#littemulattokitten

[littlemulattokitten]

Regumione - Folding Fabric Drabble Prompt

Okay so Tumblr is dumb, so the original ask no longer exists (tf even????) But my lovely Pufflebae @jasperandgemma submitted a prompt for Dad!Regulus comforting his toddler after an accidental magic scare, so this post is the one shot for that :) I’m basing it off of the Regumione one-shot Folding Fabric (for Jas, as a gift, lol) because it fits so well. Thank you for the prompt, love 💚 And I hope you like it :3

People who may or may not be interested in this: @colubrina, @disillusionist9, @turbulenthandholding, @unknown-authoress, @ash-castle, @meowmerson, @shayalonnie, @stefartemis, @ff-sunset-oasis, @dramione84, @accio-echo, @moonnott, @kreeblimsabs, @brightki, @mochihead, @laisvega @ibuzoo (I feel like I’ve forgotten people I’m sorry if I did)

~~~

The dense thump of something hitting the floor made Regulus instinctively glance up from his book with the first tendrils of adrenaline lacing his system as a preemptive response to an unconfirmed emergency. His sudden blood pressure spike proved unnecessary when he saw that the noise had been caused by nothing more than his youngest dropping one of her alphabet blocks on accident.

“Uh oh,” she said to herself, causing him to smile as he watched her pick it up and place it back atop three of its fellows.

“Uh oh,” he echoed, his smile warming as she turned around, eyes bright and lips pulled into a partially toothy grin. “Having fun, sweetheart?”

She nodded firmly and, with the childhood lisp he secretly hoped she wouldn’t grow out as quickly as her siblings had, said, “Yes.”

“Good,” he said, and watched her for a moment longer while she returned her attention to her block tower. Then, after a moment of thought, he added, “Gemma, remember to tell Daddy if you need to go potty, okay?”

Her responding “Otay” was expected, and he knew she was a much better potty trainer than he brothers had been at her age, but the occasional gentle reminder warded off more accidents than he cared to count. 

Regulus went back to his book, a muggle favorite of Hermione’s that he’d been meaning to get around to for a while, and kept an ear out for Gemma as he picked up where he’d left off.

Twice he was briefly distracted by her pretending to talk to her mother on her toy phone, which was both sweet enough and hilarious enough that he’d absolutely be sharing that memory with Hermione when she got back from taking their boys out to run errands. Gemma, naturally, was as clever as each of her parents, but Regulus liked to think she took after her mother more, and her advanced vocabulary showed that fact. That cleverness, however, could sometimes work against her.

He knew she was hurt before the slow-building, pitiful keen left her, and before all the blocks from her fallen tower had hit the floor. Regulus dropped his book at once and was barely standing when the rest of Gemma’s blocks suddenly burst outward, away from her in multiple directions — thankfully, none of them in his  — and the pitch of her cry changed from purely hurt to hurt and afraid.

“Hey, Gemma, baby, it’s okay,” he said, trying to sound more calm than he felt as he frowned at the quickly reddening spots on her forehead and hairline. He was already picking her up under her arms when she blindly started to surge in his direction. “It’s okay, Daddy’s here, you’re okay.”

He checked for broken skin, and upon finding none, deduced that none of the blocks had hit her corner-first, thankfully , but that she had two wince-worthy knots forming as a bruise started to bloom on one cheek.

“Oh, honey,” he sighed while she wailed into his shoulder. “I’m sorry that happened, but it’s over now. Can you point to where it hurts for Daddy?”

A hand came up to hesitantly touch the two knots near her hairline and he kissed each of them gently. “Let’s get some ice on them and once the swelling is down, Daddy will heal them okay?” 

Still crying and making sounds that tore at his heartstrings, she nodded, and he tightened his grip as he stood and headed into the kitchen. He hated to make her wait, but Hermione’s argument for healing injuries with magic immediately was solid. If they healed every minor bump and scrape, then their children wouldn’t have pain tolerance or a proper sense of understanding the consequences to the actions that got them hurt in the first place. There were lessons to be learned from injuries and even if he hated to leave her in pain for any length of time, an ice pack and cuddle would be more meaningful in the long run than a flick of a wand.

That was how Hermione found them when she came home: A still upset Gemma tucked into Regulus’ lap while holding one of the kiddie ice packs — Gemma’s personal one with its orange cat cover sleeve — while he was reading one of her favorite books to give her something else to focus on.

“Gemmie!” Antares and Caelum chorused as they shot in behind their mother, both instantly and heartwarmingly concerned upon seeing their sister’s red eyes and ice pack. 

At Hermione’s worried look, Regulus said, “Block towers aren’t very stable when they’re tall.” Then, gesturing to the block still strewn about the room with the hand holding Gemma’s book, he added, “Not the situation I would’ve liked her magic to show itself in, but alas.”

“Are you okay, Gemma?” Antares asked.

Gemma nodded, though it was a pitiful action.

“Blocks fell on her head?” Caelum asked his father, and upon receiving a nod of confirmation, he frowned and turned back to his sister. “I think I did that when I was little too, Gemmie. It didn’t feel very good…”

Gemma sniffed and muttered, “No good.”

Regulus stifled the pang of sadness he felt as he realized that Caelum had been Gemma’s age not very long ago, that both the boys had. Now he looked at the nine and six year old boys before him and felt that time had cheated him. When Gemma was Caelum’s age, Antares would be on the train to Hogwarts. And when she reached Antares’ age, both boys would be away at school. Where, he wondered, had the time gone?

“I’m sorry that happened, baby,” said Hermione, crouching beside Regulus’ spot on the couch and leaning in to kiss Gemma’s cheek. “Can Mummy see it? I promise I won’t touch it if it still hurts.”

With a small whine, Gemma slowly moved her ice pack and mumbled, “Owie.” Regulus marked his page in the book he’d been reading to Gemma and was glad to note that the swelling had gone down considerably since she’d first sustained her injury, and he relayed that information to Hermione.

“Well that’s good,” she said. “How about Mummy heals that now, then? Tares, can you get my wand from my bag please?”

With a quick “Yes, Mum,” Antares sprinted back to the entryway where Hermione had left her purse to complete his task.

“Mum,” said Caelum, “Can I tell her about the thing?”

Hermione nodded as she continued comforting Gemma, and Caelum gave his sister a wide grin. "We have a surprise for you, Gemmie.”

“‘Pise?” She echoed, perking up just enough to make her parents share a secret smile. Only children could manage to bounce back from genuine distress that quickly.

“Tares found it, but I helped him pester Mum into letting us buy it,” he said matter-of-factly, clearly proud of his contribution.

Regulus muttered “Gryffindor” at the same time Hermione mumbled “transparent Slytherin” and they avoided each other’s eyes so they wouldn’t lose their composure. Their children would probably be rather confused or think they’d gone mad if they suddenly succumbed to laughter.

“I’m just glad I saw them,” said Antares as he returned with his mother’s wand and a small paper bag. “Can’t believe I found'em, honestly.”

“You’re good at finding things,” Caelum said him with a shrug, as if that simple fact explained all instances of coincidence and good fortune concerning his brother.

Regulus slowly, soundlessly, turned his gaze to his wife and stared at her, willing her to meet his gaze even as her lips twitched and she denied him so much as a glance.

“'Pise?” Gemma repeated, pointing to the paper bag.

“Presents,” Antares corrected with a grin. “One from me and one from Cae. Hopefully it makes you feel better since you got hurt.”

Gemma sniffed again, but was much more like herself as Antares set the bag in her lap and she started ripping out tissue paper. Regulus felt himself smiling again when he realized what they’d found for her mere seconds before she gasped.

“Kitty!” she cried, pulling out a ginger cat plush about twice the size of their kitten Crookshanks. With only a moment’s hesitation as she took in what the toy looked like, she proceeded to hug it with all her might.

“That one’s from me!” Caelum announced proudly. “There’s more!”

“'Nother kitty?” Gemma asked hopefully, and reached into the bag again while her brothers grinned at her.

The other cat plush was about the same size as the first, but the color of coffee with too much cream instead of orange. It had brown 'fur mittens’ that matched the tip of its tail and a streak of white on its belly.

“Kitty!” Gemma cried again, giving both toys the same treatment she’d given the first, only this time she kissed them both as well. “Fank you.”

“You’re welcome,” said Antares. “You were really sad when Crooks tore up your tabby cat, so we got you new ones. Mum charmed them already, so Crooks can’t ruin these.”

“Are you happy again now?” asked Caelum hopefully.

Even though her eyes still held unshed tears, they were bright as she smiled. “Yes. Pay game?”

“Sure,” said Antares. “Want to do a puzzle?”

“Yes!” She said, and wriggled off Regulus’ lap to follow her brother’s up the steps to the playroom.

Before she’d climbed two steps Gemma stopped, frowned briefly, and turned to Caelum holding out her toys. “Cawwy pease?”

Caelum obligingly took her cats, but gave her a curious look as she quickly made her way back to Regulus. “Daddy?”

“Yes, princess?” he said.

Giving him a wide grin, Gemma said, “Nee' go potty. Help pease?”

Regulus returned her smile with a proud one of his own. “That’s my girl,” he said warmly as he stood and offered her a hand. “Very good job remembering, Gemma. And excellent manners.”

“Good girl,” Hermione chimed as they walked towards the loo. “You’re doing very well with your potty training, Gemma. Mummy’s very proud of you.” 

Antares and Caelum’s concurring praises rained down from the stairs and Hermione gave them an approving wink.

Little Gemma, mostly-successful potty trainer and proud owner of two new cat toys, did not get any more ouchies that day. She did, however, get icecream for dessert when she bravely tried a new food and ate all her supper that night, kindly offering a bite — with a few sprinkles, of course — to each of her family members...

Including Crookshanks.