Bring in another couple and incorporate the theme: One member of your couple had/is having an affair with a member of the other couple.

(dialogue) "You still believe in me. Don't you?"

Miranda Goshawk (bronze) - Write about the youngest sibling in a family.

Regulus' gut had told him that something was going to go wrong the moment he woke up that day, but, being a spy for the dark side had filled him with these feelings continuously throughout the past few months and he'd become used to them.

He wished he'd heeded its warning.

"I told you that I wanted nothing fancy," Hermione complained as the two of them walked into the restaurant's foyer. "And what do you go and do? Book us a table in one of the most renowned wizarding restaurants. Are you deaf or just inclined to ignore me?"

"Pardon?" Hermione shot him a look and he grinned at her. "Love, it is our fourth anniversary! What was I supposed to do? Order some chinese and be done with it?"

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed in exasperation. She turned her attention to her small, beaded bag and placed her shawl into it, accidentally catching someone's shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry," she apologised immediately. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about," a feminine voice reassured and Regulus felt his heart stop. Of all the places to meet. "No harm was done." He turned, catching Hermione's elbow and hoping to tow her off to their table before he was seen but - "Regulus, how nice to see you!" No such luck.

"Marlene," he greeted, smiling stiffly. "What a surprise." She giggled, twining her arm through her partner's. "What are you doing here?" He hoped his question didn't come across rude because Hermione would know something was up immediately but going by the hiss of his name from her lips, he guessed he hadn't been as subtle.

"We're here on a date," Marlene replied coolly, looking between him and his witch. Her eyes held a calculated look and he prayed to Merlin and every other God known to man that she didn't cause trouble. "What are you doing here?"

"It's our anniversary," Hermione replied before he could say anything. "Four years," she added as an afterthought.

Marlene's eyes widened in shock but the waiter soon arrived, hinting none too kindly that they had moments to get to their table or they'd have to leave.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked once they were sat at their table, napkin placed over her dress.

"Just some anger on both of our parts for her break-up with Sirius," he replied, shrugging as if it was nothing.

"But that was years ago!"

"I don't know what goes through that girl's mind now, do I?"

The meal had been wonderful and Regulus had thoroughly enjoyed his evening and he'd enjoy it even more if they managed to get home before Marlene managed to confront Hermione.

Marlene McKinnon held a strong dislike for cheaters. Sirius had cheated on her back when they were in Hogwarts and had been an official couple for a day. She wasn't a cheater herself because her dates weren't exclusive and they were open to see who they wanted but if they were in a committed relationship then you had better be able to run from her.

"I just need to go to the loo before we leave," Hermione told him and had left the table before he could protest. Why couldn't she wait until they were home? It would take them merely seconds via apparition or floo. A quick scan across the room revealed neither Marlene or her date for the night and he prayed that they'd both gone home earlier.

"You're the one dating Regulus, right?" a voice asked and Hermione looked up from washing her hands to see Marlene. Hermione nodded, smiling softly but not hiding the curious look that twisted her features.

"Marlene, I recognise you from Hogwarts. How can I help you?"

"It's more of how I can help you…"

Regulus' gut turned colder than it had all evening and he was immediately filled with dread. Something was definitely wrong. Standing from the table and wandering into the foyer, he noticed a blur of movement and his eyes followed it, noticing the brown curls bouncing behind the rushing body. Curls he'd recognise anywhere.

"Hermione," he called, moving quickly to catch up. She ignored him and he sped up slightly, thankful that the restaurant wasn't busy. He caught her hand and tugged, causing her to turn around.

His head snapped to the side before he even realised that she'd slapped him.

"Hermione," he tried but another slap interrupted him. He was a seeker, why on Merlin's Earth could he not capture her wrists before contact?

"Don't speak to me," she hissed, her tone gruff which hinted to held back tears. "You have no right."

"Hermione, I can explain."

"You don't even have to ask what's wrong because you know!" He winced at her tone, slackening his grip on her hand which he'd still been holding which allowed her to pull free. She was in the fireplace and calling out for Godric's Hollow before he'd even been able to catch up.

"You deserve so much more than that," Marlene commented from behind him but he didn't stick around, instead choosing to rush to the apparition point and getting the heck out of there.

Sirius answered the door instead of the owners he'd been expecting and so he had only a moment to prepare himself for the fist in the face that caused him to drop to the ground.

"Get out of here and don't come back," Sirius growled. The well-known Black temper was really shining through now. "Get up off of the floor, turn around and leave."

"I need to talk to her," Regulus insisted, clambering to his feet and dabbing his split lip. "I need to explain myself."

"No, you don't." Sirius swung at him again but Regulus was more prepared this time and managed to scamper back a few paces. "You've done enough damage and if you explained your reasons for cheating on her, you'd break that girl. If you haven't already."

"Let me see her."

"If I let you in then you are going to be confronted by an angry werewolf, an angry muggleborn who will want your balls on a platter as well as an angry wizard who just wants to hit you to join in. Now scrat," Sirius growled, transforming into Padfoot and growling menacingly at him. Regulus got the hint and left, apparating back home. To their home. To his empty home.

He'd assumed it was empty, seeing how Sirius had been protective of the building she'd gone to, and so he was shocked to hear her cursing him and his body parts in their bedroom. He'd stood there for only a moment before rushing to the room and blocking her in.

"Hermione," he pleaded and watched her back stiffen. "Let me explain."

"What's done is done," she replied airily. "You cheated on me and have been cheating on me for the past month or so. Things like that are pretty self-explanatory."

"But our situation isn't," he insisted, fighting off tears as he saw her pack clothes into a bag. "I'm a Death Eater who carries out tasks for the Dark Lord. Surely that means our situation is different."

"We're on about how incapable you are of keeping it in your pants, Regulus, not your life mistakes. Though I suppose this does count as one too, depending on how you look at it."

"It is a mistake. A huge one, but please, listen to me."

"No."

"I'll talk anyway but just let me speak! He ordered it. He ordered me to cheat on you." Hermione slowly stopped moving, letting his works soak into her mind and he felt a moment of rejoicement. "He knows about us and he hates our relationship, believing me to have sullied myself by sleeping with you. He tried to get me to see other purebloods but none of them would have any interest in me and neither I for them."

Hermione turned to look at him and he fell silent at her puffy eyes and red cheeks. "Carry on."

"He then gave me a task. He wanted me to get with Marlene and try to change her beliefs and sway her onto His side. I tried to fake the first interaction when he entered my mind but he knew it was fake and I passed it off as a dream. I had to make it real or he'd punish both myself and the person most important to me. You." Hermione's breath caught in her throat and she silently started crying.

"I can never justify what I've done and I can never take away the pain that I've caused you to experience but you can read my mind, experience my memories, lace my drinks with veritaserum and you will get the same explanation every time. I did it for you."

"I don't like it," she replied softly, wrapping her arms around herself as if for protection.

"And you don't have to. However, you still believe in me. Don't you?" Hermione was silent for a long period of time and Regulus felt his stomach drop but she nodded stiffly. "I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you, just please, don't leave me."

"I never want to see her again."

"We'll avoid her at all costs," he replied immediately, walking forward to embrace her as they both cried.

Just to let you all know, I hate cheaters and hated writing this chapter. I'm sure it shows.