Episkey Is A Useful Spell ::*Ads*::

[Regulus Black]

Regulus carried Katie into her room, tucking the sleeping baby in bed and shutting out the lights after he'd seen her covered with a blanket and surrounded by her sleeping toys. She hadn't woken up at all in the trip from Sirius's apartment...which was probably a good thing. With as hurt as Adriana was, nothing would alarm the baby more than the sight of her mother's injuries. Leaving the room, he walked into the living room, where Adriana was laying on the couch.

"Alright, love?" he asked, even though he knew the answer. No, she wasn't alright. It was absurd to think that she was. But the question was a natural one, and right now he felt that they needed something to be normal, since everything else had gone so wrong.

Kneeling down next to the couch, he peered at her bruised face, frowning in concern. Reaching out one hand, Regulus gently stroked her hair away from her face.

She'd gone to get groceries, and she'd done it a thousand times before. Something like this was nothing he should have been worried about, but now...it hurt Regulus deeply that Adriana could leave for a half hour and get into so much trouble. That someone would do something like this. That he'd dueled the someone and lost. What use was he, if he couldn't protect the one person he loved the most in the world? He'd already ruined her life, in more ways than one. Regulus took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Adriana deserved so much better than this.

[Adriana Bell-Black]

Adriana followed Regs into the apartment after leaving Sirius’s flat. In her current state she could carry her sleeping daughter to bed, so she laid on the couch, letting her eyes close briefly as her bodies protest seemed to quiet. Feeling hers eyes water at the thoughts of the day’s events she wiped them away furiously reprimanding herself for letting the situation get that far and then crying about it.

"Peachy." she answered hoarsely, her throat raw from the screaming and toxic smoke. No, she wasn't alright but it wasn’t an option, they had a daughter to care for and it seemed like a dark cloud was making its way over head; she needed to be fine in order to protect her family. Her gut twisted uneasily thinking about those words, German of all things, almost foreshadowing a darkness to come.

Adriana winced unintentionally as he softly stroked her hair out of her face. She could still feel the heat of where Snape’s boot made contact with her cheek; the pain not as intense as that of her shoulder and stomach.

Slowly opening her eyes she turned her head to look at Regs. Seeing the pain and concern in his eyes broke her heart. Raising her hand she brushed his hair out of his eyes and smiled softly which ended up more like a grimace.

[Regulus Black]

Hearing her cracked and soft reply of peachy was what pushed the nail into Regulus's heart. It was one thing to look at Adriana's wounds and consider how to heal them. But the pain in her voice alone was something that couldn't be wished away with a spell...he would have to heal that in different ways. And right now, he was still too angry--with her attacker and himself--to provide that kind of support.

Regulus shook his head when Adriana smoothed his hair away, looking seriously at her. "This isn't about me," he said quietly. "I'm going to try using what healing spells I know to help you, but...they're not my forte, and you know it."

He lifted the hair off Adriana's cheek and muttered, "Episkey," waiting for the bruise to fade. That should have taken away the pain, at least. Good thing they had so much magical ointment around the house for Katie's bumps and scrapes...

Regulus frowned at her. "Where else, love?" he asked. "I'll get some bruise-away in a second."

[Adriana Bell-Black]

Lying still as Regulus began several to heal most of her bruises she tried to remember where else that greasy git may have done damage.

Feeling the effects of episkey wash over her cheek, she wiggled her face letting several expressions cross over it testing for any pain. Satisfied with the result of his charm she gingerly ran her hand over her cheek tenderly almost longingly.

As he asked where else she had bruises she sat up slowly, her body protesting loudly as he face showed it. She lifted the shirt she borrowed from Sirius, taking it off exposing her chest and stomach area that was filled with bruises and scratches from Snape’s boot and dragging; Along with a small burn from the candle wax. Her back was also filled with more bruises and scratches from his man handling of her lithe form, and a purple shoulder that was very tender added to the list of exterior injuries.

[Regulus Black]

Watching Adriana test her painless face with a variety of expressions, Regulus couldn't help but smile. That reassured him at least that Snape hadn't given her any severe psychological injuries. If she could make faces while she was lying on the couch letting him Pomfrey her back to normal, it seemed that the situation would eventually be alright.

Regulus's smile faded as she pulled off his shirt, rather than using words to answer his question. He'd seen her injuries when he'd forced his way into the flat, but the struggle of the duel that followed had pushed them out of his mind. Regulus inhaled sharply when he saw the purple mass of Adriana's shoulder, the scrapes and burn on her skin. When he'd last seen these wounds, they'd been newly inflicted, still raw and red and not yet faded to the purple and yellow bruises that they were now. For a moment, he didn't know where to start.

"I swear to Merlin I'll kill the bloody sodding bastard myself," he muttered, fingers tightening on his wand. He looked up. "Accio bruise salve," he said, the heavy jar flying easily out of the bathroom and into his hands. Unscrewing the top, he set it down next to himself and dabbed some gently onto the remaining color on her cheek.

"Episkey," he said, going for the bruises on her stomach. Regulus thanked Merlin for the useful little spell. Dipping his fingers into the jar of ointment, he gently spread it over the bruise, hoping it didn't hurt any more. Selecting another to episkey, he settled into a routine, using the spell and then the magical salve, and then the spell again.

[Adriana Bell-Black]

Seeing Regulus’s frustration, she frowned knowing she could do nothing to change his thoughts, merely talk and try to sooth him as much as possible. Fiddling with her fingers in her lap and glanced down at the twisting fingers in her lap. “Don’t, you’d be sinking just a low as him. The best we could hope for is a one way ticket to Azkaban sealed with a kiss.” She said softly knowing that a Dementors kiss was a fate worse than death, a sentence Snape was earning for himself.

Feeling the effects of his healing spells take effect on her front she slowly moved bending slightly relieved at the lack of pain. Adriana giggled as he took the ointment and spread it on her stomach, the cold feeling of the ointment along with his fingers “Sorry its cold and tickles” she said sheepishly biting on her lip to keep from giggling as he repeated the same process over other bruises.

[Regulus Black]

He made a noncommental noise when Adriana said that she'd rather see Snape end up in Azkaban. Prison was too good for what he'd done to her...having his soul sucked away was too good too. Snape already didn't have a soul. She might not understand, but Regulus wanted to make the bastard hurt like he'd made Adriana hurt.

Watching her flex and smile now that the pain was gone, Regulus couldn't help but smile slightly too. "Don't hurt your shoulder again," he said. "Episkey," Regulus added. "That should be it...is it?" He smirked as she wiggled at the feeling of the cold salve, spreading it over her shoulder. "Ticklish, wench?" he grinned, flexing his fingers over her stomach and her already-fading bruises.

Regulus capped the jar, putting it on the coffee table and rocking back on his toes to look at her. The injuries were still nasty, but...they'd gotten better. Now that she was taken care of, though, there were more things that needed to be discussed. "Katie," he said, looking at her seriously. "She's going to be with Sirius a lot more often. From now on, I'm going shopping with you. We still don't know who that other person was...or what they were doing. We survived Voldemort...we're going to survive this too."

To take the sting out of his words, he reached up and ran his fingers over her healed cheek, glad that she didn't wince away this time. Leaning forward, Regulus pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you so much," he whispered quietly. "I can't believe that I almost lost you."

[Adriana Bell-Black]

She rolled her eyes as he warned her not to hurt her shoulder, if only he knew the amount and types of injuries she had accumulated over the years between Quidditch and her brothers. "Yus Dad," she said. Nodding as he asked if that was it for her injuries, she pouted when he asked if she was ticklish repeating his earlier action. "Yes and you know it" she grinned.

Nodding solemnly as he faced her she agreed with him. “She’ll like that I suppose, she likes being around Sirius, Plus he’d probably take her over to the potters so she’ll have someone more to her age to play with. I don’t want you to go through so much trouble though love, you wont need to go every where with me." She tried to bargain with him.

Looking into his eyes lovingly as he rested his forehead against hers she smiled softly. "I love you too," she said just as quietly. "all I kept thinking about was wanting to see you and Katie at least one last time, I was really scared that I may not be able to again." She said her voice watery.

[Regulus Black]

Regulus made a face when she called him dad. "Oy, you're not the monster on the broomstick. You're not allowed to call me that when she's asleep," he whined, wrinkling his nose. His expression twisted into a smile when she nodded and stuck out her lip, fingers flexing over her stomach again. "I think I forgot," he teased back, grinning identically as he tickled her.

Katie being taken to the Potter's house was something that Regulus didn't mind at all. If they could defeat the Dark Lord, they could certainly keep his daughter safe. The combination of James, Lily, and his older brother would be arguably better protection than he and Adriana could provide. "Someone more her age, rather than you and me," Regulus said thoughtfully. "Yes, that'd probably be a very good setup. And she'll have a friend when she goes to Hogwarts, too. Or at least, in her second year, when Harry gets there." He listened to her bargaining, and smiled brightly. "Just shopping. And perhaps I'll go with you when you're going to shower, too. Wouldn't want the slimy git attacking you when you're vulnerable. I'll watch out for him."

He felt his heart go out as Adriana said tearfully that she'd been thinking of him and Katie when she was kidnapped. Regulus leaned forward slightly and kissed her lips, as gently as he had the first time they'd ever done it. Snape had made her think these thoughts...and he was going to pay for it. Regulus looked into her eyes softly, and said, "You should never worry about something like that. Always know that no matter what I'll rescue you. You'll never be separated from Katie and I forever. I love you too much to let it happen." It was a broad promise, but Regulus would do whatever was in his power to keep it to her.

[Adriana Bell-Black]

Rolling her eyes at him she shrugged, “I will call you what ever I want” she said stubbornly, sticking out her tongue at his wrinkled nose. Wrinkling her nose as he grinned tickling her some more. "No you didn’t," she said between giggles. “You’re going to wake the baby.” She warned.

Nodding in agreement she grinned at the thought. "Yeah I reckon she be tired of us in years not to far away," she said remembering her own childhood crusade for independence. "Yeah, she should enjoy it especially since they love to play Quidditch they will always have something to do." Grinning as he comprised, "Of course, we all know the sacrifice of showering with me, you are too noble for your own good." She teased.

Adriana felt her eyes flutter close as he kissed her softly, the gesture setting off the many memories she associated with kisses like that. Opening her eyes she glanced into his eyes enjoying the way the light reflected off of them creating a sea of blue. "You told me once every Gryffindor needs a Slytherin to save them.” She said remembering the night he asked her to be his girlfriend. “I love you too, its just scary how close he was. That he almost…" she trailed off.

[Regulus Black]

"Fine," Regulus said sullenly. He looked up at her with a mischievous smile a moment later thought and said, "Mum." Amused when Adriana stuck out her tongue, rather than continuing to tease her, Regulus just looked lovingly at her and thanked Merlin that the git hadn't left any lasting damage on her. Sure, she'd take a while to recover from the shock of being kidnapped out of the market...and they were bloody twenty years old, it wasn't like she was sixteen and hopping off broomsticks any more. But at least it didn't appear that Snape had done anything to inherently change who she was, or how their relationship worked. Flexing his fingers again, Regulus nodded and said, "Yes I did. And I won't wake the baby, I'm not the one giggling," he said with a sly smile.

Regulus sighed, climbing onto the couch and sitting next to Adriana. "I don't want her to be sick of us," he complained. He'd never fought for independence from his parents...until very recent years. Regulus knew though that, as always, his childhood was very different from Adriana's. "Maybe they'll play against each other," he teased, smiling as he thought of Katie and Harry flying seeker against each other like he and Adriana had. He wasn't really serious about Katie being sorted into Slytherin, though, and he glanced at Adriana in amusement so that she knew it. Slipping his arms around her, he pulled her close and laughed, saying, "Noble isn't half of it. You're stuck with me, wench. I'm not ever letting you go again. Lucky that you like me, huh?"

He lingered for a moment on her lips, loving the way that her eyes fluttered closed automatically. Looking into her eyes as she looked into his, Regulus ran his hand over her cheek, pushing her hair out of the way and kissing the place where her bruise had been. "It's the truth," he said softly. "Look at how all of this turned out. Even brave girls get into trouble, love. That's why you need unscrupulous, unforgivable me about. Good thing my house was so sodding evil, or I wouldn't have known a curse to get me past him to you." Regulus cringed when she trailed off, not liking what she was saying. Just the thought of Snape putting his hands on her...it was enough that he'd hit her, but trying to...that was something that only Regulus could say he'd experienced. And it was going to stay that way, so long as Adriana wanted it to. The git deserved so much more than the bloody Cruciatus...he slipped his hand into Adriana's and ran his thumb gently over her palm. "Don't think about it, love. I'm right here...he never would have done it."