Tempus Fugit

It's so hard for me not to just sit here and answer questions in reviews. I'll do what I can without taking up too much space. First off, thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far (Especially Graballz - I look forward to your reviews almost as much as thrnbrooke. ^___^) reviews really help keep me going. Rei said it last night, hits going up doesn't necessarily mean people like the story, just that they're reading it. or rather, looking at it XD

And because I can't stay away from an author's note without questions answered... It's not really an orgy. XD Peter leaves the room if any of them get started outside the curtains, and they're spelled to silence when they're closed anyway. The start of it will be explained in this chapter, and I'll try to remember to explain that empty bed, too.

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Harry opened his eyes and looked up into warm grey eyes set into an expressionless face. "Regulus," he said softly, and was rewarded with a small smile.

"Got it in one, Harry." He set the Gryffindor down, and looked up. "Do I want to know how you fell through the ceiling onto me? Or should I just assume that you're falling for me, and can't stay away?" He smirked, but softened it with a wink. Harry blushed lightly and averted his eyes. His gaze landed on the familiar stone walls of the dungeons, and he blinked.

"I started out on the third floor, but ended up in this wonky hallway. I fell through the floor, and then landed on you, I suppose. I don't remember anything after I started to fall." He pressed the toe of his shoe into the ground. "I don't want to run off or anything, but I kind of need to get back to Gryffindor before Malfoy sees me down here." Regulus nodded, and beckoned him to follow.

"The fastest way to get to Gryffindor is up through here," he said, and tilted a lamp hanging from the wall. The wall dissolved into nothing, revealing a stair-case. "It goes straight up to the hallway with the portrait of Murphy."

Harry blinked at it. "I had no idea this was here," he said. "I don't think anyone I know of did." Granted, his knowledge of the castle had come from Sirius, James, Petter and Remus originally, and if they hadn't known about the stairs, then it wouldn't be on their map. Harry smiled at Regulus. "Thank you," he said. "For helping me, even though I'm a Gryffindor and all that." Regulus nodded, then turned.

"Someone's coming. Hurry up, no one else knows about this passage." Harry hurried into it, and Regulus turned the lamp right again. The wall reformed as a familiar voice drifted into Harry's ears.

"Reg, who were you talking to?"

"No one Sev. Just thinking out loud, why?"

*

Harry climbed the stairs for only a few minutes before another passageway opened up and spilled him out into the hallway. He saw the portrait covering the common room door, and breathed a sigh of relief, then realized he didn't know the password.

"Can I knock?" He asked, walking up to the grumpy portrait.

"Course you can knock you dunder head." The painting snapped. "How in'ell are you gonna get in otherwise without the password? Blockheaded students. In my day we had the stupid beaten out of us! With stones!"

Harry ignored him, knocking politely on the frame. It opened almost immediately, and Lily tugged him inside, locking him into a ferocious hug.

"THAT STUPID BRAT TRIED TO KILL YOU!" she wailed, nearly smothering Harry in her embrace. He patted her back comfortingly.

"Tried," he said. "I'm still alive, and in one piece. He won't get the chance next time." Lily released him, sniffling, and wiped her eyes discreetly. Harry blinked at her, and looked into the common room. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, plus Lily, were the only ones there, and with the four elder boys staring him down, he suddenly sympathized with Snape having to deal with this day after day. He didn't know what he'd done to make them look at him in such a way, but he was feeling good about having seen Regulus, and going through the passage they didn't know about.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked, straightening his clothes. They fit well, but he was accustomed to things that hid more.

"Did you say you'd become an animagus, or were we hearing things earlier?" James asked without preamble. Harry blinked. From the way they'd been eyeing him, he suspected he was about to be trussed up and tossed to the Slytherin's as a sacrifice.

"I said my friends and I had become animagi, yes." Harry said cautiously, and suddenly Sirius leapt off his couch and bounced over to him.

"Prongs and I are going out tonight for a run. Moons and Wormy are staying inside, though, with Lily. Want to go with us?"

"You can run, can't you?" James piped up. Lily looked amused. "I mean, you're not like, a penguin or something are you?" Harry blinked at him, then burst out laughing. He was to be included again, then.

"No, not a penguin. Um... Sirius..." He blinked up at his future-godfather. "Can we talk a bit? I've some questions for you."

"About my brother?" Sirius asked, cocking an eyebrow. Harry's face flushed.

"NO!" He denied. "About you. Can we?"

"Make it quick, Pads!" James called. "We're going to lunch soon."

Sirius nodded, and followed Harry up the stairs. "Why me?" he asked. Harry paused, thinking about that. "Why not Prongs?"

"I don't know him in my time. I knew you. I trusted you. I still trust you."

"More than him?" Sirius asked, settling onto his bed, and inviting Harry in. He pulled the curtains closed, sealing the spell around them.

"I don't know. I don't know anything any more. We woke up this morning, and he said he thought I was you." Sirius' face turned the most amazing shade of red that Harry was almost certain he'd brightened the small curtained off bed.

"He.. he... oh... great. He didn't...." Harry raised an eyebrow at Sirius' uncharacteristic stuttering.

"Touch me?" He supplied finally, and Sirius nodded. "Yes." The flush intensified, though how he managed without breaking something Harry didn't know. "He said that it was your story to tell, but you started it, and then got Remus in on it too. Well, now I'm a part of it, and I want you to explain."

Sirius fell backwards and buried his face under the pillow. "Me and Regulus..." he started and his voice was muffled. "We grew up in a horrible family, in a terrible house, and had no one except eachother until I started coming here to Hogwarts. So for a long time, we were the only source of comfort for one another. We slept in the same bed as often as we could, and when we started...getting older, things... started happening."

Harry couldn't find it in him to be horrified. It would be completely hipocritical of him to do so, but it was still strange to think about. "I think I fancy blokes," Harry blurted out, and slapped his hands over his mouth as soon as the words were out. "I mean..."

Sirius showed his face again, grinning. "You never knew?" he asked, and Harry shook his head.

"I always went for girls. I was raised by muggles, though, and they weren't... the best example of muggle-kind. They taught me that homosexuality was wrong. Didn't you say earlier that Regulus wouldn't know gay if it bit him?"

"I did. He doesn't see himself as gay or straight, Harry. The last I talked to him, he wasn't interested in anyone, in any way. If he likes you, it's probably because he sees me with James and Remus all the time, and knows that Moony and I...Well.. we don't make any secret of it you know."

"You and Remus?" Harry asked, then remembered the morning, when James had assumed that Sirius' bed would be empty. "James said something like that this morning, but I never would have guessed. Although, even Snape knew. He said ... when Remus became my teacher, we were all out at the Shrieking Shack one night shortly before he left, and Snape said that you two were still bickering like an old married couple." The two boys snickered to themselves thinking about it.

"Me and Remus, James and Lily, and Peter's got himself a girlfriend in Hufflepuff, though if you tell him I know, I'll deny it." Sirius said with a wink. It was like looking at Regulus all over again, and Harry laughed.

"So you really... with.... with Regulus?" He asked finally. Sirius nodded.

"It doesn't change anything, does it?" he asked, looking uncomfortable.

"No." Sirius' face relaxed into an easy grin. "Would you tell me about the fifth bed?" The grin melted away, and Sirius looked almost sad.

"I'll tell you," he said finally. "It used to belong to Patrick Pettigrew."

"Petti-"

"Yes. Pat was Pete's twin brother. I won't give you the details, because it was a long, twisted mess throughout third year and ended the day before we left to go home. Anyway, Pat couldn't deal with the fact that he wasn't included, he'd rather have been in Slytherin, he wasn't happy, and he killed himself there." Harry paled. "We woke up the day before we were to go home, and he was lying sprawled across the bed, like normal, except that he was covered in blood. The note read that he couldn't go on, and that it was all the fault of his dorm-mates -- us. They cleaned the bed, of course, but the memory was still there, him lying in it with blood dripping from his wrists." Sirius shuddered at the memory, and Harry put a hand on his shoulder, unsure of what to do. "It nearly destroyed Pete. I think he was going the way of his brother when he suddenly came in one day like he'd never changed, and things went on. We don't talk about Pat any more, and no one touches his things - they're still over there, you know - but the reminder of who he was, what he did, we keep that for him."

"I see," Harry said quietly.

"So, what can I tell you about my brother?" Sirius asked, changing the subject. "You know he's a git, right? He seems nice, but he's a little twat under that gentlemanly exterior. He's Slytherin, through and through, and supports my parents and their ideals."

The young man who'd joked when Harry fell through the ceiling onto him and handed him his handkerchief when he'd been presented with the shock of his parents did not seem like someone who would support the ideals of Voldemort and his crew, to any extent. Regulus' ambivalence bothered Harry. Was he the nice smile and friendly attitude he'd shown to Harry, or was it a Slytherin act to get the Gryffindor on his side?

"He's fantastic with his hands, however. Ask to see something he's drawn, or get him to give you a back rub or something. Even James swears by his back rubs, when we can convince him to give them, which should tell you something. James is kind of iffy about who touches him, especially now that he's with Lils."

"So he's an evil git who has talented hands?" Harry asked, trying to sort out what Sirius was telling him. "That doesn't mean anything to me, because he's not interested in me, and with any luck, I won't be here long enough to get interested in him. He's just someone I talk to right now. Almost a friend."

"Friends give friends back rubs," Sirius said with a wink. Harry pushed him off the bed, and stood up.

"You're impossible. I'm going to go get lunch with the rest of them." Sirius was on his feet before Harry reached the door, and laughed.

"You're getting it now, kid," he said, and swung Harry up onto his shoulders. Harry was smaller than him by quite a lot, and squawked indignantly when he was presented with Sirius' back, a hand on his bum and knees holding him steady.

"AGH.. Put me down! You bully!"

*

"So, princess," James started. Harry growled at him. They'd been calling him 'princess' since Sirius had hauled him down the stairs from the tower over his shoulder. "Do you prefer pumpkin juice or apple?"

"Neither." Harry said through grit teeth. That was a loaded question, and Harry refused to walk into any more of their jokes. He'd been the butt of their teasing since Sirius had carried him into the common room slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Did you ever mention what you turn into?" Lily asked him, refusing to take part in the boys' "fun" over him.

"Oh," Harry said and grinned. "A cat. A big cat." This was, of course, the wrong thing to say, as James, Sirius, and even Peter immediately latched onto it and started in with the jokes again.

"Awww.. here pussy pussy pussy," James said crooking his finger. Harry snapped at it, and Sirius smirked.

"Careful Prongs, he bites!"

"Bad kitty!" Peter said, and Sirius choked on his juice laughing. Harry rolled his eyes, and rose. Remus and Lily got up with him, and somehow convinced him to go to the library.

"Maybe you'll find something useful there," Lily suggested.

"I'll help you look," Remus offered, and Harry smiled at them gratefully.

The library smelled of old books and dust, a comforting smell. It made him think of the good times with Ron and Hermione, in the library for the tri-wizard tournament tasks, after Nicholas Flamel, for just about everything. He closed his eyes, remembering.

"You alright?" Lily asked him, touching his shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked into identical green ones. "That's almost creepy. I'm glad to know that my son will grow into a fine young man such as yourself." Harry flushed under the praise, and suddenly remembered James' words about Lily liking to watch them when they 'played'. The flush deepened, and Lily laughed. It was a musical sound.

"Hey, Lils. Hey Potter," A group of Ravenclaws passed them by, waving to Lily and Harry. Remus came back from somewhere in the stacks, and presented Harry with one of the biggest books he'd ever seen. It was on par with the things Hermione would find for what she called 'light reading' and from the look of the cover, it wouldn't be any easier to read.

The Travelrs Guyde to Tyme the cover boasted proudly, and Harry looked up at Remus with a hopeless look. "You can't expect me to read that, can you?" he asked piteously.

"Yes," Remus said, and dropped the book into Harry's lap. "If you want any chance of getting back to your own time, you'll have to do more than run laps around the Forbidden Forest with James and Sirius."

Harry resigned himself to his fate, and cracked the book open. "This thing probably hasn't been touched since the Founders," he muttered, and Lily snorted. Remus lifted an eyebrow, and he went back to reading.

It took some getting used to; the syntax and spellings were often difficult to get past, but once he'd actually gotten into it and started reading, he found it to be more interesting than he'd thought. Each chapter was devoted to a separate theory on how time travel occurred, how time moved - whether it flowed in a linear stream, events occurring one after the other in a single timeline. Another theory went into great detail describing the choices made, and different universes. It said that every time a choice was made, a new universe was created. Say one had to choose between water or wine, one would choose water, but in a new universe, wine would be chosen, and life would go on from that point. Traveling between these universes was improbable, but not impossible, if one had the correct method of transportation. "One cannot simply jump onto a carriage and wheel oneself into a new universe where the berry was not eaten, it cannot be done. Perhaps with meditation or magic, a man may be able to visit these other universes."

Harry's favourite theory on time was that everything happened all at once. Simultaneously, every single instance that would ever occur, was happening at that moment. The human brain, very limited, could only handle things one at a time, and 'time' therefore was only an illusion created by the imperfect mind to avoid breaking down under the stress.

When Remus tapped his shoulder, Harry jumped. "We're going for supper, are you coming?" The werewolf inclined his head, inviting Harry along. Harry blinked and stretched, realizing that he'd been reading so long he'd made it through half the book. Surprised at himself, he tucked a bookmark into it, and hid it behind some other books near the table. He limped out of the library, his foot having fallen asleep sometime during the reading.

Nearly half-way to the great hall Harry passed Malfoy. They sneered at one another, but kept walking. Lily shivered.

"He gives me the creeps. I didn't like Lucius, and I don't like him," she proclaimed. Remus leaned over and whispered something to her.

"I know you two are talking about me," Harry said, exasperated. He turned to catch their guilty looks, and blinked. "You mean you really were?"

Remus shook his head. "Nothing you need concern yourself with," he said firmly, and went into the hall. It was filling up with students, and Harry had automatically turned towards the Slytherin table. He saw Regulus, wondered if he should sit with James again, decided he wanted no more of their teasing, and seated himself next to the Slytherin, much to the shock and awe of the people surrounding him.

"Is it alright if I sit here?" Harry asked, and Regulus blinked up at him, surprised.

"Sure," he said. "I mean, I don't mind. If you want to." Harry smiled, and Regulus looked relieved.

"I missed you at lunch," he said.

"I'm sorry. I was dragged off by Remus for some studying." Harry apologized contritely, not sorry that he'd gone to study in the least. Regulus made a face.

"I loathe studying. Sirius doesn't need to study; it drives me wild. He's just naturally smart. I don't know if he sleeps with his books, or what."

Harry snorted, filling his plate. "He sleeps with Remus," he said, then clapped a hand over his mouth. "I didn't mean to say that," he whispered, and Regulus laughed.

"I won't tell," he promised, and tucked something into his bag. Harry peered at the black satchel, curiously.

"Sirius told me you draw," he said. "Can I see something you've done?"

Regulus nodded, and pulled out a leatherbound book from the bag. "It's nothing special. Just some sketches. But I like to do it."

Harry flipped it open, and was greeted with intensely detailed pencil sketches of Hogwarts, the teachers, and several students. Sirius was a recurring theme, and Harry watched him grow in the pictures from a third year to a seventh year. "He means a lot to you, doesn't he?" He murmured thoughtlessly. Handing the book back, Harry smiled. "Those are amazing!"

Regulus, who hadn't quite gotten over the shock of Harry finding his near-obsession so quickly, was surprised into a bright beaming smile. "You think so?"

"Definitely. How long have you been drawing?" Harry was earnest in his curiousity, and Regulus found himself telling much more than he'd intended to.

After a while, they were standing to leave. Harry remembered what else Sirius had told him. "Sirius tells me you give good back rubs," he said, his tone light. Regulus' face turned three shades of pink.

"He never did learn to keep his mouth shut," he muttered.

"Can I talk you into giving me one some day? I've never had a massage before." Regulus looked surprised.

"I suppose I'm good with my hands, yes. Lot's of practice. I'd love to get my hands on you, though," he teased, grabbing and tickling on a whim. Harry was sensitively ticklish, and leapt away.

"No tickling!" he shouted, and Regulus gave chase, following him through the corridors and dodging students. Harry was paying more attention to the boy behind him than what was in front of him, and it was no surprise when he slammed bodily into someone.

"Oof! Oh no! I'm sorry!" Harry's momentum had knocked them both over, and he quickly pulled back to right himself. "Are you alright?" He offered his hand out to help the other student up, and was startled into stillness when a pair of angry grey eyes flashed up at him.

"Don't you have anything better to do than barrel around the school like a crazed erumpant?" Malfoy snorted at him, and knocked his hand away. Regulus caught up as Malfoy was walking away, and looked at Harry sadly.

"You're still alive, right?" he asked, and Harry nodded. "Yeah, but I'd better get back to Gryffindor before something else happens. Thank you for your company tonight."

Regulus leaned forward and kissed him briefly on the lips before turning and hurrying away. Harry stood there feeling his lips where they'd made contact for a few moments longer, and didn't notice the pair of eyes that narrowed angrily at the sight.

*

"It's no problem, Harry!" Graham said, happily lending Harry another set of clothes for the next day.

"I don't even have anything to give you in return," Harry said, realizing that he didn't have any money. It was terribly lucky that he'd landed at Hogwarts, Malfoy threats or not.

"I don't need anything. I've got plenty of clothes, loaning out two or three shirts isn't going to kill me." He grinned at Harry, who smiled back gratefully.

"I really appreciate it, Graham," Harry said, and took the pajama pants with him into the bathroom. James had shared the password for the Prefects bathroom, and told him that no one used it past eight, and he'd have privacy for a good shower. Harry stripped out of his borrowed clothes, leaving them in a neat pile near the door, and stepped under the shower spray. Sighing contentedly, Harry reached up and began massaging shampoo into his hair. The water ran in rivulets down his hardened body, tickling slightly in their softness.

From the corner, unseen, a pair of shadowed eyes watched his every move. Luscious was the only way the Gryffindor could be described, and he followed the movements of the water down the tanned skin. He longed to follow the paths blazed by water with his tongue, but dared not move. Instead, he watched Harry washing his hair, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of the water pounding against his shoulders. The watcher's eyes fell on the semi-erect cock nestled in the black curls at the junction of Harry's legs, and nearly swallowed their own tongue when Harry lazily reached down and stroked himself into full hardness.

Watching the green-eyed boy pull himself off wasn't nearly as stimulating as simply watching the water running off his body in sheets, but as the opportunity to witness such a personal moment would never come again, he took it all in like water, absorbing the sights and sounds like he'd never seen or heard before.

When the water had washed away the evidence, Harry turned it off, and padded over to the tub. He'd filled it earlier, and now the comforting smell of vanilla and strawberry filled the room as he sank into the bubbles, sighing with contentment. The watcher slid off his perch and tried to get to the door unseen, but he kicked at a towel on the floor, knocking it over and causing a small noise. It was just enough to alert Harry to the fact that he was no longer alone. Reaching for his wand, Harry was instantly on his guard, but could see no one, and tried to relax again. When nothing else moved, he decided it was a draft or a ghost unseen, and slid back into the water. When his eyes closed, the watcher pressed open the door and slipped out, unbeknownst to Harry.

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The theory that time is happening all at once comes from my girlfriend, Rei, who got it from who knows where. C'mon, who do you think the watching one was? Tell me in a review, and next chapter I'll tell you who it was. ^_~