Sans Réserve

Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
M/M
G
Sans Réserve
Summary
After the death of a dear friend, Regulus needs to be in charge of taking care of his goddaughter even though he never had much experience with a child. In addition to dealing with the grief of Pandora’s loss and finding time to be with Luna within his intense routine, Regulus still has to deal with the annoying new chef his uncle hired.
Note
Tw/Repetitive thoughtsMention of problems with foodEating disordersMention of self-mutilation (it’s not graphic at all)Car accidentDeath
All Chapters Forward

Chapter 2

Regulus was sixteen years old when he met Pandora. He was a very skinny short boy hospitalised in a psychiatric hospital at send  away by his parents. When his brother ran away, Regulus lost the line, nothing made sense anymore, so his only option was to stop eating. He started innocent, he skipped meals, so he progressed to something much bigger. Regulus never ate, his parents never worried about Regulus' health, he was always in the kitchen anyway, but he never joined the dinners and lunches. Everything got worse when his mental state worsened, his crises got worse, they progressed so quickly that not even Regulus could keep up. What made him stay on track abandoned him, it no longer made sense to live in a house without Sirius.

Who found him was Kreacher, the family's butler. Regulus was sent to the best psychiatric hospital in the country, his parents locked him up with the hope that Regulus and his problems disappeared. The only thing he had there was the kitchen, Regulus learned a lot from the cooks on that place. After he been locked up there without contact with anyone else, Pandora arrived. The girl had blonde hair so light that it was almost white, she held that hair with a braid full of flowers and small star decorations. Regulus never talked to anyone, always eating away from others while reading a cookbook. It was Pandora who came to talk to him, her wrists banded with a pink bandage and a smile capable of illuminating an entire city.

 

“Hello,” She said throwing a tray with a plate of pasta on top. “Poppy said it was you who made lunch today.”

 

“Pesto.”

 

She looked at him with curiosity. “What is that?”

 

“It’s the name of the sauce you’re eating.”

 

“Oh.” She spoke with a slight blush on her cheeks. “It’s delicious, how did you learn?”

 

Regulus had learned how to make a simple pasta like that at the age of ten, it was one of his private teachers who taught him. Sirius hated it, his brother didn’t have a palate refined as Regulus, but even with complaints Sirius always ate. It had been a while since Regulus had cooked so freely, usually the hospital cooks left him in charge of cutting carrots or stirring the pot with sauce, but his psychologist- Poppy Pomfrey- or just Poppy as she liked to be called had asked that Regulus could at least cook an entire meal alone on Sundays as part of his therapy.

 

“Alone.” Regulus responds by taking the orange juice to his mouth. “Making pasta is the simplest thing in the world.”

 

Pandora laughed. “You’re funny. My name is Pandora.” She extends her hand in the direction of Regulus. “Actually it’s Pandora Selíni Rosier.”

 

He reluctantly takes the girl’s hand. “Regulus.” Pandora arches her eyebrow waiting for more. Regulus shrugs his shoulders shyly. “Regulus Arcturus Black.”

 

“That’s cool, I’ll call you Archie.”

 

Regulus makes a face, he never had affectionate nicknames. His brother called him Petit lion as children, but that’s all. He knew that Sirius had a nickname given by his friends at school, but Regulus never wanted to know what it was. As he never had the opportunity to have  friends who bothered to give him cute nickname like that before. “Why?”

Arcturus. It’s a beautiful name, bear guardian, right?”

Regulus settles in silence. Regulus was the name Sirius had chosen, Black was his parents' surname, only Arcturus belonged to him. And now Archie, this part belongs to Pandora.


"Fourth brightest star after the sun."


"You're always running after the sun then?" Pandora asked giggling.

 

"Selíni is moon in Greek, isn't it?" Regulus asks pretending he didn't hear Pandora's phrase.

 

"My mother is Greek, she likes the moon. She says that my brother and I were born on a night of waning moon, so she decided to give us that name."

 

"My brother who chose mine." Regulus says feeling a metallic flavour in his mouth, as if talking about Sirius were a cursed subject.

 

Pandora smiled. "And why are you here?"

 

"I'm crazy, like all the rest of the people who are here."

 

"You're not crazy, you just see the world differently from the others." Pandora says it kindly. "Any diagnosis?"

 

Regulus moves in the chair uncomfortable, in fact he hated talking about his problems with others. Pandora is a stranger who didn't need to know about the shit in Regulus's head, the fact that he preferred to leave his body starving because he didn't like the feeling of the food going down his stomach. Ironic, isn't it? Regulus loved to cook but hated eating. He hated knowing that his mind worked differently from the others, he hated that he could only leave the house at even number times, he hated knowing that he needed to cut his fingers to get out of this labyrinth that was his own head, he hated knowing that he would rather die than live away from his brother.

 

"OCD and anorexic syndrome." Regulus says in a whisper afraid that someone else will hear him.

 

Pandora just smiled sweetly in response. "BPD, that's what they said I had." She shows her wrists adorned with pink gauze and glitter. "Let's get better together. For one day you to cook just for me."

 

For the first time in years, Regulus smiled.

 

As expected, Evan doesn't take the news well at all, Barty needs to hold him so he doesn't fall to the ground. Regulus just stands still trying to assimilate all that pain he was feeling. His friend was dead.

 

Luna was an orphan.

 

Regulus should take care of her.

 

He's the godfather.

 

All that was in Regulus' head was the fact that Pandora would never wake up again, the doctor talks about devices and things like that, but Regulus doesn't listen. It's Barty who takes the lead saying that they should turn off the devices, Evan just signs the term and Regulus does the same thing automatically. A team arrives at them like vultures asking if Pandora was an organ donor, Regulus had no head for any of that.

 

It's with Luna that he was worried at that moment. Regulus doesn't mind talking to Evan or Barty, he walks slowly to paediatrics. As expected, Luna was still lying in bed, now awake looking lost at the walls with children's drawings of the princesses.

 

The girl's gaze brightens when she sees Regulus entering through the door. Sweet Luna seemed to finally understand what was happening because she can't hold back her tears when she sees Regulus approaching.

 

"Uncle Archie, where's my mother?" Luna's voice came out quietly and tearful.

 

Regulus doesn't know what to answer, immediately he thinks that Pandora would enter through that door with her smile capable of illuminating an entire city, then he remembers that Pandora is dead, Regulus is Luna's legal guardian by law. How would he do that? Regulus has never taken care of a child before, he doesn't know what they eat, what they do in their free time, how to do hairstyles to go to school. Regulus was lost, he never had parents, shit— it was Sirius who practically took care of him, how would Regulus be able to take care of Luna while his best father figure was his older brother?

 

He looks at the girl so small in bed, how would he say that her mother died? That Pandora would never come back home. Luna would never will remember how it was Pandora’s smell ever had again. Regulus would never have his friend trying his sweets with icing and butter cookies again. Luna and Regulus would never again have a part of their family living with them.

 

"Ma petite lune, your mother—" Regulus can't finish the sentence before falling into a loud cry.

 

Luna realises. It's obvious that she realises, she's a very intelligent child for her age, she sees life the same way Pandora saw. So sweet, so innocent for that world. "My mother died, wasn't that it?"

 

Regulus takes the girl's hand. "I'm sorry— I'm sorry petite lune."

 

Luna cries scandalously, Regulus doesn't know what to do. He wanted to say that everything would be fine, but fuck, even he didn't know if this would happen. Regulus stands there, wiping the tears from Luna's eyes, holding her little hand, humming 'Si jamais j'oublie a song that Pandora always loved to listen to, no matter how melancholic it was, her friend always loved the song. Luna falls asleep in Regulus' arms at dawn.

 

Shit, he hadn't slept for more than seven hours. Without much strength Regulus leaves the girl sleeping serenely and leaves the room after a black coffee. As soon as he sees a coffee machine, Evan appears with a gloomy face on his face.

 

Regulus feels sad. Evan lost his twin brother, if losing a friend was already difficult, losing the person you shared the same place for nine months is a pain that Regulus will never feel. Evan throws himself on the floor next to Regulus, who in an attempt to empathize hands a cup of coffee to the blonde he accepts in silence.

 

They stay like this for long minutes, just Regulus and Evan enjoying a bitter coffee on that morbid January morning.

 

"They asked if we would donate her eyes." Evan says with a weak voice looking at Regulus. "Her fucking eyes. That's a very fucked up thing to say.”

 

Regulus feels his belly turning, he didn't feel like drinking his coffee anymore. "Luna cried until she fell asleep."

 

Evan sighed loudly. "I'm glad it was you who told, I—" he closes his eyes tightly. "I couldn't do it."

 

"The doctor said that Pandora asked Luna to stay with me." Regulus says without blinking, if Evan wanted Luna's custody he would give up. Evan is the girl's uncle, Regulus is just the godfather.

 

"Good. Good." Evan said finishing his coffee. "It makes sense, there is no one better to take care of Luna than you."

 

Regulus nods his head. "If you want to stay with her—"

 

"No. Pandora had a reason to choose you as her godfather, she trusted you with Luna." Evan spoke calmly. "I— I can't see her. Not now."

 

Regulus understood. Luna is Pandora's face, from her almost white hair to her penetrating blue eyes. He knows that Evan is not ready to see his niece, because Luna reminded Pandora in every single detail.

 

It's unfair. "All right. I'll take her home when she's discharged."

 

Evan got up. "Barty is taking care of the funeral with Dorcas, I think we should close the restaurant for a while."

 

Regulus sighs. "I'll let my uncle know."

 

"Thank you for everything Archie." Evan says in a sad smile.

 

Regulus doesn't answer.

 

 

Pandora's funeral was calm. Luna was holding Regulus' hand at all time, Evan couldn't even go to the end of the burial. Is Barty who guides him out of the place. Without many escapes, Regulus leaves a handful of lilies on top of his best friend's coffin and says goodbye to her forever.

 

The way to his apartment is made in silence. Luna was clinging to a teddy bear, while muttering a children's song to it. Regulus realises that the his goddaughter was anxious about the fact that they were driving, he realised it right away. It's obvious, Regulus was a cunning observer who could very quickly understand everyone around him, Luna is a child who just lost her mother in a car accident, just think a little more beyond the box for you to understand that she was afraid.

 

Regulus was too. His life would change in a way that he never thought would happen. Regulus never wanted children, children are noisy and make a lot of mess, Luna is the only child Regulus has had contact with in years. He didn't know what to feed Luna, or what time to make her sleep. Regulus had his routine, that he really liked to follow. He woke up early to go to the docks for fish and lobsters for the restaurant, so he went to the bakery because he really liked to have coffee and eat croissants with blackberry jam. He got home and organised his kitchen by colours, took a shower and went straight to the restaurant where he stayed until dawn, now with Luna everything changed, she had to go to school and fixed time to sleep. Regulus couldn't leave her alone all day, but he also didn't want to leave the girl with babysitters like his parents did all Regulus life.

 

"We're here." Regulus said opening the car door for Luna. The girl sighed loudly raising her arms for Regulus to take her in his lap. Regulus does, the girl still had her arm plastered and held that teddy bear all patched up with force. "Uncle Ev is going to pick up your things this weekend, do you want to order something specific?"

 

Luna raises her head to observe Regulus. "There's a picture in my room with mom."

 

Regulus nodded entering his building arranging Luna on his lap. "Okay, I'll let him know. Anything else?"

 

"My stuffed animals." Luna murmured, leaning her head on Regulus' shoulder again.

 

He goes up the stairs slowly, at that time Luna was already sleeping again. Regulus arrived on the fourth floor cursing when the door to the 3D apartment opened. Benjy something opens with a sweet smile on his face. Regulus didn't hate him, in fact he didn't even know him to hate on him, but Benjy had a very annoying habit of calling Regulus out every time they saw each other. Benjy was not an ugly man, he had short brown hair, he should be about three inches taller than Regulus, his skin is light and he has sparkling green eyes, the only problem is that Regulus was not looking for a relationship. In reality he never dated anyone and he was not very interested in dating Benjy, casual encounters were much easier for Regulus, Benjy was clearly not interested in just a casual fuck.

 

"Good morning Reg," Benjy says sweetly. "Is this your goddaughter?"

 

Regulus makes a silent yes. "Benjy—"

 

"Are you coming from the funeral?"

 

"Yes." Regulus says anxious about the possibility of Luna waking up. "Look, I need to go, she's tired. We'll talk later, can it be?"

 

Benjy nods his head. "Of course," he observes Luna with that empathetic look that Regulus hated when people do that, as if they understood the feeling of losing someone they loved. "Poor thing, it must not be easy for her, right?"

 

"It's not easy for anyone, especially for an eight-year-old child." Regulus says dry.

 

Benjy lets out a dull giggle. "Look, my children will spend the month of February with me. What do you think of Luna coming to play with them here?"

 

Regulus cringes, Benjy is very polite even after Regulus denies his requests for a date. Benjy didn't deserve to be treated that way. "I'll talk to her about it. Thank you for the help."

 

"Whenever you need it." Benjy says going back inside the apartment.

 

Regulus’ apartment was one floor above, Luna was still sleepy on his lap so his only option was to leave her sleeping in Regulus’ bed. His apartment had two bedrooms, but Luna didn’t want to sleep alone so Regulus chose to leave her sleeping with him for a while, until the girl’s room was ready. Evan said he would be away for the weekend, Alphard agreed to leave the restaurant closed for a few days, until Evan gets better and Regulus managed to adapt with Luna at home.

 

The kitchen remained intact, until Regulus began to prepare lunch. Did Luna like sea bass? He didn’t have anything edible for a child, in fact he didn’t even know what a children liked to eat. When he was younger his parents served adult food to Regulus and Sirius, he grew up eating fancy and chic food. Did Pandora cook different things for Luna? Shit, Regulus knew his friend, he knew that Pandora was a complete disaster in the kitchen. He starts by cleaning the fish, then the carrots and pods are cut. Maybe a pumpkin puree with cheese would be delicious, well Regulus thinks so. It was difficult for him to cook for himself, eating was never his favourite task, but for Luna he would do it.

 

Regulus would do anything to make Luna happy.

 

He kneads the cooked pumpkin with olive oil and salt, seasons the sea bass with mastery. It’s around one in the afternoon when Luna appears in the kitchen scratching her eyes and her teddy bear in her hands, Regulus smiles at for his goddaughter.

 

“Are you hungry?” Regulus asked setting the table for Luna to eat.

 

Luna shrugged. “Can I eat while I watch cartoons?”

 

“Petite lune why don’t we eat together at the table and then watch television?”

 

The girl doesn’t answer, she just gets on the chair and waits for Regulus’ food. The dish is put in the simplest way that Regulus could make, the fish is baked with lemon zest and a little black pepper. Luna observes the dish with a disgusted face.

 

Luna was disgusted with Regulus’ food.

 

For the first time in years a person doesn’t like his food. They were silent for thirty long minutes, Luna just watching the food while Regulus tried to eat in front of her showing that everything was fine.

 

It wasn’t good at all.

 

“I’m not hungry, can I watch television now?”

 

Regulus sighs defeated. “Of course. You can go.”

 

It would be long days.

 

...

 

It’s been five days since Regulus went to the restaurant. Luna didn’t talk much, most of the time she was locked in the room with her toys. Evan had passed earlier with some boxes of clothes and Pandora’s things, he didn’t stay long.

 

In the best words, Evan didn’t really feel like being close to Luna at that moment. Regulus knew that Evan saw Pandora in the girl, he also do that, and deep down Regulus understands Evan’s pain. Regulus also lost a brother, maybe not in the same way as Evan, but he understands more than anyone the lack of having him by his side really was. The only difference is that Sirius is alive, Pandora is not.

It’s a pain that doesn’t fit in the chest, it’s as if all day Regulus woke up with small paper cuts on his skin. It’s distressing to live in a world without Pandora.

Alphard had called earlier asking if Regulus was going to work tonight. Knowing that the restaurant was without a chef, Regulus just says he was going to work.


“Petite lune, I’ll have to work tonight.” Regulus says running his hand through Luna’s hair. “Can you be alone for a while?”


Luna played with her teddy bears in silence. "How long will you be out?"

 

"At most about three hours, can it be?" Regulus asks.


"It's okay." Luna says playing with her animals again.

Regulus hurries up taking his coat and leaving the house, he leaves some croissants on the table next to the blackberry jam. Before leaving he decides to stop by Benjy's apartment, just for him to take a look at Luna from time to time. Regulus really had no plans to stay out all night, just to help in the kitchen. Barty would need help, Dorcas too. There is no escape.

 

Regulus stops in front of Benjy's apartment hitting it twice, it doesn't take long for the brunette to appear with disheveled and wet hair.

 

"Oh, hello Reg, good night." He says with a smile on his face. "Is everything okay?"

 

"I'm going to the restaurant and I didn't want to leave Luna alone." Regulus spoke taking a deep breath. "I know it's last minute—"

 

"Don't worry, I'll stay with her." Benjy says interrupting Regulus.

 

Regulus closes his eyes tightly, not liking the words that would come out of his mouth. "Thank you. I owe you one."

 

Benjy arches his eyebrow. "How about a drink hm? I’ll pay."

 

Regulus sighs defeated, it's the least he should do. "It's okay."

 

"Great. We'll talk then!"

 

Regulus doesn't feel the need to answer. The way to the restaurant is done calmly, he was not very excited to go back to work. Not with Luna at home, but there were no escapes at that moment. Either Regulus returned or he lost his job, Alphard had already been quite understanding with the whole situation Regulus was in at the moment, and even though the restaurant was practically his, Alphard was still the owner.

 

In other words, Regulus had to follow his rules.

 

The restaurant was empty at that time, the kitchen was most likely already open. Dorcas receives Regulus with an anxious look. Something had happened.

 

“Archie, please don’t get mad.” She says guiding Regulus to the kitchen.

 

Regulus makes a face. “Did Barty cut any part of his body again?”

 

Dorcas denied with his head still guiding Regulus to the kitchen. “Worse. Much worse.”

 

Regulus still lost lets his friend take him to the kitchen. It’s as if a time bomb was about to explode.

 

There was one more person in the kitchen.

 

In Regulus’ kitchen.

 

The tall man danced exaggeratedly with Mary who laughed at every turn he gave. A totally annoying song was playing everywhere, Barty seemed to be anxious to see Regulus’ reaction with that unknown man.

 

“ABBA always cheers up anyone!” The man screams turning back, having the sight of Irritated Regulus stopped at the door. Now from the front he could see right who that man was. His skin is annoyingly too tanned, damn they lived in London it was sunny at least three days a year it’s impossible for that guy to have a perfect tan in winter! His hair was brown and very dishevelled, as if he had never cut his hair before. His apron was very colourful, which even gave Regulus a headache, it had a flower print, incredibly childish.

 

“Oh my God, you’re finally here!” The man says almost slipping on his own feet, he arrives with his hand extended to Regulus like a child. “I’m a big fan of yours! Seriously, it’s my dream to work here with you.”

 

Regulus studies the man from top to bottom, ignoring his handshake. “What the fuck are you?”

 

The man gave a dull laugh. “I’m James Potter, the new chef.”

 

“I’m the chef.” Regulus corrects him.

 

“I’m chef number two.” James shrugged.

 

“Who the fuck hired you?”

 

“Alphard.” James shrugged.

 

How can your uncle do that? It was outrageous! Regulus was replaced by a guy who wears a flower apron! His uncle can only be joking with his face, Regulus for a moment forgets how he breathes.

 

Having James there means that all his work would change. His team would have even numbers, they are Mary, Fabian, Gideon, Emmeline, Evan, Dorcas, Barty, James and Regulus. All the preparation would change, as well as the functions of each one. Barty was always in charge of cutting the meats, Gideon and Fabian stayed on the stove while Regulus and Evan plated, Dorcas, Emmeline and Mary were the waitresses. This is Regulus’ team, the people he was already used to working with, his uncle didn’t have the right to employ a random guy for Regulus’ work!

 

With strong steps he goes to Alphard’s office, he knew his uncle was at the restaurant today thanks to his car parked on the corner. Regulus doesn’t even knock on the door to enter, Alphard gets scared but soon his eyes falls on who entered the office so abruptly, he just smiles.

 

"I assume you've already met James." Alphard says, on his table there was a glass of whiskey.

 

Regulus closes his eyes counting to ten. "Send him away now."

 

"No."

 

"No?"

 

"Do you want to listen in French?" Alphard asks laughing weakly. “Non.”

 

“C'est mon restaurant! Il ne devrait pas être ici, à ma place!” Regulus screams angrily. (“This is my restaurant! He shouldn't be here, in my place!”)

 

His uncle rolls his eyes. “Vous étiez absent pendant une semaine, nous avions besoin d’un cuisinier. James est aussi qualifié que vous.” (“You were absent for a week, we needed a cook. James is as qualified as you.”)

 

Regulus feels attacked. “Personne n'est plus qualifié que moi." (“No one is more qualified than me.”)

 

Alphard gave a sincere laugh. “Well, James is.”

 

“I swear I’ll kill you!” Regulus exclaims angrily. “I’ll put poison in your whiskey while you’re not here.”

 

“You’re still the boss. See James only as your helper, a sub boss!”

 

“That doesn’t exist.”

 

“I just made it up.” Alphard says smiling little. “Reggie, we need him.”

 

Regulus crosses his arms annoyed. “My team is complete.”

 

Alphard denied it. “Evan asked for a longer break, you’re taking care of Pandora’s girl. We have to get help, and James is here to help us.”

 

“Evan?” Regulus says worried. The last time he saw his friend was a few days ago, when he came to leave Luna’s things in his apartment. They didn’t talk, Regulus didn’t want to be invasive, but now a wave of worry invaded his body. “What do you mean a break?”

 

Alphard crats his throat high, then taking the glass of whiskey to his mouth. “The boy is in mourning, he lost his sister. We have to give him a space to recover.”

 

“Barty didn’t say anything?”

 

“Only that Evan is going through the five phases of grief. He’ll be fine.”

 

Regulus sighs defeated. “If that man gets in my way, I’ll send him away.”

 

“It seems fair to me.” Alphard said smiling.

 

Regulus turns his feet’s returning to the kitchen. The loud sound had returned which deeply irritated Regulus, he was used to his classical music not to rock songs from the seventies. That kitchen looked more like a school ball from a very bad movie from the United States. It didn’t have the elegance or calmness that Regulus struggled so hard to have.

 

Mary went back to dancing with James, while Barty, Gideon and Fabian laughed, Dorcas was further away probably judging everyone and Emmeline is clapping for the dancer couple. Regulus decides to make James’ miserable life a hell, with a heavy steps, Regulus walks to the radio that was in the middle of the kitchen turning it off the electronic.

 

James stares at him with his mouth open. “Hey, we were listening to this!”

 

“This is a kitchen, not a ballad.” Regulus says annoyed. “Barty starts cutting the steaks, Gideon goes to the sauces, Fabian goes to the wine reduction. Potter,” Regulus says sharply. “You’ll get Evan’s tasks, so start arranging the dish presentations. In the meantime, I’ll stay in the desserts.”

 

James nods his head. “Have you seen my resume? I have specialisation in Italian cuisine, I can do—“

 

“Potter’s plates.” Regulus points to the counter. “That’s an order.” Barty laughed out loud. “Crouch,”

 

“Hmm?” Barty asks disinterested.

 

“You’ll stay up late cleaning the fish again.”

 

“Come on!” Barty complains. “I’ve been doing this all week, it’s Fabian’s turn.”

 

The redhead lets out a loud curse. “I did this for a whole month!”

 

Regulus rolls his eyes, dealing with his team is like dealing with spoiled and noisy children. “So the two stay up late to clean the fish.”

 

Without any more complaints they start silently to work. Regulus was busy enough with his crème burle to listen to his kitchen complaints. With the torch in hand, he begins to calmly melt the sugar.

 

Dorcas is the one who approaches, her uniform was the way Regulus always demanded to be. With the very tight tie and the skirt well ironed.

 

“How is Luna?” Dorcas asks taking Regulus’ attention from the dessert.

 

He sighs tiredly. “I’m trying my best, but she misses Panda.”

 

Dorcas gives a comfort look to Regulus. “What do you guys do?”

 

“She locks herself in the room, it’s very difficult to let me in. But some nights she has nightmares so we sleep together.” Regulus said turning his attention to the dessert in his hands. “And there’s one more thing

 

“What?”

 

“She doesn’t like my food.” Regulus spoke feeling the bitterness forming in his throat as he said those words. Everyone liked his food, except Luna.

 

“And what do you do for her to eat?”

 

“I made fish with pumpkin puree. I also cooked pasta with pesto sauce. Nothing!”

 

Dorcas laughed. “This is adult food.”

 

Regulus makes a face. “I grew up eating these things.”

 

“Well, you were raised to be a six-year-old adult. Luna, doesn’t.” Dorcas spoke as if it were obvious.

 

Of course! Pandora always said that she would never raise her daughter the same way her parents raised her. Regulus was sure that Pandora didn’t make this kind of food at home, but Regulus never wanted to learn how to make nuggets with macaroni cheese. He liked to make more elaborate foods than that.

 

Is it wrong to want Luna to eat that kind of food? God Regulus ate that all his life and didn’t die.

 

Well, saying that he ate is a very strong word. Obviously he wouldn’t force Luna to taste sea bass or eat meat with wine reduction, but he also didn’t want to make her eat foods like those.

 

What could Regulus do?

 

He doesn’t know what children like. He doesn’t know what Luna likes.

 

“But what do children like to eat?”

 

Dorcas shrugged. “Nuggets in dinosaur shape? I don’t know.”

 

“I can do that!” Regulus says more excited than he wanted. “It’s simple, chicken with a little wheat flour and spices. It’s not that difficult, is it?”

 

Dorcas laughed at Regulus. “I don’t know, who is the cook here is you.”

 

Regulus decides that he would do something for Luna to eat and be happy again.

 

...

 

It’s almost midnight when Regulus gets home, he went to the market to buy some ingredients to make Luna’s lunch. When he gets home there is nothing but silence, Benjy had left a note on the kitchen counter.

 

How about we go out for a drink next weekend?

 

Without much escape Regulus just sighs defeated by throwing his keys near note. He keeps his purchases the easiest way he finds.

 

The whole house was in complete darkness, but when Regulus arrives in the room he realises that Luna was lying on his bed with her stuffed animals next to her.

 

Regulus walks to the girl. “Ma pétit Lune, what are you doing awake?”

 

“I couldn’t sleep, I missed you.”

 

Regulus’ heart shats when he hears that. “All right. What do you think about having a hot chocolate before we go to sleep?”

 

Luna’s eyes shine. “Can I sleep with you?”

 

Regulus kisses the goddaughter’s forehead. “Of course, but you will choose only one animal to sleep with you.”

 

“My teddy bear, he always sleeps with me.”

 

“It’s okay.” Regulus says sighing tired. “I’ll make your hot chocolate then.”

 

The two go silently to the kitchen, Luna climbs on one of the chairs that were near the counter watching Regulus making the hot chocolate.

 

“Mom made hot chocolate whenever I was sad.”

 

“And was her chocolate good?”

 

“The best in the world!” Luna says opening her arms exaggeratedly. “I miss her.”

 

Regulus wanted to cry. “Me too, Pétit Lune, me too.”

 

“I wish she was here.”

 

“But she is. You can talk to your mother any time.”

 

“How?” Luna blinks her big blue eyes with curiosity.

 

Regulus takes one of the mugs to Luna. “When you feel sad, angry or happy. Close your eyes and talk to your mother in your head, think about her, her blue eyes, blonde hair, her strange clothes.”

 

Luna laughed. “I can do that.”

 

“Of course you can Lune, you can do whatever you want.”

 

She takes the hot chocolate to her mouth. “Hmm, it’s delicious.”

 

Regulus smiled when he heard that. “Better than your mother’s?”

 

Luna laughed.

 

How good it was to hear that sound.

 

“Impossible uncle Archie!” She screams.

 

They would be fine.

 

Regulus knew that now.

Forward
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