cry, cry, cry.

ten months post-partum, and it's still all you hear. not that you didn't expect it - this pregnancy was planned between you and your husband, regulus. your arranged marriage has been going for... two years now. two years out of hogwarts, and you were married and a mother.

merlin, this is not how you wanted your life to go. but it's not like your parents, part of the sacred 28, of course, gave you much of a choice.

you and regulus had initially loathed one another, believing each other to be at fault for their lack of freedom. you had come around since, and now it was more like... mutual agreement.

you're parents, now. time to be mature at the ripe old age of twenty, huh?

you usually take care of your daughter, aurora... regulus isn't good with kids. that's what he thinks, anyway. he doesn't want to be his father, so, really... he avoids rory.

he loves her, of course. the moment that aurora came into this world, he felt her tiny baby hands steal his heart and refuse to give it back. sometimes, the urge to protect his daughter is so strong that it's overwhelming.

but he cannot be like orion. he barely spends time with the girl in fear of just snapping and becoming like him.

which is why it shocks you so much when you feel the empty, cold bed beside you and the soft hums of regulus's deep voice coming from your daughter's bedroom.

rubbing the sleep away from your eyes, you trudge to rory's bedroom and stop at the door, leaning against the doorframe.

oh merlin.

this is why you told yourself not to get attached to your husband.

his strong arms prop rory up, supporting her head as he hums her to calmness. her shireks and cries lulled into coos and soft smiles at her dad.

the floor creaks under your feet, and regulus's head snaps up. you can physically see the soft expression school itself into coolness.

yet, some of that warmth remains.

“{{user}}, love. i was-“ he, uncharacteristically, stumbles over his words. “i just thought- maybe you might've wanted to... sleep?”