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Meeting Walburga

Regulus brings Harry to meet his grandmother

[Regulus Black x Fem Potter! reader]

word count: 785

warnings: hurt/comfort, Walburga being a meanie to Harry

-

Regulus wasn’t entirely sure why he agreed to this.

It was a terrible idea. He knew that. Y/N knew that. Even Kreacher, who had loyally followed him into this new life, had given him a wary look when he mentioned visiting 12 Grimmauld Place.

Yet, here they were.

Harry held Regulus’ hand tightly as they stood outside the Black family’s ancestral home. The looming townhouse was as dark and unwelcoming as ever, its iron-wrought serpent door knocker glinting in the dim London light. Regulus exhaled sharply, tightening his grip on his son’s small hand.

“Stay close to me,” he murmured.

Harry nodded, his green eyes wide as he stared up at the tall building. “Are you sure she won’t like… hex me?” he whispered, only half-joking.

Regulus almost smirked. She would if she could.

Instead, he knocked.

The door swung open almost immediately, revealing Kreacher. His large, bat-like ears twitched as he looked down at Harry. For a long moment, he was silent, his expression unreadable. Then, to Harry’s surprise, the elf bowed low.

“Master Regulus,” he croaked. “Young Master Potter.”

Harry’s eyebrows shot up. Master Potter? No one had ever called him that before.

Regulus gave a curt nod, stepping inside and ushering Harry in after him. The house smelled the same—dust, old magic, and a hint of something burning in the fireplace. The walls were lined with dark portraits, and Harry nearly jumped as one of them moved.

But before he could get a proper look, a voice rang through the house—sharp, commanding, and dripping with disdain.

“Regulus.”

Harry turned toward the voice and saw her.

Walburga Black stood at the foot of the grand staircase, dressed in deep emerald green. Her sharp features were set in stone, her dark eyes taking in her son before shifting to Harry.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

Regulus straightened his shoulders, his grip on Harry’s hand firm. “Mother.”

Walburga’s lips thinned as her gaze swept over Harry like he was an insect. “So,” she said slowly, coldly. “This is what you’ve been reduced to. Raising a half-blood.”

Harry stiffened, instinctively stepping closer to Regulus.

Regulus’ expression didn’t change. “He is my son.”

Walburga scoffed. “He is James Potter’s son.” Her voice was venomous. “A disgrace to the family name.”

Harry felt his face grow hot, but before he could say anything, Regulus spoke—his voice steady, but edged with steel.

“He is my son,” he repeated, quieter this time. “And I will not tolerate you speaking of him that way.”

Walburga’s eyes darkened. “You dare bring him into this house?”

“I brought him here so you could meet your grandson,” Regulus said, his tone even. “Not to hear your outdated prejudices.”

Harry bit his lip, gripping Regulus’ sleeve. He didn’t understand everything, but he knew she didn’t like him. He could feel it.

For a long, tense moment, Walburga simply stared at them.

Then, to Harry’s utter shock, she let out a low chuckle.

“You’ve changed,” she murmured, her gaze locked onto Regulus. “Not that it matters. The blood in your veins remains the same. That thing” —her eyes flicked to Harry— “does not.”

Harry flinched.

Regulus’ jaw tightened. “Come, Harry,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “We’re leaving.”

Harry didn’t hesitate, stepping quickly in line beside him as Regulus turned on his heel.

As they reached the door, Walburga’s voice rang out again.

“When the time comes,” she said, “you’ll regret your choices, Regulus.”

Regulus didn’t stop walking.

Kreacher, who had remained silent through the exchange, gave a deep bow as they passed.

As soon as they stepped outside, Harry let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

Regulus glanced down at him. “Are you alright?”

Harry hesitated, then nodded. “…She doesn’t like me.”

Regulus sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “That doesn’t matter,” he muttered. Then, more softly, “I do.”

Harry blinked up at him.

“…Mama does, too,” he said after a moment.

Regulus smirked. “Of course she does. She’s your mother.”

Harry smiled a little, shuffling closer to Regulus as they started walking again.

“…Do you think Kreacher likes me?”

Regulus chuckled, glancing back at the house. “I think he’s figuring it out.”

Harry hummed. “I liked him.”

Regulus raised a brow. “You did?”

“He bowed,” Harry said simply. “I think that means he kinda likes me.”

Regulus shook his head in amusement. “You are far too optimistic.”

But as they made their way home, he found himself silently grateful.

Harry would never know the cold walls of that house. He would never be raised in darkness, surrounded by cruel whispers of blood purity and superiority.

He had a family.

A real one.

-

previous chapter <- -> next chapter

Movie night

At home movie date with step-father Timmy.

stepdad!Timothée x mom!reader

word count: 1K

warnings: BRIEF mentions of abuse, fluff

note: unedited lol

find more here: masterlist

The day had been long and grueling. Hours of filming had passed, and when you were finally done, your body screamed in exhaustion. Yet even in exhaustion, there was one thing that always made the end of the day worth it: picking up Alice from daycare.

As you pulled up to the small brick building, you could already spot your five-year-old through the glass doors, bouncing up and down on her feet when she saw you. The minute you came in, she ran to your arms, her little hands around your neck as you picked her up.

"Mommy!" she shrieked, her face breaking out in excitement. "Miss Jenna, let me finger paint today! I made you a picture!"

You kissed her forehead, enjoying the heat of her small body against yours. "I can't wait to see it, sweetheart. Did you have a good day today?"

Alice bobbed her head excitedly. "Uh-huh! And guess what? I didn't even take a nap!"

You laughed. "That's amazing, but I bet you're going to be tired later."

"Not a bit!" she protested, yawning right afterward.

You laughed, settling her on your hip as you scooped up her little backpack. "Okay, let's go home."

The ride home was dominated by Alice's constant talk about her day, and as you pulled into your driveway, you were relieved to see the familiar comforting view of home. You carried Alice indoors, unaware that a surprise awaited you.

As soon as you opened the door and walked inside, your breath was taken in your throat. Your downtown home's living room had been fully converted into a movie theater. String lights hung from the ceiling, and they provided a warm, golden light to the room. The blinds were closed, and an ice cream station had been established, complete with various toppings. A new batch of French fries was on the counter, and a popcorn machine was in the corner, the buttery aroma wafting through the air. In front of the couch, a blanket fort had been deliberately set up, packed with pillows and soft blankets.

"Surprise!" Timothée shouted out, his voice full of excitement.

You stood there in shock as Alice struggled free from your arms and ran towards him. "Timmy! You did this?" she cried out, her eyes wide with astonishment. Timothée got down to her height, placing his hands on his knees with a grin on his face. "Of course, I did! You and Mommy had a long day, so I thought, what better way to unwind than a special movie night?"

Alice let out a gasp, her small hands clasped together. "Best surprise EVER!" she shrieked before dashing over to the popcorn machine, her enthusiasm overflowing.

You looked over at Timothée, still in wonder. "You did all this for us?” He shrugged playfully. "Of course. You two deserve it." His tone was warm, full of sincerity. "I thought we could watch whatever Alice chooses, eat way too much ice cream, and just have a nice night together."

Your heart filled with affection as you moved closer, encircling his neck with your arms. "You're great, you know that?" Timothée smiled, hugging your waist. "I do my best."

Alice pulled at his sleeve before he could speak further. "Timmy, can we go now? I wanna choose the movie!"

"Sure," Timothée replied, hoisting her onto his shoulders as she laughed. "What do we watch?" Alice drummed her chin theatrically, then smiled. "Encanto!"

Timothée breathed in. "Awesome choice! But before that, do you want to get some ice cream?”

“YES!" Alice shouted. She jumped down and dashed towards the ice cream corner with Timothée close behind. You saw them with a heart full of love, aware that although Timothée was not Alice's biological father, he loved her as if she were his own. And from the way she gazed at him, with admiration and trust, it was apparent that Alice loved him just the same.

As the three of you finally nestled up under the blanket fort, ice cream in your hands and the movie beginning, you couldn't help but think—this was happiness. Simple as that. Your little family, where you were meant to be. 

Your mind wandered back to the past, to the life you had before Timothée entered it. Alice's real father had been another man, a man who should have kept you safe but who had become the reason you had to flee. The relationship had begun well, but with time, his temper had grown worse. The way he treated you, the way he behaved around Alice, had frightened you. When he had raised his hand, even once, you knew that you had to go. Not only for yourself, but for Alice. You battled for sole custody, refusing to leave her vulnerable and never looking back. It hadn't been simple, rebuilding your life as a single parent, but then Timothée had blundered in like a gust of fresh air. He had demonstrated to you that love was gentle, that love was safe. That a man could love a child who wasn't biologically his own as deeply as if she were.

As the first scene of Encanto was played, you turned your eyes on Alice, who was nestled between you and Timothée, her little hands clutching a bowl of popcorn. And after a while, you leaned over to her with a smile. "What do you say to Timothée, sweetheart?" 

Alice looked up with her big, expressive eyes at him and smiled. "Thank you, Daddy!" she chirped merrily before grabbing another bite of popcorn.

Timothée froze, his breath hitching as his eyes slightly glistened. He blinked a few times, a hand instinctively coming up to rub his face as a soft chuckle escaped his lips. “Anytime, sweetheart,” he murmured, pulling her close and pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

You stretched out, fingers intertwined with his, a reassuring grip of his hand. He gripped it back, his eyes shining with love and appreciation. And as Alice sat through the movie, blissfully unaware of the depth of emotional response her words had elicited, you knew at that moment that Timothée would never be more than a step away, as her father, as your husband, as the center of your small family.

i have a headcannon that paul was a goofy child growing up and often gave his parents headaches.

So handsome🌻🌻🌻🌻

Credit to Vanity Fair

The End !

A few years later, when the children of Hazzy and Danny are about to enter Hogwarts.

Regulus Black x Fem! reader

word count: 1.6k

no warnings, just fluff and a bit of comedy

note: The end of the series! I've had a wonderful time writing this series soo..!!

check more here: masterlist, Regulus Masterlist

The air at Platform 9¾ buzzed with excitement, the steam from the Hogwarts Express curling around the crowd in wisps of white. The familiar sounds of chatter, last-minute reminders, and tearful goodbyes filled the air.

Harry Potter-Black stood with his arms crossed, a nostalgic smile playing on his lips as he watched the next generation of witches and wizards prepare to leave for Hogwarts. Beside him, his younger sister, Danny Lestrange née Black, adjusted the collar of her son’s robes with sharp precision.

“Cass, stop fidgeting,” she muttered, fixing her daughter with a pointed look.

Cassiopeia Lestrange, her dark curls a perfect blend of both parents, huffed dramatically. “I just don’t want to look messy, Mum.”

“You’re going to Hogwarts, not the Wizengamot,” Danny deadpanned, before turning to her son. “Arcturus, you excited?”

Arcturus Lestrange, slightly more reserved than his twin, nodded. “Yeah… I think so. But what if I’m not in Slytherin?”

Danny softened slightly, kneeling so she was at eye level with him. “Then you won’t be in Slytherin. It doesn’t matter where you end up. You’re still a Lestrange—" she ignored Harry’s amused cough at that, "—and more importantly, you’re our son. So wherever you go, you’ll be great.”

Arcturus brightened a little.

Harry, watching the exchange, smirked. “You sound just like Baba.”

Danny scoffed. “Of course I do.”

Ginny, standing beside Harry, rolled her eyes. “And you sound just like Y/N. All sharp words but way too soft on the inside.”

Harry huffed. “I do not.”

Danny and Ginny exchanged a knowing look.

A tug on his sleeve made Harry glance down. His eldest child, a boy with messy black hair and warm brown eyes, grinned up at him.

“Dad, tell me again about the first time you went to Hogwarts?”

Harry chuckled and ruffled his son’s hair. “You ever hear of a troll in the dungeons on your first night?”

James Sirius Potter gasped, while Cassiopeia and Arcturus leaned in, wide-eyed.

Danny rolled her eyes. “Don’t scare them.”

“I’m not scaring them. I’m preparing them,” Harry said with mock seriousness.

“More like giving them ideas,” Ginny muttered, shaking her head.

The train whistle blew, signaling the final boarding call.

Danny sighed, her expression softening as she looked at her twins. “Alright, go on then.”

Cassiopeia and Arcturus hesitated, glancing between their parents.

“Go,” Adrian said, gently nudging them forward. “You’re going to be late.”

Finally, the twins ran off, dragging their trunks behind them.

James Sirius looked up at his parents. “I have to go too, right?”

Harry swallowed thickly, nodding. “Yeah, kiddo. You do.”

James’s grin wobbled just slightly, and Harry knelt, gripping his son’s shoulders. “Listen to me. You’re going to have the best time. You’ve got your cousins, and you’re James Sirius Potter. You’ve got troublemaker written all over you.”

James smirked. “Like you?”

Harry laughed. “Exactly.”

Ginny leaned down, pressing a kiss to James’s forehead. “Be good. Write to us.”

James groaned. “Mum…”

“I mean it, James,” she said firmly, though her eyes were warm.

He nodded before hugging her quickly. “Okay, okay.”

With a final grin, James sprinted toward the train.

Cassiopeia and Arcturus stuck their heads out of the window, waving wildly.

“Write to us!” Danny called.

“And don’t get into too much trouble!” Harry added.

Cassiopeia just grinned. “No promises!”

Danny groaned. “Oh, Merlin, she’s just like you.”

Harry smirked. “And Arcturus is just like you. Broody and dramatic.”

Danny rolled her eyes before glancing at her older brother. “Think they’ll be as much trouble as us?”

Harry smirked. “Absolutely.”

Danny shook her head, but her lips twitched into a smile as the train disappeared into the horizon.

Standing there, side by side, Harry and Danny realized something.

They had survived a war. They had lost people they loved. They had fought for everything they had.

And now, as they stood on Platform 9¾, watching their children set off on their own journey, they knew—

The next generation would carry on the legacy.

Regulus let out a long, slow breath as the Hogwarts Express disappeared from sight, the last wisps of steam curling into the sky. He glanced over at Y/N, who was standing beside him, an unreadable expression on her face.

“…We did it,” Y/N finally murmured.

Regulus nodded, rubbing his temple. “Yes. Finally. After years of raising two children and their equally troublesome partners, they’re all at Hogwarts.”

A beat of silence passed between them.

Then, in perfect unison, they turned to each other and blurted out—

“We’re alone.”

Y/N grabbed Regulus’s collar, eyes wide. “Reg, we’re alone.”

Regulus’s lips parted in pure realization. “No children. No late-night sneaking for cookies. No twin catastrophes. No Quidditch injuries. No Hazzy breaking things in the house.”

“No one walking in on us when we’re—”

Regulus pressed a hand to her mouth, eyes darting to where Harry and Danny were still standing with Ginny and Adrian, their attention thankfully elsewhere. “Shh, don’t jinx it.”

Y/N grinned against his hand before pulling it away. “Reg, do you know what this means?”

He tilted his head. “We can have tea in peace?”

“Yes, and—”

“We can read without someone interrupting us?”

“That too, but—”

“We can sleep past six in the morning?”

Y/N groaned. “Reg, I meant we can finally have a night alone.”

Regulus blinked.

Then, very seriously, he took Y/N’s hands in his and whispered, “Darling, I love you more than life itself, but if we don’t go home and take a nap first, I will pass out in this station.”

Y/N sighed dramatically, but her smirk betrayed her amusement. “Fine, old man.”

Regulus narrowed his eyes. “That’s rich, coming from someone who—”

Before he could finish, a crack echoed behind them.

“Oi, where are you two sneaking off to?”

They turned to see Sirius standing there, grinning like an absolute menace. Next to him was Remus, who was already shaking his head as if he knew what was coming.

Regulus groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Merlin, no.”

Y/N sighed. “Sirius, please tell me you’re not about to ruin the first peaceful moment we’ve had in years.”

Sirius gasped mockingly. “Ruin? Moi?”

Regulus turned on his heel. “I’m leaving. Goodbye.”

Y/N turned to follow him, only for Sirius to throw an arm around both of them. “Now, now, don’t be hasty! What if I told you that Moony and I have a brilliant idea?”

Regulus deadpanned. “Your ‘brilliant ideas’ landed me in detention for half my school career.”

Remus, ever the peacekeeper, cleared his throat. “We thought, since you’re finally free of parental duties for the time being, we’d take you both out for a celebratory drink.”

Y/N hesitated, glancing at Regulus.

Regulus stared at them both. Then, after a long pause, he exhaled. “Fine. One drink.”

Sirius whooped. “That’s the spirit, little brother!”

Y/N smirked, looping her arm through Regulus’s. “Alright then. But if anyone interrupts our first actual night alone after this, I will commit crimes.”

Sirius grinned. “Now that’s the Y/N I know.”

Regulus muttered under his breath, but Y/N caught the fond glint in his eye as they all walked off together.

Maybe they’d get their peaceful night soon.

…Hopefully.

For the first time in years, Regulus and Y/N found themselves sitting across from each other at a dimly lit, elegant restaurant—alone. No children, no interruptions, no impromptu crises requiring immediate parental intervention. Just them, a bottle of wine, and a table set for two.

Regulus exhaled, leaning back in his chair as he swirled the wine in his glass. “It’s almost unsettling, isn’t it?”

Y/N smirked, taking a sip of her own. “That we’re not breaking up sibling arguments or stopping the twins from attempting another ‘scientific experiment’? Absolutely.”

Regulus huffed. “Last time, they nearly set my study on fire. I still don’t know how they got their hands on Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder.”

Y/N grinned. “They are our grandchildren.”

Regulus sighed, shaking his head. “Unfortunately.”

A comfortable silence settled between them as they enjoyed their meal. It was almost strange, remembering what it felt like to just be—without parenting, without work, without constant noise.

Regulus watched Y/N as she ate, the candlelight flickering against her face. “You know,” he said, setting down his fork, “I forgot how nice it is to just sit and look at you.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “I’m in our house every day, Reg.”

“Yes, but usually, I’m dodging incoming Quidditch gear, confiscating enchanted objects, or ensuring that Hazzy and Danny’s children don’t turn the furniture into something alive.” He smirked. “You’re a bit of a blur in the chaos.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched into a smile. “Well, go on then. Stare all you want.”

Regulus took full advantage of the invitation, his gaze lingering on her with quiet appreciation. “You’re just as breathtaking as the day I met you.”

Y/N felt warmth creep up her neck. “You always were a dramatic bastard.”

“And yet, you married me.”

“Terrible life choice, really.”

Regulus smirked, lifting his glass. “To terrible life choices, then.”

Y/N clinked her glass against his. “To us.”

For a while, they simply enjoyed the moment. The peace. The feeling of being Regulus and Y/N instead of Baba and Mama.

Then, just as their dessert arrived, Regulus stiffened.

“What?” Y/N asked, confused.

Regulus narrowed his eyes toward the entrance.

There, just outside the restaurant, were Harry and Danny, peeking through the window with identical grins.

“…They followed us,” Regulus muttered, looking personally betrayed.

Y/N groaned, dragging a hand down her face. “Unbelievable.”

Danny waved innocently. Harry gave a thumbs-up.

Regulus lifted his napkin and covered his face. “I’m pretending I don’t see them.”

Y/N took a long sip of wine. “We raised menaces.”

“Your fault.”

“You married me.”

Regulus sighed, peeking over his napkin. Danny and Harry were still there. Watching. Grinning.

“We’re locking the Floo when we get home,” Regulus mumbled.

Y/N smirked. “Deal.”

previous chapter <-

not a request but i’m sorry to nitpick lol

but if danny married a lestrange isn’t she basically marrying her cousin (second?!) cuz regulus and bellatrix are cousins??

i still absolutely adored the series but just wanted to ask

(and if they are i guess they’re just keeping with the black family tradition lmao)

i genuinely FORGOT? But Adrian isn't related to Bellatrix. It's more on Adrian's like the rosiers, regulus, and Sirius? Where the Rosiers are related to the black sisters but not to the black brothers? I genuinely did not realize I accidentally wrote inc3st. i am SOBBING. Idk I hope you understood what I wrote LOLL

Harry's post-Hogwarts

Harry's life after the battle of Hogwarts.

Regulus Black x Fem Potter! reader

word count: 1.8k

warnings: mentions of war, death, nightmares, PTSD

note: A Regulus and Harry moment hihi

The house felt quieter without Danny.

It wasn’t something they ever said out loud, but they all felt it.

Y/N noticed it in the way Regulus lingered by the breakfast table, drinking his tea a little slower, his sharp eyes drifting toward Danny’s usual seat. She noticed it in the way he took a few extra minutes in the morning to check the post as if expecting an owl from her—even though they’d just received one the day before.

Harry noticed it in the way the house felt less chaotic. No more exasperated sighs when he tried to rope Danny into one of his antics. No more cutting remarks that were both brilliant and scathing. No more of her curling up in the chair across from Baba, nose buried in a book far too advanced for her age.

Regulus would never admit it, of course. But Y/N caught the way he looked up expectantly every time the fireplace flared, just for a second, before masking it with that cool indifference he’d perfected years ago.

“She’s only been gone a week, Baba,” Harry said one evening, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorway. “You act like she moved across the world.”

Regulus, sitting in his usual chair, turned a page in his book without looking up. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Harry smirked. “Right. And you totally didn’t check for an owl three times today.”

Regulus flicked a glance toward Y/N, who was smirking into her tea. “I was checking for Ministry correspondence.”

“Sure you were.”

Regulus exhaled through his nose, closing his book with a soft thud. “Is there a reason you’re standing there, or did you just come to irritate me?”

Harry shrugged. “Mostly the latter.”

Y/N chuckled, setting down her cup. “You two are hopeless.”

Regulus sighed, rubbing his temple. “If this is what I have to deal with when Danny is gone, I’ll just send a Howler telling her to come home.”

Harry snorted. “She’d ignore it. Or worse, she’d send one back telling you to stop being dramatic.”

Regulus didn’t argue, which meant he knew Harry was right.

It was strange—this new phase of life. Hogwarts had always been a part of their routine, but now, with only one child at home, the house felt just a little too still.

Y/N reached over, placing a hand on Regulus’s. “She’s fine. And she’ll write again soon.”

Regulus hummed, squeezing her hand lightly before pulling away. “I’m aware.”

Harry smirked. “You miss her.”

Regulus shot him a look. “Shut up, Hazzy.”

Harry’s grin widened. “You miss her so much.”

Regulus glared. Y/N just laughed, shaking her head.

The house was quieter. But they’d adjust. They always did.

-

It was strange—falling back into a routine that hadn’t existed in over a decade.

With Danny at Hogwarts, the house felt smaller in a way. Not physically, of course, but something about it brought them back to the days when it was just the three of them—Regulus, Y/N, and Harry.

So, they decided to lean into it.

One evening, Harry came home from work at Chuddley Cannons, stretching his arms over his head. "It's weird without her here," he admitted, dropping into his usual seat at the dining table.

Y/N chuckled, setting down the plates. "You mean it's quieter?"

"Exactly," Harry grinned. "No broody six-year-old correcting my spelling or outdueling me in chess."

Regulus raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of his tea. "She hasn't been six in quite some time, Harry."

"Yeah, but she still acts like she is sometimes. Always reading, always judging me—"

"Wonder where she got that from," Y/N muttered, smirking at her husband.

Regulus scoffed. "I do not judge."

Harry and Y/N both gave him a look.

Regulus rolled his eyes. "Fine. Perhaps occasionally."

That night, it was just the three of them for dinner—like it had been all those years ago. It didn’t take long for them to slip into old habits.

Regulus and Y/N sat beside each other, discussing their respective days—her work at Hogwarts, his at the Ministry. Harry, ever the troublemaker, stirred his soup absentmindedly before blurting, “Remember when I used to sit on the table instead of a chair?”

Y/N groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

Regulus pinched the bridge of his nose. “You were a menace.”

Harry smirked. “Still am.”

They spent the rest of the evening reminiscing—about the time Harry had insisted on flying inside the house and knocked over an entire bookshelf; about the time Regulus had tried to teach him etiquette, only for him to use a soup spoon to launch peas across the dining room; about the nights when Y/N would return home from Hogwarts, exhausted but still determined to tuck Harry in.

After dinner, Regulus and Y/N sat by the fireplace, Harry sprawled across the floor like he was still a teenager instead of a grown man.

"You know," Y/N mused, watching the flames flicker, "this is nice."

Regulus glanced at her. "What is?"

"Just... us. Like this. It reminds me of when Harry was little."

Harry, lying on his back with his arms crossed behind his head, smirked. "So you do miss me being a little kid."

Y/N rolled her eyes. "I miss you being manageable."

Regulus chuckled. "He was never manageable."

Harry grinned. "True."

They sat there for a long time, basking in the warmth of nostalgia. The house may have felt quieter, but it didn’t feel empty. cv

Because no matter how much things changed, they were still them. And that was enough.

It was strange—falling back into a routine that hadn’t existed in over a decade.

With Danny at Hogwarts, the house felt quieter. Not empty, just… different.

Harry, now a professional Quidditch player, had been staying over for the week while he had a short break between matches. It almost felt like old times—just the three of them, like it had been before Danny was born.

Y/N leaned against the kitchen counter, watching as Regulus sat at the dining table reading the Daily Prophet, his usual cup of tea in hand. Across from him, Harry was stretching out his sore muscles, rolling his shoulder as he groaned.

"Merlin, I feel ancient."

"You’re twenty," Regulus said flatly, not looking up from his paper.

"Exactly. Ancient."

Y/N smirked, setting plates down on the table. "Try being in your forties and teaching a bunch of teenagers Ancient Runes every day. Then we’ll talk."

Harry grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "You love it."

"Most days." She sat beside Regulus, nudging his arm. "And you? Still terrorizing the poor souls at the Ministry?"

Regulus didn’t dignify that with a response, merely taking another sip of his tea.

Dinner felt like stepping into the past, their usual banter slipping back into place effortlessly.

"Remember when I used to run around the house with my toy broomstick, knocking things over?" Harry mused as he dug into his meal.

Regulus exhaled sharply, setting down his fork. "You were a menace. Nearly took my eye out when you were six."

Y/N laughed. "Oh, and that one time you crashed into the Christmas tree—"

"That was one time!" Harry defended himself.

Regulus smirked, crossing his arms. "And then you joined professional Quidditch. Clearly, you learned your lesson."

Harry grinned. "What can I say? I'm consistent."

After dinner, they moved to the living room, the fire crackling softly in the hearth. Harry sprawled across the couch like he owned the place, tossing a Quaffle into the air absentmindedly. Y/N curled up in her usual spot, while Regulus sat beside her, a book in his lap that he had no real intention of reading.

"You know," Y/N said after a moment, watching the fire, "this feels nice."

Regulus turned to her. "What does?"

"Just us. Like this. It reminds me of when Harry was little."

Harry smirked. "So you do miss me being small."

"I miss you being manageable," Y/N corrected with a roll of her eyes.

Regulus chuckled. "You were never manageable."

Harry tossed the Quaffle in the air again, catching it easily. "True."

The night stretched on, filled with warm conversation and laughter. It wasn’t often that Harry had time to stay home like this, and even though things had changed over the years, some things never would.

They were still them. And that was enough.

However, the nightmares started again.

Flashes of green light. Screams that were cut short. Rubble and fire. The feeling of losing people, of not being enough.

Harry woke up with a sharp gasp, his breath coming in ragged, uneven bursts. His chest ached like he’d run a marathon, and the darkness of his childhood bedroom felt suffocating. He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, willing the images away.

He wasn’t at Hogwarts. He wasn’t in the war. He was home. Safe.

But his body didn’t believe it.

A knock at the door made him flinch. He didn’t answer, but the door creaked open anyway, the hallway light casting a long shadow as Regulus stepped inside.

"Another one?" Regulus's voice was quiet, steady.

Harry exhaled shakily and nodded. He didn’t need to explain. Regulus had always known.

Without a word, Regulus crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. It reminded Harry of when he was little—when he would have nightmares about his parents, about loud thunder, about monsters under the bed. Regulus would always be there, brushing his hair back, sitting with him in the dark until he calmed down.

Harry hated that he still needed this. After everything, he still felt like that scared little boy in the dark.

“I should be over this by now,” Harry muttered, his voice thick.

Regulus let out a quiet breath, the ghost of a sigh. “You don’t just ‘get over’ something like war, Harry.”

There was a moment of silence before Regulus reached out, hesitating for only a second before resting a hand on Harry’s head, running his fingers through the messy black strands. The touch was grounding, familiar.

"You used to do this when I was a kid," Harry said quietly.

"You used to calm down when I did," Regulus replied simply.

Harry let his eyes drift shut, focusing on the steady motion, the way it slowed his breathing. The memories of battle still lurked in the corners of his mind, but they felt a little further away now. Less sharp.

They sat in silence for a while.

Eventually, Regulus spoke again, his voice softer. "You are not weak for feeling this way, Harry."

Harry swallowed his throat tight. "I just... I feel like I shouldn't—like I should be moving on."

"You are moving on," Regulus said. "But healing isn’t the same as forgetting."

Harry took a shaky breath. He wanted to believe that.

Regulus stayed with him until his breathing evened out again until the tension in his shoulders finally eased.

Just like when he was a child, Regulus didn't leave until Harry was asleep.

previous chapter <- -> next chapter

So good wth😭

Messiah

Guys I just fell into a rabbit hole of Timothée Chalamet fanfics early in the morning !