Written for the Costume Party in Hogwarts (prompt: House Elf!Regulus) and the Room of Requirement in Harry Potter's World (prompt: Master/Slave!AU).

Protector

"Reg! Come here!" Marvolo Gaunt bellowed to his young house elf, the only thing that was left of his family's fortune.

With a pop, Regulus appeared in front of his master. He bowed. "Yes, Master? How can Reg help you?"

"Keep that stupid whore out of my way! And don't even think about leaving the house! That goes for both of you!" Master ordered, pushing little Merope in the elf's direction, before returning his attention to Morfin and continuing to teach him their family lineage.

Regulus bowed again, just a bit deeper than before. "Yes, Master." He took Merope's hand and quickly moved out of the room. Master thought he was still spending as much time as possible away from the house, but Regulus was no longer doing this. He needed to protect Merope.

"But Reggie, me want Daddy!" the four-year-old cried as soon as they were out of her father's hearing range, save inside her room, the room that had once been her mother's all the way back when she and her brother—Merope's father—were children. As young as she was, she already knew not to argue with her father.

"Reg knows, Little Mistress, Reg knows," he assured her. "But Master does not wish to be disturbed. Reg can read little Mistress a story if she wishes."

Merope sniffed. "Yes, please, Reggie."

"As Little Mistress wishes." He smiled at her as he bowed, causing her to giggle.

"Which story does Little Mistress want to hear?"

"You chose, Reggie," she ordered.

Reg chose Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump. He knew Master preferred The Tale of the Three Brothers, but Master had never ordered him not to read the other ones, so he did not need to punish himself.

Merope always loved it when he read to her and it did not take long until she was asleep.

A decade and a half later, Merope Gaunt was attempting to brew a love potion for her neighbor, Tom Riddle.

"Miss Merope? Reg does not think this is a good idea." It was not that he didn't think she was not worth him, more that he doubted any of the ingredients she was using should be used and the fact that she did not seem to notice.

He did not

"But how else could I get Tom to love me?"

"Let Reg try first please, Miss Merope."

Eventually, she nodded in approval.

Maybe permanently blinding Tom Riddle was not nice, but Miss Merope might accidentally kill him. And that would hurt her.

Regulus needed to protect her from that, so Tom Riddle had to learn to love her.

He valued appearances too much for it to work any other way.

Regulus waited until Tom Riddle was alone and near their home to work his magic. Now that Master and Young Master Morfin were in Azkaban, there was no reason why it should not work.

And it did.

"Reg, could you please look after Tommy and Jasmine? Tom's parents are coming in a few minutes and I have to get ready," Merope requested. "I don't want to disappoint them, not now when they have finally started to accept me."

"Whatever Miss wants," Regulus replied with a smile on his face.

Four-year-old Jasmine instantly latched onto him. "Reggie! Can you read Babbity Rabbity for me?"

Tommy, her older brother by two years looked equally enthusiastic about the story. Both children loved the tale and there was no reason not to read it to them.

Regulus smiled the entire time he told the story. He would never stop protecting this family.

Please tell me what you think!

~Marvelgeek42