Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Ted brought out a pot of beef stew in Burgundy, which had been stewing with red wine for almost two hours. It was so tender that it fell apart when picked up with chopsticks.

Next to it was a basket of sliced ​​baguettes, a small dish of olive oil, a plate of vegetable salad, and a few pieces of Brie cheese.

Andromeda got up, walked to the cabinet by the door, and took out a bottle of Bordeaux. It wasn't a new vintage; it was probably bought from the small supermarket on the corner.

She took a bottle of sparkling water from the refrigerator and handed it to Regulus. She then walked back and placed the sparkling water in front of Regulus.

Regulus looked down at the sparkling water in front of him, then at the bottle of Bordeaux on the table, and then looked up, his gaze falling across the table onto Andromeda's face.

Andromeda shook his head firmly, as if there was no room for negotiation.

Regulus shrugged and smacked his lips.

Ted, standing by the table with a spatula in hand, grinned broadly at the sight.

The three sat down around the table: Ted, Andromeda, Regulus, and Baruch, who was leaning on the corner of the table.

In front of Baruch was a small dish containing Andromeda's broken bread and a small piece of cheese.

It used its chelicerae to pick up a piece of cheese, put it in its mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and then tilted its head, as if it didn't like it very much.

The cheese was spat out and rolled off the plate, then it went to nibble on the bread.

I chewed it a couple of times and then spat it out.

In no time, the area around the plate was a mess.

Andromeda watched with amusement, then picked up his glass and poured a few drops of red wine into Baruch's dish.

The spider brought its head close to sniff it, then opened and closed its chelicerae twice, indicating that it wasn't interested.

Ted watched from the side, his fork hovering in mid-air, his expression a mixture of confusion and amusement.

Regulus used the serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of beef from the pot, flicked his wrist, and tossed it onto Baruch's plate.

A glance shot over: "Eat your food properly."

Baruch's chelicerae had just opened, ready to pry out this new thing as well.

The outermost secondary eye caught Regulus's gaze, the chelicerae hovered in mid-air and then slowly closed, picking up the beef and stuffing it into its mouth, chewing once, then chewing again.

The spider's head was no longer tilted, and its eight legs were no longer fidgeting. The whole spider lay on the corner of the table, intently munching away.

Andromeda, holding his wine glass, raised one eyebrow: "When did you get it?"

Regulus thought for a moment: "Shortly after your marriage."

"Quite cute." Andromeda looked at Baruch thoughtfully, then turned her head and glanced at Ted beside her.

Ted nearly choked on a bite of beef, picked up the red wine beside him, took a swig, put down the glass, and said earnestly, "Andromeda, you're pregnant, it's not really suitable for you to keep a pet."

He also looked at Baruch, who was focused on eating. The spider's pincers were holding the last piece of beef and putting it into its mouth, with red wine stains still on its bristles, and bread crumbs and cheese bits all around the plate.

Ted's expression went back and forth between wondering what was cute about this thing and telling him to forget about it.

"Blake's taste," he muttered.

Andromeda turned his face back to her, making him look at her: "Did I say I wanted to keep it? I said it was cute."

Ted stared at her, his face full of unspoken words, thinking to himself, "Last time you said the tabby cat owned by the bakery owner next door was quite well-behaved, and that very afternoon it started stuffing cat food into my bag."

He took a deep breath and gave up resisting: "Darling, it really is cute."

Then he turned around and gave Regulus an embarrassed smile.

Regulus looked at the two of them and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

Ted put several pieces of beef in Andromeda's bowl. Andromeda ate a few bites, then put down her fork, leaned back in her chair, and supported her waist with her hand.

My belly is getting bigger and bigger, and my stomach is so cramped that I feel full after just a few bites.

Ted stood up, took the wool blanket from the sofa, folded it into a small cushion, and tucked it between her lower back and the back of the chair. Andromeda didn't say anything, but put her hand on his arm.

Regulus forked a piece of beef and put it in his mouth. The meat was stewed until very tender, and the flavor of red wine had seeped into the meat fibers. It was just the right amount of salty.

After Ted finished his work, he sat down opposite Regulus, cut a piece of bread, handed it to him, and they began to chat.

"The French have a completely different coffee-drinking habit than the British. The British go to coffee shops to sit, while the French really go to drink coffee."

"One cup of espresso, drunk standing up, and left without even sitting down. When I first opened the shop, I had six tables, but later I realized three of them were unnecessary."

Andromeda added from the side, "He brought up three extra tables, one of which is now the one you're sitting at."

Regulus glanced down and indeed, the tabletop was newer than the other furniture.

Ted continued talking about coffee: "The British would pour half a pot of milk into it and add two spoonfuls of sugar, while the French would just have a small cup of espresso, drink it down in a few sips and leave."

He laughed as he said this: "When I first came here, I thought they were complaining that my cooking wasn't good, but later I found out that's how they drink it."

Regulus wasn't really interested in the topic of coffee, but he still asked, "What's the best-selling item in the shop?"

Ted thought for a moment: "Espresso and French crème brûlée."

He broke off a piece of bread and dipped it in olive oil: "The French are very stubborn. They stick to what they're used to. I tried making a few new specialty coffees and adding chocolate powder, but no one ordered them after a month."

"Don't be discouraged," Andromeda said with a smile, "Someone ordered it before, it's that old gentleman in the beret."

Ted glanced at her sideways: "He ordered, took a sip, and put it down. He never ordered again."

Andromeda suppressed a laugh and placed her hand on her stomach.

Ted shook his head, and shrugged at Regulus, his expression quite nonchalant: "But we're doing alright. The shop isn't big, but it's enough for us. Rent in Paris is cheaper than in London, at least on Rue Moufta."

Andromeda watched him speak from the side, a smile playing on her lips.

Regulus watched how Ted took care of Andromeda.

When handing over water, I'll touch the cup to test the temperature before handing it over.

When Andromeda stood up to get the salt, Ted subconsciously reached out and supported her elbow. He didn't stand up, but just reached out and gently touched her arm until she was steady before withdrawing his hand.

Ted was indeed mediocre in magic, not even a beginner in Regulus's eyes, but he knew how to make someone live comfortably, a skill that had nothing to do with magic.

After finishing his meal, Ted cleared the table, his wand sliding from his sleeve into his hand. The dishes floated to the kitchen sink by themselves, and the faucet was turned on, with bubbles and the sound of running water coming from the kitchen.

He stood at the kitchen doorway, his back to the living room, the dishes tumbling in the sink as they washed themselves. He glanced at Andromeda and Regulus in the living room; the siblings were sitting on the sofa talking.

He leaned against the door frame, leaving them space.

Andromeda took the wool blanket, spread it out on the sofa, covered her legs, and curled up in the corner of the sofa.

It was completely dark outside the window; the Parisian night had begun.

The streets were much quieter now, with the occasional car passing by, its headlights sweeping across the wall of the building across the street, casting a fleeting shadow from left to right before disappearing.

In the distance, church bells could be heard ringing, one after another, about eight or nine times.

Regulus sat beside her for a while, the fire in the fireplace crackling and its blue-green edge flickering.

He stood up, walked over to her, and knelt down: "I'm leaving her something."

Andromeda looked at him as he squatted down in front of her, his gray eyes looking up at her with a serious expression.

She tilted her head, a hint of curiosity in her eyes, but didn't ask anything.

Regulus extended his right index finger and gently touched Andromeda's stomach.

Blue and white light seeped out from the fingertips, spreading inward from the point of contact, through the skin, through the muscles, through the amniotic fluid, and touching the little life curled up in the mother's womb.

The protective will of Betelgeuse gently spreads around the fetus.

Andromeda felt something warm and comforting seeping in from the outside, gently enveloping the child.

There was no invasion or oppression, just guarding it there.

She looked down at her stomach, where a small patch of skin shimmered with a bluish-white light before disappearing from sight.

He reached out and touched the spot that had just glowed, feeling the warmth of the skin there, then looked up at Regulus.

"Protect her," Regulus withdrew his finger, his tone gentle. "I'll know if anything happens."

Andromeda's eyes lit up, and without asking any questions, he nodded.

A woman from the Black family, raised on black magic and curses, knows that some things don't need to be asked.

The fact that his cousin left a protective barrier for his unborn niece was enough in itself; as for how he did it, that was Regulus's business.

She placed her palm on top, feeling the new layer inside, and after a while, she looked up and whispered, "Thank you, Regulus."

Regulus shook his head, stood up, and said with a smile, "She's family to me too."

Andromeda smiled, her eyes slightly reddening, but she didn't say anything, only nodded vigorously.

Baruch ran over from the windowsill, his eight legs stomping on the floor as he jumped onto Regulus's shoulder. His spider head peered in Andromeda's direction, and his chelicerae clicked twice.

Andromeda extended his finger, hesitated for a moment, and gently touched Baruch's foreleg.

Baruch turned his spider head, staring at her fingers with his amber eyes for a moment, before shrinking back behind Regulus's neck.

Andromeda said to her belly, "It's protecting you too."

Two clicks came from the back of Regulus's neck.

The church bell rang again.

Regulus said, "It's about time we went."

Ted came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron.

He walked over to Andromeda, put a hand on her shoulder, and Andromeda stood up, supporting herself on the sofa armrest. The wool blanket slipped off her legs, and Ted bent down to pick it up.

"I'll come see you again when the baby is born." Regulus looked at Andromeda, then at Ted.

Ted nodded, walked over, and extended his hand, which Regulus shook.

"Thank you for coming," Ted said. "Next time you come, stay at my place. You can sleep on the sofa."

Regulus twitched his lips, then turned and walked towards the door.

Reaching the door, he placed his hand on the doorknob, without turning around, and said casually, "You're living a good life now, just like this, it's fine."

Andromeda, standing behind Regulus, smiled slightly upon hearing this.

She wasn't stupid. She could sense the rumors circulating in the pureblood community, the expansion of the Death Eaters, and how Voldemort's name had gone from being whispered discussions to being openly feared. Even across the English Channel, she could sense these things.

She knew what Regulus meant: don't go back, don't get involved, just leave it at that, that's fine.

She didn't say anything, but after a while, she smiled and nodded.

Regulus opened the door and went out, the wooden stairs creaking under his feet.

After taking two steps, a voice caught up from behind: "Regulus."

He turned around.

Andromeda stood in the doorway, her hand on the doorframe, the light shining from behind her, casting her shadow on the old wallpaper in the hallway.

She looked at him, opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end only said, "Take care of yourself too."

Regulus smiled and continued walking.

Andromeda turned and went back into the house, went to the window, and opened it.

The Parisian night air rushed in, carrying the coolness of April and the aroma of the last batch of bread from the bakery before it closed in the distance.

The streetlights were on, casting a warm yellow glow on the stone pavement, and a few pedestrians were still walking along Mufuta Street.

Downstairs, a young man in a dark gray suit walked out of the apartment building and took a few steps.

The streetlight shone on him, casting a long shadow.

Then he disappeared.

Andromeda leaned against the window frame, looking down at the street.

Ted walked over, stood behind her, and put his hand on her shoulder.

Andromeda placed his hand on it.

The little one inside her kicked her again, not hard, just enough to make her turn her gaze away from the window, look down at her belly, and smile.

The church bells in the distance rang again.