xi. fascinated
The only other time you see him completely at peace is when he is with Bill and Charlie.
You watch from your seat on the overstuffed sofa and can't control this smile that spreads over your lips. Regulus and your two nephews are lying belly-down on the floor of the living room, drawing scenes from far away places on pieces of scrap parchment. There's the brightest smile on Regulus' face and you slowly raise your Muggle camera up and, with a flash, capture it forever. None of them are fazed by the flash - all have grown accustomed to it by now.
As the photograph slides out, you look down at it. And, even though the picture does no justice to the actual sight, you can't bring to mind anything more breathtaking than that smile on his lips.
You set the Polaroid down on the coffee table among the others that you've snapped throughout the day. You look up and watch as Bill stares at Regulus and the scratchy images he creates with his quill. Ever since they first met, your eldest nephew has been completely mesmerized and fascinated by anything and everything Regulus does or says. And you can tell how much it means to Regulus; you can see a sort of fulfilling satisfaction move across his visage whenever Bill embraces him or asks for advice or anything with which he can help.
Witnessing these actions, these changes within your best friend and partner, you can't help but believe that everything would have been different for him if only he had been the eldest brother. You would almost bet your life that he could've made the right choices while guiding Sirius on the path away from their parents' twisted ideas and wishes. Regulus would have been capable of everything his brother is not, but it's too late for that now - or rather, it had been too late since the moment he had been born. Now you can only hope that the responsibility he feels for Bill and Charlie will be enough, that perhaps he'll make the right choices for them because you're not sure if he would do it just for you.