ENCHANTED ⇒ jegulus

TWENTY SEVEN

"You are gone way too thin, y'know," Sirius says as he crushes his younger brother in one of the tightest hugs that Regulus is sure he has ever felt. "Where is the baby weight? You looked so healthy," Sirius whines. "James, you should feed him some more," He calls to his best friend.

James chuckles softly. "He's a terrible cook, so I am the one responsible for feeding him most of the time; so dually noted,"

Regulus cringes at this, silently reflecting on the time he had attempted to cook for James. "I hate it when you two gang up on me," He grumbles.

"Get used to it, buddy, it's what you signed up for," Remus shrugs, a glass of red wine in his hand. He passes it to Sirius, who takes a sip eagerly, smiling at his lover. "I signed up for it years ago and it's still not a very familiar concept, once you're in; you're in,"

"Now, where is my favorite little girl?" Sirius asks, finally releasing Regulus from his clutches.

James gestures to the baby carrier he had placed on the floor before Sirius had decided to suffocate them both with a bone crushing hug. "She's here, in her big girl carrier," He muses, glancing down at his daughter; Regulus can see her sparkling silver eyes blinking back up at her father. Aurora is by far the most aware baby that Regulus has ever seen.

Regulus watches, lovingly, as James slowly gathers Aurora into his arms. "C'mere to your uncle Padfoot, honey," James places a kiss to his daughter's chubby cheek. "He wants to talk your little, teensy ears off before you learn how to talk back,"

"Oh, don't be so cheeky and give me your little girl," Sirius smirks as James hands him Aurora. Astonishingly, Sirius manages to juggle her in one hand while he holds his wine in the other. "C'mon, everyone's in the kitchen, drinking, as usual," He turns to his brother. "Hey, this time you can even join in, no more pregnancy, eh? There'll be enough red wine to go around, that's for sure," He smirks wildly. Regulus doesn't think that it is anything to smirk about.

"Must I remind you that I'm not fifteen and you're not sneaking me whiskey at a family party?" Regulus rolls his eyes.

"Hey, shush, you never know if Walburga can hear us or not," Sirius smirks softly.

"Hell is a long way down, I'm sure you're fine, Sirius," Remus offers, receiving a snort and a quick peck on the cheek from his lover in return.

Sirius and Remus reenter their kitchen and James must have noticed how Regulus hangs back. Placing a hand on Regulus' shoulder, James mumbles, "You're going to be fine, sweetheart. Its her going away party, she won't start anything with you,"

"I...I don't know, James," Regulus shakes his head. "I don't know if I like the idea of Aurora being around her-"

"Ro will be okay, honey, uncle Pads will keep her well protected, Reg, mmh?"

Ro. James had taken to calling Aurora 'Ro' in the last few weeks and Regulus can't even be mad about it; he can not find it in himself to find it any less elegent than her full name. In fact, he quite likes the way it sounds; how James says it; just as much as he has grown to like how it sounds when James says 'Reg'.

"Baby's arrived!" Sirius announces as soon as he enters the kitchen, showcasing Aurora proudly to the room.

Regulus keeps his head down, his gaze adverted towards the floor. He isn't sure what else to do other than linger next to James as some form of safe haven, sitting close to him.

Dorcas coos as Sirius retakes his seat next to her. "Awh, hello again, little dove," She beams, Aurora blinks at her. "You've gotten so big, haven't you? How old is she now?" She turns to Regulus.