Privet Drive
Regulus was still cold. It had been hours since they’d escaped the cold and Harry convinced him he really was a time traveler. From the bloody future where everyone was dead or worse. The fucking kiss? Regulus can see it in his mind, Barty’s dark curls worn and dry, his face older, arms slack at his sides, and nothing behind his eyes. His chest still moving up and down, his blood still pumping but his crass dry humor, his annoying little eye rolls, and sarcastic remarks sucked up into a void leaving him lifeless and still. Regulus was still cold.
Death seemed kind compared compared to that.
He shivered beneath the thin motel blanket as he struggled to get a bit of sleep. The sun would be rising soon and he and Harry would have to make a plan. Now that Kreacher had the locket they would have to find a way to gather the rest and destroy them. He wondered if the rest were as grandiose as Salazar Slytherin’s locket. Probably.
“Hey,” Harry whispered from the other small twin bed. “You awake?”
“Yes,” Regulus answered just as softly. They both lay in silence for a few moments just listening to the other breathe.
“Harry?” Regulus asked.
“Hmm?”
“How’d you die?” Harry was quiet for a moment. Regulus almost thought Harry wouldn’t tell him. Now that he believed Harry was from the future he wasn’t allowed to ask any more questions, particularly not personal ones.
“He killed me,” Regulus didn’t have to ask who. The Dark Lord. Voldemort. Fucking Tom apparently. Regulus was never getting over that particular bit of information.
“Are you going to try to go back?” He asks because he’s a fool who can’t help from asking. Wants to know if it’s worth trying to build a bridge he’ll inevitably burn.
“Don’t know if I can,” Harry hums. “Don’t know if it’s the same as I left it. If it’s changed.” Purposeful or not Regulus can’t help but hear the unspoken if you’ve changed it. Regulus intends to. Besides wanting to save his friends and Sirius he’s already not dead. He’d say that’s a bit of a change. Still...
“Can I,” he starts nervously, “can I ask about one more person?”
Harry makes a soft noise of agreement. Regulus hesitates. If there’s one person he needs to live it’s Pandora. But, for the same reason he didn’t ask last night, he’s not sure he’ll handle the answer he doesn’t want.
“Pandora Rosier?”
Regulus waits with bated breath.
“Dunno her,” he’s not sure if that’s better or worse than he was expecting.
“Why?” Harry asks. And. Well. Regulus doesn’t really want to tell him. Anyone who knows how much he cares about her could use her against him. But Harry’s answered his fair amount of personal questions and this is the first he’s asked in return.
“She’s my best friend. I don’t think she’s that involved in the order. Guess I’m hoping that keeps her safe,” he doesn’t know why he says more than necessary. Perhaps if he says he wants her safe out loud then she will be.
“Your best friend is part of the order? And you're a death eater? How does that happen?” Harry asks a bit askance.
“She chose the right people to love.”
Regulus knows it’s not the only reason others have made the choices they have. But it’s always been a bit obvious since he’d given in to the pressure from his parents. To stay with them in whatever time they have left. Sirius left and never looked back and Regulus was too much of a coward to leave the love they were willing to give him.
Pandora had been braver. She and Dorcas and Xenophilius had been so much braver than him. Even Barty had been brave to choose the Dark Lord to stay with Evan and him even if Regulus did think it was the wrong choice.
He wondered if Harry would understand how he could make such an obviously wrong decision for people that would so easily cast their children away, that Regulus couldn’t be sent away the same way Sirius was, that he’d have nowhere to go. He doesn’t know where he’s going now.
“We ought to get going then if neither of us can sleep,” Harry says and at that, Regulus hauls himself out of bed completely.
“We need a plan,” Regulus starts, getting down to business.
“Yes, we do. I was thinking, you don’t know where Sirius is do you?” Panic clawed up the sides of his throat at the thought. He didn’t know if the idea of seeing Sirius again or if Potter leaving him to go find Sirius was worse.
“I haven’t had a proper conversation with my brother in three years, all I know about finding Sirius is that you look for a Potter, so you’ve got a better chance to find him than I do,” Regulus isn’t bitter about Sirius considering James Potter his brother more than he ever did Regulus. Of course, he doesn’t. That’d be childish. Blacks are not childish. Except for Sirius. Sirius is always stubborn and childish and nasty and Regulus isn’t bitter that Sirius hasn’t been any of those things to Regulus since he was 15 years old.
Harry looks a bit like Regulus just told him awful news but Regulus isn’t the one to drop the news that all of Harry’s friends and family are going to die horrible deaths, so. Perspective.
“Ok. I have an idea, but it might be a bit barmy,”
“I walked into a cave of inferi to steal one of the Dark Lord’s horcruxes last night,” Regulus reminds him. Harry scoffs slightly as he looks up and meets Regulus’ eyes.
“Right. Well, shall we?” Harry holds out his hand. Regulus takes it.
If there was one thing Harry was glad of about the past year of his life it was that he’d never have to go to Privet Drive again and not even that ended up being true. It was a mental idea but Regulus was right. The best way to find Sirius Black would be to find James Potter. The only lead they have on James Potter is Lily Evans. So. Aunt Petunia it is.
Harry does feel bad about stealing the muggle clothes, which Regulus seemed deeply disgruntled to have to wear when Harry handed them to him, and breaking into the motel room but Harry’s Gringotts account didn’t travel back with him. He’d checked. He was a bit worried the goblins would kidnap him for being a time anomaly or something but they just looked at him funny and said they didn’t have an account for any Harry Potter.
But they need to be presentable and not at all wizardly if Aunt Petunia was so much as going to open the door for them.
Harry knew it was for the best in case Petunia had met James Potter but the Crinus Muto had dirty blonde locks falling into his eyes and Harry wasn’t a fan. Regulus was subtle about it but Harry knew he was laughing at him inside until Harry changed his hair. Aunt Petunia may have met Sirius too of course.
“Why are muggle houses all exactly the same?” Regulus sneers as they walk up to the Dursley’s house.
“Not all muggles,” Harry rebukes harshly. Just because Regulus realized Voldemort was a madman doesn’t mean some of his other opinions have changed and Harry wants to make his opinion clear. “The people that live here are all just a bit barmy.” Regulus looks at him for a moment and then nods.
Harry knocks against the door twice in rapid succession. They both wait a moment before the door opens. The woman who answers it is both eerily familiar and startlingly not. The young woman has straight blonde hair, a narrow face, and thin blue eyes. But she’s younger than Harry remembers her. She's just a bit more like the girl Harry knows from Hagrid’s photo album. For the first time, he can remember he wonders which of his grandparents his aunt looks like. Which his mother does.
“Hello, can I help you?” She asks kindly. A bit more sincerely than her polite platitudes to Vernon’s work friends.
“Hi,” Harry says kindly putting on the performance of his life in false introductions. “We’re here looking for any members of the Evans family?” Harry’s decided to take the lead since he knows just how to trick Petunia Dursley but it wouldn’t have been half as successful if they hadn’t discussed every part of this plan in detail that would put Hermione to shame beforehand. Regulus might truly be one of the most brilliant people Harry’s ever met if in an underhanded sort of way.
“The Evans family?” She asks inquisitively.
“Yes, we’ve recently found out we're distant cousins and are looking for Petunia and Lily Evans,” he states calmly despite his nerves. He’s not sure how she’ll react to the mention of her sister.
“Well, it's Petunia Dursley now actually,” she says happily. Harry had never considered the fact that Petunia and Vernon Dursley were once happy newlyweds. The thought is bizarre.
“And my sister, ” she spits the word out like the truth of it is a personal insult. “Ran off with some criminal, no point looking for her, but, well, come in won’t you?”
Harry and Regulus both enter the meticulous house with a certain amount of caution.
“Sit, sit, I’ll grab some tea,” she tells them bustling into the kitchen. Harry goes to do as he’s told but Regulus immediately starts over toward the desk in the corner of the room.
“What are you doing?” Harry whisper shouts. Regulus looks bamboozled by Harry’s surprise.
“We need the telephone number, don’t we? They might have a contact book at the desk,” Regulus is right but Harry wasn’t planning on snooping and he didn’t expect Regulus to know what a contact book was.
“Aren’t you a pure blood? Why do you use contact books?” Harry whispers as he moves to help Regulus search the desk.
“I figured Sirius was the type to take muggle studies so I took it once after he ran away so we might be in the same class,” he retorts. Harry drops it after that.
“Here,” Regulus says after a few moments and Harry worries they're running out of time until he hears Petunia has answered the phone in the kitchen. Or maybe she saw right through them and called someone and they actually have even less time.
Regulus quickly flips through the book.
E’s for Evans. Nothing.
L’s for Lily. Nothing.
P’s for Potter. Nothing.
Harry’s beginning to worry this was all for nothing when Regulus flips all the way to the back of the little book to show a few notes and business cards tucked into a small pocket. Regulus dumps them out and they each grab for a few to look through.
“Got it,” says as he finds a small note just a bit larger than the cards.
Petunia,
I know dinner was a wreck. I understand you don’t want Vernon involved with our world and with the war I can’t even blame you. But I still want you to come. Call me if you change your mind.
Love Lils
Harry thinks the idea of Lily Potter and Vernon Dursley getting dinner together is the strangest thing he’s learned since being in the past. But they got what they came for so it’s time to go.
Harry pockets the note and moves to sit just as Petunia comes back with tea in hand.
“Sorry, that was my husband on the phone, said he’d be home late. He’s such a hard worker he’ll be moving up quickly I tell you. They’ll see his potential for what it is,” she brags happily.
“I’m terribly sorry to ask such a rude request but might we borrow your phone? We’ve realized we didn’t tell our mother we were headed to see you today and she wanted to know,” Regulus lies convincingly with sorrowful sincerity.
Petunia’s eyes soften as she nods. Harry wonders how long it’s been since Mr. and Mrs. Evans died.
Harry and Regulus shuffle in next to each other beside the phone in the kitchen as Harry hears Petunia start pouring cups of tea in the other room.
Regulus dials the number and they wait as it rings.
“Hello?” a voice answers. A distinctly male voice and not Lily Evans.
“We’re looking for Lily Evans,” Regulus answers the voice on the phone.
“Ah well, almost got her, this is her husband, James Potter,” he answers and Harry isn’t sure he can breathe properly. It’s one thing to know he was calling his dead parents and it’s another to hear James Potter goofily answering the telephone.
“Well as it works out either of you will do because actually, we’re looking for Sirius Black,” Regulus adds and Harry wants to argue with that. He has his parents so close but the original plan is to find Sirius and of course, that’s who Regulus wants.
“And why are you looking for Sirius Black,” James Potter responded. His voice is colder, suspicious.
“Well, you see,” Regulus pauses and in this moment he looks exactly like Sirius. “I’m his brother, I’ve defected from the death eaters, and, honestly, I need help.” Harry stares at him not quite believing he said all that. He doesn’t seem to understand why he admitted it all either.
“Well,” James sounds a bit wrong-footed because apparently, no one expected that admission.
“How do I know this isn’t a trap?” James asks and Regulus turns to look at Harry like he might have the answer.
“Well you see I have a Potter with me, Harry Potter and he’s working with me and has never been a death eater,” and then Regulus shoves the phone in his face.
“Er,” Harry says panicked. “Hello?”
“Harry Potter?” James asks.
“Yes, that’s my name,” Harry answers stupidly. One should not be expected to be eloquent when talking to their dead father.
“And why should I trust that you're who Regulus Black says you are?” James asks.
“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good,” Harry counters. James pauses for a moment debating what to say. Regulus looks like his eyes may pop out of his head and without context Harry admits that his statement isn’t one that would garner trust from most.
“Where would you like to meet?” James asks.
“Er, Godricks Hallow? The graveyard,” maybe not the best place but it’s the only one Harry knows Lily and James would be familiar with. Regulus yanks the phone back.
“Just you lot, none of the order,” Regulus demains.
“Alright, 2 o'clock, see you there,” James acknowledges. The lines goes dead. They make their way out into the living room and Harry does not have the energy to deal with Petunia Dursley anymore today.
“So sorry,” Regulus tells her dragging Harry along behind him. “There’s been an emergency we’ve got to go.”
“Oh, well, do you,” she starts but with a crack the two of them are already gone before she can finish.