Homeward Bound | Regulus Black

Chapter Twelve

The sun had set a long time ago, but this hadn't stopped the drinks flowing. At this point in the late evening, the teas and coffees had been replaced by large glasses of various bubbling liquors. Levi was reclined across the dark purple - almost black - tattered, chenille sofa, on his back. Dirk was sat in one of the tall green armchairs with his long legs extended onto the coffee table in front of him. His shoes were dangerously close to knocking over some of the glasses precariously stood and piled all over the table, but nobody had noticed this yet. Finally, Esme was sat in the other arm chair with a newly poured drink in her hand and a grin plastered on her face whilst, on the floor between her knees, sat Regulus, who's own legs were crossed before him.

"So how is the wife?" Levi asked.
"Andrea?" Dirk slumped down in his seat, "She's going back to work next week after her maternity leave. She is quite happy though because it looks like Felix, our eldest, is going to stay a redhead - like her."

Regulus sighed, "Three sons... From my experience, two is bad enough."

"I just can't believe you actually married Andrea Goodman. She was such a pain at Hogwarts." Esme tutted, "Such a rule follower."
Levi then laughed, "I think that makes her a perfect match for Dirk, don't you?"

Regulus politely interjected, "I don't recall you two ever actually getting along. It was quite a surprise to hear you two were together."

"Well we didn't exactly get on well when we first knew each other." Dirk explained, "But it took us meeting each other again to realise we'd misinterpreted each other."

Esme mumbled, "I can't believe she's changed that much."
Regulus elbowed her in the leg.

"I don't think it was so much about either of us needing to change..." Dirk continued, "But I think we needed to meet each other again. I think we needed the chance to make first impressions again. I don't think everyone gets that chance."

Levi chuckled, his gaze fixated on the peeling ceiling above him, "Retrospect is a wild thing. You only realise how much you've changed or how little you knew when you look back on things as an adult."
"Or you realise how significant certain things actually were - things that you hadn't given a second thought to at the time." Dirk added.

"Oh, Merlin!" Esme complained, "When did this become sad?"
Regulus tutted and propped his elbow up on her knee as he remarked. "It's not sad - it's pensive."
She muttered, "Sounds like a synonym for boring to me."

Dirk shook his head, still smiling as he took a sip from his drink, "I just think it's nice to know that we both needed to grow before being together. Sometimes I think the circumstances when you meet people are a lot more important than who they are."

Esme leant forward in her seat as she began to absentmindedly comb her fingers through Regulus' hair.

"Like how we all met and what we went through?" Levi questioned.
"Yeah." Dirk nodded, "I think the war bonded us together. Without that, I'm not sure we'd appreciate each other in the same way."

It was an interesting thought, that was for sure.
"The war sure allowed me to put how boring you guys are into perspective - I know that despite how utterly painful it is, your dullness isn't as bad as the war." Esme flashed her wicked, lopsided smirk.

"You know there's a saying that you attract the energy you put out into the world?" Levi snickered.
Esme held a hand to her heart, "Do I put out energy that says I want to be bored to death?"

Regulus pursed his lips together to hide his smile, and admitted, "Face it, Levi, there's no winning."

"No - you're all losers." Esme tilted her head to the side and smiled sweetly, "Shame."
Levi pouted, "You're insufferable. That much hasn't changed. Shocker."

Regulus then asked, swiftly diverting the conversation, "It's seven years you've been married, isn't it, Dirk?"
"Yes, it's gone quickly." He replied, "I think having children speeds up time."

"Do you think you guys will have children?"

Levi had clearly asked the question, and he quite quickly regretted that decision. "Sorry." He blurted, "It's none of my business, really."

"I was thinking of having precisely eleven children, if you must know." Esme shrugged it off as if it were the most nonchalant thing in the world.

Regulus chuckled, "I'm glad that's the plan - what a fun way to tell me."
"You're welcome."

"I don't think I could handle children of my own." Levi shook his head.
"You think anyone here could apart from Dirk?" Esme raised an eyebrow.
He laughed, "Fair point."

"Does that count as a compliment?" Dirk sat upright suddenly, "I think that sounds like a compliment from Esme."
She retorted, "Oi! Shut up."

Dirk shook his head, "I don't think I will, actually-" He straightened out his legs in order to stand up. In doing so, however, he accidentally kicked over an array of glasses that had been stood on the table. Some of the empty ones rolled about on the floor. Some partially filled ones spilled liquid across the wooden tiles and table. One even smashed.

"Right!" Esme gently nudged Regulus to the side so she could stand up, "I'm not being roped into cleaning anything up, so I'm going to bed."

"Don't worry! I'll clean it. You guys can go to bed if you want - I'll take care of this." Dirk offered as he quickly rose to his feet and started searching for his wand in the pockets of his jacket that was draped over the back of the armchair.

Regulus clambered up and dusted himself off as he asked, "Are you sure? You really don't need to."
"It's really no effort - as soon as I find my wand. I'll clear everything away and... Er..." Dirk looked over to see Levi, who, despite the commotion, had fallen asleep on the sofa.

"You can stay in one of the spare bedrooms upstairs, if that's easier." Regulus offered.
"Thanks."

After bidding goodnight, and taking a moment to laugh at Levi as he lay sprawled across the sofa, lightly snoring in his sleep, Esme took ahold of Regulus' hand and led the way upstairs. He let out a sudden laugh as he saw Esme stumble slightly over the top step of the staircase, using his hand grasping her's to steady her.

"How drunk are you?" He teased as he flicked the light on and closed the bedroom door behind them.
Esme suddenly came to a stop, spun around, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Not at all." She replied, "Not even light headed. Never has a person been more sober."

He hummed, pressing his lips together as his hands settled on Esme's hips and he guided her  backwards until her back pressed against the wall. After a moment of just staring at each other, Regulus lifted a hand to tuck some of Esme's hair behind her ear, and he lowered his face to press a lingering kiss to her lips.

Pulling away for breath, she rested her forehead against his and whispered, "I have something to ask."
"Go ahead."

"I was thinking about what Dirk said earlier. If we hadn't met the way we did... Say our families didn't know each other and we didn't have magic - we were muggles. If we'd bumped to each other in school or in the street do you think you'd have talked to me?" Esme asked him, her fingers gently taking ahold of the collar of his shirt.

"Honestly..." Regulus straightened up, "I don't think I would have."
She raised an eyebrow, "Oh, this better be good. You're on thin ice now."

He smiled, "I think you'd have intimidated me too much and I wouldn't have wanted to embarrass myself in front of you. And then I think I'd have spent the rest of my life wondering 'what if'? That's why, in a weird way, I'm grateful to our families - even if they're messed up and we've outgrown them now. At least I got so many years with you."
"How exactly can you be modest and smooth at the same time? It's the worst." Esme complained, leaning back against the wall as Regulus lowered his head to brush their noses together.

"I can shut up, if you like?"
"Please do." She replied, her voice barely above a whisper before their lips reconnected.