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"I think you should go now…" Harry tried to close the door and a large foot blocked the doorway.

"We're lucky I forgot my papers in your lounge last month. If we hadn't found him so quickly, there could have been permanent damage."

"Yeah, I owe you big time, you saved both of them." The brothers looked into the room through the window and watched Harry reach out a hand and touch the bandage on the side of his head gingerly, wincing before going back to staring down at his feet sadly, if he could even see them anymore.

"What were you arguing about earlier anyway?"

"You disobeyed me Harry! I told you not to go down to the village!"

"Sirius, I didn't, I promise."

"THAT'S BULLSHIT! YOU'RE TELLING ME SOMEONE RANDOMLY TURNED UP AT OUR HOUSE AND BEAT YOU HALF TO DEATH?"

"He went down to the village when I told him this morning not to."

"How do you know he did?"

"He asked this morning if he could go and then he's attacked the same day? I doubt it's a coincidence." Regulus didn't answer. "Regulus?"

"I know why he asked. When I found him, he told me how he feels smothered being stuck alone in the house all day, unable to ever go out without you. I told him to ask you if he could go."

"You did?" Sirius said guiltily and Regulus nodded. Sirius looked back to the window and saw Harry was crying into his hands before wiping his one off with his palm. Opal, who was sitting next to him, rubbed his back and handed him a tissue.

"I think you'd better go apologise and maybe try not to shout so much next time you argue."

"It's the way I get when I'm angry."

"I know that, but stop it, before you drive him away."

"What do mean? Did he say something to you?"

"I don't want to anymore, Regulus. I don't want to do this. I want to be able to leave without caring. Please, tell me how to stop loving him. I don't want to love him anymore..."

"Nope." Sirius sighed and opened the door. Opal and Harry both looked up before Opal stood up.

"Come on Aquila, Sirius and Harry need to talk." She took her daughter's hand and the little girl waved goodbye to Harry as they left. After they were gone, Sirius waited for Harry to say something, but just wiped his eyes on the tissue as more tears leaked out of his eyes.

"Why are you crying?"

"I've just had the worst day of my life."

"How so? I'm sure there's been worse."

"Really? My husband gets angry because I ask for an hour of freedom from being alone in that stupid house! I answer the door and get beaten unconscious by my father-in-law after finding out my own father turned on me. I wake up in hospital and get shouted at for something I never did, getting compared to my mother once again. Then I find out something could be wrong with the unborn child I've carried around for seven and a half months in my guts. Can you give me a worse day, you selfish arsehole?

"There's something wrong with the baby?" Sirius asked worriedly, his stomach sinking.

"They don't know yet, they're doing tests on it."

"Oh god, Harry…" Sirius whispered softly as he lowered his head, taking Harry's hand and not fighting the two tears that feel from his own eyes. After a few long moments, a healer walked in with a file. Both looked up and as the healer opened the file, Sirius squeezed Harry's hand.

"Well, the bruises and split lip with have to heal by themselves, as will the head wound, but we're fixed the major injuries the best we can. Mother and child are going to be just fine."

"So the baby's ok?" Harry asked and the healer smiled at him. "No reason why it hasn't kicked yet?"

"Some babies just kick more when they run out of space to move around, there's nothing wrong with it. Your baby boy is perfectly healthy."

"Baby… boy?"

"Oops."

The door was pushed open and Harry looked up, smiling at Regulus as he pulled a bouquet of Calypso flowers out from behind his back.

"Maybe it's a bit early," Harry rolled his eyes but kept smiling. "But, flowers for the new mum."

"Yeah, still way too early, but I'll take them anyway." He sniffed the flowers, inhaling deeply.

"Where's Sirius disappeared to?"

"I think he said he was going for a long walk. He's a bit in shock at the moment."

"Why? The baby's ok, isn't it?" Regulus said worriedly.

"Yeah, the healer accidentally let it slip. It's a boy. A healthy baby boy."

"No kidding? That's wonderful."

"Thanks." There were a few moments of silence.

"Is everything between you two ok now?" Harry shrugged. "Do you still want to…"

"You should have seen his face when the healer said he was going to be ok. He's so excited to be a father, I could never take that away for my own wishful thinking…" Sad as it sounded, Regulus admired him for his selflessness.

"Things are going to get better, you'll see." He looked up sadly into his brother-in-law's eyes.

"I stopped believing in fairy tale endings a long time ago. Until he admits there's a problem, nothing's going to get solved…"

Updated in celebration of St Patrick's day tommorow. Yeah, I'm not Irish (kiss me anyway!), but I'll takeany excuse to celebrate...

Thanks to my reviewers! Would thank you all personally, but I'm in a bit of a rush right now...

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