Ever the Same

Time magic was revered in the Wizarding World, mostly locked behind the walls of the Department of Mysteries and held beneath the strongest protection magic to exist.

There wasn't much known about time magic when Regulus Black was handed the time turner at the end of the first (and subsequently only) war. Suffice to say that not much had been learned in the last decade about it, either. But what was known was that time magic had the capability to be disasterous if messed with, even for the smallest of times. Going back fifteen minutes could possibly collapse an entire timeline, thrusting everyone into a new reality in a blink.

This was the thought that set Regulus Black's teeth on edge. The not knowing. Within a split second, everything that he had worked so desperately hard for could be gone.

It was because of this that Regulus felt much less shame than expected as Narcissa and Sirius stepped back into his living quarters of Hogwarts, stopping what would have been (Regulus already knew) a well deserved shag.

"Well. It is nice to see you Regulus. You as well, Mr. Potter."

James, still prone on the sofa, cracked a smile at Narcissa. "Please, Lady Malfoy. You earned the right to call me James many years ago."

James could see the way Narcissa struggled to keep the smirk from her face as she nooded, "Alright, James."

"If you two are done shagging right out in the open-" Sirius loudly exclaimed, his hand still firmly over his eyes. "I brought Cissa to help us. Between the three of us, it shouldn't take any time at all to collect the rest of the blood needed. We're all three Blacks, after all."

"Brilliant!" James said, straightening and fixing his partially unbottoned shirt. "I'm going to pop down and see the Prongslet for a bit. I think he should be in the Great Hall for lunch. Shall I send Moony back, Pads?"

"If you would be so kind, Prongs. Harry also mentioned in his letter that he was having nightmares as well. Maybe talk to him about it? He told me not to tell you, but if you're having them too..." Sirius let his words drift off.

"Harry's having nightmares?" Regulus asked. "Did he say what of?"

"Not really," Sirius shook his head. "Just something about a cupboard under some stairs? Maybe he'll tell Prongs more."

In truth, Regulus was not privvy to the future that Harry would have had on the original timeline. No one was. But it was worrying to hear that he was having flashes of a different time.

"Yes, Potter. Ask him more about it. We'll be here when you're done."

Despite the fact that he was still playful in nature, James softened as he turned his attention to Regulus. "Anything you want, Reg. I'll be back soon."

The silence was deafening as it hung between the three Black family members, and Regulus decided to break it first.

"Not a word from either of you or I might forget to remove the needle after we're through."

Walking down the hallways of the castle always brought James back to his own school days. Despite the fact that so much had occurred since, it caused his heart to tug in his chest. To see his son sitting in the same place as he and the marauders years prior was something that filled him with pride.

Marching directly to the Gryffindor table, he couldn't hide the smile on his face.

"Budge over, Prongslet. Official order business."

The bushy haired girl across from him blushed faintly as the boys scurried to make room for him at the table. James began to look around.

"Oi, where's Draco?"

Seeming to appear as if he was summoned, the blonde haired boy appeared across from Harry and James and quickly squeezed himself in between the students that Harry introduced as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

"Prongs!"

"Little Malfoy," James aknowledged before turning to talk to them all. "How are your studies? You're not giving Minnie too rought of a time, I hope."

This, as it was, was a blatent lie. He knew that Minerva McGonagall loved a challenge. Keeping her on her toes was one of the best parts of his marauding years.

"Of course not, Dad," Harry smiled innocently until Hermione's snort across the table caused it to fall in shock.

"As if! Don't think I didn't know that it was you that opened all of the cages filled with mice in transfiguration this week, Harry James Potter!"

Her tone was scathing, a good impression of Minnie herself James thought, but this was different. Within the scathing was a deep love and admiration for Harry, James could tell. A reverent understanding.

He surmised that if he could see bonds, there might have been a family link to Miss Granger forming.

"Oh, come on, Hermy," Draco teased, the tip of his nose beginning to be dusted with a blush. "You know you thought Marietta Edgecomb jumping on her desk and doing that little dancing motion with her feet was hilarious."

The color on Hermione's face continued to darken until she was fully scowling at the boy beside of her. "That is a truly awful nickname, Draco."

"Yeah," Ron interjected. "Listen to 'Mione!"

"That is just as bad, Ronald. I prefer Hermione until the two of you are capable of something more creative. Now, I'll be in the library if anyone needs me."

James didn't need the keen auror senses to observe as Draco watched her leave, his face impossibly red.

"She's firey, that one," James mumbled.

"She reminds me a bit of Mum," Harry said. "I try to think about it less as I watch Draco follow her around like a lovesick puppy."

"What! How dare- I - No I don't!" Draco spluttered, causing Ron to almost choke on his sandwich from laughter.

"It's quite alright, Lad," James said, amused. "I was like that at your age, too."

Draco began grumbling to himself as he hid his face in his plate, causing James to finally turn to Harry. "Can we go on a walk? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Of course, Dad."

The world around Lily began to blearily put itself back together, with the edges of her vision slowly clearing. Her entire body was rigid, pain coursing through her as she let out a soft moan.

"Lily? Lily, please!"

She felt the couch beneath her then, and the hand that was gently touching her shoulder.

"Where am I? She forced out, her mouth feeling like sandpaper. "What's happened?"

The blurry, yet concerned face of Severus Snape formed within her vision and her brows continued to furrow.

"You don't remember collapsing?"

"What? I-"

The last thing that Lily remembered was leaving the cafe with Severus Snape in tow. She tried to search her mind for what had happened since, but was greeting with black dots once again dancing in her vision.

"What did you do to me?"

The color drained from Severus's face, "What? Lily-"

He moved to approach her before she flinched violently, curling in on herself. Severus's stomach knotted as he took a large step back and held his hands in the air.

"Lily, you must remember. You sought me out. We were talking about McKinnon when you just....you just collapsed!"

Lily's head throbbed violently as he tried to remember the last hour, but her mind was coming up blank. In her hand, she still clutched the potion. She knew it was important. But for what, she couldn't remember.

Rising unsteadily from her feet, Lily kept a wide berth from Severus as she got her bearings. Her stomach rolled violently and she was still off-kilter from her fainting spell, but the desire to flee was stronger than anything. Something was wrong.

Picking up a fork from Severus's table and deciding that she didn't mind breaking international wizarding law, Lily cast a portuson it and allowed it to sweep her back to Britain, leaving a confused and concerned Severus snape oceans behind.

The pop of a house elf appearing was the only thing keeping her tethered to conciousness as she collapsed in Grimmauld Place.

"Mistress Lily?"

"Get Remus," she croaked out, her vison all but gone. "Remus."

She faded out before she was certain that Kreacher understood her, but the faint pop in her ears gave her hope.

"Padfoot said you've been having some bad dreams," James began, keeping his eyes on the Black lake next to them instead of on his son.

Despite the lack of eye contact, James still felt Harry stiffen uncomfortably next to him as he mumbled, "He wasn't supposed to tell you about that."

But James shook his head, "Pads only told me after I began talking about my own dreams."

"You're having them, too?"

James nodded and pulled them to a stop beneath the marauder's favorite tree at Hogwarts. "What are yours about?"

Harry looked conflicted as he avoided his father eyes, picking at the bark of the tree that James leaned against.

"What did...Voldemort look like?"

James furrowed his brow in thought. "Nothing exceptional, that's for sure. He was just a regular wizard for the most part, except his eyes. They were-"

"-Red?"

"How did you know that?"

As far as anyone knew, there were no surviving photographs of Lord Voldemort, and there certainly weren't any that would have been printed within a textbook for Hogwarts students.

"At first it was just a cupboard," Harry began to explain. "I thought maybe it was just some barmy fear of the dark. But then there were more. A man. He looked, well, a bit like a snake? But his eyes were so red. And he would laugh at me, and-"

Harry's words seemed to stutter to a halt as he balled his fists at his side. He didn't like to feel that weak, especially in front of his father, one of the wizards that had a hand in ending the entire wizarding war.

"It's alright now, Harry," James soothed, watching the way his son turned within himself.

"In my dream, he would touch my forehead. Right here," Harry pointed to the left side of his forehead, right above his glasses. "And then everything would go dark. Right before I wake up, I hear Mum screaming."

The words seemed to wash over James like a bucket of ice water, frightening him at the implications. But he held firm, not reacting to scare his son.

"I'm sure its the stress from starting school, Hazza. Regulus and I are both having bad dreams as well. The Ministry has been on my arse- no, don't tell your mother I said that in front of you- for the past several weeks. And Regulus worries that you won't like him, and that he's a horrid profesoor."

"He's brilliant," Harry suddenly brightened. "He's one of the best teachers here. 'cept for Moony, of course."

James laughed heartily at that, thinking of Remus and Regulus fighting over it. "I'll make sure to pass the message along, son."

Then, he sombered. "Listen, Harry. Regulus and I will be working together for a while, which means that I'll be at the castle often. You know if you ever need any of us, there's always a marauder around. Reg included."

"Course, Dad."

"Good lad. Now, would you mind if I shared that dream with Regulus?" James asked. "It might make him feel a right bit better about his own if he sees ours."

The lie came out of his mouth smoothly before Harry nodded, and stepped forward for James to take the memory. If Harry noticed his hands shaking as James pulled the wisp of a memory from his temple, he didn't say.

"Got it," James said, beginning to stopper the small bottle. "I'm sure this will all blow over-"

The shimmering wolf appeared in front of them, opening its mouth and speaking in a familar voice.

Get to Mungo's, Prongs. It's Lily.

Tears began to gather in the corners of Harry's eyes. "Dad?"

Grasping him by the shoulders tightly, James looked at his son. "Listen to me, Harry. You go in the castle and stay there until you hear from me. Go find Draco, and await my patronus. Your mother will be fine."

"I will tell you everything, Harry, but please. Please listen to me."

It was in that moment that Harry saw himself within his son. Wiping quickly at one of his eyes, Harry steeled his nerves and quickly replaced it with a look of determination. "Should I get Regulus?"

James Potter's chest fluttered with an indescribable feeling. "Never you mind about that. He was with Padfoot, and I'm sure they got the patronus as well. Now go, Harry. Remember what I said."

Both Potters hugged briefly before sprinting in opposite directions. One towards the Hogsmeade apparition point, and the other towards the Hogwarts dungeons.