ENCHANTED ⇒ jegulus

EIGHT

The following week, James attends another healer's appointment for Regulus and this time, Lily comes with him. They walk hand and hand through the hallways of St. Mungo's and James is anxious. He hadn't warned Regulus that Lily would be coming with him, but he is hoping it doesn't blow up to a high extent.

"The baby's gonna appear on this screen sort of thing," James explains. "They're really tiny, like a small, little grey blob," He smiles.

Lily simply nods. "I wonder when the heartbeat will be detectable," She ponders. James smiles even wider, perhaps she is taking much more or an interest now.

James shrugs. "Soon, maybe," He answers. "C'mon, the waiting room's this way,"

They turn down a corridor to reveal the almost empty waiting room apart from a lady with cropped hair and a pregnant belly and, of course, Regulus himself.

Regulus sits with his arms folded, his back slumped against the hard, plastic chair. He's wearing a hoodie, an article of clothing James didn't even know Regulus owned. He glances up towards the doorway and immediately rolls his eyes.

"Morning," James greets.

"Morning," Regulus retorts grimly.

James takes the seat next to Regulus, Lily beside him. "Erm, I've brought Lily with me this time. You...you don't mind that, do you?"

Regulus shrugs, his jaw setting. "I don't care," He replies coolly.

Lily scoffs a little. "If you don't want me here, just say it and stop skirting around it,"

"I literally just said that I didn't care. You're not some divine, angelic presence, Evans," Regulus grumbles. "I don't feel very blessed to have you here, but I'm not exactly going to get up and leave now, am I?"

"No, no, of course not. Not when you're the main event-"

"Can we all just settle?" James says quietly. "Let's....let's just wait for Healer Bex,"

James thanks every star in the sky that Healer Bex appears seconds later with a warm smile upon her face. "Regulus, great to see you, honey!" She smiles and Regulus offers her a timid grin. She turns to face James. "Mister Potter, we meet again,"

James smiles back at her. "This is Lily, my girlfriend, she was supposed to attend the last appointment but couldn't make it due to her work,"

Healer Bex extends her hand towards Lily. "Nice to meet you, love. James tells me he's adopting the baby, you must be thrilled,"

Wordlessly, Lily shakes her hand firmly as she nods before they depart towards Bex's office.

"So, four months! How're we feeling?" Healer Bex inquires. "Everything good so far? How has your morning sickness been, Regulus? Has it settled since the potions have been prescribed?"

Regulus frowns a little at this. "Erm, not really?" He offers with a shrug. "I...I, um, haven't been able to keep them down for long enough to see if they're effective," He confesses quietly.

Healer Bex gives him a sympathetic look. "Alright, I'll see if there's anything else I can do for you. Why don't we have a look at the little one first, mmh?"

Regulus slowly lays back on the examination bed. James bites his lip, waiting for those ugly stitches to appear. Regulus stares at the ceiling before shoving his hoodie up a little and suddenly James can see why he is dressed in something as loose as a hoodie.

Regulus' pale belly has popped out a little bit more than it had been the last time James had seen it. Accompanying his stitches now is a small, protruding curve, a faint, pale line goes down the center of his belly.