A/N: So, fuck me, I'm absolutely NOT supposed to be doing this. I SAID I WOULDN'T START A NEW FIC WHILE WRITING GIRL'S MIND AND YET HERE WE FLUCKIN ARE BECAUSE SOMEONE MADE A FACEBOOK POST SHARING A TUMBLR BLOG ABOUT THIS FIC IDEA OF REGULUS BEING POTIONS PROFESSOR INSTEAD OF SEVERUS AND MY BRAIN TOOK THE IDEA AND RAN WITH IT. And I thought I could ignore it. But then someone commented on my Harry Potter one-shot, The Maiden and the Man, and we started talking over the PM feature, AND SHE BLATANTLY ENCOURAGED ME.
And I am weak to encouragement. So, uh, yeah. We got ourselves a prologue to a new fic. This will not be taking priority over Girl's Mind. I promised weekly updates on that fic, and that's what I'm gonna deliver, but updates might appear on this sporadically.
This idea is also totally up for adoption as well, since I got it from a Facebook post of a Tumblr post and own even less of it than my other fanfic ideas.
Thanks for reading, and as always, enjoy!
Severus doesn't quite know why he did it, but standing on Regulus' doorstep, he can't quite bring himself to turn away.
Can't quite bring himself to knock, either, but Regulus is perhaps more paranoid than even he, and opens the door soon enough on his own.
"Severus? You never visit."
There's a coolness in Regulus' voice that was never there, before, but, well…
They're both different men, now, than those school boys who studied together so long ago.
It feels nearly like a lifetime, like his life has shattered, and only two clear pieces stand out anymore - before, and after.
He doesn't quite know what to say, to Regulus, to anyone, really. The world is hollow, and he still feels as though he's only going through the motions.
Perhaps Regulus sees that, or perhaps he just finishes checking that it's actually Severus at the door, because he waves the man in after a moment.
"I'll put on some tea," he offers quietly, and Severus spares a moment to wonder why Regulus has no house elf for that.
He doesn't bother to ask, just settles into an armchair and waits.
Regulus comes back after a few minutes, tray braced in one arm as he uses a wand to pull over an end table from the other side of the room, til it sits between them.
His magic is still so unsteady, and Severus watches with a clinical eye. It's better than it was, two years enough that he could no longer be mistaken for a Squib, but for all that Severus is no healer, the fact that his one-time friend won't tell him exactly what happened so that he might have a better chance of fixing it…
He doesn't ask.
Regulus takes his time pouring the tea, hands steady in a way his magic just isn't, and hands over a cup before asking again.
"You don't visit me, Severus. Not except to drop off potions. What's wrong?"
Severus takes a sip of the tea and momentarily wishes for something stronger.
"Dumbledore," he offers after a moment of silence between two… friends? Former friends? Accomplices? Traitors?
He doesn't really know.
Regulus makes a considering noise, and he continues. "Horace Slughorn retires at the end of this year. He's made it quite clear, apparently. Dumbledore… would have me take his post."
"You don't want to teach. I'd like to think I still know you well enough to be certain of that. There are other Potions Masters who can take the job."
Severus grimaces into his cup.
"Dumbledore… said he could not vouch for me if my name came up in trial unless there was already a compromise in place. Too many Death Eaters are citing imperious or trying to claim themselves traitors to the cause, and only a few are getting off. He made clear that they would be more inclined towards forgiveness if I were being… supervised." He spits the last word with a sneer, fingers tightening around the delicate porcelain.
They drink in silence a few minutes, and Regulus refills their cups before speaking again. "Would it truly be so bad? You taught me well enough."
Severus scoffs. "You could have gotten straight O's on your Potions exams even without me. Just the thought of teaching some incompetent fool with no understanding of the Art…" his lips twist again into a sneer, and he sets down his teacup. "I've no patience for foolish children." He says at last, quietly.
It's that or Azkaban, because he was known enough in the Dark Lord's inner circle that someone will use his name as a lifeline. And he hates both, hates every choice left to him, but he already failed-
It's all he can do.
No other choice is even considerable.
The quiet sounds of Regulus' drinking taper off, a soft clink signalling his putting down the cup. Severus doesn't turn back to look at him, just stares blankly at the window.
He's traded one master for another, and it already wasn't worth it but maybe he can still-
He doesn't know.
Doesn't know what he wants, doesn't know what's left to get out of this, when everything he wanted to start is too far gone to reach.
Regulus only lets the silence last a few moments more, before speaking with quiet hesitance. "I could teach them."
Severus nearly interrupts, because he just explained it, but he gives Regulus the benefit of the doubt. This isn't a foolish Gryffindor, so there must be something more to it.
His companion continues after a moment. "The younger children. There's a precedent for it, right? In 1683, Master Gophilian shared the job with his apprentice, teaching only the Newt-level students while Apprentice Merryweather taught the first through fifth years. It might even work out better like that… You won't have to deal with… incompetent fools, and I'll have some measure of protection for myself in the way of Hogwarts' wards."
Severus muses over the suggestion.
He doesn't want to teach at all, really, children are children and he - never had a childhood - has no idea what to do with them, but Regulus is good. If he only has to teach the ones Regulus thinks are good enough to advance…
He grimaces, but… perhaps it would be more tolerable. Only…
"How would we convince Dumbledore of this? He is not one to make… exceptions for Slytherins, after all."
Regulus grins at him. "Well, it'd give you more time to brew potions for the Hospital Wing. Especially right now, in the wake of the war, Madam Pomfrey alone would likely manage to convince him for us, were we to approach her about the idea first…"
Severus freezes, mid-motion from pouring another cup of tea.
That… could work.
He glances at his companion.
Perhaps he could get her assistance in something else, as well.
If Regulus plans to teach, he can hardly do so with his magic still unstable. He pours the cup and offers a smirk of his own back towards the younger Slytherin.
"I'll leave her in your capable hands then, Regulus. I can meet you at the school tomorrow?"
Regulus nods, holding out his own cup for a refill.
"First thing in the morning. The Headmaster will be at the Ministry for Karkaroff's trial, so we'll have plenty of time to speak with Madam Pomfrey before he returns. Perhaps even a chance to speak with Master Slughorn, gain an understanding of his current lesson plans…"
Severus grimaces. He hadn't even thought of that - hadn't thought of anything, really - and he gets the feeling tomorrow will require far more talking than he quite wants to deal with.
But for the first time since Dumbledore's ultimatum, as he and Regulus work their way through the rest of the tea, he feels… somewhat hopeful.
The world is hollow, and his heart with it, but…
Regulus' eyes are as hollow as his own, and he's still capable of moving forward, looking to the future.
Perhaps one day, Severus will be able to do so as well.