Saturday 2nd December 9:57 am

Sirius checked his watch again before returning his gaze to the end of the corridor where Reggie should be appearing any second. His brother was never late for anything—perfect little prat that he was—and the Marauders, wanting to be sure they arrived first, had been there for ten minutes already. They wanted to be ready in case Sirius was wrong about Reg's motives.

Attempting to appear less anxious than he really was, he was leaning with his back to the wall, one foot casually raised against it. But he couldn't stop himself fiddling with the wad of material in his hand, rolling it and unrolling it on repeat.

'He'll be here. Stop worrying,' James said, giving him a nudge with his elbow.

Sirius sighed, turning his head to look at him. 'That's not what I'm worried about.'

James eyed him for a moment before nodding. 'You're worried you made the wrong decision letting him come with us.'

'How do you always see right through me?'

James shrugged. 'It's a gift.'

Sirius chuckled, but it was short-lived. He met James' eyes and held them. 'If bringing him fucks up Andy's wedding, I'll never forgive myself.'

'Nice to know what you think of me, brother. Why did you say yes, if you think I'm just coming to ruin it?'

Sirius turned his head back. After all that, he'd managed to miss Regulus' arrival. Dammit.

'Because I still want to believe you're not completely brainwashed by our family,' he said, greeting him with a quick hug. 'You're right on time. What a surprise.'

Regulus rolled his eyes. 'It's polite.' Turning away from Sirius, he greeted the others. 'Potter, Lupin, Pettigrew. It's good to see you all. So, what's the plan, exactly?'

Sirius didn't fail to notice that he greeted the pureblood first. Typical. 'We need to get outside the boundaries of the school, and the way out is a secret,' Sirius said. 'We need to prevent you from seeing how we access it, but the spell to take a person's vision is above our level, so we'll be doing this the muggle way.'

The spell was actually well within Remus' abilities, but they couldn't risk Reg knowing how powerful he was. It would raise too many questions, and Sirius knew Reg well enough to know he wouldn't stop until he found the answers. They were actually alike in that respect.

Sirius held up the wad of material in his hands and motioned for his brother to turn around.

With a pointedly heavy sigh, Reg did so. 'This is unnecessary, you know. I could just close my eyes.'

Sirius snorted, wrapping the makeshift blindfold around Reg's eyes. 'And risk you peeking? Not a chance.'

'You don't trust me?'

'You're a Slytherin, so no.' Sirius finished tying the knot and gripped his shoulder to turn him around.

'But I have to trust four Gryffindors not to be leading me into a trap? Sounds fair.'

'That's not what's happening, Regulus,' Remus said. 'I promise.'

Regulus turned his head towards Remus, the angle just wrong enough to erase any doubt that he couldn't see. 'Well, thank you for that, Lupin. But I really have no reason to trust your word, do I?'

'Maybe not, but you also have no reason to doubt it, do you?'

'Touché,' Regulus said with a chuckle.

'I think we should spin him a bit,' James said, rubbing his chin. 'So he can't work out where we're going.'

Sirius grinned at the thought. 'Good idea.'

'Really?' Regulus said, then he sighed again. 'Fine, go on then.'

Sirius spun him around by his shoulders a few times until he was sure Regulus had no idea which direction led where. 'Let's get out of here.'

James led the way to the mirror, writing silver on it with his finger to open the passage, and Sirius helped Reg inside. With Remus clutching the magic detector, they walked until they reached the point where the smooth stone floor gave way to dirt before removing the blindfold.

Reg blinked and looked around. 'Interesting,' he said. 'Are we outside of the school, yet?'

'Not yet,' Remus said. 'But the ground's too uneven from here to keep the blindfold on. We don't want you to hurt yourself.'

Regulus glanced at the device in Remus' hands and jerked his head at it. 'What's that?'

'Mind your own business,' Sirius said. 'We need to get a move on. We still need to change before the portkey activates.'

Regulus obediently started walking again but didn't stop talking while he did so. 'Change? What's wrong with what I'm wearing?'

He was in some of his finest dress robes, so Sirius could see his point. If it were a pureblood wedding. Which it wasn't. 'Andy's marrying a muggle-born,' Sirius said. 'There'll be muggles at the wedding. We have to dress like muggles.'

Regulus' face drained of colour. 'What?'

Deliberately misunderstanding his issue, Sirius replied, 'Don't worry. We brought you something to wear.'

'That's not…' Regulus started, then he paused. 'You know what? Never mind. It'll be fine.'

James clapped him on the back, making Regulus flinch. 'That's the spirit.'

'Here,' Remus said, slipping the magic detector into his bag out of sight. 'We're outside of Hogwarts now.'

'Excellent,' James said. 'If I remember rightly, and I always do, there's a bend just up ahead. We can take turns to change around there. Do you want to go first, Sirius?'

Sirius shot him a smile as he passed. The only one of them that needed privacy to change was Remus. But it would look odd to Regulus if he was the only one to move out of sight. James thought of everything.

He changed quickly, slipping his robes off over his head and dumping them on the ground before pulling on the grey suit trousers Monty had sent. The suit was so pale it was almost silver, but the shirt to go with it was black. When he unfolded it to put it on, a long strip of material the same colour as the trousers and jacket fell to the ground and he picked it up. What the hell was that for? Was it a belt?

Not wanting to make a fool of himself by using it wrong, Sirius shoved it into his pocket, quickly buttoning the shirt and tucking it in, before shrugging on the jacket and hurrying back to the others.

James whistled. 'Looking good, Black. Who wants to go next?'

Looking relieved, Regulus asked, 'Does mine look like that?'

'Why don't you find out?' James replied, passing him a bag. 'This one's for you.'

Regulus took it and hurried around the corner, out of sight. Sirius waited a moment before pulling out the weird accessory. 'Anyone know what this is for?'

Peter laughed. 'It's a tie. Goes around your neck, but I haven't got a clue how to do one up.'

Sirius turned to Remus. His cheeks were a little pink, probably from the long walk. 'Do you know?'

Remus shook his head. 'We can ask someone when we get there. I'm sure Ted will know.'

'What's the point of them?' Sirius asked, examining the "tie." 'Weird thing to put around your neck, isn't it?'

'Muggles think they look smart,' Peter said. 'You tie it in a special knot at the front and the ends dangle down, covering your shirt buttons.'

Sirius stuffed it back into his pocket. 'Like I said. Weird.' He turned back around and raised his voice. 'You nearly done, Reg?'

'Were you expecting me to run away, brother?' Regulus asked, appearing from around the corner. 'What's at the end of this passage, anyway?'

His suit was a little darker than Sirius', but not by much, and he was relieved to see that Regulus hadn't known what to do with the tie, either. He could see the bulge in his trouser pocket.

'Never you mind,' Sirius said. 'Stop being nosy. It's not too late for us to leave you behind, you know?'

Regulus sniffed and straightened his spine. 'There's no need to be rude. I was only asking.' His voice had taken on that ultra-posh tone that meant he was hurt, and Sirius regretted being so harsh.

'You go next, Pete,' James said, giving him a gentle shove towards the corner before turning back to Reg. 'You look great, Regulus. Does it all fit okay?'

'I think so,' Regulus said. 'But I don't know how muggle clothes should fit, so who knows? What do you think, Lupin?'

'It's Remus. And you look fine to me.'

Regulus nodded. 'Will there… I mean, will I… What do I… Urgh. I apologise. I don't quite know how to word this to not sound offensive.'

'Just ask,' Remus said.

'Alright.' He paused. 'How many muggles will be there?'

'We don't know,' Sirius snapped. 'Is it going to be a problem?'

'Sirius,' Remus chastised, placing his hand between his shoulder blades. 'Why are you asking, Regulus?'

'I… Will I have to talk to them? I'm worried I'll say something wrong and break the Statute. I've never been around muggles before.'

'None of us have much, Peter the most. So, if you're not sure what to say, let him answer, okay? We'll all stick together,' Remus said.

'Does he speak, then?' Regulus asked, smiling a little. 'He's not said a word the whole time I've been here.'

'I speak,' Peter said, joining them in a pale blue suit with a crisp white shirt. 'I just don't get much of a chance with Sirius and James around.'

'I resent that,' James said. 'We don't talk that much.'

'Yes, you do,' Regulus said. 'Or Sirius does, at least.'

'Such rudeness,' Sirius said. 'Why aren't you defending our honour, Remus?'

'Probably because I agree with them,' Remus said, hitching his bag onto his shoulder more comfortably. 'And I'm going to go change now. Bye.'

'Coward!' Sirius shouted after his retreating back. Remus just laughed.

'This is a wake-up call,' James said, lacing his voice with mock sadness. 'We talk too much, Twin— Sirius. We need to let our quiet friends have more chances to speak.'

'Twin—?' Regulus asked. 'What were you going to call him?'

'Nothing,' Sirius said, quickly. 'Don't worry about it.' If Reg found out his nickname, he'd hound him mercilessly about it.

Regulus' smile widened. 'I'm sure Remus will spill the potion when he gets back.'

'He'd never betray me like that.'

'Betray you? So it's embarrassing then?'

'No,' Sirius said, a little too quickly.

Regulus nodded, his expression euphoric. 'Oh, it's very embarrassing. This is going to be good.'

'Just drop it, would you?'

'Not a chance in a thousand years, brother.'

'Merlin, you can be such a brat at times.'

'Pot, kettle, Siri. You're far more of a brat than I am.'

Sirius shrugged, not at all bothered by the insult. 'Maybe so. But at least I own it.'

'Which is why you're in Gryffindor, and I'm in Slytherin.'

'There's no need to sound so proud about it.'

'Why wouldn't I be? There's nothing wrong with being cunning and ambitious. You know, this prejudice you have against Slytherins is no better than our family's beliefs about muggles. We're not all bad.'

'He's got a point,' Peter said. 'Wasn't Andromeda in Slytherin?'

'She was,' Regulus said, nodding at Peter. 'And so was Uncle Alphard.'

'Two good ones out of how many bad?' Sirius said.

'Three,' Regulus said. 'Or do I not count?'

'Three, then. It's not exactly a lot, is it?'

'Other than our family, how many do you actually know?'

Sirius didn't answer. The truth was, he knew quite a few, or rather, had witnessed quite a few engaged in less than wholesome activities, and taken revenge on them, but he couldn't tell Reg that.

'Exactly,' Regulus said, taking his silence as a defeat. It was infuriating, but he was distracted from his irritation by Remus' return.

Wow.

He'd been less than pleased with Monty's choice for Remus' suit when they'd opened the package, but now, seeing it on him, well, he might have to rethink his aversion to the colour green.

The forest green suit combined with his golden hair and eyes made him look like the love-child of a wood nymph and an angel. Fucking breathtaking. Regulus was still watching him, though, so he schooled his expression into the blank mask he'd been trained to wear. That made Regulus' eyebrow raise with interest. Shit. He couldn't find out.

'I said it before, and I'll say it again,' Sirius said. 'Why the fuck did Monty choose green?'

Remus' smile faltered a little and Sirius wanted to hurl himself off the Astronomy tower for hurting his feelings. But he couldn't let his brother figure out he fancied him.

'What are you talking about, Twinkles?' James asked, stressing the nickname. 'Remus looks incredible in that colour and you know it.'

Well, at least he didn't need to throw himself to his death now. Regulus discovering his nickname was a worse punishment by far. He'd have to "thank" James for that later, though, because Regulus was looking positively gleeful.

'Twinkles?' he asked, his grin close to splitting his face in two. 'What a pretty name, brother. So sparkly.'

'I wouldn't gloat too much, Regulus,' Remus said. 'You're named after a star, too. I might have to start calling you Mini-Twinkles.'

Sirius barked a laugh. 'Or Tiny-Twinkles.'

Regulus shrugged. 'Then I'd have to curse you.'

'Don't you dare threaten—'

'Oh, calm down, Twinkles,' Regulus said, rolling his eyes. 'It was a joke. I was playing along. You do have a sense of humour, yes?'

James laughed from where he was standing, watching the fall-out from his revelation. 'Well, as entertaining as this is, I'm going to go change now.'

'Yes, go fuck off, traitor,' Sirius said without any true malice.

James just grinned and walked backwards towards the bend. 'Love you too, Twinkles,' he called, winking right before he disappeared around the corner.

'Merlin, he can be such a dick sometimes,' Sirius muttered.

'You're not really mad at him, are you?' Remus asked, moving to stand beside him.

Sirius met his gaze and smiled. 'No, I deserved it. He's right, you look fantastic, and I'm a prat.' He wanted to say something far more suggestive to make Remus' cheeks flush, but he couldn't with Reg standing there listening to every word. Maybe later.

'Well, I feel like an idiot in this, to be honest. I'm sure I look ridiculous.'

'Considering these clothes were designed by muggles, I honestly don't think they look too bad,' Regulus said. 'But if Mother could see us right now, Siri, she'd die on the spot.'

'If only I had a camera on me, I'd send her a photo,' Sirius said. 'Perhaps I could paint her a picture for Christmas.'

Regulus chuckled. 'I'm not sure a picture would have quite as much impact.'

'It's worth a try,' Sirius said with a shrug. 'Anything to get the gorgon off my back.'

'I already did that,' Regulus reminded him. 'Remember?'

Sirius sighed. 'Yeah, I'm just not sure how long it will last.'

'It'll last for as long as you can keep your mouth shut.'

'Exactly,' Sirius said. 'I haven't quite mastered that skill yet.'

'Well, work on it,' Regulus said. 'Because this time you're not the only one at risk.'

'Yeah, I know,' Sirius said, shooting Reg a grim smile. 'I'll do my best, I promise.'

'Let's hope it's good enough.'

Sirius checked his watch, and seeing it was nearly time, pulled the invitation from his bag before dumping it against the wall. 'Leave your bag here,' he said to Regulus, and then raising his voice, 'You almost ready, Sunshine? Two minutes until we leave.'

'Yep,' James said, appearing from around the corner, still pulling on his jacket. His suit was the colour of fresh cranberries and it suited his colouring perfectly. Monty really had missed his calling. 'What's that?' James asked, nodding to a small wrapped parcel in Regulus' hands.

'A gift for the happy couple,' Regulus said, raising an eyebrow at James. 'Don't tell me you didn't think to get them anything.'

'Shit,' Sirius said. 'I knew I was forgetting something.'

Regulus sighed. 'I suppose this can be from all of us. Do you have a quill?'

'Here,' Remus said, passing him a muggle pen. Sirius smirked.

Regulus took it and peered at it curiously. 'Is that stuff inside the ink?'

'Yes.'

'Clever.' Opening the card attached to the gift, Regulus added each of their names before handing the pen back to Remus, who threw it onto the pile of their belongings. 'Where's the portkey?'

'Here.' Sirius held out the invitation. 'Time to get cosy.'

They crowded around the tiny square of parchment, each pinching a section between their fingers. Regulus appeared far less comfortable with the close quarters than the rest of them, keeping his elbows tucked in and attempting to make himself as small as possible.

James was watching his watch. 'Five seconds. Four, three, two, one.'

They waited another few seconds and nothing happened. 'Think your watch is a little o—'

Suddenly, a phantom hook just behind his navel jerked him forward and the ground beneath his feet vanished. He could feel Regulus and Remus bumping into him on either side as they flew through a whirlwind of colour, the wind rushing in his ears. And then his feet slammed hard into the ground and he stumbled to stay upright.

'Oh, good. You made it.'

At the sound of Andromeda's voice, Sirius righted himself and spun around. 'Andy!' he cried. 'You look stunning. Are you excited?' Before she could answer, he had her wrapped in a hug. 'Merlin, I've missed you.' It wasn't strictly true. Sirius didn't really think about people much when they weren't directly in front of him—Remus being the notable exception. But now he was with her, he remembered how much he enjoyed her company.

'I've missed you too, cousin. How have you been?'

'As well as can be expected. Better since I went back to school.'

She hummed in understanding. 'And you brought your friends too, I see. It's lovely to see you all again. Thank you for coming.'

She greeted them all with a kiss on the cheek before turning her attention to the last new arrival. 'Hello, Regulus. I wasn't expecting you.'

At the sound of Andromeda's voice, Regulus looked around, schooling his expression. His anxiety was making itself known in his stomach, but that didn't mean it needed to show on his face. His lack of invitation meant Andromeda was well within her rights to eject him from the premises, but he didn't want everyone to see how worried he was about the potential rejection..

He waited patiently while she greeted Sirius and his friends, taking the opportunity to deposit his gift on a table piled with similarly wrapped parcels, and finally, it was his turn.

'Hello, Regulus. I wasn't expecting you,' she said, her eyes piercing through his façade.

He tried her with a smile. 'Hello Cousin, you look beautiful. Edward is a lucky man.'

To his relief, Andromeda smiled back. He hadn't been lying. She really did look incredible in a long, close-fitting, white robe with cream flowers threaded through her hair.

'Thank you,' she said, taking his hands and bending down to kiss his cheek. 'I'm delighted you're here. I wasn't sure if you'd want to come, or I would've sent you an invitation.'

'I'm sure I gave you plenty of reason to doubt me,' Regulus said. 'Please, don't feel bad about it. Especially not today.'

'Yes, nothing but smiles are allowed on your wedding day, Andy,' Sirius agreed.

'You're right, of course,' Andromeda said. 'Follow me. We're having a bonding ceremony before the muggle one. There's a magical space out the back.'

Regulus joined the back of the group as she led the way through the muggle building—a grand affair, with long bench seating, fancy pillars, and high ceilings. They exited through large wooden doors into an outside space filled with gravestones. Morbid. They weren't having the bonding ceremony there, were they? That kind of energy would clash horribly with the bonding magic.

'It's just through here,' Andromeda said, leading them to the furthest end of the graveyard, and walking straight through the wall. Ah, it was hidden like platform 9 3/4. That made sense. Regulus was the last to walk through the barrier, and he barely managed to hold back his gasp. The space was a bright burst of colour after the gloomy graveyard; a beautiful garden, bursting with life.

A group of people were standing in the centre of the foliage, several men wearing similar clothes to them, and a similar amount of women dressed in robes cinched in at the waist. It seemed muggle women wore robes, but not the men. How strange.

Assuming one of the men was Andromeda's intended, and the older trio were Edward's parents and the officiator, the rest must be his and Andromeda's friends. There was certainly no one else from the Black side of the family present. It didn't seem to be a problem, though. Andromeda had found enough magical witnesses to complete a circle, and that was all that really mattered. It would be interesting to see what they did with the muggle family members. He'd never heard of muggles attending a bonding ceremony before.

Their arrival seemed to be the cue for proceedings to begin. Andromeda joined her beloved, practically skipping over to him—it was good to see her so obviously happy—and Regulus, Sirius, and Potter joined the other guests in forming a circle around them. Remus and Pettigrew hesitated for a moment before copying everyone else. Apparently, they'd never been involved in a bonding before, but they caught on quickly enough. The older couple, Edward's parents, took positions behind the officiator on either side of him.

'Andromeda Black and Edward Tonks would like to thank you all for joining them on this special day,' the officiator began, 'and for donating your magic to aid them in the forging of a bond that will last a lifetime.

'Love is an obscure branch of magic. It is tenuous, intangible, often baffling, and always exquisite. It can be both blissful and agonising in equal measures. But above all, it is elusive. So when it's found, it should be celebrated, and that is what we are here today to do.'

The way Andromeda and Edward looked at each other made Regulus want to avert his eyes.

'If you could all join hands, and focus on the love you each feel for our happy couple, we can begin.'

Well, this was a little different to want Regulus was used to at a bonding. But he did as instructed, taking Sirius' hand on one side and that of one of the women on the other, and focusing on the warmth he had felt earlier when Andromeda had accepted his presence at her celebration instead of sending him away.

When everyone was ready, the officiator murmured an incantation and the joined hands all around the circle began to glow with golden light.

'Love is a magic we share with muggles,' he continued. 'And so I'd like to invite Edward's parents to lend their energy to our circle. Their love for their son and his chosen wife will bring happiness and good fortune to their union.'

Regulus watched with unconcealed surprise as Edward's parents each placed a hand on the shoulder of the official. His lips moved again and their hands lit up with a warm rose-tinted light which travelled down the arms of the man and into his hands, mixing with the gold already there.

Mother would be appalled.

The officiator muttered some more words and the golden light with its rose tint of muggle love emerged from their hands forming a dome over the entire circle, giving Andromeda and Edwards skin an ethereal glow.

'A successful and lasting bond requires dedication and understanding from both parties,' the officiator said, 'which is why promises form the skeleton upon which the bond will be built. Andromeda, if you would like to begin.'

Andromeda clutched her wand in one hand and with the other took Edward's hand. 'I promise to stay by your side in good times and in bad, always offering my help and support but never forcing it on you when it's unwanted.'

Regulus' eyes widened as she spoke because a jet of bright pink light emerged from the end of her wand and wrapped itself around the couple's joined hands. This, too, differed from every other bonding he'd witnessed. Usually, the bonding magic came from the person officiating the ceremony, not from the individuals being bonded. No one else seemed surprised, though.

'I promise the same,' Edward said, his own deep purple light winding its way around their hands. 'And I promise to listen without resentment and speak without blame whenever our lives reach an obstacle, working with you, not against you, to find a solution.'

'I promise the same,' Andromeda responded with a smile. 'And I promise to give you space when you ask for it, and time when you need it, never forgetting that you're your own person, separate from me.'

'I promise the same, and I promise to seek a deep understanding of your wishes, your desires, your fears and your dreams, for it is only through knowledge that I can be the best partner to you.'

'I promise the same, and I promise…'

The promises went back and forth several more times, each of them stranger than the last. These were not the words he was used to hearing at a bonding ceremony. Where were the vows of obedience and fidelity? And it was exceedingly odd that Edward was making vows in return. Usually, only the woman made promises.

By the time they were finished, their hands were wrapped so thoroughly in the pink and purple light that they could no longer be seen.

'Now the skeleton has been formed, Andromeda and Edward invite you all, their friends and family, to assist them in cementing their bond with your love. Do you accept?'

'I do,' each of the guests murmured.

To his right, Sirius muttered the words and then squeezed his hand.

'I do,' Regulus said, not really sure what he was agreeing to, but it didn't sound bad and everyone else was doing it, too.

The officiator muttered another incantation and the golden-pink light of the dome collapsed, raining down over them and coalescing at the couple's joined hands.

'The bond is complete. May your lives together be long and filled with joy,' the officiator said. At his words, the light began to dissipate, releasing Andromeda and Edward from each other's grasp, though they did not let go immediately, instead, leaning in to share a kiss. Regulus looked away.

'Well, that was different,' Sirius said. 'Much nicer than the ceremonies we usually watch.'

Regulus hummed his agreement. 'Do you think this was the odd one or our family's version?'

Sirius arched his eyebrow. 'What do you think?'

'I think Andromeda looks like she wants to speak to you,' Regulus said, noticing her approaching.

Sirius turned and smiled at her. 'Congratulations, cousin.'

'Thank you. I have a favour to ask you if that's alright?'

'Of course.'

'In Muggle weddings, there's a tradition where a male family member "gives away" the bride to her groom. It's usually her father, but…'

'But your father isn't here,' Sirius finished for her. 'What do you mean by "gives away"? You're not an object.'

'Yes, I know. I found it a bit strange too, but we have to keep up appearances. Will you do it?'

'Me?'

'You're the oldest member of my family here,' Andromeda said.

'What do I have to do?'

'Just walk me down the aisle, and say "I do" when he asks "who gives this woman to be married?" Nothing difficult.'

'Sure, I can do that.' Sirius said.

Andromeda took his hands and squeezed them gently. 'Thank you.'

The muggle ceremony was odd, to say the least. As they reentered the building, a person asked if they were there for the bride or the groom, and directed them to different sides of the seating depending on their answer. It saddened Regulus to see how much fuller the groom's benches were compared to those of the bride, and he was glad he came.

Sirius walked Andromeda down the "aisle"—the space separating the two sides of the seating area—and the couple once again made promises to each other, exchanging rings that apparently symbolised their bond. Several of the women in the audience cried when the couple kissed at the end. Regulus wasn't sure what there was to cry about.

'Andromeda said there's a party to celebrate the wedding,' Sirius said, rejoining them after the ceremony with a gleam in his eye that made Regulus' palms sweat. 'We're going by car.'

'Those muggle death traps on wheels?' Regulus asked in a horrified whisper.

'Yep,' Sirius said. 'I'm so excited.'

'That's because you're an idiot.'

Sirius shrugged. 'Haven't you ever wanted to try it?'

'No,' Regulus said, barely managing to suppress a shudder. 'I saw one crash right outside our house once. It was horrible.'

Sirius cocked his head. 'And how did you manage that, brother? The windows overlooking the street are all charmed.'

Regulus would never understand why Sirius thought he was such a rule-follower. He was just a lot better at not being caught. 'The one in father's study isn't.'

Sirius practically choked on his laugh. 'His study, really? He would've flayed you alive if he caught you.'

'Getting caught is your job,' Regulus said. 'Some of us know how to be sneaky.'

'What were you even doing in there?'

It was Regulus' turn to give a careless shrug. 'Watching the muggles.'

Shaking his head, Sirius almost looked proud. 'I didn't think you had it in you.'

'Maybe one day you'll stop underestimating me.' Glancing over Sirius' shoulder, he noticed the room was clearing out. The guests formed a steady stream as they filed through the double doors. 'We should probably follow everyone else if we don't want to be left behind.'

When they reached the doors and stepped outside, Andromeda ushered them and Sirius' friends to a white car with a ribbon on the front. It was much longer than the ones he'd seen driving past his home, and the back windows were blackened so they couldn't see inside. He wasn't sure what the point of windows that couldn't be seen through was. Muggles were strange.

The driver opened the door for them as if they were incapable of doing it themselves, and they climbed inside.

'What the—?' Regulus spluttered, looking back out through the window that was suddenly see-through. 'How is that possible without magic?'

'Muggles are smarter than you thought, aren't they, brother?' Sirius whispered into his ear.

'Much,' Regulus said. 'I'll admit, I'm impressed.'

Suddenly the car came to life with a growl like a wild animal and Regulus clutched the seat in alarm. Sirius started bouncing.

'Will you sit still?' Regulus said through clenched teeth.

'Can't,' Sirius said. 'Too excited.'

With a slight jerk, the car began to move, slowly at first, but picking up speed once it was out of the parking area. Sirius was staring out of the window with a stupid grin on his face as if this terrifying experience was the best thing he'd ever done. Potter was similarly glued to the window. Pettigrew just looked bored, but Remus was watching Sirius with a fond smile playing on his lips. That was interesting.

They survived the trip somehow, and Regulus climbed out of the vehicle the moment it came to a stop, letting out a relieved breath that the journey was over. Hopefully, he would never have to endure such a thing again.

'Merlin, that was awesome,' Sirius said, climbing out behind him. 'Did you see that two-wheeled car that sped past us just now?'

Remus joined them next, laughing. 'That was a motorbike, Sirius, not a car.'

'I want one,' Sirius said. 'It'd be like riding a broom on the road. Maybe I could even make it fly.'

'What's the point?' Regulus said. 'Just ride a broom.'

'That thing was going so much faster than a broom could ever go.'

'Which means it will hurt more when you crash it.'

'I won't crash it,' Sirius said, his voice thick with confidence. 'My reflexes are too fast.'

Regulus shook his head. 'It's your funeral, brother. Shall we go inside?'

The party after the wedding was loud. Remus hadn't expected anything less. Parties were always loud, which is why he generally avoided them at all costs.

Sirius and James were, of course, putting their dance lessons to use with the young ladies of Edward's family. Even Peter was enjoying himself at the buffet table. It wasn't that Remus minded being left alone. Alone was fine. But he had no idea what to say to Regulus, who had been left with him. As if he was capable of fielding questions from muggles. His mum may be a muggle, but he'd been just as isolated from the muggle world as Sirius and James growing up.

'Do you want to get something to eat?' Remus asked Regulus, leaning in so he'd be heard better over the music.

Regulus shook his head. 'I'm alright, thank you.'

Now what? This was ridiculous. He was Sirius' brother. Why couldn't he think of a single topic of conversation?

'This pumpkin juice doesn't taste right,' Regulus said. 'I think it's gone off.'

Remus held back a laugh. 'That's because it's orange juice.'

'That would explain it.' Regulus smiled, shaking his head. 'This has been a strange day.'

'Good strange, or bad strange?'

Regulus paused, staring out at the dance floor. 'Good, I think. Mostly. I'm never getting in a car again, though.'

'No, you didn't seem like you were enjoying it much.'

'Not as much as Sirius, anyway,' Regulus said.

'I don't think anyone could enjoy it as much as Sirius.' Remus turned his gaze to the object of their conversation. Sirius was chatting with one of Andromeda's friends, and Merlin he looked good in that suit, even with his tie loosened and the shirt coming untucked. Those things only made him look hotter if Remus was honest with himself.

Sirius glanced over, catching his eye, and winked. He said something to the woman he was talking to. She nodded, and he strolled towards them.

'Having a good time?' he asked when he reached them.

'This music is interesting,' Regulus said. 'I don't think we have anything quite like it in our world.'

'It's good, isn't it?'

'It's not bad,' Regulus said.

Sirius grinned at Regulus before turning his attention to Remus. Leaning close, he whispered into his ear. 'You've been staring, Nerd Boy. Get up here and dance with me?'

Remus chuckled. 'I'm not sure the muggles will appreciate two boys dancing together.'

'Let them stare,' Sirius said. 'Live dangerously.'

'We shouldn't leave Regulus alone.'

'Give me one minute,' Sirius said, before dashing off into the crowd. He returned a moment later with James in tow. 'You're out of excuses, Nerd Boy.'

'Fine,' Remus said. 'But if the muggles get mad, it's on you.'

'I'll take that risk.' Sirius took his hand and pulled him out onto the dance floor, just as the music changed to a slow song.

Grinning, he pulled Remus close and placed his free hand on his waist. 'Put your hand on my shoulder and follow my lead.'

'What do you mean, follow your lead? I don't know how to dance, Sirius.' As nice as it felt being so close to him, he was terrified of making a fool of himself, and everyone was looking.

'You don't need to know how. Just relax and let me lead you,' Sirius said.

So he did. Or he tried. It was hard to relax when his heart was thumping so hard and Sirius' breath was in his ear. Not to mention his scent, which was surrounding him on all sides like a cloud of bliss.

'Everyone's watching us,' Remus said. 'And they don't look happy.'

'What have they got against two friends having fun together?'

Remus knew what their problem was, but if Sirius didn't care, then he wouldn't either. He allowed his head to rest against Sirius' shoulder and let the music and the feel of Sirius' body against his fill his mind, pushing away his concerns. He normally hated being the centre of attention, but he found that in Sirius' arms, he didn't care so much.

When the song ended, James came over and pulled Sirius away to dance with him, leaving Remus to return to the corner where Regulus waited for him.

He watched with amusement as they pranced around the dance floor like idiots, pulling off bizarre and sometimes dangerous dance moves while laughing with abandon.

'You know he has to marry a woman, don't you? And a pureblood at that. It can't ever happen,' Regulus said, out of the blue.

Remus looked at him, expecting revulsion. But Regulus' eyes were filled with sympathy.

'Yeah, I know,' Remus said. 'You won't tell him, will you?'

'Of course not. No point in causing more heartache, is there?'

They portkeyed back to the cave passage an hour later, changed back into their normal clothes, and led a blindfolded Regulus back to the hallway where they'd met him that morning.

'See you around, brother,' Sirius said by way of goodbye.

'Yes. Thank you for bringing me today. It was nice,' Regulus said, before turning to nod a goodbye to each of them. 'Remus, James, Peter. Take care.' Just before he turned the corner out of sight, he smirked at them over his shoulder. 'Bye Twinkles.'

The next morning, the boys were up bright and early to finish the potion for the tracking spell. It took them all day, and Remus stayed well out of the way, occupying himself with homework and practising picking locks. That project wasn't going so well. It was a finicky skill to learn. The slight finger movements required were harder to master than the type of precision needed for magic, which was mostly in the wrists.

So it was with a sense of relief that Remus tossed down the padlock and tools when Peter announced the potion complete. He knew it was necessary to learn so they could search for clues to help save Emhio, but the repeated failure was frustrating and he welcomed a break from it. Even if it was to perform a permanent spell on his best friends, which he still wasn't sure was smart.

'Who wants to go first?' James asked.

'I suppose I will,' Remus said, thinking it only fair. They were doing this for him, after all. Unclasping the chain from his neck, he slid the pendant off and pocketed it. 'Who's guarding mine?'

'Me,' Sirius said immediately.

James was scanning the spell they'd copied into the Marauder's Journal. 'Alright first, Moony, you need to decant three standard-measures of the potion into a bowl and infuse it with your magic.'

Remus grabbed the measuring spoon—which looked a lot like the ladle his mum used to dish up soup—and scooped out three spoonfuls into the waiting bowl before unsheathing his wand and focusing on his core. 'Now what?' he asked when he was done.

'Drop your chain in and say this.' James handed him the book, pointing out the passage he needed to recite.

Dangling it over the bowl, Remus allowed his chain to dribble into the thick orange liquid before casting his eyes back to the page in front of him. James' handwriting was perfect, of course, and he had no difficulty reading the words.

'Sirius Black, with this token, imbued with my essence, I entrust my soul to you for safekeeping, so that when I am in need, you will know where to find me,' he said, reading from the page. 'Guard it well, my protector. Anima dare fidem salus.' As he said the words of the incantation, his chest filled with warmth, before spreading out in a tingle along his arms and into his fingers. But as suddenly as it started, it was gone, leaving him feeling ever so slightly lighter.

Silently, Remus passed the book to Sirius, pointing to the next line.

Sirius took it and scanned the page for a moment before pulling out his wand. Using the tip, he hooked the chain out of the potion and held it in his hand. 'Remus Lupin, I accept your token and the charge that goes with it. I promise to protect it always and to never use it for personal gain. Anima capio protego respectus.'

The chain in his hand blazed the same orange as the potion for several seconds before dimming back to its original state. You'd never be able to tell anything had been done to it.

'Guess I better put this on then,' Sirius said, handing the book back to James. 'Did the book say anything about consequences if you break the vow?'

'Planning on using my tracker for personal gain?' Remus asked.

Sirius smirked and allowed his gaze to rake over him before meeting his eyes. 'Depends what I stood to gain, Moonbeam.'

'Alright, let's get on with the rest,' Peter said, chuckling. 'It's almost dinnertime.'

Sirius shot Remus a wink before turning away and unclasping the chain from his own neck. 'Since you're so eager, you can take mine, Bubbles.' He slid his pendant and lion charm off, threading them both onto Remus' chain and clasping it back around his neck, before grabbing his wand to begin on the fresh bowl of potion Peter had already prepared.

When they were done, James stepped up to take guardianship of the chain which would track Peter's location, and then it was Remus' turn again, this time in the protector role, vowing to come to James' aid when he needed help. As he said the final incantation of the evening, a phantom weight settled on his shoulders for a moment, disappearing as the light in James' chain vanished.

He didn't mention it. They would have all felt the same thing and hadn't said a word apart from Sirius' question about consequences. Deep down, though, Remus worried they'd agreed to more than they'd bargained for with this spell.