Title: Responsibilities

Disclaimer: HP belongs to JK Rowling.

Author's Notes: Sirius decided that if he couldn't take care of his responsibilities himself, he'd call in a favor to have someone do it for him until he could.

-o-o-o-

Sirius Black frowned slightly as he looked across the elegantly dark club and took a moment to glance back at where Remus Lupin was nervously letting his eyes flit about.

"Sirius, are you sure we should be here?" Remus glanced at the frowns sent their way by the relatively young, and darkly dressed men and women strewn across the club. "Maybe come back when business isn't so heavy?"

"You mean, when we don't stick out so much." Sirius grunted softly and shook his head with a bitter laugh. "No, this is the best time to get this taken care of."

"Don't you two dirty old men have somewhere else to be?" One of the waitresses wrinkled her nose in disgust as she glared at the men.

"Yup." Sirius agreed as he smiled at her wanly before purposely stepping past her.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" The woman grabbed at Sirius' arm, only to blink as the man determinedly walked over to a door guarded by a slender, pale skinned man who arched a brow at the display.

"Evenin'," Sirius said with a nod of his head to the man. "Tell whatever the hell he's calling himself this week that the Black Grim and associate is here to see him."

The man's lips twitched just slightly before he nodded his head and pulled a radio up to his mouth. "Sir, there's a gentlemen here to see you. Says to tell you that the Black Grim and associate are here to see you."

"Oh, send them up already, before they make people run away in disgust." A voice could be heard crackling back, irritation audible. "And tell that idiot he better have a damned good reason for not looking presentable in my establishment!"

As the waitress reluctantly released him at the words and started to walk away, still glaring at him, Sirius made a slight imploring gesture towards the radio, with a hopeful look on his face. The guard's lips actually turned up into a smirk and he handed the device over to Sirius. Sirius hovered his thumb over the talk button and glanced questioningly back at the guard. At the man's nod, Sirius grinned and pressed the button.

"Oh, but, I'm sure I could think of a number of them, but most of them would end up with you wanting to parade me about like some kind of gaudy strumpet, acting like I was a star you plucked from the heavens themselves when the gods weren't looking," Sirius said over the radio before releasing the button and grinning as he offered it back to the man.

"... Just send the cheeky bastard up already." The voice grumbled back over the radio, prompting the guard to bow dramatically to the pair as he opened the door and gestured inside.

"Why, thank you, good sir!" Sirius strode forth into the hallway, towards the stairs at the end of it with his head held high, while Remus nervously followed after.

"Sirius, I truly hope you know what you're doing," Remus muttered softly as the door shut behind them. "I don't even want to think about what kind of man keeps a vampire for a guard."

"Picked up on that, did you?" Sirius chuckled a bit and nodded his head. "Right, well, it's really simple. A stuck up ponce of a vampire who's still more powerful than the guy down stairs."

"Excuse me for having fashion sense and an ability to act with charm and wit." A new voice cut in from the top of the stairs in front of them. "Instead of merely getting by boyish, schoolboy wordplay."

Standing with a frown on his lips, was a rather handsome man with black hair and slate grey eyes, wearing an impeccable suit.

"Ah, heya, Reggie." Sirius nodded a moment as he looked up at the man who seemed barely out of his teens. "You're looking good. But, I imagine you already knew that. How's death treating you?"

"What I'm more curious about, is how the hell you even knew I was still alive," Regulus Black said as he glared down at Sirius with slitted eyes.

"Ah, but we both know you aren't." Sirius shrugged his shoulders quietly. "I played a hunch, and well...here we are."

"Yes, well it was that or a permanent death, and I wasn't particularly in the mood to meet her just yet. At least not at the hands of that abomination." Regulus shook his head and sighed softly as he turned around and walked back into his office. "Well, get up your good for nothing arse and that mongrel friend of yours up here already."

"... Sirius, are you telling me that's...? But... but he's supposed to be dead!" Remus paused a moment, before his eyes flattened into slits. "Wait, who the hell does he think he's calling a mongrel?"

"The werewolf!" Came down from the office before Sirius could respond.

"Vampire senses and what not. And so was Peter, Remus." Sirius shook his head and pulled Remus after him.

They entered a tastefully decorated office with comfortable looking black leather chairs and a couch, with Regulus sitting behind a black desk, a pair of tumblers set out in front of matching chairs, a bottle of whiskey open and waiting. "I honestly don't know what your pet drinks, so I just poured him some of the whiskey I remember you adoring so much."

"Thanks." Sirius took a seat as he stared at Regulus, his hand resting above the glass, his fingers holding onto it like a spider.

As Remus took the other seat, Regulus watched the look on Sirius' face and shifted just slightly, his brow arching in irritation. "What?"

"Just… Odd," Sirius stated before he lifted up the whiskey and took a momentary sip. "15 years later… And here we are."

Regulus inclined his head just slightly. "What do you want, Sirius?"

"A favor," Sirius said simply as he took another slow sip from his whiskey.

"That's disturbingly vague," Regulus noted as he quietly watched Sirius with calculating eyes. "Of course, I never recall you ever asking me for a favor before, beyond that one."

"You turned me down that time too." Sirius agreed as he lightly cradled the drink in his hand and stared back at Regulus. "In fact, I think the start of that conversation was the last time we had a civil conversation until now."

"It was." Regulus nodded and turned around in his chair as he looked out over the club. "For what it's worth, I should have done it."

"We all made our mistakes back them," Sirius stated quietly as he couldn't look at either Regulus, nor Remus. "Trusted people we shouldn't have, didn't trust people we should have."

"And look at where it got us." Regulus turned around and stared at Sirius. "You were thrown into prison for something you didn't do, and being something you never were. And I damned myself to this, forsaking everything that mattered to me, everything I cared about."

"You seem to be doing well for yourself," Sirius noted as he took another sip of his whiskey, before a slow smirk curled over his lips. "Lovely birds you've got working for you."

"The more spirited ones are less likely to let someone take advantage of them, nor me." Regulus paused a moment, before sighing slightly. "Go ahead and say it, Sirius."

"Say what?" Sirius blinked slightly, confusion written across his face.

"'I told you so' or whatever variation of the theme you want to go by." Regulus shook his head and looked back out across the club. "Ironic, don't you think? The very champion of the ideas of pureblood superiority is living, breathing proof of its fallacy."

"I wasn't planning on saying anything like that, honestly." He paused a moment, staring back at Regulus carefully. "You found something out about Vollie, didn't you."

"More than most would ever dare to imagine." Regulus turned his head back to Sirius. "But I'm going to hope that isn't why you're here."

"It's not," Sirius agreed as he stared down into his tumbler. "I need you to do something I can't, because of that damned Ministry."

"What sort of something?" He arched a brow lightly. "I am a legitimate business man, Sirius. If you're looking for something… unsavory, I'd advise you to look elsewhere."

"I'm already going to be smuggled out of the country by someone who is much better qualified to do so." Sirius shook his head slowly before taking a slow deep breath. "What I want, is something less and more."

"Sirius, what exactly are you talking about?" Remus spoke up again as he narrowed his eyes at him.

"I'm going to be only remotely available for who knows how long, Remus." Sirius tilted his head slightly to the side as he glanced at his friend. "And, no offense, but you know nothing about living or how to be a man."

"… What the HELL is that supposed to mean?" Remus let out a low growl as he suddenly hunched forward, eyes flashing dangerously.

Only, Sirius simply arched a brow back at Remus, clearly unimpressed with the display. "Why was it that Harry only met you again this year?"

Remus flinched back at that, immediately looking away as Sirius kept his eyes locked onto Remus. "When was the last time you were able to be with a woman without saying that you had to leave for her own good? For her protection? When have you been able to stop hating yourself for what you are and live?"

Remus flinched again, then again, as Sirius shook his head sadly. "You're my friend, Remus, really you are. But you know nothing about being a man."

"And you do?" Regulus asked blandly as he arched a brow at Sirius, who in turn met his stare with one of his own. Finally, after several long moments, Regulus nodded his head slightly. "A point. But, you think I do?"

"Look at yourself and then look at Remus," Sirius stated flatly and arched a brow. "How many times a week do you take a bird or two to bed?"

"It might even be three if I'm feeling particularly adventurous," Regulus noted blandly before his eyes narrowed again. "But, again, I want to know what this has to do with the favor you want, Sirius."

"I want you to do a bit of what I should've been doing the last 12 years. Teach my godson about being a man and how to make a bird's knicker's drop." Sirius tilted his head to the side, before a smirk curled over his lips and a twinkle danced over his eyes.

"What?" Remus' exclamation was louder and more pronounced than Regulus' own, but the pair spoke the word practically in unison.

"He's knows nothing about how to act, nothing about what to say, and almost nothing about who he is," Sirius said simply and shook his head sadly. "He's capable of absolutely amazing things, but he needs to have the confidence to pull them off."

"And thus… you're asking me to teach him how to get… what, teach him how to get shagged rotten?" Regulus arched a brow slightly as he kept his expression absolutely neutral.

"And how to figure out who he is. How to be confidant in who he is. He can do absolutely amazing things, but that's only when he stops thinking about it." Sirius shook his head, his eyes growing distant. "I don't want him to end up wasting his life because he doesn't know any better."

"No, you're not asking for much, not at all," Regulus drawled out as he tilted his head to the side. "So, that's it, help him figure out who he is and how to properly use his confidence? No magic, no secret dark secrets, no phenomenal fighting skills?"

Sirius looked back at Regulus and smirked just slightly. "I figured just those two things would be impossible enough for you."

"I don't want to get involved in another war, Sirius," Regulus said softly as he glanced away. "Regulus Black is dead. He died a very painful death thanks to Voldemort."

"I'm not asking you to. I'm asking you to help my godson learn how to be a man. Not how to fight, not how to cast magic…" He paused a moment, before a light smirk curled over his lips. "Though, you might finally be able to beat me now, 12 years in Azkaban is sure to have dulled my edge."

"Why me?" Regulus looked back at Sirius, studying him quietly. "You know I left you to rot in Azkaban."

"What could you have done? You were a dark creature by then, a Death Eater, and any number of other things. Lucius would have just thrown money out to discredit you and see you destroyed along with me. Everyone else left me to rot in Azkaban." Sirius shrugged a bit and didn't even bother to look at the flinch Remus made. "Well, everyone except Harry, but that was to be expected. Remus, Romeda, Dumbledore, Moody, and so many others should have known better."

"Then why me? You just said it yourself. I'm a dark creature. I'm a former Death Eater. What you're asking me to do risks exposing me and destroying the entire new life I built for myself." Regulus leaned forward and met Sirius' eyes with a steely gaze as his eyes suddenly seemed to darken. "So, why would I do this for you?"

"Because I'm asking," Sirius said softly as he looked back at Regulus. "Because he's suffered as much, if not more than us because of Voldemort. Because he deserves more than this. Because…"

"Please, spare me the melodramatics, Sirius." Regulus grimaced lightly and shook his head. "Save them for the huddled masses and impressionable fools."

"Doesn't make it any less true." Sirius pointed out with a light smirk.

"You enjoy being a showman entirely too much." Regulus grunted sourly. "You could have simply said the truth."

"The truth?" Remus couldn't help but ask as he blinked incredulously at Regulus.

"Teach the kid to get shagged and be happy as a go bugger yourself to Riddle," Regulus said simply as he arched a brow at Sirius. "That is basically what you wanted, yes?"

"Pretty much." Sirius nodded his head and grinned back at Regulus. "Interested?"

"There is the matter of my fee," Regulus noted as he arched a brow back at Sirius.

"That being?" Sirius asked, his eyes growing guarded and wary.

"There is an… item at Grimmauld. An item I left in the care of Kreacher to see destroyed." There was a pause as Regulus tilted his head to the side. "An item that belongs to Riddle. The item he killed me for discovering."

"What about it?"

"I want you to make certain it is destroyed. Take it to the old fool for all I care, but I want that thing and the wretched piece of that tainted soul it contains destroyed." Regulus spat out with a growl before he glared at Sirius and Remus. "And I want an oath, out of both of you and the boy that my existence will not be revealed, to anyone."

"Without permission," Sirius qualified as he arched a brow back at Regulus challengingly.

"Good luck getting it," Regulus stated flatly in turn.

"Sirius, I'm not sure I really feel comfortable with this," Remus said as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Yes, well, tough," Sirius stated flatly and glared at Remus, causing the werewolf to flinch lightly. "You threw away your chance to have a say in Harry's life a decade ago."

"That's not fair, Sirius…" Remus began to protest.

"What's not fair is what you did to Harry." Sirius growled out softly. "What's not fair is you leaving me to rot in Azkaban without even trying to talk to me, or investigating into things. What's not fair, is Wormtail getting away, Harry and me having to face a swarm of dementors and me being unable to clear my name so I can properly take care of Harry, all because you bloody well forgot to take your Merlin damned potion!"

Remus seemed to finch back at the words, shrinking into his seat as a light whimper almost seemed to fill the air beneath Sirius' glare.

"So, we are agreed I suppose?" Regulus tilted his head to the side again and studied Sirius, ignoring Remus entirely.

"Do I need to set up an access to funds?" Sirius asked warily as he looked back at Regulus.

"No, not particularly." Regulus waved his hand negligently. "Consider it my contribution to sticking it to him." There was a pause before he pursed his lips. "Though, if you could bring me father's Time Turner, it would help."

"You think it will take that long?" Sirius winced lightly and nodded his head just a bit.

Regulus gave him a flat look in turn. "Did you or did you not inform me that he has had quite a bit of trouble with his confidence?" He shook his head and raised his hand. "Trust me on this, I've had to take in an urchin or two before… It takes months and months to get things sorted. Don't worry though, I plan to keep him on Aging potions for most of it so he'll age mentally faster."

"Aging potions?" Remus' eyes widened before he turned his head towards Sirius. "Sirius, you can't possibly be willing to let Harry… those won't let him age at all while he's on them! Not to mention the long term effects…!"

"Long term affects that are documented as only happening after decades of dependence on them." Regulus said with a drawl. "Really, Sirius, must you have such an uneducated pet? At least Potter knew what he was talking about what he gave in to outrage."

"All the world's a stage," Sirius said vaguely as he waved his hand and glanced back at Remus. "It's the best solution for what he's planning." He paused before glancing back at Regulus. "I'm going to assume you want to use it to help him build up his confidence?"

"Yes, well it would be rather hard for an under-confident 13 or 14 year old to go around seducing women. Once I've made proper progress, then we can work on things without the potion." Regulus agreed again, before glancing back at Remus and frowning lightly. "Can't we simply oblivate him? He's practically radiating squeamishness."

"I'm debating it," Sirius agreed with a slight nod of his head.

"Sirius…" Remus' eyes widened as he looked back at the man.

"Why did you even bring him?" Regulus' lips twisted sourly as he met Sirius' eyes. "Surely you had to have known he would balk at some of this."

"He's the last surviving member of my old friends. He's no James, but at the same time, he's no Pettigrew," Sirius noted with a grimace as he gave Remus a look. "Apparently 10 or so years is enough to make him forget that being a Marauder entails more rule breaking than rule following."

"Sirius, we're not kids anymore! The time to grow up…" Remus' protest was cut off by a glare from Sirius.

"Remus… I will warn you once, for your safety to never try to patronize me like that again," Sirius stated coldly as he glared back at his friend. "I brought you here because I honestly thought you wanted to help Harry…"

"I do and you know it!" Remus hissed as he glared back at Sirius. "But this…! Exposing him to a former Death Eater? Feeding him potions and playing with Time Turners?"

"And which of those things hasn't already been done to him before?" Sirius asked rhetorically as he glanced back at Remus. "In the last year, no less"

Remus blanched lightly at the words while Regulus canted his head to the side once more. "I take it you were referring to the individual you once so charmingly referred to as Snivellus? Quite the obsessive one that. I think half the reason he joined up was to take that woman away from James Potter. Preferably over his cold, dead corpse."

Sirius's knuckles visibly whitened as he gripped on the arms of his chairs, teeth clenched as he gave Regulus a stiff nod. "Yes, that would be the former Death Eater I was referring to."

"Just wanted to be sure, one can never tell these days," Regulus said with a cold smirk on his lips.

"I'm sure." Sirius lightly growled back before glaring at Remus for a moment. "Make up your mind, Remus."

"Sirius, you know I can't in good conscience…" Remus' words died in mid sentence as a flash of red light left the wand Sirius had discreetly pulled out.

"Fine, oblivation it is," Sirius stated simply and shook his head as he glanced towards a chuckling Regulus.

"Ah, now there's the Sirius Black I remember." Regulus slowly stood up and glanced at Remus. "I always wondered why it was just you and Potter on those little operations of yours. You two caused the Death Eaters quite a bit of grief, you know."

"People often forget, magic doesn't have to be Dark to be dangerous," Sirius stated simply and shook his head. "Remus never had the stomach for it. The rat didn't have the backbone. Should've paid more attention to it."

"Yes, you should have." Regulus nodded in agreement as he turned his head and stared out through the window onto his club. "You always had good instincts, Sirius. Don't let your emotions cloud them over again."

"Here," Sirius stated simply as he pulled two envelopes from his robe and pressed them onto the desk. "One's for Harry, to explain things, the other…" He shifted uncomfortably for a moment. "Just some thoughts for you on things."

"And the oath?" Regulus turn around, though Sirius could imagined he was watching his reflection off the glass.

"I, Sirius Black, swear on my life and magic that I will not purposely reveal the existence of the vampire once known as Regulus Black. So mote it be." Sirius stated softly before pointing his wand down at Remus. "Oblivate."

"Then, for now, our business is concluded." Regulus nodded his head back to Sirius, before pausing a moment and taking a business card off his desk and almost, almost hesitantly sliding it towards Sirius. "If… you ever desire to talk."

Gently, Sirius took the card and nodded his head quietly. "Thanks, Reg." He hefted Remus up lightly and gave his little brother one last look. "Take care of him… and yourself. I've lost too many people as it is."

"Take care of yourself, Sirius. Take care of yourself," Regulus repeated quietly, his eyes watching the slowly swelling pool of people filtering into his club.

Sirius nodded his head and quietly carried Remus back out.

-o-o-o-

Remus groaned softly as he awoke to the smell of stale alcohol and body odor and blinked blearily around, his head throbbing painfully.

Vague half memories rippled through his mind as he recalled the night before. Sirius had gotten a lead, the chance for the impossible that his brother might still be, in some form, alive. Only, it had turned out to be exactly what it sounded like. After the wild goose chase had ended, Sirius had almost bodily dragged the werewolf back to his home and forced him to imbibe a bottle of whiskey with him.

Or, potentially more than one.

A short distance away, Sirius was snoring rather blissfully apparently, his hand still wrapped about the neck of a bottle of whiskey.

A silent water conjuring charm changed that a moment later, causing Sirius to start awake with a yelp.

"What was that for?" Sirius turned his glare onto Moony, his eyes conveying no small depth of annoyance. "I was having a damned good dream!"

"You got me drunk. Again," Remus stated flatly and shook his head. "Dammit, I told you I didn't want to get drunk!"

"Your mouth said yes, but everything else, kept saying 'Get me Pissed!'" Sirius stated with a sage nod of his head. "Something about being entirely too uptight."

"You're the one that found out that you're brother might still be somewhat alive, only to have it fall through." Remus pointed out with a frown

Sirius winced and frowned as he rubbed his apparently throbbing head. "Eh... I got used to Reggie being dead years ago, Remus. I just didn't want give up on it that easily." There was a pause, before he perked up immediately. "Ah well, time for the patented Padfoot panacea!"

"... No, Padfoot, you do not get to have even more alcohol," Remus glared lightly at the man.

"Thankfully, you have absolutely no say what so ever in the matter," Sirius said cheerfully as he cast a refilling charm on his bottle and took another happy swig.

Groaning softly, Remus shook his head and couldn't help but wonder how he was going to explain this to Dumbledore as he watched Sirius quickly tackle the hair of the dog that bit him.

Standing up, he shook his head. Based on his previous experiences, Sirius was likely to be hanging around the house drinking for several days. He'd have to let Dumbledore know the plan to smuggle him out of the country would have to be postponed.

"I'm going out for a bit, I trust you'll be staying here, keeping yourself… occupied?" Remus' face twisted in displeasure as he rubbed his temples lightly.

"Oh, I'm sure I can find some company!" Sirius lifted up his bottle meaningfully and grinned back at Remus.

"That's what I was afraid of," Remus said with a grunt before walking over to the floo and vanishing a few moments later.

As soon as Remus was out of sight, Sirius stood up and cast a number of cleaning and freshening charms on himself and glanced at the time. Half an hour until sunset. Perfect.

With a smirk on his lips, Sirius vanished in a pop of apparition.

-o-o-o-

The sun had just set on Privet Drive in Little Whining, Surrey when the door to number 4 sounded off with a firm, sharp rap. Standing up, Vernon Dursley glanced suspiciously up towards the stairs and frowned as he looked back at the door. His "nephew" had just been picked up earlier that day and was still safely hidden behind the locked door of the smallest bedroom of the house.

Satisfied that none of Harry Potter's unnaturalness was at work, he then strode up to the door, and carefully pulled it open.

Vernon blinked in surprise as he beheld the tall, dark haired man standing in his doorway in an obviously expensive, tailored suit with piercing grey eyes. "Um, ah, good evening, Sir… Can I help you?"

At the man's side was a massive black bear of a dog, watching Vernon with what almost seemed to be intelligent, accusing eyes as the man spoke in a cool, cultured tone. "Vernon Dursley?"

"That I am, and you, sir…?" There was a polite wariness in Vernon's voice as he watched the man with calculating eyes.

"You may call me Reginald Smythe," he answered simply with a slight inclination of his head.

"And a good evening to you then, Mr. Smythe. What brings you to our humble home?" There was a thin, plastic smile plastered across Vernon's lips as his small dark eyes glittered warily.

"It has been brought to my attention that you have as your ward the son of James and Lily Potter," he stated simply, watching the way the color started to build up over Vernon's features as he continued, "And that you'd prefer to limit the level of… exposure you have to the things such heritage entails?"

Vernon's whole body had grown tensed and standoffish the instant the first of those names had been uttered, his eyes narrowed into slits as he glared back at the man. "I don't know what kind of freakishness you're trying to bring into my home, but..."

"Mr. Dursley, I have no intention of entering your home, nor of doing much of anything with you," 'Reginald' said plainly, simply arching a brow. "And in fact, I simply wanted to... clarify that you would not be adverse to the young Mr. Potter taking on a bit of a... work study program at my business over the course of the summer. Far away from Surrey, and far away from you save for the time in which he would be sleeping here."

"And I don't know what gave you that sort of idea." There was hesitancy in Vernon's eyes, if only for a moment, before he squared his shoulders and glared back at the man. "And if you think I made it to the position I have while being a fool, you are sadly mistaken, Mr. Smythe."

"Mr. Dursley, I would warn you to please do not take me for a fool in turn." There was a coldness in his tone as suddenly, despite being of almost equal height, Vernon could feel as if he was staring up at a man several times his own height. "I am here because of familial obligation. Something I was raised to take very seriously.

"Why should I trust one of your kind?" Vernon snapped as he glared at the man. "You've caused us nothing but trouble! We're good, decent normal people! Your lot has given my son a pig's tail! You've made it impossible for us to have any kind of social gathering while that boy is here! You've ripped apart our house! You've turned my sister into some kind of balloon that tore away her memories!"

Reginald arched a brow quietly and tilted his head to the side. "And what about this precludes you from being willing to allow me to remove Mr. Potter's presence from your house even further?"

"This precludes me from wanting to have anymore to do with your kind than I've already been forced to!" Vernon hissed out with a glare.

"And, am I asking you to go into business with me?" Reginald tilted his head to the side casually. "As a matter of fact, I do believe I was trying to extend an offer to limit your 'exposure' to the world you loath so much as much as possible."

"And if it were that bloody simple, I wouldn't have the boy living here at all!" Vernon's face purpled in rage as he tried to stand up, tried to glare, angrily at the man, to see him cower like so many of the junior managers at Grunnings did.

Only Reginald remained summarily unimpressed.

"Mr. Dursley, I am a businessman. The kind that isn't cowed by bouts of temper and threats of violence." Reginald tilted his head again. "Now, as much as I'm sure you'd enjoy it, you've indicated you're aware that I cannot remove Mr. Potter entirely from his requirement to spend time here this summer."

Vernon deflated only slightly as he continued to glare back at Reginald. "Then what is the point of all this?"

"The point, Mr. Dursley, is exactly what I said it was." Reginald tilted his head to the side. "I wish to employ Mr. Potter for the summer. He will be picked up in the late afternoon, and returned mid morning. He will sleep, then wake up, shower, dress himself then return. There will be no days off, and I will not tolerate him slacking off."

Vernon chewed his lip in thought as he continued to eye the man warily. "You want the boy to work overnight?"

"I currently spend most of my time running my club, Mr. Dursley. There is always work to be done preparing for opening, dishes to be done during business hours and clean up to be done after closing," Reginald said simply. "And while I will be spending time fulfilling my obligations in certain respects, I am a businessman. It wouldn't do for me to neglect my business, now would it?"

"So the boy would be doing honest work? With none of that..?" Vernon almost bit his tongue as he stopped himself from referring to the other's freakishness.

"My obligation has nothing to do with any sort of magical training. And as I'm sure you're aware, he cannot make use of magic, save in self defense," he said that point with a great deal of quiet stress, "Until he's of age in that society. After which, well… He's free to do whatever he wants, within reason."

Reginald paused before shaking his head lightly. "But I'm forgetting myself. I am not now, nor have I ever been a teacher for the things you're so displeased with. And I assure you, I have no intentions of teaching the boy anything of the sort."

"How much will the boy be paid?" Vernon chewed his lip for a moment, brow furrowing in thought.

There was a pause, as Reginald blinked back at the man, the slightest of frowns pulling at his lips. "I had intended for my training to be all the payment he would require."

"An honest day's work should beget an honest day's wage," Vernon said automatically as he narrowed his eyes back at the man. "If the boy's going to be working without his… freakishness, he should be paid accordingly."

"I suppose something can be worked out," Reginald admitted as he took a moment to send a look down at the dog at his side who seemed to shrug in response. "I'll assume you prefer the payment be in pounds and pence?"

"I want nothing of that… filth in my home. I have to put up with the boy's things as is, I don't need anymore!" Vernon hissed softly and glared a bit.

"As long as the boy's money stays just that: the boy's," Reginald answered with an arched brow.

Immediately the color returned to Veron's face as he glared, outraged back at the man. "What kind of person do you think I am? Stealing money from a child?"

"One never knows in this day and age. And your… hostility towards the boy is known to me," Reginald said pointedly.

Vernon glared back at him. "I may not like the little freak, but I am not so petty as to steal from a child!"

A light growl rose from the almost forgotten dog at the man's side at the word freak, but otherwise nothing else. Vernon immediately took a reflexive step back, his eyes flitting from the dog to Reginald. Reginald simply shrugged a bit.

"He tends to dislike that word." It was the only explanation given. "So, do we have an accord then?"

"How do I know you won't do something that will get me in trouble with that barmy old man?" Vernon continued to glare back at Reginald.

"Why don't you go bring the boy down here? If he does not find sufficient reason to trust going with us, then that will be the end of it," Reginald said rather blandly. "That way, it's hardly your fault if he leaves with us, now is it?"

Vernon weighed the choice longer than most who knew of his relationship with Harry Potter thought he would. Far, far longer, before he grunted softly and looked up the stairs. "Boy! Come down here!"

For a moment, there was nothing but silence, before a muffled voice drifted down the stairs. "I can't, the door's locked."

Coloring from the sudden realization of the boy's predicament, Vernon flustered for a moment, before quickly holding up his hand. "Just, ah, a moment."

With that, the heavy set man forced his way up the stairs with a surprising speed, his face colored an almost rosy shade of pink. Wasting little effort, he quickly worked the locks on the doors undone and then pulled the door half open. "Out with you then! There's a... one of your kind down there, and he says he wants to offer you a summer job."

For a moment, the door remained where it was, leaving Vernon to wait in silence, his rosy cheeks quickly developing to a less healthy shade, before the door slowly swung the rest of the way open. Then, with a quiet wariness, Harry Potter stepped out.

The not-quite 14 year old glanced, warily towards his uncle, before down the stairs towards the door, then back at the man.

"Well? What're you waiting for? Are you going to leave him there, waiting for an answer?" Vernon flushed a bit more, though the shade seemed to have stabilized somewhere just in the faintest range of unhealthy.

"I... you're letting me decide?" Harry blinked, staring back up at Vernon who immediately shifted uncomfortably under the sheer disbelief in the man's eye.

"Well, I don't want to have to deal with that daft old bugger at that school of yours!" Vernon stepped back, giving Harry room to walk down the stairs. "But don't think it'll be a cake walk if you stay here! Not after what you did to Marge last summer!"

Harry immediately flinched and his head bowed as he spoke in quiet agreement, "Yes, sir."

With that said, Harry quickly walked down the steps, keeping his eyes faithfully on his fee, making certain he didn't miss a step until he found himself on the firm floor again. As he could hear the heavy steps of Vernon's descent behind him, Harry turned his head to the pale, vaguely familiar figure of Reginald. Frowning slightly at the man who he was sure he'd never met before, Harry then caught sight of a very familiar, bear-like dog at his side?"

"S-nuffles is that you?" Harry asked, hesitantly.

"Snuffles?" Reginald repeated, before looking down at the dog next to him. "Really, Sirius. Snuffles?"

The dog gave a light bark of acknowledgment as he lightly wagged his tail at Harry's words, bobbing his head lightly in response and ignoring Reginald completely.

"Boy, this is Mr. Smythe. He wants you to work for him over the summer," Vernon supplied as he pointedly ignored the peculiarity of the focus of the conversation being on the dog instead of the man.

Frowning slightly, Harry glanced up at Reginald, studying the man's almost bored looking face as he tried to place why he seemed to familiar. "Do I know you, sir?"

"Not currently, no. However, we do have a certain, mutual acquaintance." His eyes flicked meaningfully towards the dog before looking back at Harry. "He... negotiated a deal on your behalf."

"A deal?" Harry blinked slightly as he glanced back at the dog, who quickly nodded his head in agreement before looking back at the man. "What kind of deal?"

"It became rather obvious that due to his... circumstances, he could not teach you some of the things he felt you needed," he said as he took a long moment to study Harry. "And while the circumstances are such that I cannot fulfill all of those obligations, there are some that I am... rather suited to help you with."

"What kind of things?" There was genuine curiosity in Harry's voice as he watched the man, before glancing towards Vernon and flinching lightly. "Because, I can't really learn... some things over summer."

"Nor do I have any interest in teaching you those things. That is what your school is for," he said with a shake of his head. "What I will teach you... will be for your life beyond it."

"That's, a bit, um... vague, sir," Harry noted warily.

"And it encompasses too much to be limited to a few moments explanation," Reginald said simply as he arched a brow. "I will say simply that it will benefit you. Immensely so. Though you will most likely no longer see the word in the same light you did before."

"... Why?" Harry had tensed at that, his eyes suddenly hardening in wariness as he watched the man.

"Because, your place in it will likely change." Reginald suddenly fixed Harry with a deep, penetrating stare. "It will all depend on one, simple factor, young Mr. Potter. Who is it you really are, deep down?"

"... I..." Harry paused, frowning slightly as he furrowed his brow before looking away, not willing to look back at Reginald. "I'm just Harry."

"Mmm. Perhaps. Then in the end, what do you have to worry about? Or do you have a problem with being, just Harry?"

There was another flash of hesitance in Harry's eyes, and unconsciously, he half turned his head towards where his uncle stood, watching them both before suddenly shaking his head and repeating his earlier statement. "I'm just Harry."

"And why would he want to be anything else?" Vernon blustered lightly as he glared back at Reginald, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Do you remember when you were a child, Mr. Dursley?" Reginald asked as he glanced, pointedly at Vernon again.

Stiffening slightly, Vernon glared back at him. "What kind of nonsense question is that? Of course I remember when I was a child!"

"Then, do you remember ever wanting to be just Vernon?"

There was a pause, before Vernon frowned only slightly. "I fail to see what the point of the question is."

"As you say, Mr. Dursley," Reginald stated blandly as he glanced back to Harry, studying how the boy continued to not want to quite look anyone in the eye. "The choice is, of course, yours to make Mr. Potter. But I will say this much..."

There was a pause, as tentatively Harry lifted his eyes to meet Reginald's own. "I believe your parents would have wanted you to know who you are."

Harry bit his lip unconsciously, glancing towards Vernon and staring back at the man with indecision written on his face.

"I will leave the decision up to you, Mr. Potter. Until we meet again then." Reginald bowed his head a moment toward Harry before turning to go.

"Wait." The voice was soft as it left Harry's mouth, slightly uncertain as he looked at the man. "I… I'll do it."

"Excellent." Reginald nodded slightly before glancing over towards Vernon. "I imagine you'd not object to us going and doing a simple… orientation tonight?"

"Just… just be quick about it. And none of that freakishness," Vernon said with a sour mutter under his breath before glaring at Harry. "And behave, boy. An honest day's work will do you good, teach you how to do things without all those… things."

"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Harry said softly as he refused to look up at the man, before quietly walking out of the door, and into the night with the man and the dog.