Caershire of the Crows
As the cold January air touched his face, Regulus' eyes distantly travelled from Hedwyn to the people gathered in the square. As the words of the long-awaited speech left Hedwyn's lips, Regulus made sure to analyse the reactions of the crowd.
His husband spoke of fresh opportunities, and the people nodded in agreement, of new chances for the disenfranchised — the werewolves, vampires, and other creatures or beings — and they applauded.
Shop owners, teachers, and healers smiled brightly as words of liberation from the Ministry’s shackles were spoken. Regulus had to stifle a laugh, noticing how everyone overlooked the fact that Hedwyn was also part of the Ministry.
With his ears too accustomed to Hedwyn's speech, as the man had spent a week rehearsing it over and over, Regulus focused solely on the people before him. He glanced at his parents and grandparents, who were trying their best not to grimace at the vampires with blood bags in hand.
A fidgeting Severus Snape caught his eye, drawing his attention to the potioneer’s gaze, which lingered on the Potters, or on a more specific member of the family. Regulus resisted the urge to roll his eyes, mindful of the people around him who might notice the act. He nearly considered hexing Snape, not out of any protectiveness for Lily Potter, but simply because he knew that both Hedwyn and James would be far from pleased with the attention Snape was paying her.
Thankfully, Snape seemed to sense someone watching him, and his gaze flicked to Regulus, one eyebrow raised in suspicion.
Regulus tilted his head to the left, towards the Potters, and lightly shook his head at Snape.
The man pursed his lips and looked away, but Regulus did not bother with the Potions Master's lack of decorum and simply enjoyed his small victory.
His gaze returned to Hedwyn, following the man’s hands as he made the most politician-like gestures: open arms, a right hand over the heart, and sweeping motions towards the shops and houses. Everything Hedwyn did to charm the crowd was an odd sort of amusement to him. For someone who frequently criticised the Wizengamot, his husband was quite the politician.
As he felt Hedwyn moving his speech towards its conclusion, Regulus allowed himself to focus again on the words his husband was delivering with a smile.
"Caershire will forever be a place where magical beings of all kinds may find a home." The beings seemed most enthusiastic about this part, for reasons Regulus had come to understand better as Hedwyn ensured he knew just how dire life was for non-humans.
It was still slightly uncomfortable to acknowledge how ignorant he had been on the matters of interracial relations, an irk in the back of his mind.
He did blame his ignorance on his parents, to some extent. There was the fact that Orion and Walburga had also been raised in the same environment as him, but the easy acceptance of the status quo was the part that annoyed Regulus the most.
The fog of myopia in which purebloods kept themselves was hardly an excuse for their lack of will when it came to matters beyond their privileged lives.
“Together,” Hedwyn's voice rang through the square, the man's tone filled with certainty. “Together is how we will remain strong. Caershire is and will always be our safe haven, and no one will ever take that from us.”
The crowd cheered as Hedwyn's speech came to an end, with shouts, clapping, and overall praises for the Black-Peverell couple. Regulus took his husband's hand, and the two of them waved to the crowd, with Regulus giving them his best poised smile.
The couple left the small platform build for the speech and walked towards the area we're they would meet their families. When Regulus' grandparents then joined them, as well as the Potters, they began to walk.
It took some time for them to leave the square, however, as many people wanted a chance to speak with the couple responsible for revitalising the country. Humans and beings, both old and young, gathered around them to thank Regulus and Hedwyn for building a community where greater freedom was granted to those who had been persecuted in the past.
They spoke to so many people in such a short amount of time — between Hedwyn ending his speech and them leaving for the area where most buildings were located — that Regulus had been unable to remember a single name or face.
Thankfully, people seemed to realise there was much to be done in terms of organising their new homes or businesses, and quickly dispersed from the circle that had formed around the couple and their families.
“Hopefully, by the end of the week, people will be settled, yes?” asked Arcturus when they began to walk towards the area where most of the shops were
“Hopefully,” said Hedwyn, already leading their group to the market square. “I also hope we won’t be met with a crowd of people every time we come to the village,” he mumbled. “But I do think most people will have everything ready by the end of the week, indeed, Arcturus,” he told the man with a smile and continued, “Though I suspect most will have everything sorted before then. People are very excited, so I doubt they will take long to get comfortable.”
Regulus did not look back to see his grandfather's reaction, but he could tell the old man was pleased. After all, with everyone settled, Caershire could begin to function as a real and thriving community, which meant more and more influence for their family as the people experienced a freer and more magical life.
The group was about to enter the street where some of the shops where when Melania announced she wished to see the new school because, as the woman herself said, “If my future grandchildren are to study here, then I'll have to be sure the school is up to standard. My standards.”
Hedwyn blushed at the mention of children, causing James and Charlus to snicker. He sent both men a glare, but, with his face still red from embarrassment, he looked more akin to a shy boy than an angry man.
Lily rolled her eyes at the scene, though a small smile played on her lips, and told Melania that she also wished to see the school. The group then divided in two and went on towards the school.
Regulus chuckled as he watched Charlus throw an arm around a startled Orion, guiding the group to where the school was.
He waved at Castor, who sat in the pram Fleamont was pushing, and laughed as the baby let out a loud squeal.
The couple then began their stroll towards the new shops of the village. Most of the buildings they saw in the distance were still closed, as the owners had yet to open their shops to welcome customers.
“Do you think we'll have to be here for long?” Hedwyn asked in a whisper, pointing to a vampire couple who were making out beneath a tree. Regulus shook his head at his husband's antics but said, “Just for an hour or two, love. I want to look around to see if everything is as it should be.”
He should have realised Hedwyn would be tired of all the socialising. It still amazed him, though. One would think anyone would be eager to stay in a place they had founded themselves, but, alas, Hedwyn was not that kind of person.
The two of them walked past a building with plants, flowers, and roots growing all around it. “Longbottoms,” Hedwyn muttered, to which Regulus gave him a nod. It was truly something else, as the building had been quite bare just a few hours ago. If the Longbottoms were that skilled in Herbology, then Caershire was in good hands in terms of supplies.
There was also a new Ollivanders, which was necessary since non-humans also needed wands to perform magic.
“Mr Ollivander will have competition, though,” said Regulus, pointing to a tall shop with large, uneven windows, its frame tilted precariously to the left. It looked oddly whimsical, as though it had sprung straight out of a storybook, with mismatched shingles and a faded sign creaking softly in the breeze.
Eldric's Eldritch Wands was a well-known shop for those who ventured to Knockturn Alley, which explained the dark energy lingering around the shop. And with the new Dark Arts course at Hogwarts, Regulus assumed many students would be visiting Eldric Thornhill's shop to get their wands.
'Maybe our children will get their wands there too,' Regulus couldn't help but think.
He glanced at Hedwyn, who was inspecting a shop that sold elixirs and other concoctions, and wondered if his husband would want a family soon. Regulus knew they were young, of course, but it wasn't uncommon for wixens to have children before the age of twenty-five.
'A talk for later, then.'
The two men continued their walk, waving and greeting people as they passed.
When an unassuming shop came into view, with its dark wooden façade, sparse windows, and a sign depicting a potion bottle hanging above the door, Regulus noticed Hedwyn glaring at the building.
Regulus even asked his husband why he still refused to let go of his feud with the shop's owner, but the man only scoffed.
As they passed by Prince's Potions, Hedwyn's face twisted into a scowl, and he kept muttering insults about a “bloody crooked-nose bastard” inside the shop. Regulus merely rolled his eyes and told his husband to hurry up and walk, something Hedwyn was more than glad to do.
The stroll through the streets and alleys of the village, accompanied by praises from all kinds of people, eased a tension Regulus hadn’t even realised he was carrying. Quiet hellos from small vampires and warm hugs from elderly folk were responsible for the new, more sincere smile plastered on Regulus' face.
It wasn’t just Regulus who was affected by the praise, however. Judging by the way Hedwyn stopped for every elderly person and child who came to thank them, it was clear that his husband was no longer finding the walk tiresome. Regulus wasn’t sure which interaction was responsible for Hedwyn’s change of heart, but he was certain it had more to do with his husband’s inability to resist helping those in need.
In a clearing with trees in the distance, where most centaurs were expected to live, the two stopped for a moment to enjoy the cool air that came with the evening.
Regulus' eyes were closed when he felt Hedwyn take his hand and place a kiss on his palm. He smiled. The warmth from the man’s lips lingered as Hedwyn interlaced their fingers—or perhaps his enamoured mind was simply playing tricks on him. Either way, he couldn’t bring himself to care.
They stayed in the clearing until Hedwyn began to walk again. Half-empty houses and shops, crowds that Disapparated and Apparated as people returned to their old homes to fetch more of their belongings—these were sights that seemed to have become a regular part of life in Caershire, even if only for a little while, as people continued to settle in.
“I never thought I would be part of something this incredible,” said Hedwyn. The calm smile on his face warmed Regulus, even if his husband’s words carried a faint note of self-deprecation. Or perhaps he was imagining it. It was hard to tell with Hedwyn, whose confidence always seemed tinged with a subtle uncertainty when they were alone.
“I never doubted you,” Regulus replied, his tone steady and unwavering.
On their way back to the village’s main square, they were stopped by a man carrying a large carnivorous plant with thin, sharp-looking teeth.
Hedwyn masked his surprise when the man introduced himself as “Frank Longbottom, co-owner of the best Herbology shop in the entire village."
It was evident, however, from the casual way Hedwyn spoke to Frank about the Longbottoms’ shop that he was genuinely pleased to see him. The knowledge of what would have happened to Frank and his wife if Voldemort hadn’t been defeated early was another reason Hedwyn’s tone was so warm.
Frank eventually excused himself, saying he “ought to go back before Alice comes looking for me,” and Regulus and Hedwyn continued their stroll through the village they had built together.
“Why the smug look?” Hedwyn asked, noticing the way his husband held his head high, his eyes shining with pride.
“We made this a real place, darling. I think I’ve earned the right to look proud.”
Hedwyn gave a quiet laugh, but there was no hiding the satisfaction in his gaze as he looked at Regulus.
“I never thought you’d be the type to enjoy being adored,” he teased.
Regulus tilted his head, his lips curving into a sly smile. “Perhaps I’ve just learnt to appreciate the finer things in life. And I did marry you, didn’t I?”
Hedwyn chuckled, shaking his head, but the fondness in his expression was unmistakable. As they approached the square, where the distant hum of villagers’ voices echoed, Hedwyn squeezed Regulus’ hand and murmured, “I hope you know none of this would have been possible without you.”
Regulus paused, his expression softening as he looked at his husband. “And I hope you know I wouldn’t have done any of it without you.”
For a moment, the world seemed to fade, leaving just the two of them standing amidst the people whose lives were now changed thanks to them. The square beckoned in the distance, but Regulus found himself wishing to linger in this fleeting moment of shared triumph.