Ever since she disclosed her true origins to the two budding Death Eaters, after they got over their shock at it all, they decided to bombard her with their presence on a regular basis to try and get her to open up about more secrets from her past.
It almost seemed to have become a game for them after a while, with both boasting of whatever little irrelevant information they managed to squeeze out of her in their conversations. Like with Albus, Hermione had been particular not to give out too much information to them lest she ends up changing anything crucial without meaning to.
They had somehow started spending their every free hour with her at the Inn. Over time they seemed to have gotten comfortable enough to visit without any particular reason.
Initially it seemed they felt reassured to see her working on her plans to make a better future as she could see that the one she told them about freaked them out badly. However of late she felt they, like her, also felt relaxed seeing Teddy do his cute little things.
Regulus, despite not accepting it, seemed fascinated with the fact that he was his cousin/nephew, he was funnily yet undecided on his exact relationship status with the kid.
Snape couldn't keep his eyes off him when he turned his hair black and eyes green anytime he seemed to miss Harry, which was sadly often. With the messy Potter hair missing from his head, she was startled to see how much he could pass off as a kid of Severus and Lily with just the colour change. She could bet Severus saw that too.
It was clear they were both too taken with Teddy from the first time he gave them that extraordinarily cute smile of his and seemed to enjoy watching him try to crawl or use his Metamorphmagus capabilities. He definitely was the best Stress buster one could have.
Somehow in this short span of time, she had become quite fond of them and their quirkiness. Maybe it was her lack of company of her age group or the fact that she didn't have to pretend to be someone else in front of them after telling them the truth about her.
They would either just sit with her and discuss anything random or entertain Teddy who would light up with joy when they did magic in front of him.
Regulus was fascinated to know her views on house elf rights and laughed for a full ten minutes continuously when she told him about how house elves rebelled against her in her efforts for SPEW.
Severus would discuss his potions theories with her and they would get so engrossed in their discussions that Abe would have to come and remind him to leave with a strict look in his eyes.
She realised they were probably as lonely as her and cherished any time they could spend without either of them having to worry about faking their true beliefs or origins.
Not for the first time she thought how alone they must have felt in their first time around and promised herself she would ensure they had a much happier life this time.
….
"You can hold him you know!" Hermione couldn't help but notice the fond look Regulus was giving Teddy while he played with his toy wolf in his makeshift playpen. She found it extremely funny that initially Regulus was so uncomfortable being in her room alone with her. He insisted the door remain open for it to be 'proper'.
With each passing visit though, he started to feel more comfortable and even though the door still remained open, he had no calms about spreading out on her bed like a lazy teenager now while she worked on her plans on the adjacent table.
"I'm okay," he said slowly.
Hermione laughed. "You clearly want to hold him, and why wouldn't you!" She went to pick up Teddy from the playpen, "He is most certainly the cutest baby ever, aren't you my little bundle of joy!" She started tickling him and his following laughter was a balm to her anxious heart and head.
"He is your family you know, he does share your precious pure blood." She looked over at Regulus.
"It is weird to know that when his mother is a six year old I have never even interacted with ever. When are you going to tell me about the father though, you never did?"
"Does it matter?"
"Naah." He stretched out lazily. "What will I do getting to know another six year old?"
"If only he knew," she thought and had to hold back a chuckle.
"They are never going to be a part of his life anyway," he added.
"They are going to be a part of his life, just not as his parents. He is mine now, my family, my everything," she said holding him tight to her chest. "He is the only link I have to my past… ," she added softly.
"He will always have the Black protection though if I have my way." Regulus suddenly got serious.
"As he should, my Sirius would have insisted on it," she smiled sadly.
"Siriii!" Teddy repeated. It was a new hobby for Teddy to repeat random words or crawl all over the Inn the minute she or Abe got distracted enough to not keep an eye on him.
" 'Your' Sirius… hmmm, any chance of him being 'your Sirius' here too?" he said with a smirk. And then as if it suddenly stuck him, "You would actually be family to me, I mean Teddy, if you marry Sirius!" he said excitedly.
"He was forty plus year old godfather of my best friend so when I say 'my Sirius', trust me it's in a fond but pure platonic way. And if I found even that Sirius immature, you can imagine my opinions on the current one," she said with a raised eyebrow.
"Though imagining your mother's face if she hears her son married a Mudblood might just be worth it," she mused.
"Don't call yourself that!" He suddenly sat up straight.
"It's just a word."
"A degrading word."
"Doesn't matter to me anymore," she shrugged.
"You said something earlier. Something about it being engraved on you, what did you mean by that?"
"Story for another time," she said while discreetly rubbing her forearm.
"Tori!Tori Tori Tori!" Teddy shouted enthusiastically.
"Not yet sweetheart, you'll get your story at night."
Teddy pouted.
So did Regulus. "You said that last time also!"
"And it isn't that time yet."
"When are you going to tell me how and when I die? You just said it happened defying him but shouldn't I be more prepared ? I should keep aside some funds for Teddy incase it happens soon." He said soberly, changing the earlier topic.
"You are not going to die this time Regulus. Not until you have lived a full life. The only thing you need to remember is to ensure you come to me the moment Voldemort asks to borrow Kreacher. That is the most important non negotiable thing you need to keep in your brain, leave the rest to me."
"He isn't going to kill Kreacher, is he?", he asked with a tremble in his voice.
"No he isn't." She couldn't yet tell him about the torture Kreacher will have to face due to that lunatic lest he find a way to not send Kreacher with him. She knew she would have if she didn't realise how essential it was for him to take Kreacher to the cave. No one else would be able to tell her the location otherwise.
Regulus visibly relaxed.
"Meeni Keacher?" Teddy asked. It amazed her how much Teddy remembered from their old life. Maybe it was the same with all magical children. She too remembered things from her childhood that she felt she wouldn't if she had been a regular muggle.
"Kreacher is busy right now Teddybear. He'll come to meet his favourite person very soon." She cuddled him tightly.
"Our old Kreacher had grown quite fond of Teddy in our time, probably because he sensed the Black blood or maybe just because taking care of the baby reminded him of normal times." She explained to the curious Regulus.
"I could get Kreacher to visit him but I don't want to risk him with too many secrets."
"Yes we can't. We'll just have to wait till Snakeface is gone, or atleast when it's safer."
"Snakeface?"
"Another pet name for Voldemort, will explain some other time."
Regulus rolled his eyes, "You and your secrets."
She laughed, making Teddy join her with joy.
"I still can't believe, 'you', a 'muggle born' were actually living in Grimmauld place!" Regulus quipped.
"Yeah! It wasn't fun for me either trust me"
"You could agree to date me if you want me to live a full life you know," he waggled his brows.
She couldn't help but laugh. "Is flirting in the Black genes or something? Do I need to be worried about Teddy breaking hearts when he grows up?"
"I hardly flirt. I can't even talk to.… ,never mind."
"Talk to… ?"
"No one!" He blushed.
"Oooh little Reggie has a crush! Tell me tell me!"
"I do not have a crush! And I'm hardly a year or two younger than you." He flustered and got up from the bed. "I should be going, mother is going to send a search party if she realises I'm not out torturing muggles for sports with the Lestrange brothers."
"Telle! Telle!" Teddy decided to join in.
It made her laugh and Regulus throw a bemused smile at Teddy over his back.
"Don't you go betraying your own blood Teddy!" he called out while leaving.
"I'll get it out of you!" she shouted with a wide smile over his retreating back.
For a minute there, it almost felt like she was teasing Harry or Ron. Remembering them sobered her pretty quickly.
"Back to work," she thought while dropping the hesitant Teddy back in the playpen.
She would be damned if she didn't get everything right this time around.