Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the storyline. Thanks for reading.

Not A Choice

Walking beside the man Regulus didn't know quite what to make of the fact that no one seemed surprised to see Hugo talking to thin air. The Gryffindor had said that no one would find it strange but he'd thought the man was exaggerating at the time. Though maybe they could see him a little, he was trying to be visible after all. That was the whole point of having Hugo wear his ring for the day, to see if his ability to remain visible and solid longer depended completely on who was wearing his soul's anchor.

So far it looked like Teddy was the only one who had the power to give him true substance.

And frankly he didn't like having his ring worn by someone other than Teddy so that was fine with him, Regulus thought but didn't say. He liked Hugo, and trusted that the boy wouldn't lose the piece of jewelry, but it felt wrong to him on some basic level to be tied to someone other than Teddy this way. He wanted to be where Teddy was. It was like an itch between his shoulder blades, the need to be in the other man's presence.

Which was absolutely, unquestionably pathetic, but Regulus tried to justify it to himself by reminding himself that Teddy was a Gryffindor and therefore Merlin only knew what trouble the man was getting into without him around to supervise.

That didn't make him feel any better about the situation.

What did make him feel a little better was the fact that Teddy had felt the same way about their separation, Regulus thought a little smugly, recalling how displeased the man had been when he'd requested that Hugo be given the ring for the day. The Gryffindor had, in fact, jumped to the conclusion that this was the punishment he'd threatened him with the night before. It wasn't, obviously, but that worked for him since he hadn't been able to think of an actual punishment he was comfortable meting out where Teddy was concerned anyway.

The man was making him soft…when he wasn't making him hard. And dammit, the Gryffindor's obsession with sex was starting to get to him.

To distract himself from that fact, which was becoming more and more apparent to him, Regulus asked Hugo where they were headed now. He'd gone with the man to work that morning, but Hugo had gotten through his workload with a speed and efficiency that had surprised no one but him. And since the curly haired genius worked on commission it hadn't been necessary for them to stick around and so they'd headed out for the day and were now walking around rather aimlessly from what he could tell. They weren't due to meet Alexei for dinner yet, Hugo had said that wasn't until five.

"We're almost there."

Eyes narrowing slightly as he sensed that perhaps Hugo was up to something Regulus wondered if there was more to this than the Gryffindor using him as a way of convincing Alexei to meet them for an early meal. Hugo hadn't survived Dolohov this long without being tricky.

"Are you looking forward to seeing Alexei again?" Hugo asked in the hopes of distracting the Slytherin from realizing the significance of the area they were in.

"Yes. I enjoy his company."

"He likes you too. I hope you two can be friends." Alexei didn't have friends so much as people he could tolerate being around for more than an hour. In all his years of knowing the love of his life Hugo could honestly say that Regulus was probably the only person he'd ever met he thought Alexei might be willing to be real friends with. The two Slytherins were so alike in some ways that you'd think they were brothers instead of just distantly related.

"I would not be opposed to the idea." He'd never cared about having friends, but if he were to have one he supposed Alexei would be on the very short list of people he would be willing to consider for the position. Hugo would be another, though how the Gryffindor had managed to endear himself to him so damn quickly was beyond Regulus. Hugo was just intrinsically likeable without even trying, hence the face that the boy's mother apparently called him 'a weapon of mass affection'.

"Good."

Giving Hugo a sidelong glance Regulus posed a question that had been swimming around in his mind for a while. "How long are you prepared to wait for Alexei to return your feelings?" It stood to reason that Hugo would be popular enough to appeal to others who would treat the Gryffindor better than Alexei di yet Hugo seemed set on the other Slytherin with a seriousness that was at odds with the boy's young age.

"As long as it takes." Was the Gryffindor's sure response. "Though by my calculations it shouldn't be much more than a decade before he finally gives in and accepts the fact that we're meant for each other."

Given his own age Regulus was willing to admit that ten years wasn't that long to wait, but it was still a significant chuck of time. "You're so sure of him?"

Hugo smiled. "He's very intelligent. Eventually he won't be able to ignore the undeniable fact that no one will ever love him more than I do."

He couldn't argue with that.

Coming to a stop when Hugo did Regulus blinked and stared at the building they stood in front of, his eyes going wide as understanding dawned. "This is…"

"Alexei's team is practicing today and he got permission for us to come and watch."

Gratitude in his eyes Regulus's thank you was quiet but genuine as they headed in.

Since they were the only ones in the stand they took the best seats in the house and turned their attention to the Quidditch pitch where the practice was already well underway. Naturally Hugo's eyes were only for Alexei but Regulus's head whipped around to observe as much as possible, surprised and envious when he saw that Hugo's Dolohov hadn't been overstating just how many advances in broom designs had happened since his day. Teddy had tried to show him in the dreams but this was reality and it took his breath away to see the speed, the maneuverability of these brooms.

"Oh yeah, you love the game as much as Alexei does. I've only ever seen him smile the way you are when he's watching, playing, or talking about Quidditch."

"It is the greatest sport of the Wizarding World."

"I'm more of a Wizard's Chess sort." He'd tried to learn to be better on a broom to get closer to Alexei but that had not ended well. All his brains couldn't make up for his lack of coordination even when he wasn't on his too big feet.

About to offer to play him some time, he enjoyed that game as well, Regulus belated realized the significance of Hugo's words. "You can see me smiling?"

The Gryffindor grinned widely back at him. "You're like a color version of a ghost, but you're definitely visible now. I just didn't say anything because I didn't want to distract you."

"I wonder why that is."

"If I was betting money, I'd say because you're so happy to be here. You've been missing Teddy all day, and we both know what you get your power from."

"Oh."

Silence descended for a bit longer and then Alexei happened to fly close to them, Regulus noting the way the seeker's eyes locked onto Hugo's for a heartbeat before turning back to the snitch he'd been chasing after. The majority of people wouldn't think there was anything off about that, Regulus knew, even the average seeker would probably miss the importance of it. But he knew that the other Slytherin was like him when it came to this and so he knew.

"You matter to him."

"Hmmm?"

"Alexei. He was going after the snitch, he knew where it was, but he took his eyes off it to look at you. You matter more to him than he lets on. A lot more."

Hugo blinked and smiled a little. "Given that he does his level best to pretend I don't matter in the slightest that's not saying much, but it's kind of you to say so."

"I'm not being kind. It's not in my nature to be." Regulus pointed out. "He knew you were here and he didn't glance to try to see if he could see me. The only reason why he'd meet your gaze while on the hunt was if that was more important to him."

Opening his mouth to argue, he disliked when others tried to give him false hope where Alexei was concerned, Hugo closed it at the absolute certainty he saw on the other man's face. "You really think so?"

"I do."

Hugo beamed and kept smiling for the rest of the practice and the dinner with Alexei, both Slytherins unused to being around someone who could literally smile for hours without stopping or at least dimming down. And while they might not have been willing to admit it aloud, both men were fond enough of the Gryffindor to tolerate being seen in public with him and simply ignored the surplus in happiness he was radiating and talked Quidditch.

)

Teddy knew it was bad but he was itching to put the ring back on. Hugo, Alexei and Regulus had arrived as he was contemplating cancelling his plans for the evening and so he'd only had enough time to take the ring before his cousin had all but kicked him out of his own house. And putting the ring on for a couple minutes before he would need to take it off again had seemed completely pointless, especially since he had no doubt Regulus wouldn't understand the decision and therefore question it. That wasn't a conversation he wanted to have at the moment so he had the ring around a chain now, tucked in between his T-shirt and the jumper he was wearing over top of it. He'd already lost track of how many times he'd pressed his hand against his chest to feel the ring's outline under the soft yarn, not doubting for a moment that his sharp eyes friends had noticed but had yet to comment.

Naturally they'd all asked him about the rumors about him being haunted by Regulus, and he'd confirmed that yes the man was living him but wasn't with him now. At least not technically, and he didn't want them focusing on his lover until he was ready to state that that was exactly what Regulus was to him.

Unfortunately, everyone was interested in that exact topic.

"No, he's not like Draco." Thank Merlin. "If I had to describe him I'd say he's like…like a combination of my grandmother and Alexei Dolohov." He did not want people to start thinking he had a grandmother complex by making that comparison, and Alexei and Regulus were very similar in a lot of ways.

"Wow, now there's a lethal combination." Whistling under his breath Teddy's friend Casper couldn't imagine that being a good mix. "And you actually like him?"

"He's a true Black and I am a quarter that, remember? He's just very hard to get to know. Regulus isn't a people person by any stretch of the word but he's…I do like him, very much."

"Well I think it would be sort of sick having a ghost for a bodyguard. Especially in our line of work." Gesturing with her fork for emphasis Annie pointed out all the ways a ghost could be utilized in seeking out clues, overhearing suspects, and appearing out of nowhere to curse some bad guy if you needed backup.

Teddy didn't correct the ghost thing, especially since there really wasn't a word for what Regulus was and maybe could be. "He doesn't have a lot of respect for aurors, Annie. Or anyone who works for the government really."

"But he helped you out with the Nottingham case, and with the Dolohovs. And he turned that bastard goblin inside out after the nasty thing tried to trap you in that vault. Maybe he doesn't like what you do for a living, but it's obvious he likes you enough to help you out when he feels like it."

"An inside out goblin. Now there's a mental image guaranteed to put me off these chips." Annie's boyfriend Mick drawled out as he stared down at the food they'd ordered to snack on.

"Please, nothing puts you off food and we all know it, Sweetie."

While the two squabbled over Mick's eating habits Teddy turned his attention to the Guinness he'd ordered and hardly touched despite it being the first drink he'd ordered. He just wasn't in the mood for it or company that wasn't Regulus. It was stupid, and he knew it, but the whole day he'd worried that having the ring worn by someone else would harm Regulus in some way. Now he had it back and couldn't wear it because he was keeping his relationship with the Slytherin on the down low until things were more settled between them.

Life was so damn complicated sometimes…it was a wonder people didn't lose all their hair from stress before they hit thirty.

"You know, giving what you paid for that it would be a real shame to waste it." Casper pointed out, elbowing Teddy lightly in the side to get the man's attention. "Whatever's on your mind, give it a rest for a bit and just hang out. You won't come up with a solution stressing over it. Just let whatever it is sit and stew on the backburner for a while, see what you cooked after."

Chuckling at the analogy Teddy raised his glass and clicked it against Casper's. "That's funny coming from a man who can't boil water."

"I can too, I just prefer to let beautiful women do the cooking for me."

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiight."

"Alright then, Lupin. That's it, my honor has been questioned. A game of darts must be had to settle the matter. Here and now."

Getting out of his chair Teddy pointed out that darts had nothing to do with one's cooking abilities, forcing himself to push everything else aside as he traded friendly insults and barbs with his friends as they all headed over to the dart area for an impromptu darts tournament. And gradually he did forget to worry and started to have fun, though always aware of Regulus's ring hanging so close to his heart like a good luck charm.

)

Stepping out an hour and a bit later Teddy took a deep breath of night air and then jamming his hands into the pockets of his pockets walked down the pub's side steps, about to dissipate home when across the street he caught sight of a slight form, a child from the size and shape. What on earth, it was after midnight. And where was this kid's parents, he wondered as he automatically headed in the child's direction, intent on finding out what the situation was. But he was barely halfway across the road when the little girl whirled around and raced back into the darkness of the alley behind her as though she hadn't seen him coming.

Pausing, not sure what to make of her actions, Teddy sprung into action immediately when the scream rent the air, throwing aside all caution as he ran forward, slapping a hand over the pocket that contained his wand only to find out it wasn't there.

He had one a moment to process that and then the bright red light came at him in a flash to strike his chest milliseconds after his ears processed the curse that had been hurled in his direction.

Cruor.

All over his chest wounds appeared, not deep enough to be life threatening alone, but enough that he was losing blood at a dangerous rate as he dropped to his knees, not even thinking to defend himself as the 'child' came into view and used 'her' wand to pull him deeper into the alley and then flung him into the nearest wall so that he was in even more pain when he hit the ground hard.

Disoriented, shocky, and in a great deal of pain Teddy wrapped his arms around his waist as if that would keep the blood in as he forced himself to his knees, the reason behind the attack becoming obvious when he saw that the 'child' had changed and had reverted back to his true form.

Carrick Dolohov.

The man's wand was aiming at him again, and then Teddy couldn't see because suddenly Regulus was there between them in solid form, appearing closer to his age than the Slytherin's usual teenage self.

Staring into the man's eyes Regulus had just enough time to process who he was looking at and the nature of the situation he might have just appeared in before a curse struck him. It was one more apt to be used for torture than killing, but he would imagine that the bastard whose curse had done nothing on impact liked the spell because-

Whirling around, ignoring the second curse that hit his back, Regulus stared down at Teddy, black eyes widening and then he snarled his fury, spinning back around with sheer, pitiless murder on his face as he headed straight for the other man who had harmed his beloved.

And obviously well aware of the threat this man could pose even half alive Carrick issued the curse that only one human being had ever survived being hit with.

"Avada Kedavra."

"NO!" It didn't occur to Teddy that the spell might not work, all he heard was those words, those words that had killed his mum and would once again kill a piece of his soul by taking one he loved to that degree.

A number of things happened then simultaneously, the first being that the blood coated ring Teddy had been wearing under his jumper broke to pieces and then turned to ash, Teddy not even noticing as he slumped down to the ground, unable to stay upright anymore and his vision too hazy for him to know what had happened to his lover.

At the same time Regulus blurred and became a black cloud that Carrick once again raised his wand at, pride and bloodlust demanding that he fight instead of disappear as he attempted to cast the unforgivable spell once more. But having expected this with coldblooded logic the other Slytherin reformed just in time to jerk the man's wrist so that the green beam shot into Carrick's head, the man dead before he hit the ground.

For his part Regulus didn't even wait to see the man hit the ground having jerked the dead Slytherin's wand out of his hand. Instead he rushed over the Teddy and performed the counter-curse, closing the now unconscious man's wounds with a rock steady hand that belayed his fears.

That done the Slytherin shoved the wand into his pocket and then grabbed ahold of Teddy, disapparated them out of the alley.

)

Note, the 'Cruor' spell is of my own device. It's Latin and, if online sites can be trusted, refers to the idea of bloodshed and gore.