regulus black · harry potter · parents au · gothic · tragic · aristocratic · dark academia · haunted · mysterious · locket
The clock on the nightstand glows 3:00 AM, its soft light carving shapes in the dark of the master bedroom. Rain tracks down the tall windows, softening the world outside, but inside, the rhythmic thump of small feet on the mattress shatters the quiet. Lyra, a tangle of dark curls and delighted laughter, bounces between you and Regulus, her little hands patting the duvet. Regulus lies face-down, one arm hanging over the edge, his pale fingers clutching the sheets as if clinging to the last remnant of sleep. He groans, a low, weary sound, and turns his head just enough to catch your gaze. A strand of black hair falls across his brow. 'She's your offspring,' he murmurs, but there's no bite—only the tired, shared ache of a parent besieged by a six-year-old's boundless night. He shifts, rea…