APRIL 16, 1976

"FAMILY BUSINESS,"

...That was what Aunt Lucy said airily the next morning at the breakfast table, addressing Kathleen's parents and siblings. "Regulus will be staying with us for the remaining two days of Easter, if all parties consent."

"Of course," Mam said reassuringly, placing one hand over Aunt Lucy's. "He can join us for Llun y Pasg. Speaking of, will he be breaking his fast? Or should I send one of the house-elves?"

Across the table, Fabian winked at Kathleen. She made a rude hand gesture back, but slowly vacated her seat. Heading to the kitchens, she grabbed his breakfast tray (which had just finished its preparation), and walked to the guest wing. Knocking with her foot, she heard stifled footsteps inside before Black opened the door.

His eyes grew wide as he looked at her, while Kathleen scanned him for any signs of paleness or shakiness. He seemed...fine. Completely healed. Well, it looked like Thad's Potions brewing skills came in handy. "Can I come in?"

Black blinked, one hand on the doorframe. "Kathleen- can- yes, you may. Sit," he sidestepped away, and Kathleen walked into the guest room, plainly decorated with a blue desk and two flower vases.

"-How are you feeling?" Kathleen asked, setting the tray down on his bed before sitting down. Black remained standing, from where he was pacing around the room in a circle. "Just- sit down, you're going to wear a hole in the floor."

Black paused, letting out a low half-chuckle, and reluctantly joining her at her side. "Sorry."

"Don't be. The house-elves made this for you," she pointed at the tray, with plates of crêpes, fruit, hash, and baked potatoes. "They didn't know what you like, so they just gave you what we ate. I hope that's fine?"

"Indeed," Black answered softly, keeping his gaze down and nodding in thanks. "Your parents are aware I'm here?"

"Yes. Mam said you can join us for Llun y Pasg. It's tomorrow, Easter Monday, where we rise before dawn and watch the sunrise over the cliffs. We always eat a big breakfast afterwards, and everyone's relieved of their duties for the rest of the day." Kathleen said with a smile.

"That's lovely," said Black. "...So they're letting me stay until we go back to Hogwarts?"

"Of course, Black," Kathleen said imploringly. "You need to rest, and my parents are good people. We'll take care of you, I swear, I give you my word."

Black's short laugh shuttered through his long hair. "Funny. Only a few days ago I swore that I'd take care of you, not the other way around."

Kathleen grew a little self-conscious at that, beginning to fiddle with her thumbs. "Maybe I want to take care of you, too, Regulus Black."

Regulus looked up, and Kathleen watched, through the filters of her straight red hair, as he inhaled with a tremor. Looking down, his fingers twitched, and one hand slowly inched towards Kathleen, only inches away. Kathleen smiled sadly, reaching out her own hand and deciding to help him, intertwining their fingers together and pressing her palm against his.

How she'd missed the feeling of his touch. Kathleen thought that if they hadn't met the way they did, if the first thing she hadn't learned about him was his body, that there was no way she could ever be comfortable around him again. But fate was fate, and now she was going to learn his heart. She scooted a foot closer, resting her head on his shoulder, her left temples leaning comfortably against the silk of his robes.

"What are you going to do after?" she asked. "After the school year ends, the summer before sixth year. Where are you going to live?"

"I don't know," Regulus whispered. 

"You can't go back. You can't, we've got to find a way," Kathleen said determinedly. "I'll ask my parents to write your parents, and ask if you can stay with us this summer. Mam can say you're a friend of Fab and Gid's, to keep things proper. We're travelling in June, you'll love it! We're going to Paris, though I guess you've probably been there before. We're also going to South America: Uncle Ig is going to show us where he camped in the Andes during the war with Grindelwald, and we're going to go explore in the Amazon."

Kathleen's voice faded as she realized she was rambling. She felt Regulus's shoulder shift under her temples, as one of his thumbs rubbed softly over the top of their interlocked hands. "That sounds lovely."

Kathleen turned then, looking Regulus in the eyes. "We're going to help you. When summer comes things will be different. We'll fix this, because you deserve better, Black."

He looked at her with emotion in his eyes like a chasm of chaos, ringed with the faint precipitation that had lined his irises since she'd swore to him things would change. His lips crept up in a devastatingly simple motion, gently lifting his eyes and illuminating his features like a flower under a long-missed sun. And for the first time, truly, really, Regulus smiled. "When are you going to stop addressing me so formally?"

Kathleen laughed, and Regulus's eyes flicked to her lips. "Whenever I want to, Mister Black."

And the rest of the morning was spent plowing through all of the items on Regulus's breakfast tray, moping about Potions, and discussing Llun y Pasg.

The next morning, a gentle tap from Bessie woke Kathleen, and she sleepily adorned herself with wicker-colored robes. Walking downstairs like a drunken fool, she almost missed steps on the staircase loads of times, and barely shouldered out the door, eyes hazy with sleep. The sky was still dark at five in the morning, but all the other Prewetts were gathered, making Kathleen late as usual.

Even their guest was present Regulus stood in his own robe, standing next to Aunt Lucretia, eyes flicking from person to person warily. Kathleen walked up to him and simply nodded: the ceremony was silent.

Slowly and in no particular order, the Prewetts marched up the hill opposing Culfor Cymyran, as their stiff wicker robes stubbornly twitched against the wind. When they reached the top, the sun had just began reaching its red and yellow hands, waving over the horizon.

The Prewetts fanned out to stand side by side, Regulus among them like family. Out of the corner of her eye, Kathleen saw Aunt Lucy huddle closer to Uncle Ig, getting a little chill from the wind. The wind wove their hair, black and red, together like scarlet moons against the night sky.

Once the sun had settled, and the song of a new day grew loud, the Prewetts slowly began filing away. Mam and Thad went first, followed by Fabian and Gideon, who were snickering and whispering together. Aunt Lucy and Uncle Ig followed, talking in hushed tones about their visit to Slovakia. Soon, the only ones that remained were them.

"It's beautiful," Regulus said, making eye contact with her as he strolled to her side, hands behind his back.

"Yes," Kathleen replied, watching his fallen hair ghost over his cheekbones. "What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"I don't know. Perhaps we can spend some time together?" he asked, as the sun slowly climbed higher into the sky.

"I was hoping you'd ask," Kathleen smiled slyly. "Are you a good swimmer?"

"Mm? I am. I spent summers at Black Castle growing up, in Marsielle. We- I jumped down to the coast every day," Regulus said, a bit choppily, as he forced ease.

"Good," Kathleen looked him square in the eyes. "Because you'll need to jump!"

And she broke off running, running faster than she'd ran in weeks, loosing her sandals in the tall grass, robes billowing behind her. Regulus called her name in a shout, but soon she heard his own footsteps, sprinting to catch up. The black cliffs of the Welsh coast drew in soon sight, and Kathleen delighted in the gentle waves of Culfor Cymyran, the band of the Irish Sea underlooking Prewett Keep. 

Her feet ran forward and forward, until the ground gave way and the familiar but exhilarating gasp left her mouth, as she hung for a second in the balances, letting her eyes flutter shut before she hit the cold water.

Her robes tangled around her ankles, as her body plunged a line of large bubbles deep into the clear blue-green water. She swirled her wrists aimlessly, eyes shut, before she slowly began kicking her feet upwards, the shock of the dive settling in as cold into her bones. Until above her, the water broke again, the mirrored hues of the sunrise shattered by another jump. 

She opened her eyes underwater, and saw Regulus's body plunge in an equally-deep line, wheras he immediately started kicking his feet. They broke the water's surface together, with deep gasps of air, flushed cheeks, and frantic splashing.

"These are your plans?!" Regulus gasped through harried breaths.

Kathleen only laughed, not having the energy to speak herself, busy catching her breath. They continued splashing around for the next minute, as slowly, Regulus let out a half-chuckle. 

"You're insane," Regulus said, grinning. "Kathleen Prewett."

"Regulus Black," Kathleen breathed heavily, as she treaded towards him, boldly wrapping an arm around the back of his shoulders. "I've been using your brush every day. But I do not wear slim silver earrings, I wear gold, as large as I can find them to frame my face. If you are to court me properly, you should know that."

Regulus smiled so wide that he showed all of his teeth, white and sharp. His eyes crinkled. "...Reg. Call me Reg."

His arms wrapped around her waist, as her legs slowly stilled, Kathleen placing all her weight into Black's palms. She smiled, their faces so close together. "Kitty, then."

And her other hand grabbed hold of his cheek, wet droplets colliding, as she laid her lips over his without a care in the world, as if there was no war, no evil, no families. Their bodies moved over each other, and in the chaos, Kathleen proved her point: she could forgive, she could love, and Reg was the boy for her. Her heart skipped to their rhythm, and for the first time since she'd walked into the fourth-floor girls lavatory and seen the blonde hair, she felt whole.