New Reputation
Life at Wool's Orphanage was better than Regulus thought. Yes, they had very little in earthly possessions, and the roof over their heads didn't keep the elements out as well as it should, but all in all, Regulus found that the dynamics were close to the Slytherin Common room.
Meaning he was excellent at handling his surroundings.
The first hurdle he conquered was the caregivers, specifically Ms. Cole, who held no sympathy for the children. He quickly realized that she chose to work in this institution because muggle women didn't have many options in the workforce, unlike the magical one, and she liked to be praised.
She glowed whenever someone mentioned how "brave" and "strong" she was for taking on the heavy burden of dealing with the worthless brats of society.
In the muggle world, orphans were seen in the same scorn light as Squibs were. They were to blame for their misfortune and would likely amount to nothing because of it too.
So the way to make her look better and gain her approval was to play up his biological age and publicly thank her for everything she did for him. He was careful not to come off as a boot licker, but before long, Regulus would join her in errands, sweetly telling the muggles who watched them how amazing it was to be saved by Ms. Cole.
His perfect mannerism was a product of Ms. Cole.
His perfect speech was a side effect of Ms. Cole.
Ms.Cole was the reason little Regulus was like a doll. And oh, how she adored the way muggles congratulated her for everything that made him.
Regulus would be the perfect young boy if he weren't a penniless orphan. The muggles whispered to each other as he held the door for others, smiled sweetly, and followed Ms. Cole like a little duckling.
She adores that he did what she said and when she said it. Never noticing how strangely intelligent, he was for being able to keep up at the tender age of three. The rest of the caregivers quickly picked up he was one of her favorites- a majority were orphans who, upon aging out, returned after not making it out in the world and bitterly took jobs in the hell hole. They acted slowly but surely, treating him better not to earn the headmistress' wrath.
They all remembered what happened when the Headmistress of Wool lost her temper and had the scars to prove it. It was better to treat Regulus like a naive little prince- likely thinking him too stupid to be of any actual harm.
Regulus knew this would cause the rest of the Wools orphans to be bitter at the favoritism, just as the other Slytherins had been when he first joined the Quidditch team. In Slytherin, he had the House of Black to fall onto and keep himself safe from their jealous sneers, but in Wool's, he had to do with what he had.
That came in the form of carefully placed kindness.
The other children didn't have to steal from Regulus. No, the boy gave his things away but never without a price. He watched the children and saw what each could offer for trade and what they needed before the child realized it themselves.
For example, Billy, who clutched his pet rabbit as his only emotional support, did not notice his rabbit was growing too big and would need a new pen. He had given one of the older girls a stylish scarf, gifted to him by one of the nuns Ms. Cole likes to flaunt him in front of, in exchange for her large shoe box. He then filled it with newspaper, stuffed it with hay from the stable, and approached Billy, offering the "bunny bed" to the boy's delight.
They had never spoken before that, but it meant that his bunny bed seemed much more genuine. Billy happily placed his rabbit in the box and named facts about the animal while Regulus smiled and listened.
Not once did he tell Billy to shut up, roll his eyes, or make the boy feel stupid for his love of rabbits, and that endured him like no other to the muggle child.
Later when Regulus mentions how fantastic the ribbons that decorated his room are, Billy thinks nothing of giving some to him. He seemed unaware of the uneven trade because it wasn't in the other boy's mind.
The ribbons were Regulus' gift for being so thoughtful.
A gift he then used to make Sally's hair look spectacular for her school dance, his tiny fingers still able to do the hairdos of the aristocrats. When he convinced her to let him do her make-up, he had turned a dull girl into a beauty. She returned with a bright smile, a filled dance card, and a little surprise teddy bear as a thank you.
That toy found its way to a nine-month baby in the nursery, who had been struggling to fall asleep, keeping everyone up with her constant wailing. One well-placed teddy to hold and a sweet lullaby had her slumbering and, more importantly, making the nurse in charge of the room internally grateful.
Soon Regulus developed a reputation for being thoughtful. He listened to everyone, was kind to everyone, helped anyone, and he became a well-respected boy at the orphanage.
It also became an unwritten rule that Regulus was a neutral party. No one bothered him because he was on friendly terms with every clique and power. Of course, he wasn't a leader of anything, but the other kids would stand up for him if anyone tried to bully him.
After all, how could they be mean to Regulus? The boy is so kind.
He was always willing to help when needed, crafting the image of a harmless little pushover without anyone the wiser that he was carefully manipulating them to his advantage. Three years since his arrival, no one had noticed.
Well, nearly no one.
"Nuse Jane thought a box of chocolate would mean you come back to change diapers for her, didn't she?" Tom asked, placing Regulus in his lap and peering at the small box the head nursery nurse had passed him that morning with a wink. "No wonder she can't get anyone to marry her. She's stupid."
"She has her usages. Manipulation is not one of them." Regulus sighed, allowing the strange muggle-born to bury his nose in his hair and smile against his skull.
Since meeting that fateful night in the nursery, the two had been roommates and nearly inseparable.
Others tried to pry them apart, but accidents tended to happen to them not long after. It was no secret that Tom was the cause of them, even if there was never any proof.
The fact that Regulus was the only one who could curve his violent outburst only further made him more liked to the rest of Wools.
He needed to figure out what to make of Tom.
The boy was gifted when it came to magic, ridiculously so, already having control over it far better than most adults.
The three wandless spells Regulus taught him were so easily mastered that Tom took it upon himself to learn different kinds independently. The scary part was that he succeeded, having uncovered Lumos and a color-changing charm on his own, after spending weeks concentrating enough.
What could he accomplish with proper training? With a wand? Tom would only go on to make a name for himself if Regulus could not recall a single Tom Riddle, but he was useful now.
If he was honest with himself, Regulus also liked having another wizard about, even if it was a muggle-born.
Tom seemed to adore showing Regulus his progress, but the time traveler noticed that the muggle-born treated him much like a toy. In Tom's eyes, Regulus was a shiny plaything, and he wasn't sure if that was healthy.
Tom's crush on him may be less so. But Regulus grew up in the House of Black- healthy relationships weren't common there, and he didn't mind the boy's feelings so much.
It was nice to be someone's obsession.
"Regulus!" Billy yells, breaking the peace by throwing open the door without knocking. At once, he felt Tom's magic swirl in displeasure, so he quickly leaned back into the boy and clamped a hand on the arms around his middle.
Tom settles again, but likely glaring at the intruder, who looks pale.
"What is it, Billy?" He asks carefully, making his voice soft but sharing his articulation. It usually makes the other orphans listen to him faster.
"You won't believe it," Billy says after a moment, his eyes wide. "A pair of men arrived claiming to be looking for you!"
"For me?" Regulus tilts his head. "Why?"
"They think they're your family! A mister Marius Black with his father, Cygnus Black, saw your picture in the Christmas choir and came as soon as they could. They're speaking to Ms. Cole now." Whatever fear of Tom quickly disappeared as Billy hastily threw open their closet, taking out Regulus' church clothes- the best he owned. "Quickly, you have to change! They may take you home with them if you can impress them enough."
For Merlin's sake, they found him? After putting so much effort into securing his place in Wool's Orphanage, the house of Black was trying to exploit him again.
"They're wrong," Tom hisses, his voice dipping into the perfect imitation of a snake. "Regulus is mine. He's not going anywhere."
"I'm comfortable with that," Regulus tells him, snuggling closer. Tom's silly crush is perfect in times like these. He blinks big eyes at the boy, whose cold expression slowly melts into a blush. "Will you hide me, Tom? I don't want to go away."
As predicted, Tom folds faster than wet paper. "We can hide you in the backyard shed. Hurry."
"But Regulus! Mr. Black could be your father. you could leave!" Billy protests, but the two are already running down the hall. Regulus' tiny six-year-old legs are no match for Tom's fast stride, and sadly that is his undoing.
"Regulus is Wool's jewel. The boy could do no wrong, I assure you, sirs- oh, here he is now!" Ms. Cole says when she rounds the corner with two men behind her. Tom skits to a stop before colliding with them, but Regulus is not as lucky, crashing into the legs of once great-grandfather Cygnus Black.
The worst part was that he landed on a magic stone the man was wearing as a ring. A stone meant to glow when near family magic. Likely a test to see if Marius has produced a magical child after all.
One he just unwillingly passed.
"Marius, my son, you have found my grandson." The aged man says, hiding the glowing ring before Ms. Cole or Tom sees it. The Squib's face lights up, kneeling to stare at Regulus like he is his salvation.
And Regulus is his salvation because being called son after being disowned meant the disownment was officially over. Marius has just earned his way back into the Ancient and Noble House of Black.
"Hello there, son. I've been looking for you everywhere." Marius says in a fatherly tone, and it's so different from how he had first sounded when his whore mother dropped him off on his doorsteps three years ago. It isn't enjoyable.
He knows deep down that his body is still young, and he can not control all of his emotional outbursts because of it. The anger he feels for this Squib trying to take advantage of him so their so-called family can give a flying crap about them is enough to have his magic's careful control slip.
He feels a tingle around his scalp and the three adults mouth's drop.
Ms. Cole gasps in horror. "What in the world?! "
A strand of hair falls into his eyes, and Regulus is about to push it out of the way when he notices an alarming change.
His hair is an angry red, not the raven Black he has had all his life—both of his lives.
"A metamorphmagus." Cygnus breaths, hand over his chest and smiling widely. "Marius, you sired a metamorphmagus."
For fuck's sake, Regulus did not want to deal with any of this.