Back!

PLEASE, as always, LEAVE COMMENTS. I'm really bored and not sleepy at all, so please keep me entertained lmao

Don't be too scared of the TW, I promise it's not so bad.

TW: IMPLIED CHILD ABUSE (Black Family discipline etc etc) and unrelated DUBIOUS CONSENT (main subject after the second part of the chapter)

Sirius Black was right about one thing: a few hours of rest and a lukewarm shower was all they could do for Regulus without knocking him out somehow, because by the time the world became light outside, he hesitated in front of Luna's bedroom, listening to the heavy silence of the first day of the new year.

He had just walked out of the bathroom after brushing his teeth and had stopped in the cold corridor to fix his socks that were slipping down his feet. He had expected to hear other people moving around upstairs, but the adults were already downstairs, Remus was waiting for him back in the bedroom that they had shared and there was absolutely no noise coming from Luna's.

Remus' bedroom door opened right across from Luna's. He narrowed his eyes to Sirius standing right in front of the other bedroom, ear stuck to the door.

"What are you doing?" Remus whispered.

"Trying to figure out if they're already awake," he answered, pressing himself further against the door.

In silence, Remus walked out of his bedroom and walked closer, also trying to hear something. Silence continued. He glanced at the clock at the wall near the stairs and frowned at the small pointer directly over the 11.

"It's past eleven. Luna would be awake at this point," Remus said, concerned.

"They probably were awake until very late," Sirius said, trying to be as understanding as he could. "I'd imagine they'd have a lot to talk about after last night."

Remus frowned, face paling slightly. He didn't like the memory of Regulus shaking as if he was hypothermic, the way he was awake and alert being the only reason he didn't think Regulus was having a seizure like Luna. He didn't like to think that, just a few years ago, it had been Sirius in his place, stumbling into the Potter's parlour during Christmas, looking like he had been through hell and back – and Sirius had been under the effect of Cruciatus for no more than a minute, Regulus had been under it for longer, that much Sirius was sure and shared it with Remus before they went to sleep.

"Do you think he already regrets joining?" Remus asked.

Sirius turned to him, pressing his lips together

"If I'm to believe what Luna said, he didn't want to join at all," Sirius said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "He might had lied to her, of course, but if he didn't regret before, he certainly does now."

It would be hard not to when the tremors in his hands would last for another full day and his magic would waver for a few more hours.

Remus put his hands into the pockets of his joggers, frowning as he looked at his bare feet over the wooden floor. He was feeling cold, but he couldn't bear the feeling of socks at the moment. He was already feeling overwhelmed.

"How can they do that to their own soldiers?" Remus whispered his question, not expecting an answer.

"Discipline, that's how some of the most traditional families raise children – that how you'll teach soldiers," Sirius answered.

Remus looked at him, taken aback by his certainty, but Sirius wasn't looking at him.

It took him a while to understand that Sirius was avoiding his eyes was shame, and once he recognised it, his face softened.

"Sirius –" he started.

Sirius licked his own lips, shaking his head to cut Remus off.

"I thought I was lucky growing up. Mother didn't discipline us physically, she wouldn't hit us, just scream at us and leave us locked in our own rooms, and though our meals would've been late, we would never go without food for more than normal. I remember meeting cousins and other children and finding out how they were punished with belts, slaps, punches and curses; I remember, very vividly, going to Regulus' door when he was crying for being locked in through lunch and told him to never cry about it again because he could be certain Kreacher would bring food sooner or later," Sirius told him. Slowly, he walked to the stairs and sat on the top step. "Mother avoided telling Father when we were in trouble because she didn't want him to use his belt on us more than necessary – if I'm thinking about it now, perhaps it was a manipulation tactic to make us like her more than we liked Father, trying to be a 'partner', you see? I'm not sure anymore."

"The night you ran away –" but Remus couldn't bear to ask.

He followed Sirius and sat beside him.

"Father had used his belt when I crossed the line, of course. The first instance I remember was when I almost broke Narcissa's fingers by closing the piano lid on her hand to make her shut up about something, but it was never the first option for punishment. Father would say it was too tiresome, but I think he didn't enjoy it – perhaps he just didn't enjoy having a fatherly role at all," Sirius said with a scoff. He bit the bottom lip firmly before taking a deep breath. "Regardless, I thought I was lucky. In a way, perhaps I was..."

Remus shook his head.

"How can you be lucky?" he asked, perplexed by the comment.

"Because it only happened once to me, and everybody present jumped to stop it. I can assure you that most people in that circle didn't have the same luck growing up." He looked over his shoulder to Luna's door. "I'm also certain that it will happen again to Regulus, and that Mother won't always be there to save him somehow."

Remus held his own knees.

Sirius continued talking.

"Uncle Alphard once told me that his father would use the Cruciatus a lot on his children, especially on Uncle Cygnus, he was always the most obvious rebel. He said that once he used it on my mother for so long that she fainted, but when she woke up, she got up and slapped my grandfather in the face so hard that he fell from his chair. I thought he was lying, of course, because there was no way that the Duchess Walburga Black would dare to use physical violence like that." Sirius gave a little bitter laugh. "More and more I wonder if perhaps I misunderstood my mother."

"Misunderstanding or not, she hurt you."

"She was hurt a lot. I don't think she understood fully the weight of what she was doing. It's so normal to her," Sirus whispered, putting his chin on his knee, frowning in deep thought.

"It gave her no right to do it to you," Remus insisted.

"Regulus said that she wanted to apologise, but I was already gone," Sirius said. He sniffled. "Regulus helped me out, did you know?" Remus shook his head. "I couldn't move very well, I was lethargic and nauseated, so he packed my bags – just enough for a few days. He was so certain that I would be back to get the rest. He helped me down the stairs and shoved me through the fireplace, telling me he would write once everybody was calmer, that he would take responsibility for if they got angry at me for going away. I didn't think twice. As soon as I stepped out of the house and Euphemia received me, horrified, I just knew that I couldn't go back. When Regulus wrote to me, I didn't even write back – I tried, but I had nothing to say."

Remus took a deep breath.

"They didn't deserve your words, Sirius. They punished you for something that you cannot control. They punished you for loving," Remus said.

Sirius wondered if Remus couldn't see that Regulus' punishment, though not officially for the same reason, was also a punishment for his love. He decided not to speak of it.

"That night that my Uncle Alphard talked about, the one when my mother was punished, he said that it was because she broke a plate. One that her own mother liked a lot. My grandmother passed away when my mother was very young, fell asleep on the bathtub, or so people say – drowned." Sirius frowned and sucked his lips in as if the words he just said disgusted him. "In some very traditional families, you don't name the child until their first month. Uncle Cygnus named my mother after the saint of drowned people, so her name was Walburga."

"That seems cruel."

"Fitting for the woman she became. She doesn't know how to love, so she drowns you in it, forcing you under, influencing every part of your life. That's how she loves, overbearingly," Sirius said, bitterly. "For her pain and love might feel the same."

Remus, concerned, watched his boyfriend's pale and blank face stare down at the stairs before looking up at the clock once more. He watched it for a few seconds before blinking quickly a few times, as if holding back tears.

Sirius got up at once.

"She'll be here by midday. She won't leave her baby boy out of the house for more than needed, especially after last night's events," Sirius said. He put his hands behind his back and stretched, trying to crack a few bones. "You'll see what I mean, Remus. You'll see the force to be reckoned with that Walburga Black is as a mother."

And Sirius had been right.

A few minutes later, just past 11:30, the group of people on the table looked at the front door with some concern, while Sirius continued completely casual in his chair.

Catrin got up to answer without fear or hesitation, though Lyall followed her closely, wand quite obviously ready in his back pocket. Without much fuss, Patricia got up from her seat, standing beside Hope with her own wand in hand, but Hope didn't move from her seat, but she did put her utensils down on the table again. Quietly, Florian passed off the giggly Sophia back to her mother and got up as well, but didn't reach for his wand, just stood as casually as possible in between Leticia and the door. Remus' tension, however, didn't seem to have reached Sirius.

"Want to bet that we have Lady Black at the door?" Sirius said, tone light and casual.

Patricia tensed up. Her silence as she looked at her son in worry said all that it needed to be said.

"You think she'd come here?" Hope asked.

"She certainly went to Bristol, found the house empty and came here since Regulus spent Christmas here before," Sirius said, taking his cup and sipping his tea. He crossed his legs under the table.

The group listened to the door, straining their ears to make out the words, only for Sirius to smile as he finally recognised Walburga's voice.

With a strained smile, Lyall walked back into the room with Walburga right behind him, Catrin just a few steps back.

"Good afternoon," Walburga greeted formally, not meeting eyes with anybody.

Hope made a little noise as she forced herself to stand up from her seat, either out of politeness or to give Walburga someone to focus on.

"Lady Black," Hope said in greeting.

"Madame Jensen," Walburga answered.

Sirius put his cup back on its place, the titling of the porcelain making Walburga turn her eyes to him. She did not greet him, but lowered her chin just enough for a polite, but casual nod towards him. Sirius thought that, perhaps, that was the best she could do at the moment when she was so worried over Regulus.

"I'd like to see my youngest son, please," Walburga said. "I came to pick him up."

For some reason, Sirius' back straightened. She had said 'youngest son', as if she had more than one. He wasn't sure if he should be glad about her impossibility of forgetting him or if he should be offended that he was still recognised as a Black by her.

"Why don't you eat lunch with us, Lady Black. Mister Black is still asleep," Catrin said, going back to her chain and sitting without ceremony. "He's had a difficult night."

"I know," Walburga said with a bit of bitterness in her voice.

Hope exchanged a look with Lyall.

"I... I can take you to see him, if you so wish, Lady Black," Hope said, fingers twisting in front of her body. "Patricia and I have been keeping an eye on him through the night while he could. He's a lot better, but we believe that resting should be the priority."

Walburga barely glanced at Doctor Waters.

"Your daughter sitting with him, I'd hazard. She wouldn't leave him alone," she asked, noticing Luna's absence.

Lyall cleared his throat, still looking torn between sitting back or disappearing from the room completely.

"Regulus slept over in Luna's bedroom; we thought it was safe given his situation. And we didn't want him to be completely alone in case something was to indeed happen," he explained as calmly and formally as he could without sounding ridiculous. "If I were to have my supposition, I'd say they are both still asleep."

Florian gave a little hum. "They are. I peeked in when I went to the bathroom, they're out like a light," he said.

Walburga looked at Florian, raising her perfectly shaped eyebrows at the man. The idea of him looking into a girl's bedroom made her uncomfortable, the sense of absolute comfortableness he represented standing there with a hand on the back of Leticia's chair, who held a baby that had nothing to do with him. He looked far too domestic for the likes of that situation.

"In the same bed?" Walburga asked.

Remus' face coloured as he looked down, uncomfortable. "I sleep right across the corridor from them, I can assure you nothing happened," he said.

Sirius scoffed. "As if Regulus would dare! Poor, terrified boy."

Her sharp eyes turned to him.

"Sirius Orion, behave!" she scolded.

Usually, Sirius would've fought back, but perhaps the conversation he had earlier on with Remus had mollified him enough to just allow him a little chuckle.

Hope stepped forward.

"Come on, then. I'll take you to them," she said.

Patricia slowly sat back down, giving a little signal for Florian to also sit. He did, taking Sophia into his arms again and going back to playing with the baby, letting Leticia comfortable enough to eat.

Walburga followed Hope further into the house, ignoring that Lyall was still standing.

The two women walked further into the house, Hope being ahead of Walburga, ignoring the way she could feel her presence looming behind her like a woman feels a threat behind them in the street. She could almost hear the way Lady Black's hands were shaking, either in disapproval for the situation or the fear of the night before. Walburga's footsteps were measured, deliberate, her heels barely making more than a 'tick' against the wood – it was almost inhumane, and it bothered Hope.

Once they walked up the stairs, Hope raised her hand to gently knock on the door, but since there was no noise inside she thought better of it and opened it just a sliver, cautious of not making too much noise as to not wake them.

Inside the small, simple room there was a soft pool of morning light flooding into the room and lightening the rug, the bed still being in a small, comfortable penumbra. The curtains were half-drawn from the night before. Luna had been too sleepy to care to do it well before going to bed.

Hope blinked once, twice, and then she understood the scene.

Regulus was half-covered by the tangled sheets, still shirtless from when the boys had showered him and then given him trousers; his skin was still shining from the sweat of his sleep, haunted by nightmares. He was lying on his side, arm thrown over Luna's waist, who was snuggled close to him. His hand slid down to her hips, pulling her slightly closer while their lips met in a lazy, comfortable morning kiss.

It was hardly something scandalous or shocking, barely more than a peck. And still, Hope made a small, strangled noise of shock at finding them awake – even if barely so.

Walburga stood frozen for a heartbeat too long, mouth parting slightly in a quick intake of breath. A faint blush creeped up from her neck to her face. She didn't scream or cause a scene, far too embarrassed of what she had witnessed to do anything, but her fingers twitched once at her sides before tugging at her own skirts.

Luna was the first to notice the intrusion, eyes half-lidded turning to the door.

Stunned, her face reddened in embarrassment. She sat up, leaving Regulus confused before he understood what was happening. His hands found the sheets, pulling them up to his bare chest in mortification.

"Mother!" he squeaked.

Luna turned to look at him, surprised at his rough voice not breaking at the high-pitched tone he had used. Her eyes followed to Hope, searching for reassurance or explanation, but found only her own mother avoiding her eyes.

"Regulus Arcturus, get dressed, we're going now!" Walburga said, voice strained and forced.

"Nothing happened!" Regulus quickly said, eyes dancing between his mother and Luna's. "Nothing happened, I promise."

"It doesn't matter. It's time to go home. We'll have guests for dinner," Walburga said.

Regulus' hold onto the sheets seemed to tighten.

"Certainly you're jesting, Mother. After last night, you invited guests?" Regulus asked, frowning as he leaned forward.

"I scarcely had another choice. Now, up you come and go get dressed," Walburga said firmly, glaring at her son. "I have a lot to do."

Regulus grumbled something about Kreacher under his breath, but Walburga either didn't hear, or she just didn't care enough, because she turned her back and walked right out of the room. Hope, a bit lost, followed her and closed the bedroom door to give the young couple some time of privacy to get dressed.

In a few seconds, Luna opened the door again. She had pulled her hair back in a ponytail and had tied her robes around herself over the pyjamas she had on (though Hope could still see her pyjamas under her knees; it was one of her more modest ones). Soon after, Regulus walked out in the joggers Sirius had given him and a white shirt that Walburga knew – it was also Sirius'.

She could recognise the painting of a man with a coloured lightening painted on his face from all the things she had found in Sirius' bedroom after he ran away.

Walburga's nostrils flared. She looked away and took a deep breath.

"Make haste, Regulus. I'm busy today," she said.

Regulus exchanged a look with Luna as he put his fingers through his hair in an attempt of fixing it up quickly.

"Yes, Mother," he answered.

She turned her back to them and, without Hope's companion, walked towards the stairs a few steps ahead of everybody.

Regulus was quick to turn on the heels of his feet, plant a quick peck on Luna's lips before following his mother without a single word. He feared the sound of his voice would only make her angrier.

Hope turned to her daughter once they were out of sight.

"You really know how to cause drama," Hope teased.

Luna gave her a playful glare.

"Well, Walburga Black knows how to make everything about her family, so we're even," Luna answered.

Hope chuckled, shaking her head at the humour.

The good thing about being back at Hogwarts was the freedom Regulus had of kissing Luna whenever he wanted. The bad thing was the number of eyes always watching them and judging their every move.

The stress of being watched was lightened by the bitter taste of whiskey the Slytherins had sneaked into the school after winning against Hufflepuff in the first Quidditch game of 1979. The buzz that the alcohol gave him took a bit of the control he ever so enjoyed, but the pleasure of feeling like he was floating on cloud was a lot more enjoyable than the harsh reality that he had to face every other day of his life.

Regulus thought that the modern wizarding songs playing were rather silly and he would rather hear ore of the beautiful instruments other than the annoyingly high-pitched voice of a woman singing. Sopranos were not meant to sing popular contemporary pieces; their voices were much better in arias and –

"Let's dance!" Luna exclaimed, taking his hand and pulling him up from the sofa.

People were jumping over each other, hugging in celebration over the victory. Some girls were attempting a version of the dance Luna and her friends had done in that one Halloween party, though their hips weren't as well-versed in creating shapes and movements. Some of the boys seemed eager to use that moment to push against the girls, grinding against them shamelessly.

Though he hated the sight alone, Regulus was eager to make Luna happy. He drank the rest of his alcohol, grimaced at the taste, and jumped up to dance with her. Delighted, Luna squealed, pulling him closer to her and moving her hips and shoulders as a siren, calling him in.

The liquid courage coursing through Regulus' veins allowed him to take Luna's wrists and raise them above her head – where she kept her arms up, still dancing in front of him –, hands sliding down her arms, the sides of her body and stopping on her hips. With a tight grip, he pulled her closer to him. Without hesitation, he claimed her lips in a deep, steamy kiss that used so much force that Luna had to put her hands on his shoulder to keep herself standing. Together, they stumbled a bit before Regulus found a way to hold them up by his grip on the corner of a window frame.

Luna giggled.

"Did you trip?" she asked.

"No," he answered.

He tried to kiss her again, but Luna pulled away in obvious concern, looking at him with attention and a frown. She put her hands on his chest to keep space between them. Her eyes danced between his face and the people around them – especially the ones that seemed to be watching them from far away.

"You're slurring," she said over the music. "How much did you drink?"

"Not enough," he dismissed, leaning over again.

Luna put her face to the other side, taking a step back. That made her back hit the wall behind her, trapping her in place.

"Regulus, you're drunk," she warned.

"No, I'm not."

"You're stumbling, you're slurring. You are," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Did you drink a lot?"

Even drunk, Regulus couldn't bear lying to her.

"I was drinking before you got here. They brought honey-firewhiskey. It tastes very sweet. Do you want some?" he said.

Luna shook her head. "No, I'm fine, thanks," she said.

She didn't sound fine. She sounded angry.

And she looked so beautiful when she was angry, especially when she was angry at him. Her green eyes looked like the eyes of a cat, narrowing suspiciously at everything walking by close enough to hear their conversation. If was like she was expecting the correct moment to scold him.

He wanted her to scold him. He wanted her to do anything she wanted to him.

He leaned in before she could react and kissed her again, pressing himself against her and – in consequence – pressing her against the rough stone wall behind her.

She pushed him just a bit, breaking the kiss by facing away from him.

"Regulus, no!" she said.

He felt like a misbehaving dog.

"Why?" he whined.

"You're drunk. You're not thinking straight," she explained.

"I'm fine!"

"If you were sober, you would never kiss me like this in public," she said once he took half a step away from her. He tried to kiss her again. "Nor would you kiss me against my will! Stop it! I don't want it!"

"Please."

"I said no!"

Confused by her snappy tone, Regulus stood there, staring at her, but he no longer attempted to kiss her. He looked down, properly scolded.

"You don't want me?" he asked, voice swallowed by the song.

Apparently, Luna had managed to read his lips, because her whole stance and facial expression softened. She didn't comfort him physically as she usually did, she just watched him carefully, taking in every single detail he could communicate without talking.

"I do want you; I just don't want you kissing me when you are drunk," she answered. "It's best if I leave now."

Regulus jumped, startled by her words. He reached for her wrist again, but she pulled away in a quick movement, turning her body to face him, but no longer with her back against the wall. Like a bird ready to take flight, she was leaning on the front of her feet, ready to... fight?

He took a big step back, unwilling to scare her or make her think that he would one day do something to hurt her. He put his hands behind his back, a soundless promise of her safety.

"Don't leave," he requested.

"I think it's for the best if I go," Luna insisted taking another step back. "We'll talk tomorrow, alright?"

"Luna –"

"Tomorrow, when you're sober," she said. She took a step towards him, getting closer than Regulus expected her to after the stupid things he had done. "We promised we'd be sober when we were together in this way. Even if there's no contract anymore, our word should be valid. I'm not angry, you're allowed to drink, I just don't think it's a good idea to be snogging in public like this. Tomorrow, you'll regret it, and I don't want to be the reason why."

Regulus shook his head, ready to speak, but the world seemed to turn once he stopped shaking his head. He went quiet, focusing on standing motionless. When he was back to focusing on the world around him, Luna was already walking away from him, half-way out the door.

He watched her silently, knowing it was his fault. He did not drink the rest of the night.

Luna smiled to the letter in her hands.

It was the first time that Sirius wrote to her, and the contents of the letter was a bittersweet verse in a ballad of her life. Back a few years ago, when she had imagined Sirius writing a letter to her, it was a love letter, expressing how he missed her in the moments they were apart of how the world was terrible without her support. But she was happy with the new reason for writing to her: permission.

Sirius, in his own manner, was seeking permission to enter her family without outright saying so. He wanted her to know how close the romantic relationship between him and Remus had become (as if she hadn't noticed it on her own), and she gave him credit where credit was due; he had worded everything very carefully to protect her feelings, while cutting off any imagination that the letter could be anything more than friendly. The letter was something she enjoyed, surprisingly. It was the proof that she was losing her brother more and more, but that he was winning a life that he had never allowed himself to imagine to be possible for someone like him.

Sirius and Remus had bought an apartment together.

It was a small one bedroom-one bathroom apartment in a Muggle neighbourhood, East End London. As working class as it came, and Sirius was struggling a bit with the idea of doing a lot without magic, as he had been allowed to do in Potter Manor, but he was managing. They hadn't moved in yet, because the landlady was waiting for the last couple to move, which would happen in early June. However, expressed in Sirius' letter, the expectation of the months between February and June were completely manageable.

"Who would've thought that Sirius Black would've started writing to you, eh?" Rosalie said, reading the name written on the verse of the letter as she drank her morning milk. "All you had to do to get your past crush's attention was date his brother."

Luna chuckled, pushing the half-full plate in front of her away. She just sipped more of her juice.

"Well, he is dating mine, so I think we're even," Luna said lightly.

Rosalie chocked.

Luna had not outed her brother, of course. Sirius had made their relationship quite public in the last few months they were in Hogwarts, but most people had thought it was a prank or a joke. Luna was just enforcing the truthfulness behind their decision.

"Still, he didn't write to you before," Marta said, head resting on Morris' shoulder.

"He's being a good boyfriend and asking my permission to live with my brother, though in the Sirius Black sort of way of not truly asking for permission for anything," Luna explained with a chuckle.

"Oh, that's so romantic!" Marta said, straightening.

"He can be romantic when he wants, apparently," Luna said, folding the letter again.

Someone cleared their throat behind her. Without looking, Luna knew who was standing there.

"Who can be romantic?" Regulus Black asked, trying his best to sound casual.

Without looking over her shoulder, Luna answered truthfully, though slightly meaner than expected.

"Your brother," she said.

Slowly, she turned around, passing her feet over the seat and looking at Regulus face-to-face. He looked pale and disgusted – either from Luna's answer or from the number of drinks he had the night before.

"Oh," was all he managed.

Luna tried not to smile at his obvious suffering.

"How's the head?" she asked.

"Pounding," he answered truthfully.

Morris narrowed his eyes at Regulus' state, quickly understanding what was happening. He hissed between his teeth in sympathy.

"Hungover, are you?" Morris asked, pressing his lips together in an awkward smile. "Some eggs might help."

"I can't eat, but the advice is welcome," Regulus told him, looking over at the boy. Some respect seemed to form there in the quick conversation, such was the power of hangovers. "Though, I do believe some fresh air would do me good before the rest of the day. It is Sunday, after all."

Luna understood it quickly.

"A walk, then," she said with a nod, getting up from her seat.

Regulus offered her his arm, face hesitant and insecure, as if he expected her to completely reject his kindness. His whole body seemed to relax a bit when her hand rested of the crook of his elbow, eyes turning to his face with gentle reassurance.

As she had promised, she hadn't been mad, only concerned either for him or for his ability of consenting to what he was trying to do.

Together, they walked out of the Great Hall and made no commentaries in the corridors, but their breathings seemed to come synchronised once they had reached the outdoors. Luna pressed against Regulus' side, seemingly taken aback by the Scottish humid February cold, immediately, he wrapped his cloak over her shoulders as well to keep them both warm without her verbal request.

Once they were far enough from the walls and windows, Regulus felt safe enough to look around the empty ground and undo his cloak, letting it rest only over Luna's shoulder. He slipped away from her grasp as she stopped walking in confusion for the sudden warmth. He stopped in front of her, hands in front of his body.

"Regulus, it's cold, what are you doing?" she asked.

He lowered his head and then leaned forward. A bow of formal apology.

"Please, forgive me," he said.

Luna blinked several times, taken aback by his sudden action. She had expected an apology, yes, but not... this.

"Regulus, listen –" she started.

"I cannot imagine what went through my mind. I behaved like an animal, primal and inhumane. I kissed you against your will, I shamed you by forcing myself upon you in public. I put your reputation to the test by my actions. I cannot apologise enough to you over my actions, Miss Lupin," he said, voice wavering. He did not meet her eyes. "Not only through the eyes of others, but through yours I made a mistake, and I cannot expect you to forgive me easily. I saw it. I remember. You were scared. I made you scared of me."

"Regulus, I wasn't scared of you, but you are a man. You're bigger than me, stronger than me. I was just... ready," she said, uncomfortably.

"You shouldn't have to be. I should be the one that protected you, I made such an oath to myself as soon as I realised my feelings for you, and breaking that promise was the closest thing to a betrayal that I could have experienced about you – I betrayed my own gentlemanly instincts by listening to the animal in me. I'm sorry," he said. "I do not want to fault the alcohol, but I fear it influenced my decisions and destroyed my inhibitions. Do forgive me, but believe me when I say that, if sober, I would never force myself upon you. I shall never drink again."

Luna reached forward, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"When I told you to stop, you complained, but you listened to me, and when you realised what you did you were very sorry right away, I didn't have to explain anything to you. You know what you did wrong and you stopped yourself," Luna said.

Regulus blinked.

"You're too forgiving, my love," he whispered.

She gave him a little smile.

"I just know you too well to judge you based upon a single action of yours," she said.

"You should judge me. I was drunk, not under a spell. That was still me," Regulus insisted.

Luna crossed her arms.

"Do you want me to not forgive you?" she asked, confused by his reaction.

"No! I want to be forgiven. But I also want you to feel safe, I want this moment to not be in the back of your mind for the rest of our lives," he explained.

Once again, she smiled. This time it looked more realistic.

"I'm fine, Reggie. I'm not scared of you," she promised.

Even though, sometimes, Luna felt like she should be afraid of him. The problem was that Regulus was scary for everybody else besides her; he was the one monster that she never had to worry would bite her – like a dog that she had domesticated after rescuing it from the elements and worst monsters. Now she wondered if having him by her side meant that she was safe.

It was a self-serving act, but Luna felt safer knowing that Regulus would fight for her than fight against her.

"Give me a kiss, darling," she whispered to him.

Regulus attended to her request, eyes closing and leaning in as soon as she was done talking. And Luna felt safer than ever. She hugged him tight, head resting on his chest, listening to his quickly pounding heart and closing her eyes. She was completely relaxed in his arms, but Regulus was tense, as if he was scared that his touch would stain her, as if a single wrong movement could break her fragile self.

For the first time in his life, he was starting to understand why his father told him that women were books and men were ink – and he felt like a broken quill, spilling ink and seeping through Luna's pages, taking space that was not meant to him, bleeding through the moments that he was allowed to take.

Still, he couldn't seem to let her go.

Selfishly, he held on and told himself that he was trying to keep her warm through the winter.

I hope you all liked it.

IMPORTANT!!!

NOW, BACK TO THE GREEK MYTHS; as we already know, here's the list we have up until this point:

Orion Black - Hades

Walburga Black - Persephone

Sirius Black - Icarus

Alphard Black - Dionysus

Druella Black - Aphrodite

Evan Rosier - Orpheus

Luna Lupin - Midas

Pandora Rosier-Lovegood - Pythia

Euphemia Potter - Demeter

Fleatmont Potter - Hephaestus

Patricia Waters - Leto

Florian Waters - Apollo

I'm thinking about, after Ink in Paper is done, writing a chapter in 'Unseen' (my book for random chapters) about why each characters was matched up with their myths, but since not all of their arcs started, I need to hold on for now.

These characters already named have already started their arcs. CAN ANYONE SEE THEM?