I'm sorry about the delay - but due to the holidays and my driving home etc., I did not manage to finish before Christmas. Still, thanks to everyone who read, fav'd, alerted and to BelieverofManyThings, Dancing-Souls and Guest for reviewing.

The first thing I realized about our new location was the smell of the sea. Then, the sound of waves crashing against the cliffs. He had taken me to the shore. I opened my eyes to inspect my surroundings. A stormy sky. How very fitting that the heavens would be covered in grey today.

"Please," I said to Reg. "Tell me it's not on the bottom of the sea."

"I wish it was," he retorted. "But it's not."

He approached the edge of the cliff, peering down towards the raging water. I followed carefully, but did not dare looking down. If I had to die today, I would rather not do it by falling off and breaking my... well, everything, when I hid the ground.

"I think we have to apparate again," Reg said. "I don't think climbing will do us any good."

He was absolutely right, of course. Climbing down there, how ever far it was - not a good idea. Reg held out his arm for me again. I reached out to him and he pulled me close to him. I stumbled into his warmth and had to grab onto his shoulder to steady myself. Our eyes met and I felt the breath hitching in my throat.

"Selene," he breathed.

"Don't," I whispered.

He swallowed hard. "What if... tonight..."

I understood what he meant - of course, I did. Who knew if we would make it out of here. But still... I could not let him. If only for the chance that we both left this adventure unscathed, I could not let him do it.

"We're going to make it out of here," I said, but it did not come out as very assuring. "Reg, I promise you."

The hand wrapped around my arm tightened while the fingers of his other hand trailed along my neck. He gently shook his head. "I suppose... I am just afraid."

"Me too," I admitted. "But we can do this."

He did it despite my earlier protest. His lips met mine with an intensity that instantly made me melt into his embrace. The fingers on my neck had tangled into my hair and he was pulling me impossibly closer. My own fingertips trailed over his arms. It was so wrong and yet it was so right.
Reg pulled away, resting his forehead against mine. "Either way," he said. "This was the last time."

Before I could utter any form of response, he turned again. Once more, I felt like I was being pressed into the tiniest space. Everything around us spun and twirled until we came to a sudden halt yet again. This time, our surroundings seemed much more dire. I could still hear the sounds of the sea, but I could not see it. The cave we had arrived in was dark and moist and it seemed to vibrate. I reached out to touch the wall closest to me and found the vibration flowing through it and me. It was the enchantments on this place, I figured. The whole cave was brimming with magic.

Reg had finally let go off me and was moving carefully through the cave. "Kreacher said... we have to get through... here," he finished, resting his hand next to me. "But I don't see how."

My mind skimmed through the various books I had read on the topic - how would a freak like You-Know-Who seal his vaults? There were hundreds of options and I decided on a likely and simple one. "Let's try blood," I said.

Reg opened his mouth to protest, but I had already dragged my wand across my palm. I winced when at my muttering, the skin was cut and the blood welled out. Quickly, I pressed my hand flat against the wall. Blood smeared onto stone, a hideous sight, but it did work. Under my hand, the wall dissolved and I staggered back a bit, surprised by my own success.
Reg turned to me and reached out to inspect my hand. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"'Course," I said. "Let's get inside before it closes again."

He still seemed uncertain, so I pulled my hand away and strut forward. What unfolded before me was both haunting and impressive. It was another cave, much grander than the last - so high that I could not make out its ceiling and so vast that I could not see the end - all that I saw was the deep, black lake stretching out into endlessness.

"Whoa," Reg breathed, coming to stand beside me. "I didn't think it would be..."

He did not finish his sentence, but I understood perfectly. The Dark Lord might have been a madman, but he did have style. My attention was suddenly directed to the middle of the lake. An eerie green light allowed sight of a small island and the basin on it. I looked around for any sort of bridge or transport, but could find none. Reg did the same, and came too a quick conclusion.
He pointed across the lake and with a determined flick of his wand, said, "Accio Horcrux!"

With a loud splash, something was thrown out of the water, something that looked suspiciously like a body. I screamed as it flew in a high loop and landed with an equal splash back in the water. While I had stumbled back, Reg walked forward, trying to make out what had happened.

"Inferi," he concluded, staring into the water. "The whole lake is full of them."

I suddenly felt sick at the thought of how You-Know-Who had gotten a hold of so many bodies. Suddenly, the whole situation felt all the more dangerous. We could easily end up as enchanted corpses in this very lake. I shivered and stepped closer to Reg.

"Well," he said. "At least that ruled out swimming."

"How do we get over there, then?" I asked.

He looked around, inspecting his surroundings closely. "Kreacher spoke of a boat," he said. "But I don't see...got it."
He reached into the blue, his hand wrapping around something invisible and then he pulled. I could not help the incredulous gasp as he invisible chain materialized before me and turned a glowing green. It pulled itself now and soon enough, a small boat of similar colour broke the surface, gliding towards us.
Reg held out hand for me to help me into the boat, but I hesitated. "The lake," I whispered, weary of the beings inside that could attack us.

"Fire will hold them off," Reg said. "Don't you trust me?"

I grabbed his hand then and allowed him to guide me forward, my dread eased slightly by his resolve. The boat glided steadily and just as steadily, the Inferi followed us, kept at bay only by the fire Reg produced. Still, I leapt out of the boat the moment it landed to escape the unpleasant feeling. Reg followed suit and together we walked towards the basin.
It was deep, filled with shimmering water and in its depth, held a locket. It appeared old and majestic and yet it was the darkest thing I had ever seen.

"Don't touch it," Reg warned, but I would not have reached out, anyway.

"Let's just vanish it," I suggested.

"It won't work," he said heavily. "It needs to be drunken."

My head snapped to him. "What?" I asked.

He looked almost guilty when he answered me, "He had Kreacher drink it. There's no other way. I'll do it."

I shook my head frantically. Not that I would in any way like to do it, but I was scared for him and I could not let him do it. "It could be poison," I argued.

Reg smile wryly. "I'm pretty sure it is. I have to."

"No," I said. "Let me-"

He scoffed. "Merlin, definitely not."

"Reg-"

"No," he said with finality. "I'll do it."

Before I could protest any further, he had grabbed the goblet which had been placed beside the basin and sank it into the potion, filling it to the brim. He stared it, but before drinking, reached into his pocket and handed me the content. It was a duplicate of the locket inside the basin. I inspected it carefully. Personally, I would not be able to tell the difference - I was pretty sure the Dark Lord could, though.

"When I'm done," he said. "You need to grab the old one and put this one inside."

The small jerk of my head was enough for him. Reg took a deep, shuddering breath and raised the goblet to his lips. He swallowed deep, draining half the goblet in one go. I watched him helplessly and his eyes fluttered to meet my gaze. He nodded at me and then drained the rest of the cup. With shaking hands, he filled the cup again and took the next sip.
His knees suddenly buckled and he dropped to the floor, but he kept drinking. I sank to my knees next to him and reached out in an attempt to steady him.

"So.. thirsty," he whispered.

A large part of me wanted to help him, wanted to stop him and make it all okay. But I knew, I knew, that we had to do this. That Reg wanted to do this.

"I know," I said, reaching up to fill the goblet again. "Drink."

He stared at the goblet, nodding slightly, before gulping this down too. His eyes glazed over and he shook his head. "No," he whispered. "No... don't leave me."

"I won't," I said, filling the cup again. "Here."

As he drank, his eyes filled with desperate tears. "I didn't mean to... I never meant to..."

I did not know what he was seeing, but it pained me to see him like this. He seemed so hopeless as he assured me, over and over, that he never meant to. I never learnt what it was that he did not mean to do. But it must have been something horrible. With every goblet filled, he was more reluctant to drink until I had to practically force him. He was crying for good by then and I was, too. I desperately wished that the roles were reversed.

"Just two more," I assured him breathlessly, putting the goblet to his lips. "Reg, I promise. Just two more."

His eyes focused on me very suddenly. "I didn't mean to," he said. "Please don't leave me."

"I won't," I swore. "I'm right here. Drink. For me, Reg, drink."

He did. Trusting eyes met mine and he gulped it all down. Soon enough, he doubled over, letting out an agonizing scream. "No more," he begged. "No more!"

"Just one," I sobbed. "Reg, just one."

Reg was the bravest man I knew, after all. He shook violently, but he reached out to take the goblet from me and started drinking. Sip by sip, the potion diminished. I got to my feet shakily. The locket was heavy, heavier than I had expected as I pulled it out of the basin. I held it in front of me. We had it. All that was left to do was destroy it. But we had it.
I dropped the fake locket back into the basin, which instantly filled back up. I turned around to help Reg towards the boat, but he was not where I left him.

He had crawled towards the lake, reaching out for the water to finally quell his thirst. My scream must have been earth-shaking. "REG! DON'T!"

It was too late. His head snapped back to me and our eyes locked, both gazes filled with equal fear. And then they grabbed him. Several hands shot out from beneath the surface and grabbed him. I screamed again, first a scream of horror and then one to send the saving fire towards them.
It was no use. The fire could not save him, it only illuminated the horror as Reg was pulled downwards, into the dark water. I rushed forward, sending another spell, but when I reached the edge, I could not even make him out anymore. I cried out again, falling to my knees where he had last lain.

"Reg," I cried. "No... no. Reg."

So, you can probably see why I did not update during Christmas... (I probably disappointed "guest", who begged me to let Reg live. Sorry about that.)
The Epilogue will be up tomorrow... until then, have yourself a lovely day ;)