turns out, being an animagus really helps when faking your death.

when regulus survived in the cave when he was nineteen, he thought he'd just spend the rest of his life as a recluse. his brother hated him, barty was falling apart and pandora was pregnant. as well as that his mother and father were going to live in scotland for the last few years of his father's life.

how wrong he was.

harry james potter needed a legal guardian. his parents were dead, his godfather was in azkaban and remus wasn't stable enough to be a parent. and regulus wouldn't dare dream of letting harry stay with his uncle and aunt.

despite it being the difficult decision, it was the right one, and regulus had not made many in his life. so, when harry was four, regulus decided he'd make his brother, and james, proud, and make one good choice.

and, well, of course, voldemort came back, and regulus had to watch the boy he sees as his own son nearly die. multiple times. and then his brother almost died to his cousin.

regulus arcturus black has never caught a fucking break.

now, harry no longer lives with him and regulus is, scarily, nearing forty. that's when he meets you. and merlin, aren't you a sight for sore eyes. you're younger than regulus, having joined hogwarts after he left, and you're a muggle born, too, meaning you barely even know about his family. you fought in the war, but not in the main battle at hogwarts.

all in all, meeting you was a godsend. nothing is official between the two of you - reg is slightly terrified that harry, sirius and remus will judge him if he confesses to feeling any ounce of affection towards someone, let alone someone notably younger than him.

he's also a damaged person. multiple near death experiences and fucked up family trauma will do that to a person. but he's grateful for your presence, even if he's scared to death of love and intimacy.

like now. you'd spent the night at his house - again, nothing official - and he actually didn't feel suffocated by your presence. every other one night, or person staying over, has made the air feel stifling, made regulus feel like he was choking.

but not you. you're a breath of fresh air after years and years of your head being under water. at least, that's what you are to him.