Homeward Bound | Regulus Black

Chapter Seven

Esme scrunched her face up as she felt light hitting her face and the bedsheets beside her moving. December had arrived and, quite frankly, it was freezing. Frost had even managed to settle on the inside of the window and Esme was certain that if she exhaled enough, she would have seen her breath before her.
Needless to say, Esme reached down to pull the covers over her head in the measly hopes of going back to sleep, but was stopped by Regulus Black.

He pressed a kiss to her jaw and mumbled, "Happy Birthday."

"No."
"No?" He asked, and then pressed a kiss below her ear.
She grumbled, "I haven't even opened my eyes and you're already irritating me."

"Oh," Regulus chuckled and kissed her cheek, "Am I?" and he pressed a fleeting kiss to her lips.
Esme couldn't hold back from the light laughter that escaped past her lips, "Yes."
Moving away, Regulus folded his arms and said, "I'll just go away then."

"Clearly you've cheered up." She pointed out as she pulled the bed covers up over her shoulders again.
"Well I'm listening to your advice." He replied as he pushed his hair back from his face and smiled, "Though it seems like you've become miserable in place of me."

At last, Esme opened her eyes and took a moment to adjust to the early morning light that soaked the room. "Alright..." She huffed as she came face-to-face with Regulus still hovering over her, and reached up to wrap her arms around his shoulders, "Maybe I don't want you to go away." She then wrapped a leg around his waist as his hands settled on her own.

"That is very good news." He beamed as he leant in to gently connect their lips again.

"Hold on," Esme abruptly pulled away and cupped a hand over her mouth as she asked with a muffled voice, "Do I have morning breath?"
Regulus shook his head, "No, actually."
Then, she laughed lightly and reached down to pull his shirt over his head, "Well, it really must be my birthday." Humming contentedly, Regulus leant in to reconnect their lips.

The frost on the window was slowly starting to melt as their kisses deepened but, unfortunately for everyone involved, this was interrupted not too much later but a knock on the door.

"If we stay quiet, he might think we're not here." Regulus whispered as he continued to pepper kisses along Esme's neck and collar bones.

"He might have done if you didn't just speak." The voice on the other side of the door rang through.

She sighed and dropped her arms down to her side, "You can answer it then."
"Is it too late for us to apparate away?" He suggested as he climbed out of bed and begrudgingly made his way over to the bedroom door.
Esme snickered and balled up his top before throwing it over to him. "It's not too late for me to apparate away." She pointed out as she lifted the bed covers up to her neck.

"Charming." He muttered as he pulled his t-shirt on and finally pulled open the door to come face-to-face with Aberforth Dumbledore.

The older man raised an eyebrow as he peered rather skeptically at Regulus, and resisted the urge to flash a slight smile as he wasted no time in saying, "You haven't seen the paper this morning. You might want to."
He flattened down his hair as he blurted out, "Sorry, what? I-no. I don't think so. Why?"

"Black broke in to Hogwarts."

Regulus swung the door open a little more and he turned to look over at Esme as she pushed herself upright and combed her fingers through her hair.
Because that piece of information really changed things.

"I knew coming here would work out." She grinned proudly.
He scoffed, "No you didn't."
"Yes, I did. You can't argue with me; it's my birthday."
Regulus frowned and shook his head, "That is not how birthdays work."