I adored you Madly, Extravagantly, Absurdly.

Chapter 11

So, you remember a few chapters ago when I randomly changed all of the place names because I'm (still) certain that Old English Speakers didn't really know what Lions are? i did it again. I hates all of the names from the start anyway and I wanted it to be a bit more in the FanFic realm if that makes sense? I think if I use names that are already familiar with the fandom it is easier for all of us.

So the county went through following name changes

Leoford = Lyounby = Gryffindor --> Earl & Euphemia = Lord and Lady Gryffindor
Leopot = Lyoupot = Lyopot (funnily enough the translation stayed 100% the same, Lyo is still taken from Lyoun = lion in middle english)
The manor James and Regulus live in = Lioncrest (crest bc it's at the top of a hill, which theoretically would make the hill be named something like Liondun, Lyoudun, Leodun or something because -dun comes from Old norse (like many endings of place names in English like -by in Darby) and means something like hill, which is btw also were 'london' comes from bc it was Lunden and Lundendun first)
The house were James' parents live in = Lion's Keep
The town by Lion's Keep = Godric's Hollow (I could have made Lyopot Godrics Hollow but I won't give up on the "the Pot" thing bc it amuses me and I like it when locals have like local names for places)

I'm sorry for all of these random changes but I guess that is the curse and beauty of reading a Work in Progress - you can watch what I've obsessed over for a few hours in the dead of night.

***

"Each of us has Heaven and Hell in him" The Picture of Dorian Gray 189

James sorts through the letters and the freshly ironed newspaper. He hands a letter to Regulus before opening the ones meant for himself.

"It's from your mother," Regulus announces when he opens the envelope.

After the letter informing her about the miscarriage, he hasn't heard from her beyond giving her condolences.

"Why does she write to you but not me?" James asks with a bit of a pout.

Regulus scans the letter. "She says to give you her love."

James smiles like a child who was allowed a sweet, and turns back to his own correspondence.

The gist of the letter is that Euphemia found out Regulus' birthday takes place at the end of April. She considers it the perfect opportunity to introduce him to society, or the county to be exact, as a person, the future countess, and as James' wife. This will allow grander celebrations in the future, like Christmas and New Year's Eve, with other noble families.

"You look like she wrote a Penny Dreadful," Barty smirks. "Is she suggesting positions and rituals for successful heir-conception? Not that she'd know too much about it."

"Hey, that is my mother you are talking about," James mutters. He still isn't convinced by this arrangement. Granted, it's been less than a week since Barty moved in.

"She wants me to throw a ball for my birthday," Regulus announces and studies the second page of the letter, which consists of a list of Lords, Ladies and dignitaries that should be invited. "Introduce me to society and all that."

"I like balls," Barty announces, which makes James giggle like a boy. Both men are regressing when they are with each other. Regulus dreads to see them paired with Sirius.

"This is a long list," Regulus mumbles. He only recognises the names of the Tremblays, Abbots, Longbottoms, and Severus Snape. The little note under his name says:

"Journalist. Good coverage is important."

– as if the man who has been slandering him in the press for weeks would say anything nice about them when invited to such an event.