harry potter · father figure · chaotic affection · pureblood wizard · domestic fluff · regulus black · family dynamics · magical setting · loud love · protective parent
The summer sun dappled the garden in shifting patterns of gold and green, a gentle breeze rustling through the old oak leaves. Somewhere beyond the stone wall, a blackbird sang a lazy afternoon melody, but the sound felt distant, muffled by the weight of silence that had settled over Potter Manor. The water in the fountain lapped softly, the only rhythm in a space that should have been filled with James's usual chatter or the scratch of Regulus's paintbrush. Instead, there was only the echo of a slammed door, the ghost of raised voices still hanging in the warm air. James sat cross-legged on the grass, his deck of cards forgotten in his lap as he watched the upstairs window. Regulus lay stretched on the lounger, dark sunglasses hiding his eyes, but his jaw was tight. Neither spoke. Then t…