[A/N: I road tripped it down to Florida with my boyfriend to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It's more amazing than I'll ever be able to put into words. For every person that has ever dreamed of being a part of that world, prepare to have your dreams come true there. I could only spend a day there but I wish I could stay forever.]

"So, Regulus had this locket at some point," Hermione determined as we sat in the kitchen discussing the situation.

"And if he had and he took it he must've destroyed it?" I asked.

Harry shook his head

"What do you mean-," Ron shook his head no as Harry had.

"I saw the locket," Harry said. "When we were cleaning the house fifth year. . . We threw it out."

I slammed my head down against the table.

"Fuck our lives you guys," I said. "We are so screwed."

"Maybe not!" Hermione declared. "Remember, Kreature was stealing all kinds of things from the house before that we meant to throw away."

"Right! If Kreature took it then he should be able to tell us what he did with it," Harry said. He rose to his feet. "Kreature, come here!"

After a moment Kreature appeared on the table in front of us with a "pop".

Harry held up the locket in front of him

"Kreacher have you seen this locket before?" he demanded.

Kreature, as was typical of him starting mumbling about mudbloods and blood traitors and gingers.

"Answer me Kreature!" Harry shouted at him.

"Tis master Regulus' locket," Kreacher replied with a hiss.

"Did you steal this locket when we tried to throw it away?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Kreature admitted it.

"Where is it?" he asked,

"Kreature doesn't have it anymore," he said.

"You don't have it anymore?" I asked.

"Kreature doesn't have it anymore," he repeated with that annoyed tone.

"Where did it get to?" Harry asked sternly.

"Kreacher doesn't know. That man took it," he said.

"What man?" Ron asked.

"Let me guess—Mundungus Flethcer?" I asked. Kreacher nodded. "The thief. I bet he'd steal from his own mother."

"Well Dung took it—luckily we have no idea where he is," Ron said.

"Kreacher, how did your master, Regulus come across this locket?" Harry asked.

"Master came to Kreacher saying that the Dark Lord needed the assistance of a house elf. So master brought Kreacher to the Dark Lord and the Dark Lord took Kreacher to a cave and on a boat and he made Kreacher drink a nasty potion out of a basin and then he put something inside of it," he said.

"The locket?" I asked. Kreacher nodded again.

"And then the Dark Lord left," Kreacher said.

"And you came back?" I asked.

"No. Kreacher stayed," he said,

"You mean Voldemort just left you there to die?" I asked.

"If he left you then how did you get back?" Harry asked.

"Master called Kreacher and Kreacher came," he said.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Master called and Kreacher came," he repeated.

"I don't understand," Harry said shaking his head.

"But, Harry, he's a house elf," Hermione said. "He's supposed to follow orders. He comes when he's called. You called him and he came."

"So how did Regulus get the locket?" Harry went on.

"Kreacher brought it to him. He told Kreacher to destroy it," Kreacher went on.

"But you didn't," I said.

"Kreacher couldn't!" he said suddenly distraught. "Kreacher tried everything—he smashed it and threw it but it would not break." Kreacher fell over on the table, sobbing.

"Kreacher I don't get it, Voldemort tried to have you killed and then he had your master killed and you were so quick to turn Sirius over to him," Harry said.

"He doesn't think that way," Hermione said. "He does what people tell him to. The reason he lied to you about Sirius was because everyone's so awful to him."

We all exchanged glances. We really were awful to Kreacher, and for no other reason than he'd been a little old and cranky. . . And rude.

"Kreacher, whenever you're feeling up to it, get up please," Harry said.

Hermione smiled as if she'd joined 10 SPEW points.

After he finished crying, Kreacher stood.

"Look, buddy, we're sorry, all of us, for being so awful to you for no reason. You've just been trying to do your job," I said.

Kreacher stared at us for a moment, his eyes glazed over with tears and then without warning he threw his arms around me and cried.

"Okay," I said awkwardly returning the hug, "it's okay, Kreacher."

"Could you help us, Kreacher? Find Mundungus Flethcer and bring him here?" Harry asked.

He let me go and looked to Harry. He gave him a nod. "Kreacher will do his best."

"And don't get hurt. Stay safe," I said.

Kreacher nodded and then popped away.

"How was that hug?" Ron chuckled.

"Only the most awkward thing ever," I said.

888

Kreacher had been gone for three days looking for Mundungus. We were worried about him, but there was nothing we could did but sit around and wait for him.

For me, waiting consisted of my lying in bed, keeping off my feet as much as possible like Dana had requested.

Hermione came into our room smiling at me.

"Come downstairs," she said.

"Is Kreature back?" I asked climbing to my feet.

"This is probably better than Kreature," she said.

I followed her down to the kitchen and to my absolute delight, there sitting at the table with Harry and Ron, was Remus.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore I eyes," I said, hugging him.

"And so are you," he said. "Sit down. I have lots to tell you. A lot has changed in four days."

"Everyone's all right aren't they?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Remus said. "After you left, death eaters showed up, the usual lot—Lestrange, Alecto Carrow, Lucius and even Draco and Snape."

"Both of them?" I asked.

Remus nodded. "It was bit of a shock to see Draco there more so than Snape."

"I'll say," I said. "What did they want?"

"Aside from the four of you? Nothing, except to warn us that they'd be watching," Remus explained.

"Did the ghoul work? They won't come looking for Ron will they?" Hermione asked.

"As far as we know it did but. . . It's not really for anyone to say except Ginny," he said.

"Why Ginny?" Ron asked.

"When they arrived, Ginny was the one who brought up that you had spattergroit and were being quarantined in the attic. So, Snape sent Malfoy upstairs with Ginny to check. It all seemed normal enough, but when we asked Ginny what exactly she and Malfoy talked about while they were alone inside the house she won't say anything more than that they won't come sniffing around about Ron anymore," he said.

"That's. . . Weird," Harry said.

"And Ginny knows how weird it is. Clearly she and Draco talked about something but whatever it is it's apparently a secret," Remus said.

"But Ginny wouldn't keep a secret between just her and Draco unless trusted him," I said.

"Maybe that's the secret—that she trusts him," Ron said.

"Oh, whatever, last I checked Ginny knows better than to go around trusting known death eaters. She's not me after all," I said.

"I'm sure whatever they talked about will come to light eventually, but there's more to tell," he said. "Hogwarts is mandatory for all students under the age of 17, however, no muggle born students will be allowed in."

"That's awful. How can they do such a thing?" Hermione asked.

"That's just the tip of the iceberg. Hermione, it is especially important, now more than ever that you stay hidden," Remus said.

"Why?" she asked.

". . . Any witches or wizards who are listed as muggleborn at the Ministry are being investigated and if they are found to have no magic in their backgrounds whatsoever they're being thrown into Azkaban for 'stealing magic' from wizards," he explained.

"Stealing magic? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of," she said.

"What about all of our friends who are muggleborn? Like Dean Thomas? And Tonks' dad is a muggle. What are they all going to do?" I asked.

"From what I've been able to tell they've gone into hiding, at last Ted has. If I knew about Dean I would tell you but hopefully he's safe as well," Remus explained.

"This is horrible," Ron said.

"Indeed," Harry said. "Who's taking over at the ministry with Scrimgeour dead?"

"Pius Thicknesse," Remus said.

I scoffed. "That incompetent oaf?"

"He's merely a puppet, Hannah. Obviously Voldemort is pulling the strings," Remus said.

"Why wouldn't Voldemort just take over himself? Why go through all the trouble of controlling someone?" Harry asked.

"So the puppet master he can watch his puppet make the audience dance," I said. "If you've got power over someone why not use it?"

Remus nodded in agreement.

"Harry and Hannah, you're wanted by the ministry for questioning," Remus said.

"On what grounds?" I asked.

"The circumstances involving Dumbledore's death," he said.

"Again with this shit. They think we killed everyone," I growled.

"It's all a ruse, you know. To get you," he said.

"Well, it was the same ruse Voldemort used last time. He needs to be more creative and stop trying to get people to think I killed people," I said. "They're going to believe him one of these days."

Ron patted me on the back encouragingly.

"This is going to be dangerous with literally everyone looking for us," Harry said.

I nodded. "And now they've got people watching the square looking for us as well. Haven't you seen them?"

Hermione nodded. "I'll have to look in the library to find some useful protection spells we might not know."

"I could go with you," Remus said.

The conversation stopped dead in its tracks right there.

"As much as I relish the thought of you coming with us, you can't. It's Dumbledore's secret mission. If it's secret mission then you can't come because it's a secret. The other person besides the four of us that knows what's going on is Kassia," I said.

"I wouldn't have to know exactly what was going. Just enough to keep an eye on you," Remus said.

That was true. If we brought him a long he wouldn't have to know everything. We could just tell him we were looking for a locket or a snake or cup. He wouldn't need to know what it was exactly.

But something wasn't sitting well with me about all of us. There were red flags going up in my head telling me there was a more obvious reason why he shouldn't be going with us.

"But why you would you want to go with us? You and Tonks just got married," Harry pointed out.

"Remus, is everything alright?" Hermione asked.

I stared hard at him for a moment, thinking that if he said anything other than "yes" I'd probably burst into tears. I'd seen them four days ago and they were perfectly happy together like always, unless I'd missed something.

Remus let out a deep breath. "Tonks is pregnant."

The four of us all gasped at once, as if it were such a big shock that a happily married couple could end up with a baby.

"Wow. . ." Ron began. "You two don't waste time do you?"

Hermione and I both slapped him upside his head.

"Try opening your mouth without saying something stupid," Hermione said.

"If you two are having a baby then why you would you want to leave?" Harry asked.

"Not to mention, Kaitlin," I said. "She's there. She needs you now that Janessa's in a coma. You're all she's got."

We waited on Remus to say something but instead he just stared down at his hands.

I knew what he was thinking, but I prayed that I was wrong. It wasn't the kind of thing Remus would do. It wasn't who he was. He was the kind of guy who stuck around and faced things head on—the good and the bad. He wasn't the kind of guy who'd pick up and leave when things got tough.

"If you were thinking we would help you abandon your family, you're wrong," Harry said crossly.

Ron and Hermione stared around awkwardly.

I stared at Remus, shaking my head.

"I can't believe you'd do something like that," I said. "I mean, you wouldn't do something like that would you?"

He still didn't look up at us. I felt like tears swelling up in my eyes. This was impossible. Not Remus of all people. He wouldn't do something like this.

"I can't believe it," Harry said.

"What?" Remus asked.

"That the man that taught me to use a patronus is a coward," Harry said turning away from him.

Without another word he got up and headed out through the door.

Ron and Hermione looked surprised at both of us. Harry got up and walked out into the living room.

I didn't know when the next time I'd see Remus was – if I'd see him again at all for that matter.

I got up and walked out the kitchen and caught Remus just before he opened the front door.

"You can't do this," I said to him trying to keep my voice from straining. I closed the door to the kitchen and walked up to Remus. I grabbed his arm. "You can't just leave her. You can't leave them."

"Hannah-."

"No. There's no explanation you can give me that'll make this acceptable. None. Tonks, and your baby and Kaitlin. They're your family. They need you and you're running away because you're scared," I said. "But you don't run. You're not supposed to run. You're supposed to stay when you're scared. Because you always do."

He let out a sigh and tried to get away. I grabbed his arm tighter, hugging it.

"Don't go. Don't leave them," I pleaded.

". . . Dora is being shunned because of me. I made a mistake marrying her. I ruined her life," he said.

"You didn't ruin her life. She told you she didn't care as long as she could be with you," I said.

"Hannah you don't understand," he said.

I let him go. I'd had enough of this.

"Harry was right. You're just a coward. You're not afraid of hurting Tonks or Kaitlin. You're afraid of getting hurt," I said.

"Hannah-."

"No! Just go!" I said, stepping away from him. "I don't know who you are anymore! You were supposed to care of your family and not just be some guy who walked out them."

"I'm sorry," he said, hanging his head.

"You should be. You're a horrible, terrible, pathetic man and I want nothing more to do with you," I said. "I want my father back."

He looked up at me like he was going to say something but stopped.

"Get out. I don't want to see your face again. . . As far as I'm concerned you're not the real Remus Lupin to me."

We stared each other down for another long moment.

"If you really feel that way. . ." he said.

[Chapter title credit to Lindsay Lohan for her song "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)"]