"How are you alive?" Harry asked.

"Uh, you see, that's a long story." Regulus said.

"I've got time." Harry added.

"Okay," Regulus said and began explaining the whole story to Harry. Leaving out the part where Harry was in fact his son.

After spending most of the night talking with Harry, Regulus sent the almost seventeen year old boy off to bed and sat up later himself. He had been unable to tell Harry the truth. He couldn't bring himself to breaking the poor boy's idle fantasy about his parents. He'd rather just be his guide and mentor without shattering his dreams. That was enough for him. Or at least, that's what Regulus kept telling himself.

When his watch read eight am, Regulus curse and decided to not go into work that morning. He had more important things to do. Like dealing with this family issue. He wasn't going to back away from this like he wanted. He was going to face it head on, like Sirius wanted him to. If his sixteen year old son could face the unknown then so could he.

"Morning," he heard someone say as they walked into the room. "You haven't slept have you?"

Regulus looked up at the person in the kitchen. "No, I haven't." he said and sighed. "You are up early."

Remus laughed, "I haven't slept in since I quit my job at Hogwarts." he said and sat down across from Regulus. "You look like you have something on your mind."

"You could say that," he said and shrugged.

"Why don't you lighten the load a little." Remus said.

"It's not that easy." Regulus looked away.

"Nothing ever is easy, Regulus."

"Trust me, I know that better than anyone else." He stood up and walked over to the patio door. "I just don't know what to do. Sirius wants me to 'lighten the load' as you said."

"Then listen to him."

Regulus looked over at Remus with a typical Black scowl.

"You definitely take after your brother." He said and laughed as Hermione walked in.

"Good morning, Remus." She said and looked at Regulus. "Go—morning." she paused. "I think I'll just go back to the other room and read." she said and turned around, walking right into Sirius. "Sorry." she said, and scurried off.

"Scaring the girls still Regulus?" Sirius said with a playful grin.

"Shut up, Sirius." Regulus snapped.

"What's got your wand in a knot?"

"You know what!"

"You didn't tell him?" Sirius said and sighed. "Regulus, you have to."

"Don't you think I already know that?"

"Then what's keeping you from telling him?" Remus said.

"You don't even know what we're talking about."

"I don't need to." Remus added. "You're plainly distraught about having to reveal something to someone. If you just tell this 'him' than you won't be."

"I can't! You don't understand." Regulus sighed, when his leg was tackled by a house elf. "Kreacher, get off me!" he snapped.

"You sure you weren't meant to be a Hufflepuff back at school? You're being a sappy sod." Sirius laughed and sat down next to Remus with a cup of coffee. "I'm not helping you out of this one Regulus. This is your mess now."

"My mess? How the bloody hell is it MY mess?" Regulus growled.

"Oh, you so do not want me to get into the details of why you're here Regulus." Sirius said with a smirk.

"I hate you!"

"I love you too, brother." Sirius said and watched his brother leave the kitchen.

"I'm not going to ask." Remus said and just shook his head.

"You'll find out soon enough," Sirius added.

Regulus wasn't even a foot out of the kitchen when he heard yelling and shouting coming from the upstairs bedrooms. He was running up the stairs before he knew what was going on. And soon joined by Sirius and Remus as he entered Harry and Ron's room. He stood there shocked at the sight.

"Shit," he cursed.

"Oops." Sirius added.

"What the hell is going on?" Harry screamed at them.

"Sirius, I'm going to kill you," Regulus said.

"Uh...Sorry?" Sirius said innocently.

"Sorry does not change this, Sirius. Sorry does not fix this." Regulus yelled at his brother, ignoring Harry's questions. "This," he pointed to Harry, "was not the right way of telling him."

"Telling me what?" Harry asked.

"I forgot all right. It happens. There's been a lot going on lately." Sirius said.

"Would someone answer me!" Harry screamed at them.

"He looks like you two did at that age." Remus said.

He walked over to Harry examining him. "Same shaggy brown hair, more blue than grey eyes, same facial features..." Harry glared at him. "Same glare."

Regulus sighed. "I guess we have some explaining to do." Regulus said. "Everything I told you last night, Harry, it was true. Except one part. My son didn't die. I gave him up, and buried a child that wasn't mine."

Realization dawned on Remus's face at what Regulus was saying. It made perfect sense now. "Crap," Remus said. "The baby you buried, was..." he looked at Sirius. "You kept this from me?"

"Hello! I'm standing right here, and none of you are making any bloody sense!" Harry shouted again.

Regulus glared at Sirius. "I'll kill you later." he said quietly to his brother and then looked at Harry. "You're not a Potter, Harry. You're a Black."

"What?" Harry said looking at Regulus as though he had grown a second head.

Sirius laughed. "I remember when you gave me a look like that Regulus."

"Shut up Sirius." Regulus snapped. "Sirius tells me you found the locket I put in place of the real one?"

"Yea, so? What does that have to do with any of this?" Harry asked.

"Everything." Regulus said. "It's how I ran into your mother. Why I gave you up to Lily and James. Why I've been living in the muggle world for the last seventeen years." Regulus explained. "I asked Sirius to keep an eye on you, to make sure they believed you were theirs. And when you were old enough, to tell you the truth."

"I don't believe this." Harry said and sat down on the end of the bed. "If what you're saying is true...and it has to be since I look like you. Then why didn't you come get me after they died?"

"I didn't know where you were. Sirius wrote me, told me what had happened and that he was going after Peter. After that, I never heard from him again until yesterday." Regulus explained. "I would have come after you, Harry. Believe me, I would have."

Harry wasn't sure what to do about any of this. How could he believe any of this? Regulus Black was a Death Eater, a murderer, a man who was supposed to be dead. Yet, now he was also supposed to be his father? It just didn't make any sense.

"I think, I need some time alone." Harry said, looking at the three adults in the room. "To sort this out."

Regulus nodded, "I'll be downstairs, when you feel like talking." he said and turned and left the room, dragging Sirius out with him.