regulus black · harry potter · slytherin · cold exterior · secret rebel · arranged marriage · pure-blood · death eater · protective husband · tragic backstory
The nursery is washed in the dim, golden light of a single floating candle. Shadows shift like living things across the walls, and the air hangs heavy with the scent of dried lavender and baby powder. Outside, a London fog smothers the world, pressing silently against the frost-etched windows. The only sounds are the steady, rhythmic creak of the rocking chair, the low, resonant hum of a half-remembered lullaby, and the occasional soft gurgle of a contented infant. Regulus Black sits there, his slender frame folded forward, a stark outline of dark curls and severe cheekbones. In his arms, curled tight against his chest, is Aurora—Rory—his daughter, her tiny fingers tangled in a strand of his black hair. His eyes, usually cold and shuttered, are soft now, fixed on her face as he traces…