Thank you all so much for the support you showed for the first chapter. I really like this story idea, and it seemed like you guys liked it as well. Updates should be pretty common, as well as updates for my other story, switched, which is an inheritance cycle fic, so check it out if you like that. Please rate and review!

-xkid11

Regulus, Freak decided, was a very nice man. Well, at least compared to his uncle, but that wasn't saying much. The man didn't try to get too close to him and was respectful as well as polite, which astonished Freak. Who would treat him, Freak, with respect? And why was he? Was he trying to get into Freak's favor? He had eavesdropped multiple times on his uncle from his cupboard during his business meetings, and he knew that the honeyed words and sweet gestures were fake, and only for getting into the good graces of whoever he was interviewing. But this wasn't an interview, it was a friendly conversation. His basilisk, however, was still ready to strike at a moment's notice, and for that he was grateful.

The pair had continued sharing stories, although it was one-sided with all of the stories coming from Regulus, but Freak enjoyed the conversation nonetheless. Regulus had a way with words, Freak deemed, for only in his books did he hear such funny, downright hilarious stories. Pranks at his old school as well as the antics of his brother, Sirius, left Freak in a joyful mood, chuckling along with the older man as they passed the time in the playground.

"And then he said, 'ickle Bellatrix!' in a sing-song voice, and I have never seen my cousin as mad as she was that day. God, I miss my brother…" Regulus sighed then and looked up to the stars, seemingly lost in his memories, and Freak envied the man. Regulus seemed to have an endless supply of happy, festive stories that made him wish he had a family. He never had those types of stories, only ones of-

"Well kid," Regulus's deep voice broke Freak out of his thoughts and he looked up back to the older man and blinked. "I'm heading home, do you have a relative coming to pick you up or…" Freak flinched at the word relative and he hoped Regulus hadn't seen it. While the man was nice and he enjoyed his company, he didn't want to burden the man and his family with his freakishness.

"Yeah… my aunt is coming to pick me up in a bit." Freak managed to get the lie down without feeling necessarily guilty, for he was lying to help protect the man's family and it wasn't like he could just stay here at the playground. He enjoyed it here.

Regulus didn't say anything, and if he recognized the lie didn't think anything of it, and stood up from his bench and began to approach Freak, and when he was right in front of the boy, he stuck out his hand. "It was nice to meet you kid." Freak, seemingly frozen at the moment, staring at the man's hand before trepidly reaching out his own hand to shake the man's, and stood up as well. His unruly hair though, obstructed his view for it had always been shaggy and the swinging had ruffled it, and when he ran his hand through his hair, and then looked back at the man, he heard Regulu's gasp.

Regulus Black loved few things in his life. He loved his father, despite how he seemed to be lead on by his mother, and he thanked him almost every day for turning him into the man he was today. He loved his cousin, Andromeda, for she stood up for him when he expressed disinterest in joining the Death Eaters, like most of his family. He loved his wife, despite the fact she was infertile, for he didn't necessarily care about that, and he loved her far too much to hate her for something she couldn't control.

But he loved his brother, possibly more than the rest, for his brother had always been there for him. Stood up for him when his mother would be a bitch and either verbally abuse him or physically abuse him. And he encouraged Regulus to be himself. To be the Reggie the potions master, who loved helping others and wanted to play quidditch, not Regulus Black, Heir to the most ancient and noble house of black, dark arts user and death eater than his mother wanted him to.

"Eva! I'm going outside to catch some fresh air and check on that one magical signature that has Abeen outside for a few hours. I don't think it's anything serious, but it could be a spy or a death eater." His wife, Evangaline Black nee Rosier, was a truly beautiful woman. She had honeyed blonde hair that he loved to bury his hands in, as well as a truly voluptuous body that never failed to entice and seduce him. She had been studying for a healer before the war had started, and now she helped run Regulu's apothecary that was in Knockturn Alley. His eyes were glued to her figure as she slowly sauntered down the stairs and when she looked up to his eyes, she snickered into her hand and put her hands on her hips.

"Seriously Regulus, you have the hormones of a teenage boy!" She seemed to sigh in mock exasperation before she then eyed him over and she hummed before turning around, and she seemed to preen under his gaze which lingered on her derriere, before returning to her eyes. "When you come back, I'll be… waiting." She then walked back up the stairs and Regulus had to resist the urge to go upstairs and have his way with her, but safety came first.

He liked Grimmauld place, both for the neighborhood and the wards that protected the house, and he knew his wife liked talking to the other witches that lived in the areas around them. She was a social person in nature, something he was not, and he knew she would have hated living alone with him in a manor.

He flicked his wand into his hand from where it always rested in his wand holster and was shocked to find a small boy with unruly black hair sitting on one of the swing sets, alone. Well, that was odd, he thought to himself. It was late at night, and it was a cool summer evening, but this kid seemed completely content to sit in the pair of tattered khakis and an outrageously large sweater.

He walked silently to the kid and was shocked when the kid's eyes shot up to his form. Not many people could do that, he thought silently to himself. He tried to make himself look as harmless as possible, and sat on a metal bench that was opposite of the boy, and began to assess the kid. He knew he wasn't a threat, but he was intrigued. He had never met this kid before, and he knew it wasn't one of his neighbors, so whose was it. Where was his family?

The kid did startling emerald eyes, and they immediately reminded him of Lily. And he felt oddly compelled to tell that kid that. Despite not having told hardly anyone about his troubled past, Regulus found himself confiding in the kid.

The kid, who Regulus didn't know the name of, was very introverted. He hardly ever talked, and seemed content to listen to his stories, but clamped up whenever the conversation turned towards him. He could also tell that the kid had been abused or injured to some degree. Whenever Regulus moved, even if it was simply to adjust himself, he would flinch and immediately make himself smaller, and seemed to prepare to run. How mature the kid was another tell. Most kids that he told Sirius stories of, would giggle and laugh and demand more, but the kid only seemed to smile slightly and his eyes shown with mirth.

Taking a look at the watch adorning his wrist, he nearly cursed himself for losing himself in the conversation. His wife would have his head for this. He cursed silently under his breath and stood up, which made the kid break out of whatever memories or thoughts he was in. God, that kid had unmanageable hair. Reminded him of James… Shaking his head he stood up and carefully walked towards the boy, and stuck his hand out in a docile manner, trying not to look threatening.

The boy, who had stared at his hand for a while, stood up from the bench and ran a hand through his hair, managing to get most of it out of the way of his eyes, but when he saw the tell-tale lighting bolt on his forehead, he felt dazed out of his mind.

This was Harry Potter!

Freak, who was startled into the seat of the swing set when he saw a look of recognition in the Regulus eyes, was terrified. Terrified of the older man's reaction. Many people didn't like his scar, himself included, and that was one of the main reasons why he kept his hair long. The basilisk began to uncoil itself at the threat that it deemed was Regulus, but Freak put a hand on its head, signaling for it to stop.

"You… you're Harry Potter, aren't you?" Regulus hadn't moved from where he was standing, which was a few feet in front of Freak, and he was confused. Who was Harry Potter? He hadn't heard that name at all, 'cept for a letter that he found in the cupboard, but he disregarded it. The letter talked about a "dark lord", like, what kind of letter was then. Definitely a prank, he had decided back then. But if it was a prank, then how did this man, who he had never met before, know of it.

"I'm afraid, Mr. Black, that I don't know a Harry Potter." That was the second time he had spoken that evening, and he saw the man's eyes widen in recognition. That scared Freak more than anything, and he began to have second thoughts about keeping his female companion under his sweater, but the man's next words shocked Freak's world to his core.

"Your Aunt and Uncle, their names are Ver… Vernon and Petunia, Vernon and Petunia Dursely, right?" He felt his body nodding in agreement, for his curiosity got the better of him. How did this man, one he had never heard of or seen before know who his Aunt and Uncle were? It didn't make sense.

"How do you… how do you know of my Aunt and Uncle, Mr. Black?"

"My cousin's wife, her name was Lily Evans, and she had a sister named Petunia, who married a Vernon Dursely at the end of my fifth year, her seventh. She and my cousin, James Potter, also married that year and had a son, one with untamable black hair and a pair of emerald green eyes. They were murdered in 1981, and my brother went after the traitor, who sold them to a man who wanted to kill them. He was framed and was later murdered in prison. I tried to get custody of the boy, for the rest of his relatives were dead, but I was denied, along with plenty of others." Freak's breath caught in his throat, and his eyes widened in shock, for he had those features, but his parents died in a car crash?

"Your Aunt, is a horrid woman, with thin blonde hair and a giraffe neck. Your Uncle is a whale of a man who is obsessed with being normal. Stop me if I'm wrong." The man seemed very compassionate about what he saying, and he didn't make a sound, everything he said had been true.

"You can do things, can't you Harry? Make strange things happen when you get angry, or when you get scared." Freak, or Harry he supposed, nodded while not taking his eyes off Regulus's glowing steel ones.

"How do you know about that? The freakish things?" Freak knew he was radiating anxiety, but he couldn't help it. This man knew about the freakish things. He would certainly punish him. He had to leave. He had to-

"What do you mean, freakish?" Regulus seemed to practically spit out the other word, and Freak flinched at the venom in Mr. Black's voice.

"My relatives, they said that… that those kind of things were freakish, and that if I did them, I would be punished."

"Those filthy, dirty rotten, muggles. How dare they try to… to… force the magic out of you. It's a wonder you haven't become an Obscurus." Freak cocked his head to the side. What in the world was Mr. Black now talking about. Muggles? Obscurus? Had he gone barmy?

"Ah. Forgive me, Harry, for jumping a bit. You, Harry Potter, are a wizard. Someone with magic who can wield said magic via a wand, like so." Freak watched trepidly as the man flicked out a slim piece of wood from his right sleeve and said a few words. His world as it was was completely flipped upside down when he saw a broken toy on the ground, seemingly fix itself, then began to move around, on its own!

"Magic?" Freak seemed in awe of the acts performed in front of him, and he was filled with questions. Regulus, who seemed to have read his mind, motioned for him to stop before he began with a move of his hand.

"Yes. Magic. Magic is a wonderful thing and can be used to perform any number of tasks. From repairing objects to making someone's organs burst from their body, almost anything can be performed via magic. Whether it is charms, transfiguration, ancient runes, or arithmancy, there are many types of magic and each is unique. But they can all be performed by a witch or wizard. You, are a wizard, Harry Potter."

Freak was amazed. Scratch that, Freak was awestruck. From what little magic he had been shown by Mr. Black, it was spectacular. A world filled with fre-people like him who could perform magic and not be ostracized for it seemed like heaven to Freak.

"I was lying you know. About my Aunt. I ran away from home." Regulus, who now sat next to Freak on the other swing, nodded in understanding. He put his arm around the young boy, and Freak was surprised when he only flinched a little bit, unlike when his uncle or cousin touched me. He looked up to Regulus and felt compelled to explain more when he saw the older man nodded.

"I hatched a snake, and my uncle caught me with it. Well, it all started when I accidentally caused my cousin to fall into a snake enclosure. And after, my uncle started to beat me, but he heard the snake, and when he opened up my cupboard, he met her eyes and froze." Regulus, who had been trying not to break out into an angry fit of curses, froze when he heard the word snake and she.

"How do you know that she is a she?" Freak tilted his head up to Regulus's and responded with, "Is that not a wizard thing. Talking to snakes?" He saw Regulus nod and he sighed before lifting his sweater. Not noticing the older man flinch at the sight of the emerald green snake that was coiled around his body, Freak began hissing to his female friend.

"We are safe. Just don't bite him, or look him in the eyes." Regulus watched with bated breath as the basilisk uncoiled herself from his body, and instead coiled up in a heap on his lap, with its eyes locked on Freak's, and its head in his palm. He ran his hand soothingly down its head and he was pleased when it closed its eyes in satisfaction.

"I hatched her from an egg that the other snakes in the cupboard told me to make. It was so cool! It ate a toad and everything! And she is my only friend. She also saved me from my Uncle, well… she looked at him then bit him." The basilisk then recoiled itself around him and he heard her hiss out her thanks. Hissing back, afterward, he turned to Regulus and was pleased to find the older man flabbergasted.

"Now Harry, while it is nice that she is your friend and that she protected you, don't mention to others that she is a basilisk. They are a very dangerous creature, to others that aren't parseltongue like yourself, so only tell them you have a snake familiar. You can keep her, but keep her safe, and only have her show herself in dangerous situations or when you are alone." Regulus looked like he wanted to say more, but once again looked to his watch, and this time he cursed loudly.

"Sorry, but I must be going back to my place, you are welcome of course, as you are my brother's godson. Please, I must insist." Freak now was the one flabbergasted. A home. Of his own. With people who actually cared about him. He shivered in glee before he nodded, which made Regulus chuckle, and he grabbed the older man's hand and followed him into his house. Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

Evangaline "Eva" Black nee Rosier was a patient woman, so when her husband hadn't come back after thirty minutes, she assumed that he was being thorough in his search. When an hour passed, she felt a slight bit worried, but she knew Regulus was an accomplished duelist, for he got an Outstanding on his defense owl, but when an hour passed after that, she was clad in a dragonhide jacket, as well as a pair of pajamas, and was about to leave Grimmauld place when the door opened. She sighed in relief before taking off her jacket and allowing herself to relax but she was definitely surprised when she saw the young boy accompanying her husband.

The boy was small, smaller than most, and had a mop of rowdy black hair and seemed to be very timid, but then she saw his small hand holding onto Regulus's, she put off the possibility of him being a threat.

"Reggie, who might this be?" The boy, who had been looking around the entryway in wonder, snapped his gaze to hers and she found herself shocked at the sight of a pair of gleaming emerald eyes that were glowing in the dark lighting of the entryway.

"Hello, Mrs. Black." A cute, shy voice that practically melted her heart greeted her from where the young boy stood, and when she broke her eye contact and instead looked onto Regulus's eyes, she knew something important had happened.

Harry Freaking Potter was the cute little boy that Regulus had brought into their house and when she had learned about his past, she had to be calmed down by her husband. But she felt horrible, for the boy had gone through so much, and she had to resist the urge to wrap him up in a hug. The boy was extremely bashful, and when they came back to him where he was resting on the couch, she hated how he flinched and tried to make herself seem as harmless as possible.

Despite what reputations the Rosier family had about themselves, only a select few deserved that reputation. Her cousin and his father were both death eaters, and her family had almost been split into two when the rest of them, herself included, refused to join them.

Herself and Regulus had been contracted to marry when they were seventeen, as per usual, and her family had given Regulus asylum when he left his family when they tried to make him into a death eater. Before his stay, the two were barely friends, especially not lovers, but they had truly bonded over his staying and found themselves happily married at the end of their seventh year.

But when they found out she was infertile, she felt truly heartbroken. She couldn't have children, and despite what Regulus said, she knew he was disappointed without an heir, and from then on they spent most of their time at Grimmauld place and regulus's apothecary.

Harry was a troubled boy, and she felt a need to help him, so when Regulus offered about having him stay at Grimmuald place, she immediately said yes.

Fre-Harry's stay at Grimmauld place was wonderful, to say the least. He was given an actual room, didn't have to do any chores, and had two guardians who seemed to care for him. His basilisk, which he named Samara, had grown more and was about a foot longer than before. He truly loved, if that was what this emotion he felt towards her was called, Samara, and she loved him. Even though he had more or less raised her, it was Samara who comforted Harry when he awoke from his nightmares and she who calmed him down. The same with Mrs. Black.

Mrs. Black was probably the nicest person he had ever met. She had a calming presence that always seemed to calm down Harry, and she always helped him whenever he needed help with something. She also seemed to pick up the most on his behaviors, and he had woken up more than once in her arms after he knew he had fallen asleep under his bed or in his closet. He found he liked her touch. She had soft fingers, and he loved when she ran her fingers through his hair.

His first few weeks were rough, with a few days ending in him hiding or a panic attack, but Regulus and Eva were not anything but patient with him, and for that he was grateful. His exposure to magic was also rather slow, for he still seemed to have a hard time expecting the magic around him as not freakish, and something he should be proud of.

Another thing was his name. When he had accidentally let slip that they should call him Freak, he had reacted rather terribly to their reactions, and it wasn't until he learned that they were angry for him, that he came out and rushed to Eva's arms.

But otherwise, Regulus finding him was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Around a few months passed, and Harry was truly happy with Regulus and Eva, along with Samara and Kreacher.

The Black House Elf was an odd creature, and Harry had stumbled upon him when he was one day exploring the house and found the old elf cleaning a particular door. Although rather odd in appearance, for Harry at least, Kreacher seemed glad for the social contact, and he afterward sought out Harry's company on more than one occasion.

Samara had grown even larger, and he found he could be cocooned by her entire body when he was in his bed. The basilisk also warmed up to Regulus and Eva, enough to where Eva, Harry, and Samara could be found cuddled up in his bed, asleep. Waking up at that moment had never felt as right as it did then.

He was conflicted, he thought to himself. For Eva and Regulus had no obligation to make him happy, much less give him shelter in their home, but they sought to do both, and he found he liked having someone he could love.

Love, what an odd emotion. He supposed he loved Samara, but he didn't really know what the esteemed emotion was. What was it? Why did people seek it so much? And how did you know when you loved someone?

He answered that question on his own near the end of December.

The day started as it normally as it always did, with Harry and Samara coming down to join Eva and Regulus for a quiet breakfast where the four were content to sit and eat in silence. But after breakfast, before he was able to go upstairs, Eva grabbed his hand and cleared her throat. He looked at her curiously and he was once again surprised when she pulled him into a hug and when she ran her hand through his hair.

"Well, I suppose you don't happen to know what day it is, do you?" he pulled back from the hug again with an inquisitive look on his face and Regulus chuckled into his coffee.

"Today is Yuletide! We got presents for you and Samara since it is your first Christmas and we didn't want to overwhelm you."

"Isn't it like Christmas? Does that mean I get to actually watch you guys get the presents this year?" Apparently not liking his answer, he was shocked and embarrassed when they explained what Christmas and Yule were like.

Breakfast finished rather quickly after that, for Harry was excited to get his presents, as was Samara, and when he came back into the living room he was shocked when he came across a lit tree and multiple boxes wrapped in silver and green wrapper. Shaking his head and clearing his thoughts, he managed to get all of his as well as Eva's and Regulus's presents before he opened them, and he didn't see the nervous face of his guardians as they watched them open his presents.

A beginner's potion set was his gift from Regulus as well as an accompanying book for beginner potion apprentices and he was both excited and nervous. He knew potions were magic-related, but he felt like he could overcome his fear of magic and prove Regulus proud. A Cleansweep 360, as well as a quidditch cleaning set, was his gift from Eva, and he also got a book on magical creatures, for he had a definitive interest in magical creatures, but mostly snakes.

Before he realized what had happened, Samara wrapped himself around his neck, but in a much smaller state, and when he looked to Eva and Regulus, they pointed to the black collar on her neck. It allowed for her to shrink, but not increase size, so he could have her with him at all times, and that was probably his best gift.

But the last gift stole the show, and when he had been pulled to a table with Eva and Regulus, he watched intrigued as they pulled out a rather large parchment and gave it to him. And with a nod, he opened said parchment and began to read.

By the end, he was a sobbing mess and Eva gathered him in her arms and Regulus began to rub soothing circles around on his back and he had to blow his nose a few times before he could question the document.

"You… really… you really want to adopt me?" He asked in a sniffly voice and Eva nodded so adamantly that he began to sob all over again, and he heard his new mom begin to hum quietly to him.

"Your parents were great people, and you would have become a great wizard if you had been raised with them, and we aren't trying to replace them. But we care for you so much, and we want to be there for you, no matter what." Eva whispered in his ear and he felt himself begin to lean into his mom and he felt his eyes droop, but asked one last question before sleep claimed him.

"What would my new name be? The contract mentioned a name… change."

"It would be Hadrian Antares Black."

Again, please rate and review!