Fractured paths

A happy moment

The next morning, Regulus woke to the smell of coffee and cooking bacon. His stomach rumbled. For the first time in weeks he'd woken warm and dry, and he debated staying in bed. But the allure of food drew him. He couldn't remember feeling so torn.

Hunger won.

The room he'd slept in was nothing like his room growing up. No canopy bed, no ornamentation, only simple, pleasant furniture. For half a moment sleep's fog convinced him he was at the O'Hara farm, but a few good shakes of his head and a long stretch cleared that away.

Regulus swung out of bed.

Clothes draped the nearby chair, but none of these clothes were his. Everything he'd been wearing last night was dirty enough to stand in the corner unaided. The wizard's clothes on the chair were worn and drab but warm. Regulus wasn't one to complain about plain clothes—at least, not anymore.

Dressed and ready to eat, Regulus padded downstairs. He followed several voices to the kitchen where he found Mrs. Weasley fretting over a frying pan and Arthur seated at the table feeding a red-haired baby boy a bottle. Two other little boys—several years older than the baby—managed feeding themselves.

Severus stood near Arthur, talking.

For a moment Regulus could have sworn Bellatrix stood in the kitchen, but this woman lacked Bellatrix's arrogance, and she wore a practical robe Bellatrix wouldn't be caught dead in. Her soft eyes exuded warmth, and her features were somehow more appealing than Bellatrix's—in spite of Bellatrix's obvious beauty.

"Cousin Andromeda?" Regulus said.

The woman's gaze turned to him. "Regulus! It's been so long since I saw you. My, you've grown! What a surprise you turned out to be." She approached and smiled. "I'm so proud of you."

"It's nothing," he mumbled, embarrassed.

"Welcome to the good side of the family," Andromeda said warmly.

"Dearest, don't use your fingers," Mrs. Weasley said to Evelyn as the girl shoveled bacon into her mouth with her hands. "Use the knife and fork. See?" Mrs. Weasley kindly showed Evelyn the silverware, though the girl eyed it hesitantly. "Watch Charlie. He can show you how." Mrs. Weasley directed Evelyn to watch the five or six-year-old boy eating politely next to Evelyn.

Evelyn glared at Charlie, then looked to Mrs. Weasley and Severus before trying to use the fork and knife. Unused to such utensils, Evelyn's attempts ended in frustrated failure.

"Come sit," Mrs. Weasley said to Regulus.

"Thank you." Regulus sat across from Evelyn and served himself two pieces of bacon. With practiced grace, he cut and ate small pieces of his food.

Evelyn watched Regulus carefully and made a good show of copying him, but again she couldn't quite get it. Knife and fork clattered to the table, and in a fit of frustration she stuffed another piece of bacon in her mouth—with her hands.

"That's disgusting!" said a little voice from the other end of the table.

Regulus leaned back in his chair to peer around the table and discovered a little girl around Evelyn's age, standing near Andromeda. The child's bright green hair struck him first.

"Your fingers are all greasy now." The little girl wrinkled her nose.

"Nymphadora! Behave!" Andromeda scolded. "It's not Evelyn's fault she's been in some rough places. What she needs is some understanding—not being pointed at."

Evelyn stuck her tongue out at Nymphadora, and Nymphadora turned up her nose.

"But Mum!" Nymphadora pointed at Evelyn. "She stuck her tongue out at me. You're not allowed to do that."