Black Rose [Regulus Black]

There was a very real possibility that Regulus had just entered heaven.

Heaven wasn't an endless sky with clouds for the land, as shown in the movies Alessandra and he watched together occasionally. Heaven was a brightly lit room with stacks and stacks of colorful bottles. Heaven was filled with strange yet euphoric combinations of scents that bombarded you but in a pleasant way.

Heaven was The Body Shop.

"I can't believe you've ever been to one of these before," Alessandra snickered when he sniffed a yellow bottle and closed his eyes in appreciation. "Surely they exist in the wizarding world. Don't tell me you've all gone without soap, that would be concerning."

"Of course we have soap," he was quick to defend. "We just use potions... Merlin, I had no idea that Muggles used these. How do they do it?"

"Chemistry."

"I beg your pardon?"

"They use chemistry... like you know how you have your potions ingredients? We have chemicals that react in certain ways and produce things that have... different tastes and smells."

"And these are not magic?"

"These are not magic," she confirmed.

His eyebrows knit together and he squinted at the yellow bottle in his hand. "So this is like... a nice-smelling potion?"

"Yes, but no magic."

"But how?"

"It just- it just is! Like, okay, in the magic world, people would've carried out experiments with spells and potions, right? Similarly, in our world, people just experimented with what they had — flowers and food and all that."

"Experiments," he repeated thoughtfully.

He turned to grab a new bottle — this one was purple — and smell it, and she pressed her lips together in mirth when he groaned slightly and his head tilted back. He looked like- like-

She turned around and shut her eyes, shoulders shaking with the effort to not laugh.

By the time she turned back around, he'd disappeared, and after a few seconds of looking around, she noticed him stumbling down the aisle in a dreamlike trance. He looked like a child in a sweetshop.

It was too funny for her too handle, and she allowed herself a giggle before walking around to take a look herself. Her fingers trailed assortments of containers - small bottles, large jars, all looking adorable and smelling absolutely delightful. A pang of longing hit her chest because it was all expensive - her budget had been so tight this month that she had to spend as less money as possible.

She exhaled loudly, not looking forward to the prospect of going back to her frigid apartment. She was definitely better off than a lot of people - everybody preferred a frigid apartment over no apartment at all - but thinking about the flaws in what she had still made her heart sink.

"Alessandra?" Regulus popped out from behind the aisle like some sort of genie in a bottle, causing her to startle. He held up a jar filled with vibrantly coloured, swirling cream. "What is this?"

"Body butter."

"Can you eat it?" he questioned, peering through the translucent container as though he was hoping to gauge its secrets from a single glance.

"I... don't think so."

He pouted and opened his mouth to say something, when they heard someone.

"Oh my God, Alessandra!"

Alessandra's eyebrows knit in confusion because she couldn't really remember who the voice belonged to, but judging by the way Regulus' eyebrows had jumped so far up they nearly reached his hairline, she ought to. She turned around to see a woman with red hair approaching them with a smile on her face, her hands full of small bottles of cream.

It took her a moment, but recognition bloomed within her and she grinned. "Lily! Hi!"

Regulus had tilted his head quizzically by then, precious body butter forgotten. "Evans."

"Oh, it's Potter now," she beamed. "I must say, this is an odd crossover I never saw happening. My childhood friend and my husband's best friend's brother? From different worlds? Wow."

"Oh, we're not- it's not like that," Alessandra laughed nervously, and from the corner of her eye, she could see Regulus frown.

"I've heard a lot about you guys from Sirius!"

"You have," Regulus intoned, nostrils flaring, and Alessandra discreetly hit him.

"Yes, it's wonderful that you guys are rekindling your bond."

At any other time, Alessandra would've admired Lily's lack of fear when it came to talking about things, but now, she felt like giant worms were crawling up and down her back and neck, and if she moved, they'd take a bite.

Can worms bite? Do they have teeth?

"It is."

Jesus Christ, could Regulus not muster normal conversation?

"So, what brings you here?" The smile was still plastered on Lily's face.

"Oh, I wanted to show Regulus the Body Shop. Did you know 

"Yeah, I've been there, but like... the experience just hits different here, you know?"

"I do, it's magical. In the metaphorical sense of course," Lily laughed. "What are you going to buy?"

They set off down the aisle, with Regulus in tow behind them looking like a surly bodyguard, his knuckles whitening around the jar of body butter in his hand that went from his source of joy to his stress ball.

"Oh, I have nothing in mind at the moment," Alessandra laughed, feeling compelled to defend herself. She knew that Petunia and Lily were very different, not just in looks but personality, and from her past experiences Lily wouldn't shame her for her level of income, but she was still a little wary of it. "How about you?"

"I was thinking of buying some as a Christmas gift for Peter. Have you met him?"

Alessandra choked back a laugh and behind them, Regulus snorted, and she turned to face them, puzzled.

"Oh, we've definitely met him," Regulus replied, catching up to them to walk beside them, and Alessandra lightly hit him on the arm once again. Yes, his suspicions were valid and so was his dislike for Peter, suspicions not included, but accusing Lily's friend of betrayal wasn't the best way to go about getting into her good books. Nobody would tolerate hearing someone else talk trash about their friend.

Lily's head snapped towards him and she narrowed her eyes, which had darkened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"We, um, ran into each other at a Muggle concert."

Lily opened her mouth to ask something, but thankfully, one of the many bottles in her hands toppled over, and she excused herself, saying that she would be back in a moment after getting a cart.

"What was that about?" Regulus asked incredulously once she was out of earshot.

"Didn't I tell you that we used to know each other?"

"No, why didn't you let me tell her about Peter?"

"Because, do you really think she'd believe us if we told her that her friend was a traitor?"

"She'd be stupid not to!"

"No, she'd be stupid to do that. Anybody who believes people they haen't seen in years over their close friend without evidence is stupid."

"So we need evidence then..." Regulus said thoughtfully, eyes far away.

"No, Regulus, we're not doing this right now. We're two people who are on a date at a wonderful, heavenly scented place. We are not wizards doing one old man's bidding to save ourselves and others from another man. We are going to be normal."

Regulus' shoulders slumped. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's understandable that you want to take Peter down. But, you can't always think about it 24 by 7, you'll go insane."

"I know, I know," he sighed. "It's just that while Peter stays there, he has more access to us, and that endangers us."

"Don't even remind me," she mumbled. "I don't think there's anything we can do at the moment about that. Maybe if we actually find a horcrux, we can prove that we're completely on their side and they'll listen to us."

"But that's going to take so long," frustration crossed his face.

"I know," it was her turn to say sadly, and she grasped his hand that wasn't holding the jar. "But there's not much we can do. Suffer now and reap the rewards later, you know?"

"But what if there is no later?" he blurted out.

A look of alarm crossed her face. "That is dark, don't say that! You'll jinx it."

"That's not how magic works. Jinxes require-"

"No, that's not- here, jinxes aren't spells. Jinxing something means that you're bringing bad luck on yourself. It's like saying you hope the weather will stay this good, but then it ends up raining heavily a few minutes later because you jinxed it, get it?"

"So, like, cursing your chances?"

"Exactly."

"Interesting. I didn't know Muggles could perform Divination."

"Like prophecies? No, it's just superstition."

"So, kind of like purebloods thinking that Muggles being around will wipe them off the face of the Earth."

She tilted her head, mulling it over. "Yes, but not to that great of a scale. Actually, if you think about racism..."

"Oh, isn't that similar to ours, but people discriminate based on skin colour?"

"Kind of. I mean, most people pass judgement on skin colour, but the real basis of it is race or ethnicity..." her voice trailed off. "How do you know about it anyways?"

Regulus' thumb played with the plastic wrap covering the lid of the jar nervously, as he replied. "I have a friend who was...interested in all that..."

That was one way of putting it. Barty had an entire phase where he made it his mission to know everything bad about the Muggles so he could justify it. Memories of Barty ranting in their dorm room that the Dark Lord wasn't wrong because Muggles themselves hated each other flooded his mind, and an unpleasant taste coated his mouth.

He was spared the pain of having to elaborate on his statement when Lily finally came back from Merlin knows where, all her products in a bag. They let go of each others' hands at that moment although Alessandra didn't miss Lily's eyes narrowing at their hands that were just millimeters apart. Thankfully, she didn't say anything.

"I'm back! Sorry, I billed them all because I need to leave. James nearly burnt down Sirius' apartment and they're both going at it like two angry children, so I need to mediate. We don't really have many alternatives at the moment, you see, so I'd rather not live in a house with two manchildren angry at each other."

"That's understandable," Alessandra snickered, because knowing Sirius, things were probably going to get out of hand. "Good luck."

"But, but, you guys want to come over for dinner one day to Sirius' apartment? W'd all love to get to know you better."

Regulus stayed silent and unmoving the entire time, like a rock, so Alessandra didn't know what to say. It would be awkward if she outright said no, so she tried to keep it vague. "Sure, we'll come around some time."

"Visit us for dinner next Sunday! We'll have settled in by then."

"Alright, see you!" Alessandra waved at Lily, who was backing away, eyes filled with uncertainty and a hint of concerned as she looked at Regulus.

Understandable, honestly. Regulus was still unmoving. What had gotten into him?

When Lily was out of sight, Alessandra turned to gawk at him. "What was that?"

"What was that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that you just agreed to go to dinner with her. What are you talking about?"

"The silence. God, Regulus, that was so awkward. Why didn't you say anything? I had no idea what to say to her about dinner because you were so... so blank. If I was her, I'd probably be scared for my life."

"It's alright, she's a Gryffindor. They're supposed to be brave."

"Do you not like her? What's the deal there?"

"I don't dislike her. I just think it's too soon and it'll be awkward."

"Yeah but wouldn't it be great if you got along with them all? Things are finally starting to clear up between you and Sirius, this is another step in that direction."

"It's still going too fast."

"I mean, if you want, we could just cancel, although it will be a little rude," she frowned. "I still think you should go. Break the ice between you all, put everything bad to rest and all that, you know? Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

"They could accuse us of being Death Eaters, potentially set up an ambush for us with Aurors waiting to send us to Azkaban. Even if they didn't do that, they have a target on their heads and Death Eaters may drop by to finish what they started, effectively killing us in the process but not before the Dark Lord tortures us so we're practically begging for Death as a way out."

She blinked. "It was- it was a rhetorical question."

"It was a hypothetical, reasonable answer," he countered. "So much can go wrong."

"I guess.. we just shouldn't go now. Although, I do have to ask - are you sure that's why you don't want to go?"

"Maybe not," he conceded. "But can you blame me? Ever since my brother's met them, I've been knocked down the list of people he cares about. It was so demoralizing sitting on another table and getting full view of him being so willing to spend time with other people when we spoke once a month. He didn't even care to ask about what subjects I took in third year."

"I get that," she replied. "We'll just say that we both have work that day, it'll make sense because I work in a restaurant and you work in a..." her voice trailed off as she tried to recall where he worked, and her eyes widened with guilt a moment later.

"You don't remember, do you?" he said dryly.

She grimaced. "Not at all, I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, I don't mention it that often."

"Right, because that's not what you really want to do." She wanted to slap herself the moment she said that. Why did she say that? Had Lily's lack of tact somehow rubbed off on her?

Thankfully, he didn't seem to mind. "One day, I'll get to do what I want to do."

"Yes, you will," she said firmly. "In the meantime, where is it that you work?"

⚜

"I am so glad that you've decided to go," Alessandra was gushing a week later. "It's admirable that you want to face them all together, I'm so proud, honestly."

Regulus cheeks pinked as she smoothed over his shirt. It was so odd hearing someone say that they were proud of him, because for as long as he remembered, he'd disappointed someone in one way or another. Some because he wasn't like his brother, others because they thought he would lean in his brother's direction.

Perhaps it was better to get that bloody git out of the way (he grudgingly adored said bloody git even though he wouldn't never admit it), and start living life as himself without the shadow of other people's expectations cast over him. Alessandra was right in a way - they were wrong in one way, he was wrong in another, but he had to admit: if his entire life, he'd been upset that Sirius never tried or that the Marauders were always taking his brother away, why should he complain if his brother was actively trying and so were his friends?

Wow, he sounded so mature. He was so mature. Here he was on a Saturday night, getting ready with his stunning, doting girlfriend to go have dinner at his best friend's brother's house. He was going to spend Sunday at said girlfriend's house, and then go back to a decent job on Monday morning while doing what he loved at night.

He could not stress, it sounded so mature.

He came back to Earth when he realised that there was utter silence. Alessandra was standing in front of him, hands pressed to her mouth, eyes shining and shoulders shaking, and for a second he thought she was crying but she was actually laughing.

"What?" he asked, bewildered.

"Nothing," she gently ran the knuckle of her index finger under her eye. "You're just so cute."

He frowned. "Not hot?"

She stuck her tongue out at him. "No, I'm just with you for your money."

That was funny, because he always felt insecure about other people wanting him only for status, but her casually joking about it didn't make him feel any worry at all. "And here I thought we had something special."

"No, you're just one of many."

"Friendly reminder, I am very capable of tracking people down and taking their lives away." 

"Friends? And here I thought we had something special," she pouted.

"We are special friends," his voice turned a little nasally at the end.

There was a pause, and then -

"I take that back, that was creepy."

"Yep. You sounded like a kidnapper in a children's story."

"I was going for my uncle when he was imitating my mother during balls."

"Well, he was on point." He winced, and she felt bad. Even though Walburga was...a bit of a...bloodsucker, she was still his mother. "Sorry."

"You aren't wrong," he mumbled. "Let's not talk about it, we already have a lot to deal with tonight."

"Don't worry," she dragged out the last syllable. "Everything will be fine!"

"Don't jinx it."

She gawked at him. "Did you just use my own magic against me?"

"All is fair in love and war."

She gasped and placed a hand over her heart, and he rolled his eyes, reaching to grab her hand. "All right, no need to be another Sirius. One of him is bad enough, but two of him? That too in the same night? I can not survive it."

She swatted him away and he held on tight, and the lights in her apartment flickered off as they Apparated, her gut twisting uncomfortably.

She would never get used to the sensation. She'd rather walk.

⚜

Alessandra was wrong.

This wasn't fine.

It was great. He never knew that having dinner could be so lively. At home, meals were eaten silently. Even in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, despite the din around him, he felt alone sitting at the table with the Slytherins.

Regulus could see why Sirius had instantly become friends with Potter. The two of them were equally as insane and immature, with Lily and Remus being the ones who had to calm them down.

"-but she said that I could!" James stabbed his fork down into the chicken.

"She was being sarcastic, James!" Lily argued. "Why would your leader want you to prod a dead body with your wand to check if the person was actually dead?"

"I don't know! It seemed like a good idea. I didn't think it would burst into flames."

"IT BURST INTO FLAMES?!" Lily shrieked, and Alessandra keeled over laughing.

"I don't know how he's made it to nineteen, I swear," Lupin said.

"I made it to twenty, Moony, aren't you proud of me?" Sirius beamed.

"It doesn't count, you're mentally five years old," Regulus interjected.

Sirius gasped and turned to Lupin. "Moon-moon! Look at him! He just insulted me! You can't let that go."

Alessandra came back up for air only to fall back down at the sound of Sirius' nickname for his friend.

Remus sighed, sipping his wine with a bored look on his face although his eyes were dancing with humor. "I disagree, Regulus."

"Thank you!"

"It's months, not years."

"WHAT?!"

James laughed and stuck out his tongue at his best friend, and Lily rolled her eyes. "You aren't any better. Don't remind me of that time you thought it would be a good idea to be a bikini model."

Regulus choked on his wine.

"You were the one who said people did small jobs for more diverse sources of income."

"And it was big. Very, very big..." Sirius mumbled, and Remus gagged.

"Jesus, Sirius."

"It seemed like a good idea at the time!" James remained undeterred.

"How?! Where is the logic?"

"Lily, babe, isn't it obvious? Don't you think everybody would go wild at the sight of this hot bod on display for everybody?"

There was pin drop silence and nearly everybody's faces had turned a light shade of green.

"I think I'm done with dinner," Regulus muttered, pushing his plate away, and everybody else but James followed suit.

"But guys!"

"I have pictures!" Sirius yelled gleefully, getting up and bolting in the direction of his room.

It was James' turn to look horrified, and he shot up out of his chair, running behind Sirius.

"Every day," Remus muttered.

"I feel like a baby sitter," Lily mumbled, rubbing her temples.

"I don't get paid enough for this."

"I don't get paid for this."

"But you get laid for this."

"It's still not enough."

Somehow, James managed to hear this from the other room. "Lilyflower!" he wailed. "How could you?"

There was a scream and a crash and a triumphant 'AHA!" and Sirius emerged from his room with an envelope in his hands, fighting off James who was clinging to him like a strangler fig.

Regulus leapt for the envelope the moment it was placed on the table, clumsily opening it to reveal-

"Oh my God," Alessandra choked, her stomach begging her for mercy because she'd already laughed too much.

"Oh my God," Lily muttered.

Remus remained silent.

"You look like a prostitute," Regulus sniggered.

Sirius looked horrified. "You're not supposed to know what they are! You're too little! How did you find out?!"

"Alessandra introduced them to me."

Yet another moment of silence.

"What?!" Lily asked, and it was Remus' turn to start cackling.

"REGULUS!" Alessandra yelped.

He only realised a moment later and turned a deep shade of crimson. "No, it's not like that."

"I'm sure," James said dryly, shoulders shaking, and Lily facepalmed.

"No need to deny it, Reggie," Sirius was positively wheezing with laughter at that point. "You've become a big boy," he ruffled Reg's hair.

Alessandra scowled at him and Regulus swatted his hand away.

Regulus liked the camaraderie.

⚜

"I can't believe we've been dating for a month now."

"I can't believe we're dating," Regulus blurted out, and then internally smacked himself. Thankfully, the Three Broomsticks was dim so nobody could see the bright shade of red he was sure his face had turned.

There was also the fact that there was barely anybody in the Three Broomsticks, because everybody was afraid of the Death Eaters now. He was also thankful for that - he planned on wiping everybody's memory of the two of them as they left because it was too dangerous. The rumours that would spread would probably get them both killed.

"Your faith in us is astounding, truly," Alessandra snickered.

"You know I didn't mean it like that."

"No, I get what you mean," she teased. "Your mother doesn't like me, you have a fiancée..."

"Let us not," he mumbled, picking up his bottle of Firewhisky and polishing the entire thing off in one go.

Alessandra wrinkled her nose. "I can't believe you like that...firewine."

"Firewhisky," he corrected. "It's an acquired taste. You build a liking for it years after you start."

"But...you're eighteen."

"It's been years in the making."

Her eyes widened in concern as she caught on. "Are you serious?"

He grinned at her. "No, I'm Regulus."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You know what I mean."

He raised his index finger and tapped her nose twice, and Alessandra took a sip of her Butterbeer to hide her smile. She liked normal Regulus, and she liked high Regulus, but slightly drunk Regulus was fun too. His voice was a little slurred, the syllables melting into each other in a way that were so smooth she shouldn't have found it hot. His grey eyes were wide and unusually expressive, the dark clouds clearing away to reveal pretty silver.

"I am going to take a leak," he drawled, and she choked on her Butterbeer.

"Take a leak?" she coughed, laughter spilling out of her between gasps.

"Yes." He staggered a little. "If I don't come back in five minutes, you can assume that I lost my way. Everything seems to be spinning."

She didn't even know what to do. It wasn't like she could follow him to the washroom like a bloody chaperone.

It's fine. The washrooms aren't very far away. What's the worst that could happen?

No less than a moment later, two men slid into the chairs opposite her. They looked slightly familiar but she couldn't quite place where she'd seen them.

"Sorry, that seat is taken," she said politely, taking another sip of her butterbeer. The firewine sucked but the butterbeer was good.

"We know," the man with blond hair said, a wolfish grin on his face. "By our friend."

Ah, so this was the worst that could happen. "Your friend," she repeated, trying to sound indifferent, but internally, she was begging Regulus to come back soon. She had no idea what he'd told these people or whether she'd ever met them before because they looked so familiar. "Who are you exactly?"

The blond one pouted. "I don't know what's more hurtful, that Reggie never told you about us or that you don't remember us."

So she had met them at one point. But where?

"You ran away from my mother," the blond one said slowly, trying to help jog her memory. "At the Lestranges' ball. Or was it the Malfoys'? Same thing."

Horror flared up within her as she remembered, followed by shame. Horror because her darling brother was looking at her but thankfully didn't know who she was, but shame because if she'd wanted a family for so long, shouldn't she have remembered what her family looked like now that she had found them?

"I was thinking of the time we met the Dark Lord at the Lestranges' ball," the other one frowned. "When did she run away from your mother?"

"Oh, I remember you now!" she pointed at Evan, internally praying to the deities above for Regulus to show up. "When did I run away from your mother though?"

"She said you ran away," Evan said uncertainly.

"Oh, no, I was in a hurry. I had to use the loo," she laughed, hoping she sounded formal enough. At least she didn't say she had to take a leak.

"I see," he replied slowly.

"You probably don't remember me because you were in awe of the Dark Lord the last time we'd met," the other one interjected, holding out his hand. "I'm Bartemius Crouch."

"Oh, one of the Sacred Twenty Eight!" she recalled from the information Reg had drilled into her mind.

"Yes," Bartemius smiled proudly, although it looked a little cold. "But, I'm one of the only members representing the Sacred well."

She had no idea what to say to that. What did that even mean?

Thankfully, Regulus arrived by then, walking with a light bounce in his step, and she'd never been more thankful to see him. "Regulus, look!" she called out, a smile so fake on her face her cheeks hurt. "It's your friends."

The lazy smile disappeared off his face. "What are you two doing here?" he asked sharply.

"Aren't you happy to see us?" Evan called. "We were keeping your girlfriend here entertained while you left her to go Merlin knows where."

"I'm not his girlfriend," she cut in.

"Right, so the matching rose tattoos are just decoration," Bartemius snorted.

For some reason, the name Bartemius did not seem to suit him. The name 'Bartemius' sounded so serious, but the boy himself was not. "Actually," she glared at him. "In America, we have a tradition of getting matching tattoos with dear friends of ours."

She just hoped that they wouldn't care to look into it. Hopefully, they'd have forgotten about her by the time they went home: it was somewhat likely because they both seemed drunk.

"Ohhhhhh," Evan said loudly, the echo of the sound in the silent pub causing her to flinch. "That makes so much sense. Reg has a fiancee, you see."

"I know," she said, trying her best not to grit her teeth.

"Oh, please, Evan," Bartemius was oblivious to the rising tension. "Do you really think that will stop him? Were you not there in Hogwarts when he was off snogging literally every female in the castle?"

She shrank into her seat as though she'd been struck, an uncomfortable heated sensation covering her like a hot blanket. The dig was made at Regulus, but it was her heart sinking. It was her heart that was forcibly being crushed at that moment and her skin that felt like it had shrunk so much that she felt like she was wrapped nauseously tight in clothes that didn't fit.

"Shut up, Barty," Regulus snapped. "You're offending my guest."

"Sorry," Barty (that sounded more like his name) pouted yet again, and Regulus looked like he very much wanted to punch that expression off his face.

"Alright, I think that's our cue to leave," Evan laughed nervously, the sound jarring in the thick tension surrounding them. He got up and tugged Barty along with him, who was grinning back at them like a maniac even as he was being dragged away. "Bye! Barty, say bye."

"Bye, Reggie's friend!" Barty sang. "I hope to see you soon."

She did not reciprocate the sentiment at all.

There was deathly silence as the door slammed shut and the bell tinkled, and nobody was in the Three Broomsticks now. The source of the tension had left, but the tension itself still remained, practically strangling Alessandra now. Regulus' expression was stony and she would not lie, it seemed like Regulus was itching to run back out there and punch his so-called 'friend' in the face.

She honetly would not mind if that happened.

"We should probably get going?" the statement came out as a question and she smiled nervously, her leg furiously tapping against the floor now.

"But we came here half an hour ago," Regulus frowned, but she didn't have it in her to cave today.

"Yeah, but I'd rather not stick around in case they decide to come back along with their other friends."

"Good point," Regulus nodded jerkily, holding out his slightly shaking hand to her. She didn't grab onto it because she was worried they'd both probably fall over. "I wiped most of the people's memories so it should be fine."

She smiled awkwardly at him as she walked out, arms wrapped around herself protectively, and he followed behind. His arm shot out to grab hers and she squeezed her eyes shut as they Apparated into her house, the pressure behind her eyelids making her wince.

"So, what now?" he said, tossing his jacket onto her sofa and flipping on the lights.

"I...don't know?" Why was everything she phrased as a statement coming out as a question?

Slightly drunk Regulus (or was it completely drunk Regulus? She wasn't sure where the line was) seemed very open, for he leaned forward and wrapped her in a hug. She inhaled in surprise - this was a first. Usually, he seemed so hesitant to make contact with her.

Unsure of herself, she wrapped her arms around him and they swayed lightly in her living room. He smelled strongly of Firewhisky but there was a hint of the magnolia cream he'd bought from the Body Shop, and a light smile crossed her face at that scent.

"Ignore what Barty said, he's a bloody prat."

"I know, I know, I just..." she exhaled. "I don't know."

His arm rubbed soothing circles against her lower back, and she could hear him take in a breath to say something to her.

"I'm tired."

She was crestfallen at that, which was silly, because how could she be upset that someone was tired? It was absurd.

"Would you like me to tell you a bedtime story?" she teased.

"Yes."

"Oh. I was joking."

"Kreacher used to tell me bedtime stories," he mumbled into her ear and they were now turning slowly, like an unsteady top.

"Oh, which was your favourite?"

"Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump."

She burst into laughter. "I'm sorry, who and her what?"

"Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump," his voice had taken on a childlike wonder. "It's one of the most popular."

"Never heard of it."

"Makes sense. It has magic."

"Hey, our bedtime stories have magic too!" she replied, not sure why she was so worked up over fairytales.

"Really?" he pulled back to look at her. "But you guys aren't supposed to know about magic."

"I mean, we don't. We know about a magic, just not your magic. The magic in our stories is different. Less elaborate, you know?"

"Tell me your favourite one," he demanded. "And I'll tell you mine."

"Okay, so... once upon a time there was once a Queen. It was the middle of the winter and she was sitting outside, admiring the landscape, and she thought to herself, 'If only I had a child with skin as pale as snow, lips as red as blood and hair as black as ebony.'..."

"...she always asked, and the answer would always be the same..."

"...offered her an apple this time..."

"...and Snow White and her prince lived happily ever after."

"It's not as insane as I thought it would be," Regulus murmured sleepily. By then, they'd shifted to the couch, him draped across the couch and her perched on the armrest by his head. "The magic is actually accurate."

"Really? Even the mirrors?"

"Especially the mirrors. They have those in the Leaky Cauldron. There's even two-way mirrors, where the owners of the two mirrors can keep track of each other."

"That's actually so cool," she said. "It's like a telephone, but you can see each other."

A light snore came in response, and she looked down to see him fast asleep, his hands folded over a pillow and face appearing unbothered. His lips were pressed together and he looked almost solemn, and she would've admired the view if it weren't for all the doubts running through her head. Bartemius' words had affected her more than she cared to admit.

What if it was too good to be true? What if she thought what they had was real but in reality she was actually the other woman? Worse, what if this was an elaborate plot to get her to fall in to the Death Eaters' clutches?

She knew she had to trust him but having that much blind trust was not smart.

She shook her head to clear the fog and got a blanket to drape over him. She turned off the lights, went to her room and locked the door before going to sleep.

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