Between the Thrill and the Fear

I don't show it but I quiver whenever you come near

And I cannot decipher between the thrill and the fear

I want to stop but I like it too much to let it stop here

It's wrong but I want you tonight

Fear & Delight - The Correspondents

"Lord Slytherin! Lord Slytherin, a moment please!"

"Lord Slytherin! Can you answer a few questions?"

"How do you feel, Lord Slytherin?"

"What a successful day for you, Lord Slytherin!"

Marvolo allowed a gentle smile of satisfaction to grace his features as he stepped out of the elevator and into the Atrium of the Ministry. The squabble of voices were annoyingly loud, as reported clambered over one another to have Marolo answer their question first. The flashes of multiple cameras were disorienting for a short while, but Marvolo quickly shook off the mild confusion and spotted Regulus waiting for him, in his full Wizengamot regalia, just to the side of the gaggle of reporters. Marvolo swiftly made his way towards his husband and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Regulus," he breathed, softly inhaling the scent of his beloved.

"Marvolo," Regulus greeted Marvolo with a proud smile on his face. "Congratulations, you clever wix."

Marvolo's smirk was hidden from the crowd as he pressed a kiss to Regulus' hair. "Thank you, dearest."

"Lord Slytherin! A question!"

"Lord Black! How do you feel about Lord Slytherin's success in Wizengamot today?"

"Lord Black! Did you vote in favour of your husband's bill?"

"Lord Slytherin!"

"Lord Black!"

Marvolo sighed and finally turned to the waiting crowd. The clamour of voices rose in fervour, each reporter trying their best to gain Lord Slytherin's attention. "Settle down, please," Marvolo asked, his strong baritone voice successfully quieting the crowd. "Today was an important day in the history of magical Britain," Marvolo declared, "Today, we have stepped towards a brighter future. One in which, our citizens - regardless of species - are treated with equal respect and importance! No longer will non-wixen citizens, such as werewolves, goblins, or vampires be refused employment, education, or access to a wand due to their species."

Several gasps met Marvolo's last declaration, as photographers snapped their cameras of the shocked crowd and Marvolo's determined face.

"No longer will we stand by and allow the exploitation or torture of sentient beings! House-elves, unicorns, thestrals, phoenixes, dragons, and many, many others, are to be revered - not exploited!

It is high time that we end the discrimination that has typified our legislation and society for centuries and instead work towards a better future for all of magical Britain. Of course, Hogwarts and any employers shall protect the welfare of both wixen and non-wixen, such as through the provision of wolfsbane potion to werewolf citizens. Any employer found discriminating against non-wixen citizens will be fined and face legal repercussions. No longer will magical Britain be divided - segregated! There will be equal rights for all magical beings because we are all magical beings! We are all magic and magic is might!"

The thunderous applause that met Marvolo's words only made his self-satisfied smile grow even wider.

"Are you sure about this, mon cherie," Draco whispered to Samael before they entered the library. "I can tell father to delay the notice to the Prophet if you'd rather?"

Samael smiled softly at Draco's worried gaze. "No, dragon," he replied lightly, pressing a chaste kiss to their joined hands. "I am not ashamed of our relationship. Plus, it is customary for betrothals to be announced by the Prophet, and I will not stand in our mothers' way, will you?" He raised an eyebrow with a wry smile.

"Point taken," Draco conceded with a short laugh and led them towards a large desk where Granger was studying, numerous books and pieces of parchments scattered around her.

"Granger," Draco greeted cordially whilst pulling out a seat for Samael before seating himself beside him.

Hermione's head popped up from the large tome she was engrossed in and quickly snapping it shut. Samael was satisfied to see it was the book he lent the twins a few weeks ago regarding triad bonds. "Oh, hullo," she replied, blinking her brown eyes in slight disorientation from the light. "I hope you are both well?" she enquired.

"Perfectly well, Granger, thank you. I trust you are well?"

Hermione started at Samael's response and squinted at him in confusion. Her eyes busily cataloging his demeanour.

Samael raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, Granger?" Samael enquired with obvious amusement.

"You've changed, Lestrange," she murmured suspiciously, "You seem more confident...no, that's not it. You seem more sure of yourself. I've never seen you so relaxed."

"And you believe that my change of demeanour is negative?"

"No!" her response was immediate, and she instantly flushed in embarrassment. "We've never been friends, Lestrange," she declared suddenly, "but I've never hated you. Sure, you're a smug twat that's almost always planning some sort of elaborate machinations, and Merlin knows you've frustrated me many times but I've never actively disliked you. You've always been serious and condescendingly mature. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that it's nice to see you looking so happy for a change."

Draco surprised both Granger and himself by beaming a bright smile at the witch, and then lifted a hand to show Granger his and Samael's intertwined hands.

"Really?" she gasped out in surprise, blinking owlishly at them. "I suppose you've always been close...wait! So all those courtship gifts were from you, Malfoy?" she questioned suddenly, and Draco's face settled into a familiar smug smirk.

"Wow," Hermione breathed and noticed that Samael was now using the cane that was gifted to him. "Forgive me if I sound ignorant, but aren't you cousins?" Hermione questioned hesitantly, aware of how insensitive she could sometimes inadvertently become in her quest for knowledge.

Draco and Samael shared a look before facing the witch. "It is true," Samael admitted carefully, "Our mothers are sisters. Betrothals between more distant family members are not unheard of in the wixen world but it is becoming more taboo now that healers are realising the importance of genetics and inbreeding." Samael paused and regarded Hermione with hard eyes. "However, Draco and I are not strictly cousins."

"Samael!" Draco hissed in alarm. "You do not mean to tell her?" his eyes were frantic, "I thought you were keeping it secret?"

"Oh dragon," Samael murmured affectionately, "Do not worry, I've cast secrecy charms." Samael focused on Hermione again, "Bellatrix and Rodolphus are not my birth parents," he admitted quietly. "They blood adopted me when I was younger because my birth family was…"

"Scum!" Draco sneered viciously, his eyes burning in hate. Hermione realised Samael's childhood was probably similar to her own but most likely worse considering the hatred in Draco's eyes.

"I see," Hermione answered quietly, sharing a glance of understanding with Samael. "So, you are not as closely related as others may assume."

"Correct. The old guard will have no issue with our betrothal but the younger ones may find it concerning."

Draco squeezed Samael's hand and Hermione witnessed the trust in that single action and felt a small surge of jealousy. "What about sibling relationships?" she asked cooly.

Draco's lip upturned in disgust. "They're illegal," he answered swiftly, "their children are always born...deformed."

Spotting the quick flash of worry on Hermione's face, Samael interrupted Draco quickly. "The only exception is twins," Hermione's gaze instantly locked onto his. "Twins are able to initiate a triad relationship with a wix outside their family," Samael explained, "Twins - especially identical twins - often share a magical core and thus often share the same bonding partner."

Draco nodded along, "Triads are rare but that is only because there are so few magical twins born nowadays." Hermione worried her bottom lip between her teeth, her fingers absently fiddling with one of her earrings. Spotting the action, Draco leaned forward in his seat. "Are those new earrings, Granger? Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't earrings the traditional Weasley first courting gift? Do you have something to tell us?"

Hermione flushed and frowned viciously at Draco's smirking face. "Nothing that concerns you, Malfoy!" she bit out whilst raising her nose in perfect imitation of a Malfoy's patented sneer.

Samael smirked widely at the interaction between the two. He had always known Hermione had the potential to be great if she just stopped pretending to be a mundane, harmless, muggleborn and If the sapphire jewellery decorating her ears were any indication, she had finally embraced wixen culture and the two innovative twins that came with it.

He idly wondered how Draco's and Granger's relationship would evolve if the twins decided to accept Draco's investment opportunity. Samael's smirk only grew wider as he thought about what the future would hold for them.

Sirius stared in barely-concealed wonder at the sheer amount of history that the manor had witnessed. He had never one to pay attention in History of Magic, but even he could appreciate the importance, the magnificence, the honour of standing in a manor founded by Salazar Slytherin himself.

Dozens of eyes observed Sirius' reaction from the confines of their picture-frames; watching the newcomer with smug satisfaction at his wonder. Sirius glanced at each of the paintings of the Slytherin family and shot them a short bow. Opening his mouth to ask the closest painting a question, he was distracted by movement in his peripheral vision.

"Sirius!" the aforementioned wix focused on the movement and spotted his younger brother striding towards him.

"Reggie!" Sirius exclaimed happily and swiftly embraced his baby brother. "How are you? Are you keeping well? Your home is lovely, Reggie. I thought that at your bonding but wow, I can still barely believe that you live here, that you are the master of Slytherin Manor. Just imagine all the history this manor has seen."

Regulus chuckled at his older brother's exuberance and pulled him in the direction he walked from. "Now, I have not told you exactly who all our guests are," Regulus began, a slight hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Sirius barked a laugh. "Reggie, I can hardly judge someone considering my own past. Besides, I'm here to celebrate Oster, I'm not going to cause a fuss. Trust me."

Regulus stared at his elder brother for a moment. "It's just that Severus is here with his husband-"

"Reggie," Sirius interrupted his brother, "I understand why you're worried but I've apologised to Snape for my behaviour as a child and magic accepted my apology. I won't be a prat - promise."

"Right, but you are not aware of who he is married to and it might be best if I told you before you face them."

At this point, the two Black brothers had reached the doors to the veranda where Sirius could see Bella and her son talking to Lord Slytherin, and Andras Snape sitting at a small table with Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley?

"Ginny Weasley?" Sirius asked with a small frown of confusion.

Regulus' eyes hardened to Sirius' surprise. "Her parents refuse to have her home after she ended their blood feud with the Malfoy family over two years ago." He sneered with distaste. "She lived with her elder brother in Romania for a while but a dragon reserve is hardly the place for a wixen child to be raised," Sirius nodded absent-mindedly, "She has been living with Severus and his family for the past year."

Sirius' eyebrows rose in surprise. "You mean Molly still doesn't want her home even now Arthur has abandoned them?" Sirius could not help but compare Molly to his own mother. "I bumped into Arthur last year at the station and he made it perfectly clear that he did not want his daughter in his home because of the blood feud, but I thought Molly would have taken her back as soon as Arthur left."

"No, she has been rather stubborn, much to Ginny's disappointment," a familiar voice interrupted them from behind. Sirius' heart skipped a beat as he recognised the voice immediately. It was the voice of one of his closest friends, a friend who he had betrayed horribly nearly twenty years ago.

"Remus," Sirius breathed and whirled around to see his old friend's closed-off face. "Oh Remus," Sirius' eyes watered as he looked at Remus. He looked much the same as he had when he bumped into him in the shop a few years ago, though he seemed less tense, more at ease and more confident. Sirius smiled falteringly. "You look well," he murmured, fighting the urge to embrace the man he once considered a brother. "I am so sorry, Remus, for everything I've done and said against you."

Remus did not react apart from crossing his arms across his chest.

Sirius' heart clenched at the closed-off expression on Remus' face. He glanced at Reggie and knew what he had to do. Bowing lowly, he intoned the ritual words. "Remus John Lupin, please accept my, Sirius Orion Black's, humblest apologies for all the wrongs and misdeeds I have committed against you during our time of knowing each other."

A bright light escaped from Sirius' body and circled around Remus' body before sinking to the ground.

Sirius' eyes shone with remorse and hope as he knelt in front of Remus. "I am truly sorry, Remus," he murmured, "I don't know why I reacted the way I did. Being gay isn't something to be shamed or feared," he cast his shame-filled eyes at both his brother and the man he considered brother. "I... I never used to be a homophobe. Merlin, Uncle Alphard had a lover every other week and I practically worshipped the ground he walked on. I...I…" He roughly tugged on his hair in anguish and felt Reggie place a supportive hand on his shoulder. "There are no words, Remus. Nothing could ever excuse my actions, I am so sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me, Remus, but I'm trying to be better, please believe me on that, please believe me!" His large grey eyes bore imploringly into Remus' amber eyes.

The werewolf sighed and relaxed his posture. "You've changed, pads," he said softly, extending an arm towards the taller man.

Sirius stared in wonder at Remus' hand before quickly grasping it and pulling him into a long embrace. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've missed you so much, Moony, thank you!" Sirius babbled whilst choking back tears.

Remus patted Sirius consolingly on the back. "Pads, I know you're sorry. Your oath and Mother Magic's acceptance of it proves your sincerity beyond doubt." He pulled away from Sirius so he can look him in the face. "You've changed," he repeated.

Sirius nodded eagerly. "Yes! I've quit drinking, I have a job, and I'm trying my best to make amends with my past."

"And raising Robert Potter," Remus added.

"Yes," Sirius frowned, "I'm not sure if I'm having any influence over him," he admitted quietly, "I'm not sure how to deal with him, he's worse than me or his father ever was and is absolutely obsessed with Bella's kids."

All three shared concerned looks with one another. "Raising a teenager is hard work," Remus said softly, "So don't be ashamed to admit your concerns,"

Regulus snorted softly. "I hardly think Andras is causing you anywhere near the same level of grief as Robert Potter."

Remus chuckled lowly, glancing out of the veranda door where he saw the teen holding hands with Ginny as they walked around the perimeter of the garden.. "Yes, he is quite a handful but thankfully he's not malicious about it."

"Just a curious boy who likes to play little pranks on everyone," Reggie agreed.

Sirius stared at the two of them in confusion during their short exchange before staring at Andras intently. He turned to the two men, "Andras Snape is your son?" He asked calmly.

Reggie and Remus glanced at him with different expressions, the first with caution and the latter with guarded coldness.

"Yes," Remus' answer was clipped.

Sirius internally cringed at the frosty tone and nodded softly. "I'm an idiot."

Whatever Reggie and Remus were expecting Sirius' reaction to be, it wasn't that.

"He has your eyes," Sirius continued, lost-in-thought, so did not see Remus' softening gaze. "Of course Snape must be your partner. He was the only other bloke you spent time with during seventh-year, the only bloke you could have developed any sort of relationship with." Sirius stroked his chin thoughtfully, "And we all pitied you for having to be potions partners." He snorted softly and finally met Remus' eyes. "I've only heard good things about him - well," he amended quickly, "from everyone who isn't Robert or Ron Weasley."

Remus' eyes were shining brightly as he pulled Sirius into another hug. "I've missed you, Pads," He whispered, "I hated you for so long but you're still my packmate."

"Well isn't this cosy?" A new voice enquired lightly from the doorway.

Sirius broke away from Remus' embrace to look at the newcomer in shock. "Madame Effing?" He stared at the wix in admiration. He knew she was pretty but without the haze of drunken stupor, he truly realised the full extent of her beauty. Her raven hair was pulled into intricate braids with the odd flyaway curl framing her face. Her burgundy robes, whilst perhaps not of the same quality or style as Narcii or Bella, suited her petite frame perfectly and highlighted her soft curves without clinging obscenely. Her lips were thin, cheeks ample, with a light beauty mark just below her left cheekbone but her crowning feature though was her sharp eyes that were currently regarding Sirius with wary curiosity.

Wildly, Sirius leaped away from Remus and knelt before the witch.

"Sirius!" Remus and Reggie both exclaimed, shocked at Sirius' sudden actions.

Sirius ignored them entirely, his gaze focused entirely on Victoria. He bowed as best as he could from his knelt position. "Victoria Effing, please accept my, Sirius Orion Black's, humblest apologies for all the wrongs and misdeeds I have committed against you during our time of knowing each other!"

Just like earlier, a bright light escaped from Sirius' body and circled around Victoria before sinking to the ground.

The wix stared down at the older Black and raised an eyebrow. "I always knew you were theatrical, Black," she murmured with a smirk. "I did accept your written apology," she reminded him, "As I recall, I gained a lovely new broom." Victoria glanced down at her short, manicured, nails. "Though, it is nice to know you were sincere."

Sirius was nodding his head so vigorously Victoria half-wondered whether she would have to administer skele-gro. "Yes, Victoria, I mean Madame Effing! Totally sincere. I was an utter fool. A barbarian, I am so sorry!"

"Well, if you keep begging with those puppy-eyes," she shared an amused glance with the other two men.

"It is the most powerful tool in his repertoire," Remus declared seriously.

Reggie nodded his head solemnly. "He often used that face to gain extra cookies from the house-elves at grammama's."

"I see," Victoria answered and glanced down at Sirius with a large smile that made his heart jump erratically, "Well, we will just have to see if it is as effective on me, won't we?" she questioned, before turning to Remus. "I have spoken to Severus, come see me for a checkup in a few days."

Remus quickly agreed, and the woman surprisingly caressed Sirius' hair before departing back into the garden.

Sirius watched her disappearing form with a wistful look on his face. Remus snapped his fingers repeatedly in front of his friend's face. "Oh, Pads," he laughed, "You are arse over tea-kettle. I never thought I'd see the day."

"I'm going to bond with her one day," he whispered, "if she'll have me."

Reggie helped his brother to his feet. "Well, we will help, won't we Remus," he glanced at the other man who was still laughing under his breath at Sirius' lovelorn expression.

"Of course we will," Remus agreed readily.

"Now!" Regulus clapped his hands together, "Let us celebrate with everyone else outside," he pulled his older brother into the rose garden where the other guests were mingling. "And Sirius," he added as an after-thought to his brother, "Just how many people are you apologising to tonight?"

Sirius couldn't help but smile widely as two of his favourite people in the world laughed over his own expense.

Samael, despite his best efforts, was actually enjoying his conversation with Sirius Black of all people. When he first met the 'white sheep' of the Black family in his first year, he thought he had him pegged. A lazy, cruel, pathetic man who would never amount to much in his life due to his own failures and lack of vision.

Now, not many people could surprise Samael, but he was pleasantly surprised for both his mother and Cousin Regulus at the changes Sirius had undergone to try and improve his character. He was battling his alcohol addiction, holding down a full-time job, was actively attempting to make amends to those he had wronged and was now worshipping Mother Magic by partaking in rituals he had discarded at the age of eleven.

"-and then your mother, dressed in full battle robes, thoroughly wiped the floor with that uppity Hufflepuff and his friends and then quick-changed into her uniform and asked Rodolphus to accompany her to Hogsmeade!" Sirius' laughter was loud and free, and he slapped his knee with his exuberance. "Me and Bella weren't on good terms at the time but, by Merlin, I was proud that she was my cousin when I saw that!"

Samael smiled genuinely at his mother's cousin and sipped at his Earl Grey tea. Draco leaned forward in his seat, eagerly drinking in Sirius' stories. "Do you have any stories about my mother when she was a child?" the blond questioned with a rogue grin that matched the one on Sirius' face.

"Oh-ho, I do indeed!" Sirius declared, wildly slapping his knee. "There was this one time when she was just a little girl, probably seven or eight...no wait, she must have been nine or ten because I was seven at the time. Anyway, Narcii and her sisters were visiting Reggie and I, when old Abraxas Malfoy suddenly floo'd over for an urgent meeting with father, and he brought little Lucius with him and he-" Sirius abruptly interrupted his story by breaking down into howls of laughter.

Samael raised an intrigued eyebrow at Draco, who was impatiently tapping his feet, eager to hear the end of what sounded to be an excellent story. "Yes, Cousin Sirius?"

"He-oh, Merlin- he….Lucius took one look at Narcii and his jaw practically hit the ground! He completely forgot everything his father taught him 'cause he forwent an introduction and declared that he was going to marry your mother when he was older!" Sirius nodded towards Draco, "and then Narcii...Narcii….she-" Sirius fell into another laughing fit, and roughly wiped the tears from his eyes. "Narcii calmly placed her tea on the saucer, and then, prim and proper as anything, told Lucius that she most certainly would not marry him when he was older because she would only marry a gentleman and her papa would never promise her to such an uncivilised child!"

Draco guffawed loudly, and even Samael could not withhold a snort of amusement at Sirius' tale.

"Really?!" Draco could hardly believe his ears. "Mother gave him a dressing down?"

Sirius nodded quickly with a wide grin as Draco stared wide-eyed at his father across the lawn. "How on earth did he manage to win her and Grandfather Black over?"

Samael smiled softly at Draco's flabbergasted expression and gently squeezed his knee for a moment before a soft 'pop' from beside him announced the arrival of a house-elf. Samael glanced to his right and saw one of his brother's house-elves clutching an envelope in its small fingers.

"Wispy be having a letters for Young Master Samael, sir!" she squeaked out whilst holding out the letter to a rather bemused Samael.

Dismissing the house-elf, Samael recognised the writing on the familiar but could not quite place where he had seen the hand before. Swiftly opening and reading the letter, Samael did not know whether to feel amused, outraged, or unnerved. He swiftly cast the spell to identify the author of the letter but they had thought of that and had taken spelled the letter to be anonymous.

Draco had quickly noticed the change in Samael's demeanour, and squeezed his hand to gain Samael's attention. Wordlessly, Samael held out the letter for Draco to read.

Now, whilst Samael could not decide which emotion to feel, it seems that Draco very quickly settled on anger. The blonde furiously paced in front of Samael and a bewildered Sirius whilst waving the letter around and loudly swearing in French.

Draco's antics quickly roused everyone else's attention, and the rest of the party hurried towards the trio. Sirius quietly asked Samael what the letter contained to rile Draco so much, but Samael told him that he would explain once his parents and brother were present.

A few moments later, Narcissa hurried to her son's side and pulled him into an embrace whilst Lucius seized the letter from Draco's hands and read the contents aloud:

Dearest Samael,

I know what I read has to be a mistake. There's just no way your dating that no-good Malfoy bastard! Everyone knows you only hang out with him because you're cousins and its expected of you. You're too nice to actually want to spend time with that rotten snake.

You've grown so much since I first met you, so much more beautiful and kind. You were such a pale, scrawny, thing when I met you with the prettiest green eyes I've ever seen. I made a fool of myself when we met - I didn't realise your loveliness but I know it now.

I've wanted you since I saw you at the Yule Ball. Merlin, how gorgeous you looked. I wrote to you afterwards. I told you everything I wanted to do to you, to do with you... I want even more now... Gods, I've thought of you every night and morning. Did you know, I watch you across the hall? I don't think so. You've never seen me. Your lips are so pretty. I can only imagine what else is pretty about you. Soon I'll find out.

Malfoy could never give you what I could give you. Wear a flower in your hair on the first day back at school if you are being forced to be with him. I will rescue you and get you far away. If you don't wear a flower then I know the papers are mistaken and we can finally be together.

See you soon my love.

Your eternal servant.

Immediately, a chorus of outraged curses met Lucius' words whilst the man in question stared in righteous anger at the letter in his hands. During Lucius' recitation, Bellatrix had pulled Samael into her arms and was snarling wordlessly at the anonymous author.

Marvolo slowly made his way towards Samael, "Brother mine," Marvolo whispered furiously, ignoring Sirius' short gasp of surprise. "Do you know who sent that... drivel?"

Samael met his brother's furious gaze with his own, "No." came his clipped reply. "From the contents of the letter, I assume they are the same person who sent me a letter last year and, like that time, they have spelled the letter to be anonymous."

Marvolo was incensed at Samael's response, knowing that it would be near impossible to trace the author of the letter after that spell had been cast.

During this short interaction, Regulus had hurried towards his brother, who was staring at the Syltherin brothers in shock. "Sirius!" He hissed urgently, "You cannot reveal what you have learned to anyone!"

Sirius didn't respond.

"Sirius! I meant it, you cannot tell anyone that they are brothers!"

"I...I...understand," Sirius gasped out, before chuckling hysterically. "Well, no I don't understand! Samael and Marvolo are brothers? But Samael is Bella's son but she's the same age as Marvolo and Rodo?" Sirius glanced between Samael, Bella, and Marvolo. "Unless Marvolo blood adopted him to become heir?"

"Very astute, Mr. Black," Marvolo's voice roused Sirius from his thoughts and he was shocked to discover the Lord Slytherin looming over him. "I trust you will keep this secret to yourself?" the Lord did not wait for a reply, as his voice and glaring eyes clearly revealed the repercussions if Sirius even contemplated resisting. "When Regulus was cursed, I required an heir to continue the Slytherin line. You understand the risks Samael would face if people knew he was my brother and that we used a blood ritual to become so?"

Sirius did not hesitate. "I will never reveal your secret, Lord Slytherin. Samael is family. He's Bella's son and you are my little brother's husband. Family first. Toujours Pur."

Marvolo's cold satisfied smile chilled Sirius to his bones but the bright smile on Regulus' face made it worth it. "I suppose this means you will be my brother-in-law, Samael," Sirius called to the teenager after a moment's thought. "As well as being both my first cousin once removed and third cousin once removed! Merlin, I swear we become more interbred as time goes on," he muttered, with a wry grin to Regulus. "Mother would be proud."

Marvolo snorted at Sirius' last comment, causing the younger man to ask if he ever met the formidable woman. "Oh yes," Marvolo agreed, "I met Walburga. She was very...determined to remain a Black after marriage."

Sirius barked out a laugh and even Regulus and Bellatrix couldn't help but chuckle as they remembered the woman's fervour.

A loud cough from Draco drew the adults' attention back to the matter at hand as he stared rather pointedly at the letter in his father's hand. Immediately, the adults' demeanors stiffened at the reminder of Samael's obsessive stalker.

Whilst, staring at the letter Regulus was struck by a sudden thought. "Sirius, Remus, Severus, the three of you created a few spells at school. Did you make anything that would help identify someone."

Sirius shifted uncomfortably and sent a rather hopeful look to Remus. "What about the spells on the map, Mooney?" he asked, "Do you think any of those charms might help?"

Remus considered Sirius' suggestion for a moment. "It couldn't hurt to try," he murmured, accepting the letter that Lucius handed to him and walking to stand next to Sirius. "

"Now what were the charms again?" Sirius muttered more to himself than the others present. "Revelares...no...revelare...yes, that's right….revelare...revelare dominus! That was it! revelare dominus!" Sirius bounced on his heels and grasped the letter from Mooney's hands, wand raised to cast the charm...

Sirius made a quiet sound of distress and Regulus was instantly at his side. "What's wrong, Sirius?"

Marvolo stared intently at the Black brothers and saw the sheen of tears in Sirius' gaze as he met his brother's eyes. "Robert."

A/N: Dear Guest, who left an anonymous review saying no-one gives a f*ck that I updated because the story is nine years old. Really? You went to the trouble of either reading the chapter to reach the A/N or scrolling to the bottom of the chapter to reach the A/N and then left an anonymous review. Look, I get it, I've been really bad at updating and many people aren't interested in reading the story any longer because of the long-wait but clearly some people are still interested and I owe it to them to try and finish the story. You didn't have to be a massive twat and leave that anonymous review. If you really felt that strongly about my ineptitude at updating regularly you could have at least had the decency to confront me in my PMs ?￢ﾀﾍ ️