Lya⸆⸉

Until her mother passed when she was only 9, and her father never cared to step in and do that for her.

So eventually when she got to school and she didn’t have anyone to help her with her hair, Narcissa her cousin would help her cut it shorter, she’d teach her how to braid it too, and for the rest of her school years, she had her hair cut just a little below the shoulder.

And then when everything went down, when Regulus, Evan and Dorcas died she stopped making much of an effort and it grew long again.

When she married Xeno, he would help her brush and braid it. She kept it in braids, in elaborate styles, pinned to her head and out of the way.

James: I can’t do that. But what I can do is take you out to dinner tomorrow night.

Regulus: How do those two thoughts even coincide?

James: You’d have to be in my head but trust me there was a track.

Regulus: I am not having dinner with you.

James: Why not?

Regulus: Because.

James: Because… your mother would hate it.

Regulus: Yes, my mother would hate it!

Regulus, realizing what he said: …a lot…

James: *grinning, knowing he won*

pandora: i believe it was yours, regulus

regulus:

regulus: well isn't that lovely

Evan has mommy issues

Regulus has brother issues

Dorcas has anger issues

When he found the piece of paper in Harry’s bookbag, Regulus’s entire body went cold. Heart hammering, vision flashing, adrenaline shooting through his veins, Regulus stared down at the markings on the page and tried his best to calm his shaking hands, but all he could do was stand there, frozen.

F

Harry had failed a quiz, some spelling test or something similar, and though Regulus knew he was a good student overall, he also couldn’t stop his own memories from flooding back to him.

“Idiot child!” his father had raged too many times, every time he’d brought back anything less than a ninety percent. “How you manage to disappoint us over and over, I don’t know.”

“Go to your room to revise, and we’ll think about giving you dinner,” his mother would spit, face twisted in disgust.

That, of course, was if he was lucky. If he wasn’t?

Well, bruises healed, he supposed. 

But as he heard James approach behind him, he didn’t think. Rather, he just acted, swallowing a small scream and turning, stuffing the paper behind his back, knuckles white with a terrified grip. He pictured Harry’s skin, bruised. Harry’s stomach, empty. Harry’s eyes, full of tears.

No, he wouldn’t let that happen.

“Reg?” James asked softly, but his voice sounded like he was speaking from the bottom of a pool. “Baby?”

He just stood there facing his boyfriend, staring at the ground, eyes narrowed, muscles tense. No, no, no, no, no.

“Regulus, what’ve you got, there? What’s wrong? Love, you’re scaring me, please talk.” James’s voice was soft. Gentle. Safe. But still, Regulus couldn’t stop trembling. He knew it was James’s decision, Harry was James’s child, but… “Just don’t hurt him,” he murmured tearfully, revealing the crumpled-up paper from behind his back and handing it to the other man, still refusing eye contact.

It took James a few moments to speak, and during that time, Regulus fought against even more demons in his head. Memories he’d long stuffed away and tried to forget, injuries he’d sworn had healed. But when the taller man finally spoke, he still flinched, prepared for the worst.

“Ah, I always knew he was a shit speller.”

Regulus finally gazed up at him, shocked into eye contact. “Wh–what?”

James stayed where he was, a meter or so away, but he opened his arms and gave Regulus a tentative smile. “Come here, love.”

Slowly, with watery eyes and jittery legs, Regulus shuffled forward. 

“Baby, you’re safe. Harry’s safe. I promise, what your parents did…that’s not what happens here, okay? I would never, ever do that, I swear.”

And then, memories of James fought to the forefront of Regulus’s mind, defeating the darkness of his upbringing. He broke into sobs. “I…fuck, I know, I’m sorry, I just…”

“Shhh,” James mumbled into his hair, pressing a kiss there. “Nothing to be sorry about. You were worried about Haz, and that’s all I can ask. I love you, darling, promise.”

Regulus, not even glancing up from his homework to reply: Never.

Dorcas: What?

Bonus scene:

Barty: Hell ya! That’s my lil Lunatic. Do u want the Glock or the nail bat?

Luna: Ooo the Glock!

lily: you say every girl is the girl of your dreams.