The Avery family were one of the few truly pureblood wizarding families left in society. They took pride in a long line of thoroughly talented witches and wizards who all bore the proud status as not only pureblood, but also Slytherins.
Lucas Avery...
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Esme and Regulus sat opposite each other at the dining table in Grimmauld Place. They had been hiding out there, since escaping the cave a week prior, as Walburga and Orion were away for the month so they had the place to themselves for the time being. They wouldn't be able to stay there much longer, and soon they'd have to pack up their belongings to officially go on the run from the Death Eaters and the Ministry - for betraying the Dark Lord, and being Death Eaters, respectively.
Regulus had been having difficulty moving past what had happened in the cave, and most nights he was consumed by nightmares that regularly startled both of them awake in a consistent pattern of every two or three hours. So to try and ease this somewhat, as they prepared to go out and find out more about horcruxes, Esme was trying to distract him with more lighthearted conversation.
"It's... I don't know how to describe it. I miss this idea of a warm, loving home where I felt safe. I never had that though. My family were never particularly close, but now I can't go to them, I feel like I'm missing something. Does that makes sense?"
Esme later thought perhaps she could have done better at the lighthearted conversation.
"Hiraeth." Regulus stated shortly, watching her with sadness swimming in his eyes.
"Sorry, what?" Esme frowned, blinking her eyes quickly. He shrugged, "It's a Welsh word. Concept, really. It means longing. But there's this idea of being homesick for somewhere that doesn't exist, or you can't go to anymore. I feel the same sometimes, particularly at Hogwarts - I would want to return home, but not here, a different home. A homely, warm and comfortable place."
Esme scoffed, "Welsh? Where on Earth did you learn Welsh?" "I took some lessons one summer." "Right, well that makes it not weird." She laughed slightly.
"It was a particularly boring summer." She pursed her lips, attempting to hide her smirk as she replied, "I'm not sure it was the summer that was boring. What kind of person impulsively learns Welsh? I mean, of all the languages!"
"Forget I said anything." "I'm never forgetting that. If anything, I'm going to need more details."
"Shut up, Avery." Regulus rolled his eyes. "Make me." Esme smirked and leant across to swiftly peck him on the lips before sitting back down, the smirk still plastered on her face.
"You know what... I think I can get away with whatever I want now I've saved your life." She grinned proudly. He rolled his shoulders back with a slight discomfort, the light catching his face in such a way as to highlight the deep circles hanging under his dark eyes. "I'm glad you can joke about that."
"Sorry." She offered, "I didn't mean to be insensitive." "No, it's-it's fine. A lot to cope with, is all - nearly dying, I mean." He mumbled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. It had only been a week since the incident in the cave, yet not a night went by where it didn't haunt Regulus' subconscious. Esme knew this all too well as she was often startled awake by Regulus writhing whilst in the midst of a nightmare. The Inferi seemed to follow him, always in the corner of his eye or lurking at the back of his mind.
