Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and all the situations said characters find themselves in. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy.

Some Inescapable Truths

The process of getting Regulus through his front door, up the stairs, and to his study took some doing. First there was the sneaking past Walburga's portrait, which Regulus raised his eyebrows over, and then…then it was because Regulus couldn't stop looking around, pausing every few seconds like he was trying to orient himself in a place he thought he should know. And as Teddy watched Regulus run his hand over the bannister or touch one of the frames on the wall leading up the stairs it was hard to pull him away. But finally they reached the second floor, and that started the second round of staring before they eventually made it to the correct door.

Opening it Teddy motioned for Regulus to go in ahead of him, even though he wanted to see the other man's face the first time he saw it.

And he heard the gasp as soon as the other man saw the portrait, saw the way Regulus's whole body froze up for several seconds before the other man slowly made his way over to the only portrait in the room that mattered.

Hands in his pockets, he didn't want Regulus to see how they were shaking, Teddy walked over to stand nearby as Regulus's eyes moved over every inch of the painting, back and forth to make sure that nothing was missed. Briefly Regulus reached up to touch, but he dropped his hand away after a moment.

Then he just stood and stared.

"My grandfather painted this?"

"I believe so, yes. I bought it from an antique dealer who recognized the model as a member of my family. He didn't recognize the artist, nor did any of his contacts, but your great aunt did when I showed it to her."

"And that's the ancestor you mentioned before? The one that was at school with my grandfather?"

"He is. Regulus Black. His full name is on the back, as well as the date it was painted. It was done about a year before his death. By someone with the initials TP, which is how I eventually identified the painter as your grandfather. That and there's more to that painting than meets the eye."

"Because it suggests our ancestors were lovers?" Regulus continued to stare at the portrait. "This was painted with love. Deep, undying love. And the way your ancestor looks…it was reciprocated. That's why this wasn't destroyed like so many of his previous works. He couldn't destroy this. Both for what it represented to him and the fact that it had to be his greatest work. How could it not be? I've…I've had professional training, was allowed to hone my gifts since childhood, and none of my portraits comes close to this. To the emotion this inspires and shows so clearly. The…there are no words."

Needing to touch, to offer comfort, Teddy allowed himself to reach over to place a hand on Regulus's shoulder. "I haven't seen your work, but I'm sure it's amazing too. And no offence, but I did see some of his other work at his sister's place, and this really is his best by far."

The look Regulus gave him suggested that it wasn't really much of a comfort. And then he turned his head back to study the portrait again.

"That they were lovers wasn't what I meant, by the way. Not exactly." He'd planned and rehearsed for this, but still, this was the moment of truth. "The painting…is more than a painting. I don't know if your grandfather did something to it, or just somehow his magic did it without his conscious effort, but it's…it's been messing with my dreams. Since the first night I brought it home. And it's either passing on memories to me, your grandfather's memories, or it's making me remember things. Things from another time and life."

Now Regulus did turn, Teddy doing the same so that they were facing each other.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that since I bought the painting I've dreamed of them. Of your grandfather and Regulus Black and their time together at Hogwarts. And I've dreamed it through your grandfather's eyes. And I know that sounds utterly mad, I do, but I swear to you on the lives of my family that it's the truth."

Dark, penetrating eyes searched his face and expression for clues for a couple minutes.

"I believe that you believe what you're saying."

Well that was a relief. Though it didn't mean he was out of deep water yet.

"I'm going to…act weird around you sometimes. Because of those memories. Because I've felt what your grandfather felt for his Regulus. And part of the reason I asked you out tonight was because of those memories. I won't claim that my head is on straight when it comes to you, but I hope that you'll give me a chance to get to know you. You, you. Not the other version of you in my head."

"You think you can do that? Separate us? Because what I see there…if you have his feelings than you're in love with a man who looks eerily like me."

"I'm not crying or hugging you, or getting down on one knee for that matter so yeah, I'm hoping it's possible."

"On one knee?"

"I'm traditional. And this time around marriage wouldn't be illegal. Or impossible."

Regulus opened and closed his mouth three times before finally giving up whatever he'd been thinking to say. Which was probably for the best.

Or maybe not. "So…will you give me a chance? Or maybe you need to think about it?"

"I'm willing to think about it. And I'm going to arrange to spend a night here to see if any of these memories surface for me as well." Regulus crossed his arms defensively in front of him. "I know this house. I feel like I know you. And the coincidence of the looks…those are very good reasons to at least give you the benefit of the doubt. Though the idea of us being…star-crossed lovers who've been reborn to be together again…you realize how farfetched that is? And fraught with peril even if it was true. You are not my grandfather. And I am not Regulus Black."

"Which is a good thing, really. I'm not being forced to marry someone for money, and you aren't likely to join an evil organization that will get you killed."

"A good point, yes."

It was well hidden, but Teddy knew this man on an instinctual level. He sensed Regulus's reluctant amusement.

"If I stay here for the night Wren is probably going to insist on staying too. Especially when I tell him all about this. And I have to tell him about this. Will that be a problem for you?"

"That's fine."

Though he wasn't looking forward to it. Especially since he had a feeling Wren's overprotective relative tendencies would quadruple once this got out. And not even being James's godbrother could save him. If that even helped him depend on how that was all going at the moment.

"I don't suppose you'd let me take that painting back with me?"

"No."

Line in the sand, Teddy realized, especially since he didn't yet know the man studying him so closely. He was getting to know him, just like he was still getting to know his ancestor, come to that. And in Regulus Black's case the memories were sure to get worse before they got better.

And then this Regulus smiled at him, really smiled at him, and Teddy could feel brain cells exploding in happy shock.

"Good answer."

"Ah…thank you?"

Another smile and then Regulus was moving into his personal space, which snapped Teddy back into reality and total attention as he stared into Regulus's eyes.

"I need time to absorb all this. And to get back before Wren's head explodes from stress. Just one thing I need to establish before I go."

When Regulus leaned in and angled his head, pausing a beat to give him time to back away if he wanted, Teddy smiled and leaned in to close the gap, wanting this just as much.

First kisses were usually a little awkward at the best of times, the nerves of a first kiss that meant something only making it worse. But there was something incredibly easy about this despite the nerves, a naturalness to it that took Teddy's breath away as he placed hands on Regulus's shoulders, having instinctive reached up to stroke fingers through Regulus's hair.

Relaxing into the kiss, and letting Regulus take control of it as their lips moved over each other's, Teddy smiled and knew, at least in that moment, that this, kissing and holding onto this man, was the most right thing he'd ever done.

)

In The Dream

Teddy knew he had to stop grinning like an idiot. People kept asking him why he was in such a good mood, and Regulus had threatened to jinx him multiple times already for being so obvious. But he just couldn't seem to help himself for long. Every time he thought about the fact that he was going out with Regulus Black, that he was free to touch and kiss and think of Regulus without feeling bad about it, he had to smile like the cat that got the cream. And while there was a foolproof way to wipe his smile off his face…Teddy was refusing to think about what would happen when the school year ended and was determined to live in the moment for as long as he could.

Better to think about the fact that he was gearing up to ask Regulus to actually pose for him.

He'd been drawing the other man for six years, ever since he'd arrived at Hogwarts, but Teddy had never had Regulus's permission or the chance to take his time with it. Everything that wasn't a quick sketch was done from memory, and that was nowhere near the perfection he could achieve with the man himself sitting or standing right in front of him in optimal light and….Regulus?

Backing up Teddy blinked several times in confusion, trying to process what he was looking at. Because what it looked like, well it looked like Regulus was hiding behind a pillar.

Regulus was not the hiding type.

Brows furrowed in confusion, Teddy backed up further so that he was standing on the other side of the short hallway between them so that he could get a better look at whoever it was Regulus was hiding from. Ceres Nottingham? His crazy ass cousin Bellatrix?

Oh.

Teddy had to move over a little more, but he knew who he'd be seeing given the other people in the group Regulus was watching. Sirius Black. Regulus's older brother.

He'd been a Prefect when James Potter had been Head Boy, so Teddy knew Regulus's brother a little thanks to Sirius's habit of interrupting meetings or hanging around with the rest of their group as they waited for meetings to finish. Artistically he could see why the older Black had so many admirers, the man did have a stunningly handsome face, but personally Teddy had never been a big fan of the older boy.

Above and beyond the way Sirius treated Regulus, which as an older brother himself Teddy had never been able to understand, he just didn't like the Gryffindor because he was so completely oblivious to the world around him. Sirius had the Black arrogance in spades, seemingly unaware of how his actions and words could hurt people and have lasting consequences. Never seemed to realize that his pranks might be funny to him and his friends, but not to the people they were being played on. That lashing out at people like Severus Snape and his own brother just pushed them further away and into the darkness. That it was people like him that were making the coming war happen as much as Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

Not that Lord Voldemort was someone who could be saved at this point, but there were others who could be. Who were being pushed and pressured by others into crossing lines and thinking that the only way they could be happy and get what they wanted in life was to take it from those they felt were their enemies, rather real or imagined.

Hatred breeding more hatred, without either side trying to understand the other.

And he was thinking like a naïve idiot.

Sighing at himself and what was to come, which had the small silver lining of guaranteeing he wouldn't be grinning like an idiot for a while, Teddy turned his attention back to Regulus, wishing that his boyfriend's hair wasn't loose and therefore curtaining his face from view. Preventing him from getting a read on Regulus's mood and what would happen if he dared approach him.

He was still debating with himself when Regulus abruptly turned around and walked away and out of view with strides that made it clear he was not happy.

Opening his mouth to call out, Teddy bit down on his bottom lip to stop himself, knowing the stupidity of such an action. Even if Regulus hadn't been out of sight and possibly hearing distance unless he shouted, there was no question that Regulus would not want attention drawn to the fact that he'd been watching his older brother. And insuring that Sirius knew his brother was in his vicinity…yeah, that would get him in serious trouble with Regulus.

So Teddy stood quiet and helpless for a few minutes before turning around and walking back the way he'd come. There was nothing he could do.

)

Teddy had woken up from his past influenced dream with tears in his eyes and a sense of dread that he couldn't quite shake even after he settled back into dreamless slumber again. In the dream he'd gotten a short glimpse of his father among the other Marauders, the boy who would become his father looking so painfully young and yet terribly old at the same time. He had pictures of his father of course, his godfather and grandmother had made sure of that, but that hadn't been the same as this. This had been more real than any dream he'd ever had involving one of his parents.

He didn't dream of his father again, though, and woke up again at just after seven in the morning. Not because his alarm had gone off, he actually had about ten more minutes before that, but because his house's magic alerted him that someone had called for it to show itself. And as master of the house it was now up to him to wake up and access the possible threat.

The security on the house was extreme, not to mention the fact that just making it show itself took some skill and knowledge, but Teddy still threw aside the covers and grabbed his wand from its place on his bedside table. Not bothering to throw on a robe over his pajama bottoms and T-shirt, Teddy headed out of his bedroom and down the hallway to the top of the stairs leading down to the main floor. And there he waited until the front door opened and in walked a familiar figure with a basket.

"Grandmother."

Looking up Andromeda nodded in acknowledgement and then walked over to the stairwell. "I've brought breakfast. I'll heat it up and get it all ready while you shower and dress for the day."

Nodding automatically, it wasn't like he was going to tell her no, Teddy headed back down the hallway to do as she said, wasting no time showering or getting dressed before hurrying down to find out why she'd dropped by. They couldn't really visit before he was due to head in for work soon after all. Though given the message he'd sent her yesterday telling her that Wren had a cousin who looked just like her late cousin…well it wasn't hard to guess that his promise to keep her updated had led her to ambushing him to make sure he hadn't left anything out in his letter.

Though yay for a home cooked breakfast.

Falling into their old routine Teddy got out the plates, glasses, and cutlery once he arrived in the kitchen, helping his grandmother dish everything up once he'd finished setting the table for them.

And true to her take no prisoners nature, Andromeda Tonks started her questioning as soon as they'd sat down. "So this young man you went out with last night not only looks like, but bears the same name as Regulus. And you thought that was wise?"

"…yes?"

"What have I told you about letting something other than your brain do your thinking for you?"

Choking on the piece of egg he'd just stupidly forked into his mouth, Teddy immediately reached for his glass for a healthy gulp of water before answering. Or to be more accurate he coughed at her while blushing like mad.

"Oh, please, Teddy. Who knows you better than I?"

True. Mostly because his grandmother was aces when it came to seeing through people. Or making them confess their every sin in the desperate hope of saving themselves from her wrath. His godfather had often said that she'd have made one hell of an Auror.

"We just had dinner. And I showed him the portrait his grandfather painted. That's it."

"That's it." Andromeda repeated, observing him coolly over the rim of her water glass before taking a sip. "You would say that even though it seems that you buying that portrait has set off a chain reaction of events that are highly suspicious, as there is no such thing as coincidences."

Teddy couldn't help it when he mumbled like a boy that he was being careful.

"You need to be braced for the possibility that this is all some sort of scam, Teddy. And before you point out that no one has any reason to pull this sort of elaborate con on you, and that there'd be little to no way for them to financially benefit from scamming you, remember that I am well aware of our financial states. And just because a more nefarious reason someone might do this hasn't come to light doesn't mean that there isn't something we're missing." A pause for emphasis. "Do you think I haven't seen the changes in you since you got that painting, Teddy? It has…no good comes from letting your actions and emotions be dictated by something other than your own heart and head, Teddy. I just want you to remember that."

"Yes, Ma'am."