I adored you Madly, Extravagantly, Absurdly.

Chapter 6

Warning: Smut. skip "Evan... do that again" to "Regulus has never been to London before"
Referenced injury
implied abuse
physical altercation

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"Priceless indeed to me, for it looks like you" Teleny 137

The days drag on. James usually enjoys the holiday season and being surrounded by family, friends, and the Crouches. But this year, every day seems twice as long. When Regulus stays upstairs in his rooms, James is rather carefree. But when he is downstairs, looking like he wishes to peel his skin off his bones, James can only worry. He tries to occupy his full attention so others don't have the chance to talk to him, calling him my Lady and his birth name. James only calls him darling when they have company. By the end of the year, he is desperate for the guests to leave so he can have Regulus back.

To make matters worse, Barty Crouch has taken a liking to Regulus. James is rather sure that he only flirts with him to anger him. James knows he should be above the provocation. But he isn't. There is no point in being the bigger man with evil, scheming Barty Crouch Jr. in the same house. Regulus seems to find him terribly amusing. Or maybe he is also trying to drive James up the walls.
It's working.

Of course, Rowena is as annoying as ever. Regulus regularly puts her in her place, which is amazing to watch. James never liked Rowena. She aims to secure herself a title and a fortune, as she will be left with nothing of her own. James never even considered her.

She keeps up the angle of Regulus being some poor French peasant. Regulus once flings a French Franc coin at her in response, saying, "Since you appear to want to go into stand-up comedy, I thought this would be a great practice. If you learn to catch them, I bet there are quite a number of places in Paris that could put you to work." – Sirius then proceeded to throw coins, aiming at her cleavage, until Euphemia reprimanded him.

Lord Henry is drinking while his mother is crying non-stop. The Longbottoms are terribly in love and keep looking at each other with ardent emotion, smiling and giggling when they catch each other staring. Lady Alice Longbottom is a lovely woman, but she only engages in trivial conversation, if any. Euphemia's other cousin is rather dull, too. He doesn't trouble them, but he is so boring that James almost wishes for Madame Black to speak up.

Regulus' and Sirius' mother is busy criticising anything she can find. How dare they give the servants off for Luncheon on Christmas Day? And how dare they allow the servants to stay among themselves instead of working when midnight approaches New Year's Eve? James is glad he got Regulus out of that woman's clutches by marrying him.

Most of the guests leave on the second of January. Unfortunately, his parents stay a bit longer. He finds himself honestly relieved when they say their goodbyes at the end of the week after dinner.

"Be good to yourself, dear girl," Euphemia says to Regulus as she hugs him. Regulus needs them to be gone. James can see it in his posture.

"And you," she whispers as she hugs James, "be good to your wife. I am so happy for you both. She will need you now, dear. And in a few months, you'll be a father. I'm so excited for you."

James hugs her back. Right, he almost forgot about that lie. From all the lies they told over the last two weeks, that one might be the worst, in James' opinion. Having children is an important topic in his family. Not just because they must have an heir and secure the bloodline but because they are just unlucky with it. The news of another miscarriage – as it is the only way to resolve Regulus' lie- would break his mother's heart. He just hopes that she didn't tell his grandmother.

His mother pulls back from the hug and smiles happily at him. James wants to tell her. He wants to tell her there is no pregnancy and that it is all a misunderstanding. He'd rather have her angry than sad.