So this started off as something I had to write for Art. But then I kinda really wanted something to happen in the Lestrange Manor, and I wanted some description somewhere of what it looked like. So, this is what came of it. And there you are.

I felt a violent shiver shake my spine as soon as my feet hit the ground outside the limits of Bellatrix's mansion, I could feel the enchantments pressed around me, it felt as though I was in a stone tunnel. When I moved my hand cautiously forward I could see the light rainbow haze that flexed and bubbled at my touch. These spells were strong, this was dark magic, I could tell. I glanced over at Lupin skeptically and saw his brow bend awkwardly, I saw a look bordering on defeat but not quite there yet. His wand was twirling lightly in his hand, a curious expression was slowly crossing his face, starting in his eyes and ending in the slight twitch of a muscle on his lips. He mumbled something, I knew better than to talk when he was thinking, so I stood there and toed the slick black mud underfoot, looking around at Luna, Neville, and George, seeing their looks of concern, seeing the hope start to recede from their eyes.

"…Dumbledore said…something…" the sound was quiet, the muttering almost inaudible, but as soon as I heard the utterance something clicked in my mind, almost as if a string jerked something into place. It was there…on the tip of my tongue, struggling to get out, I racked my brain…wait, my brain. I was remembering…remembrance…had something to do with…oh!

"A memory!" I gasped, struggling to form the words as I had heard them the previous year. "if you need to enter the noble house of black, gives us a memory, a strong one we lack, if it's not worthy, than blood shall suffice, but our walls shall never ever crack."

The words flowed flawlessly off of my lips, my eyes widened, it was almost as if someone else was speaking instead of me, I looked around at the group and murmurs of grave understanding tainted the air. I felt something else click, and I didn't like it. I frowned, trying to piece together something that was there but I didn't want to think about.

"A strong one we lack…" Lupin echoed, closing his eyes and roughly shoving his fingers through his already disheveled hair.

"They want us to tell them something about the Order. And it has to be good..."

He let the last word drop and hang ominously in air…before he concluded, "or…we die."

"What?" rung out from the circle.

"I die…" he said, as if he were simply clarifying a statement, not making a grave proclaimantion.

He pointed to a hole in the gate that I hadn't noticed before, a hole big enough for a hand…and a memory.

"Lupin…" I felt my heart deflate, and my knees start to tremble, "What are we going to do? We have to get in there!" I racked my brain for another answer, glaring at the hole, misery and defeat bubbling up in the back of my throat.

"I know!" he barked, pacing in circles, a steady stream of swear words could be heard.

"What about what headquarters looks like? That's a memory they don't have, and that's not giving too much information away." Luna said quietly, her light voice sounding odd in the dreary yard.

"No. They might not take it, we can't risk it. However…"

He trailed off and looked at the black hand hole, his eyes narrowed slowly, it was almost as if he was challenging it to a dual, and in a way, he was. I knew what he was going to give her, and I didn't like it, I didn't like it at all. Protest was on the tip of everyone's tongue, but we all knew we didn't have an option.

"Someone give me a vial, quick." he turned his head away and held out his arm, he was gritting his teeth.

"Lupin!" I reached out to grab his arm, but he pulled away.

"Don't ask me what I'm doing, don't. Just let me." He grabbed the vial that Neville was holding out and popped the small wooden cork out, catching it easily in his gloved hand.

"If this doesn't work…tell them where the Order is…you NEED to get in…" he raised his wand slowly to his temple and muttered an incantation, squeezing his eyes shut and holding the wood to his forehead for a few moments before pulling away. When he did a small glittering silver strand pulled with it, but it was tainted red, red was for traitor, but at the least the Order would be notified right away, and they could flee. They would understand, they had to…they just had to, we had no other choice.

He broke the strand when it was about the length of his arm and let it float lazily in the air before lowering in slowly into the bottle, screwing the cork tightly into place when the last sliver disappeared.

"Tonks.." he said, trailing off, and looking once again at the black hole, his face was unreadable, his eyes only held one emotion but were void of anything else.

"I love you…" he echoed, despair showing in his grimace.

I ran up to him and kissed him briefly, murmuring "I love you too", and stepping away, tears brimming in my eyes.

I saw his chest rise and fall, and then swiftly, he stuck his hand in with the memory clutched tightly in his fist. I felt the first tear break and fall, others following swiftly after it.

"Who dares disturb the Lestrange Manor? The Noble House of Black." The voice emitted from the serpent curled tightly around the arm hole, I recognized the cold sneer as Bellatrix herself.

Cold fear gripped me, "Remus Lupin, Nympahdora Tonks, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and George Weasley." I saw his arm tense, the snake was circling it, a little metal tongue was flicking against Lupin's skin, hoping that he was its next meal.

"Ah, bloodtraiters, filthy muggle loving bloodtraiters, the lot of you, and all pureblood. What memory do you have for me?" The cold voice answered back, I had goose bumps now.

I heard the glass vial break and a pained look pass Lupin's face before it was gone, replaced with a stoic expression, his lips pressed tight together, his eyes wide and staring straight ahead.

A pause…another pause…"Ah, you've done well. The Dark Lord will be pleased with this…pleased with me. Only one of you may enter."

That was Bellatrix's last word, cold and unrelenting, and I knew nothing else was going to change it. Lupin jerked his arm slightly and then doubled over in pain.

"Remus!" I rushed up to him, "Ugh, It…s'okay…she doesn't…want me…to…go" he was gasping, clutching his stomach with his free hand.

"I have to go…" I concluded, looking at the group.

There was no argument. I almost hoped there would be, I was an Aurur, I had the best chance, and they all knew it.

They nodded, looking like they wanted to argue, but they bowed there heads as I glanced at the gate.

"Good luck" Luna murmured, it was followed by more gestures of the sort. I knew it was the last bit of warmth I was going to get for a while, I savored it. I touched Neville's hand briefly, feeling his frenzied pulse and clammy skin. And I touched George's cheek, feeling the dirt and the blood…but also the hot skin underneath. I closed my eyes and captured this in a snapshot to go back to when everything else was so cold…the feel of George's hot skin, and pulse in Neville's wrist.

I glanced back at Remus and touched my hand to my dry lips and then to my heart, he nodded, unable to do anything more.

I looked at the break in the rainbow mist, about my size, it would only open for one soul. Mine. I took a deep breath and took one last look at the group, then I closed my eyes and stepped through.