The Four Interchanging Lives of Regulus Black (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Ravenclaw Instead

He awoke to blue curtains.

"Ravenclaw?"

"Shut up," someone muttered.

Regulus' eyes blinked. He rolled over and poked the person in the back, feeling relief at seeing a familiar face. "Evan. Hey, Evan."

"Go back to sleep, Reggie."

"Why are you in my bed?"

His cousin-by-marriage stiffened, then turned over, his mouth pressed into a frown as he glared at Regulus. Then, Evan pulled the pillow from under Regulus' head, lifted it, and smacked Regulus hard with the pillow. "What are you talking about, you idiot? This is my bed!"

Regulus let out a muffled sound of surprise as he felt Evan sit up, and then he sat up, the pillow falling away as he watched his cousin rub his temple.

"Although, if you're climbing into my bed during the middle of the night, you're having nightmares again, aren't you?"

"Huh?"

The pillow hit him in the face. "Don't huh me! Your bad habit of crawling into other people's beds whenever you have a nightmare returned."

"I guess," Regulus muttered. "I don't remember..." He tilted his head. "There was..."

"Was what?"

"The dream I had when I woke up in this world, of the cave and water." Regulus frowned. "Uh..."

"Uh, what?"

"I can't remember."

"Ugh," Evan sighed. "Bloody Merlin, you're a pain." Then, a hand reached out and ruffled the top of Regulus' head. "I guess it's good we were sorted into Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin, then?"

"Why?"

"Because they'd never let either one of us live it down."

"But we're cousins?"

"Reggie, you really don't get it, do you?"

"I don't get a lot of things."

Evan reached out and flicked him on the nose. "You're better off not telling people about that." Then, still frowning. "That girl."

"What girl?" Regulus covered his nose.

"The girl you like."

"I, uh, huh?"

"Don't, I, uh, huh, me. We got sorted into this because your weirdness kicks in out of the blue, and suddenly, you like that Muggleborn."

"Well, yeah," Regulus said. His eyes blinked. "But why?" And then, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Regulus slipped from the bed, hurrying to get dressed into his school robes, planning on heading to class, the great hall, or wherever he needed to be next. He felt the pillow hit the back of his head. "You know what I'm talking about."

"Does it matter? She doesn't like me," Regulus said.

"What do you mean..."

"I'm heading to the common room!" Regulus called out, then sped away, heading straight for the common room.

"Regulus! Get back here, you moron!"

Regulus turned, opening his mouth to say something, when he crashed into someone and landed on his bottom in the middle of the Ravenclaw common room.

"Oh! Regulus!"

Regulus' eyes blinked, seeing the girl, his mind—

"Are you alright?"

"Her name. Why can't I remember her name? It's as if..."

"Regulus, what..." Even sighed. "Oh. It's you."

"You don't like me, do you?"

"Am I not supposed to remember her name? What am I supposed to remember or not remember?" Regulus thought. "Is this some kind of puzzle for me to figure out to get back home? I like puzzles, but maybe not this one?"

"Nope," Evan said.

"Why?"

"Because your crush on Regulus is gross."

"That! You jerk!"

"She doesn't like me!" Regulus said, turning to look at Evan. "She hates me!"

"What do you mean..." She let out a huff. "Regulus Arcturus Black, you moron!"

And then she took off while Evan looked down at her. "Well, now she hates you."

"That, huh?"

"Clueless idiot," Evan said, then Evan sighed. "Well, I don't like her."

"I don't like that."

"But I will tolerate her and not tattle."

"What? Why? And what do..."

"I'll tolerate her for you, and of course, I'm not going to rat your little crush out to anyone, but you'd best not let that brother of yours know?"

"Huh?"

"Bloody Merlin," Evan sighed. "That brother of yours is always looking for something to get you in trouble because he's always in trouble."

"I know."

"Bloody idiot," Evan sighed, reaching out a hand. "This is why I can't leave you alone to your own devices, Regulus, but broke tradition to be sorted into a different house.

"Because we're family?"

"Because," Evan sighed. "We're friends."

"No, family."

"Regulus! You bloody idiot!" And then Evan laughed, throwing an arm around his shoulder, his knuckles messing up Regulus' hair. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you, but we're both."

"Not possible."

"Maybe in your world, I guess. I'll get dressed, and we can head out, and maybe I can help you mend things with that girl?"

"Really?"

"Ugh. Don't look so pleased."