Home again. Well at least almost home. He grabbed his trunk as he exited the train and spotted Cordelia standing there, grasping her own case in one hand, a small bag in another. She was the picture example of what to wear during the winter. A double-breasted jacket, the normal Slytherin colored scarf wrapped around her neck, a pair of gloves, a long skirt, a pair of black stockings to cover her bare legs, and boots. He could barely hold back a chuckle as he advanced to her.

"Cold?" He asked. She glanced at him with a smirk.

"What would make you think that?"

"Oh no clue." He joked. "Heading to the floo station?"

"Yes. Though it's a bit tedious on my part, I haven't learned to apparate yet."

"Tedious? How is it tedious?"

"At this moment my Grandmother doesn't have a floo connection directly to her house. So I have to go to the nearest station in our town and walk home." Cordelia explained. He frowned.

"I could always go with you." He said and she shook her head offering a soft smile.

"It would be way out of your way." Cordelia said softly. "Besides, your mother would worry." She added. That was true, his father had gotten sicker since last year, and it had caused his mother to become even more worried for his safety. He sighed.

"See you in January?"

"See you in January." She agreed with a smile. Right then he wanted to kiss her. To hold her. But as he saw several of his friends…several soon to be Deatheaters…he couldn't. So he only offered an apologetic smile to which she gave a slight smile that said she understood.

Regulus sighed as he began to walk back to his home. He had watched as Cordelia had made her way to where the floo connections were. He couldn't help but feel sad for her. She was going to be by herself…and it didn't seem right. He finally reached his home, looking back at the cold December morning. The clouds were heavy with the more than likely possibility of snow and he shuddered when a chilling wind brushed against him. Shivering he entered his home and closed the door with a light click.

Cordelia sighed as entered her home. It was dark, silent. Cold. Seems like her grandmother had already left. She didn't really blame her…the weather was getting worse and worse, and she did actually enjoy going to the summit. Her friends that were still around always went.

"Young Mistress Cordelia!" a squeaky high voice said and Cordelia looked down to see Greda walking up to her. Cordelia smiled at the house-elf.

"Hello Greda. Grandmother already left I presume?"

"Yes. Mistress Cornelia wished for Greda to tell Young Mistress Cordelia that Mistress Cornelia wishes Young Mistress a Merry Christmas." Greda said. Cordelia smiled.

"Thank you for relaying the information Greda." Cordelia responded, before grabbing one of her bags, Greda grabbing another. The pair then continued into home, and the quiet of the day.

Well this was turning out to be a bloody boring holiday, Regulus thought as he continued reading a book from his father's library. As it turned out, his parents had gone to that gala that Cordelia's parents had gone to, apparently to let his father breathe in some nice mountain air. Regulus sighed. It had been a week since he had arrived back to an empty home. All he had really done was complete his winter homework, which had been oh so fun.

"Master Regulus?"

Regulus looked down to see Kreacher.

"Hey Kreacher."

"Is Master Regulus alright? Kreacher couldn't help but notice that Young Master seems to be unhappy." Kreacher asked, surprising Regulus. He had thought he had been able to hide it rather well, then again the house-elf had watched him grow up, so maybe it wasn't that surprising that the elf had noticed something was off.

"It's nothing Kreacher…just…I've been thinking a lot of my choices in my life."

"Kreacher is sorry for asking, but what Master Regulus choices? Master's choices have been great and have been honorable to the House of Black." Kreacher said as he gave the young man a cup of tea. Regulus withheld the frown that ached to come out.

So many, so many mistakes that he could list.

"Never mind Kreacher…it's not-"

The sound of the door being knocked upon interrupted him. Regulus looked up and frowned, standing up. He wasn't expecting anyone…so who? "I'll get it Kreacher." Regulus said walking down the stairs to the entry way. He hesitated, and placed his hand on his pocket where his wand was before opening the door.

"Lord Voldemort!"

"Regulus." The Dark Lord said and for a split second Regulus felt his skin crawl as he automatically dropped his gaze to the floor.

"Is there something the matter?"

"Nothing is the matter." Voldemort said in slight his and Regulus felt a small amount of relief. "I have come here because I require something."

"And may I ask what, My Lord?" Regulus said, forcing the sense of calm to be laced in his voice.

"I require an elf." He said and Regulus looked up in surprise. "Your cousin Bellatrix informed me that you indeed had one available?"

Regulus hesitated for a second before nodding. The man…if Regulus could even call him that…continued to stare at him.

"I…volunteer Kreacher for the job." Regulus said, putting a forced look of pride on his face. "I'll go fetch him." He said.

"Do that."

With that Regulus went down to the kitchen where he knew Kreacher had gone, his footsteps clamored down the stairs. He spotted the elf there, making the beginnings of dinner for him. "Kreacher." He called out. The elf turned.

"Master Regulus?"

"He…The Dark Lord says he needs an elf. It's an honor." Regulus said, putting a nervous smile on his face.

The elder house elf with great bat like ears looked up at the young man, "Master Regulus has volunteered Kreacher?" The house elf croaked, "Kreacher will do whatever Master Regulus' tells him too. If it is to assist the Dark Lord, Kreacher will do so."

"You must obey the Dark Lord, Kreacher." Regulus warned, standing up, "But you must come home no matter what. Go to the Dark Lord now, and assist him in his needs of you, Kreacher, and return home afterwards. You must return home."

"Kreacher will do as he is told." He bowed lowly as there was. Regulus nodded and then went up the stairs, the elf following him. Voldemort hadn't left where he had originally been standing. Kreacher offered a bow, before he went to Voldemort. In a second both had disapparated away, leaving Regulus irreversibly alone.

Now what the hell was he supposed to do?

For a second he had no idea…then his thoughts drifted.

And he grinned.

Cordelia sighed as she continued reading the small novel that was currently in her hands. It had been her grandmother's Christmas gift to her. It wasn't awful and it did have several twists and turns, but she had never been much for the romance novels. Sighing again she closed the book curling up under the quilt that was resting over her legs watching the ambient glow of the fire make odd markings across the walls. Greda was somewhere right now, more than likely preparing dinner. She wondered what her grandmother and parents were doing right now. If she could recall correctly, her parents would be at a dance right now…most likely following their friends and getting piss-drunk. Oh what fun that would have been to watch.

She was startled out of her thoughts when she heard a loud bang against the front door. Surely it couldn't be anyone. It was nearly night fall, not to mention a heavy snowfall had started earlier that day and had grown worse.

However the sounds of banging against the door grew more frequent and more intense and she hurriedly undid herself from the knot of blankets and rushed over to the door, opening it. She blinked in surprise at the half frozen man that stood in her doorstep.

"O-Okay. T-to answer your q-question from a f-few weeks ago, NOW is a p-perfect time for a c-coat."

"Regulus?" she exclaimed in shock, before dragging him into the entryway, closing the door and effectively shutting out the cold. Immediately she turned, looking at him in confusion as he stood there. She heard a startled squeak and spotted Greda standing there.

"Greda, can you go make some soup please?" she said, taking charge as she went over to him, beginning to undo the buttons on his coat.

"R-Rather forward of you C-Cordelia."

"Oh shut up." She murmured glancing at Greda, who had stood there frozen. "Please, Greda." She said in a more authoritative voice, breaking the house-elf out of her stupor.

"Yes Young Mistress! Greda will go fetch some soup quickly!" the house elf squeaked and with a pop disappeared back to the kitchen just as Cordelia forced Regulus's arms out of his coat, disposing the snow heavy and snow covered jacket onto the ground.

"What are you doing here?" she breathed as she pulled off his scarf and his gloves, clasping his shaking hands with hers, startled at how cold they were. He offered a small smile.

"S-surprising you. Why?" he asked. She muttered a curse and dragged him over to where she had been previously sitting, forcing him down.

"Because you're freezing. You're lucky you didn't catch hypothermia and…" she trailed off as she settled the blanket around his shoulders. "Why were you surprising me? Shouldn't you be with your family on the eve of Christmas?" she asked with a slight pained smile.

"In the ironies of irony, our parents are currently spending the two weeks together." He said with a grin. She blinked, startled and then offered a slight laugh.

"Young Mistress?"

She turned to see Greda standing there holding a tray, on it was two bowls of soup. Apparently she had been making soup for dinner. Cordelia didn't know whether to laugh at the irony or be grateful to the luck. Gently she grabbed the tray and offered a small smile to the nervous house-elf. Greda hated newcomers…was absolutely nervous around them.

"Thank you Greda…that will be all for tonight." She said and the house-elf looked positively relieved before scurrying off.

"…Does everyone in your family despise me?"

Cordelia laughed as she handed Regulus a bowl. "Don't pay any attention to it. She doesn't like strangers." Cordelia said with a bright smile. "You're lucky you didn't get lost…"

"Who's saying that I didn't?" Regulus said, taking a spoonful. "The place looks very different at night…and during a blizzard."

"Merlin, Regulus…" she murmured, the nervousness coming back into her voice. He glanced up and was surprised to see worry in her face.

"I'm alright, Cordelia." He said, placing the near empty bowl down on the table in front of him and running his hand over the outline of her face. She shuddered, and for a second he thought his hands were still cold, but when she leaned into his touch clasping his hand and holding it to her face with her own hand, he smiled

"I missed you." He said. She sighed.

"I missed you as well." She said, glancing at him with a soft smile. He pulled her to him, kissing her. Her response was immediate, relaxing and returning the kiss. It was at first tender and soft; innocent. However, it slowly grew rougher, and desperate. It had been nearly a month since they had last held each other, nearly a month since they had last kissed.

He pulled her closer, fisting his hand into her hair. She placed her hand on his shoulder, fisting the still chilled fabric in her grip. The cold that had been there previously inside Regulus quickly vanished. It felt similar, maybe even stronger, to the time when they had been by the river last summer. It didn't take him long to figure out what it was, and soon after he realized that they were nearing the breaking point that if they went any farther and she tried to back out, he wasn't sure if he would be able to.

"Cordelia…" he murmured, breaking the kiss and moving a few inches away. "We-we should stop…"

"Why?" he heard and was surprised. He could hear his heartbeat inside his head, and for a second thought maybe he had heard her wrong. "Why should stop?" she asked again, staring at him with those enticing green eyes.

"I won't be able to stop if we go any farther." He tried to explain. She was silent before clasping his face with her hands, bringing her face to his. Her scent, mint, filled his senses numbing his reason and smothering it.

"Then don't." she said. He hesitated for a brief second, and that second she took to her advantage, kissing him. And whatever reasoning he had, it quietly died as he pulled her close. The sounds of storm outside disappeared. All that mattered was the form that he was holding.

That was only what mattered.

SO…WHAT DO YOU THINK THE NEXT CHAPTER IS GOING TO BE ABOUT?