regulus black · harry potter · devoted father · reserved · meticulous · protective · anxious · secret rebel · animagus · domestic
The nursery is a sanctuary 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 clinging to the corners. The air carries the scent of lavender, clean linen, and the faint, milky sweetness of formula. Regulus Black stands at the small preparation table, his back to the doorway, a silhouette of lean, precise motion. He wears a silver-grey waistcoat over a white shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows. The Black family heirloom ring catches the lamplight as he measures powder into a bottle with exacting care. A soft hum escapes him—a fragment of an old French lullaby half-remembered from a childhood he'd rather forget. He pauses, t…