Strawberry flavored hormones

[Adriana Bell-Black]

Adriana sat on the couch balancing a bowl of frozen strawberry sherbet on her protruding belly. Enjoying the sthingyfuls of the tartly sweet delight she glared at the way too skinny model flaunting the body that she once had on the telly. It was Paris’s fashion week, and Adriana having nothing better to do, or well not being able to do much because of her latest physical limitations, watched the broadcast with minimal interest.

Looking down at her stomach she grimaced. ‘8 months pregnant and I look like I swallowed a bloody hippogriff’ she thought sourly. While being pregnant did have its perks, Regulus stayed with her instead of hiding by himself; the mood swings, cravings and constant ache were nothing but a nuisance. “Listen to me now missy, while I’m sure you have enjoyed you 8 month stay inside my belly making me sick and hungry I want you out this instant you hear.” She said somewhat testily to her stomach, hoping that all the holy hippogriffs answer her wish.

Looking back at the telly, she stuffed another spoonful of strawberry goodness in her mouth. “Bloody cow.” She muttered as she watched another model prance scantily clad across the runway as fashion week continued.

[Regulus Black]

The first thing that Regulus noticed was that the telly was on. He reached his arm across the bed for Adriana. When his hand hit rumpled covers but nothing else, his eyes snapped open. Regulus was used to Adriana's peculiar new whims--waking up at two o'clock in the morning and finding her stirring a bowl of instant pudding or grilling a hamburger on the stove wasn't anything unusual now. Yawning largely and burrowing his face into his pillow, he laid still for a momet and imagined a time when he wouldn't have gotten out of bed to rub his pregnant girlfriend's shoulders...a time that felt long ago.

That was when he noticed her muttering. Hearing Adriana clearly address their baby, a warm smile spread across Regulus's face. He got out of bed, rubbing a hand over his eyes to wake himself up. Padding out into the TV room, he quietly regarded the love of his life for a moment before letting her know he was there.

The flickering light from the telly would have made lesser women appear older or accentuate their careworn lines. Adriana was glowing even without the light, her cheeks rosy and her skin bright. She was eating sherbert from a bowl balanced on her belly, which had grown considerably during the last two months. Regulus took a step forward, then stopped as she glared at something on the TV, muttering insults at the celebrities and cleaning her spoon impecably. Glancing over, he saw that she was watching some type of fashion show...thin girls wearing impossible outfits were walking down a runway. Regulus was amused as he realized that even if he hadn't found the love of his life already, these girls probably would not be attractive at all.

He dropped into a chair next to Addie, looking over at her as she continued to devour her sherbert. "Morning, beautiful. Are we going to watch these muggles prance about in tinfoil again today, then?" Regulus teased, glancing over at her choice in programs.

[Adriana Bell-Black]

Glaring at the television more viciously than she normally would have her attention was now drawn to something else. Her boyfriend was now sitting next to her way to chipper for anyone’s good in her state. Narrowing her eyes at him, she waved the spoon threateningly in his face. “Good morning for you, you probably got good nights sleep with out someone kicking your insides.”

Turning her attention back to the telly she saw yet another model prance around the screen. “Bloody tarty cow.” She muttered before suddenly facing her boyfriend again. “Beautiful, you honestly think this is beautiful? I’m a good 25 pounds over weight, I look like I swallowed a bloody hippogriff, I cant see my feet, which are swollen by the way.” She said sourly. “I want to look like me again, like them.” She said pointing at the screen with her spoon before scooping some more sherbet into her mouth.

Sighing she looked at him with watering eyes. "And to top it off, your daughter already wont listen to me. I told her to get out of my stomach that instant and she kicked me instead. I’m going to be a horrible mother”


(sorry that its everywhere but that the hormones I figure)

[Regulus Black]

Regulus blinked and jerked back out of harm's way when Adriana started waving the spoon around. "No, actually I didn't, because it's still pretty much night time in case you didn't notice, love." He frowned. "And I only said good morning because it's...it's what you say. I mean, I could say, "Hello, having a horrible dark-time-just-before-dawn today?" but I'd get lacerated with the spoon for sure then," he kept his eye on said weapon, not sure how she'd take what he'd said. It looked like today would be one of those days.

Regulus blinked. "You're...you're upset because you don't look like them?" he asked. Then he laughed, "Adriana, love, most of these tarts haven't eaten anything in three weeks. I don't want you to ever look like them. You were beautiful before, you're beautiful now, and you'll be beautiful again. Honestly, it's not like you've expanded...much. In more than one direction at least. And you're supposed to." Regulus smiled brightly at his girlfriend, slipping his arm around her. "You could have put on 150 pounds and I'd still think you're beautiful, though. And honestly...you don't have much longer to wait until you do look like you again, love."

Regulus noted very apprehensively that Adriana was suddenly on the verge of tears. Oh, Merlin help me, he thought to himself. "She can't just apparate out, Addie. And it'd be a bit of a problem if she did listen to you right now. She's as much your daughter as she is mine--probably more yours, if she's already being stubborn, love."

[Adriana Bell-Black]

Narrowing her eyes at him she continued to wave the spoon at him. "Are you patronizing me?" she said with her voice immediately rising an octave. "You’ll be luck if I don’t do that to you now Regulus Black, sure lets make fun of the pregnant woman who cant sleep and does nothing but eat like a bloody dragon." She said turning her attention back to the TV. ‘It’s not like I chose to be up at this time much less hungry and cranky’ she mused to herself.

Furrowing her eyebrows as he laughed at the reason why she was upset, "What’s so funny?" she asked. "I used to be like that, able to prance around with well virtually nothing and now….”She trailed off with a sigh. “Oh so your calling me fat now? Way to go Regulus Black, Ohh honey you’ve expanded is top most awaited compliments a woman wants to hear." She said shrugging his arm from around her. "You should stretch you arm, it hard to reach the other side I know." She said testily.

Pouting as he logically tried to explain why the baby wouldn’t listen she shook her head. "Are you saying that I’m a bad person and my daughter is going to take after me?" she said in a watery tone as a few tears escaped. “I’m not stubborn, just set in my ways.” She tried to reason.

[Regulus Black]

"You don't eat like a dragon, but sometimes you can sound like one," he said back argumentatively. Glaring at the TV, he heard his own words sink into the apartment for a moment. Guilt rose up at the way he'd snapped...this wasn't anything new, he was used to Adriana's short temper and sudden mood swings. Knowing that he could potentially push her to really stab him with the spoon or to the brink of tears, Regulus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm sorry, Adriana. I'm not trying to patronize you or anything. I'm definitely not trying to make fun of you."

Regulus winced at the way she took his comments. Debating how best to calm her down, he decided that sitting in silence--while it would keep him out of trouble--would probably only annoy Adriana more. "I know you used to be able to do that. In a little more than four weeks you'll be able to do it again, love." He let her push him away, scooting even further from her when her tirade continued, not wanting to end up with sherbet in his face. "Adriana, I didn't say that, and you know it. Now you're just making things up. What do you want me to say, that I wish you looked like them too? Because I don't." He glanced at the telly. "I mean, honestly, who looks like that, ever? If that little twat had walked into Hogwarts, my housemates would have destroyed her. You're not fat, love, you're pregnant. There's a big difference." He frowned at her sour comment. "If you want to do this to yourself, I don't really know what I can say that you're not going to twist around."

"Adriana, you tossed yourself off a broom in midair. I'm honestly more concerned about her inheriting your suicidal streak than I am about her having a bit of her own will. I guess stubborn was the wrong word--" he smiled, trying again to lighten her mood, "--you're more willful, love. I mean, think about it. That's one of your endearing qualities." Regulus frowned, worried about her thought process. "You're not a bad person, you're the best person I know. I love you, silly."

[Adriana Bell-Black]

As soon as he said it, Adriana’s went wide like saucers ‘You don't eat like a dragon, but sometimes you can sound like one,’ Before she even had a chance to fight back the tears were already pouring down her cheeks. Biting her lip she turned her attention back to the telly ignoring her boyfriend. Spooning more sherbet into her mouth she stared intently at the telly acting as if he weren’t there.

Chewing on her cheek nervously, Adriana swallowed her pride. "I don’t want to wait that long and with our luck it will be even longer." She said with a bit of a whine, while pregnancy had its wonderful moment Adriana couldn’t wait till things were back to normal, when she was back to normal. "Well good, because I don’t and I won’t." She said childishly. "You house mates would have destroyed anyone whether they were that twatly stick figure with hair or not. Yeah I am two people at once, literally." Sighing defeatedly she leaned her head on his shoulder with out getting to close. "I’m sorry I’m just cranky from the lack of sleep."

"Well I don’t want her to be a ninny either, but I suppose that’s something to be concerned about when baby proofing the flat." Smiling at his attempt to lighten the mood, she giggled "Willful eh? I suppose that works even though we both know you just wanted to get in my knickers." Regulus she teased. "I love you too."

[Regulus Black]

Regulus's irritation melted away when he saw Adriana turn resolutely towards the telly and shovel sherbet into her mouth, tears rolling slowly down her cheeks. He felt at once like hugging her and saying a thousand apologetic nothings and also screaming in frustration, and he wondered if Adriana was feeling that divided all the time. Deciding that the former would be more productive, he took a deep breath to keep his voice normal and said, "Bloody hell, I'm sorry. Seriously, Adriana, I didn't mean it. I just snapped back, and..." he saw that she was trying to ignore him. "Addie, please. You know I love you more than anything. I didn't mean it, I take it back...it's so early in the morning, and...can I get you anything? Coffee? Pumpkin juice? I could run down to the grocery and pick up anything you wanted."

Regulus frowned at her. "Longer? How could it possibly be longer? Is that even safe?" he shook his head. "It won't be longer, Adriana, I've never heard of that happening. Nine months, sometimes a week or two into ten." Regulus didn't respond to her other muttering, but let her put her head on his shoulder. Fitting against her side--something he'd had several years to perfect, thank Merlin--Regulus leaned his head onto hers too. "Go to sleep, love," he said quietly. "I'm right here..." Regulus took the shetbet off her belly and set it on the table, sliding his hand over the cold spot it had left. "Go to sleep just for a little while. You can sleep all day if you'd like," he said soothingly. Regulus found the remote between them and put the Paris fashion on mute.

Regulus laughed at Adriana's joke, glad that he'd gotten her to cheer up. "Not from the first day I met you," he said cautiously. "But I think pretty much by the second, love. Didn't take me too long to get there though--from what I've heard about--" he stopped suddenly, realizing that he was about to drop Death Eater names. Death Eaters from their year...Regulus groped to finish his statement without any particularly distressing information. "--about...some kids we knew and what the did after Hogwarts."

[Adriana Bell-Black]

Sighing as Regulus made several very good attempts at being sorry she turned to face him. "Its ok love, I guess the pregnant woman hormones are contagious.” She said trying to lighten the mood. This ridiculous argument was neither’ fault and the lack of sleep and comfort only added to the stress. "It’s ok, nothing is open now, and it’s too early anyways. You should try and get some more sleep though."

She nodded solemnly. "Its possible, sometimes the baby isn’t ready, needs more time to develop and what not.” Snuggling against him, she rubbed her eyes sleepily. “I can’t" she mumbled. Placing her hand over his as he placed it on her belly, she pressed down firmly so that he could feel the thudding from inside her. "Every time I even consider sleep that is what goes on, incessant kicking and cravings." She said peacefully. “Although this is much more comfortable than the bed, I may just be able to...” she trailed off with a yawn.

Letting his comment about his housemates and former friends slide she smiled with closed eyes. "Who would have thought that life after Hogwarts would have us here?” she mused. “I definitely didn’t picture this exactly in first year. I thought maybe pro-Quidditch even an Auror or Healer. But I suppose what I wanted was happiness with those whom I love.” She opened her eyes and smiled at Regulus. “I definitely got that though.”

[Regulus Black]

Regulus was relieved that she accepted his apology. "I guess...with the exception of the woman part. That's so un-contageous, you wouldn't even believe it." He met her eyes when she turned to face him, still apologetic. "I would go, though. Looking. I'm sure there's somewhere that'd be open. I know of a few places in London, but..." he shrugged. "If you're fine, then..." Glad that her tears had stopped and their argument had blown over, Regulus trailed off, all of his frustration washed away to relief.

Regulus shook his head, serious. "Well, it wouldn't be horribly long, love, even with our luck." He listened to her mumbling for a moment, hearing the exhaustion in her voice. He let her push his hand down, feeling their baby shift restlessly. Regulus was, not for the first time, in awe of what they'd done. Pitying his sleepy, hungry, hormonal pregnant girlfriend, he held his hand on her belly quietly until he felt the baby calm down a bit. Hearing Adriana yawn, Regulus let her continue muttering to herself, knowing she'd fall asleep soon.

Regulus made a face when she brought up first-year dreams. "Don't get me started," he muttered darkly. "In my first year, first of all, I was going to be sorted into the same house as my brother. Then I was going to play Quidditch with him. When those plans fell through, I came up with new ones...until I heard about the Dark Lord," he sighed. When Adriana smiled at him, Regulus smiled too. "I'd say that's the only part of my plans that have worked out, love. Not that I intended to have a baby straight out of seventh year, but...there isn't anything I'd rather be doing than being with you, Adriana."

[Adriana Bell-Black]

Grinning at his somewhat agreement, she nodded. "I’d be concerned if my womanly habits were contagious, there is already plenty of estrogen here." Kissing him lightly as he offered to go in search of something for her she shook her head. "Don’t worry love; I’m quite content with what I have here."

"If you say so." She said not really in the mood to argue especially over her pregnancy which got old really fast. Feeling him rub her belly until the baby settled down was a feeling she couldn’t describe, heck she wanted to get up and do a little dance to celebrate, but then his efforts would have been fruitless. “Hmm we are already loosing sleep and the baby hasn’t been born yet, Imagine those first months, we will start to resemble the ghost of Hogwarts after a while” she mused.

Grinning as he spoke about his first year dreams, she rubbed his hand encouragingly. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with having looked up to your brother" she said softly, unsure of how he was going to react again. "People change, things happen. You and your brother are eventually going to have to make a mends of some sort." she sighed knowing that this along with the house elves was an age old argument that may never have an answer that pleases both. "Hmm at least it worked in our favor though love, its one baby rather than multiples." She said with laughter laced in her voice.

[Regulus Black]

Regulus smiled as Adriana kissed him, relief washing through him at the way she'd stopped crying and forgiven him. He disliked upsetting his girlfriend--obviously--but it was hard not to in recent times. Just the smallest offhand comment could be twisted completely around...until she was sobbing over insults that he hadn't said at all. It was both frustrating and depressing...sometimes it was hard to remember that Adriana had not always been that way. "Good, I'm happy with everything I've got too," he said with a deviant smile, leaning over and kissing her more resolutely. "Even though I'm at your beck and call, love," he added, just so that she knew that he'd run to the store if she thought of anything. Didn't want her getting upset because she thought he wanted to stay at home.

Regulus snorted at her comment, turning his cheek against her soft hair and smiling proudly. "The baby won't be that bad. We can put silencing charms around other parts of the house...the stove and such. So we don't wake her...she's restless now, but once she's born she'll be exhausted. Or so Miss Gardonia across the hall tells me whenever I leave the flat," he said. Grinning at her comment about becoming ghosts, he thought a moment before he quipped back, "I think I'd probably haunt the Gryffindor tower."

Regulus sighed, looking over at Adriana and trying not to be argumentative. "No, I guess there's not, love. If you say so. But mom and dad turned it into a huge ordeal...Sirius's second year was probably his worst, as far as their brow-beating went. Seemed like it was wrong back then to have ever thought highly of him at all." Regulus made a face at her. "I don't think we're going to make ammends unless something extremely drastic happens, love. Like our grandchildren decide to become the best of friends...or maybe Merlin comes out of the sky and shoots green sparks out of his arse." Smiling brightly and tapping her belly, he waited a moment with his hand against the spot before the baby kicked him back. "Yes...we should be thankful for that. Gives us a chance to test ourselves out on one so that we know how to raise the others. I swear, you and I are both younger siblings...that's how our parents must have planned it. It just took my parents one try--noble purebloods that we are--and your parents five to get it right."

[Adriana Bell-Black]

Smiling at him, she let her eyes drift close. "mhm that’s nice." She mumbled as he kissed her "No need love, its almost over and I can always summon something if anything" she said already knowing that she was a pain in his behind between the hormones and the lack of sleep they were both getting. She didn’t want him to realize that maybe either her or the baby were worth as much effort and time as he was dedicating.

Grinning she leaned into him as he rubbed his cheek into her hair, one of the things she missed was the closeness the two used to have before her moody pregnancy. "Yeah, we can silence the house, but we’ll need a baby monitor so we could hear inside the room from anywhere else in the house." she said. Furrowing her eyebrows she looked at him questioningly "Why on earth Gryffindor tower?"

Regulus sighed, looking over at Adriana and trying not to be argumentative. "Its alright love, I know everyone’s families are different, I wont press on it anymore." She said understandingly, although it didn’t change the fact that sometimes she wished Regulus could have enjoyed life more as a child, carefree and open to so much more than his family permitted. "Or like the fact that my child will be his niece and most likely his god child?" She said firmly, they may have their problems but in no way was she going to work around their issues, her daughter came first and he was an uncle. Grinning as he seemed to be playing with the baby through her stomach. "Well I think they figured you were going to be as good as it gets." She teased. “I am merely perfection in its purest form.” She said pretending to be like royalty.

[Regulus Black]

Regulus smiled brightly at Adriana, kissing her cheek and sighing. "I can summon things too. You're so tired...I'd rather that you got the rest you needed than trying to do too much for yourself. I don't have anything other to do than slave away for you, love," he reminded her.

He frowned. "A baby monitor? Alright, then." Regulus wasn't quite sure what exactly that was...his confusion probably came through his voice. He sat in the silence, curled up against Adriana and savoring the feeling. It had been too long since they'd simply been close like this...Adriana was always too hot or too cold or too hungry to relax with him. It was one of the things he missed a lot about their time together.

He was relieved that Adriana wasn't going to press the issue of his family any more...even though he knew that she would. That didn't bother Regulus at all, though...he didn't mind talking about his experiences as a child, simply her refusal to believe that it was alright for he and Sirius not to get along. Adriana had siblings that she didn't speak with often. Regulus always refrained from pointing that out, though...no reason to irritate her. "Thanks, love," he said calmly. Making a face at her, Regulus whined, "God father? No, no...no, wench. Not going to happen. Unless she has two god fathers...we're going to pick one of your brothers, and if you want to pick someone from my side of the family, you can have your choice of any of my female cousins. Cissy isn't that bad...and neither is Andromeda. You'd like Andy...she was disowned a long time ago for marrying a muggle." Regulus laughed and leaned over, kissing her. "Yes, perfection," he said teasingly. "And I am as good as it gets...better than that screw-up they had first, you know? Better stick with me," Regulus grinned.

[Adriana Bell-Black]

Rolling her eyes as he tried to go out of his way, again. "I know you can, but just because I’m pregnant doesn’t make me handicap, I can get my own things too. You're I know love, but I think it’s a woman thing, a constant need to be busy. Good love, that’s the only thing I need to know, not that id ask of course." She said brightly.

Shaking her head she scolded herself remembering that he didn’t know much about muggle devices. "A baby monitor is something like a wireless. One part is the monitor , which is left in the babies room, and depending on which we get it could be a little TV or just a speaker. Then there is another part which we carry around so that we could hear or see what the baby is doing." She said calmly relaxing with him mentally making a list of other things they would need to buy along with the monitor for the baby.


Nodding somewhat impassively, she said “don’t worry about it, love,". Raising an eyebrow at Regulus she watched him go off on a triad telling her to pick someone else. "I am not picking one of my brothers they already have plenty of children, I want Sirius. You can decide the godmother then but Sirius stays." She said stubbornly. Rolling her eyes as he teased her and managed to insult his brother at the same time she gave him a warning look. “Regulus. Shut up darling." She said kissing him, preventing anything as ridiculous as what he just said from coming out again.