*Low whistle* Wow. That was a larger update gap than anticipated. Sorry, guys! I got really swamped with work. I've got my first midterm this Monday :(

Anyway, have a nice read!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I feel silly writing that every time, but I've been doing it this long, so I might as well keep it to the end.

A month. An entire month went by without so much as a word from Regulus. What a horror its done to my nerves, let me tell you. Can't go around a bloody corner without nearly jumping out of my skin. It's a right nuisance. He's like a phantom. I haven't even seen him in passing. Not in the corridors, hanging around his groupies, nothing. Like he disappeared completely.

I told the misfits about my nighttime adventure the morning after. They were a little sad about not being involved, but mostly they were proud of what I'd done. I couldn't have asked for better friends, really. We'd taken to studying outside, as the air was perfect for feigning productivity. I did try to study, I should mention. But my mind was elsewhere. On Regulus. I squinted my eyes and stared at the lake, pondering why he chose to remain inconspicuous.

"Sun in your eyes, Wilde?" Sirius teased, tossing a balled up piece of parchment in my direction.

"No. I was thinking."

"Mysterious," he replied in a sarcastic tone. "Do tell, all-powerful one."

He'd taken to calling me various god-like names after learning of my adventure. Some of them were funny, most of them made me want to ring his neck. I decided to ignore it this time. For my sanity.

"Your brother."

"Oh, will you drop it already? If he hasn't done anything yet, he probably won't try to mess with us," he scoffed, waving his arms around as if to swat my worries out of the air. "Trust me. He'll run home to mummy, get me in a fat load of trouble, then annoy me about it for the rest of my life. You're all fine."

"Sirius, don't you think you should at least entertain the possibility of your brother seeking revenge?" Remus chimed in without looking up from his textbook.

Another ball of parchment flew through the air. Remus dodged it, eyes still glued to his book.

"You really need to work on subtlety."

"What do you know? You don't even have siblings."

"After hanging around you lot for seven years, I'm starting to be thankful of that."

"Hey," James said, offended. "Not all of us, surely."

"I don't know, love, you were kind of a dick for five years," Lily answered with a grin on her face.

James pushed her playfully. "You knob-head."

"Darling, maybe you should close your books for a minute and relax. You're worrying yourself to the grave."

Remus placed his hand on my ankle. He rubbed it gently to soothe me, presumably. Too bad not much would be able to do the job. Not even his kind touches. I did, however, close my books. It was ridiculous to keep them open when all they did was make me feel guilty for not studying. Having them closed lessens the blow slightly.

"What if he does something?" I asked to no one in particular.

"What is it you think he'll do, exactly?" Lily responded.

I sighed. "I don't know. Hurt us, maybe. Go to the Dark Lord. I don't know. I don't know." I covered my eyes with my hands and buried my face in my knees. I felt a million hands grip me tightly and pull me close. When I lifted my head up all I saw was Lily's mass of red hair. I smiled into whosever shoulder was closest, snuggling into the group hug.

"I know this is scary, but we'll get through. Promise." From somewhere, Remus kissed the top of my head.

"Yeah, promise."

"Promise."

"I promise the hardest."

"Shut up, Sirius."

"You shut up, Mary."

"Both of you shut up. You're ruining the moment."

"Alright, get off, I'm suffocating."

"Nope, one more minute," Sirius said. All of a sudden, a giant push forced us all to the ground. Sirius laughed from the top of the heap as we all tripped over each other getting up.

"Are you mad?" Mary yelled at him, punching his arm. "We could have died!"

Everyone laughed. Finally, I felt a smidge better. Sitting back down in my spot on the grass with the smallest of smiles on my face, I looked to the castle. Students ran about in the warm air, procrastinating their studies as much as we were. With only a week to go before N.E.W.T.'s, it's a wonder more people weren't hauled up in their rooms. Well, the rest of the Ravenclaws would be. It's like a bloody warzone in the common room during exam time. Merlin, I was lucky to have these idiots. I'd be up there, in the warzone, if it weren't for them. A wave of sunshine passed through my belly.

Then it filled with bricks.

Across the courtyard, a group of Slytherins bobbed in and out of the crowds. The Black girls and Lucius led them, smugly pushing aside the underclassmen. Bringing up the rear, a pair of eyes locked onto our group. Jaw set, he stared as though his eyes would bleed if he looked anywhere else. His once neatly coiffed hair stood on its end, poking out at odd angles, unable to contain their distress.

"What is it?" James asked. He sounded like a dream.

Remus scooted closer to me. I felt him follow my gaze with his eyes.

"It's Regulus," he said.

Like a serpent, the dark villain slithered with his eyes locked towards his prey: us. We wasted no time. Remus held my hand as we jogged away from Regulus, our bags bouncing against our backs. I looked back every few seconds. He didn't falter in his chase.

"He's following us," I said, panic quickly rising in my throat. Of all the times for Regulus to make his move, three o'clock in the afternoon on a Sunday wasn't a period I thought I had to worry about.

Remus squeezed my hand tighter as we picked up our pace. Lily linked arms James protectively, and James latched onto her right back. Sirius had his hand on the small of Mary's back, urging her on. She kept her arm around Sirius's waist.

"We've got to get to the common room," James stated as he lead our pack.

"What about Jordan?" Mary asked. Her eyebrows wrinkled a peak of worry on her freckled forehead.

"We got her in once," Sirius reassured. "We can do it again."

Sirius pushed in front of James. Regulus's footsteps clicked menacingly behind us. We reached the Fat Lady at last.

"Everyone huddle up," Sirius said, pulling me by the arm to the center of our tight circle. "We've all got to go in at once or else someone will see Jordan."

Regulus's steps got louder. I looked over my shoulder. He was only a few feet away.

"Hurry!"

We all pushed into the portrait hole. I felt a body leave my side. I tried looking back, but Sirius grabbed me and pushed me in. The portrait closed behind us with a click.

"Sirius!" James said forcefully. "What are you doing?"

"What's going on?" Mary stammered as she tried to speak through Lily's hair in her mouth.

"Sorry, Mary," Lily fretted, moving her red locks with her hand.

"Sirius left Remus out there," James continued.

"He'll be fine."

"How could you?" Mary raged, hitting his arm with her tiny fists. They had to have hurt. For one so small, Mary held in a lot of strength.

"It was either Remus or Jordan," Sirius said calmly. "I know that Remus would've wanted me to save Jordan."

"Why was saving anyone even on the table?" I piped in. "We all could have gotten through."

"Regulus was right behind us. You didn't see, but he was reaching for his wand," Sirius argued. His face grew stern as he spoke. I'd never seen him speak so forcefully without yelling. "He was going to curse you, Jordan. Remus was protecting you."

"What if I don't need protecting?"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake. Do you really think he did it to make you some sort of damsel in distress? He knows perfectly well that you can save yourself, as do I."

"Then why—"

"The guy is madly in love with you, what else do you want me to say? I don't know what goes through his lovesick mind. Love makes you do dumb things."

I didn't respond. Remus loving me was certainly news I wasn't aware of.

"Don't pretend like you didn't know," Sirius kept on. "Everyone on the planet knows."

Well, fuck. Some Ravenclaw I am. I mean, not that I was complaining. If it were to ever happen, I'd expected to hear it from Remus's lips, not Sirius's. The warm butterfly feeling swelled up in my stomach, then instantly chilled as soon as I remembered that lover-boy himself was currently outside with the crazy psychopath plotting to take over the world. Oh, cruel fate.

"We've got to go get him."

"Were you not listening?" Sirius urged. "He's defending your honor."

"Who gives a fuck about honor, anyway?" I said with a dry smirk.

Sirius looked to James who shrugged his shoulders. Lily and Mary cheered me on behind them. Sirius sighed, lifting his face to the ceiling, then dropping it to the floor. Defeated.

"Fine. Let's get your dim-wit boyfriend."

I nodded with my jaw clenched. Turning on my heels, I put my palm against the portrait and took a deep breath, fearing whatever was happening on the other side. I took a deep breath with my eyes closed. When I opened them, I was ready.

"Let's go."

I feel like I've ended another chapter with "Let's go." I probably have. I like to leave off on really cheesy cliff-hangers.

Gettin' a bit intense, innit? I can for sure say, IT'S ALMOST DONE! One to three more chapters, I'm thinking. Hoping.

Question!:

For my next fic, would you rather see a Disney story, or a Merope Gaunt one, or a Black sisters (Bellatrix, Narcissa, Andromeda) one?

I'm going to do all of them eventually, just want to know your preference :)

That's all! Thanks for reading, reviewing, faving, and following! You guys are the best!