LOVE + WAR
cxli || cursed birthday
Birthdays feel strange nowadays. Maybe it's because they're getting older, or maybe because of everything that's going wrong isn't he world. It feels odd to wake up peacefully on her birthday, no James screaming through a microphone, no singing toads hidden in her wardrobe. Just the birds singing outside and the trees rustling in the summer breeze.
Maria can feel Regulus' breath against her shoulder as his forehead rests against the back of her neck, his messy curls tickling the skin. His thumb is tracing shapes on the skin of her hip subconsciously as he sleeps peacefully.
Maria snuggles further into the quilts, hearing Nova cooing quietly in her cot, signalling that she's awake yet not disturbed as she flings a grey teddy bear that Sirius bought her around slowly.
Regulus' arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to him and she can hear him inhale tiredly as he stirs awake. The moment is bittersweet as they stay silent, in that place between being awake and asleep, just conscious enough to acknowledge one and other.
Slowly, Maria rolls over in his arms, resting her hand gently on his jaw and tracing her thumb over his cheekbone softly. She watches as his lips twitch into a small smile as she presses a kiss to his chin before snuggling further into his comfortable embrace.
After a few moments of peace, the sun peaking through the curtains that hang over the window and the calming sound of Regulus' heartbeat against her ear, Nova fusses in her cot.
"Probably hungry." Maria whispers, going to get up but Regulus grabs her tight and keeps her on the bed. "Reg."
"I know. I'll get her." Regulus presses a kiss to Maria's forehead. "Happy birthday, my love."
"You're still older." Maria sticks her tongue out at him as he shrugs some tartan pants over his underwear and kisses her shoulder quickly before wandering over to Nova's cot.
"Morning, sweetheart." Regulus hushes the baby as he lifts her from the cot, pulling her small form into his chest and presses light kisses to the side of her head as he wanders over to Maria. "I told everyone to come later. Anything for breakfast?"
"Hmm. . .surprise me?" Maria smiles cheekily making Regulus sigh exasperatedly as he gently rests Nova in Maria's arms. "I can't wait until she's six months so that we don't have to do this anymore." Maria says with a lazy smile as Regulus unclasps her bra with a chuckle.
"You're so pretty." Regulus whispers in awe, watching as Maria rubs her tired eye with her free hand whilst her other arm supports Nova. Maria smiles sheepishly at him, shaking her head and he nods exaggeratedly.
"I'm still worried." Maria admits, referring to the previous month when Voldemort and his pure blood fanatics left a disturbing message for her in the ruins of Hogsmead Village. "It's just. . .we always had so much to lose and now. . ." Maria's glossy eyes move to the child in her arms and Regulus sighs, tracing his thumb across her knee.
"I know." Regulus smiles sadly, watching as Maria gazed at the baby she'd always dreamed of lay so feeble in her protective arms. "I'm going to make some breakfast."
"Okay." He presses a kiss to her cheek before standing up and exiting the room.
Maria lets a tear slip down her cheek, wiping it quickly and shaking her head, pushing back all of the thoughts in her mind. Thoughts of the violence and pain, thoughts of the man she killed. Regulus keeps reminding her that he wasn't just a man, that he was one of the monsters that helped Lucius Malfoy do what he did that October evening of her seventh year. But she can't help but feel guilt sinking into her chest, because now she's just as bad. She stooped just as low.
It's not true, of course. They could've killed Maria that night and she never would've had to live with it. Everything would be over and she'd be free from trauma and pain. But they didn't, they allowed her to live, to bear that pain and trauma for the rest of her life. However long or short that may be.
Maria finished feeding Nova and shrugs on one of Regulus' grey hoodies over her bare top half, changing Nova and carrying her down the stairs.
The sweet scent of pancakes and bacon invades her nostrils and a smile settles on her face when she enters the kitchen/dining room and lays Nova in her basket that Regulus had already set beside the dining table. Regulus is setting two plates on the table when he sees Maria and he grins sheepishly at her making her laugh and tackle him into a tight hug.
"I love you more than anything." Maria whispers, tears gathering in her eyes as he holds her right against him. His familiar scent of cologne and faint cigarette smoke is enough to bring tears to her eyes, feeling so lucky that she still has him.
Regulus holds her tight against him, pressing a firm kiss to the side of her head as she clutches onto him.
"Come on, love, eat your breakfast." Regulus mutters, gently pulling away to look at her face and she smiles at him, nodding. "Benny dropped this off before."
"Did you give him—"
"The triangle shaped treats because he hates the square ones? Yes." Regulus finishes with a smug smile and Maria rolls her eyes softly, opening the neatly presented envelope. "Well?"
Maria's smile had dropped, her eyes scanning over the parchment and Regulus frowns, seeing the light panic radiating from her anxious body.
WE HAVE PETTIGREW
COME TO MALFOY MANOR AT MIDNIGHT
ALONE
The Potter's eyes move to the sign on the bottom of the parchment, seeing the dark mark symbol on the paper making her blink and look up at Regulus. She slowly hands him the note and he skims over it before instantly shaking his head.
"No way." Regulus drops the parchment onto the table. "You're not going there alone."
"I don't have a choice, Reg! I—this is Peter we're talking about." Maria argues, pointing at the note with a stressful frown. "Sweet, innocent Pete—he won't survive them alone, Reg. We have to help him."
"I'll go then." Regulus says with a dismissive shrug. "You're not going."
"It was for me! If they see you they'll know I showed you. . ." Maria trails off, glancing over Regulus' body with a sudden thought. "But. . .they won't know if they can't see you."
"What? How—oh." Regulus looks at her as though she's a genius. "Oh, you're brilliant Maria Potter. Truly amazing. Your brother's cloak!"
"Exactly." Maria says with a quick nod. "He's coming round, isn't he? We'll ask him to bring the cloak."
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"You're telling me that you and Regulus are going to storm Malfoy Manor and rescue Pete?" James looks between them with his invisibility cloak in his hand. "With no backup. I know this is Wormtaul and we have to help him but. . .just you and Reg—I don't know—"
"James, he asked me to go alone. If I don't. . .and he finds out. He'll kill you." Maria mutters, gently taking the cloak from her brother and wrapping him into a hug. "I can't lose you."
"You won't." James mutters into her hair, pulling away to rest his forehead onto hers and closes his eyes. "Don't die, M, please don't die."
"I won't." Maria sniffles, pulling away from him and smiling through the tears in her eyes. "Pinky promise." She whispers and he shakes his head with a breathy laugh of disbelief, hooking his pinky finger through hers and smiling.
Maria lets a tear fall down her cheek, not because she might die, but because James had begged her not to. She knows how terrified he is of her leaving him alone, the pain of losing a parent is enough to leave a scar, but losing a sister? He just doesn't think he could handle that. His little sister, the girl who he promised protected from the moment he'd learnt to speak.
"Be careful." Lily says to Regulus, pulling him into a hug and he nods into her shoulder. "We'll take care of her, don't worry." Lily smiles sadly at him when she sees his eyes move to Nova who's held comfortably in Remus' arms.
"I know." Regulus gives her a smile, kissing her head affectionately and Maria is approaching Sirius who shakes his head.
"Don't tell me goodbye." Sirius says sadly. "I know that's why you're doing this, right? You want to be able to see us all before you walk right into what could be a death trap?"
"Pete isn't here, Sirius." Maria says softly and he lets out a stressed sigh. The oldest Black brother nods, quickly pulling her into his arms and she hugs his torso tight as he rests his chin on her head.
"Be careful, Prongsette." Sirius mumbles with a small smile when he hears her sigh exasperatedly at the nickname. "Love you." He whispers as she pulls away and she gives him a smile.
"Love you too, idiot." Maria says softly, squeezing his arm before wandering to say goodbye to Remus and her little girl.
"Take care of her. And yourself." Sirius says to Regulus who nods. Sirius sucks in a breath, sighing before pulling Regulus into a tight hug. Both brothers will be forever grateful to Maria Potter because without her, they probably would still believe one hates the other, not having the courage to face their fears of being right.
Eventually, Regulus has the cloak over him and they apparate outside the gates of Malfoy Manor at midnight, meaning that it's no longer Maria's birthday and it's now the first of July. Maria stares at the large, enchanted gates for a moment, recalling every horrific thing that's ever happened to her in that house.
Bellatrix appears in the other side of the gate, grinning when she sees the Potter woman alone. The LeStrange woman never doubted Maria, she's brave enough to want to come alone. She wonders whether Maria told anyone at all where she was heading.
"Come on." Bellatrix opens the gates and Maria strolls inside the enchantments. Her eyes flicker to the gates that close behind her and Bellatrix with a low groan of metal. "Bloody coward, Pettigrew is."
"Don't say that." Maria says firmly and Bellatrix snickers before holding a hand up in defence. "I don't understand. What has Peter done to warrant being kidnapped by you and your death cult?"
"Associate with you and Black." Lucius Malfoy sneers when they enter the manor and Maria sees Peter tied in enchanted ropes to a chair.
Her eyebrows pull together, expecting the damage to be worse. His eyes are filled with tears as he stares at her in surprise, as though he's shocked that it is her that strolled through the door with Bellatrix by her side. There's a cut on his forehead and some bruises on his face, yet he's not nearly as wounded as others that have been taken by the death eaters. Even Maria was cut up and traumatised.
"Maria—"
"Shut up." Evan Rosier pokes his wand deeper into the side of Peter's neck making the blonde grimace and a tear fall from his crystalline eye.
"Let him go." Maria says, averting her glare to Riddle who stands with his arms folded as he looks over the Potter woman calculatingly. "Let him go! I saw your little message in Hogsmead—you're all more deranged than I thought if you think slaughtering people will make me bow down for you!"
Riddle chuckles, "annoyingly loyal." He scoffs, scratching his chin. "Do you really think that this moronic twit would come running to save you if these roles were reversed?" The Dark Lord tilts his head challengingly and Maria chuckles.
"I do." Maria snaps, glaring at him. "Let him go, right now."
Voldemort sniggers, "young Maria." He steps towards her and Maria can practically sense Regulus tensing beneath the cloak from a few feet away. "You want to leave with your life, don't you? Have a baby girl to return home to? Nova, is it?"
Maria blinks, her shocked expression turning to one of anger as she turns her head to look at Bellatrix who shrinks shamefully beneath her brown eyed stare. She swallows thickly and looks back up at Voldemort, raising her eyebrows as she steps forwards, showing him that she does not fear him alone.
"I see, it appears I've struck a nerve." Voldemort says with a smug glimmer in his eyes as Peter stares at her with a worrisome gaze. "It was a smart move, letting us believe she died."
"I know you're cruel but you're not seriously threatening my baby, are you?" Maria tilts her head to the side and Regulus stares in both awe and complete concern as she watches her become closed off and territorial. "I may not be a cold hearted murderer, but if any of you bastards even look at my daughter, your deaths will be agonising."
Bellatrix smirks slightly, enjoying seeing Maria in such a dark light.
"Release Pettigrew." Riddle orders and Lucius sighs, waving his wand and freeing Peter from the uncomfortable rope. Maria tugs hun towards her, instantly pulling him into a tight hug of relief.
"Are you okay?" Maria breathes, clutching knot Peter's jacket. "I was so worried."
"I'm fine." Peter dismisses quickly, glancing over at the death eaters.
"Leave us." Voldemort says to them and Maria lets out a breath of relief. "And not you, Black."
Maria's heart drops, turning around and Peter tries to pull her out but she shoved him off, watching as Voldemort waves his wand and the cloak flies off of Regulus.
"Clever. . ." Riddle smirks. "But not clever enough."
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