James pinched the bridge of his nose. “Regulus, you’ve been dizzy and nauseous for weeks. And unless you’ve been secretly poisoning yourself already—which, knowing you, is a possibility—you might want to consider another explanation.”
Regulus scoffed. “It’s stress.”
Molly, who had conveniently elbowed her way to the front of the crowd, perked up immediately.
“Now, now, dear, I’ve had enough babies to recognize the signs when I see them,” she said, maternal authority fully engaged. “Come, let me check.”
“What? No—” Regulus tried to step back, but Molly was already ushering her into a nearby chair.
“Oh, hush, dear, this won’t take but a moment. Four boys, I know exactly what I’m doing.”
“Five,” Arthur called helpfully from somewhere in the background.
“Yes, yes, five,” Molly waved him off as she pulled Regulus into an isolated room. It was a guest bedroom, one Regulus had been sleeping in since her fight with James.
------
James, Sirius, and Lily stood outside the door, waiting. Both men were extremely anxious, fidgeting with their fingers. Sirius had actually stood at the door in hopes of eavesdropping but was pulled back by Lily.
"What?!" Sirius hissed. "I just want to hear!"
Lily rolled her eyes, not letting him go. "There's a reason Molly took her inside, she doesn't want you prying."
"I'm her brother, I can pry all I want."
"Regulus does not see it like that," James blurted out. He immediately froze when he saw Sirius's hurt face. "Sorry-sorry, your sister is bad influence--sorry I did not mean that! I meant, Regulus thinks that you hate her and that you don't see her as family."
"James, you cannot just blurt things out like that!" Lily snapped at James, leveling him with a glare.
Sirius recoiled, eyes darkening. “That’s not true,” he said, but there was no fire in his voice, only something raw and wounded.
Lily sighed, loosening her grip on his sleeve. “I know that. James knows that. But Regulus? She's always been… different about family."
“She’s a Black,” Sirius muttered, voice heavy with bitterness. “They all think like that.”
James hesitated, exchanging a glance with Lily.
“A Potter too. But remember, she stayed here, didn’t she?” He nudged Sirius lightly. “Regulus didn’t go back to them, even when she could have.”
Lily nodded, her gaze steady. “You’re her big brother, Sirius. Sometimes, it falls on the eldest to set aside their pride and take the first step.”
Sirius clenched his jaw. He knew that, of course he did. But knowing and believing were different things.
Before anyone could say another word, the door creaked open. Molly stood there watching them.
“She wants to see you,” she said.
Sirius stiffened. “Me?”
Molly sighed. “Yes."
Lily and James barely had a second to react before Sirius was already moving, pushing past Molly into the room beyond and closed the door behind him.
His sister sat on the bed, her hands twisted together in her lap. She looked up as he entered, and for the first time in years, Sirius saw something he hadn't seen since they were children.
Hesitation. Uncertainty. A flicker of hope.
“Sirius,” she said, voice soft.
And just like that, everything else fell away.
Sirius swallowed hard, stepping closer. He didn’t know what to say, how to start, and for once, his usual bravado failed him. They basked in silence for a few moments.
Regulus exhaled shakily, fingers curling into the fabric of her skirt. “You don’t have to pretend,” she murmured, not meeting his eyes. “I know you don’t want me as family anymore.”
Sirius stiffened. “That’s not true—”
“It’s true,” she interrupted, voice tight. “And I get it, I do. I stayed too long. I didn’t leave when you did. I was a coward, but despite everything, I love them and want to be a good daughter.”
Sirius opened his mouth, but she kept going, words spilling out as if she’d been holding them in for too long.
“James and I fought. He doesn't trust me. He thinks I don’t trust him. Maybe I don’t. Maybe I don’t know how to. And now I’m—” Her breath hitched. “I’m pregnant.”
Sirius stared, feeling as though the air had been knocked out of him.
Regulus let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I should.”
For a long moment, Sirius said nothing. Then, finally, he moved, lowering himself to sit beside her.
“Reg,” he said, quiet but firm.
She tensed, but he reached out, hesitating for only a second before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She was thinner than he remembered, smaller somehow.
“You’re not alone,” he murmured. “Not in this.”
Regulus swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around his sleeve. “But I—”
Sirius shook his head. “No buts. You’re my sister. And yeah, maybe we’ve been bloody awful at being family, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try now.”
She let out a shuddering breath, closing her eyes. “You don’t hate me?”
“Never,” he said, and for the first time in years, he knew he meant it.
Regulus gave a shaky nod. "It hurt me, y'know?"
"Hm?"
"During the wedding, when you weren't with me."
Sirius felt his heart shatter.
He watched his sister speak in that distant tone, her eyes hollow and unfocused. Regulus had always been the more expressive of the two—she felt too much, cried too much, cared too much. At least, that was what mother—no—what Walburga had said. Too sensitive. Too dramatic. Too wrong. And so, little by little, that part of her had been beaten out, smothered beneath cold expectations and punishments until she became a ghost of the girl he once knew.
Sirius couldn’t even remember the last time he had seen her truly smile.
"I'm so sorry," he blurted out, his voice cracking. "I thought—I thought you didn’t want to speak to me anymore. I didn’t—”
Regulus cut him off. “Can I tell you something?” Her voice was quiet, but there was a weight to it, like she had been holding these words in for too long. “I’ve never told anyone before.”
Sirius nodded numbly.
Regulus took a shaky breath, her fingers twisting together in her lap.
“It’s hard for me to feel,” she murmured. “Sometimes, I feel too much. Like everything is pressing in, too loud, too sharp, and I can’t breathe. I have to get away before I—before I break.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “But other times, there’s nothing. Just… numbness. Like I’m watching everything from behind glass. And that scares me.”
She hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper. “Maybe it means I’m bad or that something is wrong with me. I can't bring a baby into my mess.”
Regulus let out a shaky breath, eyes flickering toward Sirius but not quite meeting his gaze. “What if they end up like me? What if I can’t love them properly? What if I push them away without meaning to?”
Carefully, he reached out, resting a hand over hers.
“Reg,” he said softly, “you’re not our parents. Never, no one can be as cruel as those monsters.”
Regulus let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “Aren’t I? Cold. Distant. Closed off. Isn’t that what I’ve become?”
Sirius shook his head firmly.
“No. You care, even when it hurts. You’re scared because you want to do this right. That already makes you different from them. Y-you took the first step in speaking with me again, when it was supposed to me who does so.” His grip tightened slightly, anchoring her. “And you won’t be doing this alone. You have James. You have me. You're my baby sister.”
Regulus scrunched her nose. "Don't call me that."
Sirius couldn't help but coo. "But isn't it true, my star?"
======
They stayed like that, holding onto each other, as if the years of silence and distance could be erased in this single embrace.
After a long while, the door creaked open, and James peeked in, looking hesitant. "Er—everything alright?"
Regulus and Sirius didn’t let go of each other, but Sirius turned his head slightly toward James. “We’re okay.”
James let out a relieved breath, a small, crooked smile tugging at his lips. “Good, because Molly’s about to burst if we don’t let her back in.”
Regulus huffed out something that might have been a laugh, and Sirius finally loosened his grip, nudging her lightly. “Ready?”
Regulus hesitated for only a moment before nodding.
And so, they stepped back out into the sitting room, where Molly, Lily, and the rest of the Weasleys were waiting. The moment they entered, Molly clapped her hands together, eyes twinkling with excitement.
“Well? Go on, dear, tell them!”
Regulus swallowed, glancing at Sirius, who gave her an encouraging nod. Then, taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin and said, “I’m pregnant.”
The reaction was instant—Lily let out a delighted squeal and Arthur beamed proudly. Dumbledore offered a smile.
"Baby!" One of the twins cheered.
Percy bobbed his head. "A baby is gr-growing in the womb. 9 months and it comes out." He lectured his siblings.
"No care! Baby!"
James practically vibrated with excitement, his eyes wide with wonder as he processed the words again.
"I'm—I'm going to be a father!" His voice cracked slightly, but he didn't care. His whole body jolted into motion as he lunged forward, sweeping Regulus into an exuberant hug and nearly knocking them both over.
“Baby! I’m having a baby! Merlin’s beard, I can’t believe it!” He pulled back just enough to look at Regulus, his hands still gripping her arms. “We’re having a baby!”
James was practically bouncing on his heels, his excitement impossible to contain. He spun around, grabbing Sirius by the shoulders and shaking him. “Pads! I’m going to be a dad!”
Sirius snorted, prying James’s hands off him. “Yeah, Prongs, I caught that part.” He shot a look at Regulus, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Guess that makes me Uncle Padfoot.”
Slughorn, who had been comfortably nestled into an armchair with a glass of mead, let out a booming laugh.
"My dear girl—what splendid news!" He hauled himself up with surprising agility for a man of his stature and bustled over, clasping Regulus's hands in his own. "I always knew you were destined for greatness, but this—ah! This is legacy! A Black and a Potter, what a fine lineage indeed!"
Regulus, a bit overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, merely nodded, though there was a ghost of a smile on her lips.
Slughorn, undeterred, turned to the room at large. "Did I ever tell you all? Regulus was one of my brightest, most promising students! Such talent, such refinement—if only she had joined the Slug Club a bit more, but ah, I digress! Truly, I cannot imagine a finer parent!"
Sirius rolled his eyes but was grinning all the same. "Careful, Sluggy, if you keep that up, Reggie’s head might get as big as James’s."
Dumbledore laughed. "And, I suppose that means no more poison for you, Regulus?"
Regulus barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. "It seems so. I'll work on a different project."
Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled with amusement as he regarded Regulus over the rims of his half-moon spectacles. “A wise choice, I’m sure. Though I must admit, I always found your work in potions rather fascinating. Horace spoke of your talent often.”
Slughorn puffed up with pride, nodding enthusiastically. “Oh, indeed, indeed! Such a gifted student! Precise, methodical—why, if only you had come to more of my gatherings, Regulus, I daresay you would have had half the wizarding world at your feet by now!”
Regulus pressed her lips together, glancing briefly at Sirius, who was barely holding back an eye roll.
Instead of answering Slughorn’s usual lament, she simply said, “I suppose I was busy with other matters.”
Dumbledore’s expression remained serene, but there was an unmistakable knowingness in his gaze.
“Yes,” he said softly, “I imagine you were.”
Slughorn beamed, looking at Regulus as if he had orchestrated the moment himself. “Ah, just as I thought! Two brilliant minds, Miss Evans and yourself, working together! Why, with your talents combined, I daresay you could revolutionize the field of potioneering! Perhaps even—”
“Horace,” Dumbledore interjected mildly, “let them at least finish their tea before you assign them to greatness.”
Lily laughed, shaking her head. “I’d love to work on something together, Regulus. It’s been ages since I had a partner who actually keeps up with me.”
Regulus raised a brow, unimpressed. “I’m not interested in coddling you if you fall behind, Evans.”
Lily’s grin widened. “Good. Neither am I.”
James, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, let out a short huff of laughter, though his posture remained stiff. He caught Regulus’s eye for the briefest of moments before looking away, rubbing the back of his neck.
Lily noticed, of course—she always noticed—but instead of pushing, she simply reached out and squeezed James’s hand briefly before turning her attention back to Regulus.
“Do you know how far along you are?” she asked, her voice gentle.
“Not long,” Regulus admitted. “A few weeks.”
“How delightful!” Slughorn clapped his hands, already bubbling with ideas. “Oh, the potions we must discuss! A delicate matter, of course, but there are remedies, fortifications—Lily, you’ll be an excellent help in this regard—”
Lily nodded eagerly, her expression softening as she looked at Regulus. “If you ever need anything—anything at all—just let me know, alright?”
Regulus hesitated, unaccustomed to such open offers of support. But something about Lily’s sincerity made it difficult to deflect.
After a moment, she nodded. “Alright.”
For a moment, the room quieted, as if the weight of the past had settled over them all.
Then Sirius, ever one to break an uncomfortable silence, clapped his hands together. “Well! No more poisoning yourself, a baby on the way, and an overgrown slug already preparing to recruit said baby into his little club—”
“My dear boy, I take offense to that comparison,” Slughorn huffed, though he was clearly more amused than insulted.
“—which means,” Sirius continued, ignoring him, “it’s time to celebrate. Molly, where’s that cake you made?”
Molly, momentarily distracted by her fretting over Regulus’s health, perked up. “Oh! Yes, of course! I’ll fetch it.”
As she bustled off, the tension in the room eased, and conversation resumed, though James remained somewhat quiet. He was standing slightly apart, arms crossed, lips pressed together in thought.
Regulus noticed, and for a brief moment, she considered ignoring it. Let the argument from earlier stay buried. But then, with a sigh, she stepped closer, tilting her head toward him. “James.”
He blinked, turning his gaze to her, searching her expression. “Yeah?”
Regulus hesitated, then softened, her voice quieter. “We’ll talk later.”
James exhaled, something in his shoulders loosening.
He nodded. “Yeah. Later.”
