Title: Tea and Hospitality
Author: elfflame
Characters: Remus/Regulus
Rating: R
Summary: After escaping the cave, Regulus goes to the only person he thinks will help him.
Warnings: dub-con
Kinks chosen: Bondage, oral sex
Word Count: 2101
Compliant to: DH, but only in a minor way
Author's notes: Last year for my birthday, I did these two, and it was the first time I’d actually written them in a fic together. This will be my fourth, all of which have been published here at D_D. More than any other pairing I’ve written here aside from Harry/Draco. This is basically my response to DH, more so than the AU I wrote, which was started well before DH came out. I hope people like it. The Remus here is rather dark, so just be forewarned. I was supposed to post this on my birthday, but I totally spaced. Mostly because of this glorious picture by artisticentropy. ;) So thank you to the lovely mods who allowed me to post today…



Regulus couldn’t remember how he’d escaped. One moment, he’d been surrounded by inferi, the next, he was back on the shore. But then, he’d been blacking out constantly, going in and out of fantasies of Sirius coming to rescue him and nightmares of Voldemort appearing to watch as the creatures tried to drag him under from the first sip from that basin. He wasn’t particularly sure how he’d managed it.

He didn’t even consciously decide where to go. He just apparated. Unfortunately, he was barely conscious, so he splinched himself, but even so, he managed to make his slow, stumbling way up three flights of stairs to a flat he’d never even visited before.

When the door opened to reveal a shockingly careworn face for someone who’d just turned twenty, Regulus smiled. He was safe. No one would hurt him here. “Remus,” he managed. And then the world went entirely black.

He came to a good deal later, and it took him quite a while to realize where he was. It was the sight of Remus, a blanket draped over his shoulders, an oversized book open on his lap, that made him relax.

At the sound of his stirring, Remus looked up, but Regulus was so relieved that he didn’t notice there was no smile on the other man’s face.

“You’re awake. I’d offer you a cup of tea, but I’m afraid I need a few questions answered first.”

That was when Regulus realized he’d been bound to the chair he was sitting in—the moment he tried to stand to move to the other man’s side, and found he couldn’t. For a terrified moment, he thought it was a new effect of the potion, before realizing he was tied rather tightly to what was rapidly becoming a quite uncomfortable wooden chair. “Remus? Why…?”

Remus set his book aside, draped his blanket over the back of his chair, then stood up. “I know who you serve, Regulus. So you can just go back to him and tell him I said no. As soon as you tell me how you found out, and how you knew where to find me.”

It took Regulus a fair stretch of time to fully understand what Remus had said, and worse, what he meant by it. Most of it, at least. What he’d supposedly found out, he had no clue. “Remus…no. I…came here because you’re the only person I trust any more. Sirius gave up on me years ago. And mother…? I couldn’t go home. Please. You have to help me.”

The look Remus gave him told him the other man didn’t believe a word he’d said. “Let me guess. Snape told Him? Or did the slimy git just tell you? Is your little buddy waiting outside to help you subdue me if I don’t ‘come along quietly?’ I’m sure the two of you think it would be quite a coup to bring your Lord another Dark creature to follow him?”

The words were spoken in such a calm tone that if Regulus hadn’t been watching Remus’s face, if he hadn’t known Remus as well as he had, he might never have known just how angry the man was. But then, Remus had never been the sort who showed his true emotions. He’d always presented a calm pleasant face to the world, no matter what happened. The only time Regulus could ever recall seeing Remus angry at all had been the few months at the end of one year when he’d ignored Sirius entirely, despite everything Potter had done to try to reconcile them.

But that was nothing to the anger he saw in his face now. Regulus had never seen Remus this coolly angry before, and honestly hoped never to see it again. He felt his throat tighten as the older man glowered down at him.

“Remus, I…”

“No. No excuses. No lies, Regulus. There isn’t a single thing you could say that I would believe.”

“Please, Remus, you have to listen…”

“No, I don’t. Why would I bother listening to a person who thinks he’s better than others just because of his name? A person who couldn’t wait to be Marked by that madman? How many have you killed, Regulus?”

“I didn’t! I had no idea!”

“What? That he was a homicidal maniac? Or that he’d expect you to do his dirty work? Don’t expect any sympathy here, Regulus. You won’t get any.”

“That’s not…” Regulus looked away, realizing before he said it that it was true. He’d come here assuming that Remus would help him, or at least take pity on him. “You’re supposed to be the good guy, aren’t you?” he asked softly.

Remus leaned forward, his fingers tangling in Regulus’s hair, pulling his head back. “Maybe I’m sick of being the good one, Regulus. I might not want to follow Him, but I’m sick of being used by everyone—Dumbledore, Sirius, hell even James! I’m just tired of being the token freak. Maybe I don’t have any sympathy for anyone any more.”

The fingers tangled in his hair was already enough to worry Regulus, but the words made his heart drop to his feet. Without Remus, he’d have no way of getting away. “Remus…” Those eyes were so cold. He’d never imagined Remus could look that way. “Please. I’ll do anything to prove to you that I’m only here for your help.”

“Anything?”

There was a glint in Remus’s eyes that Regulus knew well, but never had it seemed so calculating. Still, if it would convince him… “Yes. Anything.”

Remus’s hands dropped from his hair, and he began to undo his belt. “You always were good with that mouth. Of course, so was your brother. Must be part of those fancy lessons you purebloods get, hm?”

Feeling his cheeks flush with blood, Regulus kept quiet. It was one of the things he’d learned from living with his mother. Never give someone more fodder to throw back at you. It was always easier to take it and let it blow over as it inevitably would than to respond. It was a lesson Sirius had never managed to learn, no matter how many times their mother had railed at him.

Then all thought was forgotten as Remus pulled open his trousers, revealing an already erect cock, then grabbed hold of Regulus’s hair once more and pulled him forward. “Suck me.”

After only a moment’s hesitation, Regulus opened his mouth and licked at the smooth skin he’d once been familiar with. Every fiber within him screamed that this was where he belonged—with Remus, doing this, or something similar. After only a moment of licking at him, he opened his lips around the head and pushed forward, taking as much as he could manage at once before dragging his lips and tongue heavily back up the swollen shaft.

Remus had never been so quiet when they’d been together before, but Regulus knew he was holding back. To punish him more, most likely. As he drew back, he glanced up at Remus to see he was biting his lip, and then the fingers tightened in his hair, and Remus thrust forward, a moan slipping from his mouth. He was muttering something under his breath, but Regulus was too distracted by Remus’s cock sliding in and out of his mouth to understand.

Instead, he focused on inhaling when he could, and sucking at Remus’s shaft as much as he was able, and soon the fingers loosened in his hair, and Remus allowed him to control the speed a bit once more. He’d done this enough times before, so the situation wasn’t so much strange as surprising. Even so, this new, cold Remus scared him just a bit.

He wished he had his hand free. He wanted so badly to touch Remus. Cup his arse, pull him closer, invite him to push deeper, stroke his hands over the other man’s legs, then up to cup his balls as he sucked, feeling them pulling up as Remus drew closer to orgasm. He wanted…needed. But if this was going to be all he was allowed, then he would accept it gladly. He only hoped it would be enough to convince Remus to help him, even if just enough to escape England.

As it was, Regulus could feel that Remus was getting close. He was letting out a soft whining pant that Regulus recognized, and so he began to suck at him with more intensity, not sure if it was what Remus wanted, but starting to get to the point where he didn’t much care either way. He swallowed, knowing it would drive Remus over the edge, and it worked. Remus thrust forward once more, nearly choking Regulus in the process, and in a moment, was coming down his throat.

When Remus pulled back, a last spurt of come caught the corner of Regulus’s mouth, and once he’d finished coughing, his tongue licked out to catch the dribble, then he looked at Remus, who was slumped on the chair across from him.

He wanted to ask if it was enough. He wanted to ask if Remus could ever forgive him for thinking His way could possibly be the right way. He wanted Remus to look up at him and tell him all was forgiven, then take him in his arms and kiss him in that slow, sweet way he had the first time they’d been together. After several minutes with nothing but soft panting filling the room, Regulus couldn’t hold back any longer. “Remus?”

Golden-brown eyes opened and looked at him blearily. “You can’t stay,” he said after a moment. Then his wand was out, and the ropes holding him vanished. He hadn’t realized he’d been leaning forward until the support was gone, and he tumbled to the floor.

Before he could manage to get to his feet, Remus’s hand was on his arm, helping him up. When he looked up into the other man’s face, he looked so much more like the boy Regulus had fallen in love with at fourteen. “Please. I won’t be a bother…”

“I’ll help you, but if you stay, you’ll be in too much danger, Regulus.” There was regret in his eyes now.

Regulus’s heart sank a bit at the words. Still, he did his best not to show his disappointment. “No one knows I’m even alive. I…sent a few notes.” His cheeks flushed as he recalled the rather over-dramatic one he’d sent to Sirius before letting Kreacher show him where the Dark Lord had hidden the horcrux. “Everyone thinks I’m dead.”

“But if you stay here, Regulus, someone will see you. They’ll find out.” Remus’s hand stroked over his jaw. “You have to go somewhere where no one would look for you. I have a cousin in Wales who might be willing to take you in…”

“Come with me. Whatever He wants you for…it can’t be good. We can hide from him together.” His hand went over Remus’s calloused one. “Please.”

Regulus had seen Remus’s emotions over the years, from happy to sad to concerned, but he couldn’t say he ever recalled seeing Remus look remorseful. “I can’t. They need me, Regulus.”

“I need you!” Damned if Regulus was going to let Sirius win this time. His brother had managed to chase Remus away from him once, but Regulus wasn’t going to let it happen again.

“Did you hear, Reg? Lily’s going to have a baby.”

Regulus wrinkled his nose. What did it matter to him if Lily had a brat? “So?”

“They’re my friends, Regulus. Until this is over, I have to stand by them.” He turned back to Regulus. “But as soon as it’s over, I’ll send for you.”

“Remus…”

Remus set a finger on his lips to silence him. “I promise, Reg.” And then, before Regulus could disagree again, he pulled him into a kiss that took his breath away.

He couldn’t remember the trip to Northern Wales, or how he’d managed to make a life there, separate from the Wizarding world, but always with an ear to the ground. He heard about the Potters’ death, how his own brother had been branded a Death Eater (something which made him snort in ill humor, for Sirius could never be a believable Death Eater and Regulus knew it), and how his Master had presumably been destroyed, but even then, he’d known it wasn’t safe. His Mark would give an occasional tingle, and he assumed that Remus was somewhere out there, trying to find Him to get rid of Him for good. Because Remus would want to be here with him otherwise, wouldn’t he?

It was only when he woke to the Prophet on his front stoop almost seventeen years later and read the article that the Dark Lord was dead that he knew he would never see Remus again. Because Remus would have come to him otherwise. Would have told him that his Master was finally gone at last.

And the moment he saw Remus’s name, and the name of his wife in the list of the dead? That was when Regulus turned his back on the wizarding world for good. There was nothing left there for him now. Nothing and no one he wanted.