There was a non-verbal settlement that Regulus would be staying at Valentina's place from now on, because it also became his place. There were times where she would be absent or he would be absent and they didn't spend all their days together. One day, when Valentina wasn't there as she was very busy at St Mungos and that Regulus was all alone at the flat, he got a letter from Jo, by owl because this little boy was clearly a wizard. He definitely couldn't have prejudices against Muggle-borns anymore because he knew very well this child had magical abilities, and strong ones. Just the other day when Regulus was passing by to say hello, he got so excited that the chandelier illuminating the room got brighter. His mother said it was very common and it was just interesting to see that a Muggle found this more normal than him. He just spent a lot of time with them when Valentina wasn't home and he had nothing to do. All of this constant spy mission was wearing down on him and stressing him, so instead of being alone and overthinking, he felt better when seeing people. That was how Regulus got to take out Jo from times to times especially since their grandmother was busy on holidays with her boyfriend. Hannah could be of help sometimes but she was also busy studying to be an Auror. They went together to buy Muggle school stuff for Jo, his mother said that was so easy he wouldn't even need Regulus' help which he was glad for. And now he was on his way to pick up Jo for a sleepover. They would go out eat at his favorite Muggle place before going back home. He didn't know whether Valentina would come home for the night.

"Are you interested in Quidditch?" wondered Regulus at some point while they were eating. It had been silent so far, just them enjoying Jo's favorite hamburgers. He was surprised he had never brought up the subject before.

"Yes, it looks so cool! Hannah used to play at Hogwarts and she would show me tricks, and she was just so cool!"

"I forgot Hannah even played anyway... You haven't played yourself have you?"

"No, I haven't."

"I could show you someday."

"Yes please, Regulus! That'd be so cool!" he said, his eyes shining with excitement. He was again feeling so excited that the lights turned brighter around them. Some people looked up at the ceiling in confusion.

"Calm down," chuckled the boy, "look at what you're doing."

Jo only chuckled at this.

It wasn't late when they went home but they went directly to bed after washing up. While Jo was in his bath, Regulus found some time to clean up and do some chores. He was basically a housewife now. He was still thinking about applying for a job at the Ministry, maybe he should contact Lucius, he probably had great relations inside the Ministry.

When he walked into the bedroom, the child was already in bed, reading a Muggle book.

"What are you reading?" he wondered, going to lay by his side before taking a hold of his notebook. He had written down all the information he had caught during his last few meetings.

"Charlie and the Chocolate factory."

"And what is it about?"

"It's a poor boy named Charlie who gets to visit Willy Wonka's chocolate factory and inside it's a bit crazy. You should read it, it's really fun."

"Okay, I'll give it a try later."

Jo went back to reading and Regulus to study his notes.

After a while, they heard some noise. A crack sound and footsteps. The boys looked at each other then Regulus glanced at the clock. It was past 9.

"Is it Valentina? I'll hide so she'll have a surprise."

Smiling maliciously, Jo slide under the blanket. Valentina opened the door right after he did.

"Hi, already in bed?" wondered Valentina as she let down her stuff and started removing her cape. The weather had gone unbelievably chilly in the span of some days and it wasn't November yet.

It was at this moment that Jo decided to make his apparition. So suddenly, he straightened up from under the blanket. Valentina got startled and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Merlin! What are you doing here in my bed?" exclaimed the girl.

"Sleeping."

"This is also my bed and I invited him for a sleepover," simply said Regulus.

"And where am I supposed to sleep?" she replied with a sigh.

"I can make seat for you," said the young boy while moving away a little. Regulus muffled his laugh.

"Unbelievable! I'll take a shower, and when I'm back, I better be able to lay down!" she exclaimed before exiting the room. Before the boys could even share a laugh she suddenly came back. "I could at least greet my boyfriend while I'm there."

She came up to Regulus' side to peck his lips quickly before leaving again. When Valentina was done, she told Regulus about a meeting tomorrow morning. They would bring Jo but he wasn't a bother so it was okay. Valentina cuddled close to her boyfriend and fell sleep incredibly fast. She was exhausted.

Everyone was more than happy to meet Jo the next morning. They kept saying he was so adorable. Sirius teased his brother for babysitting a Muggle child but it didn't feel like teasing and it actually hurt but he kept quiet about that.

Regulus attended Death Eaters meetings and only had a few information to give the Order. Some suspected he wasn't being honest and was hiding things. It made him feel ill at ease all of the sudden. He was already not the most appreciated person there but these accusations only made things worse.

"Who knows if he isn't actually spying for You-Know-Who?" said Jonas Bones.

"I... I'm not," simply said Regulus looking down as he couldn't meet anyone's gaze. Only Valentina could see his leg shaking anxiously and the way his hands were clutching at his pants to prevent them from shaking too.

"Look just how suspicious he is!"

"Will you shut up?" suddenly cut Hannah while standing up. "Do you think he'd go as far as dating a Muggle-born just to integrate the Order? That's not what a real shitty Death Eater would do! Quit with the rubbish and start using your brain ..."

"If I can add something," rejoined Daisy, who was usually so quiet during meetings. "I was treated like complete garbage when I arrived too, though it got better, you all were so wrong about me at the beginning. So please let your prejudices aside, for the well-being of the Order. Don't become our enemies."

Silence fell afterward. And Dumbledore who had been quiet all this time decided to speak. "Thank you for these wise interventions. Let me remind you, everyone can find their place here, this is an open organization and everyone should feel safe. You are all precious and useful to the Order of the Phoenix. Thanks for coming today."

Everyone started standing up and leaving quietly.

"I'm so tired of them," sighed Valentina when she arrived home. Daisy and Hannah had joined too just to hang out a little bit as they weren't seeing each other often these days.

"I want to hex Bones so bad," said Hannah.

"You've got some beef with that guy or something?" wondered Daisy.

"It was in fifth-year I think. He asked me out on a date and I said no and he acted like a dick all year."

"No cursing Hannah," suddenly said Jo as he stopped reading.

"Sorry, Jo-Jo."

"Don't call me that!"

"Okay Joseph."

"Not Joseph!" puffed Valentina.

"This sounds so old, poor child he's only 7," said Daisy though she couldn't help chuckling along.

Hannah stuck out her tongue at him, and he did the same in return before going to hide behind Regulus, holding onto him.

"You're all meanies, only Reggie's nice to me."

"You're his favorite, that's why," told him Valentina.

"You haven't met Marina, though," rejoined Daisy.

"No, but I'd like to."

"Oh no you don't. She's such an annoying brat!" said Hannah and her elder sister agreed.

"No, not at all! I mean maybe but she's an adorable child in reality!" squealed Daisy.

"She's annoying, talkative, over-energetic..." started Hannah before being followed by Valentina.

"Too curious, loud, and blunt as well."

"I don't really fancy loud people," said Regulus, almost looking disappointed.

Valentina invited her family home on the first day of holidays. Regulus did the cooking because she was working and it turned out he learned a few things as he was often alone at the apartment. Jo ran to him once he stepped foot out of the fireplace. Regulus caught him easily in his arms. He greeted Teresa more appropriately and then greeted Marina.

"Oh god, it's true Valentina's boyfriend is handsome!" squealed the girl happily.

She had a ginger bod haircut framing her face, round glasses and big sparkling brown eyes, the same eyes as her brother and also the same haircut as Hannah who had cut her long hair off once graduated.

"Who told you that?" he wondered with a chuckle.

"Mum and Valentina. Of course not Hannah, she has crappy taste in men."

Hannah and Valentina didn't take long to arrive. They had planned to come later. They greeted everyone before sitting down for dinner.

"Girls, can any of you bring me to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies over the holidays, please?" asked Marina to her sisters during dinner.

"I'm busy," said Valentina.

"Me too," added Hannah.

"Regulus," only added the eldest.

"What?" he simply replied in confusion and when he glanced at Marina, she had a begging look in her eyes. "Am I supposed to bring her? Can't she go alone?"

"Of course not! She's 14 and I especially don't want her alone in those times. I'm not clueless, I know what happens in your world."

It was Teresa's turn to speak. She had a worried look in her eyes that he had never noticed before.

"Okay. I'll come with you, no problem."

"Can I come too?" wondered Jo. Regulus obviously agreed.

"I'm sorry. I'm a bit disconnected from your reality. I had not realized the danger you put yourself in whenever you go out. Especially as Muggle-borns," he said after a while, showing guilt.

"It's okay Regulus. As you said our reality isn't yours. We know you meant no harm with your question," replied Valentina, smiling gently at him.

"This reminds me, I have Christmas presents to buy," suddenly said Hannah.

"Are you celebrating Christmas with us?" wondered Teresa.

"I'd love to but I can't, I'm sorry. I have to do this with my family. I don't particularly visit them these days so I can't miss out on this family reunion."

"You should visit them more often. I feel bad for your mum," added the woman.

Both Hannah and Valentina tensed up her words.

"You shouldn't Mum," rejoined the girl, remembering her meeting with Walburga Black from a few months ago.

"Why so?"

"My mother and I aren't exactly... close. In fact it's a family thing, nobody's close to anyone. The closest person I am too is maybe my cousin. But again, she'll probably never be close enough to know that I spend the evening with you for example."

"There's still Sirius," murmured Hannah.

"Sirius, this bast-" Valentina stopped when seeing her mother's glare and instead she sighed audibly.

"At least I do reconsider him like a brother now."

"Yeah, cause at Hogwarts, you had a really messy relationship," added the girl, addressing him a sympathetic smile.

"If anything, we're there for you. You can consider us your family," told him Teresa with a kind smile.

"Thank you. Very much. I do really."

"Regulus' like my brother now. I've adopted him the day we met," suddenly said Jo.

"Adopted? What am I? A dog?" he replied with a chuckle.

"Yes! I love dogs they're so cute," rejoined the boy, earning a round of laughter.

"Well, so, Marina. I'm free on Monday, should I pick you up at 9?"

"Too early!" whined the girl.

"10?"

"Too earlyyyyy!" she whined again.

"Okay, I get it. I'll come at 2pm."

"Cool, I'll be ready!"

As Valentina was getting ready to sleep, Regulus was waiting for her in bed. He was smiling, thinking that if it wasn't for this family, he would have drowned in anxiety and would have let his dark thoughts take over him, with his trauma eating him alive.

"How did you find Marina? She talks a lot, I told you."

"I love her. She's such a ray of sunshine."

"For sure she's bright!" chuckled the girl, coming to lay by his side. "I'm glad you like her."

"I'm glad I met her. I'm glad you introduced me to your family, thank you."

"Next is my grandmother."

"Will I ever meet you father?" he wondered hesitantly, knowing it was a touchy subject.

"Probably not. Jo has not even met him yet, so you won't."

"What kind of man is that..."

"An arsehole."

"My father's bit of an arsehole too I guess."

"Nice! I guess that's common to all fathers! What did he do?"

"Ignored my existence, kicked my brother out, marry his cousin, insulted me thinking I was homosexual for not dating any girl and calling this a disgrace to the family. But what's so honorable about consanguinity."

"I'm sorry. Did you solve the whole gay thing out though?"

"I tried too but he probably thinks I'm gay."

"At this point, wouldn't being gay more appropriate than dating someone like me?" wondered the girl with a chuckle.

"I don't think so. It must be equal for people like him," he said laughing as well before becoming more serious. "My father's definitely not the best parent ever but he's most likely not as worse as my mother."

"Oh no what has this hag done to you?"

The boy smiled a little at her choice of words which remained him too much of Sirius before letting a sigh, looking away. "Verbal abuse. Like a lot. Ever since I was little. As far as I remember, she has never been a good mother. She surely has looked nice to me in front of others because I was still her favorite child after all but otherwise, she was constantly unpleasant, taking her anger out on us and then on me."

"Favorite child uh? She'd be disappointed to see where you are now."

"For sure! But I don't think I care anymore. I'll probably never open up about this for as long as the Dark Lord's there but well I'm happy, I don't care."

"I promise you, we'll be better parents. I mean if we ever get children."

"I have no doubt. When I see the way you take care of your siblings and the fact that your mother taught you so well. Unfortunately I don't think this will be the same for me..."

"Nonsense! You're so great with Jo! He absolutely adores you! And actually I'm glad he has you in his life, though we've always done our best with him, he definitively needed a male figure in his life..."

"It's true. And I feel extremely sad for him because all this time he's been in pain and so confused but he has so rarely met other little boys in his life so he couldn't really apprehend his identity. But look at him now, he's more more confident and affirming himself," said Regulus, a proud look in his eyes as he kept talking about the boy.

"Merlin! You two have been talking!" exclaimed Valentina, the happiest smile on her lips as she looked at her boyfriend.

"That's all we do! But don't get this wrong, we don't talk about serious stuff. Just the other day he was asking how it was like to pee while standing."

"No way! That kid!" she replied, not being able to hold her laughter and he laughed with her too.

Their laughter died down after a while and it was quiet. They simply looked at each other fondly until Valentina spoke up.

"I love you."

"And I love you more."

Her amber eyes opened widely at his words. "Merlin's beard! That was so cheesy! Stop hanging out with Gideon Prewett!"

"I'm sorry that's just how I feel!" he tried defending himself as his cheeks burned a bright pink color.

"I didn't say I didn't like it," she laughed.

"I hope you do like it, you can't even imagine the courage it takes to speak aloud those three words."

"It's true you're never very vocal about your feelings, but each time you do it means the world to me, just so you know."

"That was even more cheesy. Cute though."

"Shut up..." she murmured before sealing their lips so he wouldn't talk more.