You Only Live Once

CHAPTER 51

Wedding preparations had started once more, this time with way more people helping. Everyone wanted to give Regulus and Mira a hand, making the process all the more chaotic and stressful. Mira and Regulus had decided to get married in July of 1982 just to avoid the chaos of an early wedding. It's safe to say they didn't achieve that. Two months before their wedding day they had decided to escape from everyone and spend the day together, away from venues, invitations, flowers and guests.
"Can you hear that?"
"I hear nothing"
"Exactly"
Mira and Regulus had nowhere to go to be alone, every house was inhabited by someone ready to share their opinions even if they didn't ask for it. So they rented out a room in a muggle hotel, far away from their friends and family. Currently they were laying , cuddled up on the bed  ,Mira's head on his chest, while Regulus stroked her hair gently, giving her forehead a gentle kiss from time to time.
"I love them all to death but they've driven me crazy" Mira groaned, burying her face into Regulus' neck , making him laugh and wrap his hands around her waist. "And sure there's much to do still, and we have to decided about the best man and maid of honor and there so many decisions-"
"Mira, love! No weeding talk, remember?" Regulus cut her off. Mira had always been an anxious person and having to plan her wedding stressed her out even more. Although , Regulus would have to admit she had been crazier than usual.
"I know, I know" she moved next to him and pulled the blanket up to her neck, she was suddenly cold. "But really, Reg. I feel like everything will be a disaster. I don't even know if I made one choice for myself this far and I'm afraid that I will hurt someone's feelings. I also suddenly understand why it took James and Lily so long to decide things and I judged them so hard back then. And don't forget that I'll probably not even fit into my dress" she pouted and tears started to form in her eyes , so she covered her face with the blanket, before she started sobbing.
Regulus had absolutely no idea what to do. He had no idea why she had started to worry about so many things out of the blue. Just the day before she had told him that they had plenty of time to make decisions and they should just relax for a day or two.
"Baby, why wouldn't you fit in your dress?" He asked with a laugh, trying to rid her of her worries one by one. Suddenly Mira stopped sobbing and became awfully quiet. She slowly lowered the blanket from her face , revealing her bloodshot eyes .
"Reg..." and just like that she jumped into his arms, hugging him tight before she started crying once more.
"Mira, I'm beginning to worry. What's  going on?" Regulus asked concerned, trying to make her look at him. She lifted her head, a small smile forming on her lips.
"I know the timing is awful but...I'm pregnant" she announced. "Two months. I found out just last week. It's twins , Reg. One boy one girl. I went to the doctor with Lily two days ago" she continued, wiping the tears from under her eyes, when Regulus didn't say anything. His eyes were unfocused , his mind had been lost when he heard her say that. "Say something, baby" she pleaded, taking his head into her hands.
That seemed to have taken him out of his trance.
"Oh,love" he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, followed by a laugh. He circled his hands around her tightly, kissing every part of her he could reach. "We'll become parents? And we'll have twins?" He asked, looking into her eyes with excitement. Mira nodded back, frantically with a chuckle. "What do you say, we make every decision today, just the two of us, and get married in two weeks. Then we can enjoy your pregnancy without having to worry for the wedding"
"I would love that"

.......

November 29th 1985

The atmosphere was gloomy. A heavy layer of grief and pain had drowned everyone. It almost felt like the years of war all over again. How couldn't it?Someone was dead. Someone they loved. Family. And while they had all lost family before, none of them were this young.
Cristina was dead. She had been sick for quite a while , always in and out of the hospital. But no one expected her to pass away. She had a five year old son, for Merlin's shake.
Mira had visited her in the hospital almost every day, while she was also helping Theo with little Theodore and everything they needed. She felt like she owed them that much. She had been the one to find Christina dead in the hospital room. Everything that happened after that was a blur. Theo had arrived. They had cried together. Little Theodore was already at Pandora's house spending time with Luna. Mira went back to her house in Godric's Hollow. The one Mia and Monty had gotten her and Regulus as a wedding gift, before they had passed away, next to Lily and James' house. Everything had been perfect. Everything had been normal. Everything had been fine.
When she unlocked the door and opened it, Regulus rushed to the entrance . Mira took off her coat , hang it and kept her eyes on the floor.
"Reg..." she mumbled, the tears in her eyes threatening to fall once more. She couldn't cry though, the kids were awake.
"I know" he replied, his own eyes red from crying, before he rushed to her side. They held each other like it was the last thing they would do . Because at the moment they were thinking of the same thing. What if it was one of them?
Regulus kissed her lips,sweetly, savouring every moment of it.
"I love you"
"I love you" she took his face in her hands and kissed him once more , but they weren't alone this time.
"Mommy, Daddy" Melody's voice sounded from the top of the stairs, her little siblings , Marcus and Nova holding her hands. "What's going on?" She asked as they slowly walked down the stairs together. As soon as they had reached the end of the stairway , Mira rushed to them, going to her knees to hug them all. She had missed them terribly the past few days with all the time she spent in the hospital.
"Me and Daddy have somewhere to go. So ,what do you say you lot go to uncle James and auntie Lily's house and play with Harry. You can have a sleepover!"
"Harry!"
"Yay!"
The two three year old twins exclaimed in unison, making Mira chuckle. So young to understand. They wouldn't even remember her. The thought of her children forgetting about Christina made her want to start crying all over again. Regulus, sensing just that, walked next to her and fell to his knees too, so he would be eye to eye with his children.  He hugged them all,giving Mira time to calm down. It was  something they did quite often as a family so it didn't  look weird to the children.
"Are you sure everything is alright?" Melody asked once more.
"Yes, baby" Mira kissed her forehead. "Now, let's go get your things ready"she took Melody in her arms and started to walk up the stairs while Regulus took both twins.
Twenty minutes later James and Lily's house was filled with children's laughter as Harry chased Melody, Marcus and Nova running behind them aimlessly.
"Thanks for watching them" Mira said, hugging Lily tight.
"It's our pleasure" Lily replied.
"Do what you have to do, Ro" James hugged her too, before shaking his hand with Regulus'.
"Mel! Mark! Nova!" Regulus called out their children so the could say goodbye. Once they arrived they hugged all together once more.
"We love you" Mira said kissing them one by one, sad that she would have to leave them again.
"We'll be back tomorrow" Regulus promised before they were out of the door.

......

Evan and Pandora were already with Theo when Regulus and Mira arrived at the hospital. Regulus was the first to go hug Theo, seeing as Mira had been there before.
"We're right here ,mate"
"Yeah" Mira agreed, going in for one more hug. She wasn't sure it would help him feel any better but it was all she had to offer at that moment. "Anything you or Theodore want , you tell us"
"I will, thanks"
One month later, Theo and little Theodore didn't show up for Christmas. He didn't pick up or return any calls. He wouldn't open the door. He simply ceased to exist. And as the years went by, he became a bitter memory.