I'm back with Book Two! Yay! 

This is a bit of a connection chapter, mostly focused on the Black Family since last chapter was Lupin Family core. It's a bit long, it surpassed 7000 words, but it's not (by any chance) the longest chapter in this fic, so I hope you all enjoy it.

LEAVE COMMENTS (as always)

The metric of the poem he was reading was odd and seemed to be a bit off when he read out loud, but Regulus Black was smart enough to know that translating poems was not the best decision to understand it, but he didn't know Arabic to try and understand the poem in its original tongue.

The frustration was starting to make the room heat up when he got up from his bed to open the windows but was startled by the loud cracking of Kreacher apparating right in front of him, something that the elf avoided doing when they were home alone, often coming to knock on his door like a normal servant.

"What happened?" Regulus asked, hand still on the handle of the window.

"Young Master's has a visitor," Kreacher said.

Regulus sighed, annoyed. Evan always found the weirdest moments to appear out of nowhere in his house, requesting attention and – if the day was good enough – a game of Quidditch in his own manor, appearing to collect Regulus and his broom for the rest of the day, but since it was so late (almost five in the afternoon) it was certainly something else.

"Let him up," Regulus grumbled, opening the window and ignoring Kreacher disappearing from his bedroom.

He fixed his joggers and the white t-shirt he had on, pulling the home-robe tighter around him for some semblance of being put-together. He had spent the whole day alone, lying in bed and reading since his parents were at Narcissa's new summer house, a cottage that Regulus had no interest in even if Narcissa was his favourite cousin.

When his bedroom door opened, he turned to greet Evan only to find Luna standing there.

He froze.

"Hey," he greeted.

It was hardly ideal, he knew. Regulus was not supposed to be alone with Luna anywhere, let alone his bedroom without a chaperone. Now that he stopped and thought about it, it wasn't proper for her to be in his bedroom even with a chaperone accompanying them. Let alone that as soon as he turned and said a single word, she had thrown herself towards him, falling into his arms without a second thought.

Confused by the surprise visit without an adult accompanying her, Regulus just held her close.

"What's happened, Luna?" he whispered on her ear.

"Daddy happened," she answered. "Daddy's a bad person, Regulus. He's a bad person."

He felt her hiding her face on his neck, wetting his robes and skin with her running tears. He held her tighter, hoping that she would calm down enough to speak of what happened so he could help somehow.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, frowning.

"Not really," she whispered against him, voice so muffled that he barely understood it.

He frowned at her answer, not recognising her tone of voice.

"Are you safe?" he asked, changing his approach.

She nodded against him.

"We're at the Potters'," she said.

She sniffed, hiding herself deeper into the crook of his neck. He could feel her breathing against him and could feel how her breathing was uneven as her shoulders shook against his body, trying her best to control her crying.

"How did you get here?" he asked.

"Floo. Mum's not home, so we needed to somewhere to stay and the Potters leave their Floo open," she said. "We're waiting for her to come back. We didn't want to tell her through phone or letter."

Slowly, Luna let go of him before he decided to let go of her as well, she took a step back. He waited, standing in the same place where she had found him when she walked into his bedroom. He watched as she cleaned her tears with the palm of her hands, sniffing deeply and sighing – she sounded annoyed with her own tears, which would be understandable since her face was red and puffy; she had been crying for a long time at that point, that much was clear for anyone to see.

Luna walked to the one chair in the bedroom, the one at his study table. She sat on it, putting her elbows on her knees and resting her face on her hands, hiding herself from view as she focused on breathing.

Regulus looked away.

"Kreacher!" he called out.

The elf popped up, appearing in the middle of the room with a grimace.

"Yes, Young Master," he said.

He knew that Kreacher was different from many elves, he was much more opinionated and would most likely share what he was seeing with Walburga as soon as his Mistress was back, so until then he would only openly judge with his grimaces and glares. Still, Kreacher was loyal, nobody outside the family would ever hear anything even under torture even if his silence had not been ordered – he was family in his own way, so Regulus accepted and tolerated a lot of his actions.

"Bring a cup of water for Miss Lupin, will you, please? Be quick about. And put the kettle on as well," Regulus ordered.

Luna was trying her best to not go back to crying as she pulled herself together again. She didn't want Kreacher – someone that she had never met – to see her in such a vulnerable state, clearly the idea made her uncomfortable and she didn't look at the elf, even though she had only seen house-elves in Malfoy Manor before.

Kreacher disappeared, and as soon as he was gone Regulus was turning to look at her, taking a handkerchief from his wardrobe and offering it to her.

"Luna, please, tell me what happened," he said, gently.

"Daddy's an addict. Cocaine, a muggle drug," she whispered. "A stimulant."

Regulus felt his whole body go cold.

Even if it was a muggle drug, it was hardly only muggle used. He knew his uncle Alphard had dabbled on it on parties before, but hated the way it made him feel, even his uncle Cygnus had tried it before to go better on a big case. It was known for being very addictive and extremely unhealthy – it was the only thing made by muggles that Cygnus approved, according to him their lack of magic often led them to find amazing recreational drugs.

"Oh, my love," Regulus lamented, coming closer.

"I found it in the kitchen... He hid it there from Nain and I found it, she saw it," she sniffed. "God, Regulus it was a mess! Remus was so angry... Daddy screamed at me, he cried and took me by my arms," her breath hitched as she held back a sob. She made as if she was grabbing something, shaking the invisible person in front of her before her hands dropped. "I thought he was going to actually hit me."

"But he didn't?" Regulus asked.

"No. Rem hit him first," Luna said.

She hid her face again.

Kreacher came back at that moment, going back to his Young Master and analysing him silently before giving him the glass. The elf did not look at Luna, barely acknowledging her existence – usually, Regulus would think of scolding him for that, but he had a feeling that Luna was feel better if Kreacher did ignore her presence. However, it was the way that Kreacher seemed to be scolding him with his eyes made Regulus uncomfortable, like he was nothing more than a child caught stealing sweets before supper.

Regulus gave Luna the cup of water.

She looked up, taking it and sipping just a bit, taking a deep breath.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Regulus ignored her gratitude, taking the handkerchief from her hands and ignoring Kreacher's presence as he kneeled in front of her, cleaning her face gently. She smiled sadly at him, hand going to the side of his face and caressing the side of it. He took her hand into his and kissed her palm.

Kreacher left with another loud pop, but they still felt watched.

"You're safe now, don't worry," he whispered. "My parents are out –"

That caught her attention, making her eyes go wide.

"Oh, Regulus, I didn't even – Oh, I'm so sorry!" she said, putting the cup of water on the table and trying to get up. "It never even crossed my mind, I just thought of a way of seeing you as soon as possible. I'm so stupid! Do you want me to go? It was so rude of me to show up unannounced and without a chaperone. Please, forgive me," she rambled.

He put a hand on her knee, not letting her get up.

"They are out, Luna, they're not home. I don't care," he said, shaking his head lightly. "Drink your water, tell me what you want me to do and let me comfort you."

And that had all she had been thinking about.

He smiled sadly at her, trying his best to appear calm and collected to keep her tranquil enough to not go back to crying. He was awkward with such deep feelings, he knew that, and the fact that she wanted to talk about it seemed foreigner to him, ever so used to burying it so deeply that he wouldn't feel it unless he searched for it. He wanted nothing more than to make her feel better – well, perhaps more than that; he wanted her to not go back to crying, so he could be logical enough to think of how to help her.

It was only when Kreacher came back with tea that Luna had taken deep breaths, her face was clean of tears, they were both sitting on his bed.

"Thank you, Kreacher," he said.

Kreacher didn't answer, just watched them before bowing and popping out of the room.

Luna looked down, watching Regulus prepare the tea into her cup, silently thanking the elf for putting sugar and honey on the tray. She sipped her tea sweetened with honey, just the way she liked it.

"Lord Potter found us in Cardiff after we left Daddy's house. Nain wrote to him, and he guessed where we would be, he was right, of course," she explained. "He took us up to the house and then left again. I thought he was working, but I heard Lady Potter say to Remus that he's talking to Daddy."

"Do you have a guess of what about?"

"Probably where we are. They are my Guardians, so there will be no legal concern of my whereabouts when I'm with them, but with Remus is different," she sighed. "I suppose they're checking some things for Remus to stay over at the Potters until Mum's back."

Regulus nodded. "You mentioned she's out of the country," he mused.

"Yes, she's visiting her sister. They're planning on moving to England soon, but they're in Spain," Luna explained. "I wish I could go with. My Spanish is poor."

"Well, you never left the country, one would expect it to be," Regulus dismissed the subject. He knew that she was trying to change the conversation and he would allow it if she tried again, but he had one more question. "Luna, are you alright?" he asked.

She looked up at him, eyes still red-rimmed and exhausted. There were bags under her eyes and her skin was pale.

"Yes," she lied.

He didn't believe her, of course; not even Pandora would believe her at that point, and Pandora believed everything. So, what he did was reach over and touch her face, frowning at the sensation.

"You're running hot," he mumbled.

She pulled her face away from him.

"I'll be fine, it's just stress," she said.

Regulus eyes widened a bit.

"What else are you feeling? Are you breathing alright? Is your chest hurting? What do you need?" he asked, feeling his heart doubling its beats.

She rose her hand, touching with the fingers in between her breasts. It wasn't painful to the touch, but it was certainly uncomfortable, slightly tight, like the skin around her was beginning to suffocate her, but she could breathe evenly if she focused hard at it. But her biggest complaint was her head.

"Just a bad headache, not a migraine, just... not yet," she admitted. She looked down at the tray. "The tea is helping though."

Regulus put his cup on the tray and got off the tea, going to his closet and opening a small box of wood where several potion flasks were. He took two, quickly coming back to her while reading the bottom writing instructions for safety, as if he had never taken a medical potion before in his life. His hands moved with precision, uncorking the flask for her.

"Headache," he offered.

She took it from him and, without hesitation and without checking, drank it.

He frowned. He had followed the instructions Madame Pomfrey gave him: check the label, measure the dose, ensure everything is swallowed so nothing would be wasted. It was easy. It was controlled. It was completely method, ritualistic even.

He watched her with an uneasy look.

"What?" she asked.

"Don't drink something without as much as reading the label, please, Luna," he said, voice exhausted.

Luna shrugged, dismissing his concern. She didn't understand why he would say that when he had been the one the handle her the potion. She trusted him enough, and that wasn't a problem. Had it been anyone else (besides Madame Pomfrey or Pandora) to handle her potions, she would look and yet probably wouldn't drink, let alone drink it without concern. She might be trusting, but she wasn't stupid.

"This is a simple Headache Potion, lavender extract. The smell is obvious," she said.

"So you knew what it was before you drank it?"

"Just because I didn't read it, it doesn't mean that I –" she stopped herself.

Her vision had blurred.

"Luna?" Regulus said, concerned.

Slowly, she felt for the tray and put her cup down on it, carefully focusing on breathing. Even when her vision came back to normal, she didn't move her line of sight of her body, still breathing through her nose and letting it go through her mouth.

"I'm dizzy," she whispered.

Cussing, Regulus quickly took her shoulders, and led her to lie down on his bed. He took the tray and put it on the ground, carefully adjusting her on his bed and taking his pillows to put under her legs. He was grateful that she had leggings and a short-sleeved shirt. Even lying on his bed, she was covered enough for her to just relax against the mattress without hesitation.

He brushed her hair back – oh, how the hair pieces slipping from her messy braid were beautiful – when his fingers found the side of her neck and pulled away.

"Fuck, Luna, you're burning up already," he complained.

She hadn't started sweating yet, which was a problem.

Regulus took the other flask from his pocket; it was the second one that he had taken from the box and read it as well before sighing and opening the cork.

"Fever Potion," he said.

He helped her drink it, helping her lean on her elbows before tipping the tiny flask on her mouth and watching her swallow it whole.

She tasted it after she swallowed, smacking her lips with disgust at the aftertaste. She knew it well.

"Missus Eve's Potions? Really?" she groaned, lying back down on the bed.

He raised his eyebrows, putting the empty flask on the bedside table along the other flask. "What about it?" he asked.

"She adds no sugar to her potions. They taste like shit," she complained.

He chuckled.

"They're medicinal potions, they are meant to taste like shit. But don't worry, I'll find one that tastes a bit better to stock up next time, love," he teased, rolling his eyes affectionally at her spoiled complaint. "The expensive types usually taste better."

"Posh blokes like you should be used to that type, not this bloody poison," she teased, weakly. There was just a phantom of her usual witty spark amongst her pain, but it wasn't enough to make him relax just yet.

Regulus almost answered that posh blokes like him had his mum do the potions for him instead of buying them, but he thought it wasn't the right moment to speak of parents and parental duties. He just smiled and dismissed her amusing accusation with a hum as he took the tray from the ground and put it on his desk.

"I'll give it a few minutes to work, but if your fever doesn't come down, I'll ask for Kreacher to get us silver –" he started.

"It'll come down. It's nothing to do with the full moon, it's just... stress," she said, but her voice was getting weak.

He knew that the Headache Potion sometimes made people sleepy and slightly groggy, so he just sat on the chair, pulling it closer to the bed and waited, watching her breathing start to get faster and thin layer of sweat appear on her skin.

By the time she opened her eyes again almost half an hour later, still a bit weak, her fever had come down. Still, Regulus only took the pillows from under her legs carefully before putting both under her head and behind her back.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Exhausted," she admitted. "It could've been worse though."

"How long do you think you had a fever?" he asked.

"Probably since before I came here, but I thought I was just cold," she admitted.

"It's summer."

"I feel cold a lot," she dismissed his grimace.

"You run a fever a lot," he teased, sitting on the edge of the bed. He brushed her hair away from her face, taking the pieces sticking to her skin because of the sweat away. "Luna, you cannot be so negligent to your needs. It's dangerous. You could've gotten to a much worse state before I realised what was happening, you need to tell me when you're unwell."

"I didn't realise –" she started.

His expression made her go quiet. He knew it was a lie, much like she knew she would be lying. In her eagerness to never bother more than necessary she had neglected realising that she was falling apart.

"I'm sorry," she corrected in a whisper. "I'll tell you next time."

"You better do," he said.

She smiled just a bit, hand reaching for him and caressing the leg closer to her in the bed. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment, her body already realising that she was safe, so her exhaustion from everything that had happened that day allowed her to relax.

Regulus, leaned in, kissing her lips with a chaste, but long kiss.

"Please, take care of yourself. I know it was just stress, but it's certainly taking a toll on you," he said, frowning in concern.

She caressed the side of his face.

"What time is it? Lie with me a little bit," she said.

He glanced at the clock at the wall. "It's already six," he said.

"I'll leave soon, I promise," she said.

"I don't want you to leave," he groaned, already upset. He sighed and crawled over her to lie on the other side of the bed. "Perhaps I should ask Kreacher to get us some food."

She shook her head as he fixed himself beside her, she put her head over his chest even when she felt him freezing under her for a moment. It took a few seconds, but he went back to breathing and even put his arm around her, letting her rest against him.

"I'm not really hungry," she said.

"Did you eat anything today?" he asked.

She thought for a moment.

Everything had happened before she could even make breakfast, then the bus travel down to Cardiff had taken a little while, and she had refused lunch at the Potters with such conviction that she had made herself believe that she wasn't hungry. If she was honest, she wasn't truly hungry, which was surprising – she usually lost her appetite when she was... sad, heartbroken, angry. Well, it was how she was feeling, she couldn't deny it. She was beyond angry, and she was heartbroken.

"By your silence I'd hazard you didn't," he mumbled, frowning.

"Don't be upset," she said.

"I just want you to take better care of yourself, that's all," he said, looking down at her. "And not eating won't help you."

"I'm just not hungry."

"But you should be. You didn't eat anything the whole day and it's past six. That's unhealthy," Regulus complained. "Can you be certain that you're not hungry instead of just being upset over everything that happened? Because it would be completely understandable if it was affecting you."

"Nothing seems to affect you," she grumbled.

He waited for a moment, thinking she was going to continue, but when she didn't he just took a deep breath.

"Nothing affects me, per your own words, in front of people," he corrected. "I'm upset about a lot of things a lot of the time. Just because I don't talk about it out loud, it doesn't mean that I don't get affected by it."

"Like what?" she asked. He hesitated in his answer. "Oh, come on, Regulus, make me feel like I'm not stupid or that my life isn't falling apart by itself."

He sighed.

"I'm upset that my father is suffering through with his drinks because he needed to slow down with the brandy, wine and whiskey, and whatever else he drinks when I'm not around. I'm completely angry that my mother was married when she was younger than we are now and nobody supported her through it but my own father, which did not help the situation at all. Also, my mind often wanders to the fact that my real future, the one I was supposed to have, was taken away from me before I could figure out what I do like and everything that would make myself into my own person and not the Heir of the House of Black," he listed. He waited for her response, but she said nothing. He took a deep breath and continued. "I'm thinking that my Aunt Druella and her lover will get in trouble as soon as the rest of the people find out about it, because my stupid Uncle Cygnus cannot hold his tongue when he's drunk, or high... or sober for that matter. Uncle Cygnus isn't being judged for his very public affair with a woman that nobody in my family actually likes, and Father actually thinks she might be a prostitute. Also, there's my Uncle Alphard, lonely and... so many secrets, and I'm terrified they'll come to public and he'll be killed for it – like Sirius might be killed for being who he is, because my uncle is like him... because you are like them as well. And then there's my cousins. Bellatrix is married to a man she hates and she blames my father and her own father for it, she finds comfort in my promise of helping her if she kills him, because we all know he deserves to die for half of the things he threatens to do with her, even if he never actually did because he's terrified of her, which is an intelligent thing, surprisingly, because she's the most terrifying person I met. And Narcissa, poor Narcissa, she's so happy with her new husband and new home that she doesn't understand that her husband is such an unintelligent person that might get her killed if he doesn't learn to shut up before taking over his father's job."

His long monologue made her look up at him, still lying on his chest and feeling closer to him than ever.

"That's a lot," she whispered.

"And everything will be my duty when my father passes on the title," he answered. "I'll balance the House's money; I send everybody their allowances and decide if they continue getting the money or not. I'll take over my father's Seat, so I'll have to study Law so I can decide the country's laws without even wanting to. Everything that is important for the family will be under my control, regardless of the age I have – the Family Vaults, the laws of a whole country, the very living members of the household make will be able to be taken away by my decision alone without any contest."

"That's so much responsibility," she said.

"Am I talking too much?" he asked, frowning again.

"No, please, keep going. I like knowing your problems and not thinking about mine," she admitted.

He chuckled.

"Thinking about my problems won't make yours go away," he reminded her.

"Well-aware," she said, rolling her eyes. "Doesn't meant that I cannot hear your problems as well, like you heard mine. Though, it does help me ignore mine; it's like a bonus," she gave him a little smile.

He nodded slowly. He took his time, but he went back to the subject he had been trying to get to.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked. She sighed. "It can be soup, if it'll settle your stomach and help your fever not come back."

"My fever will more likely come and go for a few hours yet, but the Potion will supress it for time enough for me to get better. Soup won't help much, but neither will any other food," she said.

"You need to eat something," Regulus insisted. "What do you think you can eat right now?"

"Fruit?"

"Something salty as well, please, then you can have your fruit," he said.

"Toast?"

It wasn't healthy, but it was a start, so Regulus called Kreacher and requested toast and cut-up fruit.

In the meanwhile, they lied back again. Luna with her eyes closed, enjoying his warmth and comfort, while Regulus caressed her back and took in her temperature against his skin as discreetly as possible with where her face met his thin sleepshirt, he also used the hand on her back to feel if she was trembling or shivering.

Luna wasn't sure how long they were like that, lying in silence and accepting everything that was happening around them as reality, but finding comfort in each other's company, even without words. So, when Kreacher came back with another tray with toast and a bowl of cut-up fruits, all they did was sit up and take the tray, put it on the top of comforter on the bed.

"Now, eat," Regulus said when Kreacher popped out of the room.

"Yeah, yeah," she dismissed, looking at the bedroom door, away from the food.

She poked at the toast before deciding to nibble at it. He only relaxed when she swallowed her first human-sized bite.

Once one toast was finished, she gave up on them and quickly took over the bowl of fruits, leaving Regulus to eat the toasts and drink the lukewarm tea remaining on the other tray and giving Luna the honey pot for her fruits. She smiled at him.

"Are you well?" he asked.

"Yes, sorry," she said, blinking in surprise. She seemed to have forgotten that she had felt anything other than 'well'. "I'm... -- Regulus, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come without warning beforehand, especially when you mentioned your parents would be out. I didn't mean to be inconvenient," she said.

He gave her a fond roll of his eyes.

"Luna, I'm grateful you came. You needed support, I'm willing to give it to you. Thank you for coming and for trusting me," he said, reaching to caress her knee. "I'm in love with you and I –"

"I'm in love with you, too," she said, cutting him off.

Regulus held his breath. She had finally said it, she had finally gave him his feeling back.

"I don't need you to say so for my sake, especially after what happened today," he said.

"I am in love with you. I feel loved by you and I'm in love with you," she insisted, not taking a step back from what she said.

Regulus leaned in, eager for a kiss – she would taste like honey and strawberries, he would taste like tea and –

The bedroom door opened to his father and mother standing there.

"Kreacher said you had a visitor. I see who it is now," Orion said, raising his eyebrows at the couple.

"Mother. Father," Regulus greeted, putting his cup back on the tray and slowly getting up, he stood, fixing his hair as he felt the unease on the air. "I didn't expect you back so soon. I thought you'd be at Narcissa's for dinner."

"Clearly you didn't expect us," Walburga said.

Walburga narrowed her eyes at the scene of her son and his girlfriend alone, unchaperoned in his bedroom like common low-people. She crossed her arms, bothered as her gaze went between the two teenagers, the trays and the rumpled bedcovers. She looked back to her son and raised her eyebrows as she fixed her hair with careful hands, lips in a thin line.

Orion, standing behind his wife, lets out a sigh. He exchanged a look with Regulus, who looked down as if he had been scolded with the silence, unable to answer whatever it was the lingering question in his father's eyes.

Lord Black steps into the room.

"What's happened?" Walburga's cold voice asked, still at the doorway.

Regulus cleared his throat.

"Miss Lupin came to call on us, she had not been aware of your outing today. She was upset and needed someone to talk to, but when we realised that we were alone, she felt unwell. I asked her to stay until she felt better. Kreacher brought up food and tea. We're just talking," Regulus said.

Most of it was true. But Luna had known they weren't there, she had just forgotten.

Orion's eyes stopped on Luna and urged her with his eyebrows and a sharp nod with his head to contribute with the story, but she offered him a polite nod back and very awkward smile.

"Good evening, Lord and Lady Black. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused, I didn't intend to mess anything up, I just needed to talk to someone, Regulus insisted I stayed," she said.

"You were unwell. I wasn't about to send you back to the Potters when you could barely stand," Regulus said, turning to her.

Grateful, Luna gave Regulus a little smile and his eyes softened its coldness when he noticed colour gathering on her cheeks.

Orion looked away from the interaction, feeling it to be far too intimate to happen in front of him even though they were a few feet apart – him standing, her sitting – and not touching each other. It rare to see something so openly... un-Black of Regulus. Walburga, however, looked nothing short of aghast before she softened a little when she looked down – Luna was wearing long-sleeves during July. Something really had happened.

The Lady of the House of Black was very aware of how everything looked and how Luna's presence made things complicated if someone ever found out about the whole hour they had spent unchaperoned. She was somewhat placated with Luna's distraught appearance and the presence of medicinal potion's flasks empty on the bedside table, but she wasn't completely dismissive of the problems.

"It's improper for a young lady to be alone with a young man in his bedroom, unchaperoned for so long. Even if you were unwell, Miss Lupin, you shouldn't be in here," Walburga said. "Visits such as these could be... overlooked when happening in the parlour or sitting room. I will, however, look the other way for you are not... accustomed to our rules."

"I have told her of –" started Regulus. Orion crossed his arms and Regulus fell quiet. "Kreacher was home," he answered instead.

"Kreacher!" Orion called. The house-elf appeared quickly, bowing very low to his Master. "What happened here?"

Kreacher looked around the room, eyes wide and fearful of the possible outcome and punishment if he didn't tell the whole truth. "Yes, Master?"

"The children, they were left alone," Orion said.

"No, they weren't, Master. Kreacher was here, he was," Kreacher said, blinking his watery eyes. "Miss Lupin felt ill; Young Master was very concerned. Master Regulus tells the truth."

The room went silent for a moment as Orion studies his son's face, noticing the muscle feathering the side of his young face. He turned to look at his own wife, who raised a single perfectly shaped eyebrow, not convinced even with both points of view, but willing to look the other way to save her son's reputation.

Walburga looked at the ground, deferring the responsibility to her husband, but mentally hating the moment – she had told him to talk to Regulus and he had been pushing the conversation until later, and there they were, with the possible consequences of it all.

"Miss Lupin," Orion started.

"Yes, sir?" she said, automatically.

He almost smiled, lips twitching at her nervousness.

"I trust you, smart as you are, understand how this looks to all of us, you... being here in this way. This House must be mindful of its appearances and reputations for future possibilities, and you should start doing the same – for your own sake and for my son's."

"Yes, sir," she said. "I apologise."

It felt like being scolded by a professor. It was humiliating. She looked down at the hands on her lap – her writs still hurt a bit, but she had tried so hard not to think about them... until now, when she looked at them. She was spiralling again; she wasn't sure how to stop it.

Regulus stepped forward, closer to her father, blocking his view of Luna.

"It won't happen again," he said, trying to stop the conversation from turning harsher.

Orion studies his son for a moment longer. "I don't believe that."

"I'll –"

"Don't make promises that you can't keep," Orion warned him.

Regulus froze in place, looking between his parents, unsure of what Orion was trying to say.

Walburga, still displeased, sighed and looked at Luna, having to put her head to the side a bit to look around her son.

"Miss Lupin, it is late," she said.

Regulus turned to his mother, exasperated.

"She could stay for supper, I'm certain," Regulus said, annoyed at his mother's impolite goodbye.

"Actually, I should be going before Lady Potter realises that I'm gone," she said, apologetic. She slowly got up, making sure the room wouldn't spin when she stood. "Thank you for the hospitality, and I'm sorry for everything."

"You were ill, you do not have to be sorry," he insisted once more. He took her hand, kissing the back of it gently. "Feel better. Eat, please. Toast and fruits isn't enough for the whole day of food that you missed – and take your potions, will you? Before going to sleep."

"Aye, aye, Captain," she teased, smiling at him.

Walburga watched them before walking Luna towards the stairs and, from there, the fireplace.

Orion lingered on the doorway, watching his wife and his son's girlfriend before turning to look at Regulus again. He sighed.

"You know that we're doing this for your own good, right?" he asked. Regulus stared, unmoving. "You understand it, don't you? Answer me, boy."

"I understand," Regulus said, voice sharper than intended.

Orion closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing loudly. He looked exhausted – not drinking made things so much more difficult.

"I don't mean to ruin your fun," he said.

"I wasn't having fun. My girlfriend got so stressed that she got a fever, Father," Regulus said, snapping at him again. "Do you truly think that I only think and can only function if sex is involved? I have not touched her, neither here nor at school. It is not something that we do. We talk. We get to know each other – not everyone is like Uncle Cygnus or Sirius... we're different."

Orion rolled his eyes. His son's teen years were more excruciating than he remembered his being. "You haven't touched the girl, at all?"

"No."

Orion walked back into the room, closing the door behind him this time. He put his hand through his hair before sighing again.

Regulus sat in his bed, crossing his arm.

"What is it, Father?"

"Sex... it's..." Orion sighed loudly. Regulus blinked, shocked. His father sat at the edge of the bed, putting his hands on his knees. "Your mother wanted me to talk to you about it. Wanted me to make sure you knew your duties to your family and to protecting its power and influence by giving it a good example. There are ways for you to hold it together until the wedding night and –"

"Oh, Father, please, don't!" Regulus said, jumping from the bed, standing as if ready to run for the door.

Orion glared. "Be mature! Sit and listen, young man!" he scolded.

Unwillingly, Regulus sat, staring at his father in disbelief, as if he had never seen that man before in his life.

"This is a ridiculous conversation. We had it before, and it was excruciating and torturous for the both of us, why must you insist on it?" Regulus complained.

"Because your mother told me to."

"And she gives you orders now?"

"More often than you think," Orion said.

Regulus thought of a dirty joke Evan told once, which was connected to his parents now. He shivered, disgusted, holding back a loud groan that threatened him in his throat.

"I know what you will say. Pleasure will be found regardless – there are several manners of handling the matter and all that. Yes, I know. I figured that one out in the dormitories thanks to the other boys, thank you," Regulus said bitterly. "Please, don't make this more difficult than it has to be."

"Well, then your mother's side of the conversation has been had," Orion said, amused by Regulus' reaction. "Now it's mine."

Regulus' groan escaped his lips and he almost started sobbing.

Orion turned, putting the trays to the side and giving himself space enough to face his son. He wanted to see Regulus when he talked to him.

"I know that this is uncomfortable, but this is important. Young men and young ladies don't wait as much as people think they do, but there are safe ways of doing anything with your girlfriend," Orion said. "There are potions and methods of preventing pregnancy, though the potions are better." Regulus looked up at the ceiling, begging for Merlin to strike him down under his breath. "But... the consequences are often more than just pregnancy. Sex muddies things, Regulus, it... changes a lot of things. Friendship becomes more, a partner becomes a lover, and a lover becomes... oxygen. Often, sex makes one more dependable of that person and it does hurt a lot more once the relationship is done. So, you ought to think through it, if... having her is the best option for your... heart, for everything will end at one point."

Regulus looks down, back at his father.

"You're trying to tell me not have sex with her because it'll hurt when we're done? What if –"

"You will end, Regulus," Orion reminded him. "That's the deal. Don't forget it."

He knew the deal, Regulus wanted to say to his father, he was there when they wrote the official contract for the courtship, but he couldn't say anything. He didn't want to say anything. He didn't even want to think about it.

"Don't feel as if I do not care of Miss Lupin's heart, she's a good girl and might have a brilliant future if this courtship is dealt with perfectly," Orion said. "But you are my son, and I care for you more, and more – you are my Heir."

"Miss Lupin will be fine," he said. "I'll make sure she'll be fine."

"Even when it's done? Even when she won't be able to look at your face without anger and resentment?"

"She knows my duties. She knows the weight I carry," he said. "Anger won't be a part of her palette of feelings, though she's very good with resentment."

"Petty one, is she?" Orion chuckled.

"The pettiest I have seen before," Regulus admitted, chuckling as well.

"More than your mother?!"

"Mother cannot hold a candle to Luna Lupin's pettiness," Regulus admitted, laughing.

Orion smiled. It was good to see Regulus looking so youthful.

"You truly care for her," he said.

"I'm in love with her," Regulus said. "I won't deny it, for it's obvious. I cannot and shall never deny it. I'm in love with her, Father."

"It'll pass."

Orion's dismissal could've dimmed Regulus' smile and his several levels of Occlumency could've come back down, but they didn't. Regulus just shook his head lightly, as if they were talking of dates of History of Magic and he had the better memory for the historical facts – he was sure, he was confident.

"It shan't. No matter the duties I'll have to perform, whom I'll be arranged to – regardless of it all, I'll be in love with her." Regulus' voice was firm.

"That's a dangerous thing to admit."

"Not to you. You are my father."

"I'm your Lord."

"And father," Regulus answered quickly. He gave Orion a sad smile, finally dimming his happiness just a bit, looking like the Heir again, not like a young boy. "You won't do anything that I'll cause me harm and put me in harm's way."

"You sound certain."

"I am. As certain as I am that she is in love with me," Regulus added proudly. "I understand my family's reputation being at risk, and I'll be mindful of it all, but Luna's reputation is protected by the clause in the contract, I made sure of it."

Orion bit the side of his cheek. He had called her by her first name, but Orion didn't scold him for it.

"You need to think more of the future, Regulus; not yours by any rate, but hers, if you care so much for her. A man is like ink they leave a smear everywhere they go and everything that they touch, a little bit of a spill is accepted and even seen as normal, but an ink-quill that is far too messy and leaves stain everywhere, nobody will want it," Orion said, frowning as he thought deeply of what to say next. "If we're ink-quills, women are books."

"Women are books?"

"Not literally, of course, but in this metaphor, they are. One-of-a-kind books, once in a lifetime," Orion said. "A book has a lot to say once you open it up, once you get interested enough to open it up. And some women are like the Restricted Section books, quite dangerous, with contents that certainly at meant to be away from people without a strong enough mind to deal with it – like your cousin Bellatrix – but some are far more delicate, like your mother."

"Mother's not delicate, Father," Regulus said, a twitch of his lips betraying his serious face.

"That's where you're wrong, your mother is very delicate and very fragile. Her pages are thin, any ink that falls on them will bleed through."

"What do you mean?" Regulus asked.

"Everything that happens to your mother, changes her. She's not good in allowing things to pass by, forgetting and putting it behind her. Everything, good or bad, leaves scars on her," Orion said. "That's why her spine is so thick, like a hardcover of old books. Sturdy, resilient, used in very important books with important messages, even if the pages are not as everlasting."

"This feels so wrong, comparing women to books," Regulus grumbled.

His father ignored him.

"When a man truly cares for a woman, and they are married, the ink is not bleeding through so easily, it's not just a stain, the ink forms words, adding to the woman's original words in their pages – they form a legacy together," Orion continued explaining. "But outside of that – while not wrong – it's dangerous, it might lead to its ruin. Not only the ink, but also dogearing a book, tearing it, folding it or creasing it, people might see the marks and they won't want it, even if it's for work or for simple keeping."

Regulus wanted to say that all those terrible metaphors. If ink spilling was a metaphor for sex, what the hell would be 'dogearing' ones' page, 'tearing', 'folding', 'creasing'. His father was no poet, but his father was taking everything he was saying very seriously.

"Father –" Regulus stated.

"My father once said that they are women that you keep close, and women that you hold sacred. One cannot be both," Orion said, cutting his son off while getting off the bed and looking through the window. "He was wrong. Your mother became my dearest friend and she's closest woman I ever held to my heart, and she keeps on being sacred to me. But Miss Lupin will not have such luck when our name cannot protect her from the consequences of your actions, so be smart about what you must to do to keep each other happy. And don't let me catch you again."

Regulus stared at his father, shocked.

Orion was never an emotional person, he never spoke much of his relationship with Walburga with his children, or even with his friends. But it was a clear show of how desperate he was to make Regulus understand what he was trying to say.

"I won't," Regulus answered.

"See that you don't," Orion said. "Come down for supper once your mother calls."

He did not look at Regulus frozen state before walking out of the bedroom.

I know! Not even one time break, wow, it was a tiring one to read, right? Sorry about that. I hope you all liked it regardless.

What was your favourite part?

What are you expecting from Book Two?