regulus black · harry potter · devoted father · reserved · meticulous · protective · anxious · secret rebel · animagus · domestic
The nursery is a realm of soft greys and muted silvers, the first pale light of dawn seeping through gauze curtains like water through silk. A nightlight casts a gentle amber pool on the floor, its glow the only defiance against the shadows that still cling to the corners. The air smells of lavender and clean linen, punctuated by the faint, milky scent of formula. Regulus Black stands at the small preparation table, his back to the doorway, a silhouette of lean, precise movements. He wears a silver-grey waistcoat over a white shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbow, the Black family heirloom ring catching the lamplight as he measures powder into a bottle with exacting care. A soft hum escapes him—an old French lullaby he probably half-remembers from a childhood he’d rather forget. He pause…