A/N: So Zayhad and I are back with another R/R fic. We hope you'll enjoy it!

We're posting a new chapter every Thursday.

Disclaimer: Characters belong to J. K. Rowling

Chapter 1 - What Are You Doing in this Part of Town?

"We're going the wrong way," said Regulus, looking out of the window of his colleague's Prius. They had just left the company party and since she had stayed sober, she had offered to drive Regulus home. "You had to turn south back there."

"I'm going the right way," she said, sending him a sweet smile. "My place is in this direction."

"What? I told you I didn't want to sleep with you!"

"Oh, Regulus, don't play hard to get. I could tell by the way you were chatting me up that you want to."

"I'm sorry if I gave you that impression, but I'm gay. Everyone at the company knows it."

"Well…" she said, sending him a quick look. "I've heard that nobody's sexual preference is a 100% fixed, so don't you think it's time you try a woman? Do a bit of experimenting?" She reached over and cupped him through his trousers. She giggled when the young man nearly jumped out of his skin. "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you."

"I said NO! Turn the car around and drive me home like you promised!"

"I'll drive you home in the morning," she said, stopping at a red light.

"Crazy bint," Regulus mumbled. "Well, I'm getting off here, then," he said and was out of the car before she could react. He rushed into an alley so she couldn't follow him with her car. When he heard her take off, he took a look around. It was a bad part of town, that was clear, and he felt very misplaced and unsafe. He whipped out his mobile and called a taxi. He took a deep breath, feeling his heart pound in his chest; both from the close call with the crazy woman and because he didn't feel safe here. After a few minutes, he decided to leave the ally so that the taxi driver would be able to see him.

Almost all the windows in the houses around the block were dark and some were broken, so Regulus guessed most were abandoned. Walls were covered with graffiti and a few people could be seen standing under the streetlights or in the shadows, only visible by the glow of a cigarette, or sitting curled up in doorways, pulling newspapers over themselves for warmth.

Regulus was so busy studying his surroundings that he didn't notice the two men moving up behind him. "You don't seem to belong here," one suddenly said.

Regulus jumped. "I-I..." he said, his heart hammering in his throat. "I'm just waiting for a taxi. It'll be here any minute now."

"Mind giving us that coat, then?" the other said. "Since you won't be needing it if you're taking a taxi in a minute."

Regulus looked down himself. He wasn't keen on letting go of his coat, since it was freezing cold and he didn't know how long the taxi would be. He was also very fond of this particular coat. But if it would make these men go away, he supposed it was worth it. Besides, it wasn't as if he couldn't easily afford a new one. "Okay..." he said and handed it over.

"Thanks, mate," said the taller of the men, walking around the now shivering young man. "Got any dosh?"

"Yeah, you look like you could spare some," the other added, eying Regulus up and down.

Regulus had suspected as much. Problem was he was low on cash, and he didn't know if they would be satisfied with that. But he took out his wallet and handed over the 30 pounds he thought he could spare.

"30 quid?" said the man, unimpressed. "Give us the rest – empty the wallet."

Regulus shook his head. "That's all I can spare. I have to pay the taxi driver."

"Well, I didn't ask what you could spare, did I?" said the man, taking a threatening step toward Regulus, looming over him. "I told you to give me what you got!"

"How do you expect me to get home, then?" Then he remembered his credit card, which of course he could pay the taxi with, and hoped they wouldn't take that and force him to give up the code. "All right - take the rest," he said and handed the last notes and coins.

They man pocketed the money, but neither showed any sign of leaving, which made Regulus truly start to worry for his safety.

They started walking around him until they stopped, one on each side of him. "You know… he looks like a little rich boy. Your family loaded, rich boy?"

Regulus felt ice run down his back. "W-what do you mean? I just gave you all my money..."

One of the men suddenly grinned and pulled Regulus over to stand under the nearby street light. "Look at that," he said to the other man, running his fingers through Regulus' hair. "I bet Tom Riddle would pay us a nice chunk for an hour with such a pretty little thing."

"Yeah," grinned the other. "This one's just his type."

It took a moment for Regulus to catch onto what they were talking about, and then he panicked, bolting towards the street, but the bigger of the men grabbed him by the arm and slammed him against the wall. The wind having been knocked out of him, Regulus gasped for breath for a moment, then started screaming and struggling to get free.

"Best save your voice, pretty boy," tutted the shorter of the men. "Old Tom likes it when they scream. He also likes -" He was cut short when something heavy swung through the air and hit him in the back. He stumbled to the ground, Regulus being yanked down with him before he lost his grip on him.

Regulus looked up, seeing a stranger hitting the one on the ground several times with a rod or stick or whatever the object was.

"Stop! Stop!" whimpered the thug on the ground.

"Get up, then, and FUCK OFF!" yelled the mystery person.

The man stumbled to his feet and scrambled off. His friend had already disappeared, obviously not wanting a taste for himself. The stranger tossed away the rod, the clanking sound as it hit the ground echoing off the surrounding buildings. He took a moment to catch his breath before turning toward Regulus and offering him a hand to pull him up off the ground.

Regulus looked him over when he got to his feet. It wasn't a big man, to his surprise. Fairly tall, but very skinny. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"No problem," the man said and sent him a smile. He picked up Regulus' coat and handed it to him. "You dropped this."

"Oh... thanks," said Regulus gratefully and put on the coat. "It's freezing."

The stranger eyed Regulus up and down. "What are you doing in this part of town? You don't look like you belong 'ere."

"I'm waiting for a taxi. I had a ride but got off because... well a disagreement. I didn't realise what I was getting myself into."

"You should go to the diner over on Dunbar and wait there. Much safer. Call your taxi and get it to pick you up there. Taxis don't come 'ere." He scratched his arm. "In't safe 'ere."

"They said they would," Regulus said. "Had to talk them into it, though." And just then a taxi pulled up to the curb. Regulus offered his hand. "Thank you so much, once again. You saved me. I'm Regulus."

The young man shook his hand and smiled softly. "Nice to meet you, Regulus. Get 'ome safely." He stepped back and lit a cigarette before disappearing into the alleyway.

Regulus stood looking after him but was shook out of it when the taxi driver honked. "Get in here, mate! I'm not sitting in this bloody place longer than necessary!"

Regulus was dropped off at his flat a little past midnight. He locked himself in and took a deep breath when closing and locking the door. He didn't think he had actually been breathing regularly since he had gotten out of his colleague's car.

o0o0o

Regulus didn't sleep much that night and what little sleep he did get was thanks to the alcohol. At 10 a.m. he got up and drove to his brother's flat. It had hit him that he should have given his saviour a decent reward. He had just thanked him and then been on his way.

"So let me get this straight," Sirius said, leaning forward and looking at his brother. "You got out of the car, not noticing that you were in the wrong side of town, hid in an ally, got mugged, and actually got away after being saved by some mystery person?" He took a sip of his tea and grinned. "That's right out of a film."

"Yes," sighed Regulus. "But it felt bloody real at the time. So, what do you think about going with me to find him? I don't want to go alone. Don't want to get mugged again."

"You want to go back there?" Sirius said in a surprised tone. "And what? Give him a hundred quid or something?"

"Yes! He saved me. It's the least I can do. And I doubt he has it easy moneywise. He probably lives on the street. He looked like it."

"How are you going to find him? Did you get his name?"

"I didn't get his name, but he had messy hair and was wearing a brown jacket. He was somewhere in his twenties, I think."

"I guess we can go look, but don't get your hopes up, littler brother," Sirius sighed. "It's not like it's a very unique description."

"I know," sighed Regulus. "Oh, and he didn't sound local. I mean, his accent. Northern, I think."

They took Sirius' car and parked a bit outside of the bad neighbourhood, since Sirius was not keen on getting his Mercedes stolen or vandalised. They continued on foot. "Great neighbourhood," Sirius said and flipped up his collar as they reached the area where Regulus had been the night before.

"Much better in the daytime, I'll tell you that."

They asked around but no one seemed sure of who they could mean until an old man sitting on a blanket with a Labrador mix. "Sounds like Remus," he said. "Young chap. Bad drug problem, like many here. Either that or booze. He shook his head. It's sad, that is."

"Do you know where I can find him?" asked Regulus excitedly. The man suggested a few places where he often saw Remus. "Thank you so much!" said Regulus and handed the man a 50-pound note. "For food," he said. Then he fished out another 10 pounds. "And some dog biscuits for him."

"Thank you, lad!" the man exclaimed and quickly put the notes in his pocket. "You have a good heart."

Sirius put a hand on his brother's shoulder and led him away. "Don't go around flaunting your money, Reggie. People here don't have any, so they won't hesitate to jump you to steal your wallet, and if you get hurt in the process won't matter to a junkie looking for a fix."

"I know... But think about how much that money is going to mean to that bloke. Besides, that's why I brought you - to be my bodyguard."

"Yeah, but I can't fight off the whole bloody neighbourhood, can I?" Sirius said and looked around. "So where do you want to go first?"

"By that church. It's right over there."

They didn't find Remus at the church, but they did find someone who knew Remus and said they had recently seen him at the old factory that the old man with the dog had also mentioned.

In one of the large rooms they found several sofas and mattresses scattered - clearly meant as some sort of living arrangement. There were quite a few people, most stoned out of their minds.

"Have you seen Remus?" Regulus asked one of the people who looked less stoned.

The man nodded in the direction of a mattress in a corner. Regulus hurried over to the man lying on it, looking asleep. "Hey, Remus," he said and shook him. It took several more violent shakes before Remus stirred and opened his eyes a fraction. He mumbled something incoherent and closed his eyes again.

Regulus got scared. "He's completely out of it! Is he having an overdose?" he asked the man on the sofa.

"Nah, mate, he's just having a good buzz."

"How can you be so indifferent?" asked Regulus angrily.

"Look, posh boy - that's life here. It's tough. He'll probably be alright tomorrow."

Sirius squatted down beside his brother and studied the man on the mattress. He looked horrific. He was very skinny and his hair as dirty as his face. "What do you want to do?" he asked Regulus. "I mean, you can't really get through to him at this moment. If you leave the money with him, somebody's just going to nick it."

"We can't leave him here. Look at him - he might not be OD'ing but he's bloody close. We'll have to take him to a hospital. Let's help each other carry him," suggested Regulus.

"No, it's easier if I do it alone," said Sirius and picked up Remus. "Bloody hell, he weighs less than you!"

Remus mumbled a few words that none of them understood so Sirius headed out of the building. None of the people that lived there seemed to notice them at all. "Good thing we aren't far from the car," Sirius sighed sarcastically as he walked down the street with the half-unconscious young man in his arms.

o0o0o

They got Remus maneuvered into the car and sped to the hospital. At the emergency room he was placed on a gurney and wheeled into a room, Regulus following behind.

"It's not an OD," said the doctor and gave Remus an injection. "This should clear him up a bit. You can take him home now. Just keep an eye on him until he's properly conscious."

"What? You've got to keep him till he's alright!" exclaimed Regulus.

"Look, if we kept every junkie here there wouldn't be room for anyone else. So unless they're at risk of dying, we don't."

"But he doesn't have a home!"

"Well... ask the nurse at the information desk to give you an address for a shelter."

"I'm taking him home," Regulus announced to his brother, giving him a recap of what the doctor had said.

"What?" Sirius said incredulously. "Reggie, you don't know him at all! For all you know he could be dangerous when he needs another fix. Have you thought this through?" He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "And Mum and Dad say I'm the reckless one."

"I'm taking him home," said Regulus determinedly. "If he were dangerous he wouldn't have saved me, would he? And he doesn't look like he's in a condition for a fix anytime soon, does he?"

Sirius sighed and finally agreed to help Regulus take Remus home.

o0o0o

"You call me if there's any problems, okay? I mean it, Reggie," Sirius said as they placed the half-conscious man on the bed in the guest room in Regulus' flat.

"Of course. Will you keep your phone handy?" said Regulus and drew the curtains.

"It won't leave my sight. And Reg - if he gets agitated and wants to leave, you don't try to stop him, is that clear?"

Regulus agreed. "Now, we'll just let him sleep it off, like they said at the hospital. It's nice and warm here."

Sirius sighed. "You're too kind for your own good. Call me when he wakes up, yeah?"

"Okay."

Regulus left the door to the guest room open so he could hear if Remus woke, and he went to check on him every few hours. He was still sleeping soundly when Regulus went to bed. He left his own door open as well and set the alarm clock to ring a few times overnight so he could check on his guest. Waking up to find a corpse in his guest room was on his top-10 list of things he never wanted to experience.

o0o0o

Remus woke in the middle of the night. He found himself lying on something soft and enveloped in warmth. Had someone thrown blankets over him? He looked around, but still being groggy he couldn't make out where he was. What the hell? he thought when he finally realised that he was lying in a bed. In a house. He started getting scared. Had someone kidnapped him while he was doped out of his mind? Carefully, he left the bed and tiptoed out of the room and down the hallway until he reached the living room. He froze when the light suddenly turned on, and he spun around and spotted a young handsome man standing at the end of the hallway, fingers on the light switch.

Regulus eyed his guest. He still looked ill, but at least conscious and alert. "Oh, you're awake! I'm so glad," he said and, when noticing Remus' confused expression, added, "I'm Regulus. From the other night. You saved me from those thugs, remember?"

Remus blinked a few times but then calmed a bit down. "Ah... posh coat," he said and looked around. "Posh flat too, I see." He turned his head toward Regulus again. "Why am I 'ere?"

"Why don't you go back to bed and I'll explain," suggested Regulus and gently ushered Remus back to the guestroom. He pointed at the tall glass he had placed on the bedside table earlier. "You should take a drink of water. It'll do you good."

Eying Regulus warily, Remus sat down on the bed and took a sip from the glass.

"You nearly OD'ed," explained Regulus, sitting down on a chair. "I took you to the hospital but they said you weren't ill enough to keep overnight, so I brought you home. I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't just put you back on that filthy mattress in that old warehouse where nobody cared about you."

Remus' mouth twitched and he scratched his arm. "Aye, the hospital patches us up and sends us on our way. I guess we should be thankful for that, at least." He smiled softly at Regulus. "Thanks for taking me in. That was very kind. Can I do summat for you in return, then? And, eh... do you maybe 'ave some painkillers? Me 'ead is killing me."

"Yeah, of course. I'll get you some. And no, you've already done plenty for me. I'm the one who owe you. Actually, I went to find you to give you a reward for helping me. And then you were just lying there on that dirty mattress... I couldn't just leave you there." He got to his feet. "I'll just fetch you those pills."

"T-t-thanks," said Remus, a shutter running through his body. He wasn't feeling good at all. His insides were turning and he was starting to sweat, feeling hot and cold at the same time. When Regulus returned with a couple of aspirins, Remus downed them with a mouthful of water.

"You should drink more. Water helps clean out the system when you're ill or have a hangover. I don't know much about drugs but I'm guessing the same goes for that," said Regulus. "Tell me if there's anything you need, yeah? The bathroom is to the left at the end of the hallway. And what about food? Do you think you can eat something?"

"Not right now, no," Remus said, shaking his head. He wrapped his arms around himself, his shivering intensifying. "M-maybe I should just sleep some more."

Regulus nodded. "But finish that glass at least. Do you want me to turn up the heat? You look cold."

"Yeah, that'd be grand," Remus nodded and drank the rest of water before climbing under the duvet. He coughed a few times and curled into a ball underneath the covers. He watched Regulus turn up the heat, wondering what had made him take him in. He was a stranger with no ties to or responsibility for Remus, and yet he had taken him into his home to care for him. He had to be nuts.

Regulus fetched another glass of cold water and placed a bucket next to the bed. "So you have it if you need to throw up. I'll go back to bed too, but I'll keep the door open, so just call if you need me, yeah?"