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Tweak says, "kiss my grits"

Regulus Arcturus Black (te_regulus) wrote in hogwarts_dawn,
@ 2021-04-21 10:09:00

Entry tags:

character: lily evans potter, character: regulus black

RP: Regulus/Lily
Who: Regulus/Lily
When: mid morning, 21st April
Where: Wizengamot room
What: Who knows

Regulus wasn't one to randomly meet people at Hogwarts. Unlike the others, he had his meals in his quarters, with Kreacher taking care of him. He also had a pretty strict routine, between his job, his extra project and now time with Remus. Everything had its place in his life and he liked it that way. On the weekend, he was dealing with decorating his new abode. This was even more important now that Remus would be spending more time there, because Regulus refused to stay in the Gryffindor tower. Because of all of this, he rarely had random encounters. Today seemed to be one of those rare exceptions.

He was alone in the Wizengamot office. Hermione and Theo were off researching something and he was writing a draft about penalties for magical theft when Lily Evans (and she'd always be Lily Evans to him) entered the office. "Are you lost?" he asked politely. "Your son's office is three doors down, while the DMLE is right past his office." Those were the most likely places she would go although there was also Sirius and the wand room. "Or are you here for something else?"

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lovingsacrifice
2021-04-24 09:52 pm UTC (link)

Lily was finally getting used to being back at Hogwarts. She spent a good deal of time wandering around, making a mental map of where things were. Having gotten caught up with the majority of people who she knew previously, and gotten to know her grandchildren a little, there was still the matter of checking on the person who had gotten her memories when she first arrived. Lily knew from the information Harry shared, that it was Regulus Black - brother of Sirius - who spent time walking in her shoes. And while she didn't think that there was anything in her past that might have scandalized the man, she still wanted to make sure he was alright.

She had to ask around in order to find him. Once she had, though, she genuinely wasn't certain on how to approach him other than by being up front with him. "Ah, no, I'm not lost," she laughed softly. She took a moment to consider her answer, aware that he most likely didn't have a positive opinion of her both due to the company she kept and her proximity to his brother. "I'm actually here to speak to you, Regulus. I'm to understand that you experienced my memories, and I wanted to make sure that you're not scarred for life."

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te_regulus
2021-04-24 10:09 pm UTC (link)

Of all the things that he could have expected, this wasn't even in the top a hundred and that included time traveling into the future having having died at eighteen. He put down the quill very carefully trying to think of what to say.

"I appreciate your concern, but I assure you that there's nothing that will scar me, either temporarily or for life," he said, calmly. "Your life was rather... mundane and I don't mean that as an insult." It was the type of life his brother thought he wanted. He doubted that Sirius truly wanted it.

"How about you? Were your memories innocent enough?" he asked, because it was polite to inquire, even though he didn't really care. "I do have a question for you if you are inclined to answer. It goes to an hypothesis I have. Do you get annoyed at my brother when he starts to sound like a child?"

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lovingsacrifice
2021-04-25 12:22 am UTC (link)

It didn't surprise her to hear that Regulus found her life to be rather mundane, considering that compared to normal wizarding life, things like getting married and having a child was something anyone could do. That he didn't mean it as an insult however, that was surprising.

"Well, that's good then, I would hate to think knowing my life would be too much for someone else to handle," she responded, her tone just as calm as his. "Married with a baby isn't the ideal type of life for everyone." She lucked out that James seemed to like it as much as she did.

"Mine were, yes. Although, while I know the name of the person who I learned about, I still don't know that person in general," she mused aloud. "I may need some clarification on that. How exactly do you mean, he sounds like a child?"

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te_regulus
2021-04-25 12:37 am UTC (link)

"Married with a child, or more than one is actually the life of any pureblood person who needs to continue the line," Regulus said. "I was in the process of looking for a match when I died. We put great emphasis on having a family. I do understand that it might come as a surprise after dealing with Sirius." His brother took great pleasure in destroying all that was good about purebloods.

"That wasn't what I was referring to, actually. I meant that your family life was very... calm, which sounds strange considering that you had the Dark Lord after you." She would have been the one scarred if she had seen the way they had grown up. "I'm sure you've experienced variations of that same speech."

"I suppose not, because the memories were adapted to make sense to us. I remembered adopting a child as opposed to giving birth. We all seemed to ignore the fact that Parvati and Padma are twins or that her so-called children were of a different race." In the end, the memories had been jumping boards for all of them. "The whining, the woo is me comments, the martyr act, as if he's the only one on the planet that suffers. My stomach aches, I had too much chocolate, my friends aren't here to rub my belly." Sweet Merlin, he'd wanted to throttle Lilu, but he wasn't sure if that was his reaction or Evans'.

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lovingsacrifice
2021-04-25 04:10 pm UTC (link)

"I assume bringing a child into the world during a war, when the Dark Lord is after you, isn't something purebloods typically have to concern themselves with," Lily posited. "Now, why would you think that? Sirius can be very family oriented, in his own way." Perhaps not in the sense that Regulus would have preferred, but to Lily caring about the family that you created for yourself was comparable to those you had blood ties with.

"We worked hard to keep the atmosphere in the house pleasant, for the most part. It's much easier to hide out with a baby when that baby isn't fussing because it can pick up on your fear." He had surely gotten a glimpse of just how difficult it could be to keep smiling in the face of mounting dread.

"I remembered having a twin, which turned out to be Peter, and not thinking it odd in the slightest despite how little we look alike or related." Those confusing lingering remembrances of growing up with Peter made the conversation that came shortly after even more heart wrenching. "Ah yes, those moments. I'll fully admit that some of those can be frustrating, but others can seem downright adorable in the moment. Good practice for child rearing. Tell me something, if you don't mind. How many mornings did you wake up to Lilu sleeping in the room?"

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te_regulus
2021-04-25 04:22 pm UTC (link)

"It was very much a concern. Your side wasn't the only one dying. My father died. Sirius was gone. There was very much a concern of bringing a child into the world and soon. History showed that it was a valid concern since I died at eighteen and the oldest wizarding family became extinct." Regulus snorted in a very unbecoming way. "Sirius likes your family, not family. It comes with all the bells and whistles without any of the responsibilities. He doesn't have to worry about getting up at night, or making sure the child is properly raised, or reaching a compromise. He gets to have all the fun and you do all the work and when he doesn't like something, he can whine some more how no one likes him. Come on, Evans, how can you not see that?"

He smiled. "See, that's some of the memories that changed too. They were in my house, with a house-elf, a large house. That's why I think we all got memories, but it'd be wrong to presume that we know what the other person went through. That's why I was asking the question about Sirius. I wonder how much it's my personality and how much is yours."

Regulus gestured to a chair. "If we're going to talk, you might as well get comfortable. And yes, that must have been a bitter twist of events." Her answers told him everything that he needed. "Then it was definitely my personality and not yours. I wouldn't view a grown man's childish behaviour as good practice, but as his inability to grow the bloody hell up." He frowned at the question. "Are you out of your mind? Never and she would have been hexed if she tried. A marriage is a serious thing and if she or Sirius can't respect it, then they will understand through hexing. Why would you let him? Seriously, why?"

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lovingsacrifice
2021-04-25 04:53 pm UTC (link)

"Was your side dying because of the circumstances surrounding their birth and their classification, or was it due to old age and possibly poor life decisions? While I am truly sorry that you died, and that your line ended with you, I'm finding it a little difficult to believe our circumstances were at all similar." Lily spoke in a way that was less 'woe is me' and more matter of fact. "You're right, Sirius loves the family he made with James, Remus, Peter, myself, and Harry. He was a wonderful godfather during the brief time he had in that role. He spent quite a few evenings keeping an eye on Harry while I got some much needed sleep, or keeping James out of my hair when his pacing got to be a little much. And yes, he could certainly go on his merry way whenever he liked, but if he wanted to spend time with James then he had to accept that Harry came first."

She shrugged. "Don't misunderstand me, there have been plenty of times where I found your brothers' behavior frustrating, but that was before I got to know him as well as I feel that I do. You mentioned his seeming inability to grow up, which I do believe plays a large part in how we both view Sirius when it comes to our personalities."

Lily sat down in the offered chair. "I'm genuinely shocked that you haven't kicked me out yet. And bitter isn't the word I would use for it." His reaction had her laughing softly and shaking her head. "They say patience is a virtue, and learning how to handle Sirius during some of his... more interesting moments took more than a little of it. Which came in handy when dealing with an actual infant." She felt as though his frown spoke volumes. "It's not something that happens all the time, you know. And both James and I have ways of letting Sirius know when we want alone time, if you must know. As for why we let him, both James and I understand that it can be a source of comfort for him. And, there are times it's been a source of comfort for us as well. Especially after Harry was born. It was akin to having extra security."

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te_regulus
2021-04-25 05:11 pm UTC (link)

"You're right, they weren't similar. I died, because I went after the Dark Lord and tried to bring him down, while you died, because you were hiding. Please don't presume that you know anything about me or my beliefs," he said a lot colder than before. "Sweet Merlin, you really believe that, don't you? My brother is in love with your husband and that's why he likes your family and does what he does. How is it that everyone knows that but you?"

He dismissed her opinion of Sirius. He had only asked to see if they had kept some kind of free will during that week and apparently they had.

"I'm not rude and I would never kick you out." He leaned forward, arms on the table. "Mrs. Potter, it will soon come to your attention that I'm dating Remus, unless you already know. Sirius can't decide if he loves your husband or my boyfriend, but only one of us is willing to let him be the third in our relationship and it's not me. Once I'm in my bedroom with Remus, I always want alone time, because it's not just about sex, but intimacy. This isn't school and we aren't children. We're not having sleepovers. You are just ignoring a really big problem in your marriage and calling it security when he could have slept in the bloody guest room or the sofa or anywhere other than your bedroom."

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lovingsacrifice
2021-04-25 05:44 pm UTC (link)

The coldness in his tone didn't bother Lily, nor did his assertion that she had been judging him in any sense. She knew she hadn't been regardless of what he thought. And the sheer idea that he assumed she was blind to how Sirius felt about James was ludicrous. By this point in time the only people who quite possibly didn't know were James and Sirius himself. "Of course, and I'm not surprised to see that presumption is going both ways in this conversation."

She wasn't going to explain herself to Regulus. She was content to allow James to handle things with Sirius when the time came.

"I see that now, and I apologize for thinking you might." She almost laughed when he referred to her as 'Mrs. Potter' considering the words that followed. "My congratulations to both you and Remus. I hope you both find some happiness together. As for what I may or may not be ignoring, you seem to have quite a few opinions on my marriage when you only got to see a brief glimpse of it. How I choose to handle my life, my marriage, and my friends - while I'm sure is a fascinating topic for you - is none of your business. Although, I do appreciate your warning, if that's what we're calling it."

She glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Well, I do believe I've taken up quite enough of your time. Good chat."

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te_regulus
2021-04-25 05:53 pm UTC (link)

"I'm not presuming anything. I'm going by what you are saying. Apparently you had a very different experience because- Why exactly? You possibly couldn't have a similar experience to a pureblood." He snorted. "You started this. I'm just answering your comments."

Of course she was like every other Gryffindor, who just knew what the world was like and judged by their own ideals, but Regulus wasn't going to argue anymore. "Apologies accepted." He smiled a little at the congratulations. "We'll see. It's new and it might have taken us a lot longer to get to this point were it not for your memories, so I do have to thank you in that regards."

He shook his head. "I have no opinions on your marriage. I've already said that the memories are coloured with my own personality and therefore not indicative or what your marriage is. Once again, I'm basing my comments on what you are saying and knowing my brother. And, it wasn't a warning. It's your marriage and you can do what you wish. I'm not in the habit of telling people what to do in their personal lives, but you did ask me how many times I woke up with Lilu there and now you don't like the answer I'm giving you."

Regulus was incredibly amused by her reaction, so typical of those brave Gryffindors, always ready to run away when they faced something they didn't like. "It was very informative, indeed. Enjoy your day."

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