belladonna | marauders imagines

Regulus | Movie Nights

dad!regulus

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Regulus was currently raiding the refrigerator, seeing if there was some pie left. He opened the door slowly, because no matter how long he has been using muggle things for, he always feels a bit cautious.

He couldn't find the pie, and settled on the orange juice instead. He closed the door to find someone already standing there.

"Merlin, you're quiet!" he said alarmed, the can almost flying off. His 9-year-old son stared back sleepily.

"What are you doing here? You were napping."

"I'm hungry," Atlas responded, scratching his head.

"Okay, okay." Regulus immediately pulled him up, placing him on the kitchen counter. He looked around for a bowl, then opened the refrigerator again. Five in the evening wasn't an ideal time for cereal, but Atlas hated almost everything else.

"I'm not saying for movie night!" Your other kid, the 16-year-old Cyrus, yelled from the couch.

"When have you ever?" Regulus asked, sighing defeatedly.

"I had a dream," Atlas interjected. "I saw Justin."

"The kid from your class?"

"Yeah! He's so pretty!"

Regulus chuckled. "Sounds like my little boy's got a crush."

"I want a jukebox!"

"What's that?"

"Seriously dad," Cyrus laughed. "Don't you remember that scene from Say Anything where Llyod stands outside the house with a boombox?"

"Oh!" Regulus folded his hands. "That's a good movie Atlas, but you're not standing outside of Justin's house with a box that's probably heavier than you."

"But you said it was a good movie!" The boy said, his face falling.

"Uhm, it's a good movie, but not a practical one. There are plenty of other ways to know someone better."

"Like what?" Atlas asked excitedly. "How did you and mommy meet?"

Regulus started stuttering. "We were close friends at first—"

"They were enemies," Cyrus interrupted lazily.

"She was always so kind to me—"

"She hated him."

"—and we were always there for each other."

"She hexed you on multiple occasions and you stole her books."

Atlas giggled. Regulus glared at his oldest son. "I thought you were watching the TV!"

"I can multitask," Cyrus responded with a shrug.

All of them heard the rattle of keys on the other side of the front door. Regulus smiled mischievously at Atlas before saying "shush!" and disapparated on the spot, reappearing near the door.

When you walked in, you saw your sons watching you like you were about to be stabbed.

Regulus, who was hiding behind you, made his presence known by hugging you from behind and carrying you up in his arms. You screamed, then started laughing.

"Put me down!" you said sternly, but Regulus shook his head, carrying you to the living room and making you sit on the couch.

He flicked his wand and a cup of hot chocolate appeared, steaming hot and ready to drink.

"Aw thank you love," you said excitedly, taking it with both hands. Regulus pressed an affectionate kiss on your cheek.

"Mommy's home!" Atlas yelled, running towards you.

"You guys are so corny," Cyrus remarked.

"Corny?" you raised an eyebrow. "I remember when you used to give me everything you drew. You loved all of them but wanted me to have them instead."

Cyrus rolled his eyes.

"You know what you said?" you asked, smiling smugly. "You said you love painting but you love me more than anything you could ever draw. Now that was corny and I loved it."

"I was 6 back then," he replied, frowning.

"I still have the paintings," you sighed, leaning against Regulus's shoulder. Your husband used his wand to fly the DVDs to you, so you could pick a movie.

"You still do?" Cyrus asked in surprise.

"Of course I do."

"Guess what? Atlas wanted to get a jukebox for Justin," Regulus said teasingly, interrupting the conversation.

You smiled and pulled a rose out of thin air.

"Try giving him this instead," you suggested, handing it over to Atlas, who gasped at magic like he always did, before throwing his arms around your neck in a tight hug.

"Thank you!!" he exclaimed, his voice born out of pure joy.

"What do we watch today?" Regulus asked, looking through the options.

"Definitely not Frozen, we saw it way too many times," you said, taking that one out of the pile.

"Try Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse," Cyrus spoke up, pointing out the movie. Regulus looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"I thought you had a party."

"Ah, there's always a party," he replied, shrugging casually.

He got up and you thought he was leaving, but your frown turned to a grin as he came back from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn, which was his way of reassuring that he indeed wasn't sneaking out.

"Let the movie night begin!" Cyrus declared, plopping down on the couch.

Atlas giggled as you said some random joke from your work, and Regulus couldn't stop staring. Even after this many years, he wasn't used to feeling this much happiness, wasn't used to having a family. It felt like it was more than what he deserved.

He thanked the stars for meeting you, because while you may have started from having a messy relationship, it evolved to something so magical that the mess itself was left behind.

The love was born out of chaos, but those are the kind of love that stays eternal. Regulus could certainly confirm that.