Year One
The first day Regulus saw Draco at Hogwarts, Regulus swears he sees red.
Regulus hoped so hard to be met with a calm, respectful boy who was raised separated from the culture he was born from. What he met, though, was the spitting image of everything Regulus was surrounded by when he was a kid. Mean, snappy, defensive, and so clearly purist. Regulus wanted nothing more than to find her and give Narcissa a piece of his mind, but he decided it wasn’t worth it. Maybe those traits came from somewhere else, and he was loved at home.
The sorting was long as always, Regulus spending his evening sitting on a bed in the empty hospital wing, chatting with Poppy as she begins to put together her wing to prepare for all of the stupid things kids fresh into Hogwarts pull at the beginning of the year.
“So, quite the familiar batch of faces for you, this year is,” Poppy comments, “Harry, Neville, Daphne.”
“Mhm, and Draco,” Regulus adds.
“Oh yes, isn’t he related to you?” She asks, Regulus nodding.
“Mhm, remember Tonks?” Regulus quietly inquires, Poppy nodding. “Draco is Tonks’ mom’s nephew, their first cousins. Family relationships get weird in my family, that’s the easiest way to explain which kind of cousins we are. Never knew him, though, he’s Narcissa’s son and I lost contact with her not long after I moved in with the Potters.”
“Mmm, she’s one of them, I see,” Poppy nods before pausing a moment, then shaking her head, “I hope he’s not growing up like you did.”
“Me too, but I think he is,” Regulus whispers back, “Did you hear him talk at all?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“His tone and his speech are nasty, he’s definitely being raised with all of that purist rhetoric,” Regulus tells her, “Very clear to me he’s not being sheltered from it at all, which is a shame, I hoped Narcissa would do better. I’m furious at her.”
“I mean, generational trauma is a hard thing to break,” Poppy points out, “She’s probably trying her best.”
“No, I mean, I know it is, but Narcissa used to claim she never believed any of that stuff, she used to tell me all the time when I was a kid. Hypocritical of her to turn around and do that to her son,” Regulus adds, “It’s the kind of anger that I couldn’t express to you if you had never experienced it.”
“Mhm, I understand, well, I don’t but I understand what you mean,” She nods, turning around from where she’s setting things on a shelf to look at him, “Do you think you’ll get close to him at all? You have a knack for it.”
“I’m going to try, I want to make sure whatever they’re doing to him it’s not like what my family did to me,” Regulus sighs, “I hope it’s not, but I just want him to know that I’m here for him both as a teacher and as family.”
“And I’m sure he’ll appreciate it,” She smiles at him, “You can make even the most problematic kids work with you, Reg, I’m always impressed.”
“No kid is problematic,” He corrects, “Kids are just kids.”
“And that attitude is exactly why,” She says before turning back around to continue putting things away into the cabinet.
“You would think that Mrs. Potter’s training would have instilled this in you, too, Poppy,” Regulus jokes.
She chuckles, “Oh, she was a saint, that would never be me, not even close. She’s probably furious at me every time I say something like that, though. I can hear it, ‘Poppy, you need to understand that all kids are good, dear, or you’ll never be able to truly love working’.”
Regulus laughs, “She’s right, she’s always right. Trust me, I lived with her.”
“You would know best,” She says, the room falling silent. Regulus lets the conversation sit for a moment, really thinking about how he’s going to get Draco to open up to him. If he’s anything like his father, it’s going to be damn near impossible.
But if Regulus loves anything, it’s working with the impossible.
***
Regulus beams as he watches the package he’s been waiting for all lunch break to drop into the Great Hall, landing right in front of Harry. He elbows Minerva, who looks up from the paper she’s working on and immediately sees what he’s looking at. They watch, along with the rest of the kids in the room, mostly First Years, as Harry rips open the package with Ron to reveal a brand new Nimbus 2000, just in time for Harry’s first Quidditch game. He gasps excitedly, saying something to Ron before picking up something else, presumably a note. He laughs at it, saying something else to Ron before looking up to the teacher’s table where Regulus is sitting, smiling before grabbing the broomstick and running up.
“Uncle Reg!” He calls, holding up the broom for him to see, “Uncle Reg, look what Dad sent!”
Regulus gets up and comes around the table, taking the broom from Harry and getting a better look at it than he did in the shop that weekend picking it out with James. “Wow, this is very nice,” Regulus comments, handing it back, “Just in time for Quidditch, right?”
“Yeah, and he sent me a note, see, he said he and Mum will be there! He’s going to take off work to come see me play,” Harry excitedly tells him, “And he said he was really excited because seeker is what he played in school.”
“It was what I played too, bud, it runs in the family,” Regulus laughs, Harry laughing too before surprisingly giving him a hug. Regulus just hugs him back, really glad that he’s so excited about this gift. Regulus looks out at a lot of the Great Hall staring at the two of them in admiration, although one particularly angry set of eyes catches his attention. At the next table over from where Harry was sitting is Draco, staring daggers into Regulus and Harry. Somewhere in his expression, though, Regulus sees jealousy, maybe in the way that his mouth is turned down, or how he immediately looks away when Regulus makes eye contact with him. He doesn’t get long to think about it, though, because Harry steps back a minute later.
“Uncle Reg, do you think Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus know about it or should I write to them?” Harry asks.
“You should write them, I’m sure they’d love to hear about it,” Regulus smiles, ruffling his hair, “You have a right to brag a bit, bud.”
“Youngest seeker in a century!” Harry reminds him, “I’m going to go write them and then try this out, will you watch?”
“Maybe from my window in my office, just be careful,” Regulus tells him, his attention caught when Draco stands up from the table, grabbing his stuff and walking out of the room, head down and footsteps heavy. Harry doesn’t notice, though.
“I will!” He assures him, looking back at the table before rushing back to it, returning to his seat with all his friends. Regulus’ eyes linger on the door, wondering where Draco stormed off to. He was clearly upset about it, but Regulus wouldn’t have imagined he had a particular dream for Quidditch. Draco has never struck him as someone who enjoys the sport.
For the sake of curiosity, Regulus reaches over the table and takes his bag out of his chair where he left it, Minerva looking at him puzzled.
“Where are you going?” She asks.
“I’m just going to head back, I’m cutting into my office hours a bit but I wanted to watch Harry get his new broom,” Regulus lies, “I’ll see you soon, though.”
“Mhm, alright, good luck with your Third Years this afternoon,” She smiles at him, Regulus jokingly huffing.
“Don’t remind me,” He answers, Minerva laughing. Regulus waves, Minerva returning it before Regulus walks out of the Great Hall, quickly assessing where Draco could have gone. He first decides that he should put down his bag so he isn’t walking around with it, and maybe on the way he’ll hear or see something indicative of his location.
He’s losing hope by the time he gets back to his room, only to be met by Draco standing outside, Regulus furrows his brow at him.
“Hello, dear,” Regulus greets as he unlocks his room, “Need something?”
Draco doesn’t say anything, just following Regulus into his classroom, shutting the door behind himself before telling Regulus what he wants. “Professor, you need to put me on the Quidditch team,” He tells him, the pieces beginning to fall together in Regulus’ head.
“My dear, I’m sorry, but you’re too young,” Regulus apologizes as he walks up to his desk and sets things down, Draco following him to stand in front of his desk, arms crossed.
“No, I’m not,” He denies, “I’m just as old as Potter.”
“You know that his circumstances are different,” Regulus reminds him.
“Different how? He’s coddled because he’s some chosen one? I’m just as good as him, if not better,” Draco insists, “Let me on that team.”
“I couldn’t if I wanted to, dear, there isn’t an opening. But even if there was, you are too young. I’m sure you’re a fantastic Quidditch player, but next year you can prove that to me, alright?” Regulus proposes.
“No, I deserve to be on it this year,” He continues to persistently tell him.
“Why?” Regulus asks as he sits down, “Tell me why you deserve it.”
“I- Well, I just- I’m a-” Draco stammers, “I do, Potter has it so I deserve it.”
“You aren’t him, my dear, you are your own person. you two aren’t entitled to identical experiences, you’re both going to get things that the other doesn’t have-”
“But that’s not fair!”
“Sit please, dear, pull up a chair and sit,” Regulus tells him, Draco standing defiantly a minute before listening, grabbing a chair nearby and pulling it up to sit. He crosses his arms but sits up straight, staring angrily at Regulus. “Take a deep breath first dear, and listen to me. I know you want to be on the team too, and I know you’re frustrated because Harry is on the team and he’s your age, but that opportunity was not provided to you. That’s ok, not every opportunity is going to be for everyone. Harry has been through things that aren’t fair, you’ve been through things that aren’t fair, I’ve been through things that aren’t fair. That’s just what happens sometimes, and I know it’s hard to cope with but you have to remember that you are fortunate in your own way too.”
Draco rolls his eyes, “Just let me on the team.”
“No,” Regulus denies, “I will not, and I know you’re frustrated but especially if you’re asking for a favor, you need to be more respectful please.”
Draco’s expression immediately shifts from angry to almost timid, before going blank as he quietly apologizes, looking down into his lap, “Sorry Professor.”
“It’s alright, I just want to remind you,” Regulus assures him, “Are you alright now? Do you understand why I can’t just let you on?”
Draco looks up at him, staring before getting up, “Yeah, whatever, bye Professor.”
“Have a good day, Draco, remember I’m here if you need anything,” Regulus calls, letting Draco walk out of the room and shut the door behind himself. Regulus sighs, leaning back in his chair and thinking about that interaction a bit more. He doesn’t know why he was particularly desperate for that position, even if Harry had it it’s not like Draco would ever do that, it’s so uncharacteristic.
Regulus just brushes it off, though, hoping it’s just an internal pressure and not an external one. He’s not too sure about that, though.
He can only do what he can do.
***
Regulus mindlessly marks away at papers as the study hall kids he have all quietly chat and work amongst themselves. He’s been assigned a First Year one this year, which he doesn’t entirely mind, but he prefers the older kids to the younger ones. Harry is in it, though, along with his group of friends, so it’s nice that Regulus has him in some kind of class this year.
Although, where there’s Harry, there’s always Draco.
Regulus looks up when he hears snickering coming from across the room, seeing Draco and his friends looking at one another. Regulus just sighs, looking back down and just hoping it’s something stupid. He’s rewarded a minute later by increasing murmuring from that side of the room, Regulus glancing up from his work to see Harry with a piece of paper, angrily looking back at Draco. Draco whispers something to him, although Regulus can’t hear it, and Harry says something back before throwing the paper back at him. Regulus gets sick of this very quickly, so he just absently scolds them.
“Voices down, please,” He tells them all in a very monotone voice, not looking up. He hears a chair scuff, looking up to see Harry standing up. Draco stands up too, huffing at him.
“Yeah, cry to your uncle, Harry, instead of dealing with it yourself,” Draco challenges.
“I’ve dealt with more myself than you ever will, daddy’s boy,” Harry crosses his arms, turning back to him. Draco snaps back too fast for Regulus to even react.
“At least my father isn’t a blood traitor.”
“Says the one who is currently being beaten at magic by a muggleborn, not very pure of you.”
“Boys!” Regulus barks, shutting both of them up, “Both of you, cut it out.”
“But-” Harry goes to argue, Regulus shaking his head.
“No, nothing more, one more word out of either of you and you’ll be in detention this afternoon,” He warns them, “Sit silently, please. I do not want to hear you both again.”
Draco scowls at Harry, but the two resign themself to their seats, Regulus seeing that Harry is just fine, quietly chatting to his friends, but Draco seems off. He dismisses his two friends when they elbow him to talk to him, just looking down at his paper and tapping his quill on the table. A frustrated look on his face. Regulus can’t see what assignment he’s working on, but whatever it is Draco either doesn’t understand it or something else is going on, because Regulus can read the look right off of the boy’s face.
Regulus ignores it, though, figuring that maybe he’s just had an off day. Regulus goes back to his grading, the study hall continuing to drag on.
Regulus finishes up his work a couple of minutes before the study hall ends, and as he packs up he sees Draco fidgeting in his seat, something highly abnormal for someone of his background. He doesn’t seem to have made any progress on what he’s working on, so when the bell rings Regulus is quick to get his attention.
“Draco,” He calls, Draco looking up at him in surprise for a moment but the expression quickly shifts to disgust. Regulus indicates for him to come up to his desk, Draco dramatically huffing before he finishes packing up his stuff slowly. Once most of the kids have left the room, Draco walks up to Regulus’ desk.
“Yes Professor?” He asks, at that moment sounding just like his father with the same pompous, annoyed tone.
“I just want to talk to you about what happened today because I noticed you were struggling afterward with what you were doing,” Regulus explains, “Are you alright, dear?”
“What do you mean? I’m fine,” He spits back, “I don’t need someone hovering over me, Professor.”
“I’m not hovering, dear, hovering and caring are very different things,” Regulus tells him, a sentence he has told Draco before, “I can care about you and notice things about you but not hover over you, I trust that you can handle yourself just fine. But I want you to know my support is here if you need it, academically or personally.”
“I don’t need support,” Draco annoyedly furrows his brows, “I’m not 5.”
“No, but you’re still young, dear, you can ask for help,” Regulus reminds him, “What were you working on today?”
“Nothing, Professor, can I go?” Draco asks, “You don’t have anything important to tell me.”
Regulus spares the comment on respect, figuring that telling him not to talk to him like that will probably bring up memories that aren’t the best. Instead, he goes for a gentler approach, “I just want you to remember I’m always here if you need help with anything, I know it’s difficult to take but it’s always available with no judgment and confidentially, no one has to know if you’re afraid of that.”
“I’m not afraid of anything and I don’t need help,” He argues, huffing, “Can I go?”
“Yes, you can go,” Regulus nods, admitting defeat this time. Draco doesn’t say anything else, practically storming out of the room, although he carefully shuts the door behind him when he leaves. Regulus stops himself from getting frustrated, knowing that he and his brother were just like Draco when they were 11. He also stops himself from thinking anything negative about him, rather redirecting it to his parents. To Narcissa, who he cannot believe raised a son completely unable to accept help or even acknowledge it. Regulus barely gets a moment to stress about before the door flies back open again and Harry comes running back into the room.
“Uncle Reg,” Harry calls, pointing out into the hallway, “Draco is bullying Hermione.”
Regulus doesn’t say anything, getting up and going out into the hallway, seeing Draco with his wand out, pointing it at Hermione, who is holding onto a book but still standing very defensively.
Regulus immediately rushes down the hallway, calling, “Draco! Put the wand away!”
Draco’s head snaps over, eyes wide in surprise, going to run off.
“Do not run,” Regulus demands, “Come with me, come here.”
Draco stiffens as he puts his head down, walking over to Regulus almost curled in on himself.
“Go, go to your classes or your dorms but do not stay here,” Regulus tells everyone in the hallway, all the bug-eyed First Years scattering. Harry catches up with Hermione and the two walk away, Regulus walking with Draco back into his classroom. He’s careful not to touch him, unsure of his comfort with it and his correlation between touch and punishment. Instead, he just lets him walk into the room first, Regulus shutting the door behind the two of them. He walks around to stand in front of Draco, who has his head down.
“Sorry, Sir,” Draco immediately apologizes, his voice very timid. Regulus is taken aback by the formal term, although Regulus used the same one when he got in trouble when he was his age.
“Under no circumstances should I ever find you with your wand out and pointed at another student,” Regulus tells him, remaining very firm despite how bad he feels for Draco at the moment. What he did wasn’t acceptable, and as much as Regulus understands that he was raised like that, he still can’t let it slide.
“Sorry, Sir,” Draco repeats.
“Why did you do that?” Regulus asks, “Why did you stop her and pull your wand out on her?”
“Nothing,” He mumbles.
“Draco,” Regulus warns, “Don’t lie to me.”
“It’s nothing-”
“If you continue to not tell me the truth then I’m going to have to give you detention,” Regulus cuts him off, “I’m being gracious because I want to hear your perspective on it but I cannot dismiss that behavior like that. We need to discuss it, Draco, and if we don’t I will have to write you a detention slip. Do you understand?”
Draco looks up at him almost in fear, Regulus regretting wording that the way he did. He tries his best not to use the pureblood discipline rhetoric when he talks to kids but it’s hard sometimes, especially to a kid like Draco who reminds him so subtly of that. Draco timidly nods, taking a step back from Regulus when he does.
“Why did you do that to her?” He asks again.
“Be-because she doesn’t belong here,” He quietly tells him, “Mudbloods-”
“Excuse me,” Regulus stops him, “We’ve had this discussion before, you cannot use that term to describe muggleborns, it’s derogatory and very mean. I understand you use it at home, but you need to erase it from your vocabulary when you’re at school because it’s not appropriate at all.”
Draco’s expression shifts from fear to anger, “I’ll tell my father-”
“Stop,” Regulus stops him, “You need to listen, or I’m going to give you detention.”
“Sure, whatever, I’ll just-”
“Alright,” Regulus walks off, going up to his desk and pulling out a detention slip from the drawer, Draco rushes up to the desk, going to argue but the stare Regulus gives him shuts him right up. Regulus is not going to play this game with him, and as bad as he feels for Draco it doesn’t give him the right to be derogatory and hateful. He fills out the slip, picking a free time that Regulus has so he can hold it. Regulus hands him it.
“I’m not serving-”
“Yes, you are,” Regulus states, “You’re serving the detention tomorrow with me at 7, you’ll come in here and I’ll have you help me clean my room up. We can talk while you do it or we can not talk, either is fine.”
“I’m not talking to you,” Draco spits back at him, “Whatever, I’ll serve it.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow then, Draco,” Regulus smiles at him, Draco scoffing and walking out of the room, this time slamming the door behind him. Regulus isn’t fazed, knowing that his retaliation is just out of fear. He’s scared, Regulus can tell, and as hard as it’s going to be to put his foot down, Regulus knows he’s the best professor here to do it.
So, he’ll do his best to play both professor and family, and hopefully, at some point, it’ll stick.
***
Regulus, although he’s made little progress with getting Draco to trust him at all, has successfully learned a lot about him in the process. He knows that his father has been teaching him just like any purist parent would, and his mother, as much as she sends him tons of sweets and definitely cares, doesn’t shelter him from anything. Draco has shown every characteristic of a pureblood heir this year possible. Unyielding pride, putting other people down, and his strange obsession with a halfblood. Him and Sirius would get along well.
Although, one thing that’s striking to Regulus, is how much Draco struggles in one particular subject.
He’s been coming into study hall and pouring himself over the same class for months now, never doing any work and just staring at the paper. Sometimes he pulls out other things, but he always returns to whatever it is he’s having a hard time with. Regulus has told him plenty of times that he is welcome to ask Regulus for help if maybe he doesn’t want to ask the teacher in fear they’ll judge him, but Draco just nastily turns down the offer every time.
Today in particular, as most final exams are next week, Draco seems particularly stressed. He stares at the paper for a good half hour before just putting his head down, not picking it back up until the bell rings. Most of the kids pack their things up quickly and leave, as this is most of their last class of the day, but Draco doesn’t. Normally he leaves very fast, but today he’s not. He’s going slowly, glancing up at Regulus every so often. After teaching for 7 years, Regulus can tell when kids are non verbally asking for him to talk to them.
“Draco,” Regulus calls, Draco’s head shooting over. Regulus doesn’t even motion for him to come over, Draco just gathering the last of his stuff and walking up to Regulus’ desk.
“Yes?” He asks, almost expectantly.
“I saw you struggling with the paper you had today, you always know I’m free if you need help, especially with final exams approaching,” Regulus says, “Do you want me to help you with whatever it is?”
Draco shrugs, trying to play off that he doesn’t want it, “If you really want to, Professor, but I don’t need the help.”
“Let me see it,” Regulus decides, Draco going into his bag and taking out the paper, handing it to Regulus. It’s actually a small packet, stapled in the corner top left. The front page is perfectly clean of Draco’s writing with the exception of some doodles on the top. The page is a star map, a very basic one, with numbers next to each constellation. Regulus turns the page to see that it asks for the name of each constellation, its coordinates, its brightest star, and what time of the year it’s best seen. The last page has a select few numbers, asking for a short description of their mythology, along with some questions on the bottom about reading star maps. It’s all very basic information, things you could easily find in a textbook, but Regulus is also biased.
“Mmm, Astronomy, I’m very good at Astronomy, dear,” Regulus smiles at him, “Pull up a chair and let’s start working on this, I’m happy to help.”
Draco doesn’t say anything, grabbing a chair from a desk and bringing it to sit in front of Regulus.
“Alright, walk me through as much as you understand,” Regulus requests.
Draco frustratedly sighs, “I don’t know anything, I don’t remember it, I can’t do it. I don’t get how that is what’s in the sky, that’s stupid.”
“Let’s take it one portion at a time, let’s just start with constellation names,” Regulus suggests, turning the paper to him, “Can you point out any constellation on this map? Even if it’s wrong I want you to try.”
Draco looks at it for a moment before shaking his head, “I don’t know constellations.”
“Find me you, dear,” Regulus suggests, “Find me Draco on here, even if you don’t know just guess.”
Draco leans forward and looks at the map, although he just shakes his head again, “I don’t know.”
“Try,” Regulus tells him, “Point at something.”
Draco looks at it a minute before just pointing, Regulus leaning over to see him pointing correctly at Draco. “Perfect, you’re right on, very good. Write that one on the next page, that’s constellation number 4.”
Draco listens, taking out a quill and flipping the page, writing down the constellation as well as the information about it Regulus didn’t even ask for. Regulus doesn’t make any comment on it, figuring that in the overwhelming feeling of not being able to do it, even the information he does know is hard to write down. He fills out all the lines for Draco before flipping back to the front.
“Ok, let’s do another one,” Regulus says, “Where is Leo?”
Draco just looks at him, looking at the map before pushing it away, “I don’t want to do it anymore.”
“Why?” Regulus asks, “Why don’t you?”
“I don’t get it, I don’t understand,” Draco says, sounding like his voice is on the brink of breaking, “I don’t get it and I’m going to fail the final exam because it makes no sense!”
“Take a deep breath, dear, pause for a minute,” Regulus advises, staying completely calm despite his outburst, “Let’s work through it together, ok? You’re not going to fail, I can’t teach you a whole curriculum in an afternoon but I can do what I can to help the pieces click better in your head.”
“But it’s not worth it!” Draco snaps back, “I’m too stupid to get it if I haven’t understood it so might as well not waste the time.”
“Hey, stop, you are not too stupid for this, or for anything for that matter. Not understanding doesn’t mean you’re not very bright, my dear,” Regulus reminds him, “I understand you’re frustrated but not understanding is very normal, and you’re not lesser for that.”
Draco huffs, hanging his head. Regulus sits there in silence for a moment, until he starts to hear Draco quietly cry to himself. Regulus immediately gets up and comes around the desk, careful not to walk behind Draco at all. He pulls up a chair next to him and leans down a bit so he can look him in the eye.
“What’s going on, dear? I’m here to listen,” Regulus assures him, although Draco just scoots his chair backward away from him. Regulus understands the reaction, nodding and quietly telling him, “That’s ok, we don’t need to talk about it. I’m here if you need to talk or anything.”
Draco picks his head up to look at him, eyes bloodshot and tears running down his cheek. He sniffles, glancing from Regulus to the door, back to Regulus, back to the door. Regulus worries for a minute that Draco is going to run, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, Regulus just smiles at him patiently, hoping that Draco sees how important it is for him to learn this and how willing Regulus is to teach it. Regulus feels like he’s holding his breath until finally, Draco snatches the paper, pointing at something before looking down into his lap.
“That’s Leo,” He almost whispers, Regulus leaning over to look at what he pointed at. Regulus just keeps smiling, despite the constellation he pointed at being nowhere near Leo.
“Very good, you picked something, I’m really proud of you. Starting is the hardest part,” Regulus tells him, “That’s not Leo, that constellation is one called Orion. And this,” Regulus moves a bit closer, pointing at Leo on the page, “Is Leo. Do you want to know how you can tell?”
“How?” Draco tearfully asks, taking his hand back to cross over his chest.
“This right here,” Regulus points to the hook on the top of Leo, “Is the lion’s head, and it always has next to it,” Regulus points at the triangle of stars at the back of the lion, “This triangle.”
Draco slowly nods, flipping the page and writing down Leo under constellation 9. He pauses for a second before pointing and looking back at Regulus. “I don’t know any of this.”
“Let’s just do the names of them right now, maybe the names of their brightest stars if you’d like. You know what, the really bright stars are going to be bigger, they’ll help you find them better on the map, let’s do both,” Regulus decides, “Flip back to the front, dear, point at Leo’s brightest star.”
Draco listens, flipping back and looking at it a minute before pointing at the star on the bottom right, “This?”
“Mhm, that’s the brightest star, do you know its name?” Regulus cheekily smiles. It’s his favorite question to ask kids asking for help with Astronomy.
Draco shakes his head.
Regulus chuckles, “I’ll give you a hint, you know the name, you just don’t know that the name is what that star is named.”
Draco looks at him confused for a minute before Regulus watches realization flash across his face. Although, he covers it up with annoyance when he asks, “It’s Regulus isn’t it?”
“Mhm,” Regulus nods, smiling at him. Draco rolls his eyes, but Regulus sees a smile spread across his face as he goes to the next page to write down the name. “You’ll never forget it now, will you, dear?”
“We’ll see,” He replies, but it’s clearly lighthearted. Regulus can’t help but beam at finally being able to break him of his stone-cold pureblood persona, knowing there’s a kid under there really worth getting to know. He’s excited he gets the opportunity too, slightly regretting he couldn’t do this until the end of the year.
Hopefully, all of Regulus’ progress isn’t negated by him going home for the summer, but knowing the purist culture, one mention of Regulus is going to send at least his father on a tangent to stay away from him. But Regulus will just have to cross that bridge when he gets there.
For now, he’s finally getting to teach Draco all the Astronomy he never got to when Draco was little.
“Now, what about Orion’s brightest star?”