into Slytherin, most of them with pureblood last names he barely recognized, but Regulus was lost in his own head. However, he was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a familiar name. “Potter, Harry”.

Regulus focused his attention on the child. He was a carbon copy of his father, same wild hair, same dark skin, same thick glasses. But when Regulus got to his eyes, expecting to see that same amber gaze, he was surprised to find a piercing green instead, undoubtedly Lily Evan’s. The kid sat on the stall, and McGonnagall put the hat on his head. Everyone expected a quick enough sorting, maybe the hat would take one or two minutes to deliver the Gryffindor verdict, and little Potter would go on his merry way. So everyone was surprised when they arrived at the ten-minute mark and the child was still sitting on the stool. Regulus was intrigued, but he thought that if the child took after his mother, the brightest witch of her age, the hat might be having a hard time deciding between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the Sorting Hat shouted his decision for all the castle to hear. And much to Regulus’ dismay, it was one he wouldn’t have expected in a thousand lives.

“SLYTHERIN!”

Chapter Text

Harry sat down next to Draco as if in a trance. He couldn’t even hear the congratulations and cheers from his housemates, preoccupied as he was by the reaction his sorting would provoque on everyone.

Ron and Nevile would grow closer with their dormmates and forget about him.

His pa would be disappointed that he had broken the long line of Potters in Gryffindor.

His mum would feel betrayed that he had ended up in the purist house. And when Hermione learned what that meant, she would too.

Even uncle Pads, who had fought so much to avoid being in this very position, would be cross with him.

All his friends would leave him behind, his family would disinherit him, he would fail all his classes and they would expel him from Hogwarts. He would have nowhere to go, no one would hire a first year drop-out. He would end up all alone, living in the streets of Hogsmeade and-

“Mister Potter? Would you like to come with me for a second?”

He opened his eyes — when had he closed them?— to see a kind face looking down on him.

”Can I come with?” Whispered a voice to his right. It was Draco and he was holding his hand.

”Not this time Míster Black, I need to have a private conversation with your housemate. Now Míster Potter, if you would be so kind as to follow me.” Harry squeezed Draco’s hand one last time and followed the older man out of the Great Hall.

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Regulus knew a distressed child when he saw one, and Potter the sequel was on the verge of tears, sitting quietly in his office. Hogwarts was an intimidating place for a child, and if one ended up in an unexpected house, one that wasn’t approved by their parents and away from their usual friends, it could be quite daunting. Was this how his brother felt after his sorting?

“Mister Potter, My name is Regulus Black, head of house Slytherin. I am to be your tutor for the next seven years. And as such I would hope that my students come to me when something is troubling them”. The child squirmed in his seat, hesitating to say something and then mumbling it so low that not even him could understand a word.

“You’ll need to speak up Míster Potter, contrary to popular belief, the blind do not have super hearing". The kid perked up, surprised. “I’m sorry professor, I just don’t think I belong here” 

“And why would that be?” Harry looked down, uncomfortable. “Well, all my family was in Gryffindor, so are all my friends for that matter, and I am not even a pureblood!” He exclaimed.

”Could you remind me what are the qualities of a Slytherin, Mister Potter?” He asked bluntly.

”Cunning, ambition, determination and resourcefulness” mumbled the kid.

”Is one of these traits ‘pureblood’ Mister Potter?” He asked again.

”Well it’s implied!” He exclaimed exasperatedly.

“Very cunning of you Mister Potter, you’ll make a fine Slytherin” He could feel the child’s frustration growing, so he added “If your friends don’t want to associate with you only for the fact that you are a Slytherin, then they were not your friends to begin with” He assured “As for your family, I know your mother won’t think any less of you because of something as unimportant as your Hogwarts sorting, she’s not that kind of witch”.

He purposefully didn’t mention the rest of the boy’s family, for he couldn’t be so sure about them.

”You were in school with her right? You must be right then!” Exlaimed the boy excitedly.

“Well, she was a year above me and we didn’t really know each other, but they don’t call her the brightest witch of her age in vain I suppose.“ He pondered “Mister Potter, only insubstantial people will judge you for the color of your tie instead of for your character. Would you describe your mother as such?”

The child shook his head before realizing he was talking to a blind man and answering aloud “No sir.”

The teacher chuckled at the reaction “I wouldn’t either. Now Mister Potter, if you feel calmer I’ll escort you to your dorm”.

He walked the boy through the dark corridors until they arrived at the Slytherin common room’s door. There, before letting the child enter, he turned towards him again

“Mister Potter, Slytherin is a house with many flaws, as any other. We have many infamous wizards in our history, that is true, but we also have many of the most brilliant ones in our midst. We are loyal to our own Mister Potter, here I found my family many years ago, and I hope you’ll do the same.”

He turned towards the wall once again and said “Kingsnake”. As the entrance opened he turned to leave and, before it closed behind the boy he said “Goodnight Mister Potter, and please, see to it that your uniform is proper Tomorrow morning, I can’t have my Slytherins running around with undone times. We have an image to uphold.”

And with that, leaving an open-mouthed first year behind, he left for the night.

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Harry spent all breakfast moving his food around the plate for he was so nervous he couldn't stomach a single bite. After his conversation with professor Black he had mustered up the courage to write home, he just had to post the letters, easy thing, no trouble at all.

”I’m going to make a trip to the owlery before classes start, want to come?” Asked one of his other dormmate, Theon maybe? he couldn’t be sure, he was already in bed with his curtains closed when Harry came black last night.

”I don’t thi-“ Before he could finish his response, an elbow collided with his ribs.

“Ofcourse Theo, We’ll go as soon as Harry finishes his plate” Draco said, giving him a pointed look.

Oddly, Harry felt a little bit better. Was he still dreading sending the letter home? He would neither confirm nor deny, but having Draco by his side comforted him. Even if his family was cross with him for his sorting and all his other friends were too, at least he still had someone on his corner. And so, to the owlery they went.

It was a long way there, and Draco spent it talking with Theo about some book Harry had never heard about. The closer they got to their destination, the more anxious he got, and as they arríbese at the bottom of the long staircase, he found himself hoping Hedgwig had gone out for a hunt.

“Harry, which one is yours?” Asked Theo as they got to the top, his own brown owl already with him.

”I actually can’t see her, she must be out for a flight or something, I’ll just send my letter next time” He lied, having spotted Hedwig the second they got inside the owlery.

He was just about to congratulate himself for his quick thinking when Draco decides to drown all his hopes. “Are your glasses just a fashion statement Potter? If so, let me tell you, it’s not a good one!”

He smacked him over the head and pointed at the owl in question. “She’s right there! Hard to miss her when she sticks out like a sore thumb, she’s as white as a sheet of paper!”

Harry took offence at that, his owl was the prettiest one in the whole castle, thank you very much. “You are one to talk! You’re pale as a ghost! I’m surprised you haven’t killed your father of a fright if you sleepwalk at home too!”

”My father’s a convict you dimwit, if he was even in my house I’d be the one who’d have a heart attack!” Draco exclaimed back.

Harry’s whole face turned red “You’re such a liar! Just this morning you said you missed your dad’s crepes at breakfast!”

”I was talking about my guardian! Calling him my second cousin on my mother's side who just so happens to have my custody is a bit of a mouthful.”

Harry shook his head “I don’t believe you!”

But before Draco could say something black, Teo turned back to them from his position by the window “It’s true, his father’s in the cell across from my dad’s in Azkaban. Can we go now? I already spent my letter”

Harry tried to grab the opportunity and make a swift escape, but just as he turned to leave, Draco grabbed him by the neck of his robes. “Post the letter Harry”.

At least he had tried.

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His first class with the first years was a shared period between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Bound to be a calm class if there ever was one he thought sardonically.

He’d already teached three periods that day: the first, with fifth year Hufflepuffs; the second, with the whole seventh years who had decided to take them for their NEWTS; and the third period, with Ravenclaw and Slytherin third years. Everything had gone according to plan up until then, but he just knew a class with his kid was bound to be trouble.

Everything was prepared, he had asked for a classroom on the lower floors instead of the usual one on the divination tower because, well, he couldn’t really go up and down that ladder now. Having to go through the moving stairs everyday was already exhausting enough. He had his cane nearby for if he ended to walk around and he had planned everything down to the T.

Nonetheless, when the classroom door opened and the kids poured in, he was startled.

“Kids sit down please”

As he heard the last chair scrap the floor he started his presentation. “Good morning everyone, I am professor Black and I will be teaching divination this year. I am well aware many of you believe that divination and its practices are only old wives tales, but I am here to show you that can’t be further from the truth. One does not need to be a seer to decipher omens. I will teach you how to listen and see things where other perplejo can’t, you will learn how to understand what the world is telling you about your past, your present and your future. And maybe, if any of you has an aptitude for this arts, I will teach them how to nourish it and shape it into the gift it is meant to be”.

His white eyes scanned the room “Any questions?”.

No one spoke up, in fact one could only hear the sound of a pen writting aggressively on parchment, so he focused on the sound. When he saw what was being written, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“No Miss Granger, I am not a fortune teller like Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost, I am clairvoyant. Does anyone know what that means?” At that, a white head of hair perked up and a hand shot up in the air acompained by a little squeak.

“Yes, Mister Black?” He called.

”Although in the muggle world the term can be used as a synonym of seer, in the wizarding World the meaning of the word is more nuanced. Where a seer can receive prophecies and visions of the future, clairvoyants, as the name indicates, have a clear view of everything that happens in the present and the future. They possess the second sight”.

Regulus nodded “Couldn’t have explained it better myself Mister Black. 10 points to Slytherin”. The Slytherin students cheered, and amongst the noise a quiet voice whispered

“The second sight? But isn’t he blind?” He fixed his gaze on the kid

“Yes I am Mister Weasley, my second one is the only one I have, and you know what that means?” The boy gulped audibly

“No chance of cheating on my exams. Now, back to the class.”

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After learning the basic history of divination since its first recorded appearance (total bore) they had ended the class with a practícales demonstration of Bona reading (fairly cool) and a promise from Professor Black that they would all get to try in the next lesson (actually exciting).

Draco, Theo and him were discussing how that would work when someone called out to him.

“Harry! Wait!”

When he turned around he saw Hermione running towards them followed by Ron and Neville walking not far behind.

“Hi guys! Harry, we must meet up to continúe the project!” She said excitedly.

Harry was surprised by this “Oh, I didn’t realize that you would still want to help” He said, looking at Ron and Neville by the córner of his eye. “Why wouldn’t we silly?”.

“Yeah Harry, why wouldn’t we? We’ve always helped each other, that won’t change” Said Ron with a pointed look while Nevile nodded along.

Harry’s face split into a bright grin, but before he could say anything a soft voice asked “Excuse me, what project?”

They all turned towards Theo and looked at each other. “We are trying to find someone that fits these characteristics” Harry explained, handing him the parchment. “They’re supposed to be my pa’s soulmate!”.

Theo read the words and furrowed his brow “Eyes like the clouds? What does that mean, vapoury?” He asked, confused.

Hermione shook her head “No, I think it’s a metaphor, like in poetry” She looked at the paper on Theo’s hand. “We need to look for someone who has eyes that share characteristics with the clouds. Like… I don’t know, soft? Gray? Maybe… white.”

She said that last part softly and Draco’s head perked up suddenly.

”Give me that” He said, snatching the parchment from Theo’s hand.

He re-read the words a few times and looked at Hermione, then the both of them smiled.

“I know who this is”.

Chapter Text

The letter arrived the following morning at breakfast.

“Dear Harry,

We are glad your first trip to Hogwarts was fun, that’s where we met our best friends! Hopefully the kids you befriended in your train ride will be your friends for life too.

We hope the food there is good, the  Hogwarts house elves have always excelled at their jobs, but we know the breakfast there won’t compare to your pa’s blueberry waffles. Please make sure to feed yourself and drink a lot of water. We know your first year can be quite overwhelming, but don’t forget to take care of yourself!

We’ve heard about your sorting, you were a hat-stall! How exciting! your mother was close (she almost got put on Ravenclaw) but he ended up being a Gryffindor through and through. Slytherin is a fine house, with many outstanding wizards, we’re very proud of you! Just remember to stay true to your values and make good friends!

We’ve told all your uncles and aunts, they’ll be sending you some treats soon (uncle pads will be a little late though, he’ll have to exchange some things).

Have a great time at Hogwarts, and remember to seize every moment. Write back soon Hazza!

Love you,

Mum and Pa.

Pd: Brush your teeth after every meal!!!!!!!!!! ”

He couldn’t help but smile.

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They were all scattered around a small abandoned classroom on the seventh floor, everyone talking over one another. The whole floor was deserted, so there was no chance of them getting caught. But that also meant everything was filthy.

Draco was brainstorming.

Harry, Ron and Theo wanted to pull some kind of prank to force his uncle to meet with Mister Potter. They were arguing about what would be better, to flood the second floor by blowing up the toilets or dying all the teachers’ hair pink by charming their drinks at dinner.

Hermione, Neville and himself argued against it for obvious reasons.

“First of all, I wouldn’t go anywhere near Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom even if they paid me to do so,” He said. “And lastly, even if you knew how to cast a spell complex enough to dye the whole Hogwarts professor’s staff-”.

“Which you don’t!” Interrupted Hermione, swatting a spider that was trying to build its web on her fuzzy hair.

“Very well said Hermione” He nodded ”Some would argue those pranks are grounds for expulsion”.

Neville nodded, face pale. From the threat of expulsion or for the threat of the spiders, one couldn’t tell exactly which. “Maybe we could think of something more tame,” He suggested.

“But it has to be big! They would just send him a letter otherwise, he needs to come here!” Exclaimed Ron exasperatedly.

“Maybe you don’t need to get in trouble for him to come here, Harry” he suggested.

“But we always get in trouble” The other boy whined. Neville and Ron nodded, the former more morosely than the latter.

“Well, always is not now!” He screamed exasperated. Everyone was looking at him now. “Harry, does your mum like quidditch?”

“Not particularly…?” he responded meekly.

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“Explain this to me again please? from the top” He pleaded.

They were standing behind the bleachers at the quidditch field. It was awfully cold, and the sky was packed full of gray clouds. Harry would much rather be warm and in bed at this dreadful hour, but alas, here he was. 

He did miss flying, so that would be nice, he just didn’t get why Draco and him couldn’t go flying together at a later hour. Somewhere private, so they wouldn’t get in trouble. Draco’s skin was a lot more sensitive so the cold couldn’t be good for him. Maybe he should lend him his scarf, the green would bring out the gray in his eyes. His flushed cheeks would look so cute half-hidden by the cloth and-

The blond huffed “You said your mum hates quidditch” he began slowly “That she always says, and I quote, ‘football is the better sport by far, any sport that has no Tottenham team doesn’t deserve to exist’ right?” Harry nodded.

“And my uncle Reg loves quidditch! Many strangers bond over a shared interest”.

“They already know each other, my pa had a crush on him in high school” Harry mumbled.

“So, when you make it into the quidditch team, she’ll send your father to deal with the parent-teacher debrief. They will meet and you’ll be trouble free, It’s genius!”. The blond continued as if he hadn’t heard him, eyes shining with ecstasy.

Harry held his broom tighter. “Okay, but first years can’t try out Draco!”

“That’s why you’ll need to sneak in and outfly them all” He clapped his hands “Noy go, Vas-y vas-y!”.

He sighted and started walking towards the field, where the rest of the slytherin students looking for a chance were reunited. His cheeks felt hot for some reason, must be the cold. 

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Regulus hated socialising, that wasn’t up for debate. He guessed it was thanks to a childhood of reclusion that he was so uncomfortable in public places. He felt anxious around loud noises, walking near groups of teenagers made him squirm and talking in front of crowds got him nauseous; anyone who’d met him, even for ten minutes, knew that. Which is why his friends couldn’t believe he was thriving as a teacher.

“So you’re telling me the kids actually like you?” asked a laughing Barty over his pint. Evan elbowed him, but he couldn’t hide his chuckles.

“Regulus has always had a something something” affirmed Dorcas solemnly.

“He attracts pure souls” nodded Pandora “That’s how we all came together”.

“Yeah Egg” Evan was trying to hold back his laugh, but he was failing miserably “You are the glue that holds this band of pure souls together”.

Regulus let his head fall to the table they were sitting around at the three broomsticks – That’s how you know he’s going through something, he would never risk contaminating his cutis with whatever gunk lived there if he was of sound mind – and groaned.

“They are all so little” he lifted his head a bit and let it fall again “Teeny Tiny lads, I’m telling you!” he shook his head without raising it “And they don’t know how anything works! They depend on me!” he sat up hurriedly and started cradling his fingers through his curls messing them up – and finding a few chips in it, yuck – “One would expect it from the firsties, I was prepared to explain anything to the new muggleborns, I even made flashcards with the most typical questions!” He desperately pulled his hair “but the Flint boy asked me if the giant squid could see him through the windows. He’s a fifth year for Salazar's sake!” he let himself fall back into his seat “As if the mythical beast that lives at the bottom of a magical lake didn’t have anything better to do than spy on his teenage pinning angst.” 

At that Dorcas’ voice broke through the laughter. “Wait wait wait. Pinning? Is that gossip I smell?” Everyone turned to look at Regulus with eyes wide open.

“Ugh don’t get me started” He leaned forward and lowered his voice “He confessed to the captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team last term, Owen Wood or something like that” he shook his head.

“The thing is, that the kid rejected him because he had a crush on one of the three thousand Weasley broods and they are now dating.” He sighed “So now I have to deal with all the slytherin kids he traumatized by taking all of this pent up anger out on the quidditch trials”.

Evan and Pandora were laughing like madmen, Barty had fallen to the floor in a fit of giggles and Dorcas looked like she was having the time of her life. 

“How do you even know all of this Eggie?” Asked Evan between giggles.

“The Parkinson girl! The youngest of that gossipmonger clan. I swear to Salazar himself, how long has it been since the school year started? a week? She's a first year! How does she know everything already?” He whined.

“Wait, which one of the Weasleys stole the loverboy's heart’s desire? The long haired one? Maybe one of the twins?” Asked Dorcas.

“How do you know so many of the red headed brats?” came from the floor where Barty was still lying.

“It’s the posh one” Regulus responded, then furrowed his brow and turned his head “Barty, don’t call my students brats, some of them are nice. But yeah Dorcas, how do you know so many of them?” He asked confusedly.

“Marlene still hangs out with the Prewet twins” She said like it explained something, but when no one spoke again she sighed “Their sister is the kids’ mum. Try to keep up will you?”

They all teased her for keeping up with all of her girlfriend’s acquaintances between laughs “Oh high school sweethearts, a love story worth the front cover of which weekly” swooned Pandora.

“Speaking about high school sweethearts” Exclaimed Dorcas, seeing an out “The Potter kid ended up in slytherin right?” And just like that, all eyes were back on Regulus again.

“I don’t see what that has to do with anything” He said, trying to cover his blush with his glass.

“Oh, you need us to refresh your mind Eggie?” asked Barty.

“Oh, stars, why does his hair have to look so tussled! He must be tempting me!” Said Evan in a sing-songy voice.

“Barty, my dearest friend, if only you could see the warmth of his gaze, I swear he must hold the sun in his eyes, he warms me with just a look, I would melt upon a smile” Swooned Barty, still from the floor.

“LIES! LIES AND SLANDER! Those words have never left my lips! Never in my life!” He shouted before hiding his face in his arms

“Comme ci comme ça” Laughted Pandora.

“I will sue, I will sue you all for diffamation!”. He exclaimed, but it was muffled.

They all bursted out laughing at his expense.

“Ugh you’re right” he lamented “I did! I did have a stupidly embarrassing crush on James Fleamont Potter! there, I said it. I’m no better than the Flint spawn!” He sobbed

“And the kid got into the slytherin team! I have to have a meeting with his guardians to debrief what that would entail for a bloody eleven year old!” He sighed again “He’s a seeker, and a good one at that!” He lamented “I’ll have to meet with him twice as much, and if the kid is as much of a trouble maker as he was he’ll practically live in my office” He said, taking a big gulp of his drink.

“This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Lily Evans. You're my only hope.” he whispered to the sky, before letting his head fall to the table again.

A hand fell on his shoulder and gave him an encouraging pat “You’re screwed mate”.

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“ To whom it may concern,

After the Slytherin quidditch team trials held the past Wednesday 5 of September at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, your son Harry James Potter, currently cursing his first year in the aforementioned academy, was selected for the position of main seeker on the team.

Seeing as the circumstances are far from orthodox, it would be pertinent to schedule various meetings, in addition to the usual parent-teacher debrief of what the position would entail, to review your son’s academic performance throughout the academic year if you were to see it fit for him to participate.

If it is of your convenience, meet me next Friday 7 during my office hours. The floo will be open for any visitors, so please, refrain from using any other method of traveling to attend this meeting.

Best regards,

Head of house Slytherin ”

Regulus posted the letter with trembling hands, from the cold he told himself, it must have been from the cold.

Chapter Text

“LILS HAZZA GOT INTO THE TEAM!!” James screamed the moment he got out of the chimney at Lily’s place.

“What? He’s in first year! He shouldn't even be able to try out!” She exclaimed, setting her tea mug on the coffee table.

“I know! He’s such a prodigy my little fawn, I’m going to cry” He said, fanning his face while Lily got up from the sofa and took the letter from his other hand. She scanned it quickly and looked back at him with a wicked grin.

“I can’t go,” she said, turning around and walking to the kitchen.

“What do you mean you can’t go!?” He followed her at a quick peace and blocked the door “You don’t want to be there for the most important moment of our little baby’s life?!”

She rolled his eyes at him and crouched down to get into the kitchen through the space under his extended arm. “I have a double shift at Mungo’s next Friday”.

“Exchange it with someone!” 

She didn’t even turn back from the cooler to respond. “No can do, sorry”.

“Then I’ll write to reschedule, you can’t miss this!” He insisted, picking up one of the cookies she had cooling on her countertop and taking a bite. “Did you put something different on these?”

“A pinch of salt, I read on witch weekly that it brings out the flavor” She said, handing him a pint and opening up hers “And no, don’t reschedule either. It would be too much of a hustle. Besides, you already know my opinion on quidditch”.

“Are you still on that stupid vendetta against quidditch? It 's been years! Get over it!”

She huffed and took a swing of her beer “No Tottenham, no Lily. I’m not budging on this. Never have, never will.”

“Merlin’s tits Lils! Harry can found a Tottenham quidditch team when he becomes the best quidditch player of his generation!” He exclaimed flailing his hands in exasperation “These are really good, you should send Harry some” He said looking at the cookie.

“First of all, I was going to. That’s why they were there, not for you to maul on. Get your paws off of them!” She swatted his hand away from where he was trying to get another one “And don’t you think you’re getting a little bit ahead of yourself? He just got on the team, he hasn’t even played a match yet. It’s a little too early to say he’ll be the best player of his generation”

“It’s not when he has my genes! In fact, calling him the best player of his generation would be a disservice for him. He’ll be the best player ever. the best of his generation, the ones before and the ones to come!” He stated, taking a self-righteous bite of yet another cookie.

“Leave something for your child will you?” she took the rest of the half eaten cookie from him and ate it herself “Okay, okay. Harry will be a quidditch prodigy, the second coming of Christ if you will, and all thanks to your superior genes or whatever you’re on about, we get it.” She picked another cookie herself. “But I still don’t respect quidditch as a sport.” She stated with her mouth full.

“Well I don’t respect you as a redhead then” He said, mouth full as well.

She gasped and put a hand on her chest, fake-hurt expression on her face “How dare you!”

“Look at the Weasleys, a full redhaired clan” He added in a serious tone “If you were serious about your redheadedness you would have passed it onto Haz. But alas, there he is, full head of black hair” He shook his head “A pity”.

“It’s not my fault you Potters only know how to make one flavor of boy! I’ve seen pictures of your father, you’re a carbon copy of him! And your grandfather? He's like the white model! The only thing your poor abuela did was put some colour into the family” She exclaimed.

“Well my ma always said I got my eyes from her side of the family” He defended.

“Your eyes are brown!”

“BUT THEY ARE THE CALDERON SHADE NOT THE POTTER ONE!” He screamed back, his cookie falling to the ground.

“Whatever you say, Harry has my eyes” She said smugly. “We are going off topic. I can’t attend the parent-teacher debrief, that’s final”.

“You are really going to leave me alone with Snevillus? Are you really going to do that to me?” He asked desperately.

She swatted him in the back of the head “James you’re thirty one years old, stop calling him that” she sighted “And if that’s what this is about no, I won’t be leaving you alone with Severus”.

“So you’re coming?” He asked hopefully.

“No I’m not”

“I don’t think I’m following” he bit into one of the last cookies.

“Severus is not the Head of House Slytherin” She explained.

“Then who is?” He asked, confused.

“You’ll have to wait and see.” She laughed.

“You’re an evil, EVIL woman” He said, pointing her index finger at her. 

She shrugged “I’ll have to live with that”.

“Well, you’ll also need to make a new batch of cookies for Haz.” He said getting up. “Love you bye” And with that, he fled the kitchen and left through the floo.

Lily was left staring at an empty plate, but with the satisfaction of knowing that at least she’d be entertained for a few weeks.

“Bloody Potters”.

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Regulus had been mentally preparing for the meeting for days now. He had cleaned his office himself following all the steps from the list Kreacher had made for him and then had called the elf himself to deep clean whatever he had missed. He had bought new scented candles at Hogsmade, cinnamon ones, and had gotten a haircut. He may or may not have asked Draco for the charm he used to make sure his hair stuck in place, and he had definitely not asked the Snyde girl what she used to keep her skin perfect (the girl was seventeen and didn’t have a pimple in sight, that was not natural ) . He had planned what he was going to say and rehearsed it time and time again. 

Regulus was not ready.

Potter was about to arrive and he was panicking. He had fresh biscuits on his table; Winnie, his favourite house elf, had volunteered to bring them tea whenever he calles; he had even changed the chairs in front of his desk for more comfortable ones. But still, he couldn't calm down. 

He was pacing back and ford by the side. of his desk, about to run for the door, when he heard the floo go off and had to compose himself, hoping for all that was holly that Lily Evans was the one entering the room. He was, of course, mistaken.

“Good evening Mister Potter” He greeted him, as serene as he could muster.

He heard the other man dusting off his clothes, and then he heard him take a sharp breath.

“Regulus?” He whispered.

“That is indeed my name Mister Potter” He ducked his head to hide his blush “Now if you don’t mind, please take a seat. I would like to begin”

They both sat down at his desk and he began, trying to keep his voice emotionless and steady.

“There are some biscuits on my desk, you can help yourself. Would you like some tea?”

He heard some shuffling in front of him “Would a hot chocolate be possible?”

He tried to hold back a smile “Of course.” He turned to the side “Winnie?”.

There was an apparition crack “Yes Professor Black?”

“Can you bring me another tea? And would it be possible for you to bring a hot chocolate as well please?” He asked.

“Winnie will be bringing it in no time Professor Black”

He smiled at her “Thank you Winnie”.

Another crack, and then they were alone again.

“Well mister Potter, I am sure you are aware that your son has a great aptitude for quidditch am I right?” Just as he finished saying that there was another apparition crack and he heard spoons clanking against cups on his desk.

He extended his hand towards the sound and picked up the first cup he could grab. 

“That’s mine” Said the man across from him “Do you need me to lend you my glasses” He joked with a chuckle.

Regulus put the cup down and slid it across from the desk “That would be of no use Mister Potter”.

“Why, afraid they won’t fit your style, baby Black?” He teased.

“As much as I’m sure your diopters are as high as can be, I’m afraid your glasses won’t help a blind man” He teased, finally letting his white irises catch the man’s eye. “And please refrain from calling me that, we are in a professional setting”.

The mug must have slipped from the man's hand, because he heard it crashing against the ground.

“Merlin, I’m so so sorry” Potter got up from his seat, chair scrapping the floor and getting caught on the rug behind it. He scrambled to pick the pieces of the mug up.

“Please stop, you’re going to cut yourself” He said, trying to stay calm. He was messing this up. He should have known not to try and joke around, he’d never been a funny man. “Winnie?”

There was another apparition crack, this time to his right “Yes Professor Black?”

“I am so sorry to bother you again, but could you please clean this up and bring another cup of hot chocolate” He requested.

“Nonsense! Professor Black could never be bothering Weenie. Weenie will be most fast in preparing another cup!” She said hastily. There were several cracks in the room, and he knew Winnie was gone, so was the mess and Potter had a new hot chocolate on his hands.

“You shouldn’t have bothered,” Potter almost whispered.

“It was not a bother for me, It was a bother for Winnie” He explained plainly, trying to relieve the man.

“Well…” came a nervous voice “I’ll apologise next time I see her”

Regulus tilted his head confusedly “She already said it was not a problem”

He heard him shuffle “Well… then that’s done”

Regulus nodded “Well now that that’s settled, let’s get to the point that concerns us shall we?” 

“Yes of course” Potter said hurriedly.

‘God’ Regulus thought ‘He must want to get out of here as fast as he can, I’m messing this up so bad’.

“Well, from what my other colleagues have told me and what I myself have witnessed, Harry is a brilliant kid. He is not that interested in the theory side of things, but he is a natural in the practical lessons. With a bit of guidance I am sure he can grow into an exceptional student”. 

“He gets that from his mother” Potter said with a smile.

“I am sure he does,” Regulus continued. “He is also a very talented flyer, as I've already mentioned. He is the youngest Hogwarts seeker in a century. However, the way in which he got the position worries me.”

“Oh”

“He snuck into the tryouts and outflew the rest of his competi-”

Potter interrupted him, sounding very pleased “That’s my boy! He got that from me.”

“-tion by performing several overly dangerous maneuvers” he finished.

“Oh”

“As the slytherin head of house I must see to it that all my students reach their full potential” He began. “In this house we pride ourselves in forming excelling witches and wizards, and although Harry has shown great ambition, determination and resourcefulness with his little ploy to get into the team, he has also shown a lot of recklessness...”

“That he got from me” Finished Potter dejectedly.

“One could say so, yes,” nodded Regulus. “I would like for all of us to work together into transforming that recklessness into the cunning befitting of a Slytherin.”

“Of course, Lily and I will do everything necessary for Harry to thrive. We have a great relationship, as friends and as co-parents, so there’s a united front there”.

“I’m glad to hear that. A good relationship between the parents is essential for a child’s development.” He said, taking a sip from his tea. “Due to the peculiarity of Harry’s young age, I would like to have a quarterly meeting with either both of you or whichever of the two is available at the date to review his academic performance.” He proposed “As you may recall, the adaptation period can be overwhelming enough for a first year. Our priority is Harry’s wellbeing, and we can always postpone his participation in the team until the usual second year if it all proves to be too much”

“Of course! Harry is our priority. I’ll talk to Lily about it, she’ll be able to take timo off from Mungo’s for this. Especially if the main topic isn’t quidditch.”

“Not a fan?”

“She prefers football”

“A pity. I always thought flying was much more thrilling” He said with a smile.

“Yeah, I remember your time as a flyer. You were almost good enough to win against us.” Potter teased.

“Well, I’ll have you know I received several offers to play professionally” He stated. He was trying to impress the other man a little, sue him .

“Oh”

Silence filled the room for a bit too long until Regulus mustered up the courage to put them both out of their misery.

“Well, if we’re on the same page with anything, that would be all. I trust you’ll communicate everything we’ve talked about to Miss Evans, right?” He said, getting up from his seat.

“Of course” Said Potter, getting up as well. “Could I ask you to see Harry for a bit before leaving?”

“Of course, something tells me they are not too far away. You’ll find them as soon as you cross the door, if not sooner” He smiled knowingly “Will you be coming back to leave through the floo?”

“Oh no! don’t worry, I’ll just take a walk to Hogsmade, I’ll take advantage from the trip and do a bit of shopping” Potter said hurriedly. 

“In that case, goodbye Mister Potter”

“Goodbye Professor”. And he left, closing the door behind him.

Regulus fell back into his seat. He had messed up so badly. He was sure Potter had picked up on his nervousness and he now thought he was a creep or worse, had realised he had a crush on him.

He’d had to schedule another meeting with his friends, if only to wallow in his misery for a bit.

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They weren’t spying on the meeting. Of course not! Ron, Draco and him were only gathering information for their project. Hermione had said that it was “Merily for academic purposes” and she was always right. 

The Weasley twins had lent them some sort of prototype for listening in on other rooms but it was wonky and didn’t work too well at times.

“Ugh, it overlapped with the radio again. All I hear is that Everything I Do I Do It for You bloke. Merlin’s beard, he's everywhere!” whisper-shouted Ron throwing the plastic ear to the ground “This bloody thing doesn’t work. The twins will need to rework the spelling”. 

They were about to put their own ears at the door when it opened and his father walked out.

He closed the door behind himself and looked around before looking at them alarmed.

“How did he know?” He mumbled to himself.

“How did who know what?” Harry asked his pa.

“How did Professor Black know you were here?”. His father said, louder this time.

Draco looked at him as if he was the stupidest person in the whole world. “He’s clairvoyant”.

“Yeah” Ron chimed in excitedly “He sees it all without seeing. He knows everything. It’s the coolest thing ever”.

His pa groaned and looked at the ceiling “I’m such a fool”

“Well, I can’t argue against that”

“Draco!” Both him and Ron chastised.

“Is this the Malfoy boy?” his father asked him, pointing at the blonde with his thumb.

Ron corrected him before anyone else could “He’s a Black”.

He nodded along “His biological father is a felon pa, Professor Black is his uncle-dad”

Pa looked at the both of them, alarmed. But before he could say anything to them Draco stated “My mum always said Blacks don’t associate with lowlifes”

Pa nodded, a bit pale “Narcissa is a smart lady”

“Was. My mum’s dead, remember?” Draco deadpanned. His father looked like he was about to faint.

“The weasel and I will be leaving now” He said, grabbing Ron by the collar of his robes “We’ll let you two talk alone” And with that he left, dragging Ron behind him 

The silence was deafening until they heard Ron whine from a distance “Stop calling me weasel, Merlin and Morgana both”.

They both started to walk towards the main exit in silence. It was more uncomfortable than it needed to be, and Harry didn’t know because his father was embarrassed he had put his foot in his mouth with Draco or because the meeting with Mister Black went horribly wrong. He hoped to Salazar it was the former and not the latter. 

“So…” He elongated the o for a while “How did it go?”

“Well…” His father also elongated the final consonant “It went”

He stopped short and looked up with a furrowed brow “What do you mean it went?”

His dad turned around “Well we talked and we decided that it would be good to monitor your performance in case quidditch is putting too much on your plate. We’ll have to meet quarterly but I’ll ask your mum to take care of it.” He said dismissively.

Harry’s eyes shot open wide as plates “What do you mean you’ll ask mum to take care of it? You have to be there too!”

“Harry, it’s not necessary for both of us to be there. You know your mother is more academically adept than me, she’ll have a better insight on this matter than me” His father dismissed.

“You have to be there pa!” He exclaimed. “Mum hates quidditch, she would not fight for me to stay in the team like you do!” He tried to use the famous Slytherin manipulation on his pa, he hoped it worked.

“Your mum will do whatever’s best for you, she would never take something you love away without reason” He sounded placating, but he couldn’t meet Harry’s eyes. So the reason for the uncomfortable silence was the latter, great.

“You just made a fool of yourself in front of Professor Black and don’t want to face it!” He accused.

“What?” His father asked with a high pitched voice ”Why would you think that?” his voice was an octave higher than normal, yeah his father was a lost case.

“You did! Professor Black is the coolest and you panicked. You are such a mess!” He said, shaking his head.

“You think he’s cool?”

“Of course! he’s a blind clairvoyant pa, it doesn’t get much cooler than that”

His dad nodded in agreement.

“Besides, he’s always helping everyone out. He talked me down when I was freaking out after my sorting, he always lets Pansy gossip with him, and he even gives Flint tissues after a class with the Gryffindors!” He exclaimed.

“You were freaking out about your sorting?” his dad sounded worried.

“Well… for a bit, yes” he mumbled, looking down at his feet.

“Why Haz?” his dad tried to gently lift his chin, but he still averted his gaze.

“I was just scared,” he confessed.

“Scared? Why?”

His eyes welled up with tears “I just didn’t want my friends to think differently of me.” He gulped “And I was worried about what you guys would think”

“Us?” His father was incredulous.

“You, mum, uncle pads and the rest... I know what the Slytherin house represents for all of you. I didn’t want you all to think I was rotten” He was crying fully now.

“Oh Hazza” His father hugged him tightly “We all know how good you are, we would never think badly of you! I would be lying if I said we weren’t a little disappointed you ended up in the rival house but you are my son. Nothing could ever change that” He kissed the crown of his head. “And if someone thinks less of you for being a Slytherin, the didn’t deserve you in the first place. It’ll get some getting used to for some people, but that’s no excuse for someone to mistreat you, remember that.”

“I know” He whipped out his tears “Professor Black said the same thing, but it’s nice to hear it from you too”

“He said the same thing?”

“Yeah, he said mum was too smart for that”

His dad chucked.

“Indeed she is Haz, indeed he is.”

They started to walk back to the main exit. Harry would have to send an urgent owl as soon as the doors closed behind his dad.

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“Dear mum,

It is of the utmost importance that you convince pa to come to the quarterly meetings with Professor Black (He’ll explain later). Come up with an excuse, say you can’t get out of work at Mungo’s or something like that, but you MUST get him to come.

Love you lots,

Harry

P.D. It’s not that I don’t want you to come, you can come whenever you want. I just need him to be alone with Professor Black for… reasons.

P.P.D. Thanks for the cookies, Theo ate half of them, but they were great.”

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“Dear Haz,

I see where your devious little mind is going. Lucky for you I am invested in this. 

I see your request and I raise you one: I’ll make your pa attend any and all meetings with professor Black unless they are for a serious matter if you promise me there won’t be any serious reason for there to be a meeting.

Keep me posted with ANYTHING that happens between those two.

Love you and miss you loads,

Mum

P.D. You are growing into a very cunning and caring little snake, I’m proud of you (mostly for the caring part)

P.P.D. I’m glad you and your friends liked the cookies, I’ll send you more next time. Have fun!!!!

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“LILIAN JANE EVANS HOW COULD YOU” He screamed as soon as she got through the floo. She had just finished releasing her owl by the window and she didn’t even bother to turn around “That’s not my name and you know it” She said closing the window.

“Don’t try to distract me missy, I know all your tricks. How could you?”

“How could I not tell you your teenage crush was our son’s head of house or how could I not tell you that you were having a meeting with him so you could doll up a bit beforehand?” She batted her eyelashes innocently at him.

“You knew!?” He screamed pulling at his hair.

“I’ve always known, you’re not subtle Potter” She laughed.

“Oh for Godric’s sake” He threw himself to the ground and covered his eyes with his arm “I made such a fool of myself Lils.”

She walked towards him and handed him a pint before sitting on the sofa to his right.

“I could have guessed. You put the ‘mess’ in bisexual”

“That doesn’t even make sense!” he groaned.

“It makes sense to me.”

“He was so professional Lils, it was so hot” He turned onto his front “I was trying to flirt with him by offering my glasses because I’m lame. HE’S BLIND NOW LILS, why didn’t you warn me!?” He could cry out of embarrassment there and then.

“To be fair, I didn’t know about that.” she pointed out.

“And then I dropped my mug and bothered the poor house elf! He was so polite to her too! I want to eat him whole!” He kicked the floor like a toddler throwing a tantrum. “And he almost went pro with Quidditch Lils. Do you know what that does to me?” 

She hummed in agreement.

“He’s just so professional and cool. All mysterious and scholar-y I don’t know”. He got on his back again, eyes closed. “And Haz loves him, he thinks he’s the best thing since sliced bread.” 

“It must be the Potter genes,” She teased.

“Ugh don’t remind me” He groaned “He thinks you’re brilliant and that I’m just a bad influence for Harry”.

“No he doesn’t and no you’re not” She stated after taking a sip from her beer.

“Yes he does, he couldn’t get me out of his office fast enough. It was so embarrassing.”

“Relax, he might not have realised you were trying to flirt with him.” She tried to console him.

“Yes he did, he’s blind not dumb.” He groaned for the thousandth time that evening “He wasn’t having any of it! He was cutting me off every time I tried to tease him a bit.” 

James got on his knees in a flash of movement and shuffled himself through the rug until he got close enough to grab Lily's knees.

“Please,please,please, put me out of my misery. Would you take care of the meetings with him from now on?” He tried to look at her with his best puppy eyes to get the point across.

To his dismay, she shook her head on the negative “And what are you going to do? Avoid him for seven years? He’s Haz’s head of house, you’re in for the long run.” She carded her fingers through his hair soothingly “You have to face this James, and I’m going to help you.”

He looked up hopefully just to be crushed down again “You’ll take care of these meetings all on your own”.

“Why do you hate me so much, woman?”

“Harry weighted 8,8 pounds and I was  in labour for two days” She responded blankly.

“Fair”.

They stayed like that for a while, James on the floor and lily on the sofa, drinking their beers in silence until he broke the silence with a gasp.

“I almost forgot!” He turned to look up at her “Did you know Harry was scared we were going to hate him for being a Slytherin?”

She sat up straight “What?!”

“He was scared we were going to think he was ‘rotten’” he said, voice wobbly.

“Oh my poor baby” She sounded like she was about to cry “You told him we were proud of him and that we wouldn’t think badly of him ever right? right?!” She inquired.

“Of course! But apparently Professor Black had already said all the right things” He groaned again and let his head fall back into the sofa’s cushion.

“You are pathetic and screwed,” laughed Lily from above.

“I know!”

“I’m sending Haz six batches of the witch weekly cookies”.

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“It was so bad lads” Regulus lamented through a mouthful of tandoori chicken “He didn’t even want to come back to return home through my floo!”

They were having dinner at Barty and Evan’s place, all of them scattered around the living room and eating straight from the take-out container with plastic cutlery. The owners of the house were sitting facing each other on the loveseat, legs intertwined, while Dorcas and Pandora took the sofa, Regulus sat by their feet on the floor.

“It couldn’t have been that bad” chirped Pandora.

“Yes it could” refuted Evan. “It could even be worse” Teased Barty, stealing some chickpeas from Evan’s container.

“I tried to respond to his banter, flirt back with a couple of jokes” They all were hanging onto his every word. “He didn’t laugh! Not even once! He must think I’m a creep or something.”

“You are not a creep Eggie!” Pandora said, offended on his behalf.

“No, he is,” responded Dorcas. They all looked at her in various levels of disbelief, except Regulus. He was smiling.

“What? I shared a dorm with you three for a while, Eggie is a bit creepy, that’s part of his charm. His gloomy demeanor is what will attract the guy, mark my words”

That made Regulus laugh. “You are such a moron”.

“I’m being serious! It’ll just take a bit of time. He’ll just have to be around you long enough to look past the creepiness and see the lovable guy you are.” She said sincerely.

“You are wackier than I thought if you actually believe he’ll come back to my office. He’ll just pin the next visits on the poor Evans.”

Barty chuckled from his seat “He’ll come back” he assured, “Just wait and see.”

Regulus shook his head dejectedly “You have too much faith in me” he mumbled.

“You have too little” they all said in unison.

“Okay” He exhaled “let’s pretend for a minute that he comes back and he actually likes me”

“It’s not pretend, it’s bound to happen” declared Pandora.

“Okay, okay, just let’s put ourselves in the scenario.” He placated “He comes to the meetings, he likes me, and then what? He’s the father of my student! an affair in my first year as a teacher would look horrid for my career! And it is not like a quarterly meeting is enough to get to know each other.”

“For one little Eggie, we are wizards in a bunch of islands in the middle of the sea. The dating pool is more like a dating puddle, you wouldn’t be the first Hogwarts professor to date the parent of a student. Half of us are related for salazar’s sake, live a little.” He swatted away Barty’s hand from where it was trying to sneak another bite and continued. “Besides, the child’s a Potter. From what you said he’s already causing trouble, Loverboy will be in your office more than the cleaning elves”

They all nodded in agreement, but Regulus could only groan. 

“Can we please talk about something else, I’m begging you” He pleaded.

“Okay, okay. Talking about loverboys, How’s the Flint lad doing?” asked Pandora.

“Oh you won’t believe it!” He whined “The poor thing. We were in class, a shared period with Gryffindor and Slytherin”

“I like where this is going” interrupted Barty.

“Weasley and Wood were sitting together”

“Obviously” interrupted Evan yet again.

“I was trying to do a practice lesson on palm reading and as soon as they held each other's hand Marcus burst in tears”

“That’s just a sad, man.” Said Dorcas.

Evan nodded “Absolutely tragic”

Barty broke in giggles “I’d say pathetic”

“Well, I think it’s romantic” stated Pandora “Love magic will bring them together”

“Who?” He asked, confused.

“The three of them of course” She responded happily. 

“Of course” mocked Barty gaining himself a smack on the head from Evan.

“You know what? I choose to believe” said Dorcas.

“I just hope the poor lad gets over it, I had to lend him some tissues after class” He said, a little sad for his student.

The conversation resumed, now debating about the ethics of using transfiguration charms on living animals. Regulus slowly let himself fall off from the everchanging topics and finally fell asleep on the floor with a smile.

No matter what happened with silly crushes, everything would be alright if he kept these people around.

Chapter Text

Regulus was in his office when he got the letter. He should have been preparing for next week’s level assessment test; he had to work thrice more than most after all, seeing as he’d need to prepare one for the first, the second and the third years. That wasn’t what he was doing though.

La Voisin, the cat he had gotten for Draco to help with his grief when he first had come to live with him, was overly tired. She seemed to fall asleep anywhere, she didn’t want to eat, she kept sneaking into his or Draco’s bed and she seemed to be sore around her stomach area, so he’d been taking care of her. 

He was worried as could be, actually. There had been a cluster of bats flying together around the Hogwarts grounds last night. That never meant anything good and he knew it.

La Voisin was laying on his lap, meowing pitifully as he rubbed a soothing salve Pandora had sent him on her belly; the scented candles he had bought filled the room with a sweet and comforting smell; Pourquois tum’aimes encore was playing on the radio; everything was calm, too calm.

He tried to focus on the feeling the bats were bringing him, the earth wouldn’t put him on edge like this, least of all this close to Mabon. So much for a time of rest and hope, he thought,  he’d have to perform a rite of protection when the night came.

He was following that thread, the view was foggier than usual, the earth was hiding something from him, and something she wouldn’t let him use her eyes to see had to be something big. After a few roads without exit, he saw it. An owl, small and reddish, coming his way. Lily Evans’ owl. 

Just as he returned his attention to the whiny cat on his lap, an incessant tapping came from the window. He took the bird treats he had on his desk and plopped down on the window seat before letting the owl in.

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“Good evening Professor Black,

Firstly, I would like to thank you for the great care you are taking of my son. Harry has talked about how you calmed him down when he needed it most and for that, both James and I are truly grateful.

Sadly, I won’t be able to express this in person. I am sure you are aware of the work I do in Saint Mungo’s, and due to its demanding hours I will not be able to attend many of the meetings you have scheduled with James. I am truly sorry for this and hope the both of you will be able to manage this chapter of Harry’s academic life as swiftly as possible.

If there is any emergence I’ll be just an owl away, but for the time being I hope this arrangement works out well for everyone.

Thank you for your time.

Best of wishes,

Lily Evans.

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He sighted as he patted the bird and folded the letter on his hand. Mystery solved.

At least this meant Le Voisin was safe, he supposed, that was a positive. The flock of swans just brought with it Lily Evan’s absence and the torture of having to spend hours alone with the man he’d had been crushing on for two decades. No big deal, a bit dramatic on earth’s part.

A flock of bats, an omen of bad luck, just for a couple of one on one meetings? Seems excessive. He decided to pick poor old Le Voisin up from the floor and research a bit. With the whining cat in his arms, he crossed the room and passed his hand across the backs of the many books he had stacked in the shelves of his office.

When his hand reached “A Guide On Omens For The Sagacious Seer” he stopped and picked it up. He opened it straight on the “bats” page and focused, putting his hand on top of it.

“Bats are often associated with darkness and the supernatural world. They are viewed as omens of bad luck in most European countries. However, in Chinese folklore they are mainly seen as agents of chaos that often appear to disrupt harmony.”

Agents of chaos and harmony disruptors, that seemed more likely. It also sounded oddly like Barty, save for the darkness part.

This news did disrupt the little harmony he had managed to build his life, James Potter had always had that effect on him. But he could manage it, it was just quarterly meetings. Harry was a good kid, he seemed smart, there would be no reason to call on his parents for more than necessary.

He had just put the book back on the shelf when Le Voisin jumped out of his arms and started running across the room. Regulus tried to focus on what was happening when he reached the cat, meowing and pawing at the wall. He crouched down beside it and saw it: A hole. 

Mice. 

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“Okay let’s recap” Hermione’s voice broke through the chaos.

The six of them were once again in the abandoned classroom on the seventh floor. They came there to discuss how to proceed with their first year extracurricular project but, much to Hermione’s dismay, no one was actually talking about that.

Theo and Neville were talking about whatever herbology nerds talked about, quite excitedly at that. Himself and the Weasel were arguing if the Cannons deserved to stay in the quidditch premier league (they obviously didn’t) and Harry was looking at him without saying a word for some unknown reason. 

“Sure” He said, he had been the one to convince her to get involved in this after all. He should assume his responsibility. “Let 's recap”. 

With everyone now looking at her, Hermione’s expression turned serious. “Harry heard his mum saying Mister Potter had a crush on Professor Black back when they were at Hogwarts together”

“And my mum never lies,” added Harry.

“And his mum never lies,” nodded Hermione. “After that first meeting, do we think those feelings are still there?” She asked?

“Oh, we are positive” Mocked Draco “He was so flushed he could have passed for grandma weasel’s wig”

“Not cool mate” Protested Ron, but he was trying to hold back a laugh “And stop calling me that”

“I didn’t call you anything”

“Focus!” exclaimed Hermione. “Okay, according to the spell, Mister Potter’s soulmate should 

 be able to ‘see his need from a mile away’” She said raising one finger ”Professor Black is a clairvoyant, so that tracks.” 

She kept reading the list on the parchment “He will ‘hum his favourite song’, Draco didn’t know what La Bamba was until recently, so even if he has done it, we have no way to know. No one has heard him hum the song, right?” Everyone shook their heads. “We’ll have to be on the lookout for that one”. 

She kept going, “‘He can ride a broom backwards’, He was a seeker in school so it could be possible.”

“He got offers to go pro, he can do almost anything on a broom”. Interrupted Draco.

“We’ll put that down as a maybe until we see it actually happen” she said skeptically.

“‘He can flip pancakes in the air’ Draco says he does it every morning with his breakfast crêpes, so Tomato, tomahto” She said dismissibly, raising another finger.

“Well, actually-” Draco tried to intervene, but he was completely ignored.

“‘He is marvelously kind’” 

“He’s putting up with Flint’s pity party” said Ron rolling his eyes “That bloke almost broke down when he saw me, you have to be pretty gone if a dude that likes Percy is making you break down.”

“Focus!” Exclaimed Hermion. “Right, so that’s another one” she said, raising another finger.

“‘His favourite shape is a star’ Any insight on that Draco?”

“Really Granger, and you are the smart Gryffindor? the Blacks? Stars? A bit on the nose innit?” Theo pointed out with a knowing smirk. Hermione and the others seemed confused, so he guessed he’d have to clarify.

“They didn’t grow up in the pureblood sphere Theo, give them a break” He pointed out “It’s a black family tradition, naming kids after celestial bodies, Regulus is the brightest star in Leo’s constellation” he explained.

“Is yours a star too?” Harry spoke up for the first time in a while.

“It’s a constellation actually”

“FOCUS” screamed Hermione again. “We’ll cross that one out too then” And then raised another finger.

“And lastly, ‘He has eyes like the clouds’”

“His eyes are white and soft” nodded Neville appreciatively. 

“They even used to be gray,” Added Draco.

“Very well then” Hermione raised the last finger on her right hand. “Professor Black matches five and a half out of the seven characteristics given by the spell.”

Neville put on an impressed face “I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet”.

“Harry, your mum agreed to leave all the meetings with Professor Black to your father right?” She asked.

“Yep, it makes more sense honestly. He just manages sleekeazy, not as labour intensive as my mum’s work. He has more free time anyway.”

“Would all of you please just focus?” she pleaded desperately.

“You have quite the one track mind Mione, is quite impressive” said Ron appreciatively.

That gained him a look from Draco, both eyebrows raised. Interesting. 

“Thanks” She almost whispered “Anyway, now we just need to come up with some ideas to get Harry in trouble. Enough to get his dad to come but not enough to get him in real trouble”

“And he needs to keep his grades up!” 

“Which brings me to my next point, thank you Neville.” The boy smiled brightly at her “We are going to form a study group” The smile fell.

Everyone groaned except Draco. He was actually on board.

“It’ll be beneficial to all of us,” She continued. “We’ll all help each other in the subjects we excel at, that way we’ll all learn even more!” Oh she was excited.

“I think it’s a great idea” He said to support her. “I can help you with potions and divination if anyone needs it”

“Ugh fine! I guess I can take care of History of Magic” Ron conceded.

Neville was next “I’ll obviously have to pitch in with Herbology, I’m pants at anything else”.

“Not true Nev” Harry denied “I’ll take Defence and Charms then”.

Theo raised his hand “Astronomy for me”.

“I’ll take Transfiguration and organisation of the club” She smiled brightly “We’ll start preparing for our assessment tests. We’ll all do great”

────────────────────────────────────────

They weren’t doing great

Ron, Neville and Harry had flunked their potion’s assessment test.

“How, HOW LONGBOTTOM?!” He screamed at his face "One would think a Herbology prodigy would know how to cut up some bloody mandrake leaves!” He turned towards Ron “I actually expected this from you Ronald, I wouldn’t let you near a cauldron even to make stew” The redhead nodded, resigned.

“And you” His voice got an octave deeper. “You Potter” He poked the boy’s chest with his index finger, hard. “I must have explained the steps of this potion at least eighty times! How could you mess it up so badly?” 

“Draco calm down, It’s okay” Hermione tried to placate him, to no avail.

“No it’s not Mione!” 

He started peacing around the abandoned classroom, frustration taking over him. “Snape, Il en veut à ces idiots! ça doit être ça!” He exclaimed “J’ai donné mon âme pour qu’ils réussissent leur merde de contrôle!” He couldn’t see straight, too enraged to care.  “Oui y a les résultats, ILS ONT UN T. C’est un CONNARD!” He pulled at his hair, getting more worked up by the second. “Il-Il les tombe leurs bulletins, ce gros crétin! Je vais l’étrangler, Ugh!” 

He turned around to see all his friends looking amusedly at him. All but Harry who was beet red.

“WHAT!” He yelled at them

They all responded with some variation of “nothing” and went back to talking amongst each other.

Once he calmed down he went back to the group, sitting between Hermione and Theo. “I need to be amongst my people, scholars and intellectuals” He sighed.

“From now on, we’ll be practicing potions once a week.” He turned towards Harry “I’ll write your essays myself if I have to Potter. You are not losing us the quidditch cup”.

“That’s cheating” mumbled Hermione, but he gave her a stare so cold she quieted down.

“It would never work either way” said Neville “Harry’s handwriting is atrocious, no one would believe he suddenly learned how to write”

Draco pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes until he was seeing stars and let himself fall back onto the floor.

“Somebody sedate me”.

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Theo had been acting weird all week and Draco knew why. The Prophet had not published anything, but there were whispers in the corners of the Slytherin common room. Cantankerus Nott was a forgotten face in a sea of Death Eaters, the wizarding world had kept on going without him, but for the older families he was a name to be remembered. 

The head of one of the sacred 28 pureblood families had been rotting on his Azkaban cell for quite a while, but his health had taken a turn for the worse. That night, when he went, he did so quietly and without much of a fuss

The three of them were having dinner when the eagle owl came down and landed right in front of Theo. He didn’t even open the letter, he just took it, vanished, and left. Harry made to go after him but he grabbed him by the forearm and signaled for him to sit.

“He needs a bit of time Harry, we’ll check on him after dinner okay?” 

Harry nodded, a preoccupied expression on his face.

“I’ll save him a slice of pumpkin pie, it’s his favourite”

“Mabon is right around the corner, he’ll get his share. I’m sure it will cheer him up?”

“What is Mabon?” Harry asked, confused.

“Now is not the time for a lesson on wizarding culture Potter, finish your treacle tart”.

When they got back to their dorm, Theo was sitting at the foot of the bed face blank and looking straight ahead.

“We brought you your favourite” Harry handed him the pie and Theo took it, but still he didn’t say a word.

“You should eat some, do you want to talk about it?” He asked in a low voice.

Theo shook his head, but  ate a bite.  

And so there they were. Sitting quietly on Theo’s bed while the boy ate his pie like it physically pained him. When he was done Draco handed him his sleeping clothes and signaled for him to enter the bathroom.

When Theo got back in the room, they were all changed into their pajamas. He went straight to his bed, but didn’t close the curtains, so Harry and Draco took the invitation for what it was and got into the small bed with him.

It was comfortable, even if it was almost too crowded, and after a while they all fell asleep. Draco wondered if this is how it felt to have a brother.

────────────────────────────────────────

Draco woke up to the sound of a scream. He didn’t know where he was at first, but the screams didn’t stop so he centered himself rather quickly. When he realized what was happening, he turned back towards Theo and shook him awake. The boy looked around, eyes unfocused and grabbed Draco’s hand tightly.

“They are coming for me” He said, a frenetic tone in his voice.

“No one’s here Theo, it’s just us!”

The boy shook his head “They are coming for me” He was getting more agitated.

“Who’s coming?” asked Harry drowsily, he must’ve just woken up.

“They are coming to take me in his place! He didn’t serve his full sentence so now they’re coming for me!” Theo was crying now, thrashing in Draco’s hold. 

“Listen to me Theodore Cyprian Nott, no one is coming to take you away do you understand?” He said, holding the other boy’s face in his hands. He held him tight, looking him in the eyes until he stopped thrashing. When he was calmer, Draco got out of bed and started grabbing their things.

“Put on your robes and your shoes, we’re leaving” He declared.

“Draco it must be hours past the curfew we can’t-” Harry shut up as soon as he saw the look on Draco’s face and started getting ready.

When they were all dressed, Draco led them out of the dorms, the common room and through the hallways.

They must have looked like little ducklings, Draco leading the line, holding a trembling Theo’s hand and Harry sulking behind them. When they arrived at the door, he knocked on the wooden door until it opened. 

“Meringue de minuit?” Asked the man.

“Meringue de minuit” He nodded back.

────────────────────────────────────────

They’d gone down to the kitchens, everyone talking in hushed voices but Theo, who had been silent since they left the bed. 

“This is something we used to do when I first started to live with Regulus” He explained as he sat down “I was only five and obsessed with merengue, so when I had nightmares or when I really missed my mum, we got down to the kitchens, ate a bunch of it and talked until I felt better.” 

His papa pushed a mug full of hot chocolate towards Theo. “It doesn’t have to be merengue though, you don’t even have to talk if you don’t want to Theodore, I can prepare whatever you want”

“Breakfast?” The boy asked in a whisper.

“Of course” responded the man, getting to work.

“My father was not a good man” said Theo, as if he was talking more to himself than to them. “I didn’t even know him that well. He got sent to Azkaban when I was only a babe, but my mother took me to see him every once in a while.” He took a deep breath “I know what he did. He was a Death Eater, the worst of the worst” He was gripping the table so hard his knuckles had turned white “But that cell, it was worse than death” He dried the tears off of his face. 

“The dementors ate all of his happy memories, so he barely knew who my mother was… But he remembered me” He whispered “I never brought him much joy, so it’s understandable.” He paused and took a deep breath. “He used to look at me with those crazed eyes, and he would tell me I would take his place one day” He shook his head. “Mother always said he meant I would take the lead as the new head of house, but I knew better.” The whole room felt cold. “He meant I would be the one paying his dues, the next one on that cell. He told me himself the last time I had to visit”.

“That’s why you were afraid tonight? You dreamt about it?” Asked Harry softly patting his back.

Theo nodded “I know it’s not possible, but I just have this irrational fear that it’ll be my turn someday”

Regulus turned around, pan in hand “Theodore, it is a completely normal response to what you have lived. No child should see something like that, much less repeatedly. It’s not your fault you were scarred like that, anyone in your position would” He focused his gaze on them without stopping moving the pan “I’ll ask Madam Pompfrey to look for a mind healer, it’ll help you” As The was about to protest he continued “I’ll make sure it’s a private affair. No one apart from the people in this room and the two professionals will know, I give you my word” he started arranging the plates in front of them “And needless to say, you can come and talk to me about anything, anytime.”

He flipped the pancake he had on the pan in the air and dumped it on Theo’s plate, leaving the three boys open mouthed and turning around to prepare some more.

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Harry Potter had flunked his first potions control, he should have known. Bats, omens of chaos and harmony disruptors. Mice, symbols of False hope. He should have known.

“I ate a live one of those the other day” said Barty, pointing at the TV with his chopsticks.

Regulus had been zoning out during their weekly dinner hangout. They were at Pandora’s house this time, eating chinese takeout and watching Finding Nemo with little Luna.

“A puffer fish? Barty those are poisonous!” Dorcas was looking at him, an alarmed expression on her face.

“I feel great” He just shrugged back, Evan giggling with his chin resting on his shoulder.

“I think he’s just immune to that sort of thing” Said Pandora “Remember when he spent months dressing his salad with cleaning vinegar instead of the edible one?”

“It tasted much better, never eaten salad since” He nodded somberly.

Dorcas’ alarmed face did not falter “Sometimes I think you died long ago and Evan just necromanced you back to keep as a pet.”

“I don’t kiss and tell” Responded the blond over Barty’s shoulder, still giggling.

“You’re like bats” He mumbled.

“What did you say honey? I couldn’t hear you over the sound of your brooding” Barty asked, voice overly sweet, making Evan laugh harder.

“I said you’re like bats” He said louder “omens of chaos and harmony disruptors”

“Yes we are baby!” Exclaimed Evan planting a loud kiss on Barty’s green hair “And you love it”.

“I miss Dray” Came a small whiny voice from a pile of fluffy blankets “Can he come with uncle Reg next time?”

Regulus opened his arms for his goddaughter to snuggle on and when she did, he gave her a tight squeeze.

“Draco is at school right now, my moon.” He said, kissing the crown of her head. “He’ll be back in no time and you’ll play together again.”

“If the Wrackspurts haven’t gotten into his head” She whispers.

“The Wrackspurts can’t get to him remember, you gave him the necklace to repel them” He assured.

“That’s true. And then next year when I’m old enough we’ll be together at Hogwarts and we’ll play together everyday again, right uncle Reg?” She said, looking at him with bright blue eyes.

“Of course”

“I can’t wait” she mumbled sleepily, burrowing further into the blankets and his chest, and promptly fell asleep.

All his friends were cooing at him as he carried the little girl to her room and tucked her into bed. When he came back though, he knew peace was over.

“First, no news on the Wood-Weasley-Flinch love affair, sorry girls. I know you are invested.”

“Eggie! You disappointed us! Why would you come if you have no gossip to feed us” Whined Pandora.

“Feed us mother, for we are but skin and bone!” swooned Dorcas.

“You are too funny girls.” He rolled his eyes “But worry not, for I did not come empty handed”

Everyone put all their attention back on him. Expecting.

“Evans wrote to me, she won’t be able to come to any of the meetings, she has too much work.” He sighted. “And the boy flunked his potions assessment test, so I’ll have to call his father on”.

“The fat cows are coming baby!” exclaimed Dorcas.

“I saw no such thing” He said confusedly, “Just bats and mice, which should have been enough of an indicator to be fair.”

“No Eggie, it’s a muggle saying. It means good times are coming!” Pandora explained.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that” He said, “If we take the first meeting as a precedent, he’ll end up thinking I’m a psycho or hating me.”

“You are being dramatic mate” said Barty, head hanging upside down from Evan’s lap. “He’ll think you’re great, just wait and see”.

“Next time we’ll go out to celebrate that you finally got a ride on the Potter train” Said Evan, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“Twenty years on the queue, but now it’s finally his turn lads!” Exclaimed Dorcas with a laugh. “That reminds me, Marls wants to throw a house-warming party next week, now that we’re moving in together” she said, dragging the silence out for a bit, “And I wanted to invite all of you.”

“Will he be there?” he asked.

“Potter’s her best friend since they were like three, of course he’ll be there”.

“You know that’s not what I was asking.”

She sighted, defeated “Yes, he’ll be there”

The air in the room had turned heavy, the ambient somber.

“I’ll think about it Cas”.

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“Good morning Mister Potter,

I hope this letter finds you well. As I am sure you remember, Hogwarts assesses all of its first year students in every subject. Your son has done well in most of them, however he scored Troll on his potions exam. 

I am concerned this might be due to the overwhelming factor we discussed last meeting, and would like to schedule another visit for us to discuss on the path we’ll follow going forward.

If there’s no inconvenience, we’ll see each other next monday during my office hours.

Please contact me at your earliest convenience to confirm the date.

Best regards,

Head of house Slytherin”

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“Pa,

I did get a troll, but it’s just ‘cause Snape has it out for me, even Draco says so.

You have to fight for me and our quidditch dreams.

Please don’t be angry, I really tried.

Love you,

Harry.”

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James was early, too early in fact. So much so that he found himself pacing around the little indoor garden close to Regulus’ office more than half an hour before their meeting. 

He was ready this time, he knew it was Regulus on the other side of the door so he came prepared. He had tried and failed to comb his hair, he’d chosen his best formal-but-not-too-much robes, the red ones that complimented his skin and made his eyes pop, and he’d doused himself in his most expensive cologne. He had put in the effort.

So why couldn’t he calm down? He was starting to doubt himself, was this outfit too much? Maybe the smell of this cologne was too much for Regulus’ delicate nose. Should he have brought flowers?

He was spiraling in the middle of a Hogwarts courtyard like a bloody third year before their first Hogsmeade date, it was embarrassing. Just as he was going to turn around and leave to go look for McGonagall or whomever he could find to have a meaningless conversation, he came face to face with a very pale, very tall garden gnome. 

“Take this” He shoved a bag of carambar caramel candies on his hand “Those are his favourite”. The small boy sounded as annoyed as he looked.

“And why would I do that?” He asked, but he could feel how hot his face was.

“Do you want to woo him or not?” Asked the boy in a bratty tone, taking the bag back exasperated.

“Wh-” He puffed out a laugh “What? Why would I-” His voice was too high pitched, he choked on air “Why would I want to- What did you say? Woo him? please, why would I want to do that?” He gave another awkward laugh but snatched the bag back from the kid’s grasp.

“To convince him to keep Harry on the team, obviously”. The kid was looking at him like he was stupid.

“Obviously” He nodded back.

“I know you were a Gryffindor Mister Potter, but your business and yourself would benefit from a bit of Slytherin resourcefulness” He huffed. And with that he turned and left, leaving James dumbfounded in the grass. 

“Mister Potter?” came a soft voice from the colonnade “Mister Potter you are a bit early, come in, it’ll start raining in a few minutes”.

He looked up at the sunny sky and couldn’t see a single cloud, but he guessed Regulus would know better. 

“Please, call me James. It looks like we’ll be seeing each other a fair bit” He said as he crossed the door.

“Very well James” his knees almost gave up from underneath him when he heard that “Is that for me?” He asked, signaling the candy bag. 

“Oh! Yes! They are for you, I just thought I should bring something to sweeten your day after giving you so much work, Professor Black.” He explained, handing over the bag.

The man took it and a small smile appeared on his face “They are my favourite! Thank you  James, and please. Call me Regulus too”

James needed to sit down.

“Should we sit down?” Asked the professor.

“Yes of course, I wouldn't like to waste your time.” He said as he sat down in front of the desk.

Regulus started talking. His voice was low, deep and soft, and it had the slight hint of an accent around certain words. It was almost hypnotic to him, the slow pace of his voice, the clear tone, all of it combined with the warm scent of cinnamon that always filled the office everything felt like a trance. 

Regulus white eyes were focused on him, he had stopped talking. James had been looking at him like a lovesick idiot while he had been waiting for a response. Great.

“Excuse me, could you repeat that? It’s been a long day at work” He tried to excuse himself, voice trembling.

“Don’t worry James, it must be a stressful job managing such a big firm” He smiled again “Draco, my guard, adores your hair products” He ate one of the candy bars and continued “I was asking if you think adding extra potions lessons to your son’s schedule would aid or just aggravate the problem”

Hearing that he focused fully on the matter “Well, I would wait for a bit to see how he continues to perform in the class. It was just an assessment test, and although it seems weird to me that he only scored a troll, having grown up around potioneers as he did, I think with a little more time and guidance he’ll be able to do much better.” He assured.

“Are you insinuating that Professor Snape scored your son unfairly?” The man in front of him raised an eyebrow.

“No! I would never question the professionalism of a Hogwarts professor.” He denied “It is well known that we had our differences in our school days, and although Snape has always been a resentful man, I don’t think he would go that far as to take it out on my son” He said, looking at the professor meaningfully.

The other man sighed “I’ll admit Severus can be a difficult man. Not a bad one.” He said rapidly “But some are of the opinion that working with children is not his best suited job”. 

The man offered him the candy bag, and when he reached for it their hands brushed for a second. He almost lost all concentration again. 

“Draco said something to me the other day. Their group of friends has decided to form a study group. I’m sure you know them: Theodore Nott, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.” James did know all those names but he wasn’t sure he could put a face to the Nott boy, must be the new Slytherin one. “All of them have good grades in one class or other, so I’m hoping they’ll all help each other however they can.” The man explained. “If you are on board, we can see if his grades get better this way. If not, we’ll discuss other options”.

James nodded eagerly. “I think this is the best thing for now”. He agreed.

“Well, then that would be all. Do you have any other question?” The professor asked.

“W-well…” He stumbled with his words “I was meaning to ask you if. If we could be seeing eachother out of this meetings, you know? For non Hogwarts related things” He cringed at himself. Very smooth James, very smooth. 

“Do you mean Dorcas and Marlene’s housewarming party?” Asked the man, turning his head to the side, a dubious expression on his face. “I was thinking about it, I wouldn’t like to make anyone uncomfortable”

James sighed, defeated “Yes, that’s what I meant.” He conceded “If it would make you feel better I could talk to Sirius about it, break the news kindly”. He offered.

“That would be very kind of you James, but I don’t want to put you on the spot like that” He said with a kind smile.

James swore he would melt if the man didn’t stop smiling and saying his name like that. “It’s no trouble at all! We are all adults, he’ll be able to handle it. Don’t worry”. He assured.

“In that case, I would be most grateful.” He smiled again, James needed a new heart.

“I’ll see you next week then” He said getting up.

“See you next week James” He said, closing the door behind him.

It wasn’t until he was back home that James realised what he had promised. He had screwed up big time.

Chapter Text

When the door of his chambers opened, Regulus already knew who the person entering was. It was not because of the usual reason, no one needs clairvoyant abilities to know their child’s footsteps.

“Well” The blond said throwing himself on his bed “So you’re going to meet your brother”

“Yes” He said, taking a sip of his tea cup “I am going to be in the vicinity of Sirius, that is correct”.

“And you are panicking” The boy stated, hanging upside down from the bed, shoes on the wall.

“I am not doing any such thing” He took another sip of his tea ”And get your feet off my wall, you’re going to stain it”.

The kid sat up, hanging his feet off the side of the bed now, and rolled his eyes “You so are, this is so dumb”

He put his cup down on the bedside table and turned to face Draco, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I am sorry my familial history is boring to you mister, but I’m not discussing this with you”

Draco frowned, a petulant expression on his face. "I never said it was boring, I said it was dumb” He put great emphasis on the last word “Because it is! And it is technically my family’s history too. You’re aware we are related, right?”

Regulus groaned tiredly, caressing poor Le Voisin as she jumped on his lap. “I had a vague idea yes”

To be honest, Regulus could never forget. Many thought Draco took after the Malfoys only for his pale coloring, but to someone who had grown up with Narcissa Black, the kid was a carbon copy of her. He had the same eyes as her, they crumpled their nose in the exact same way when they disliked something, even their smiles were the same. Draco’s nose was pointier and his hair was straight and almost white instead of Narcissa’s golden curls, but sometimes, all Regulus could see was his older cousin when he looked at him.

“You know, you are exactly like your mum” He blurted out.

Draco turned his head, trying to get Le Voisin to go to him “You’re the only one who ever says that” He mumbled “Everyone thinks I’m a Malfoy”

“Well you are not” He cut stagnantly “Those people are blind if they can see it. You are the proud heir of the most ancient and noble House of Black” He leaned back on his seat “You are just a very pale one, almost albino really” He teased.

“I’ll have you know some find it very appealing!” Draco defended hastily.

“I am sure you’re not short on admirers, darling” He said, trying not to sound as tense as he felt “I just hope you know that you can talk to me about it, when you are ready to accept their advances. In the far, far future” He said, underlining the last part.

“Atlante! That’s so disgusting!” Draco was completely red in the face.

“No one has been improper with you right? There’s nothing wrong with having crushes, it is a natural thing, even not having them ever, that’s also alright, darlin. But you are far too young to be acting on it” He said, a little panicked.

“Of course not! I do like someone” He said, blushing even harder “He is my age” he said, before Regulus could interrupt. “But I’m not acting on it, we’re just friends” He mumbles, looking down at the purring cat on his lap.

“Okay, I am here to talk if you ever feel like you need it. About anything” He said, looking at him pointedly.

“I know, I am here for you to talk too!” The boy exclaimed.

“You are a child. A child I have to take care of for that matter. My grievances with my brother are not yours to bear.” He stated.

“But I can help!” He insisted “You are too somber about it,  you need a positive outlook on them”.

“Your aunts and uncles are plenty positive for me.” 

“But they are biased! They don’t like Sirius” He stated as if it was obvious. “I am impartial in this situation.”

“There are many things you don’t know about, Draco. And I intend to keep it that way,” he explained.

“Well, whatever it is I don’t know, I can attest that I would never hate Luna. No matter what she did, because she is my sister.” He said plainly “So I’m sure Sirius will get over whatever he thinks he has over you “ He finished, letting himself fall back on the bed.

Regulus could only sigh “Okay, I’ll try to approach this situation with a positive mindset” He conceded. “Now tell me, how is that study group of yours going?”

“Oh Salazar! Don’t get me started on that!” The child said, shooting up. “Ronald Billius Weasley is going to be the death of me. How can such a smart person be so dumb? It genuinely baffles me! I’ll be trying to explain to him the most basic concept and he will not get it for the life of him, but then Hermione and I struggle with the most complex aspect of spell-casting and he’ll just solve it naturally! Like it’s ingrained on his brain or something. I want to throttle him” He said, thrashing and turning furiously on the bed, almost squashing poor Le Voisin in his tantrum.

“Then there’s Longbottom, thank god Theo’s able to get through to him because I cannot be with him sometimes” He said laying on his front. “He’s average at everything, and he could be great in some of his classes if he just stopped thinking he’s not worth the dirt off of snape’s shoe and started having some trust in himself!” He was exasperated. 

“Theo is the opposite though, which isn’t much better! He’s so overconfident I’m sure he’s going to blow all of us up someday.” He turned and picked Le Voisin up harshly, dropping her on his stomach to cuddle her. “He’s brilliant, there’s no denying that but he’s obsessed with ticking things to ‘Get a better result’ He’s going to end up bald or worse.”

He sat up, Hugging the cat closely to his chest “Hermione is to focus on theory and rationality. We’re wizards for Atlante’s sake! Magic is not always logical!” He groaned “But she can’t wrap her head around that. Did you know she thinks the omens are just old wive’s tales and superstitions? She never believes me when I read them, and when I’m right she chucks it up to statistikis or something like that. It’s so frustrating!”.

He let go of the cat and started running his fingers through his hair “Then there’s Harry” He sighted “He’s so, so powerful, and so intelligent. But he doesn’t even care! He doesn’t realize! He could be the best at every class just on raw power alone but he’s such a goof! He’s got so much potential, but he prefers to laugh around all day! What I wouldn’t do for a fraction of his talent.” He layed back down.

Regulus understood how he felt, he’d been in his place many times. But he also knew he cared a lot for all of these kids.

“Well it sounds like they all shine in different ways” He responded softly “Maybe Ron’s and Harry’s attention is not that good for the theory aspects, but they seem to have a good head on their shoulders. Ron seems to be a logical thinker, so maybe try that approach when you’re explaining things to him, don’t just read the theory outloud:” He suggested.

“Same thing with Harry, he sounds like a practical learner. Try and focus on that too.” He picked his teacup back up. “Neville, he hasn’t been having an easy time at Hogwarts from what I’ve heard. It’s normal, many first-years take a bit of time to adjust. His problem seems to be his self esteem. Try encouraging him, supporting his efforts! Don’t be too hard on him”

He picked Le Voisin up from the floor “Theo is creative, but you need to make sure his overconfidence doesn't disgorge into a magical hazard. Make sure his experiments don’t get too wild, and if they do, come to me.”

Draco nodded “As for Hermione, not everyone has to believe in the same thing. Divination is not an exact science, it relies on interpretation, so statistics do play a part, She’s not wrong. She’ll open her mind to more lax ways of magic with time, just be patient and make sure to be respectful. Don’t let her disrespect your beliefs, though.” He stated.

“You are a great teacher, you’re aware of that right?” Draco asked.

“Well, I try my best” he shrugged. “Teachers must detect their student needs and meet them. It’s their job”

Draco got up from the bed “I have to go to class now” He mumbled. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

Regulus nodded.

“Thanks for the advice, don’t overthink papa, I know you”

And with that he left, closing the door behind him and leaving a smiling Regulus inside. He loved when he called him that.

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“Okay” James sat down at Lily’s sofa “How are we going to do this?”.

Remus, the girls and himself were all reunited at their home base, Lily’s flat, trying to come up with a plan on how to tell Sirius their next get together would have a Slytherin green tone to it.

“Well I for one think it’s not necessary to tell him” Marlene was longing on one of the loveseats. “He knows Dorcas was a Slytherin, and he knows she was a year younger. It’s common sense that Regulus will be at her house-warming”. She looked at them like it was the most obvious thing ever.

“That’s a pretty big guess there Marls” Laughed Mary “I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion. We weren’t really in sync with the Slytherin social circles back then, and we haven’t seen any of that crowd since graduation. Save for Dorcas obviously, but even then those too don’t interact much.”

Remus nodded morosely “His biological family is a sore topic for him. He at least deserves a heads up”
“I would like to know first if I was going to have to face Tuney” Lily agreed, the mood of the room turned serious.

“How would you do it then?” Asked Marlene, now laying upside-down on her seat.

“Well I would like it to be straight-forward.” She said “We are all adults, I wouldn’t like to be told to behave or anything like that. It would feel patronicing. There’s nothing Sirius hates more than to be treated like a child.”

“Maybe you should do it, Lils” suggested Mary. “You are one of his closest friends, and you can relate to this sibling angst situations”

James shook his head “I promised Regulus I would do it.”

“Well then if you promised lover boy you would do it…” Mocked Marlene.

“It was merely a professional thing!” He defended frenetically.

“mmhm, professional relationships” Mary teased, making Lily laugh.

“He’s my son’s teacher! we only meet in his office for official matters!”

Lily feigned a scandalised gasp “Kinky” she whispered.

He was hot all over. His face was beet red and he felt like he could explode from embarrassment any minute. He was about to say something when thankfully Remus came to his rescue.

“Okay guys, I enjoy making fun of James’ crush as much as anyone but we’re here to keep my husband from losing his mind so please, let’s focus.” He said, getting up from the sofa to pour himself another tea.

Marlen sat up on his seat again “If I had a penny for every time he drops the big H when talking about Sirius…” 

“I would be able to buy Madam Malkin’s store from her” Sighted Mary

Lily gave her an amused look “It’s practically yours already Mary. That witch is a snotty first year away from handing you the keys” 

“A woman can only hope” she responded.

“Focus” stated Remus, sitting back down with a freshly made cup. “We are trying to save my husband the heartache of unexpectedly coming face to face with his estranged little brother”

“Cha-ching" said Mary looking at Marlene. Both girls tried to contain their laughter, but failed.

“Focus!” Exclaimed Remus, more stern this time.

“Okay, but will he really care that much?” asked Marlene “He does hate the bugger, but as Lily said, we’re all adults! He’ll be able to play nice for a few hours.”

“He doesn’t hate Regulus” Remus denied. “It’s complicated”

“Well, he has complicated feelings around the matter. He’ll deal” She dismissed.

“A heads up would be nice, but I wouldn’t really go past that” Mary declared, laying back on her elbows”. 

“I think both of us should go” James said, looking at Lily “Mary’s right, you can relate to him on this. And I have to keep my promise” He stated plainly “We both should do it”.

“Okay” She said.

“Okay” They all agreed.

Sirius and Remus flat was cozy and a bit messy and it gave James a sort of weird nostalgia from his Hogwarts days. The sofas were made of warm brown leather, every room had big windows that let the light in and there was always a record playing in the background. Sometimes, mostly when Harry was at Lily’s or now that he was at Hogwarts, it felt more like home to James than his own House.

When him and Lily walked through the floo Sirius was fooling around in the kitchen.

“Honey, I’m home!” He let out in a sing-songy voice. Lily was already rolling her eyes at him.

“Oh Prongs, my beloved!” He threw himself in his arms and James twirled him around.

“If I didn’t know you were head over heels for Remus…” Lily trailed off.

“I love my Prongsy with my whole heart, but he’s not my type at all”

“Neither are you!” He said indignantly.

“I don’t know about that” Lily teased, but fell silent when he saw the look james shoot her.

“Okay Sirius we actually came to talk to you about something” Lily said “We should sit down”

“Okay you’re scaring me” Sirius’ smile fell “Did something happen to Harry? Is that why you’re here?” His voice was starting to sound panicked.

“Haz is alright, that has nothing to do with it” James reassured “This is about something else”

Sirius seemed to calm down a little, but he was still on edge.

“Okay, so you know Marlene?” James asked after sitting down. Sirius looked at him like he was as dumb as an oyster, so he kept going. “Alright, so her girlfriend and the love of her life Dorcas and her are moving in together”

“James get to the point” Lily interrupted.

“Okay, okay. Dorcas is friends with Regulus’ crew and they are coming to the house warming party” Ha spat out.

“What?!” Sirius almost screamed.

“Okay Sirius, you need to calm down” Lily placated.

“You want me to calm down? It’s enough that Regulus Black Pureblood Extraordinaire is my godson’s head of house, and now you want me to interact with him when I’m with my friends too? no way”. He shook his head.

“He’s a good teacher to Harry, we have no complaints about him.” Defended James. 

“And no one is asking that you both interact.” Lily explained “You just have to exist in the same room as him for a couple of hours, no more no less”.

Sirius didn’t look too convinced, but after a bit of huffing and puffing he conceded.

“But I’m not playing nice with anyone, if they want war I’ll give it to them”.

“We don’t doubt that” Lily laughed, but James could sense doom coming.

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Regulus was at Evan and Barty’s waiting before their fireplace with a tray of freshly baked Chouguettes on his hands, balancing his weight from one foot to another. 

“Egg we’re going to Dorcas’ place not Azkaban, lighten up a little” Barty teased, can of beer in his hand.

“Don’t make him nervous B. You know who’ll be there” Evan defended, trying to fix his hair before the mirror.

“Sirius will behave if he knows what’s good for him” threatened Barty.

“Don’t B” He said “It’s Dorcas’ night, please behave.”

It didn’t look like it was going to be an easy night, but the sooner it started the sooner it would be over.  

“Can you please hurry up? We’re going to be late.” He pleaded.

“Good things are worth waiting for Eggie” Shouted Evan from the bathroom.

“You’re not good in any way shape or form Rosier”

“Agree to disagree” Mumbled Barty, taking the last sip of his beer and going to grab another one.

“Can you please stop drinking? You can’t show up drunk!” 

“Do you want me to be sober or nice to your brother? pick one, they are mutually exclusive” Barty said, letting himself fall down on the couch.

“Drunk you isn’t much more pleasant so I’ll go with sober” He said, snatching the drink from his hand and taking a sip himself.

“You said sober!” Barty protested.

“Liquid courage, shut up. Evan hurry up!” He shouted.

“Well I know you can’t see it but this beauty takes time” He replied, walking into the sitting room again.

“Yes it does Rosie, maybe little Eggie should go on ahead without us. We’ll catch up later” Barty’s voice was muffled in the last phrases, surely putting his mouth on Evan.

“If you start two start shagging in front of me I swear to Merlin and Morgana both I’m killing you.”

“No you’re not, You’re too afraid of Panda” Evan teased.

“Start walking. Now.” He said in a low voice “If these Chouguettes go colde, Atlantes help me, I’m putting you both on the ground.”

When they finally disentangled from each other, they flooed to their friend’s house. As expected, and as Regulus had warned, they were late. Everyone was already there and a weirdly catchy song was playing on the background, was it in Spanish? Regulus couldn't really tell. Dorcas was talking animatedly with Marlene, James and a curly-haired girl he didn’t know; Pandora on the other hand, was sitting very close to Lily Evans, talking in hushed voices. He pointedly didn’t try to locate anyone else.

Barty and Evan went straight for the kitchen, to grab a bite or to make out he didn’t know, so he simply went towards Dorcas and offered the buns. 

“Thank you mister” She said with a smile “Did you make these?”

“Would I bring something store-bought to your house warming party, Meadowes?” He asked, feigning offence.

“So rude of me to even ask.” She mocked “Lads this is Regulus. Regulus, you already know James and Marls, this is Mary Macdonald. I’m going to take this to the kitchen” She said, raising the Chouguettes’ tray.

“Careful. The double menace is in there.” He warned.

He started talking to Marlene and Mary about the new Weird Sister’s album, trying to be as casual as possible. But he could feel James’ eyes on him. They’d started to compare how this compared to their first work when he felt two skinny arms wrap around his neck.

“Panda, you're choking me” He coughed up.

“You’re too whiny, and late”

“Guess whose fault that is” he shot back.

“He’s always been too slow getting ready. Anyways this is Lily” She introduced them.

“You must be Reggie! I’ve heard a lot about you!” She smiled, stretching his hand.

“Oh he hates that nickname” Pandora intervened.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to-” Lily started to apologize.

“Don’t worry” He reassured “Reg’s fine, I know my name is a mouthful.” He smiled

After that little hiccup, the conversation seemed to flow between all of them, but a while later Regulus' stomach started to growl. A little ashamed of the sounds, he walked into the kitchen for something to eat.

“It’s a bit crowded here right?” a soft voice came from behind him.

“Well Marlene and Dorcas are very popular” He responded, leaning back against the table.

“I’m glad to finally catch you outside of Hogwarts though.” James smiled “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about anything other than Harry for a while”

That startled him, but he tried to not get his hopes up in what he was sure was in vain “Well, he is a remarkable child” He almost whispered.

“That he is, but you surely have other interesting things to talk about.” He felt the other man getting closer to his side and his cheeks started to burn up.

“I’m not that exciting” He said.

“You are, believe me.” The other man seemed to doubt for a second “Maybe we could talk a bit more privately sometime, would you like to go out for coffee sometime?”.

Was he reading this right? Was James Potter asking him out on a date? Surely not, this must be a friend's outing or something like that. He must have spend a few minutes looking at the man like a fish out of water before responding.

“S-sure, you already know when I’m free. Just owl me anytime” His voice trembled a little, but he’d managed.

“Okay, I’ll look for a time that’s good for the both of us.” The other man said softly.

After that they started to talk about that year’s quidditch season. That discussion got so heated in fact that Regulus didn’t realize there were other people coming and going to and out of the kitchen. 

He was about to take a bite out of one of the pastries at the table when a sudden slap made him drop it.

“What the bloody hell is your problem mate” Someone shouted from the opposite side of the kitchen, Barty.

“That has strawberries in it Reggie, Are you blind?!” A panicked voice asked him, much closer than Barty. He hadn’t heard it in years, but you never forget a brother’s voice.

“Don’t call him that first of all” said Barty “And he is indeed blind you numpty! You’d know if you'd deigned to talk to him in the past decade!” He shouted, enraged.

“I didn’t get a word from him either!” Sirius defended.

“You didn’t seem to want it, you already had the perfect replacement” He rebuted, side-eyeing James.

“At least James accepted me, he’s real family”

“Don’t worry, Eggie has a family of his own that accepts him too. He doesn’t need you as a brother”

“Because he has you?! Don’t make me laugh!”

“Why can’t you have strawberries?” James whispered to him.

“HE’S ALLERGIC!” Both Sirius and Barty screamed in unison, and just like that, they turned to face each other and the blows started coming. 

Sirius had landed a pretty hard hit on Barty and the other had his hair on a fist and was swinging for his nose before Regulus and James could stop them.

“ENOUGH!” Regulus shouted “Panda come get B, I’ll take care of this one”.

Regulus had taken Sirius into the guest bathroom, a small room with only a Toilet and a sink. He sat him down on the toilet and started looking for the iodine solution and the cotton in the first-aid kit.

“How do you know your way around so well? didn’t your guard dog say you’re blind now?” Sirius was clearly still on edge, but he wasn’t willing to take the brunt of his anger.

“I don’t know, you tell me” He responded, finally looking him in the eye with his milky-white stare.

“Okay you are blind” Sirius said “But my question still stands, how do you know where everything is? Have you been here already?”.

“I’m a clairvoyant Sirius” He explained.

“A proper Black then”  He sounded irritated.

“It is a common ability amongst the Blacks yes, I might have taken it a step further than most of our ancestors though”

“You gave up your eyes for that Reggie?!” Sirius exclaimed.

“All is good in love and war Sirius, you should know better than most” He said, dabbing the wet cotton on his busted lip.

“Well it didn’t work out for you in the end did it? Voldemort lost”

“Oh it served me very well, believe it or not” He went for the open cut on his brow.

“Ouch! Be careful Reggie, that stung” He said retreating from his touch “Why are we doing this the muggle way anyway? I thought you were above all that”

“Healing’s more of Panda’s domain, you were an ass to her brother in law though. So you are stuck with the guy that’s pants at healing charms”

There was silence for a minute until Sirius spoke again.

“Is she a healer? I’ve never seen her at Mungo’s” 

“They don’t allow dark healers at Mungo’s. She works at a private clinic in Knockturn, but they floo her in when they need her expertise.”

“So you’re still meddling with that?” Sirius said in indignation “Thought his fall woul’ve knocked some sense into you but I see I was wrong.”

“I am not a dark wizard Sirius” He said “Not that there’s anything wrong with it. If you’d paid a little attention to your studies you’d know there’s nothing more important to magic than balance. There’s no light without darkness, that’s why Evan and Barty work out so well.”

“Rosier declared for the light?” Sirius asked, voice confused.

“Of course not, Barty did”

Sirius shook his head “I didn’t expect that. So you too are a light wizard?”

Regulus snorted “Obviously not, im an earthly mage.” He stated.

“A what?” Sirius said.

“An earthly mage. There’s many different kinds of magic one can have an affinity for, just because the dark wizards are the ones that still observe the old rites doesn’t mean only the dark exists.”

“So you’re still celebrating the wheel?” Sirius asked?

“Yes, the others complete my circle. Draco is doing an affinity rite with us this Mabon, maybe his friends can form a new one” 

“That Malfoy brat better not be putting ideas into Harry’s head.” Sirius said defensibly.

“Don’t call him that” Regulus said through gritted teeth.

“What? Brat?”

“No, Malfoy. He’s a brat alright, but a Black one. Cissy made sure of that”

“I guess that tracks” Sirius smiled sadly “She was always a stubborn one”

“Draco is just like her, you know?” He said “You could meet him if you wanted, you’re family”

“I am not anymore, I’m a Lupin now”

“Family’s not just a last name Sirus, I thought you of all people would think like me on that” He gave the finishing touches to his brother’s beat up face. “You see everything in Black and white Sirius. If you learn to find the gray, you know where to find me” 

With that he left, closing the door behind him.

As he walked back into the sitting room again, he could feel the tension in the air. After focusing more on the ambience, he found the Gryffindors and the Slytherins standing on oposite sides of the room like a parted sea. The party was over.

“We should go. Dorcas I’m truly sorry about this. I’ll make it up to you” He swore.

“Don’t worry about it, just go home and rest” She responded.

He got on the floo. 

“I’ll try.”

Chapter Text

Draco was bouncing off the walls with energy. It was almost Mabon, almost the night where he would complete his rite of affinity. He didn’t have his own circle yet, but his uncle had said he could join him for this. He’d been waiting for this since his mum had explained the wheel to him as a bedtime story, studying the different kinds of magic and searching for the one that called out to him most.

When he woke up a week before Mabon, walking on clouds, Harry seemed to have had enough.

“Okay what’s going on?” He asked “You’ve been freakishly happy for days, what is happening?”

Theo opened his bed curtains, fully dressed “He’s excited for his affinity right, He’s joining Professor Black’s circle during Mabon.”

“He’s excited for his what?” Harry asked confusedly.

“His affinity rite? To see what kind of wizard he is?” Theo tried to check, but Harry shook his head on the negative. “Doesn’t the Potter House perform them?” Harry shook his head again.

“I guess it’s mostly the dark families that keep that up then” He shrugged.

“Professor Black is a dark wizard?!” Harry exclaimed, horrified.

“Don’t be silly” Draco dismissed “He’s an earthly mage”

Harry let out a relieved sigh.

“I probably will be though” 

“What?!” Harry exclaimed.

“You finally figured that out?” Theo asked.

“Yes, that book you lent me was super useful. It really made me rule cosmic magic out completely” He said turning towards him.

“I’m between dark magic and cosmic magic toof” Theo said.

“WHAT?!” Harry exclaimed again.

“If only we could find a white wizard and an earthly mage we could form a pretty nice circle” Draco observed.
“Longbottom has potential, he’s weirdly good at Herbology” Theo pointed out.

“And the Weasleys are historically white wizards right?” He asked.

“Can someone please explain whatever this is?” Harry asked, eyes almost bulging out of his face.

“I get your mum’s family is muggle, but didn’t that army of aunts and uncles you have ever taught you about the wheel?” He asked.

“What wheel?!” The other boy asked exasperatedly.

“Draco the Potters don’t seem to observe the old ways” Theo chastised “Harry many of the pureblood families in the wizarding world observe the old ways and celebrate the wheel.” He explained “That means that they reunite every signaled night of the year and perform the rites that align more with its meaning. For example, Mabon is a night of reflection and preparation, it’s also a night of balance. So it is perfect to find out which kind of magic you are most aligned with”

“But dark magic is dangerous!” Harry exclaimed again.

“All kinds of magic can be dangerous Harry, balance is what matters” Draco said “There’s no light without dark, and there’s no earth without cosmos. There are many other kinds of magic you can explore, but I think you should ask your family for that.”

“Would I be able to join this circle of yours then?” He asked Draco.

“If you found a magic that speaks to you and your family is alright with that then sure! But we’d need more people to form a proper one”. He said.

“I’ll write home after dinner then” He nodded surely.

“You’ll need to do a lot of research,” Theo pointed out.

“Hermione will help me with that” Harry dismissed, getting into the bathroom and closing the door.

“That numpty would follow you into an azkaban if given the chance” The other boy said to him.

“We’re good friends” Draco said, feeling his whole face turn red at the comment.

“I didn’t say you weren’t” He said with a knowing smile.

“I’m going to the Great Hall, when you and Potter are done come to breakfast” He said, turning around with a huff.

He got out of the Slytherin common room and decided to make a small detour for his papa’s office. Just to see Le Voisin of course, he missed his cat.

He didn’t even bother to knock when he got there, and what he saw when he opened the door left him speechless. Regulus was waltzing around the room, poor old Le Voisin in his arms, while he hummed… an honestly quite catchy song. 

“Is that la bamba?” He asked through a laugh.

Regulus jumped, startled and turned around “Is that how that song is called? I heard it at Dorcas’ and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head!”

“It is very catchy” Draco conceded, extending his hands towards Le Voisin to get her to come to him. “You seem cheerful today, it’s eerie.”

Regulus blushed brightly “It’s just a very beautiful morning” He defended. Just as he finished his last word, a loud thunder echoed outside the window and a torrential rain started pouring down the sky.

“I love storms” He deadpanned, passing the cat to the boy’s arms.

“Sure you do,” He teased, scratching behind the cat’s ears.”She’s getting really heavy, right?” 

Regulus dismissed his concerns about the cat with a vague gesture of his hand, so he continued with his mocking.

“It wouldn’t have anything to do with you seeing Mr. Potter the other day, would it?”

“I don’t know what you are trying to insinuate young man, but I don’t like it” Regulus chastised.

“Ugh, don’t play dumb with me! That man’s gone for you, surely he made a move!” He said, falling back into one of the office’s chairs. “The question here is, are you going to accept?”.

Regulus looked at him dumbfounded “You’re a child! What do you know about those things? Give me a break!” He exclaimed.

“For your information, Luna and I are well versed in the love business” he said smugly.

“May I ask how?” Regulus asked, irritatedly.

“We know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two.” He stated.

“Merlin’s beard, did your uncle’s give you a romcom marathon like they threatened?”

“No, of course not!”

Regulus let out a relieved sigh. “Thank Salazar.”

“It was a Richard Gere marathon” Draco explained “He’s quite dreamy”

“I knew I shouldn't have allowed Barty to buy a TV” The man grumbled.

“Actually, it was uncle Ev’s fault, he’s gotten himself a bono for the video club at Capbreton” He explained “Luna actually loved American Gigolo, I am more of an Oficier et Gentlemen myself. I’m a romantic guy as you know”

“I am going to kill them both” Regulus said “And Panda is going to revive them just to kill them again”

“She already tried when Luna asked her if they could see Halloween 3 together. To be honest that one was the worst” He shrugged, going for the door. “Besides, Uncle Ev’s the necromancer silly!”

Regulus was looking in his direction when he looked back, mouth open “Bye Papa, have a good date with Mr. Potter!” 

“It’s not a-” He closed the door before the irritated voice could finish his complaint and headed for the Great Hall.

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They had gone back to the abandoned classroom after their classes. Harry Ron and Neville were busy with the extra studying the passing side of the study group had assigned them while Draco, Hermione and Theo got up to date with their little project.

“So he caught the bamba virus” Hermione nodded solemnly.

“Well, at least I  think so? It was something like-” just as he started humming the tune, Hermione’s hand flew to his mouth, shutting him up.

“Don’t you dare!” She exclaimed, eyes filled with rage and terror. “Last time Harry sang that god-forsaken song I couldn’t get it out of my head for a week!”

Ron nodded fervently “It distracted her from her re-revisions, It was a greater tragedy than the second goblin war apparently" He said, holding back a laugh.

“You go back to your charms’ homework!” She defended, before turning back to him “Okay so we have six and a half coincidences, we should try and make them meet more often.”

“I think they are going out on a date already, I’m not sure if my papa has processed that it is in fact a date”

“Maybe he just doesn’t want to talk about it with you because you are his kid?” Theo asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I tell him about my crushes!” He exclaimed

Harry’s head shot up from the potions study guide Draco had prepared for him. “You have a crush?”

“Of course I do, I am a developing boy in a boarding school! Anyway.” He looked back at Theo and Hermione “If he knew it was a date he would have told me! I’d have to give Mr. Potter my blessing”

“Which do you do right?” Harry asked in a protective tone.

“Of course I do, we wouldn’t be here otherwise! Now get back to your homework!” He chastised.

Neville came up to them, handing Draco his completed divination essay. “But if they are already going out on a date, won’t they just see if they like each other by themselves? Maybe we shouldn’t meddle anymore.” He expressed.

“Oh, sweet, sweet Nevile” Draco said, shaking his head “Why would we let all of our hard work up to chance when we can see it through? Worry not, we’ll get some of our Slytherin cunning in you”

“How come Neville gets to join the fun conversation and we don’t? This is discrimination!” Ron exclaims.

“Because Neville finished his work Ronald!” Hermione swatted him on the head “And on what basis are we discriminating against you lot?”

“Well, for one Harry’s brown” Harry nodded in agreement. “And I am a ginger. One of the most oppressed groups ever”

“Sweet baby jesus” Hermione sighted “I am going to ignore that. Draco, what is your plan then”.

“Well Snape’s under the spotlight, so he won’t give Harry a bad grade if he doesn’t deserve it now. And with the amount of work I’m putting into helping him he better not.”

“I am trying!” 

“So what we need is a fight” Draco says, ignoring the boy.

“A fight with who?” Theo asked..

“Well it has to be with someone whose parents won't make a big fuss so that rules out Hermione”

“Hey!” She protested.

“They are muggles! If they hear their daughter got into a magical fight with a boy they will worry much more than any magical parent!”

Hermione nodded in understanding.

“Mrs. Nott and Mr. Potter have never met, and I don’t think it would be a calm reunion. So that rules Theo out too.”

“That fight wouldn’t be pretty” The other boy agreed.

“So that leaves us with Ron and Nevile” 

“And why not you?” Inquired Ron.

“Please, no one would believe it. I’m a far better duellist than any of you, that fight would end before even getting started.” He said smugly “So, Weasley or Longbottom. Who will it be?”

“My gran would chew my head off” Neville mumbled “And Mrs. Weasley is used to getting called in for Fred and George…”

“Okay! okay! I’ll do it.” Ron grumbled. “But don’t blame me if I sweep the floor with his snake’s behind” 

“You wish Billius” Harry bit back.

“Mate, you promised to never call me that again!”

While the two boys bickered, the rest of the group started throwing some ideas around.

“No one would believe it if they fought for me!” Hermione exclaimed

“And why not?” Draco defended.

The other three looked at him like he was dumber than a sack of garden gnomes.

“You’re a pretty girl! two dumb boys fighting for your affection is not nonsense!”

That made the quarreling idiots stop their fighting and turn back to them. “You think Hermione is pretty?” Harry asked.

“Well, of course!.”

Hermione was blushing bright red up to her ears “This is exactly why this plan won’t work!” She exclaimed.

“They should pretend it’s just some house rivalry thing, then they can make up quickly in the meeting” Neville suggested.

“That’s a good idea!” Theo said “Simple and effective, I like it. We can just tell Mr. Potter the meeting is an hour early and then they’ll be alone” He explained.

“I can make the room cozy beforehand” Draco offered “And harry and I can coach them both into accepting they are going on a date because they like each other! Not whatever they think they are doing."

“Theo and I can make sure to bring a professor around when the ‘fight’ begins!” Nevile exclaimed, making air quotes with his fingers.

“I can put together a list of dueling spells!” Hermione said “Of course, ones inoffensive enough that they won’t get killed. Or worse, expelled!”

Ron looked at her with an incredulous expression on his face. “You need to sort out your priorities!”.

“Oh sush” Hermione dismissed him “I’ll make sure you two numpties don’t get hurt. Just do as we tell you”

Both boys nodded, resigned.

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Regulus was not nervous because he wasn’t going out on a date. James had invited him out for coffee as a friendly outing, no more no less. Draco’s film powered ideas wouldn’t put any weird ideas on his head, he refused.

He was on his way to the library when tragedy hit. He was about to pass the corner when he saw a familiar white head and a lot of murmuring. That was already worrying enough, but what came next made him jump and hurry up his step. 

“You are a filthy traitor!"

"You are a mindless fool!"

When Regulus got to the scene, Harry Potter and the smallest Weasley were... dwelling? He didn't know if he could call it that, they were using the weakest spells one could think of, even for first years.

"What is all this ruckus about?" He asked in an authoritarian tone.

"Ron is angry at me for being a Slytherin! He thinks I'm betraying our friendship!" The little Slytherin whined

"Because you are!" the other boy exclaimed back.

Regulus was painfully reminded of his own first-year rows with his own brother and decided he would do what he would have liked the adults in his life to do for him back then, mediate.

"Children please, this is not something to fight over!" He said "Harry and I already talked about this, your Hogwarts house doesn't change who you are as a person. You both were good friends before, there's no reason to fight now. You are entitled to your feelings, and it's normal to feel disappointed that you didn't end up in the same house, but fighting will only pull you apart, and I know that's not what you two want"

He looked down at the two boys who were looking down at their feet.

"Can you both please work to resolve this in a civilised manner now?"

The two kids' heads shot up to look at him.

"We're not in trouble?" Harry asked, his voice quivering,

"Of course not!"

the small measly looking around with wide eyes, shaking his red-head scared.

"Although fighting is strictly prohibited in this school, your spells were hardly dangerous, and I trust we'll be able to-"

He was cut by the Gryffindor throwing ha hard punch directly at Harry's nose.

"Mister Weasley!" He screamed, trying to help with the other kid's bloody nose. Harry looked around too, and then stiffened. Before Regulus could stop him, his small fist made contact with the other's left eye.

Regulus was beginning to think he attracted this sort of thing.

"Mister Potter! Mister Weasley! Fifty points off from each of your houses!" He exclaimed "I'll be contacting your parents immediately, follow me"

He turned back around and started to walk towards his office, both boys following closely behind.

"I expected better from both of you! I don't know you quite as well as one of my snakes Mister Weasley but I didn't take you for the violent kind."

"I'm sorry Professor" The child responded in a quiet, ashamed voice.

"Same goes for you Mister Potter, I'll be discussing your position on the quidditch team with your father after this. You have showed none of the sportsmanship I thought you could bring to the field" That made both boys stop on their tracks.

"Please professor, I'll do better. Please don't kick me out of the team!" He pleaded.

"Your father and I will decide in a moment Mister Potter, no use in crying over spilled milk." He stated.

When they arrived at his office, he sat both boys down and healed their injuries before sending an owl to both their houses. The children were looking down at their lap, ashamed, when the floo roared to life.

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY! I expect to come to this school once a week for the twins, but from you?! You're in big trouble" A red headed woman barged through the floo, Mrs. Weasley he supposed.

"Hello Harry darling, are your parents alright? How's your mum's work?" She asked, expression softer looking at the Slytherin boy.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley, everything is alright thanks" The kid mumbled.

"Good evening professor, I am Molly Weasley, pleased to meet you" He shook his hand "Parcy always speaks wonders of you".

"Good evening Mrs. Weasley, I'm glad to hear that." He smiled. "We're just waiting on Mr. Potter to start".

Just as he finished saying that, the fireplace lighted up again, and James Potter stumbled in, in all his glory.

"Sorry, I came as fast as I could" He explained, tugging down the shirt he had been pulling over his head as he came in. "Harry was in a fight?!" He exclaimed. "Oh, hello Molly"

"Evening James" She greeted back.

"Well now that we are here, we can begin" Regulus explained. "I found both of your children duelling in one of the Hogwars halls over house rivalry. I wouldn't have called you in if that was all, but sadly after I broke up the fight the children resorted to physical violence." he fixed his eyes on the parents before him "I am sure you are aware I don't tolerate violence of any kind from any of my students, so I believe disciplinary measures are sin order."

"Wait, Harry and Ron were the ones fighting?" James asked baffled.

"The children have been friends practically since birth, Professor Black" Mrs. Weasley explained "They behave almost like brothers. I do believe they are to be punished, but I'm sure this behaviour won't repeat itself. Right?" She asked hardly.

"Yes m'am" both children answered in unison.

"I am sure it won't, but I would like to make sure the children's friendship does not suffer anymore from this" He explained "If you are both in agreement, I would like both of them to serve two full months of detention with me, I would like to help them navigate this situation carefully"

"Of course professor, Whatever you see fit" Mrs. Weasley expressed, James nodding along.

"If that's all, I'll have to leave. I left my little girl home alone and I would like to go back as soon as possible." She explained kindly.

"Of course Mrs. Weasley, have a pleasant day." He saw her off before turning to James "Mr. Potter I would like you to stay back for a few minutes if it's not an inconvenience. The children can wait outside".

"Of course not" He sat back down. When the children closed the door behind him he smiled cockily.

"Mr. Potter I'm worried this kind of conduct could be caused due to stress. Harry has been practicing a lot with the team and he's been studying extra hours with the study group. He might be overworked".

"It is an unusual behaviour on him, yes" James agreed worriedly.

"I would like to discuss his position on the team with you". He stated in a serious voice. 

"He is very attached to this role." The man doubted. "I don't know if he'll take kindly to it".

"I wouldn't do this if it wasn't for the best Mr. Potter, he has a lot of talent and could win us the cup. But my student's wellbeing is above anything else".

"That is commendable of you Professor, but I honestly don't thin that will be necessary" James said "Harry has been in contact with Lily and I, and he seems to be doing well from what he tells us. He would ask for help if he needed it, he's done it before. I think we should just keep an eye on him for a while".

"Well, Mr. Potter. If you are sure, we'll keep Harry on the team. But if something like this happens again I won't have a choice" He stated.

"It won't"

"Alright. Then we're done here" He said with a smile.

James laughed at that "You know, I thought this would be about our date" 

Regulus sat up straight, brows rising up to his hairline "Our... date?" He asked surprised.

James' smile fell from his face "I invited you out for coffee, I was about to send an owl asking if this Friday worked for you. You don't remember?"

"Oh! Yes! Yes I do remember, Friday is perfect yes. I just... I didn't..." He trailed off.

"You didn't realise it was a date?" James asked uneasily.

"Yeah I didn't, sorry" He replied, trying not to sound too awkward.

"It's okay. Do you still wan-"

"Yes of course" He interrupted.

"Okay" James smiled. "It's a date then. See you on Friday" He winked and got into the fireplace.

"See you"

The fire roared and just like that, Regulus was all alone in his office.

Merlin's beard. He was going on a date with James Potter.