Ultimatums

Chapter 43

Hermione awoke in Regulus's room, a note beside her on the bedside table.

Sorry you woke up alone, love, but research calls. Meet me in the library.

Your R.A.B

She smiled to herself and stretched, tying her tangled hair up in careless bun and throwing on her dressing gown. Toeing into her slippers, Hermione crept out onto the landing and into the library.

Her boyfriend was curled in his armchair, a mug of coffee in one hand and in the other a thick leather bound tome.

"Good morning" she yawned, pecking his lips quickly to avoid the bitter coffee taste.

"Morning" he replied, his nose so far into the book she could hardly see is frown.

Hermione sat on the velvet chaise beside him. "What're we researching?"

Regulus set the book down and looked at her for the first time. He chuckled at her mismatched pyjamas and hair that seemed as though it had been through a storm. "Researching Horcruxes. This book is on their destruction. I've made notes"

He gestured to a folder on his left and threw a smaller novel to her. "That's a biography on Herpo the Foul, a Grecian dark wizard. He's the first known creator of a horcrux and -"

"Merlin, Reg, are you going to tell me everything about him?" She rolled her eyes and opened to the first page.

"One more thing" he said, and before waiting for a reply he continued to say "he created the first basilisk"

Hermione nodded, stifling a laugh at his excitement. She often loved watching him when he explained things that he was passionate about. He got a certain glint in his eyes every time.

Sometimes, when they were back at Hogwarts, she would ask him things she knew from the back of her hand just to have him explain. Hermione could listen to that wizard talk for a lifetime and never get tired of his voice.

They read for hours, making extensive notes and slotting them into the large folder in between them. Until they were interrupted by Walburga and Orion.

"Regulus, darling" his mother simpered as she sat opposite them with her husband who was giving them apologetic looks. "When are you going to talk to Lord Potter? You've left school now..."

Hermione sat up straighter. She knew exactly what Walburga was implying. She looked to Regulus, expecting to see the same panic reflected in him. But he was the image of calm, posed, collected.

"Thank you for reminding me, Mother, but I have no intention of doing that"

She let out a sigh of relief, before arching a brow. So did he not want to marry her?

Walburga's eye twitched, but she kept the false smile plastered on. "Whyever not? Hermione is a lovely woman-"

"I would never insinuate she wasn't" Regulus sighed irritably. This conversation was doing them no good and loosing valuable time. "However, I do believe now is not the time"

Orion was watching Hermione instead of interjecting in the now debate over whether civil war was the perfect time for a wedding. He saw how her expression was constantly conflicted between offence and relief. How she seemed to want his son to want her but also reject his mother's wishes.  He understood, but it was something that could never be translated to his wife.

"Regulus. Hermione, do you see where I'm coming from? After the embarrassment of that boy, could you just please us? Is that too much to ask from our children? To be made proud?" Walburga snapped, the mask she wore earlier cracking.