Written for the HPRare_Cliche Fest, with the clichés: Harry is not The Boy-Who-Lived, Characters surviving that died in canon, Slytherin!Harry

Pairings: Regulus/Harry, past Theo/Harry

Rating: R – yes, this is a Rentboy story without sex

Warnings: Prostitution, age difference (17/36), implied and non-graphic sexual situations, mentions of cross-dressing, mentions of bondage, mentions of sexual humiliation, language

For the sake of this story, Voldemort went after Neville but was defeated in the same manner as in canon, and the Longbottoms fled to Australia. Dumbledore destroyed the Horcruxes straight after Voldemort's defeat so he was never able to return, while Regulus was still a Death Eater, but managed to escape the Horcrux cave alive. The title for this story came from the song 'On and On' by Tenth Avenue North, whose lyrics are at the end of the story.

X

"You'll love it, Harry; trust me," Theo Nott grinned, dragging Harry by the wrist to the far end of Knockturn Alley.

Beyond the shady shops and leering hags was an area designated solely for pleasure, or so Harry had heard. Alcohol, sex, and drugs were all on offer, day or night, and drew visitors from all over the country.

Harry couldn't help but glance around nervously. It wasn't that he was bothered about the supposedly dangerous clientele of Knockturn Alley, but rather that his parents were following him. In fact, Harry wouldn't be surprised if they had somehow implanted some sort of tracking device inside of him.

Ever since he could remember, Harry's parents had always been far too over-protective of him. He was never allowed to play outside with the Muggle children in the village, and even as he got older he always seemed to have an adult with him.

Hogwarts had been his first chance at independence, and being sorted into Slytherin House had really helped with that. The other Slytherins had been wary of Harry at first, purely because of his status as a Half-blood, but eventually they got over themselves and befriended him, or as his mother would say, corrupted him.

Being in Slytherin had certainly helped improve Harry's skills in lying and manipulation, and he knew how to twist a situation to his advantage.

In fact, at this very second his parents thought he was at home with Peter Pettigrew, sat in his room doing homework. His 'Uncle' Peter was a nervous little man, and the easiest out of all of his so-called uncles to escape from. His mother and Remus were almost impossible to deceive at times, while his dad and godfather were somewhat easier; Harry swore sometimes Sirius actually helped him to sneak out.

Still, his parents wouldn't be home for hours, both called out as Auror and Healer to an emergency in Wales, and Harry intended to enjoy himself in the meantime.

"I am so getting laid tonight," Blaise announced cheerfully, his eyes lustfully eyeing up the scantily clad girls who were heading into a bar.

"Only if you pay for it," Draco scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Blaise grinned wider and led them into the bar that the girls had just gone into, ditching his friends as soon as he spotted where the girls were.

"I'll go buy us some drinks," Draco shouted over the thumping music, leaving Harry and Theo to find a table.

"Who knows, Harry?" Theo smirked as they slid into a booth. "Maybe you'll pick up a guy."

Harry flipped Theo the finger, although he wasn't totally against the idea. He would love to see the expression on his parent's faces if they found out he had had sex already, if only he wasn't scared of his mum murdering him and his dad murdering the other guy.

But he was seventeen in a week for Merlin's sake! He was the legal age, but still deemed an eleven-year old by his parents. He could fuck as many guys as he wanted to!

Harry had to admit those determined thoughts were far too often quashed by his parents.

He was thankful when Draco finally arrived with their drinks, and Harry quickly gulped it down; he was at least no stranger to alcohol.

He cheered up slightly after that, laughing with his friends and watching the other customers dancing and grinding against one another. Blaise had two of the girls he had been following writhing against him, and Blaise gave them a saucy wink as he caught their gaze.

"Fancies himself a sex god does he?" Theo sneered. "Bet you five Galleons I can take the blonde girl off him."

"No chance," Harry laughed as Draco nodded enthusiastically.

"There's no way Blaise will let one of them go," Draco smirked, but he looked nervous as Theo sauntered over to them.

Harry knew all too well that Theo could seduce whoever he wanted to. Last year, Theo had asked Harry to help him experiment. Theo said he was bi-curious, and deemed Harry the only worthy candidate to explore his feelings with. Harry had gladly agreed, but his feelings started to run away with him until Theo cruelly reminded him that his duty was to marry a girl, and what they had was just sex. Harry had been so heart-broken that he continued with Theo's so called 'experiment' for months, but in the end he couldn't go on with it any longer. Their friendship somehow managed to survive though, no matter how awkward Harry found it at times.

Theo certainly seemed to be attracting the blonde away from Blaise, giving her the lustful gaze he had used so often on Harry.

"Time for me to step in," Draco muttered darkly, jumping to his feet. "I'm not losing money to Theo again. You'll be fine on your own?"

"Yes, Mum," Harry retorted, rolling his eyes, and Draco grinned.

"Your mum wouldn't leave you alone in a bar," Draco smirked, causing Harry to match his smile.

It felt like Draco had only been gone for two minutes when somebody slid into the booth beside him.

Harry turned warily, eyeing the stranger curiously, thankful it was not his mum or dad.

He vaguely recognised the man as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; they were closely joined with the Aurors and threw joint galas and events which James dragged Harry along to, not to mention the man was often in the Daily Prophet, photographed with his wife and three daughters.

So why he was sitting beside Harry, he didn't know.

"Why are you sitting here all by yourself?" the man asked, sounding much like he was chatting Harry up.

"My friends are over there," Harry answered, pointing to Blaise and Theo who seemed to be sharing the two girls, and Draco who had gained one of his own.

"Looks like they're having fun," the man mused with a small smile. "My name's Wilton. I couldn't help but overhear the conversation you were having with your blond friend. How much would it take? Twenty Galleons?"

"I'm sorry?" Harry questioned, startled. He wasn't naïve; he knew what this man was implying, but surely he wasn't implying that.

"Thirty?" the man continued. "Listen, I'm a good husband and father, but I have needs that unfortunately my wife cannot meet. Everything will be discreet, and I'll ensure you have a good time as well."

Yes, this Wilton character did think Harry was a whore, and Harry should have told the man to fuck off.

But he didn't.

Wilton was in his late fifties from the looks of things, slightly on the chubby side from living in luxury, but had a handsome face and kind eyes.

"Forty Galleons," Harry said finally, tugging at his collar as he felt his throat go dry.

Oh Merlin. Harry was agreeing to sleep with somebody twice his age for money.

But forty Galleons was a lot of money, and it meant he wouldn't have to ask his parents for money when he needed it, and then have to go on to tell them why he wanted it. Besides, he liked sex, and Wilton looked confident enough to show that he knew what he was doing.

Taking one last glance at his friends, Harry got up and followed Wilton out of the bar.

And from then on he was hooked.

X

"I still can't believe you, Harry!" Draco muttered darkly as they gathered by a wall in the far end of Knockturn Alley. "I can loan you money if you're desperate."

"I'm not desperate; I just like sex," Harry grinned, leaning against the cold brick walls.

It was the perfect way for Harry to make a bit of money, and he hadn't yet had any regrets. He had learnt after the first occasion that he was worth a lot money than forty Galleons, and raising his prices also kept the creepier types away; not that they hadn't tried; more than a handful of men had trudged away with Stinging Hexes to their eyes.

Blaise had called Harry a high-end escort, Theo called him a Rentboy, and Draco called him a desperate whore.

He supposed they were all right in their own way, but he really did enjoy this little rebellious job of his.

He didn't frequent the Alley often, purely because he didn't get chance to all the time. He had taken to sneaking out at night, courtesy of tips from Sirius, and in the daytime as well, pretending to be at one of his friend's houses. His parents were known to make random Floo calls, however, but luckily Lucius Malfoy was more than happy to cover for Harry.

He hadn't been caught yet, and he didn't intend to; he was having far too much fun.

Most of his clients were older men, married with kids but with a fetish for boys half their age. And Harry didn't mind their age; they tended to be gentler and with a need for discretion. There had been some odd fetishes, and Harry had been tied up more times than he could count, but he was firm with his limits, and charged extra for some services.

Harry knew he was lucky. Some of the other men and women selling themselves in Knockturn Alley had no other choice but to let anybody who had a bit of cash use them, risking their own safety daily, but there were others like Harry, others who did it because it was a job they enjoyed, and they guided Harry on the best ways to keep himself safe. A woman in her thirties named Evangeline always had her eye on Harry, and he was grateful for that.

"You're just jealous I can buy myself the new Firebolt x without having to rely on Mummy and Daddy," Harry mocked Draco lightly. "Now get lost! People are going to think you're propositioning me for a gangbang."

X

Regulus Black blinked as he took in the figure of James Potter leaning against a dirty wall in the far end of Knockturn Alley.

Of course that figure wasn't James though; they were far too young, looking to be perhaps sixteen or seventeen, which was, coincidentally, the number of years ago that Regulus had last seen the best friend of his estranged brother.

And the last time Regulus had seen his brother, in fact.

After the defeat of the Dark Lord, all of those with Dark Marks went on trial, Regulus included. Regulus was planning on getting let off with claims of being Imperiused, not to mention the vast amount of gold that would find its way into the vaults of senior Ministry officials. It had worked for Lucius Malfoy, plus other upper class ex-Death Eaters, so Regulus was sure to get himself off scot-free.

But then Sirius had got involved. He came barging into the courtroom, claiming Regulus had been coerced by his cousin Bellatrix and her husband, and that he had helped defeat Voldemort in the end. Their heart-strings tugged by the blasted-off-the-family-tree-but-helping-his-brothe r-anyway Sirius, the court dropped all charges on Regulus before he even had chance to speak.

Which meant that Sirius thought he had saved Regulus from rotting in Azkaban, and Regulus resented him for it. He didn't need the help of his blood-traitor brother, and to think the older man thought Regulus should be thankful made Regulus feel sick to his stomach.

And to top it all off, Sirius approached Regulus after the trial with his friends lagging behind him. Sirius told Regulus he never wanted to see him again, which Regulus really had no problem with, but then his brother added that he didn't want to hear of Regulus getting into any trouble, because next time he wouldn't be there to help him! Like Regulus had needed his help in the first place!

Seeing this James Potter look-a-like now sent a wave of revulsion coursing through him, his very veins bubbling at the force of anger and hatred towards his brother.

Regulus could only suppose that this boy was James Potter's son, and the Godson of Sirius. He had heard them talking at the trial about how wonderful baby Harry was, and Regulus wondered if Sirius and James knew that their precious ball of perfection was selling himself on the streets.

There was no way he couldn't be, not with those skin tight trousers that clung to his shapely legs like a second skin, and slouching against the wall like he owned the place.

As he made to leave and continue on his way, a very devious plan came to Regulus's mind.

So baby Potter was a Rentboy? It was like Salazar Slytherin himself was sending Regulus the perfect opportunity to humiliate his brother.

He strode towards the boy briskly, and as Regulus got closer, he saw the differences between James and his son.

Harry has his mother's eyes, for one thing, a beautiful emerald colour rather than the murky hazel of James, and Harry's face lacked the arrogance of his father's.

The boy gave him a crooked smile as he eyed Regulus, and his hand hovered closely above the pocket of his trousers, where no doubt his wand was hidden.

"Hello, lovely," Regulus said, plastering a smile on his face. "How much?"

"One hundred and fifty G, and I don't do kissing, bodily fluids, or groups," Harry answered curtly, tilting his head as he examined Regulus.

Sirius and Regulus did look very similar to each other, but then again, so did many of their cousins; that was what so much inter-breeding did to a family.

"Worth every penny, I'm sure," Regulus smirked; he had plenty of money, and losing that many Galleons would not even dent his account. At least the boy was selling himself at a decent rate; Regulus didn't think he would be able to stand fucking him if he had had tramps inside of him before. "Would you care to join me at my penthouse?"

Harry nodded, glancing quickly at a somewhat plump woman who was watching them carefully.

"Wonderful," Regulus announced, the smile on his face this time genuine. "My name is Corvus; what is yours?"

"Jamie," the boy lied, but Regulus was happy to play along; he had lied too, after all. Knowing that Regulus was the brother of Harry's godfather could ruin everything. "I'm sorry if this is a strange question, but is your surname Black? You look a lot like somebody I know."

Regulus nodded, seeing no point lying when it was so obvious that he had the Black family features. "Yes, no doubt I am their cousin somewhere along the line," he answered, and Harry nodded once more. There was really no reason for him not to believe it. "So, shall we go?"

Regulus offered his arm out, and with one final glance at the watchful woman, Harry grabbed hold of the limb, and Regulus Apparated them away.

Regulus had chosen his penthouse rather than the Noble House of Black, purely because his penthouse was a lot less personal.

Harry seemed in awe anyway, his mouth hanging somewhat open as he took in the impressive room with its views of the London skyline.

Regulus led Harry through to the hallway, stopping by the door to the bedroom.

"Will you wait out here a moment while I sort a few things out?" Regulus asked, noting how Harry nodded as though it was a question he heard often.

Regulus held back a smirk as he stepped into his room and allowed the door to shut softly behind him.

Unlike the other men, who no doubt had to hide photos of their wives and children in secret places, Regulus had no need to do that. Instead, he reached into a drawer and pulled out his camera.

A quick wave of his wand moved his wall length bookcase from one end of the room to the middle, stopping against the wall opposite the bed. He placed the camera at the edge of one of the shelves, setting it to record the images. Regulus had learnt long ago how to develop the film in his camera to play back whatever time period he desired, and what spells would bring the sound out. It was knowledge that had never come in useful until now, but Regulus was very glad he had learnt it now.

Regulus finished off by throwing a black cloth over the bookcase, casting a Transparency Charm on one side to allow the camera to record through the material, and then cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm on the whole thing, just to be safe.

Regulus nodded, happy with his handiwork.

The set-up was perfect, and just ready for Sirius to be humiliated.

All Regulus needed now was the key to his plan, so with an eager grin, he opened the door to the bedroom, waving Harry inside.

X

Harry looked up as the door opened, and Corvus gestured for him to step inside the bedroom.

It was done up just as nicely as the rest of the penthouse, with magnificent views of the city out of the large windows. Corvus was definitely one of his richest clients, and seemed nice enough.

Harry knew that friendliness meant nothing in his line of work; the nicest of people could have the wildest kinks.

In fact, Corvus was eyeing him with a dark, lustful look, and had a taunting smirk marring his handsome features.

"Strip," Corvus ordered huskily, and Harry nodded.

He always hated it when his clients didn't undress him; stripping, no matter how hard Harry tried, could be considered sexy. Besides, once he was nude the other person should be distracted.

In fact, Corvus did seem distracted once Harry's clothes were off, running his cool grey eyes up and down his body.

"You are going to suck my cock," Corvus stated, rubbing himself through his trousers. "And you will swallow my release. Then you are to kneel over the bed and finger that little hole of yours, until you're nice and stretched for my big cock to fuck you."

Fuck, Harry didn't think he had ever been so hard, at least not until Regulus unzipped his trousers and lowered them, freeing his thick erection.

Harry licked his lips; he was going to be in for a fun night.

X

Over the next fortnight, Regulus had arranged far more sessions with Harry than he had planned to.

Logically, Regulus told himself that he was doing it because the more material he had to humiliate his brother with the better, but something deep inside of him twisted at the thought of that.

Regulus did have a lot of material already, documenting a number of kinks and fetishes that Regulus had chosen to indulge in while he had the chance, and a number of kinks and fetishes he hadn't even known he had, and had picked purely to get a bigger reaction out of Sirius.

Regulus had tied Harry up, fucked him with toys, and degraded him, and the fact Harry actually seemed to enjoy it was sure to drive Sirius crazy. Regulus had also made Harry cross-dress once, the lack of masculinity a definite way to mock Sirius, but for some reason the sight of Harry in that tight red dress that had fallen to the tops of his creamy thighs, and those shapely legs clad in fishnet stockings had sent Regulus into a frenzy.

Regulus shouldn't be enjoying sleeping with a Rentboy as much as he was doing, even if it was for ulterior purposes. Of course, that wasn't to say he never intended to enjoy himself; the fact he could use another person's body for pleasure was a bonus on top of his humiliation plan, but the money he had been spending on Harry was ridiculous.

It was nothing to do with the money itself; Regulus had plenty of that, but rather the fact he had what he needed for his plan to succeed, but still continued to waste his money on more and more material. He was sure Sirius would watch the lot; his brother was determined, and would no doubt sit through each recording until he reached the bitter end, but sometimes Regulus wondered how much everything was about Sirius anymore.

And for reasons unknown to him, Regulus had offered Harry three hundred Galleons to go on a 'date' with him. He had told Harry he wanted to try the newest restaurant, but would look foolish alone, and so wanted the so called 'boyfriend experience' that some escorts offered. Of course, the 'date' would end in the bedroom, but Regulus couldn't deny he was looking forward to the first part of the night too.

The restaurant was elite, open to only the richest and most powerful families in the Wizarding World, and was the workplace of some of the greatest chefs worldwide. Regulus had chosen Harry's clothes for him, dressing him in fine silk robes of charcoal grey, and the teenager actually looked like he belonged, hanging onto Regulus's arm.

Nobody seemed to suspect that Regulus was paying Harry to be there, and Harry paid the role of attentive date perfectly, although there were times he couldn't meet Regulus's eyes. Regulus imagined that Harry was simply not used to such elegance.

"I believe you're soon to start your final year at Hogwarts?" Regulus enquired casually as their main meals arrived.

"Yes," Harry nodded, looking uncertainly down at all the knives and forks in his place. "I'm planning on starting Healer training afterwards."

"Healing?" That was certainly a world away from prostitution. "How long have you wanted to do that?"

"A long time," Harry answered thoughtfully. "My mum is a Healer and she got me interested in it. My dad's an Auror, but I don't want to go the same way as him, as much as he wants me too."

Harry sounded bitter, much the way that Sirius did when talking about his family. As much as Regulus despised his brother, he understood that Sirius did not like to have his mother and father try and control his entire life.

"Are you living at home while you're training?" Regulus pressed on, the conversation flowing smoothly.

"No, I want to move out," Harry shrugged, taking a sip of wine. "I'm saving up the money from, err, this to help."

An odd sensation washed over Regulus, as though he had almost forgotten Harry was only here because Regulus had paid him to be.

He jolted slightly when Harry reached his hand across the table to lay gently over Regulus's.

Regulus glanced up, his gaze landing on the bright green orbs of Harry's eyes that were like sparkling emeralds.

The conversation moved on, and as more wine was drank, Harry seemed to relax more, and at times it really did feel like they were on an actual date.

"And then Professor Snape actually walked out! In the middle of detention!" Harry grinned as he told Regulus a humorous story about winding up his Head of House. Regulus had known Severus at school, but never particularly liked the slimy wizard.

He laughed along at the story, allowing his fingers to ghost atop of Harry's hand.

They were interrupted when the waitress brought the bill to their table, and Regulus instantly reached out towards it.

"Do you want me to pay my half?" Harry asked cautiously, and Regulus shook his head.

"No; it would defeat the point of me paying you," Regulus answered, his voice breaking unwillingly on the word 'breaking'.

Harry's eyes dropped and his hand became limp on Regulus's, and Regulus felt a twisting in his gut.

Who was Regulus kidding? Harry was only here because he had been paid to be, so why should Regulus feel guilty over him? And why was he considering destroying all the material he had gathered for Sirius? He and Harry had probably just had too much wine.

That had to be it.

X

"Sirius, do you know much about your cousin, Corvus?" Harry asked his godfather one day, unable to keep his curiosity sated any longer.

His parents were both at work, and Remus and Peter were busy too, leaving Harry and Sirius alone for the first time in three weeks, and who knew when that would happen again.

Harry had met with Corvus a lot over the weeks, meaning the summer was slowly coming to an end, much to Harry's disappointment. He hadn't slept with anyone but Corvus in the last fortnight, and he was already planning to leave Hogwarts at the weekends to go to Knockturn Alley just to meet Corvus.

It wasn't just that Corvus paid more than enough for what Harry needed money for, but Harry just liked being with him. Evangeline had warned Harry about falling for clients, but once again Harry had let his emotions run away with him and focused them on somebody who only wanted one thing.

He knew he was heading for heartbreak again, but he didn't seem to care. Corvus was rough in bed, but his kinks were so compatible with Harry's, and out of the bedroom he was lovely, witty, a bit sarcastic, and they had so much in common. Even with the age difference, Harry felt relaxed around Corvus, and he didn't want it to end just yet. All he was hoping for was a bit more information about the mysterious man.

They hadn't kissed, purely because Harry didn't want to be paid to kiss somebody, but Corvus, while demanding and dominant during sex, was otherwise rather sensual and gentle, brushing his fingers against Harry's and stroking his hair. Maybe it was all just an act, or maybe Corvus was lonely and just needed to touch anybody, but Harry couldn't help but crave his touch.

"Corvus?" Sirius blinked. "I don't know have a cousin named Corvus."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked awkwardly. "I thought you had a lot of family."

"Most of them are dead, thank goodness," Sirius said bitterly. "Err, well not-you know what I mean," the man added hastily, though not looking like he meant his words. "But I don't think there was anyone ever named Corvus; most of the names were passed down. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Harry answered quickly – too quickly, and Sirius eyed him suspiciously. "I just head Draco's dad mention a Corvus Black once."

Sirius's expression lightened, and he studied Harry thoughtfully. "No, as far as I'm aware the only ones of us left are my brother and I."

Harry noticed how Sirius's voice went slightly strangled at the mention of his brother. Harry had never met the man, and Sirius only ever mentioned him in passing when it was absolutely necessary. All Harry knew was that the man had once been a Death Eater but repented just in time to save him from Azkaban.

Harry hummed, and hastily changed the subject to Quidditch, a sure way to keep Sirius distracted.

Sirius hadn't outright said there was nobody named Corvus in his family; only that he didn't think there was.

But who knew? If Harry were to proposition someone on the street, he supposed he wouldn't reveal his true name either. Although it wasn't directly illegal to pay for sex, it was frowned upon and could damage a person's reputation, and Corvus may just be protecting himself, if he was in fact Regulus.

Harry wasn't going to mention anything though. In their sessions, Harry was Jamie and his client said he was Corvus, and that was how it would be.

Because Harry was just a whore to Corvus, and it was impossible to pretend it didn't hurt.

X

"Excuse me, one moment," Corvus muttered angrily, rolling out and off of Harry.

The Floo in the room next door had been going off for the past fifteen minutes, and Corvus had ignored it for that long, but finally enough was enough.

Pulling a silk dressing gown around him, Corvus strode out of the room to answer the caller, somehow managing to look perfectly presentable despite the fact he had been interrupted in the middle of sex.

Harry couldn't help himself from getting a good look at the bedroom while he had a chance.

Although he had been in it plenty of times before, this was the first time Harry had been in Corvus' bedroom alone.

Harry had often been described as being too curious for his own good, and so it seemed only natural for Harry to slip his jeans back on and have a quick peek at Corvus' belongings. Of course, he wasn't going to sneak through his drawers or anything; he wasn't like his parents, but he wanted to know as much about Corvus as he could.

He could hear the soft murmuring of Corvus' voice in the other room, so Harry continued his nosiness until his hand brushed against a soft fabric he hadn't noticed before. He didn't really understood now he hadn't; now he was right beside it, he saw how it fell from ceiling to the floor.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Harry lifted up the fabric, and then dropped it again in disgust.

Taking a deep breath, and checking that Corvus was still talking, Harry went behind the fabric once more, a sick feeling sinking in his stomach as he looked at the camera with its light flashing red.

Maybe Corvus just wanted to wank over their sessions but didn't want to pay extra for it. Somehow Harry knew that wasn't true.

His gaze fell onto an unsealed envelope, a neat scrawl spelling out 'Sirius Black' on the front of it.

With trembling hands, Harry reached for the envelope, sliding out the moving photographs from within. Harry could hear the soft murmuring of voices coming from the photos, and the nausea got even stronger as he looked down at Corvus and himself fucking.

"What are you doing?" a horrified voice snapped, and Harry dropped the photographs onto the floor, blinking away the tears he hadn't known were there.

"What are these?" Harry questioned, voice breaking as he spoke.

Why did this hurt so much? Harry felt betrayed, and he felt stupid for ever thinking maybe Corvus wanted more from him than just sex. The shock seemed to be making everything ten times worse, and the injured look on Corvus' face only made Harry feel more upset.

"I was going to destroy them," Corvus told him bluntly.

Harry wanted to believe him, and he wanted to say alright, and be done with it, but the thought of being tricked again caused the pain to only intensify.

"But you haven't," Harry managed to croak out. "You're Regulus, aren't you? Sirius's brother?"

Corvus, or rather Regulus, nodded.

So Harry's suspicions had been correct, only for the wrong reasons.

"This had nothing to do with you," Regulus said, his voice strangled as if he actually cared. "All I wanted was to humiliate my brother."

"But you used me to do it," Harry shouted, and he dove to his shirt pocket, grabbing the sack of coins Regulus had given him for their session and empting the glittering gold all over the floor. "You know what; fuck you!"

And Harry Apparated, unable to bear the pain of seeing Regulus any longer.

X

Regulus felt sick as Harry disappeared from his room, his shirt and shoes the only remainder of him.

He had meant it when he told Harry he had planned to destroy the photographs; he really had. There was just something that had stopped him doing it, but now his reluctance had turned it against him.

The Floo call had been from his cousin Narcissa, who had been out with a friend the same night Regulus had taken Harry to the restaurant. She finally decided to question Regulus about it, and warned him not to hurt Harry or he'd have her to answer to. Regulus didn't think Narcissa would get a chance, because Harry's escort friend would likely murder him first.

Where had everything gone wrong? It was those feelings that he had developed for Harry that messed everything up; the feelings that should never have happened. Harry was most likely only after his money and to feel like he was rebelling against his parents, and was upset that Regulus had used him in a way that would get him in trouble with his parents.

And really, Harry was just a kid, only just seventeen, and though age differences were no problem in the Wizarding World, Regulus would be seen as the one who had taken advantage of somebody who had only just come of age.

None of that seemed to matter though anymore, not with Harry gone and probably never coming back.

Once again, Sirius had ruined everything for Regulus.

X

Harry stormed through the front door of his house, ignoring his parent's surprised exclamations.

He ran up the stairs and slammed his bedroom door behind him and turning the lock. He slid down the door, drawing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.

Harry tried to fight off the tears that were threatening to fall, but he was fighting a losing battle. He couldn't ever remember feeling like this, not even when Theo told Harry he meant nothing to him. It wasn't even the fact that Regulus had tried to humiliate Harry in order to humiliate Sirius, but rather that Regulus really had just been using Harry.

And Harry knew it was stupid. He had been a Rentboy, selling himself on the street. Harry had offered sex for money, and that's what people paid him for, Regulus included. Harry had been an idiot to ever think Regulus might feel more towards him.

Evangeline had warned Harry about falling for clients, and it was only now he wished he had listened to her advice.

"Harry?" his mother called softly through his door. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

"Go away," Harry mumbled into his jeans.

He heard the lock click open, but his body stopped his parents opening it.

"Harry," his father's voice came firmer, but still concerned. "Let us in, please."

"No!" Harry shouted, his distraction by his parents finally allowing the tears to spill over. "Leave me alone."

He could hear his parents talking softly, and then their footsteps trailed away down the corridor, but Harry knew it wasn't over.

Only moments later, another knock sounded, this one louder.

"Harry!" Sirius's voice came through the wood. "Can I come in, please?"

Harry wanted to scream at Sirius to go away, to get rid of the biggest reminder of Regulus that he could possibly have at the moment, but he just couldn't do it. Harry wasn't ashamed to admit that his godfather was his best friend, and he did love his parents, he really did, no matter how over-protective they were, but they just didn't understand him like Sirius did.

"Are you alone?" Harry asked, knowing it was a pointless question to ask because James and Sirius told each other everything.

"Your mum and dad are downstairs with Remus and Peter," Sirius informed him, and Harry got to his feet and opened the door. If Regulus decided to send Sirius the photographs anyway, it would be better to Sirius to hear it from Harry first.

Sirius took one look at Harry's blotchy face and teary eyes, and immediately embraced him in a tight hug, rubbing his cheek atop of Harry's head.

"What's the matter, chuck?" Sirius murmured into his hair, his life-long pet name for Harry creating a glimmer of a smile on Harry's face for just a moment.

"I don't want you to hate me," Harry sobbed, squeezing his eyes shut to stem the flow of tears.

When he felt like he finally regained control of himself, he pulled out of Sirius's embrace and wiped his face with his hands.

He remembered then that he was still shirtless, so he grabbed a hoody from the floor, pulling it over his head and ruffling his already messy hair even more; he must look a right state.

"I won't hate you for anything, Harry," Sirius told him firmly once Harry was ready. "You know you can tell me anything."

"Do you promise not to tell Mum and Dad?" Harry asked quietly.

"Maybe," Sirius told him honestly. "You know I can't keep anything serious from them." Here Sirius paused to laugh, the pun on his name a constant source of amusement for his godfather. "But provided you're not dying or a Dark Arts junkie or anything I'm sure I can make something up to keep them happy."

"Thank you," Harry mumbled, already feeling somewhat easier about talking to Sirius about the truth. The only issue would be if Harry mentioned Regulus by name; the brothers seemed to despise each other. "Err, I've not been hanging out with my friends this summer."

"We figured," Sirius interrupted bluntly. "Your mum was waiting for you to slip up."

Typical.

"I've, well, I went to Knockturn Alley with my friends; the far end, not the Dark Arts bit," he said quickly before Sirius drew the wrong conclusions. "A man there offered me money to, err, yeah."

Sirius blinked.

"I hope you're not implying what I think you are, Harry," Sirius stated bluntly, and Harry hung his head. "Merlin, Harry! Do you know the sort of people who go there? You could have been raped or murdered, or been sold to somebody who would do who knows what and-"

"But I wasn't," Harry interrupted, knowing the dramatics of Sirius could last a long length of time if allowed. "A lady named Evangeline looked after me, and she said if I used magic before my birthday nobody would know because it would be impossible for the Ministry to trace it to me in such a busy place."

"That's not the point, Harry," Sirius scowled, and Harry really did feel hatred at himself. He knew, of course, that his family wouldn't have approved of what he had been doing, but at the time, that only spurned him on. Now that he was revealing it though, all those rebellious thoughts were quenched by guilt.

"I know," Harry nodded, his voice quiet. "I ended up sticking to one man, though. I know it's stupid, but I-I started getting attached to him." Merlin, he was tearing up thinking about Regulus again. "He seemed to like me, too, but I must have read him wrong, and I found out he had recorded all the times he met, and was going to send them to you."

Sirius looked pale, and he reached a hand out to Harry before drawing it back.

"Me?" his godfather queried in a strangled voice. "Why me?"

Harry didn't answer, instead focusing on the floor beneath his feet.

"Harry?" Sirius pressed on, "why did you really ask me about Corvus Black?"

"I didn't know who he was at first; I just thought he was your cousin," Harry mumbled, wringing his hands together nervously.

"Regulus?" Sirius uttered, the word sharp and harsh.

Harry nodded, finally daring to look back up.

Sirius's eyes were blazing, his teeth gritted and hands clenched into tight fists.

He almost seemed to be emitting a low growl, and Harry took a step closer to his godfather.

That seemed to draw Sirius out of his rage, and he looked at Harry pitifully.

"I'll tell your parents you've gone through a break-up," Sirius said slowly, as if he daren't speak. "You get into bed, I'll send you up some ice cream, and just relax."

With that said, he turned to the door, a shaking hand reaching for the handle.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked cautiously, but Sirius did not respond, instead striding out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

Despite everything he had done, Harry hated to think what Sirius was about to do to Regulus.

X

The next couple of days had passed in a blur for Harry.

Sirius had told James and Lily that Harry had gone through a rough breakup, which also excused his sneaking around, and his parents were giving him plenty of space, with the occasional drop into his room with chocolate from Remus and words of advice.

The anger Harry had felt towards Regulus had seemed to fade, and now he was just leave with hurt. He understood now that Regulus hadn't directly wanted to hurt Harry; he had just been the pawn to get at Sirius, but the feelings Harry felt towards Regulus had made the betrayal real to Harry.

Draco had Floo-ed and asked Harry if he wanted to go shopping for school supplies with him, and to Harry's surprise, his mum encouraged him to go out with his friends.

The fresh air was doing him good after two days moping in his bedroom, but he couldn't have but glance mournfully down Knockturn Alley. He wondered if Regulus would be there, or if his body was slowing rotting in a ditch somewhere. Sirius had refused to talk to Harry about the truth anymore, only saying that Harry had been taken advantage of and that wasn't his fault. Harry suspected that if it had been anyone but Regulus, Sirius would have taken the news better.

"He's been looking for you, you know?" Narcissa hissed in his ear, making Harry jump. "Regulus hadn't intended to hurt you; he's actually rather gentle to people he cares about, but our family history make the lines between right and wrong far more blurry."

"He's been in touch with you?" Harry asked, his heart jumping furiously. He knew that Narcissa was Sirius's cousin, and so would be Regulus's too, and Harry couldn't help but feel joy knowing Regulus had been asking about him.

"Yes," Narcissa nodded, jerking her head towards Knockturn Alley. "I'll tell Draco you'll see him later."

Harry thanked her, and briskly made his way towards Knockturn Alley.

He must have been scouting the Alley for a good fifteen minutes before he finally spotted Regulus talking to Evangeline. The woman spotted him first, and pointed towards him; Harry couldn't help but smile seeing the look of relief on Regulus's face.

They strode towards each other, and as they got closer to one another, Harry could see that Regulus looked a bit worse for wear. The skin around his left eye was a murky green, two long scratches marked his cheek, and his lip was split, though looking like it was a couple of days old.

"What happened?" was the first thing Harry asked, concern overriding any other feelings Harry should be having towards Regulus.

"Do you want to talk somewhere private?" Regulus asked, ignoring Harry's question.

Harry nodded, taking the other man's arm to Apparate.

Harry had expected to land in Regulus's penthouse, but instead they were in an old house with dusty floors and a line of House-elf heads on the wall going upstairs. The walls were deep brown flecked with stains, and the long rug was tatty and faded purple which looked like it would have once been rich and beautiful in colour.

"My family's ancestral home," Regulus explained. "I own it, but I don't tend to come here. Sirius should have inherited it, but when he ran away my mother disowned him; he's the reason for these injuries."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to drop your name into it," Harry said apologetically, and Regulus laughed lightly.

"I deserved it," he muttered, shaking his head. "I truly did intend to destroy those photographs, you know, but destroying them would also destroy my last chance at humiliating my brother. I came to realise I would never send them though, and I apologise they ever existed in the first place."

"You and Sirius have serious issues," Harry frowned, and Regulus nodded. "And I don't like that you used me to try and get at him, but I forgive you for it, which is probably really stupid of me but I don't care. I just-I like you more than I should, and I know you only wanted me because I was available for the right amount of money but-"

"At first, yes," Regulus interrupted. "I presumed you only wanted me because I gave you the right amount of money."

Harry was sure his heart was ready to explode.

"What?" he said stupidly, clutching his hands to his chest as if to contain his pounding heart.

Regulus smiled, placing his hands over Harry's.

"You and I have had a terrible misunderstanding concerning one another," Regulus smirked, leaning down until his face was only inches from Harry's. "I have found myself falling for my Rentboy, but it appears I wasn't the only one falling."

"You weren't" Harry whispered faintly, feeling light-headed as Regulus inched towards him. "I've never kissed anybody before," he admitted quickly, and Regulus paused with a somewhat amused smirk on his face.

It was strange; he had fucked numerous men, but never been kissed. Theo had believed it to be too emotional and girly, while it was on Harry's request that he didn't kiss his clients, though none ever tried.

"People have only ever wanted my body," Harry continued quietly, Regulus only able to hear him due to how close they were. "I don't want that anymore."

To Harry's surprise, Regulus pulled back, linking their hands together.

"Well then," Regulus smiled, "we are doing this all wrong."

And then Harry's stomach jolted as they Apparated again, warm air soaking Harry's skin as they landed in the outdoors.

Regulus had taken them to a garden, with tall green hedges closing in around them. Flowers created splashes of every colour imaginable dancing through the air, and a man-made waterfall splashed down into a small rock pool. Birds were chirping in the trees, and the sun beat down in rays of golden light.

Harry didn't think he had ever seen anything so beautiful, but then his gaze fell upon Regulus.

Regulus smiled softly, his raven hair blowing lightly in the summer breeze. His head lowered once more until his soft lips brushed against Harry's.

And then they were pressing against Harry's lips tentatively, his hands moving to grip hold of Harry's hips gently. Harry almost melted into Regulus, reaching up and clasping his hands at the back of Regulus's neck.

Harry could feel his mind drifting away, allowing his body to respond in the way he needed it to. Regulus kissed him harder, his tongue darting along Harry's lower lip. Teeth bit down gently into it, and Harry moaned, allowing Regulus entry to slip his tongue inside Harry's mouth.

Harry moved his hands up to wind into Regulus's hair as the older man explored his mouth. If Regulus wasn't holding onto Harry, Harry was sure he would have collapsed by now.

Harry knew a lot about sex; he enjoyed sex, but Regulus kissing him was the only time he had actually felt joined with somebody else. Harry had fucked a lot of people who only wanted his body, but Regulus wanted him for him, and the feeling of joy that sent through him was almost overwhelming.

Harry finally pulled away reluctantly, if only to stop himself passing out.

Regulus rested his forehead against Harry's, both of them panting heavily.

"Come back with me, and I'll destroy those photos with you by my side," Regulus said softly, moving his lips teasingly against Harry's.

"If you promise we can try this properly; you and me, I mean," Harry answered, a smile tugging at his lips when Regulus nodded.

It would be tough; after Harry returned to school in a week, he would only be free at weekends, and Sirius would most likely murder Regulus when he found out, but Harry didn't want to give up his chance at happiness.

He was in love with Regulus Black, the deceit a pain that time would heal, but Harry needed Regulus in his life.

Love, I have waited for you. And Love, I was wounded for you.

So what are you waiting for?