Chp 21

In hindsight Regulus would probably conclude that he had not reacted well to the news that he could potentially be a father. Hannah had watched as his eyes had widened and his grip around her had slackened. He stared down at her with a mixture of shock, panic and fear in his eyes. Not the emotions she had wanted to see when she told him but she found herself unable to blame him for his reaction. After all she had felt the same way when the thought first crossed her mind. In fact if she was honest her initial reaction was "My mother is going to kill me."

That was also a thought that crossed Regulus's mind before he retorted with "she is never going to find out though." To say he was in shock was an understatement. This was the last thing he would have expected. Hannah and him had agreed to take things slowly so very little had happened between them until one night shortly before their fight when Hannah had drank a little too much champagne at a friend's party and Regulus had gotten carried away in the moment.

He stared into Hannah's concerned face but couldn't voice anything. He was panicked, like he had said to her mother, he was young, he had matured a lot in the past few years but he was 18 he couldn't be a dad. But there were also other things to consider. He was about to have a son or a daughter who could never know his family, and he could never tell them. Keeping Hanna a secret was difficult enough but keeping a baby a secret would surely be impossible. And he not only had to hide it from his family but also from his friends, his work colleagues, anyone who could give him away to the Dark Lord. A shiver ran down his spine. His beautiful Hannah and their baby could never meet Voldemort. He could never know about them.

But in spite of this Regulus was confused by the joy he felt. He was going to be a father. He would have his own family, with the girl he loved. He started to envisage a little girl who looked exactly like Hannah playing with toys on the living room floor and giggling or a little boy with Regulus's own eyes blowing out candles on his birthday cake.

Regulus was lost in thought for a long time, trying to think of what he could do. He needed to save Hannah and the child in his head from Voldemort and the deatheaters and his family. He cursed himself for making foolish choices. He should have been like Sirius, rejected his parents philopshy and forged away from them. No. He couldn't regret being a deatheater, if he had never signed up he wouldn't have been in Manchester, he would never have met Hannah.

After what seemed like an age he surfaced from his thoughts. "Do you know for sure?"

"No. I am going to see a doctor tomorrow but I am pretty sure."

He nodded his head and paused for a second, "Do you feel ok?"

"Yeah I feel fine, great actually." She smiled shyly. She didn't know what to say to him.

"Great. How about I make us some lunch huh?"

"Ok." Hannah said kind of surprised that Regulus was now standing up and making his way to the fridge.

He peered into the fridge. "We don't have much. We do have pate though, we could make something with that."

"I can't."

"Why not?" Regulus turned, she looked nervously back at him.

"It's bad for unborn babies. Pregnant women shouldn't eat it."

"Oh." He said, closing the fridge. "I will just run to the supermarket." He grabbed his keys and rushed out of the flat, not even taking his jacket. He reached the cold of outside but instead of going to the supermarket, he apparated and went to Thomas's instead.

Thomas was alone in the house this time, much to Regulus's relief and when he had been let in Regulus paced up and down the living room. Thomas felt a little like this whole situation was de javu but just sat and watched, saying nothing and waiting for his friend to calm down. After a whole half our of pacing and whispering to himself the same things he had thought in his flat Regulus turned to his old friend. He face was crinkled in stress.

"You must think I am insane."

"No mate, I know you are insane. But I do wish you would tell me what is wrong."

Regulus sighed and collapsed down into an armchair with his hands over his face.

"Hannah thinks she is pregnant."

Thomas paused. He was shocked by the news but figured expressing that probably wouldn't help his friend. "Somehow I am sensing this may not be the happiest of new?"

"No." Regulus answered. "No. It is happy news. But, its just… Not expected."

Thomas leaned forward and clapped his hands together. He paused for a second before nodding and said "Go to Dumbledore."

"No."

"Why are you being so stubborn, he can protect you. He can protect Hannah. He can protect the baby."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I can handle this. I just need to think of a plan."

"A plan? Reg, there is no way out of this. You are a deatheater who is in love with muggle and is about to have a baby with her. You can hardly just marry her, move to the country and live happily ever after."

Regulus didn't respond he just closed his eyes and continued to lean back deep in thought.

"Regulus, if you want a future with this girl or with anyone, you should go to Dumbledore."

Regulus said nothing but after a few moments muttered; "marry her".

"What did you say."

"your right. I should marry her. I love her, I want to spend the rest of my life with her, no matter how long that is, and she is having my baby. I should marry her."

"Mate, that's what you got from what I said because that is not what I was intending….."

"Thomas, you are amazing," Regulus jumped up, "Give my regard to your future missus."

He rushed out of the room with Thomas once again following him and yelling "Regulus that is not what I meant!"

A few hours later Hannah sat on the sofa in her dressing gown, eating Ben and Jerrys and watching Pride and Prejudice. When Regulus had not come home for the grocery store she had sat and cried for a little while, threw some things in frustration before deciding to cheer herself up with Mr Darcy. She had understood his reaction but now he had just ran away, left her on her own. She tried to concentrate on hating Lydia Bennett to stop herself from breaking down into tears.

Just as Mr Collins was leaving Longbourn on the screen Regulus walked in looking sheepish and holding bags of food he had just got from the supermarket. She looked anxiously at him, trying to see what he was thinking, but he smiled at her and her heart leaped when she heard him say; "Sorry I took so long. The queues where horrific."

"That's ok. Sometime these things take time." Her relief at him being back outweighed her anger at his reaction much to her surprise. She watched him from the sofa as he put away groceries. Once he had finished he came and sat next to her.

"What are we watching?"

"Pride and Prejudice."

"Never heard of it."

"How could you never have heard of it?" she exclaimed.

"Wizard remember."

"Oh yeah."

He reached over and grabbed the spoon which she was about to put in her mouth and ate the ice cream on it before handing it back to her. She was relieved he was acting normal but nervous about the fact he hadn't mentioned the baby. When the movie had ended they sat on the sofa for a while in silence.

"Right. This day has taken a lot out of me. I think I need to head to bed."

"Ok Reg."

He leaned over and kissed her on the mouth softly and whispered "night beautiful" and then leaned down and kissed her stomach, "night to you too."

Sorry its brie.

Please review it makes me smile.

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year :D