Guys, I'm sorry for being late but everything's just messy with studying and Christmas preparations and just life ;) After this, there will only be one chapter and an epilogue, but I probably won't make this Saturday, since I'll be spending pretty much all of that day on the road, so... you can probably expect that around Christmas...
Anyway, I'll stop boring you now, enjoy the new chapter:

Mrs Potter died in a cold September night. Panicking due to her sickly state, James had called Sirius over the evening before. There were no words when he returned the next morning. Sirius simply shook his head - and then he cried. I had never seen him cry before. I felt like crying, too, but I kept the tears at bay. I did not cry at the funeral, either. Someone had to be strong.

James, who had always been so fierce, so strong, so arrogant, was now just a pale, red-eyed wreck. I wanted to tell him that I was sorry, but he would not let me.
"Don't," he said hoarsely. "Don't say it."

And so I did not. Sirius kept me close by his side the whole time - it was the one comfort he sought. At least, I thought, making sure that I was still there.
Mr Potter held a beautiful speech about living with his wife and Lily read out James' speech, because he claimed he could not bring out a single coherent sentence. Her voice was shaking, too, but being her, she got through it perfectly.

We sat together for hours after the ceremony, deep into the night. Peter, too, stayed, his usual nervousness enforced by the sadness. He started stuttering at every chance and as he carried his drink away, I saw the liquid swaying dangerously in the glass. Remus had not shown up at all, much to Sirius' dismay. Apparently, it was enough to raise his suspicion.

"I'm just saying," he told me darkly. "That it's not like him at all."

"He's got to have a good reason," I answered. Remus probably could not leave the werewolves anymore - I had not heard of him for weeks and needless to say, I was worried. But Remus was a capable wizard and could look out for himself, so my worry was not enough to break my promise and tell Sirius.

"What reason could there be? What could be more important than being here for Prongs when he needs us?" Sirius challenged.

"You be there for him, then," I retorted. "Don't be so paranoid."

Things were bad enough as it was without us turning against each other. Sirius huffed but complied. He walked away and sat down next to James, clapping him on the shoulder. The two clinked their glasses and then drank in silence.
I sighed and, in turn, sat down next to Lily, who had tipped her head back and closed her eyes. I was almost convinced that she was in fact asleep when she blinked tiredly and looked over to James and Sirius.

"Good job," she said. "These two are good for each other."

"Yeah," I said. "Are you all right?"

A small sigh escaped her as she attempted a smile. "It's been... horrible, really. She was such a lovely woman and James... we knew it would happen, but it still crushed him."

I nodded sharply. "It's the same with Sirius," I said. "Only he pulled himself together... he wants to be there for James."

"She pretty much adopted Sirius," Lily said. "It must be so hard for him, too."

I was sure it was hard for him, if the amount of alcohol he consumed that night was any indication. I did not really blame it, but it did not exactly help much, either. Instead of just sad, he became easily angered. And considering who we found on our doorstep when we returned home in the early hours of the morning, that was not a good thing.

Reg leant, sleeping, against the door to our apartment. I stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted him, much like Sirius.

"What in Merlin's name?" he said loudly.
So loud, in fact, that Reg flinched and awoke. He blinked and yawned before his gaze fixed on us standing over him. He frowned a little and shook himself before slowly getting to his feet. His cautious gaze wandered from me to his brother, who was positively livid.
Reg slowly raised his hands to show that he meant no harm. "You weren't home," he said hoarsely.

"No," Sirius snapped. "We were at a funeral."

At least, he had sobered up a bit at the sight of his brother. Small blessings.
Reg's face fell a little. "I'm sorry," he said. "Someone I know?"

Sirius seemed almost ready to attack his brother right there and then, so I reached out and grabbed his arm in an attempt to hold him back. "No," I said. "Potter's mum. Why don't we, uh... go inside?"

"Hell, no," Sirius said, gesturing to his brother. "I don't want that in my flat."

I narrowed my eyes at him. He was taking the animosity a little too far. Besides, we could not very well stay here, outside, where anyone could watch or listen in on us. Ignoring his glare, I walked past Reg and opened the door for him. With an uncertain look to Sirius, he entered.

"What part of 'no' didn't you understand?" Sirius asked venomously.

"You're hardly awake, anyway," I said impatiently. "Go to bed, I promise you I'll kick him out before you wake up again."

"If you think I'd let you alone with him-" he started, but I interrupted him quickly.

"Have a little faith in me, Sirius," I said. "Go to sleep...Merlin knows you need it."

Sirius grumbled, but he was apparently tired enough to comply. Shoving past his brother, he stalked towards the bedroom. Reg was lingering awkwardly in the doorway to the kitchen. I felt instantly bad that he had to witness mine and Sirius' exchange. But his being here could only mean one thing: that he had found the Horcrux. And Sirius was not supposed to know about any of that.
I offered Reg a seat and a drink, yet he refused both. So while I, exhausted from the long night, sat down on one of the kitchen chairs, Reg started pacing in front of me. For several minutes, neither of us said a word. Personally, I dreaded what was to come.

"D'you think he's asleep?" Reg asked finally.

"Probably," I answered. "It's been a long night."

"I'm sorry," he said again. "I know he lived with the Potters for a while... she must have been important to him."

"Well, she certainly was more of a mother to him than yours ever was," I told him.

Reg pulled a face, but seemed to agree. No one could have denied that Mrs Black was a personified nightmare, anyway.

"So," I said. "You found it?"

He sighed heavily, but nodded in confirmation. "Kreacher finally fessed up," he said. "He's gone half mad with it, but I'll take what I can get."

I, too, nodded. Suddenly, I felt sick to my stomach. This was it - up until now, it had all been fun and games but now it was time to live up to my word. "All right. When do we go?" I asked.

Reg let out a nervous laugh. "The sooner the better... I'm afraid he'll find out I know and then we're both..."

"Screwed," I concluded. "Yes, I figured so much."

You-Know-Who would find out eventually - but I hoped that when that time came, we would have the Horcrux and be under the protection of the Order. Therefore, Reg was absolutely right. We had to act as soon as we could.

"I was thinking... let's go right now," Reg said.

I shook my head. "I can't leave with you now, Sirius will-"

"We'll be back before he even notices you're gone," Reg offered. "He's pretty wasted, he'll sleep for hours."

I knew it was a horrible idea. I knew it. But on the other hand, Reg had a point. If he had to return again and if I wanted to leave with him then, Sirius would throw a fit and possibly not let me go at all. I could not let that happen. In a way, this was the one shot we had.

"Okay," I agreed. "But I need to leave him a note."

Despite my taking my time, scribbling my note to Sirius did not nearly take long enough for me to calm down. I told him that I had to leave and not to worry and that I would be back soon, safe and sound. At least I hoped I would, but I did not add my doubts on the matter lest Sirius started a search party.

All the while, Reg was waiting patiently by the door. He seemed awfully calm, but when I accidently touched him in passing, I felt him tremble. It was strangely reassuring that I was not the only one to be nervous.

"All right," he said as we stepped outside the apartment. "Are you ready to apparate?"

At my sharp nod, he grabbed my arm and spun. I felt myself being pressed together as the spell transported us far away, towards the darkness that lay ahead.