Work Text:
Regulus hadn’t put Harry down in what felt like days.
Correction: Regulus couldn’t put Harry down. The moment he tried, the baby’s tiny face would crumple into betrayal, followed by a wail so loud it could burst eardrums.
Just this morning, he’d inched toward the crib with Harry swaddled in his arms, holding his breath like handling an explosive bomb. Carefully, he lowered the baby into the plush crib, his heart pounding.
For a moment, Harry lay still.
Regulus backed away slowly, hoping that the silence might hold.
It didn’t.
The moment Regulus was no longer within reach, Harry’s little hands reached out helplessly, fingers curling in the air where his Papa had been. A soft whimper broke from his mouth, quickly escalating into a miserable, heartbreaking sob. Tiny arms flailed, legs kicked, and his face turned red with distress.
Regulus was back at the crib in an instant.
“I’m right here, sweetheart,” he murmured, scooping Harry up again and cradling him tightly against his chest. Harry immediately latched onto his shirt, burying his face in his shoulder with a sniffle.
The crying stopped. Just like that.
Regulus sighed, brushing a hand through his son’s soft, curly hair.
Harry wanted his Papa. All the time. At every hour.
And Regulus, for all his stubborn pride, was... soft. Completely whipped by the way Harry was curling into his chest, clutching at his clothes with those tiny fists, and blinking up at him with his green eyes.
But it was getting a little difficult to function. He had a shop to run. Potions to brew. He would have to do all those things with a baby in his arms, Regulus thought.
˗ˏˋ ˙⋆✮ ☀︎ ˎˊ˗
Andromeda stopped by for tea and took one look at him, Regulus’ arms full of baby Harry, he couldn’t even drink properly.
“You have a very clingy boy, I see.”
Regulus huffed, shifting the baby who had begun to drool on his collarbone. “He cries whenever I put him down, Andy.”
Andromeda only smiled, clearly amused, and then said something that changed everything. “You need a baby sling.”
“A what now?”
Andromeda summoned her magical bag, and pulled out a soft, worn piece of fabric.
“It’s a Muggle invention,” she said with a smile, “Ted introduced it to me, you are supposed to wrap it on your torso and it holds the baby for you. Nymphadora has overgrown it, though. It’s yours if you want it.”
Regulus stared at the fabric like it might bite him.
“It doesn’t look particularly stable,” he said doubtfully, pinching one end between two fingers. “What if it comes undone? What if he slips? How will Harry be secure in this little thing? And what if he can’t breathe in there properly?”
Andromeda chuckled. “You sound like me when I tried it for the first time. I promise it’s safe, if you wrap it right. Here, watch.”
She demonstrated with the ease of someone who had done it hundreds of times before. Knotting, tucking, adjusting the fabric across Regulus’ shoulder and around his torso. “You want it snug, but not tight. High enough that you can see the top of his head.”
Regulus hesitated, clutching Harry a little tighter. His baby was so small. So soft. So vulnerable .
But Andromeda took Harry with practiced hands and gently settled him into the sling against Regulus’ chest, guiding Regulus through each step until the wrap was secure. Regulus held his breath the entire time but Harry didn’t even stir. He stayed curled against him, safe and warm, already beginning to doze again, cheek squished against Regulus’ chest.
And then, Regulus realized, his hands were free.
His hands were free.
He flexed his fingers experimentally. He reached for his tea, added some sugar, and then mixed it with a spoon. No shifting baby, no whining, no aching arms. Just a soft, sleeping bundle snug to his chest and the world at his fingertips.
“This is revolutionary ,” he breathed.
˗ˏˋ ˙⋆✮ ☀︎ ˎˊ˗
From that moment on, the sling became part of his everyday wardrobe.
Regulus cleaned the house, cooked meals, and prepared milk bottles with ease.
At work, he restocked his shelves, organized ingredients, and even swept the front steps of The Celestial Cauldron with Harry bundled up against him, fast asleep. When he brewed potions, he enchanted the sling with a protective charm. Ensuring that Harry would remain safe despite all the splattering potions in his cauldron.
One elderly witch teared up at the sight and whispered, “I wish I had that when my son was younger.”
Regulus had blinked, surprised by the sudden emotion in her voice. Her hands hovered just over Harry’s soft curls, not quite daring to touch, and her eyes shimmered with something bittersweet.
“He used to scream the whole house down if I so much as stepped out of the room,” she added, her smile tender. “Clung to me like a bowtruckle until he was four. Drove me crazy some days but oh, I miss it now.”
Regulus nodded solemnly. There was something intimate about the way Harry melted into him, the way tiny fingers curled around his clothes even in sleep. It was exhausting, but it was also grounding, a constant reminder of the baby he loves, trusting Regulus to keep him safe.
“Enjoy it while it lasts,” said the witch, with laugh lines around her eyes. “One day you’ll blink, and they won’t want to be held anymore.”
You can bet that Regulus will take every opportunity to have his baby safe and nestled in his arms for a little while longer. Regulus will cherish this moment because he knows that there will come a day where his son won’t need him in this way again.
˗ˏˋ ˙⋆✮ ☀︎ ˎˊ˗
James popped by after Quidditch practice one afternoon, hair windswept and cheeks still pink from the cold. The familiar sound of the shop’s windchime rang as he stepped inside, sending a small gust of cold air through the cozy storefront.
There was no one here, but James was willing to bet a thousand galleons that his husband was in the brewing room.
Grinning, James made his way toward the back, slipping past the discreet curtain and through the warded door that separated the main shop from the lab.
He stepped into the room, and immediately melted.
Regulus was bent over a simmering cauldron, wand moving in a precise, practiced motion. His robes were pinned back neatly, sleeves rolled, every movement careful and controlled. But what caught James’ attention was the cloth snug against Regulus’ chest. Upon closer inspection he realizes that it was swaddling a sleeping Harry, whose tiny curls peeked out beneath the fold, cheek resting right over his papa’s heart.
James’ heart clenched.
“Sweet Merlin,” he breathed, unable to stop the smile blooming across his face. “This is the most precious thing I’ve ever seen. My two favorite people in one cuddly bundle.”
Regulus didn’t look up. “I’m busy.”
“I know,” James said, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips anyway. “What the hell is this thing on your chest?”
“It’s a baby sling,” Regulus replied, wonder can be heard from his voice. “Andromeda gave it to me. Said it’s a muggle invention. It keeps the baby snuggled on your chest and you can do tons of stuff without worrying about shifting the baby from one hand to another.”
James blinked. “It’s kind of brilliant, actually.”
“It is. I have my arms to myself. I’m free!” Regulus said excitedly, waving his unoccupied hands. “Do you understand the significance of this, Jamie?”
James chuckled, utterly charmed. “I do, my love.”
James reached out gently, eyeing the soft bundle of joy nestled against his husband’s chest. “Want me to take him for a bit? Give you a breather?”
Regulus glared at him with narrow eyes.
“James Potter,” he said slowly, “if you so much as breathe near this sling and wake him up, I will hex you.”
James paused, one hand halfway there, then wisely stepped back with a grin and raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. Message received. Baby Harry will stay with his Papa.”
“He just fell asleep. I’ve made three potions, sorted the inventory, and finally finished the cough draught I’ve been meaning to get to for weeks. You’re not ruining this peace.”
James was already laughing. “Just say that you’re attached to our baby.”
“I’m being practical,” Regulus sniffed. “Also, our son smells like baby powder and I’m not ready to let go yet.”
James melted all over again.
“You are so unbelievably adorable.” he said fondly, wrapping his arms around Regulus from behind, careful not to jostle Harry.
Regulus sighed but leaned back into the embrace, letting himself relax as James pressed a warm kiss to his temple.
They stood there in quiet stillness for a moment. The cauldron bubbling in the background as the parents watched their little boy sleep, his little snores reaching their ears. Their hearts beat in sync with each other.
“I love the both of you so much,” James murmured, his voice low, warm with wonder.
Regulus tilted his head, the ghost of a smile playing at his lips as he leaned into James just a little more. “I know,” he whispered. “We love you too.”
Harry let out a sleepy sigh, and for a moment, everything felt perfect. Like the world had quieted just to cradle this little family in contentment and peace.