I kept my head low, frantically trying to shut down all mental processes in my head. I willed all thoughts away and tried to keep my mind eerily empty. Voldemort could not find out what I had just realised. I was no longer alone. I was sure of it, as I was sure Severus would no longer follow the mad-men who was at the point of killing his former love.

I smirked. Voldemort would never understand love or friendship.

Voldemort was furious and I felt relieved when he ended the meeting. As Severus apparated away I grabbed his sleeve. We stood in Spinner's End. I turned up my nose. It really was a horrible place.

Severus looked pale and was shivering and sweating at the same time. He had trained his wand on me by instinct, but lowered it as he recognised me. "Regulus," he drawled.

I smile. "Now, my old friend, we have something in common."

Severus looks at me confusedly. He wearily takes a step back. "I am in no mood for mind games, Reg," he snaps at me.

"I know you are upset," I say. I slowly twirl my wand. "Lily Evans never was just some mudblood girl."

Severus gives me a furious look. "I could not care less about her fate. If the dark lord has to.. kill her then so be it. She was dead to me the day she started dating Potter."

I smirk at him. He might have fooled the others, but I had known him to well at Hogwarts. He won't forget the first person who was kind to him, not with his crappy past. "Sure, that was why you were ogling her at her wedding and I found you the next morning in the middle of a few bottles of firewhiskey."

Severus stiffens a bit.

I stop twirling my wand and conjure some of the old wooden chairs from Severus' home towards us and I calmly sit down as does Severus. "You know I am a good friend. After all I gave you sobering potion."

Severus glares at me. "What the hell do you want, Regulus?"

I smile. Behind his intimidating look I see his weariness. Good. "I found out a precious secret of our dark lord and I thought you could be of assistance. Voldemort hurt a good friend from me as well."

Severus frowns. "I had not known. Who?"

I give Severus a warning glare. "Kreacher."

Severus gives me an estranged look. "Have you gone mad like your sister?"

"Don't compare me to Bella," I snap. "Kreacher is worth my anger. And I wanted out ever since I joined Voldemort. I wish I had stood up for myself. Hell, I wish I had just gone to Swiss to apprentice as a healer."

Severus looks mockingly at me. "Let me guess, you just wanted to make dear mother proud."

I glare. "You might have gotten rid of dear Evans, but I am still here."

"Shame," Severus says snidely, but the venom seemed gone. "So what did you find out about our dark lord."

I swallow. "He made a horocrux."

Severus harshly breathes in. "Then he achieved what he always spoke about. Our dark lord is immortal. You are a fool to oppose him!"

I glare at him. Doesn't he get it? We could be heroes. We could do the right thing for once. Maybe when this was all over and we'd make it out alive, Lily would deem him a glance! My stomach churned at the thought of following the dark lord any longer and causing more bloodshed. It never was my cup of tea. "And what will you think after Voldemort has killed of precious Evans? Will you still follow him?"

Severus stands up. He looks extremely agitated. "Look, I'll just ask him to spare her. He wants to kill the boy. I don't care, let him. And he can torture Potter for all I care and-"

"Don't you get it?" I interrupt him. "He tortures his own followers. He'd kill any of us without so much as a glance. Do you really think he'd care about the former love of one of his trusted death-eaters?"

Severus starts walking back and forth. "We'd be fools-"

"No," I scream. I had not intended to exclaim it so loudly. "We'd be fools not to." I then lower my voice. "You are my most trusted friend, Severus. Hell, you are an incredibly accomplished wizard. Voldemort would be a fool to underestimate us."

Severus looked at me shockedly. I call Kreacher. "It's time," I say as confidently as I can muster. I feel myself spinning as Spinner's End becomes blurry.