Upside Down Mirror: Granger Yet

Further Headache

"What further headache am I having to deal with now?"

There wasn't much time to think of what kind of headache Sirius managed this time beyond the fact Apparating a second time made his head swim, as did the awakening whispered mutters of the family portraits—although there might have been some such mutters from the portraits during the din of his arrival. Regulus couldn't right remember, distracted as he was by other things and having preferred going about the hose unnoticed.

Missing from the cacophony was the voice of one portrait in particular, with Regulus remembering, despite his state of mind, the screaming of his mother as Sirius and his brother's friend hauled him up the stairs, and instead, he heard—

"Jules," Regulus muttered, rocking slightly as a wave of dizziness and nausea hit him. His left hand managed to reach out and grab onto the handrail as Sirius let go of his arm. "What is she...."

"I'm sorry!" Hermione blurted out. "In all the commotion, I forgot."

Regulus felt his gray eyes blink, the confusion not going away as his older brother said. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"That they were coming?" Regulus asked, watching Elizabeth look up at the landing he stood on, her eyes wide. She stood there, her hands clutching the handle of her sewing machine that she, for some reason, brought with her even though, in the back of Regulus' mind, he didn't think she'd be able to use it there. Jules was still crying on the floor for reasons currently left unexplained. Thoughts of her hating him, even more crossed his mind as he contemplated how to handle the situation best.

"Uh, no," Sirius said. "I mean, I didn't—I just wanted to calm her down. I didn't know. I really didn't know to touch her when she's upset," Sirius said.

Regulus turned his head, looking at his brother, his eyes narrowing. "How could you not know?"

Sirius looked at him with wide eyes, and Regulus heard Jules' crying lessen slightly in volume. "What do you mean? How could I not know?"

"She's my daughter, Sirius, "Regulus said, glaring at his brother, lowering his voice so those on the ground floor couldn't hear what he said next. "And don't you dare call her a monster?"

"Hey!" Sirius said.

"Dad?" Elizabeth said from down below, making Regulus turn to look at his middle daughter, who—

"Don't put words into my mouth, Sirius said as Jules' tears turned from heartbreaking sobs to sniffles. And then—

"Daddy!"

Regulus heard the footsteps on the stairs and turned his head in time for his youngest to tackle him around the waist, causing him to stagger and find the need to sit on the top of the step, returning the child's hug to the best of his ability. "There, there. I am here. Really, I am."

At the same time, Hermione said, "Careful, Jules. Dad's already hit his head," and then paused briefly before adding. "At least once."

"You are?" Elizabeth said from downstairs, her voice straining as if she were about to burst into tears.

"He has?" said another voice from above, which made Regulus look up to see Molly Weasley standing there on the same floor as them, her mouth pressed into a frown. He heard the sound of Elizabeth setting down her heavy sewing machine.

Regulus felt his gut clench, remembering having given the impression three summers ago that he was a Muggle, yet in the back of his mind, he knew she couldn't possibly be pleased with the deception, let alone his status as a Death Eater. "Mrs. Weasley, I...."

He found himself nearly knocked backward again as another hurried up the stairs and latched on. His eyes blinked, feeling tears from both girls wetting his black shirt, but as carefully as possible, or perhaps as well as he could, he attempted to return their hugs. "Lizzy. I thought you wouldn't want to see me, princess."