War is Over

13.

"We could pop off to Hogsmead and I don't think they'd even notice." Mum joked as we trailed behind the guys. I gave her a hopeful look, she just laughed. "This is your house too, Nova." I pouted.

"I could not care less if the kitchen has a specific sink, or if the wash is in the basement, this is Regulus and dads thing." She chuckled.

"They're excited."

"They're impossible to please."

"They'll find one eventually."

"My feet are killing me." She chuckled again.

"We will be done soon darling." I groaned as she swatted my arm.

"What about Mrs. Goldstein's place?" Mum called after the boys. Dad gave her a look. "She passed, no kids, no family at all really. They'd be right up the road."

"She was the one with the cats, yeah?" I asked trying to remember the elderly woman who's lawn me and James gardened for a quick buck over the summers. Mum nodded. "It was just her, reckon her house is smaller than our-" Mum cut me off by pointing to the house at the end of the road. My eyes widened.

"What was that, dear?" Mum taunted, I pinched her arm playfully as we walked towards the house. Reg and dad walked in first, examining everything as they went. Mum led me upstairs.

"I spent a lot of time with Odelia before she passed, this room up here," She opened the door. Windows lined the walls from floor to ceiling, a window seat along them. "Would be perfect if you wanted to get back into painting, or if Regulus wanted to practice his music or writing again." I nodded, lost for words.

"He hasn't played music since school." Was all I managed to say.

"And you haven't painted since before the war." She reminded me. She sat me down in the bay window. "Some things are too painful to resurface, but both of you need an outlet for the pain building inside of you. Your arts have always been helpful with that."

"This house is gorgeous." Dad commented as they came up the stairs. I heard Reg hum in agreement.

"Nova?" He called out for me.

"In here." They both appeared in the doorway with smiles.

"What do you think?" Reg asked. I grinned.

"I love it." I told him, his smile grew wider.

"Me too."

"So let's put an offer down." Mum chuckled beside me.

"No need. Mrs. Goldstein left me the house before she passed, told me to get my daughter out of that shack as long as she promises to keep the garden orderly. I'm giving it to you as long as you do what we talked about." She explained. My jaw dropped.

"You let me walk around all day hearing about the house market and what kind of sink he wanted when you knew you were going to give us this house?" I asked in disbelief. Mum grinned.

"You're a grown up now, Novie. I have to have my fun some way now that you don't live in the house. I can't exactly embarrass you in front of Sirius and Remus anymore." I swatted her arm before I hugged her tight. Dad shook his head from the doorway. Reg offered me his hand, I took it and stood beside him. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me closer before kissing my head.

"We have a house, like a house with a yard." He told me as he looked around. I nodded.

"Vega's gonna love it." I replied. He smiled.

"I think our kid might love it more."

🗡️🗡️🗡️

"We don't have to be out in a night, Regulus!" I told him as he frantically packed our lives into boxes while I slowly folded my own clothes to pack away in suitcases.

"Nova, we have a week."

"Regulus, I'm unemployed."

"Speaking of that, did you put in a word for Mary?"

"I did, said she's one of the brightest people I've ever met and they'd be lucky to have her." The front door opened and Vega barked loudly.

"Are we going to do this every time?" Sirius asked her. I giggled.

"I'm gonna teach our kid how to do it." Reggie muttered, I let a loud laugh escape. Sirius pushed his brother on his way through the living room.

"Mate, why are you so frantic?" Remus' voice rang through the rooms as Sirius hugged me.

"We have a week, Remus!" Reggie replied, annoyed.

"You need a drink." I looked up at Sirius who just shook his head.

"How are you doing my dear?" He asked me, I grinned.

"I'm fine, tired."

"When do I get to find out if I have a niece or a nephew?" I laughed lightly.

"Soon," I peered around the corner to see where Reg was. "Truth be told, I'm a bit nervous to find out."

"Because of the Pandora thing?" He asked, I just nodded.

"He doesn't want to believe her prophecies, I don't know if I do, it just seems like a lot right now." I heard Rem clanking around in my kitchen.

"Vix?" He called like a child. I laughed as Sirius grabbed my hand and pulled me out to the kitchen.

"Where's your whiskey?" Moony asked as he saw us.

"Would you believe I finished the bottle last night? I knew I forgot something at the store today." Both boys smacked my arms as I reached above the stove for the bottle. I handed it to Remus.

"Has he sat down at all today?" Remus asked as he peered into the living room. I shook my head.

"Nope, won't even sit down to pack a box. He's lost it." Sirius just shook his head.

"I got it." He walked into the living room, Remus leaned over my shoulder to watch him. Sirius grabbed the box out of Regulus' hands along with the things he was putting in it, grabbed him by the shoulders, walked him to the couch and pushed him down. The whole time Reg protested and tried to fight him.

"I'm stronger than you." Sirius told him as he held him down.

"I'm going to bite your fucking arm get off of me!" Reg ordered. I looked at Remus who just smiled.

"Go give him his drink." I ordered, I followed him out into the living room. We sat down next to Reg who was being straddled and pinned down by Sirius while Reg was attempting to bite Sirius' arm.

"Boy." I scolded. Sirius rolled off Regulus and sat on the other side of him. Remus handed Reggie his drink and we all sat in peace on the couch. Sirius looked at me over Reg and Rem.

"You have a good mom voice." He complimented. I chuckled.

"I always have, grew up with you lot and kept you out of trouble, I had to."