Disclaimer: We (mysterious victoria and A Girl Called Tennessee) own absolutely squat that is related to Harry Potter and JK Rowling's world! We do however, own all of our made-up characters. :)
A/N: We also basically inter-weaved the story with our ideas put into one POV, so, we both wrote the chapters because there is a mix of both mine and A Girl Called Tennessee's writing.
The Black Flight
"Regulus, we're going tomorrow morning. She'll be fine." Sirius assured him, but that gave Regulus no comfort. James came down the stairs with Remus.
"Dumbledore did a couple things, and we're going tomorrow before seven. You up for it?" James asked. Sirius nodded, but looked at Regulus who was quite unsure.
"Yeah," Regulus breathed with a sigh as he got up.
"You need rest." Sirius said as he sat his little brother on the couch. "Get some sleep." Regulus nodded and took the blanket and covered himself with it while his brother and his friends went upstairs.
Regulus's worry was mounting fairly quickly in his chest; he needed to make sure Vanessa was okay. But he couldn't stand to wait until then – it was six hours away! He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to her. Especially now because he had gotten into some serious business, and the consequences would not be good at all. He just hoped that by then, she would still be alive. Regulus tucked the blankets close to chin and shuddered.
Vanessa lay on her side, watching the blood flow from her nose like someone had turned on a faucet. It ran down her face, past her, slightly open mouth and onto the floor where it crusted in her hair and on the tiles she lay upon. She shuddered at the thought of the tears that had now joined the blood and ran into her cuts causing them to sting and burn. She wanted to be home, more than anything in the world she wanted to be home, with her tattered blankets, and flickering lamps, the old smell of the wood that just barely kept the elements out, that screeching owl that kept her up for most of the night.
She took a deep breath and tried to pull her hands from her stomach, but somehow couldn't find the strength to do it. She wished Regulus was here, she die with the secret and taking another's life as she went. But she didn't want him to be here, if he showed up to save her, he would die, and that was the last thing she wanted.
She closed her eyes slightly and thought about it, if she offered up the life of her unborn children as servants of the Dark Lord, they would let them live, even if she didn't, that would be enough. No . . . no, it wouldn't be; the same fate would come upon them as her and their father. But if she didn't say anything they would be killed before beginning to live.
Her only hope was Regulus showing up, not for herself, if this only concerned herself she would die first, yes, she would die before letting Regulus die. But that was because she knew he'd do the same for her.
Would he be mad at her for not telling him, after all she was only eighteen, and she had just turned eighteen a few months ago? He was only eighteen, but older than her. They were young, too young to have a child, let alone twins, that decided their full future. He hadn't seen her in over three months, wow what a shock that would be, already a matter of weeks away from giving birth. She should have told him; it wasn't fair to keep something this epic from her children's own father.
"No," Vanessa said quietly to herself, "I'm not going to sit around feeling sorry for myself; I've got to get out of here."
She ripped her hair dried to her cheek with blood off her face and lifted herself up. She needed a plan.
Putting her forehead in her hand for a second to think while looking around at the room she was locked in, it didn't look much like a room you'd find in a Death Eater hideaway, but then again the typical Death Eater hideaway was not in a closed down muggle drycleaners. But for being closed down it looked like it had once been very large and successful business, maybe there had been some sort of take over, although that seemed unlikely, meaning why would a hoard of Death Eaters take over a drycleaners? It didn't matter though. Well Voldemort wasn't here, he had gone to the real hideout after last night, but she had a feeling he'd comeback.
She thought of why they might be here as she pulled black sheets from the shelves and then began looking through trunks and boxes for something that could act as a mask, finally coming across something that she wasn't sure what it was. It might have actually been a Death Eater mask, but she wasn't sure as she snapped it on and pulled the black sheet over her self like a cloak, and then went searching for something that would unlock the door.
She bent down and ran her hand along the ground under the shelves until her fingertip snagged on a paper clip.
"A little old fashioned, but–" she thought unbending it and wiggling around in the keyhole until she heard a small click and the door swung open.
Vanessa let out a sigh of relief as she took a cautious step into the hall and found it to be empty, so continued down it until coming to a larger room, also vacant, or for the time being.
Suddenly the door across the space from her opened and two Death Eaters emerged, freezing upon seeing her.
"Hey Bellatrix," said one with a nod.
"H-hello . . ." Vanessa responded quietly just incase her voice didn't sound anything like the woman they spoke of.
She then shifted uncomfortably as they did not move, ". . . I-I have to go now . . . goodbye."
The two parted to let her through, and as soon as the door had shut behind her broke into a sprint for the front door, and was blinded by sunlight.
She was outside! What a miracle that was, but how long would that miracle last? She needed to contact Regulus if at all possible. Voldemort had sent that vision to him; she knew that because he had taunted her about it. Regulus needed to know not come to that place. Even with the Order and its members, it would only put more lives at stake. She checked around her back pockets to find her wand.
It was perfect! After she was more than well away from the hideout of the Death Eaters, Vanessa could just send him a Patronus and ask him where he is! It was brilliant, but Vanessa needed to get away from them. She couldn't Apparate because what would happen if they discovered she was their missing convict; they would easily track her down. She'd go down a couple alleys and just run, run for her life. That was exactly what Vanessa did.
She casually turned an alleyway out of the eyesight of a Death Eater and started running. She took off her mask and blanket, turned a couple more alleys and streets, and then she threw them off and started running harder and faster. She continued for maybe five blocks and then hid in a very darkened and deserted alley. Vanessa took a minute and relaxed herself, and she put a hand on her stomach. She had stopped bleeding; that was good. She did a little magic to fix up her stomach and then aimed her wand out for an open yet small area.
Vanessa spoke the incantation and started her talk:
"Regulus, it's Vanessa. Don't worry about me; I'm fine. I need to know where you are, so I can explain to you what happened and what I found out. Please, don't go after me, I'm perfectly fine. Send me back a Patronus." Her mustang whinnied and took off. Vanessa smiled to herself and took a deep breath of relief.
Now, she could wait and relax, and maybe think about how to tell Regulus about their little blessings as her parents used to call it. That thought only made her tense up and worry.
Regulus woke up to sunlight shining through the curtains in his brother's living room, and he shot up in bed and started running into the kitchen where he heard some noises. He stopped at the sight of his brother and his friends, now looking at him queerly, while having breakfast.
"Regulus, relax, we're going in like a half an hour. Have something to eat," Sirius suggested calmly. Regulus was about to rant until a low growl in his stomach came. He sat down grudgingly as Sirius got him a plate.
A whooshing sound came from the living room with a familiar voice calling,
"Regulus,"
The four jumped from their seats to the living room, Regulus being the quickest,
"It's Vanessa. Don't worry about me; I'm fine. I need to know where you are, so I can explain to you what happened and what I found out. Please, don't go after me, I'm perfectly fine. Send me back a Patronus."
The four looked at each other; Regulus was more than relieved to hear Vanessa's voice. Sirius and James were a little concerned.
"Well, what are we standing around for?" Regulus said, "Let's go after her."
"Regulus . . . what happens if this is a trap?"
"You listen to it then!" Regulus cried, "She needs us, she says things like that, she needs help!"
Sirius took his wand from his pocket and pointed it at the area where the voice had come from, and it repeated itself.
"Who's 'we'?" Remus asked sipping a cup of coffee calmly.
"What?" Regulus asked sharply, causing Remus to regret his own words.
"S-she said 'we're fine' . . . who's 'we'?"
"No, she didn't . . . did she?" Remus, Sirius, and James nodded. "She's cheating on me?!" he shouted so loudly it made the three of them jump.
Then they exchanged glances and Sirius sighed, "I don't think that's it, mate."
James nodded and said, "Listen to the way she said it."
"I'm not replaying it," Sirius snapped.
"When was the last time you saw her?" asked Remus, who seemed unfazed by this news.
". . . Bout two months ago. Maybe a little longer,"
"Well . . ." said Sirius, "Congrats, can I train him?"
"Shut up!" Regulus scowled, but his face read a mixture of happiness and worry.
"I'm just saying–"
"I know what you're saying, and it has nothing to do with him."
"Could be a girl," smiled James half smirking.
"And this is why I'm not having children," sighed Remus.
"Why?" asked Regulus, whose face was now pale and was back slouching in his chair.
"Because–" he began, but James cut him off.
"We all know why you're not going to have kids," he said.
Sirius smirked, "Yeah, because he can't find a girl who sees you as anything less than a complete dork."
Remus scowled, "Because–"
"We all know the reason Moony," James said abruptly to break up the fight.
"Okay, listen," Sirius said to Regulus, but upon turning found his seat empty, "Where'd he–"
Remus pointed over his shoulder into the next room without looking up from his paper.
Regulus was already pulling on his coat and boots. "Where are you going?" asked Sirius.
"To find her."
"You can't go."
"Too late," and the door slammed behind him.
James also got up at this and pulled on his coat, along with Remus.
"Where are you going?" asked Sirius.
"With him, and so should you," they replied.
"Why?"
"Listen, you may not like him, but he's your brother, isn't there a bond or something?"
"I try and ignore it."
"Well now's not the time for that."
And the door closed again.
Vanessa sat there; she was getting a little worried. It was about ten minutes after she sent that Patronus, and there was still no reply from Regulus. She could only assume the worst, which was that Voldemort had gone after him. She tried with all of her will power to think of something good, but her mind would consciously turn it into a bad thought. She sighed and stood up as she heard a whooshing sound. To her absolute relief, Regulus's Patronus came in.
"Vanessa, you don't know how good it is for me to hear your voice again." Vanessa closed her eyes with a smile; it was nice to hear his voice again. "I'm with Sirius." That made Vanessa tense a little and open her eyes. "It sounds weird, but I took refuge at his house. Three-six-five West Harbour Street, but I'll come to you; don't go anywhere."
His Patronus vanished like dust in the wind, but Vanessa could care less about that. West Harbour Street was only minutes away! She could walk there if she wanted to, but she badly wanted to Apparate. She was about to, but realized her little children. The Mediwizard had instructed her, not to use Apparation, especially after the fifth month. He said that it could possibly hurt the babies' development if she did.
So that's what she did. She walked, but at a very brisk pace to get there a little faster. Finally she couldn't stand it any longer and broke into a sprint, and just as she was so close she could feel, someone Apparated right in front of her and the two were knocked backward.
Vanessa couldn't see who it was since her hand was over her forehead, but he must have recognized her for she was suddenly wrapped him a large hug as she got up.
She screamed and tried to push whoever it was away, but then her ears were filled with a sweet voice that she knew so well.
"Regulus," she cried falling into his arms.
"Here, here, get up," Regulus smiled talking her by the hands and helping her up, then looking her up and down. ". . . Wow . . . you look . . . pregnant . . . well no, I don't mean that, I mean that, well I just, I'm going to stop talking now."
"Yeah . . . I know," she smiled wiping the tears from her eyes and hugging him.
"How are you . . . doing?"
"Well, I'm maybe a month or two from having birth."
Regulus drew backwards slightly and looked at her again, "That's . . . that's not possible," he said, she looked a lot more than that, more like she needed to give birth right now.
". . . Well, actually it is . . . They're . . . well they're twins."
The next chapter will be posted up next week. We both love reviews! Lurking, favs, alerts and subscriptions are silver, but reviewing is gold! :)
~ Mysterious Victoria
