A Night to Remember
The castle looks beautiful during the night, from afar — just as he remembers it. Just a year ago Regulus was but another student walking through its corridors. How naïve he had been then. Still fascinated by the Dark Lord's power and the desire to serve him.
How things have changed in so little time, his mind goes through all the fast-paced changes as he thinks. From his first meeting with the disfigured lord — nothing like his father described him — to the moment he realised how mistaken he had been to let that monster brand him.
Regulus' life has changed completely, but Hogwarts stays the same. A bastion of Britain's glorious magic history. A never-changing part of both their country and their lives.
“I missed being here, you know? To be a student there —” pointing to the castle with his head “— and walking all the way to Hogsmead. Merlin, how I miss that feeling.”
“I know that feeling. Even after going through so many bad experiences while at Hogwarts, I still love it. It'll forever be my home,” Hedwyn walks closer to Regulus as he says. Putting an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders and bringing him closer — which the other boy does without thought — to share some warmth and fend away the night's cold wind.
Both men stand in the cave that once, in a future that no longer will come, Harry's godfather — Sirius — would've stayed hidden from the Ministry. The view from above brings a calm to their hearts that neither has felt in a while. Much like coming home after so long away, seeing the place that was once their home for so many years brings both nostalgia and sadness. Nostalgia of the incredible moments lived within the castle walls, and sadness from being taken away from the place where they've been, in their own way, at their happiest.
“Are you sure this plan is going to work?” Regulus raises an eyebrow and looks at Harry “Dumbledore has always prided himself on the fact that Hogwarts is ‘the safest place in Britain‘, so I'm quite sceptical of this plan.”
Harry ’tsks‘ and puts a hand on his hip. The mocking was quite clear in Regulus' eyes, making him nudge his boyfriend with his elbow in annoyance.
“Where is your faith in me, Reggie —” putting a hand to his heart and fake gasping, and Harry's theatrical capabilities make Regulus think if it'll be rude if he hits the other man in the head “— This you'll be the greatest plan ever made! Write my words, heretic!”
Regulus' lips thin and brows furrowed to stop him from smiling. With each passing day, the behaviour that he once perceived as annoying now makes him smile like an idiot.
“Oh!,” Now is his time to put his hand to his chest — mocking his boyfriend's antics “How could I doubt such marvellously thought out plan? Using your Metamorphmagus ability, which I'm most definitely not jealous of, to impersonate no other than Albus Dumbledore(!), and for no reason other than for your own amusement!“
“That's exactly what I'm saying! Thanks for understanding, love,” he kisses an unimpressed Regulus' and grabs him by the hand, dragging the Black Heir along as they start walking — while the boy mutters annoyed phrases under his breath.
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Under the Invisibility Cloak, they walk through Hogsmead, heading towards Honeydukes. The streets empty of people this late at night.
Once in front of the sweet store, Harry casts an Alohomora on the door lock, opening it. Inside the shop, the Cloak is removed, and Harry quickly guides Regulus through the sweet shop, towards the hidden passage that leads to Hogwarts.
Inside the tunnel, with Hedwyn at the front with his wand lit. After a while walking the underground passage ends, and both men stop. Harry looks behind him, at Regulus, and the other boy just nods at him — neither feeling the need to speak, their plan already clear and simple.
The two wizards go through the exit, one as fake-Dumbledore and the other under the Invisibility Cloak. Wasting no time, as soon as their feet touch Hogwart's floor they start walking again, and the statue of the One-Eyed Witch behind them goes back to its original place.
The empty castle feels the same as it has ever been for the two men. Even with the clear lack of students walking or running through its stairs and corridors, Hogwarts will always feel like home.
Dumbledore/Harry walks slowly, to Regulus' annoyance, to the Room of Requirements. As annoyed as he is with the slow walking, Regulus has to admit that Harry does make a pretty good job a pretending to be the Headmaster. From the slow walk to the way he carries himself — I all screams Dumbledore.
Even fake-Dumbledore's robes being just as garish as the real-Dumbledore ones, to the point that the portraits purposely avoid looking at him, just like they do to the real Headmaster.
“Hogwarts is as beautiful as ever at night, yes?” He says to no one in particular, which makes Regulus roll his eyes and the portraits pretend they didn't hear.
The Metamorphmagus chuckles while going up the staircase.
The wizards are coming closer to the seventh-floor corridor when a voice comes up behind them.
“There you are, Albus,” sounds of shoes tapping on the stone floor echo when the person comes closer. “What are you doing here at this hour, Albus? Our meeting will be in half an hour.”
Fake-Dumbledore suppresses a sigh as he sees Minerva McGonagall in front of him. The slightly younger version of the Gryffindor’s Head of House looks just as stern as Harry remembered her as.
“Ah, Minerva,” Dumbledore/Harry says, imitating the old man's senile smile. “I was just going to my office to have the meeting, of course.”
The Transfiguration professor's brows furrow. She lifts her left eyebrow, her face showing confusion.
“What are you talking about, Albus,? The meeting will be in the Staffroom. It has never been in your office. And your office is quite far from here.”
The fake Headmaster gets red at the faux pas and laughs lightly.
“Of course, Minerva,” he says as he brings his hands together in front of him. “You have to excuse an old man for forgetting things. You'll get there too, my dear girl.”
Regulus has to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing and revealing his there.
McGonagall's face contorts in a way that makes it impossible for Harry not to laugh, making Minerva become even more annoyed.
“Is this a way to talk to your peers, Headmaster? And I have not been a girl for quite a while as well.”
“You have to excuse this old man, Minerva,” Hedwyn shakes his head and pouts, making the Transfiguration professor even more confused. “In my old age, I forget many things, my dear girl. The other day I thought I was on a date with Godric Gryffindor himself. So imagine my shock when I realised it was just a house-elf.”
The fake-Dumbledore has a sad look in his eyes and he shakes his head. Meanwhile, McGonagall's face can only be as total disgust at what she just heard.
“Is this some kind of joke, Albus?” The old professor asks in exasperation.
“In no way, my dear girl. At least the little elf was gentle if you know what I'm saying.”
Regulus didn't know if he wanted to gag or laugh at what Harry said. Maybe both.
It was clear by Dumbledore/Harry's face that he wanted to laugh as well. Going so far as faking a cough to hide a smile after the face McGonagall made.
The professor went so far as to take a step back as if Dumbledore's presence made her skin crawl.
“I-I think you're not feeling well, Albus. I'll go get Poppy and we'll see what's happening to you.”
Fake-Dumbledore took a step towards McGonagall, moving his arms in a way as to call her to him. “There is no need, Godric. Let's go have dinner and talk about this, yes?”
Harry had no time to react before the Transfiguration professor turned around and ran — supposedly to the Hospital Wing.
Only when they couldn't hear McGonagall's shoes hitting the floor that they start laughing.
It took a few minutes for the two men to recover. When the laughing stopped they realised McGonagall would probably be there soon with Madam Pomfrey, so they quickly turned around and started walking to the Room of Requirements.
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Piles upon piles upon piles, as far as the eyes can see. The Room of Hidden Things — a form of the Room of Requirements — keeps all that has been lost or forgotten in the castle. A place where house-elves store all they see as undesirable or unnecessary.
They go past books, clothes, tables, chairs and wardrobes. A neverending collection of the forgotten, Regulus called it after a few minutes inside the room.
The books grabbed the attention of the Black Heir especially, it seemed. Many times he almost stopped to inspect the titles, but his boyfriend kept saying “later” again and again.
Of course, Hedwyn couldn't keep an eye on him at all times. If someone asked why some books suddenly disappeared, Regulus would simply say he didn't know.
So distracted with his search for books, Regulus failed to realise that Harry had stopped, ending with him colliding with his boyfriend's back, making Harry stumble at bit. The other boy muttered some not-so-nice words while trying to regain his footing.
Looking back made Harry roll his eyes at his boyfriend, whose face had a fake innocent smile on.
“Anyway. That —” Hedwyn pointed to a small wooden box while saying “— is where the Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem is in.“
“I can't believe he left a part of his soul lying around here.“
While his boyfriend rambled about the stupidity of Voldemort's abandonment of the Horcrux, Harry levitated the box and put it inside a pouch — for later to be placed inside a more protected warded box.
“You forget that he's the biggest egomaniac Britain has ever seen, love,” he said while going to Regulus' side. “He thought he was the only one who knew about this place. One thing we can rely on is that Tom Riddle will never think someone is more intelligent than him.”
“Thankfully. Let's hope it stays that way.”
Regulus then gave Harry a peck on the lips and put an arm around his shoulders.
“So, let's get out of this old castle, shall we?”
Hedwyn only nodded and threw the Cloak on them. Together they walked all the way back, leaving the Room of Hidden Things.
Not being in a rush to leave, the two boyfriends slowly walked through the corridors of the castle; looking around, in silence, each reliving their own memories of Hogwarts.
They were close to the Great Hall when voices shouting about something could be heard from afar.
“-op this immediately, Minerva!“
The echo of feet hitting the stone floor, the clear sound of running, was also heard.
“Come here now, Albus! We will take you to Hospital Wing.“ Minerva McGonagall's shouting was unmistakable “Get him, Poppy!”
A faint shout of a spell being cast, and a sound of something big hitting the floor made Harry snicker and Regulus smirk.
‘Oh, how I wish the school was full of people to watch that. Maybe I'll send a letter to the Prophet’ Harry thought in amusement as they left Hogwarts through the One-Eyed Witch Statue.
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“Okay. So will need to wait a bit before making the ritual to defeat Tommy. But are you sure you can get Dolohov by yourself?” Harry asked his boyfriend, quite anxious about the other boy's decision.
“Don't worry, darling,” Regulus said while giving Harry a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “I know Dolohov enough to be able to kidnap that psycho. I'll get him a week before the ritual is to take place.”
By the face he made, Regulus knew that his boyfriend still was not comfortable with the idea of him going alone against Dolohov.
A sigh escapes Harry's lips. Arms going around Regulus' waist, bringing him closer. Harry then leaves a soft kiss on Regulus' lips, making the Black Heir blush slightly, as he often does.
“Okay,” Harry says as he kisses his boyfriend again.
“Okay?”
“Yeah. I trust you, Reggie.”
Regulus doesn't say anything, only hugs Harry and puts his head on the other boy's shoulder.
They stay like that for a few minutes. In each other's embrace, without a care in the world. Just two boys deeply in love.
“After we destroy Riddle —” Harry says, breaking the silence “— we'll be free to do whatever we want.”
“Already thinking about world domination, Harry?” Regulus says with a smirk on his face.
Hedwyn laughs and tightens his arms around Regulus' wait, making the boy let out a gasp.
“Not the world, no. I'm thinking more nationally,” Harry says with a fake evil smile.
Regulus only rolls his eyes.
“We'll have time for that, don't worry.”
“Well... There is another things I want,” Harry caresses Regulus cheek as he says. A blush on his face that leaves Regulus even more curious.
“And what does the great Hedwyn Peverell wants? Do tell.”
The sarcastic comment goes ignored by Harry, save a slight eye roll.
Hedwyn then pick Regulus right hand and brings it close to his own fave, and leaves a his on the knuckles.
“I'd like start courting you, Regulus.”
A blush covers Regulus cheeks, his lips parted slightly in shock.
“H-Harry. You know what courting means, right?”
Harry chuckles at his boyfriend's sudden shyness. “Of course I do, Reggie. That is, of you wish for it.”
“Y-You want to m-marry me?” Regulus' eyes are now wide open, a beautiful world of grey that takes Harry's breath away.
“Of course, darling,” Harry says almost whispering the words.
Regulus closes his eyes for a second, unable to comprehend — fully — what's happening. Harry wants to actually marry him? The Hedwyn Peverell! Of course Regulus had thought about it, but he had never got the courage to ask his boyfriend about it.
He opens his eyes again, a smile forming of his lips. He comes closer to Harry and gives him a kiss. A first it was small and sweet, but then it became passionate and hot.
Harry's hand went to Regulus' dark hair and started to move through the locks; his other hand went to Regulus' back, caressing it and slowly going down.
Regulus both hands were on Harry's face, bringing his as close as possible, while grinding his body against Hedwyn's. Both men gasped we their bodies came closer, but the kiss went on a second later.
After what it felt like hours, Regulus gave Harry a few pecks on his lips and put his arms around his boyfriend's shoulders.
Harry could swear that the smile that Regulus gave him made his heart stop. Maybe I've died and now I'm in Heaven, he thought.
“It would be an honour to start courting with you, Harry,” Regulus said, bringing Harry attention. “Nothing could make me happier.”
Harry didn't waste a second before bringing Regulus closer again; lips in a dancing haze. The world didn't matter now. No Voldemort, no Dumbledore, no plans were important now they were in an love embrace.
Nothing, not even death, would dare to take this moment from them.