THE AFTERMATH
"STOP!"
Regulus Black released a sigh as he grabbed his pillow and covered his ear with it. However, that did nothing to block the shrill screams of Amara Potter that were quickly followed by Fred Weasley.
Regulus should be used to being rudely awoken by the teenagers by now but it definitely never stopped being annoying.
The Summer house is owned by the Potters, bought right after the war in an attempt to hide from the loss they took. It stood proudly in a secluded beach, unavailable to be reached by anyone, wizards, owls or muggles, without permission from James and Olivia.
Eventually, the small house got renovated again and again till it became a mansion as the family grew. Then it was renovated once more once the Weasleys came with them. Now, the small cabin had become a ten bedroom mansion that they vacated for three weeks every summer.
And so that meant living with a bunch of children and teenagers who seems to find the need to always be screaming bloody murder at eight in the morning.
Suddenly a loud boom was heard, causing Regulus to jump to his feet and grab his wand and rush to the room he heard it from.
With no surprise, he ended up in the room the two sets of twins along with Huxley shared where he found all the children apart from little Lilian Potter who he already knows is still asleep.
The room was a mess with open suitcases having clothes haphazardly thrown in it. The five twin sized beds have been pushed to the middle to create one giant bed the Potter twins, the Weasley twins and Huxley shared.
The scene inside, however, Harry, Ron and their friend Hermione sat cross legged on the floor while Fred and Mari clung to Maxwell's side to which the boy in question seems exasperated with. Huxley is still sleeping at the end of the bed and Regulus seriously wondered how that's possible with George and Thomas bouncing on the bed.
Regulus narrowed his eyes as the teenagers turned to him. "Can't you guys keep it down a little?"
Amara grinned cheekily, always the one speaking for everyone. "Good morning, uncle Reggie."
"Please save me," Maxwell muttered from his place, trying to push his sister and boyfriend off of him.
Just as Regulus was about to tell them off once again, James Potter appeared from the stairs leading to the attic where the master bedroom he and Olivia stay in is.
Hair messy and pajama bottoms padding on the wooden floor, he also stopped in the teenagers' room.
"If you don't keep it quiet, I'm going to wake up your mother and leave you to deal with it," James threatened, running his hand through his hair.
Regulus almost found the fear in their eyes hilarious. No one wants to deal with a sleep deprived Olivia Potter.
After assurance that they will keep it down, both James and Regulus went back to their respective rooms. Though Regulus couldn't help the small smile on his face. Their family might be big and chaotic, loud and destructive but it's beautiful.
However, it seems as though as soon as his head hit the pillow, someone was already knocking on his door, telling him that it's time for breakfast.
He could already hear Lucas, Charlie and Tonks' laughter as he climbed down the stairs. The living room was filled with people. Molly and Olivia by the kitchen while James, Sirius and Remus played a round of exploding snaps. Samuel and Arthur talked by the kitchen island, Lilian Potter on Samuel's lap as being the youngest, it's hard for her to relate to anyone. Harry and Ron were playing wizarding chest by the fireplace, Hemione reading a book beside them. Both Percy and Bill are nowhere to be seen along with the five stooges whom Regulus is sure is causing trouble somewhere.
All in all, the room was buzzing with people and happy conversations and he couldn't help the way in which his shoulders immediately relaxed.
"Good morning," Olivia greeted, a frown on her face as she fixed the chocolate mess that James had made on the kitchen island. "Eighteen years together and I'm still cleaning up after him."
"Trust me, that's never going to stop," Molly intervened.
Regulus simply let out a small smile as the two women talked about their husbands' annoying quirks.
Regulus wondered if the ache would ever stop, if the longing would ever disappear. He wondered if he'd ever stop wishing that he had that.
He wants to be annoyed because Maxwell had left the toilet seat up or lost a lone sock. He wants to wake up with his feet cold because his lover had pulled all the blankets away. He wants to experience all the annoying quirks of married life and to be so frustrated with his husband that all he could do was sigh. He wants to fall asleep in his husband's arms and wake up at the edge of the bed and he wants the fights and the knowledge that this person knows you better than yourself.
Regulus had always been jealous of his friends. He's jealous of the way James would wrap his arms around Olivia, jealous of the way Molly and Arthur would share knowing looks, jealous of the way Remus would push Samuel away due to annoyance.
But it was something he's learned to live with. The ache and the longing has become as much of a part of him as his legs and arms are.
And he supposes it's better than never having to experience a love so strong that you can feel it in every atom in your body.
A love so strong that not even time itself can dull the pain.
SIRIUS BLACK NEVER LOCKS DOORS.
He keeps them open, always leaving a small peek into his room.
There's always a chair in front of the door, a coffee table beside it and in the dead of the night, you'll see him sitting there, eyes scanning a book or entertaining himself with magic.
The kids used to ask why. Why he prefers the uncomfortable chair over his bed or why he'd stay up all night just staring at the open there.
Sirius Black is waiting.
He's waiting for a letter that will never come, a person that will never arrive, a woman he'll never see again.
But he keeps waiting. Seventeen years later since Katherine Summers died, he's still waiting.
Sometimes he regrets it. Sometimes he wishes he could have just fled with her, to hell with it and left them to fight the war.
Then he catches sight of the window and sees Huxley throwing sand at Amara. He watches as George doubles over in laughter once Mari starts chasing the werewolf. He sees Fred and Max a few feet behind them, hands tightly intertwined, bodies shaking in laughter as they watch Amara trip, falling face first to the sad.
Not bothering to pull herself up, the girl just sat crossed leg on the sand, crossing her arms and pouting as she glared at the four men till Huxley finally apologized and helped her up.
Sirius couldn't help the smile on his face as he watched the scene and he realized that it's worth it.
They had fought and they had lost but they won.
Kat knew the cost of staying, of fighting a war and yet she had fought till she no longer could. She had fought with her life for a cause she believed in.
She died so the generation after her could live and Sirius is almost disgusted with himself for ever wanting to rob her of that heroic act.
Sirius lives a happy life. He's surrounded by people he loves, by people who love him. And that's more than what others are able to say.
Yet when the sun sets and the house begins to slowly quiet down and everyone begins heading to bed, he once again places a chair in front of the door, tea warming his fingers.
When the door opens, it's not who he's waiting for. Instead his little brother gives him a smile, placing his own chair beside his.
And together, the two of them wait.
They wait for the grief to dull, for the moment that they can finally lock the door.
Yet knowing that it'll never come.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
because why not cause more
pain?