Regulus is pale and bruised and looks as though he hasn't slept in weeks. His hair falls lankly in his face and he's so thin. Awful, angry scratches run down the visible parts of his chest and throat in deep grooves, his robes are torn, and there's blood smeared across his exposed skin. The robes he's wearing are damp, and his body is being rocked by intermittent shivers. It looks as though someone or something has attempted to physically tear him to pieces.
As soon as he spots her he tries to sit up straighter in his chair, but the chains lashing him in place glow faintly and give him no leeway for movement at all. All he can do is sit there, but his eyes track frantically over her body as though cataloguing every detail he can see.
Teddy lurches forward, her heart clenching at the sight of him hurt and chained, but Moody reaches out and grabs her by the elbow to halt her in place. "Careful! I don't trust him."
Regulus' attention narrows down to the point of contact between Moody's hand and her elbow. "Let go of her."
Though his voice is quiet, it's full of enough venom that Moody actually does let her go, seemingly out of surprise.
"Oh, fuck." Teddy breathes, jerking towards him yet again. "Oh, god. What happened? Fucking hell, what are those marks from? Are they from claws? What the fuck happened-?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Regulus is quick to try and reassure her. The venom that had been present in his voice when he had addressed Moody is absent now, which only highlights how weak and shaky he sounds. "Honestly. I'm okay."
The door behind her opens again, and Teddy throws a distracted glance over her shoulder. Dumbledore has just wandered into the room with an enormous mug of tea, closely followed by James who looks as though he's bracing himself for a fight.
"Ah," Dumbledore says when he spots Teddy crouched by Regulus' chair. "Teddy, you've made it. I hope you don't mind us asking you to vouch for Mister Black's intentions — it would seem that out of everyone in the Order, you know him best. And his friend, of course."
Friend? Blinking, Teddy realises for the first time that the second chair beside Regulus is also occupied. In her distraction, she hadn't even noticed.
"Hiya, Potter." Evan Rosier says.
He's similarly chained, though he's in far better condition than Regulus is — he doesn't appear injured in the slightest, though his blond hair is rather ridiculously mussed. He beams at her as though they're out at a casual meeting for coffee or something. As always, his ability to read the room is simply abysmal.
Teddy just stares at him, a little bewildered by his presence. She can't help the annoyance that creeps in at the sight of him; Regulus had promised he'd come straight back to her, and yet he managed to find the time to get Rosier first? Before even seeking medical attention when he was clearly hurt?
"You think Teddy knows him better than Sirius?" James asks, his voice thick with disbelief and confusion.
"I think that your sister has, reportedly, been his prefect partner for the last year in Hogwarts." Moody growls out, thumping along the floor as he walks behind the chairs. It's probably some kind of stupid intimidation tactic, because when Regulus tries to turn his head to follow him with his gaze the chains holding him in place means that he loses sight of him almost immediately. "And Sirius is too emotionally compromised to vouch for him."
Too emotionally compromised. What a joke.
The relief that had hit her upon seeing Regulus alive had nearly floored her, but right on the heels of her relief is red hot anger. "You absolute arsehole, Regulus Black. I told you not to go!"
Regulus winces slightly in the face of her fury. "Better to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?"
"Ask? You'll have to beg for forgiveness, you utter dickhead!"
His tired eyes darken even further at that, though his gaze darts over her shoulder at the others. "Perhaps your admonishment could wait until after you assure these people that we are unlikely to murder them?" He says, his voice just barely above a croak.
Her anger is not so easily diverted, but she forces herself to take several deep breaths before turning to look over her shoulder at Moody. Their interaction is being watched most attentively by everyone in the room, though it's Moody's gaze that feels the heaviest. Dumbledore just watches them knowingly as he sips his tea, and at his side James keeps darting confused looks between everyone.
"Like I told Professor Dumbledore back in June," She says, forcing her tone to be as neutral as possible. "Regulus says he's found a weakness in You-Know-Who. Several weaknesses, in fact."
Though she can sense Regulus react behind her, she doesn't turn to check his reaction. He's obviously only realising that she had gone to Dumbledore on his behalf all that time ago, even though she'd promised she wouldn't trust anyone.
"He's a fully initiated Death Eater." Moody growls, his regular eye boring into her as his magical eye spins round the room frantically. "Are we to take his word that he just spontaneously decided to jump ship?"
Teddy's fingers clench instinctively against her thighs as she narrows her eyes at Moody. "No. I thought the reason you called me here was so I could give my word that he jumped ship."
"That's one reason." Moody grumbles. "The other reason is because he said he'd only share his information if he got to see you."
From beside Dumbledore, James is frowning and looking rather bewildered. He's clearly aware that he's missing a few essential pieces of information, but he hasn't yet made the leap of logic required to work out exactly what the relationship between Regulus and Teddy is. She prays that his obliviousness holds out a little while longer.
"I trust him." Teddy says, slow and deliberate so that her every word can be heard clearly. She can't look at James as she speaks, so she maintains heavy eye contact with Moody. "I believe he's telling the truth. He wants to help."
Silence falls as Moody eyes her up appraisingly. It's his judgement that everyone appears to be awaiting — everyone watches him to see what conclusion he reaches. The quiet is broken when Rosier leans forward, straining against the bonds tying him to the chair.
"Potter," He whispers, "Say something nice about me now."
Teddy shoots him an irritated look. "Yeah, Rosier is harmless too."
Rosier turns to beam up at Moody as if she'd just delivered effusive praise on his behalf. The look that Moody gives him in response is utterly unimpressed and clearly annoyed. Judging by the amused smile that McGonagall hides in the collar of her robes, Rosier has probably been running his mouth the same always since long before Teddy came into the room.
"I don't like you." Moody says to Rosier, both eyes narrowed. "You talk too much and say too little."
Rosier nods knowingly. "That's what my mother always tells me."
While they're talking, Teddy turns back to catalogue Regulus' injuries again. From up close, they look so much worse. It looks as though someone has tried to claw him apart with their bare hands. In fact, it looks as though more than one person has attacked him. His pale skin is ruined with scratches and gouges — some are bleeding more than others, and many are raggedly gaping. Her fingers ache to heal him, to put his jagged edges back together like a jigsaw puzzle.
Regulus is staring back at her like a man on the verge of starvation, his eyes tracking over her face as though he had never expected to see her again. It's been so long since she's felt that gaze on her that the intensity of his attention is almost overwhelming. If it weren't for the fact that there are others in the room, she thinks she would have crawled into his lap right then and there.
Without looking away from Regulus' face, Teddy speaks up. "He needs a Healer."
"He's a prisoner, Potter." Moody growls out. She knows without looking that he's probably rolling his eyes. "He hasn't earned the right to a Healer until he's given us the information he claims to have."
Teddy turns, beginning to get angry in earnest now. "You're not giving him much incentive to share, are you?"
"The incentive was you." Moody's patience apparently reaches its end as he steps forward, his uneven gait echoing loudly in the quiet room. "All he asked for was you to be present. It's time to start talking, now."
She's about to argue further, but Regulus' chains rattle as he shifts in his chair. She's hyperaware of his presence, so she bites down on her tongue to keep from quarrelling with Moody and instead turns her head so that she's looking at Regulus. It's his turn to speak, it seems.
However, he doesn't look at Moody either. He just looks at Teddy, and when he speaks his voice is very low. "There's something in my pocket. Will you get it for me?"
James finally speaks up, sounding startled and overprotective. "Teddy, don't go near him-!"
At the same time, Moody says, "Oi Potter, watch it-!"
Ignoring them both, Teddy moves to kneel in front of Regulus as she reaches out to root around in his pocket. Her fingertips brush cold metal, and she frowns curiously as she tugs it out of his pocket.
It's a locket; a rather ugly one, at that.
"Give it to Dumbledore, please." He whispers. His voice is soft and gentle; meant just for her.
Teddy stares at him for a moment more before finally pushing herself to her feet and taking a few steps across the room towards the Headmaster. His blue eyes are bright and sharply curious as he reaches out a hand expectantly for her to drop the necklace into it.
"The Dark Lord has four Horcruxes so far." Regulus says. His voice is still weak and shaky, but it carries in the unfurnished room, echoing just slightly off the wooden panelled walls.
Though 'Horcrux' is an unfamiliar word to Teddy, she's not blind to the way the others react — McGonagall gasps, horrified, and James' eyes widen in disbelief.
Unconcerned by the reactions, Regulus continues. "He tortured and killed a Muggle woman right in the middle of my living room." He swallows thickly as his eyes grow distant at the memory, but then he blinks rapidly as he pulls himself back to the present. "Then he placed a bit of his soul inside that locket. For the last few months, I've been searching for where he'd hidden it."
Teddy twitches as she goes to move back to him, but James grabs her by the arm and pulls her over to him. He clearly has notions of protecting her, but Teddy feels a flash of irritation as he steps in front of her.
"What's a Horcrux?" She whispers to him, but he ignores her in favour of scowling suspiciously in Regulus' direction.
Dumbledore is inspecting the locket very carefully. He doesn't speak until he has checked over the necklace to his satisfaction, and then he looks up and over at Regulus. "And the remaining three?"
"I don't know where they are." Regulus says slowly. "But I have a... suspicion. An idea, of what they might be, based on whispers I've heard from his most loyal and devoted followers, including my cousin Bellatrix."
That seems to satisfy Dumbledore, because he nods thoughtfully as he slips the locket into the pocket of his robes. "We will discuss this at a later time then, Mister Black."
Regulus nods slowly, his eyes darting past James to where Teddy is semi-hidden behind his back. He's gotten paler and weaker-looking in the brief time that Teddy has been in the room, and she feels concern eating away in her belly the longer he goes without getting medical attention.
"Another thing." He says grimly, shifting in his chains. "There's an Unbreakable Vow involved, so I can't say much, but..." He pauses for a moment, clearly trying to find a way around the Vow. The exhaustion and pain must be clouding his mind, because he ends up lolling his head and looking entreatingly towards Teddy in the hopes that she'll word it for him.
"There's an information leak." Teddy finishes for him, talking very slowly. Though she's still partially hidden behind James' back, she feels the attention of the room shift to her like a physical weight. From here, she can see the way James' back and shoulders stiffen at her words. "He thinks you have a spy."
Regulus looks relieved, though he doesn't nod or confirm her words in any way. "The Vow means I can't say or hint at anything that might compromise the identity of such a person, supposing that's true." He swallows hard, as though even that simple sentence had been a challenge to force out. "But you need to know that-" He's wracked by a violent tremor, and swallows compulsively as he winces. He finishes in a small voice. "You need to know."
"I still don't trust him." Moody snarls, his foot tapping impatiently against the floor. His magical eye spins to peer at Dumbledore through the side of his head. "Will you be verifying the information, Albus?"
"Mister Black is a most talented Occlumens." Dumbledore notes, his voice soft in the empty room. "I doubt I could glean anything from him with Legilimency unless he allowed it. And if this information about a traitor is true, the inherent magic of the Unbreakable Vow is enough to hide any memories or knowledge regarding the traitor's identity."
"I'm not letting anybody into my head." Despite how weak Regulus' voice is, it's impossible to miss the sharp bite of anger. His gaze is angry and fierce, eyes dark in his pale face.
"No, I certainly didn't think that that would appeal to you." Dumbledore notes with a tiny, amused smile. His piercing blue eyes dart over to Teddy just once, before settling back on Regulus. "However, our counter-offer may convince you to change your mind."
Regulus just snorts. It's impressive, really, how he manages to look insouciant and flippant even while bound immobile to a chair and bleeding copiously from his many injuries.
"Oh?" He drawls lazily, though Teddy notices the almost imperceptible way his shoulders tense as he waits for Dumbledore to continue.
His entire future hinges on whatever deal the Order decides to offer him, after all.
"If you are telling the truth, then Voldemort will doubtlessly devote a significant amount of time and energy into finding you and exacting revenge for the destruction of one of his Horcruxes." Dumbledore's voice is soft, but has an edge of steel to it that has Regulus' gaze sharpening. "I daresay he will make finding you a priority."
Regulus' throat bobs as he swallows, but he makes no reply. None of it seems to come as a surprise to him.
"We can offer you safety and protection." Dumbledore says calmly. "And after that, a suspended sentence in Azkaban."
Regulus just snorts, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. The length of his throat is exposed, which throws the deep, bleeding gouges on his neck into stark relief in the dim light of the room.
"Safety and protection." He repeats. His voice sounds as though it's been wrung out. "That's the extent of your offer? You think I'll open up my mind to you on the basis of a vague, conceptual promise? It's not possible to outrun the Dark Lord."
Teddy might have imagined it, but she thinks she notices the Headmaster's eyes dart briefly towards her before his gaze settles on Regulus and a calm, wry smile begins playing around his lips.
"As it happens," He says quietly, taking a mild step forward. "There is a safe house under the protection of the Fidelius charm, that only a handful of people know about. Even fewer know of the location. In fact, your own brother is the Secret Keeper."
There's a brief beat of silence, and then James practically explodes as he whirls around to face Dumbledore. "Professor, are you talking about our house?!"
"I am." Dumbledore turns back around to face James, his expression placid. "This information is essential to the war effort, James. It could directly lead to the downfall of Voldemort. It will save Harry."
James looks as though he's just been smacked in the face. If there was one way to get him to do anything, it was to bring baby Harry into it. Just that alone has James very, very reluctantly stepping back and watching with a mutinous scowl as Dumbledore turns back to Regulus.
"Teddy is currently staying there too." Dumbledore notes. "So there will be a familiar face around."
Teddy can't help but be impressed by the near effortless way that the Headmaster has managed to manoeuvre everyone into place. Judging by Regulus' sour expression, he's thinking something similar. Yet when his eyes slide over to meet hers, she can tell in an instant that he's going to say yes anyway.
"I'm not giving you free reign over my mind." Regulus says after a long pause, his voice clipped. Despite the coldness in his expression, Teddy thinks he looks even weaker than he had at the beginning of this little questioning session. "I'll show you what I know about the Horcruxes, nothing more."
"Not good enough." Moody interjects at once, his gruff voice dropping to a snarl. "You'll show him the reason you decided to defect, too. We need to know if you can be trusted."
Regulus' expression does a complicated little wobble before falling into cold neutrality once more, and he nods stiffly. "Fine."
Teddy has never seen anyone Occlude before, and she watches in wide eyed fascination as the light behind Regulus' eyes dulls slightly, his gaze deadening and turning cold as closes off the parts of his mind that he wants to keep hidden. It all takes a matter of seconds — by the time he looks up at Dumbledore, he may as well have been carved out of ice.
The Legilimency takes place similarly quickly. Dumbledore steps forward, makes eye contact, and then they both go still. Several beats of silence pass by as they stare unblinkingly at each other, before finally Dumbledore straightens with a slow nod and a secret, hidden smile.
"Yes, as I thought..." He murmurs, before raising his voice to a normal volume. "Well, Mister Black, that is certainly an impressive breadth of emotion." His pale blue eyes dart quickly to Teddy as his lips curve up almost imperceptibly, before he turns to look at Moody. "I agree with Miss Potter's assessment, Alastor. I don't think we need worry about Mister Black's intentions."
It feels as though her heart has lodged itself in her throat. When she turns to look at Regulus, that ice cold expression has vanished and been replaced by a tentative and hopeful look of relief. James is still holding her wrist loosely in his hand, which is the only reason Teddy hasn't moved to be closer to him.
"That's settled then." Dumbledore claps his hands together, looking quite pleased. "You have sustained quite a bit of injury to your internal organs, from a combination of the poison and the drowning-"
"Poison? Drowning?" Teddy repeats, horrified.
"Partial drowning." Regulus corrects her swiftly, attempting to lean forward in his chains when he sees her face drop. "I'm fine."
"Not to mention the Inferi attack." Dumbledore notes.
"Inferi?!"
Regulus just winces at that, and doesn't even attempt to make an excuse. Beside Teddy, both James and Moody look reluctantly impressed that Regulus had managed to escape against such odds.
"The chance to recuperate will do you wonders, I'm sure." Dumbledore continues, intertwining his fingers and allowing his arms to hang in front of his torso. "And when you are healed, I hope you will aid us in our attempts to find the remaining Horcruxes."
Very slowly, Regulus begins to nod.
"Er-" Rosier pipes up. Everyone but Dumbledore jerks in surprise — they'd almost forgotten he was there. "What about me?"
"I still don't understand why this one is here." Moody snarls, jerking his thumb towards Rosier's dumb, nervously smiling face.
"He's not marked yet." Regulus sighs. It seems as though his exhaustion and pain has finally caught up with him, because he's beginning to slump in the chair. The poor posture looks strange on him, totally at odds with his usual easy grace. "He was never initiated properly. Wanted to get him out before it happened."
"I was actually meant to receive the Dark Mark tonight." Rosier reveals in a voice that is far too cheerful considering the subject matter. "Reg sent his house elf to Apparate me out of the house before the Dark Lord even arrived. My father had tried to put off my initiation for as long as possible. He thinks I talk too much, you see. I think he was probably worried I'd run my mouth and reveal too much." He gives them all a wide, toothy smile. "I'm not very good with secrets."
Moody stares at him for an excruciatingly long moment, before heaving a long-suffering sigh. "Wonderful." He mutters sourly. "We'll have to find somewhere to put you as well then. Somehow I doubt Potter will acquiesce to having the two of you round to stay."
Rosier's face drops. "I can't stay with Teddy too? I'm her best friend!"
James chokes disbelievingly at that, swinging his head around to stare between them. "What?"
Teddy had been trying her best to be as patient as possible, but she just can't wait any longer. The longer they wait around with Regulus bleeding all over the place, the weaker he gets. "Are you going to unchain them now?"
He doesn't look happy about it, but Moody finally raises his wand and vanishes the chains from both boys with one sharp wand motion. As soon as they're no longer bound to the chairs, Regulus lists sideways and almost collapses to the ground. Rosier reacts quickly, snatching at his arm to keep him from toppling off the chair entirely.
Startled, Teddy takes a quick step forward, but she's intercepted by James. Her brother is frowning, clearly still annoyed that his home had been offered up as a refuge for an injured former Death Eater, and he pushes her quickly towards the door.
"Sirius will take you home." James says shortly. "Explain to Lily what's happened."
"What about you and Re-?"
"We'll be along shortly." He sends a quick, distrustful look over his shoulder. "I'm not bringing anyone into my home without having talked to them properly first."
At first, Teddy doesn't move. Her eyes are glued to Regulus' pale, limp body — the only reason he's still upright is because Rosier is holding him up by the arm, but his gaze still finds her unerringly across the room and burns into her.
The thought of leaving him here like this makes her feel ill. What if they go back on their agreement? What if they decide that they don't trust him after all, and he never comes to Godric's Hollow? How will Teddy know if he's alright if she's not there with them the whole time?
As if he knows exactly what she's thinking, Regulus moves his mouth as he whispers soundlessly to her. No one else seems to notice, but Teddy has felt as though every nerve in her body was specifically attuned to him from the moment she had walked into the room and laid eyes on him. She doesn't even have to hear him to understand what he's saying.
Go on. I'll be along shortly.
Teddy swallows thickly, then takes a very slow step backwards. Not because James is sending her away, nor Moody, nor Dumbledore. But because the thought of having him there in Godric's Hollow with her after so many weeks and months of isolation from the rest of the world is enthralling. She doesn't want to do anything to jeopardise it.
She gives him a harsh, cutting look. You'd better, or I'll hunt you down.
Regulus gives her a weak, wry smile. It's the last thing she sees before she steps out the door and back into the hallway.
🗡🗡🗡
All things considered, Lily really hadn't been as angry to hear that Regulus would be coming to stay with them as Teddy might have expected.
Maybe that was down to the way Sirius had been so pale-faced and shaky when he had Apparated Teddy back to the house in order to explain everything to her, or the way Teddy had begun nervously trying to clean up the house as they wait. Either way, she takes the news with grace.
"Merlin, Teddy, stop tidying." Lily sighs, watching Teddy plump one of the cushions on the couch for the third time. "Here, take Harry. Sirius, why don't you go and make some tea."
Sirius has been pacing anxiously around the living room ever since they'd arrived back, but he nods jerkily at that and hastily moves into the kitchen as though he'd just been given a very strict order. Teddy doesn't think she's ever seen him so visibly ruffled — the Black brothers may not have spoken properly in years, but she doesn't think it's possible for them to ever wipe away all their years of shared history.
Sirius may have cut all ties with his family, but his hands have been trembling ever since he discovered that his baby brother was injured and seeking help from the Order.
As soon as it's just the two of them in the living room, Lily deposits the baby into Teddy's arms and pulls her down to sit on the couch. Harry gurgles and wraps his tiny fingers into the fabric of Teddy's jumper, and she buries her face in his wild tufts of hair as she tries to collect herself. It feels as though the events of the day were a fever dream, and she tries not to think of the possibility of her dreaming it all up in her head.
Other than the sounds of Harry cooing and Sirius knocking about in the kitchen, everything is absolutely quiet.
That is, until Lily leans in and says in a low voice, "Are you sleeping with Regulus Black?"
Teddy jerks as though she'd been electrocuted, clutching Harry tightly to her chest as she stares at Lily with wide, horrified eyes. "I-I- what? I mean, I don't-"
Lily's mouth quirks into a small, wry smile. "That's a yes, then." She murmurs to herself, combing her fingers through the roots of her hair as she bites back a laugh. "Right. How long has that been going on for?"
Feeling very small, Teddy sinks back into the couch cushions. "About a year."
"Wow." Lily draws the word out for far longer than is entirely necessary, looking impossibly amused. "Teddy. I had a feeling there was someone, but..." She trails off, casting a quick look towards the kitchen to make sure that Sirius was still occupied. "I take it the boys don't know, then. Especially if James is letting him stay here."
"The only reason he's letting him stay is because Dumbledore was the one who suggested it." Teddy mumbles mutinously, though her cheeks are beginning to heat up with embarrassment. Once again, she tries to hide her face in Harry's fluffy hair. "So no, the boys most certainly do not know." Then, as an afterthought, she adds, "Er... except for Remus."
Lily tilts her head back and snorts. "Of course Remus knows, I should have guessed. You two tell each other everything."
"Mhm." Still blushing, Teddy just focuses all her attention on stroking her hand up and down Harry's little back.
Lily watches her, still smiling softly. After a moment, she reaches out and takes one of Teddy's hands, squeezing it tightly. "It's all going to be okay, Ted. Do you trust him?"
"Yeah." Teddy breathes without tearing her eyes away from baby Harry's face. "I do. I'd never vouch for him or agree to him being in the house if I thought he might put Harry in danger. I promise."
"I know." Lily says softly, giving her hand another squeeze. "If you trust him, that's enough for me."
The next breath that Teddy exhales is impossibly relieved — she hadn't even realised how much tension she'd been holding in her shoulders as she'd braced herself for Lily's reaction.
Sirius finally emerges from the kitchen, barely balancing three mugs in his hands. His pallor is still grey and anxious, but it seems like he's calmed down slightly while he'd gone to make the tea. Teddy and Lily both shuffle apart to give him room to sit down on the couch between them, and he practically collapses down after setting the mugs down on the coffee table.
Tilting his head back against the couch cushions, Sirius stares up at the ceiling and sighs explosively. The fine lines around his eyes are even more prominent than usual despite his young age — clearly the stress of the war is taking a toll on him. After a moment, he tentatively turns his head to look at Teddy.
"How did he look?" He asks quietly, as though he's afraid to hear her answer.
Teddy swallows, resting her cheek on the top of Harry's head. She doesn't want to stress him out any further, but she can't lie.
"Not good." She admits after a long pause. "He's hurt."
Sirius' face crumples, and he takes a deep, shaky breath before nodding. "I wish he came to me." He whispers. "I should have- I should have made it clear that I'd help him. That I'd keep him safe-"
Lily reaches out and pulls him into a hug, and Teddy hooks her legs over his to keep as much comforting physical contact with them as possible. Their hug doesn't last particularly long, however, because finally there comes a loud Apparition crack from outside the house.
Sirius and Lily are up off the couch at the speed of light, but Teddy is much slower because of the baby in her arms. By the time Sirius and Lily have whipped the front door open and beckoned James and Regulus inside, Teddy has only just gotten up off the couch and rounded the coffee table.
When James and Regulus come stumbling in, Teddy feels something loosen inside her chest. She hadn't realised how worried she'd been that they wouldn't really come back, or that James would come back alone.
Her brother is holding Regulus up, supporting most of his body weight — Regulus is even greyer than before, and he looks barely conscious.
"Didn't he see a Healer?" Teddy asks, startled at the sight of his wounds still open and bleeding. He looks even worse than he had when he had been all chained up to the chair.
"No. Mad-Eye said we should keep his defection and overall existence a total secret until we figure out the spy thing." James says gruffly, before turning to Sirius who is still gaping at them with wide, horrified eyes. "Help me get him upstairs, mate."
Sirius jerks forward to help as Lily turns and runs to the kitchen to fetch the healing kit, but all Teddy can do is stand there with her arms already occupied with Harry. A rising sense of helplessness is beginning to crawl up her throat, and all she can do is clutch the baby closer to her chest. Harry obviously senses something is happening, because he begins craning his neck to try and get a glimpse of what has his father sounding so worried.
"Reg? Oh, fucking hell-" Sirius cuts himself off, sounding choked. He must have caught sight of all the ragged, nasty wounds littering every visible part of Regulus' body. "Oh fuck. What happened?"
"I'll explain later." James says grimly, pushing Regulus into Sirius' arms. "Get him up to the spare guest room. Me and Lily will follow you up with the healing kit."
Sirius nods, mindless with worry as he immediately jumps to do as James says. As he starts to drag his brother towards the stairs, Regulus finally lifts his head. His gaze is unfocused and hazy as he looks around the room, but his eyes narrow into sharp focus the instant they fall on her.
"Hi." He croaks, his voice cracking a little from pain.
Teddy takes a deep breath. The only thing keeping her calm right now is the way Harry's face nuzzles into her neck. "You idiot."
Despite the fact that he's just been insulted, Regulus' pinched, pained expression relaxes into a tiny smile. He doesn't say anything else as Sirius leads him up the stairs, his head dropping back down weakly as his brother hauls his body weight up with him.
Harry gurgles sleepily into Teddy's ear, and she takes another breath as she rocks him gently. She doesn't know which of them she's trying to reassure.
As soon as both Black brothers have disappeared up the stairs, James sighs heavily and scrubs his hands over his face. He looks exhausted, and though he hasn't yet made any complaint about having Regulus stay with them yet, he can't be happy about it.
When he turns his attention to Teddy, his brow is furrowed.
"You should be careful, Ted." He says, frowning. "I know you're friends, but I don't like the way he looks at you."
Teddy almost chokes at that, but manages to stifle her reaction.
Miraculously, Lily drifts back into the room with healing kit before she has to reply. "Let's go." She says, looking to her husband. "Those wounds look nasty, and Dumbledore sent a note saying that he has internal damage as well."
Teddy moves to follow after James and Lily as they set off for the stairs, but James stops her. "Ted," He starts, his eyes sympathetic. "I know you want to help out and make sure that he's okay, but someone needs to watch Harry."
"You take him then-!"
"And-" James interrupts, talking over her. "I don't want you in a room with a Death Eater. Defected or not. His wand has been confiscated, but I still don't trust him."
Before Teddy can argue that, he turns on his heel and runs up the stairs after Lily. She's left standing on her own in the middle of her brother's living room, clutching his baby to her chest as she struggles to take deep breaths. She thinks about how the pale, hurt boy upstairs and the baby in her arms are both being targeted by one of the most evil men in the world, and for the first time in a long time she feels her eyes begin to burn with unshed tears.
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With Regulus in the house, they all fall into an odd, stilted sense of routine. James keeps her away from the guest room that Regulus is recovering in — apparently, he thinks that if he keeps her busy with taking care of Harry, she'll just forget that Regulus is there in the first place.
Admittedly, it works for the first couple of days. Lily has taken over Regulus' care, and James and Sirius are constantly busy discussing Order business in low tones. This means that Teddy spends most of her time feeding Harry, changing him, getting him to sleep, burping him, and keeping him entertained and occupied.
Three days in, however, Teddy loses her patience. She absolutely adores her godson, but she's ready to kick James' arse if he tries to push Harry onto her in order to keep her distracted one more time.
Lily, perfect angel that she is, picks up on her frustration that evening. At some point, James and Sirius duck outside to discuss Order business. As soon as they're alone Lily turns and reaches out to take Harry out of Teddy's arms.
"Why don't I put him down tonight, hm? You've gone above and beyond helping out recently."
"You sure?" Teddy asks, but she's already glancing up at the ceiling, wondering if she has time to slip into Regulus' room before James gets back.
"Go." Lily snorts, her eyes darting to the door. "He's feeling stronger now, anyway, so he should be up for a proper conversation."
"Thanks, Lils." Teddy breathes, sending her a bright smile before turning on her heel and racing up the stairs.
The idea of seeing Regulus again has her thoughts scattering, and she almost slips in the hallway before coming to a halt outside his door.
She doesn't let herself think twice before grabbing the door knob and shoving her way into the room. It only occurs to her after she's barged in that maybe she could have knocked, or been more delicate, or thought a little bit more about what she was wearing or how her hair looks. It doesn't matter, in the end, because she's already standing at the end of Regulus' bed like an absolute idiot.
The sound of the door banging open and then slamming shut had roused Regulus from where he had been dozing in the bed. He blinks drowsily for a few seconds, and then shoots up into a sitting position when he notices her standing at the end of his bed.
"Teddy." He breathes, pretty grey eyes blowing wide as if he's not quite sure if she's actually there.
"Hi." She says rather stupidly.
God, she wishes she had brushed her hair or something. She feels ridiculous, with her puffy hair sticking up wildly in all directions and her green dungarees covered in baby drool. Despite that, Regulus stares at her like he's starving for her.
Taking a deep breath, Regulus reaches out a hand for her. His expression is hopeful, but it turns pleading when she doesn't immediately move towards him.
"Darling," He whispers. "Please."
Very slowly, Teddy begins to step around the bed. As she moves closer, her gaze darts rapidly over him as she tries to catalogue his every injury. He looks so much better, and the relief of that almost steals her breath away. The couple days of rest have clearly been kind to him. There's colour in his cheeks again, and all the angry red wounds have closed up. His porcelain skin is going to be absolutely littered with scars, but he's alive and he's going to be fine.
"How are you feeling?" She asks a little stiffly.
Regulus obviously notes her tone of voice, because he winces a little as he allows his hand to drop back down to the bed.
"Better. The gashes are all mostly healed, and Evans- Lily managed to siphon all the water out of my lungs." He's lowered his gaze to his lap, so he doesn't see the look of horrified concern that flickers over Teddy's face. "The effects of the potion I had to drink are... lingering."
"Lingering how?"
He raises a hand, and shows her the trembling in his fingers. "I'm still a little weak from it."
Teddy nods slowly, staring at the tremors in his hands. Her jaw clenches. "You could have died."
"I didn't." He says, leaning forward and gazing plaintively at her. "I'm alive. And I'm okay."
Her lower lip wobbles, and she turns her face away from him. It's silly, to get so upset over this when he's fine, but she still feels hurt and a little betrayed that he had left her alone in the way that he had. She had spent so much time wondering about where he was, and if he was okay, and if she would ever find out if he had died.
"Teddy." He whispers. "Look at me. Please."
She doesn't look at him, but she does sit down at the edge of his bed. Her gaze is fixed on the cotton bedsheets, but when he reaches out to take her hand she shoots him a cutting look. "Don't touch me."
Regulus' hand retreats, and he winces. His fingers flex as though he's been stung, and he lets out a soft, humourless puff of laughter.
"I wonder if this is how Bagman felt when you forbade him from touching you that night of the Christmas party." He says, his head flopping back as his hair spreads over the pillows like an oil spill. "Poor bastard. I feel bad for him, now."
Teddy's expression turns scathing. "He was under the influence of a love potion, in case you've forgotten."
"Yes." Regulus hums, smiling dully. "That part certainly isn't necessary in our case."
Teddy huffs a sigh, burying her hands in her hair and breathing as deeply as possible. "You were a real bastard for leaving the way you did."
She sees him wince, though he doesn't take his eyes away from where he's staring at the ceiling.
"I'm sorry." He whispers weakly. "I thought of you the whole time. I know that doesn't make it better. But you were on my mind all the time. Even when-" His voice cracks a little, and he squeezes his eyes shut for moment before forcing himself to continue. "Even when I was being dragged under the water in that godforsaken cave, when all I could smell was damp and rot and I was driven half mad with pain from that awful potion, I thought of you. And how much I wanted to get back to you."
"I am so angry with you." Teddy whispers, voice shaking. She has to close her eyes to try and hold back the prickling, angry tears that are threatening to overwhelm her.
"Rage at me then," He pleads, struggling to sit up again. "Scold me, shout at me. But please, please don't ignore me. Anything but that."
For fuck's sake, Teddy thinks tiredly. How is she supposed to stay angry with him when he talks to her like that? He's always known how to find the chinks in her armour, her weak spots.
"You could have died." She hisses, but she finally throws herself down on the bed next to him. "And then what? You'd be dead, rotting away after being viciously drowned, and I'd have been sat at home wondering when you were going to come back to me."
Now that she's within reach, Regulus curls around her like they've been magnetised. Though he's still not at full strength, he manages to pull her into his chest as he rests his chin on the top of her head. Now that they're pressed together, Teddy realises how thin his borrowed pyjama shirt is. She closes her eyes and focuses on the body heat emanating through the linen — when she brings her palm up to rest on his chest, she can feel the steady thumping of his heartbeat.
"Do you want me to beg for forgiveness?" He asks, his voice a quiet and heart-achingly familiar rumble in her ear. "Because I will. I'll beg for you, bleed for you, cry for you. Please, forgive me, love."
With her face buried in his chest and his warm arms locked around her, Teddy is faced with the inescapable assurance that he's alive and okay. A low, whimpering sob is ripped out of her throat as her fingers clench in his pyjama shirt, and her eyes begin to burn as tears overflow.
"You arsehole." She snivels, clutching at him. "You absolute prick. If you ever do that to me again, I'll hunt you down and kill you myself."
Regulus laughs, breathy and almost silent. His lips brush carefully over her forehead. "I'm not leaving again. I promise." He brushes her hair out of her eyes. "In fact, good luck getting rid of me ever again."
She lets out a watery laugh, and her hands fist closed in his pyjama shirt. She clutches at him so tight that her knuckles turn pale. After a beat, he reaches out and takes her hand, stroking his thumb over her knuckles before lifting it to his face so that he can brush his lips over the back of her hand.
"You kept it." He murmurs.
Teddy is still sniffing miserably, so it takes a moment for her brain to catch up with what he means. "Huh?" She says stupidly, before blinking at the engraved signet ring that he had slid so tenderly onto her index finger all those long months ago.
Her chest aches at the sight of it, same as always, but it's made worse by the fact that he had thought that her not keeping it was even a possibility. As if she hadn't thought of him every time she looked down at it, wondering where he was and if he was okay.
"'Course I did, stupid." She grumbles, shoving her face determinedly into his pyjama shirt. She thinks of the chocolates, the flowers, the notes, all the little gifts he had taken such pleasure in bestowing on her. "I've always kept everything you've ever given me, haven't I?"
Regulus' arms tighten around her, though he doesn't reply. It seems like he's momentarily lost for words.
Teddy loses track of time as she lies crushed up against Regulus' chest, allowing her tears to pour down her face and soak into his pyjama shirt. It feels as though she's been storing up all these tears for months now, and once they start flowing there's just no stopping them. She cries against him until her head feels stuffy and her eyes feel dry and sore and too big for her head. He holds her tight all the while, rubbing her back and kissing her hair and whispering soft, comforting words to her.
Eventually, her tears peter out and she just lays her head against Regulus' chest. His borrowed shirt is freshly laundered, but Teddy can still catch his usual scent of mint underneath. The familiarity of it soothes the ache in her chest that's been eating away at her for months now, and she closes her eyes and just breathes him in.
"My girl." He says softly, his breath blowing her hair over her forehead. "Stay with me tonight."
Still clinging to him, Teddy sighs. It would be so, so nice to just drift off into sleep like this, being held like she's something precious in the arms of the boy she didn't know if she'd ever get to see again. But she's still a guest in her brother's house, as is he, and James would hit the roof if he found out she was in Regulus' bed right now.
"I can't." She whispers. Her voice is muffled by his chest, but she doesn't make any move to pull back. "James will go mad if he finds me here. He's reluctant enough to let you stay here as it is. I don't want him to try to send you away."
He hums in understanding, but he doesn't seem happy about it. His hands drift over her back, just barely brushing over her bum before stroking back up the length of her spine. "You could always sneak in when him and Evans have gone to bed."
Teddy laughs quietly, then pulls back so she can look him in the face properly. "Oh? You think I'm going to be that easy? I'm still angry at you, you know."
Regulus pouts, but the expression only lasts a moment before Teddy pushes herself up and presses their lips together in a kiss. As soon as their mouths meet, Regulus takes a sharp inhale and buries his hands into her hair, pulling her closer with a choked, desperate whimper.
The slide of their mouths together is hot and wet and so much sweeter than Teddy can remember it being before. She thinks she could happily sink into him and stay there forever.
Fingers clench in her hair as Regulus deepens the kiss, and the slick heat of his tongue in her mouth makes her gasp against him. He moans lightly at the noise she makes, and then one of his hands slides down her back to tug her closely against him. The hand against her back begins to knead against the soft swell of her arse, and she breathes out a soft noise when she feels the hardness between his legs rock into her lower stomach.
It takes a colossal effort to tear her mouth away from him, but she manages. He follows her for a moment, pressing small kisses over her forehead, nose, and cheekbones, but eventually relents and lets her retreat.
"We're not shagging while my brother is downstairs." Teddy whispers, biting back a grin at the frown on his face. "Besides, you're still recovering."
Regulus groans, his expression crumpling as he tosses his head back on the pillow. "This is going to be fucking torture."
"You've survived worse." She says wryly, before rolling out of his arms and off the bed. Her voice softens when she looks back at him again. "Get some sleep."
He watches her go, turning to lay on his back as he reaches his arms behind him to cushion his head. His pyjama shirt has ridden up, revealing a stretch of pale skin littered with fading red wounds, and Teddy's eyes drop down over the length of his body before she tears her gaze away from him.
"Will you come back tomorrow?"
Teddy tugs at her dungarees, trying fruitlessly to straighten them out. She knows without having to look that her hair is an absolute disaster. It always is after Regulus has been running his hands through it.
She just gives him a sardonic glance. "I don't think any unnecessary exertion would be recommended while you're healing from your near death experience, you know."
"I consider shagging you very necessary, darling."
She bites back a grin, rolling her eyes at him as she takes a step towards the door. "Rest, idiot. There'll be none of that until you're better."
Regulus groans dramatically, but there's a playful twinkle in his pale eyes that makes Teddy's heart clench. God, she's missed that. "You're trying to torture me, aren't you?"
She just grins at him as she opens the door. "Consider it an incentive to get better quickly." She says, winking once before slipping out and shutting the door behind her.