Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Everything else belongs to someone else and that's the way it's gotta be according to the lawyers.

Someone Told Me

Okay, if it had just been the one weird dream where he was a stalker artist hopelessly in love with an unattainable bloke Teddy would have just brushed it off as a weird coincidence and hoped it never happened again since he was related to the bloke in question. But no, for the next four days after he bought the stupid portrait Teddy had dreamed of a teenage life that was not his own, and it was freaking the heck out of him. Thankfully there had been no nudity involved, so far the dreams were mostly just of watching or drawing Regulus, but either way Teddy was pretty sure that the dreams had to be a result of the portrait and that that meant he needed some expert advice.

The most logical place to start was to find out who the painter was, which Teddy figured was going to be a lot easier if the dreams were based on real memories. He knew the man he was looking for had been a Head Boy, Slytherin, one or two years older than Regulus, and the guy's initials. Those were damn good leads by anyone's standards.

So when he had a chance Teddy sought out a co-worker who would have been in school with his ancestor, and asked for a few minutes of the wizard's time once he confirmed that the man had in fact been in Regulus's year, though the older man stated upfront that he hadn't hung out with the Slytherin or liked him one little bit.

"That's not a problem. I was just wondering if you ever had a Slytherin Head Boy with the initials T.P. while you were at Hogwarts. And if you did what you know about him."

Eyebrows rising, Jude didn't have to think hard about it. "You mean Teddy Prince?"

"His name is Teddy? Seriously?"

"Theodore, actually, but no one called him that. It was always Teddy or Theo sometimes, though mostly Teddy. And it was his name, in this case. He died…damn…a couple years before the second war? I think that's about right. He moved to France a couple years after he graduated, and never came back even to visit his family here. I wouldn't have known he'd passed if I hadn't heard about it from some friends after the fact. Damn shame too, he was a real decent man. It was hard to find someone you'd trust to cover your back from Slytherin, especially in those days, but most everyone would have trusted him, he was the type that never let you down when it counted." Jude shook his head. "Heart attack, I think it was."

Still reeling from the fact that he'd thought of himself as Teddy in the dreams hadn't just been a coincidence, it took Teddy a moment to process the fact that the artist was dead. Then he asked the most logical question, which was if Jude had ever noticed this Teddy guy hanging out with Regulus back when they were all at Hogwarts together.

"Your-whatever he is to you…Regulus Black wasn't much for hanging out with people, Teddy. And that's a heck of a thing, you two having the same name. But anyway, your relative preferred to observe and use people as needed. Not really the sort that would appeal to Teddy or vice versa I wouldn't think. But Black was a prefect and a Slytherin too obviously, so he and Teddy would have spent time together because of that I suppose. Why?"

"I have a painting of Regulus that might have been painted by this guy. I-uh-found some information that suggests it was painted during that time, by a Slytherin with those initials and I was just curious about it. The shopkeeper was impressed by it, but said he didn't recognize the artist and all the other Black portraits were done by well known artists."

"Really? Well isn't that a kick in the pants? But I can tell you that if you're looking for an artistic Slytherin during out time Prince was probably your guy, he was always drawing stuff in his books. Used to drive Professor McGongall batty when she'd catch him at it during class." The old man smiled at the memories that thought conjured up. "Everyone liked him you know, from the teachers down to the first years. Those of us in the other houses used to tell him he belonged in a different house, but he'd just laugh that off."

"Yeah…I can't see a Black having much interesting in playing nice with someone like that."

In complete agreement Jude nodded his head. "Exactly. But if you want to know more about Prince you should talk to that bloke that that cousin of yours fancies but is always fighting with."

"Ah…most of my cousins are always fighting with guys, especially if they like them. A little specificity would be appreciated."

"I meant Ron's girl, Rosie. She's the one sorta dating the Daimon boy, right? His mum's mum was one of Teddy's sisters."

Trying to remember if Rosie and Sev were on the outs, it often changed from week to week, Teddy figured he was better off just dropping by the Weasley house after work to ask Rosie himself. That way he could actually talk to both his aunt and his cousins about what was going on and get their take on things as some of the smartest people he knew. He'd have to bring something to bribe Uncle Ron with though…he didn't want his godparents knowing about this unless they had to and Uncle Ron was a bit of a blabbermouth.

Deciding that he'd gotten the confirmation he needed, plus his break was almost due to end, Teddy said his goodbyes and thanks before heading back out to take the elevator to his floor, his thoughts whirling a mile a minute as he stepped through the elevator doors.

He had to admit that he was sort of feeling a little bad now that he knew the bloke was dead, especially since from the sounds of it all those things that the Slytherin Teddy had been dreading coming to pass in that first dream had come to pass. He'd probably married the girl, he knew from a previous dream that the fiancée was from France, and Teddy knew that the artist had never got his guy so to speak, and obviously hadn't pursued a career in art since he'd been good enough to be famous but wasn't. Jude had made him sound like a good guy, and in truth he probably was judging the other Teddy more harshly than he should just because of who the guy was mooning over. Making him moon over.

And really, he was only twenty four years old, for Merlin's sake. He wasn't so old that he couldn't remember, if he forced himself to, that most seventeen year old boys were ruled by their hormones and selfish wishes and desires. So yeah, he shouldn't begrudge the Slytherin for wanting to roll around naked with Regulus, the bloke had been gorgeous after all. And while he hadn't been a mess when he was seventeen, his nineteenth year had featured two very angsty, lovelorn and full of pity party months before he'd gotten drunk enough to make out with a former male classmate, which had not only put him on his first real step to recovery after Victoire dumped him, but it had also been his first real clue that he would very much enjoy rolling around naked with men as well as women. So yeah, he owed that former classmate big time on a number of levels.

Plus in the end the guy Victoire had dumped him for had cheated on her, and when she'd come sauntering back in his direction he'd been quite thrilled to be able to say he was dating someone else and she'd have to find someone else.

Grinning at the memory, though they'd long ago buried the hatchet so to speak, Teddy shook his head over his former teenage self and vowed that unless there turned out to be something more sinister and twisted about the portrait aside from making him temporarily lust after a male relative, he'd stop cursing the painter out for making it in the first place.

)

Arriving at the Weasley house after supper, he'd sent a message ahead so that they knew he was coming, Teddy was greeted at the door by Hugo, who naturally gave him a big hug because that was just how the fifteen year old was. Hugo was a hugger, and the most adorable one in England as far as Teddy was concerned as he gave the teenager a big hug in return. Technically he shouldn't play favourites, but of all his honorary cousins Hugo was, in all honesty, his. Hell, even Regulus Black himself would have probably thought Hugo was the cutest, most adorable kid to ever live, even if the Slytherin would rather have died than admit it. The way he heard it, most of the Slytherins the boy went to Hogwarts with had been done in by Hugo's cuteness powers whether they'd admit it or not.

Ushered inside once their hugs were done for the time being Teddy soon had hugs from his aunt and cousin, followed by manly back slaps with his uncle before he handed over the pie he'd brought with him, which was his bribe for Ron.

"Don't worry, I explained to him that we're working on something and he has to entertain himself for a bit." And so saying Hermione linked her arm through his and started herding him off while her children followed after them, Ron good naturedly going off in the opposite direction with the pie as ordered.

Amused by her Teddy didn't comment until the four of them were in his aunt's office with the door shut, all three of them looking at him with their bright, knowledge hungry eyes. "So yeah, the reason I asked you guys to meet with me, it has to be a secret between us four until I say otherwise, okay?"

Both Rosie and Hugo immediately gave their word, while Hermione asked for clarification, namely that this didn't involve covering for him doing something incredibly stupid.

"I'm not being stupid. I came to you guys for help, haven't I?"

Acknowledging that that was true, and showed a common sense far too many men were missing in her opinion, Hermione agreed to keep quiet unless she thought she needed to do otherwise.

Satisfied with that Teddy told them everything he'd knew, describing the dreams to the best of his ability and then what he'd learned about Teddy Prince earlier. He also stressed that there had been no blackouts, mood swings, or any strange behaviour on his part to suggest that the portrait was affecting anything besides his dreams.

"Fascinating." Hugo.

"Wow." Rosie.

"Thank Goodness you had the sense to come to us for help." Aunt Hermione.

Immediately the three Weasleys began discussing the possibilities, the matriarch of the family naturally expecting the worst from an inanimate object that was affecting anyone near it while the other two were sure that if the painter had really been in love with Regulus there was no way he'd turn the painting into something as harmful, especially since he was supposed to have been a really nice bloke. And besides that the man had died, which wouldn't have technically happened if a part of his soul had been trapped in the painting like Riddle's diary.

"Maybe it's like the love Uncle Harry's mum felt for him." Hugo suggested during a lull in the conversation. "How her love and sacrifice for him became a shield against Voldemort. Maybe he loved Regulus so much that he transferred those feelings into the painting somehow, and you're experiencing echoes of it because…you're related to Regulus?"

"I can't imagine the principles are the same, Baby." Rosie shook her head at her brother, putting forth her own idea. "But we do know that portraits can be infused with memories because there are plenty of portraits in the Wizarding World that are alive in that way. This is definitely different, but there could be similarities. I don't know enough about the process of making the portraits we have in government buildings and at Hogwarts sentient to really know what I'm talking about, but it would be a good place to start."

"We need to gather more information and you need to keep us updated about what's happening with you. And if anything changes to suggest that the portrait is harming you in any way you let us know." She didn't like the idea of the portrait remaining with Teddy, Harry and all of them would be devastated if anything happened to him, but Hermione was smart enough to know that male ego would have the boy digging in his heels if it was even suggested without cause. Until there was something that definitely pointed to the portrait being sinister Teddy would hang onto it for the curiosity value alone.

And if she pointed out that curiosity killed the cat he'd just point out that he was a badger, not a Gryffindor lion like her. Growing up around Weasleys had given him a twisted sense of humor at times.

)

Even while he was dreaming about the past Teddy knew on some level that he was dreaming now. There was some irony, Teddy thought in that corner of his brain, that he found himself once again holding a prefect meeting against his will. God how he'd hated those meeting when he'd been Head Boy, and to find himself having to conduct them again, with all the headaches that went with it, was just a cruel joke from his point of view. Right up there with the fact that he couldn't help but glance every once in a while in Regulus's direction, the Slytherin lounging in a chair towards the back of the room with an air that suggested he was listening but felt no need to join the group as a whole.

Personality aside Regulus was the best kind of prefect in that he wasn't bitching and complaining about his duties so long as they didn't interfere with his Quidditch practices. That was all the teenager cared about, he thought with a smirk.

And as always thoughts of Regulus took over everything else in the dream, so that Teddy was once again a different Teddy in another place and time.

)

By all the stars in the heavens he had a headache. He'd always thought that the former Head Boy and Girl had been exaggerating how hard the position was, but Teddy saw now that they'd actually been pretty quiet about how much the job could suck. Here he and Aurora were, in charge of twenty four prefects who for the most part cared more about their social lives and school work than they did the responsibilities that came with the title they'd been given, and if he had to lecture the younger ones about not abusing their position to lash out at a house they didn't like one more time, aka the Gryffindors and Slytherins, he was going to start tearing his hair out.

"Okay, that's it for tonight. Dismissed."

Not arguing with Aurora, he was ready to call it a night too, Teddy waved everyone off and prayed for the best as they all made out of there like a herd of golden snitches, his so called partner doing the same at lightning speed. She was pretty much leading them, actually.

"This is going to be a long year."

"You expected better of them?"

Jumping, both in reaction to finding out that he wasn't alone and the fact that that was Regulus's voice, Teddy spun around to see that the Slytherin had remained in his seat while the rest had abandoned ship. "Regulus. You-hi."

Gracefully sliding out of the chair and onto his feet, Regulus often reminded him of a cat, the younger Slytherin looked at him with lips curved ever so slightly in the barest hint of a smile, but was as close to a real smile as he ever got. Oh Regulus could fake smile with the best of them, but a real smile…that was something he'd been waiting for years to see with no luck.

"You can't please everyone. Just lay down the law and tell them when to show up and where. If they can't do it then it's on them to find a replacement."

"What about Quidditch?" Even as he said it Teddy barely managed to stop his jaw from dropping. Anyone else he would have said that to, but talking to Regulus like they were just two regular people wasn't usually his strong suit when they were alone together.

An elegant shrug of shoulders. "I'm the seeker, I can miss a practice or two if need be. It's not like they would or could replace me."

"Flint would be mental if he replaced you."

Tilting his head slightly in acknowledgement, Regulus lifted the piece of parchment he'd been given in the air, a list of his assigned duties and times. It was a subtle acknowledgement that he at least would show up when expected. And then Regulus was saying goodnight, using his last name as always.

"Good night."

As he watched Regulus headed for the door, though the other teenager had hardly taken more than four steps before he was stopping and then turning, heading directly towards him instead. Watching him get closer and closer, feeling his own heart rate pick up and his palms start to sweat, Teddy took a calming breath as he waited to see what Regulus was up to. Because there was always a reason when it came to this man's actions.

Coming to a stop right in front of him, hardly any space at all between them, Regulus's face revealed nothing, those night sky eyes as mysterious as the one outside.

"A suggestion. The next time you hold one of these meetings, you should look in the mirror before you leave your room. You might have gotten more respect if you hadn't had charcoal on your face."

Teddy could feel his cheeks flaring with color, though the redness faded almost right away due to shock when Regulus pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and used it to rub at a spot above his right cheekbone.

And then Regulus was turning back around and left for real this time, leaving him behind to stand there and stare after him.