The Art of Living - R. Black

twenty four

May 11th, 1997

I'm crouched down behind a large bush and I'm starting to rethink the life choices that have led me to this moment and to this day.

"This is so boring," Tonks complains from my left. She's sitting on the ground at this point, letting the damp grass touch her clothes. "Why couldn't Dumbledore have sent us on a fun mission? Or at least something that gives me a bit of an adrenaline rush?"

I shrug, "He probably just wanted to give us something to do."

At Dumbledore's request, Tonks and I are ducked behind a large bush with a silencing charm and a disillusion charm cast around us. We're hiding in the grounds of Malfoy Manor, a clear view of the heavy oak doors that keep the manor closed off from the rest of the world. We're supposed to be on the lookout for anyone entering or leaving Malfoy Manor, and we're on strict orders not to reveal ourselves or attack if we see anyone who shouldn't be there.

Since Lucius Malfoy got imprisoned, the Floo network was disconnected from the manor as a means to make it harder for just anyone to get to the assumed Death Eater headquarters, which just so happen to be Malfoy Manor.

Tonks and I have been here for four hours and have yet to see anyone enter or exit the premises.

"This is quite a shit way to spend your birthday," Tonks says, looking at me with a slightly sympathetic look.

"It's not the best birthday, but it's also not the worst," I say. I keep on the lookout for any people, but just like for the past four hours, there's absolutely nobody.

Tonks raises her eyebrows. "Really?"

"My twenty-first birthday was the worst," I explain. "The war was over but it was my first birthday without my parents and my Marlene. Jack and I were on bad terms because he was hurt that I left him for Regulus. Emmeline wasn't speaking to me because she was still mad at me for faking my death, even though it wasn't my idea. So it was just Regulus and I because neither of us had anyone else."

Tonks frowns, "That sucks, I'm sorry."

"Reg made me a cake and we sat on the living room floor of our first place together because we didn't have a couch yet," I continue, smiling at the memory. I had been in an awful mood the whole day because I was sad and it was one of the harder days for me. Regulus made me a cake and we ate it whole with just our forks. "It didn't actually turn out to be a bad birthday because of Regulus, but everything else surrounding it made it the worst I guess. So it was my worst birthday because of everything that had happened, but Regulus made me forget all about that for a bit."

Tonks smiles, "He loves you a lot."

"Speaking of love," I start.

"I knew you were going to ask," Tonk says, biting back a smile.

I smirk, "Remus doesn't like to talk about his feelings. So you're going to have to tell me."

"I love him, a lot," Tonks says. "And he loves me. We were talking the other night and the topic of marriage came up."

I have to steady myself by placing my hand on the ground so that I don't topple backwards. I finally peel my eyes away from the doors of the manor and gap at Tonks. "Marriage?" I ask surprisedly.

She nods, "It would be a bit soon, but we're in the middle of a war. So, if not now, when?"

"Well, I'm happy for you, for the both of you," I say. I really need to catch up with Remus.

"Thank you," Tonks replies with a grin.

I know that Sirius is probably rolling in his grave right now at the mention of the love of his life marrying his niece. Regulus cracked a lot of jokes about it when Remus and Tonks first got together, but he likes Tonks so he dropped it pretty quickly.

It's okay for Remus to find somebody else after Sirius died, but part of me just assumed that he wouldn't. Sirius was it for him. If soulmates don't exist, Remus and Sirius were fighting proof against that. It just never occurred to me that he would be with anyone else.

Time passes pretty quickly after my conversation with Tonks, and when my watch shows that it's six in the evening, the both of us leave to go home.

- - - - -

When I get home, Regulus isn't there to meet me at the door like usual. All of my questions are answered when I hear noise coming from the kitchen. Fleetwood Mac echoes through the house, intermingled with laughter.

I follow the sound towards the kitchen, stopping briefly in the living room when I spot my camera resting on the coffee table. I walk into the kitchen to see Regulus and Cassie. My husband is cooking on the stove, and Cassie is in her highchair nearby. He's making funny faces at her which make her laugh loudly. I grab my camera and take a picture, which makes the both of them look over at me.

"Mer, I didn't hear you come in," Regulus says, looking at me with a smile. His hair is messy and his face is flushed from laughing.

I smile, "I didn't want to interrupt your fun." I go over to Regulus and kiss him. When I go to pull away, Regulus pulls me back in by the waist and presses another kiss against my lips.

"I missed you," Regulus says, smiling at me.

I cup the side of his face. "I missed you too," I say before turning around to get Cassie. She babbles happily and reaches for me, so I get her out of her highchair and kiss her on the head before holding her on my hip. "And I missed you too, my darling," I tell her.

Regulus begins plating the food he made, smiling softly. "You look so domestic," I tell Regulus, watching him.

"I am domestic," He laughs. "We've been married for fifteen years and have three kids together."

"I know, I know," I tease. "You're a proper stay at home dad now."

Regulus rolls his eyes, trying not to smile. He slides a plate onto the counter in front of me. "Here, I made your favorite," He says.

We pull up chairs and eat dinner on the kitchen island with our knees bumping together and our daughter in her highchair between us. Once we're done eating, I grab Cassie and all three of us go upstairs to get her ready for bed. I get her into her pajamas and Regulus picks out a book to read.

The chair in Cassie's room isn't big enough to comfortably fit both Regulus and I, so I sit on his lap with Cassie on mine as he reads to her.

We did this with both of the boys too.

Once Cassie is asleep, Regulus and I go back downstairs and into the kitchen. I get a bottle of wine and two glasses and Regulus grabs my birthday cake, which he has made for me without fail for the past fifteen years, and two forks.

We go into the living room and sit down on the couch. Regulus wraps his arm around my shoulders and presses a soft kiss against my temple.

"Happy birthday, angel," He says, handing me a fork.