Ever the Same

Chapter One: Coming Home

It should have been completely simple for Regulus Black's first year students to accurately and precisely brew a cure for boils.

In fact, Regulus had expected such greatness out of them that afternoon that he hadn't even bothered to wear his teaching robes. Instead, he was dressed in a simple black Oxford shirt and matching black tailored trousers, accompanied only by his emerald cufflinks.

It was a Friday, one that preceded Regulus's first weekend off of the term, and he couldn't be more alight with energy.

He was set to meet Potter the following day in Hogsmeade for a simple lunch. A low-effort.....meeting...in which they could catch up.

He should've known that he was being much too chipper.

Harry Potter only liked potions because he was curious about Regulus Black.

It was very seldom that he heard the adults in his life mention Padfoot's brother, Regulus. He and Draco had been talking about it the summer before term.

"Your Dad is in love with Uncle Reggie, Potter. I know he is."

"You're daft!" Harry exclaimed at Draco, freezing in his steps on the way to their quidditch pitch behind Malfoy Manor. "My Dad doesn't love Reggie!"

"And why not?" Draco suddenly huffed. "Is my family not good enough for the Potters?"

"What? I- of course you are! I mean-I mean your family is. Good enough I mean."

Harry felt his cheeks color in embarrassment, but Draco seemed content.

"Good," he finally said. "Uncle Reggie would be wonderful for Prongs."

"But they're not in love!" Harry groaned, throwing his head back as he did so. "They can hardly stand to be in the same room together!"

"Because they love each other!" Draco had continued to insist. "I heard Mum and Padfoot talking about them. They said something about both of them being thick and that they would figure it out on their own. If they're not talking about love, I don't know what else it could be!"

But for some reason, Harry just couldn't see it. His mother and father hadn't been together since he was a baby, but as far as Harry could remember, his father had never even as much as been on a single date.

And Regulus?

The mysterious and brooding man had avoided Harry at all costs. As for knowing him, he had only ever seen Regulus in passing. He didn't come to birthday parties or holidays, even when Draco was involved.

Harry had assumed that potions would be his worst subject, given the fact that his father couldn't brew to save his own life. And he found that it was incredibly frustrating, working with someone like Draco who seemed to have a natural talent for it.

Because of that, Harry found himself simply holding the ingredients for their cure for boils potion as Draco did all the work, staring intently at Professor Black.

Regulus was avoiding looking at Harry. It had been a week since James Potter had breezed into his classroom, taking him by surprise and uprooting everything about his world that he had pieced back together. And Harry had been staring into his soul ever since.

He knew that he had been unfair to him for all of those years, leaving and avoiding him at every turn. In truth, Harry held such a special place in Regulus's heart that he had excused himself to cry after Lily and James popped into Grimmauld Place the first time with him. Regulus had shaped his own world and decisions all around the fact that Harry Potter was supposed to be born, and born he was.