AN :)
If you got a notification that chapter 42 was updated again im really sorry, i was editing some minor mistakes and accidentally re-uploaded it instead of just saving the changes.
Anyways enjoy :)
Regulus had forgotten how gloomy his house was. The muddy blue tapestries on the walls along with the heads of the dead house elves decorating the stairway. Portraits of the previous generations were hung on the walls, all of them were either staring blankly or glaring.
He could hear his parents were arguing downstairs, his mother usually never argues with his father but now it seems it's happening more and more often.
He missed Hogwarts.
He missed the smell of water in the Slytherin common room.
He missed the guys.
He missed his Delilah. So much.
He was used to her bubbly behaviour even if it was less noticeable this year. He missed her random compliments, when she said that he was pretty or how she would complement his new set of clothes or when he decided to privately wear some of her make-up. He missed the way she kissed him on the cheek randomly when she got the chance or when she would doodle on his notes random hearts and stars.
Staring at himself in the mirror he sighed, shaking his head he exited the bathroom only to hear his parents still screaming at each other downstairs, well Orion was the only one screaming this time. Regulus made his way towards his closet; he picked a white button up with some pants and after getting dressed he made his way downstairs for dinner.
He knocked on the door before hearing a quiet 'come in' and he opened the door fully taking a seat opposite his mother and beside his father, who was seating at the head of the table. He never understood why they had to dress up for dinner but he never asked either, he just followed the rules his mother had set and never asked for a reason knowing Walburga didn't want anyone doubting her.
They ate in silence; the only sound came from the utensils they used. Regulus looked outside window where he saw the rain pouring down and the air that moved the trees from side to side aggressively. As he looked out of the window more closely, he lost his focus on the fork he was gripping, making it fall inside the plate with a thump.
Walburga and Orion simultaneously looked up at him and he apologised quietly as he took the napkin and whipped the handle of the floor clean so he could hold it again. Orion looked confusedly at his son who looked even more out of the world than he did last summer.
Making a mental note to talk to him later, he looked towards his wife who was looking annoyed and was ready to scold Regulus but with one sharp look from her husband she shut up, she knew Orion was going to sort out this weird behaviour Regulus had developed.
Finishing dinner quickly Orion asked Regulus to follow him in his office for a word. Regulus looked up confusedly, having no idea what his father wanted to talk to him about. Did they know about Delilah? Or is it something about the Dark Lord? Except some minor attacks the older deatheaters took care of, he was laying too low for Regulus' liking. That's when Delilah's words jumped into his head.
"He is planning something, definitely something big. Why collect all these deatheaters and then attack only few times a month when he could just use all those deatheters to attack something more important, all of them are trained, they couldn't just join if they didn't have some sort of skill." She had said when they were sitting together with the others by the Black Lake talking about some things the boys had heard going around the Slytherin common room the past weeks.
After Delilah had told them to try to collect as much information as they could and tell her so she could pass it to her parents. They had found themselves overhearing lots of conversation but every Deatheater had the same question as them. What was he planning and was putting it off instead of acting right now?
Leaving all these thoughts to save himself the stress. Regulus changed his expression to a blank one as he and Orion entered the office and Orion, after closing the door, gestured for him to take a seat on the black velvet couch. Regulus hadn't been to his father's office many times. Orion liked to keep the study to himself and both he and Sirius knew since they were children that their father's office was off limits.
The room was dark, darker than the rest of the house. Abstract paintings were hanging on the walls and some titles Orion had earned at the Ministry were decorating the parts of the walls that were plainer. The bookshelf, same as the house library, mostly consisted of books relating to dark magic and curses or folders full of papers from the Ministry Orion needed to study or just sign.
Orion took a seat at his chair behind his desk and looked at Regulus who looked back at him blatantly, half afraid of what his father was going to say, half ready to make it to the fireplace and apparate to the Potter Manor, in case things got violent.
"How as Hogwarts so far this year?"
That's what his father asked first and Regulus looked at him as if he had just told him that he invited the Giant Squid to live with them. In the pureblood families, the parents mostly care about how their children are doing academically in school. Most of them didn't care about their time there.
"Good." He answered and shallowed nervously, not really sure what else to say. His father nodded once more and clicked his tongue inside his mouth. He placed his elbows on top of the desk and rested his jaw on top of his joined hands. He looked a lot more intimidating and Regulus felt like he was being interrogated.
"Classes? Homework? Everything alright? With you classmates or the Professors?" He asked more specifically and Regulus was creeped out completely. That's probably the most his father had asked him about his life in his entire life. He tried to appear as calm as possible and shake all the nervousness away as he answered his father.
"Everything is alright, father. Classes, some boring and others fascinating and Quidditch is also going great." He answered and Orion raised a single eyebrow at that answer.
"Then why did you refuse the role of Prefect?! And Quidditch Captain?!" Asked Orion as he stood up from his chair abruptly. Regulus took a deep breath and answered as calmly as he could not wanting to upset his father even more. He didn't even know how he knew about that. He didn't tell his parents about either of the badges so he wouldn't have to explain to them why he gave them up.
"It was the most responsible thing to do, with the Dark Lord nearly at the top of his rising I'll have to start practicing more on my duelling skills, the Head boy duties are too much, I'll have to make the schedules for the Prefects and do extra rounds while also keeping up with all the homework. The Quidditch Captain duties also require a lot of free time which I do not have at this moment. I would have to spent my time planning the trainings and our formations for the matches. I think focusing on my studies and practicing spells and curses more intensely is my top priority right now. Also, I'm still a part of the Quidditch team I just don't coach them." He answered surely, his voice not wavering as he stared up at his father who was looking at him with a glint of pride in his eyes.
"You are one of the cleverest people i know, my son. I have no doubt that you will make me proud. Go to your bed, we have dinner with the Rosiers and Notts tomorrow." He said and pat Regulus' shoulder once before he gave him a hand to get up from the couch and they both exited the room, going to their separate directions.
'You'll be surprised of how much I have already disappointed you, even if you don't know it yet.' He thought as he locked the door of his room and got ready for bed.
***
On the other side of London Delilah was laughing loudly with Lily as she watched James chase Sirius around for the last snowman-shaped cookie. She had found herself enjoying the company Lily offered, she remained quiet most of the time but the funny remarks that left her mouth while she was commentating on the fight between James and Sirius had Delilah rolling on the floor with tears in her eyes.
"And Bambi has the cookie, he is running and is jumping over the couch. Ahhh, those legs." Said Lily loudly, as she had a bottle of water in front of her mouth acting as a microphone. "Snuffles is charging at him! Will he catch him? He caught the waistband of his jeans! Bambi goes to escape but Snuffles pulls him back and they fall down..." She stopped for a moment as both the boys fell over and knock down one of Euphemia's silver goblets. "And break Euphemia's goblets."
No one cheered, Sirius didn't even care that he got the cookie, all of them exchanged a glass before bolting upstairs before Euphemia can see them. Lily and Delilah walked into James' room and collapse upon his bed. James, Sirius and Remus enter not long after, Remus joining them and laying on the bed while the other two hid under the bed.
A book came flying towards them and Remus caught it mid-air. "Make it as if you are reading so she won't get suspicious of us." Said James and Delilah with Lily rested their heads on each of Remus's shoulders as he opened the book to a random page and the girls acted as calm as they could, the adrenaline washing off.
Not long after Euphemia bursted into the room making them all freeze. "Where are they?" She asked as she took deep breaths clearly aware of the minor accident downstairs. Delilah and Lily both shrugged but Remus chuckled quietly before pointing under the bed with his index finger. Euphemia nodded before pulling out her wand and casting a nonverbal spell making the two boys under the bed laugh uncontrollably.
She smirked at her success before waving her wand once more making the bed move a few meters, revealing a sweaty James and Sirius from under it. Both of them looked up at her guiltily before they sheepishly got up to dust themselves off.
"We are sorry, mum." Murmured James as he tried not to look at Euphemia. Sirius didn't speak at all, he just kept looking at his shoes. Euphemia uncrossed her arms and chuckled quietly. "You know, if you just repaired the goblet with a single 'reparo', we wouldn't be having this conversation right now." She laughed and they looked at each other with open mouths, groaning at their stupidness.
"I'm honestly wondering what they were teaching you at Hogwarts." Euphemia asked and shook her head as all of them looked anywhere but her, "dinner will be ready in twenty, be downstairs." She reminded them and murmurs of 'sure' and 'okey' were heard all over the room.
The next morning rolled like any other normal day, Lily and Delilah spend their morning reading and talking excitedly about their favourite muggle books while drinking tea, the boys were outside playing in the slight snow that had covered the ground. Euphemia was in the privacy of her room enjoying her Sunday morning peacefully and Fleamont was at work.
After eating lunch James with Lily and Sirius with Remus went on a double date leaving Delilah alone. She went up to her room and started on the homework she had to complete and made a mental note to send a letter to Monica telling her she can visit next week.
Everything was going smoothly until she heard a thump from behind her and turned to see two battered down Leo and Evan holding up Regulus who looked deathly pale and had a big red stain on his shirt that oozed blood. Evan had a wound on his head making blood trail down his face and except the limp he had on his leg he looked overly okey. Leo seemed to standing up just fine with some scratches on his face and what seemed a dislocated shoulder.
Without a word Delilah got up and helped the boys place Regulus on the bed, she didn't have any time to panic farther as she quickly send Leo to get a wet towel from the bathroom and told Evan to go to the cupboard on top of her wardrobe and take out a purple vial.
The boys quickly gave her the things she needed and she started dabbing the towel gently on the wound, the cloth absorbed most of the blood and Delilah ran her fingers through Regulus' hair as he winced.
She couldn't use her wand since she was not seventeen and neither were the boys. Her mum was at the neighbours for tea since she was good friends with the muggle lady next door and no one else was home.
"Mind telling me what happened?" She asked them, as she placed some of the cream that was inside the vial on the wound and watched as the redness faded slowly but surely and knew that in a few hours it would be healed, probably leaving a scar in the place where he was hit.
"A mission gone wrong; we were supposed to attack a small wizarding village a bit farther away from Hogmeade but at the same time sone Aurors were passing by, probably going to Hogmeade and saw us and hell broke loose." Evan said as he slumped on the chair near the window and Leo took a seat at the chair on the desk.
"I have a green vial with some muggle cream for injuries, go get it and put it on your wounds they will get infected." She said as she placed Regulus' head on her lap and brushed his hair away from his forehead as she smiled down at him softly when he opened his eyes.
"Hey love," she whispered as he tried to get up but she slowly pushed him back down, "I strongly advise against that, you got a pretty nasty wound on your chest, I would recommend waiting till you get up." She said as she kissed his head and let him get comfortable on the bed.
"What happened?"
"You got a curse straight on your chest during the fight, we were overpowered and all the others disappeared too, we didn't know where to go since we are not assigned a manor to go to if anything happens so we thought that the best option was here." Said Leo as he gently applied the cream on Evan's forehead.
"Which was a pretty stupid choice, can you imagine what would have happened if anyone knew that I let three deatheaters into a safehouse for the Order?!" Asked Delilah as she sat beside Regulus on the bed.
"Your parents are fine with you and Regulus together, what's the problem?" Asked Evan as he placed his hands on Leo's shoulder and mumbled something along the lines of 'this is going to hurt' before popping the shoulder back at its place.
"Yeah, but you can't just show up here without a warning, I know I told you that you can come whenever but we are having lots of order members coming here constantly and it's not only driving me insane but the others as well, especially Peter, he is always so upset when they are coming." She said rolling her eyes at how many times the order members have asked her if she is going to join but she always avoided the question saying that she is focusing on her education at the moment.
"Mum and dad don't mind, they actually want to meet all of you and both are incredibly grateful for the information you have given for the attacks, there haven't been as many deaths as then. Obviously, mum said that I'm the one that overhears things but both of them are grateful." She said happily. "I was going to ask you if you can come next week for an evening to have dinner, I know you can't be here on New Year's but Monica is coming to and I want you all here. Sirius also said that he would love to see you again Reg."
The boys looked at each other with smiles on their faces, happy that they could spent a somewhat happy Christmas. They were incredible grateful of Delilah's friendship, her opening her own house to them and inviting them for dinner saying that she would like for them to meet her parents meant a lot to them. A lot more than they could ever express.
"We would love to come." Answered Leo and Delilah clapped her hands excitedly with a broad smile on her face as she crossed her legs in a yoga position. "Mum would be delighted, they wanted to meet you formally since last summer. Especially you Regulus, my dad wants to meet you." She said and the Black's eyes widened as he looked at her scared out of his mind upon hearing that his girlfriend's dad wanted to meet him.
"Y-Your dad? Like Fleamont Potter?" He asked and she laughed loudly.
"No Freddy Mercury, of course Fleamont you idiot, what kind of question is that?"
Leo and Evan bursted out laughing as they excused themselves to fo get some water. "Can you bring me some too?" Asked Regulus and they nodded before leaving the bedroom.
After a couple minutes of overrated comfortable silence Delilah spoke, "our anniversary is coming up."
Their anniversary, Regulus couldn't believe that it has already been almost a year since they had been together, a year full of good and bad memories, a year with his girl.
"Yeah, 27 of December, one of the best days of my whole life." he whispered in her ear as he slowly wrapped his arms around her, making sure he was not hurting himself.
"One of the best huh?" She smirked at his response and he let out a deep chuckle. "Yeah, my next favourite one is going to be when I'm going to marry you." He says firmly as he gazed at her lovingly and Delilah found herself blushing, which she rarely did.
Keys juggling and footsteps racing up the stairs could be heard and Evan and Leo opened the door the door abruptly and closed it quietly, "your dad is here with some weird people in Auror uniforms we have to get out of here before we get fucking arrested!" Whisper-shouted Evan as Regulus got up from the bed and got ready for the painful apparition.
"Oh fuck, where are you going to go?" Asked Delilah, scared for their safety.
"Nott Manor, is the safest place right now. We are just going to say we stopped there to treat the wounds and we are going back to my house to report to him." Said Regulus quickly as he pulled Delilah in for a hug and kissed her quickly.
"Be safe okey?" She asked, holding his hand tightly, and he squeezed it back, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.
"Of course, Delilah, we wouldn't let anything happen to Mr loverboy here." Joked Leo before pulling Delilah in for a quick hug, Evan doing the same a few moments later.
"Please don't die." She said again and Regulus smiled slyly before winking at her.
"You can't get rid of us so quickly Darling; you are stuck with us and buckle up because 1979 is going to be a wild journey."
The last one is a warning to you also...only some months left, approximately 4-5 chapter till the fun part is over and these lovelies are going out I to the harsh world.
On a happier account:
ADJECTIVES HIT 100K OMFG I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!
I started this story during quarantine because it was the only way to get my mind distracted from all the awful things happening around the world and your support through this journey had been fucking amazing!
Whoever you are reading this story just know that you matter, you are valid and I love you all!
Thank you again so much for everything! Don't forget to eat healthy and hydrate yourselves!
A new chapter I'm going to be up a lot sooner than I update usually so be ready.