Regulus Black Stories

After the Lake p1

Info - broken psyche, trauma, memory loss, age regression, stress, PTSD, flashbacks, dangerous scenarios, poor mental state, abusive parents

"Baby, baby please get off the roof," I begged him, tears in my eyes.

"The inferi," he whispered. I remember when his grey eyes had been clear, and not wild with fear.

"No Reg, they aren't here," I said and held him to me.

"Everywhere, they're going to hurt me, and hurt my girl," he said, and then he coughed wildly.

"Regulus, you are safe," I said, but I was sobbing. It had been three months since his ordeal at the lake when his psyche had cracked. Saint Mungos said he'd never be the same again and I should enroll him in inpatient care. I had downright refused.

I would stand by my fiancée until the end of time. Even if we never married, and I never did anything else. Regulus would be my first priority, because without anyone asking, he'd made the Wizarding world his first priority.

"I'm safe?" He asked weakly.

"Yes love, follow me," I said and I took his cold hand. It was snowing and I was thankful he hadn't slipped and fell. I needed to remember to magically lock everything before bed, but it was so hard to remember every little thing now.

"Good job, in the window, perfect," I said and slammed the window shut and locked it immediately with my wand. I turned to look at my beloved. He had a petrified look on his face as he pulled at the door knob which I had remembered to lock.

"Mummy locked me in, I've been a bad boy. I don't know what I did, but she hit me," he said and got down on the floor to cry. The age regression was usually the most difficult to watch. Little Regulus coming out and showing me the shit he'd been through, the whole reason his mind had broken like it did

"No Regulus, you did nothing wrong, you're a good, precious boy," I told him, and he looked at me through teary eyes.

"I don't know who you are, but you're so nice," he said. That broke me. It was true, a lot of the time he didn't know who I was.

"Yeah Regulus, I'll always be kind to you."

We sat for a while I was crying but watching him for signs of a next move. Saint Mungos had suggested I tied him down when he slept but I couldn't. He deserved some freedom.

"Would you like to go back to sleep ?" I asked after a time.

"Sleep, death," he whispered and then he was clawing at the door, his ravaged nails scrambling and then his fists were beating.

"Let me ouuuuut," he howled. "I'm not supposed to die yet! I want to be married! Let me back to y/n, don't let me die here!"

He was screaming and beating. I had sound proofed the house long ago. Tears streamed down his face and his knuckles were bloody before I could pry him away from the door.

"Here, I'm here love, you're calling for y/n that's me. I'm never leaving, I'm right here," I held him in my arms and rocked. He was weeping but not fighting me. He kept saying he would die here and never find me. I assured him he got out and was safe in my arms. Finally, he'd dozed off from exhaustion. I supposed I was sleeping on the floor tonight because I couldn't lift him and no way in hell was I disturbing him, he hardly got enough sleep as it was.

"Y/n?" I heard the call as I was starting to doze. I almost thought I dreamt it because of how normal he sounded.

"Hi Regulus," I said sweetly, wondering what personality I'd get, but then I took a real look. His smile was not frantic but real, and his grey eyes were calm and steady. Could it be? A breakthrough?

"I feel very odd, did we just get back from the lake?" He asked.

"We've been back a while. Sweetie the ordeal broke something in you. You vacillate between a lot of different states now. Um, it's hard to explain-" he cut me off by sitting up and kissing me. The kiss made the stress melt from my shoulders.

"Then don't, you look so stressed, let me hold you," he offered. For the first time in three weeks it was him taking care of me. I gratefully slipped into his lap. Was I dreaming? I did often dream this but this felt real.

"So have I managed to put a ring on this yet?" He asked, picking up my hand.

"Oh," he said silently, all that was there was my engagement ring. Our wedding date was long past.

"You weren't well enough my love," I tried.

"Thank you for your sacrifices, I know how bad you wanted marriage and kids and normalcy," he sighed into my neck.

"You're worth it all," I said, turning in his lap so I could look into his clear eyes.

"You're so worth it, I love you more than life itself," I said honestly.

"I wish I could make love to you," he said, kissing my cheek. "And get you all full of babies," he giggled kissing my other cheek. I was chuckling now too, because it felt overwhelmingly good.

"Aannnnnd spoil you," he said and kissed my forehead.

"And dance with you," he kissed my nose. He finally landed on my lips. I kissed him back hungrily.

"No!" He screamed and scrambled away from me. The loss of contact triggered the tears that I had always pouring now days.

"Reggie?" I asked.

"Dad not a dementor!" he shrieked. "I don't know the spell! Can't I learn another way. Please, please, I'm so cold."

It took another hour to get him into bed. I cried into his hair as we slept. I would make it through somehow, I had to, because Regulus deserved it.