December 1978

Sitting on the bed in her room, Freya stared down at the wand in her hand with disbelief. It had been eighteen hours since she had Obliviated her brother and friends, but Freya still struggled to grasp the reality of her actions. She shook her head, frowning, angry with herself. What had she been thinking? Maybe James had been right, she thought to herself. Maybe she did need help.

Just then, there was a tapping sound coming from her window. Standing up and walking over to the window, Freya let the large black owl into the room. The owl landed on her desk chair and stuck out its leg, where a note was attached. Freya untied the note from the familiar owl's leg. Giving him an owl treat, Freya mumbled, "Thanks, Ezekiel." Opening the note, she read, 'I need you here, now. — R.A.B.' Sighing, Freya said to the owl, "Ezekiel, fly home to Regulus. No reply necessary."

The large black owl hooted once, then took off out the window, disappearing into the dark. Freya changed out of her pajamas into something warm, and, throwing a black cashmere cloak around her shoulders, she slipped as quietly as possible down the stairs to the fireplace. She threw the floo powder down in the fireplace, and a few moments later found herself standing in the basement of 12 Grimmauld Place in front of the fireplace. Regulus was sitting in a chair at the long table, waiting for her arrival. Seeing Freya, Regulus's face lit up. He jumped up from his seat and rushed to her, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her hard. Freya tangled her fingers in his black hair, tugging slightly, eliciting a soft moan from the man. She smiled slightly against Regulus's lips at the noise. He pulled back, lingering close to her lips, and whispered, "Merlin, I've missed you."

Freya's smile widened. "I've missed you too," Freya whispered back.

Entwining their fingers together, Regulus took hold of Freya's hands and said softly, "Why don't you come upstairs to my room with me? I got that book from Flourish and Blotts you'd mentioned wanting to read; we can lay in bed and read it together."

Placing a sweet kiss on Regulus's lips, Freya excitedly answered, "That sounds absolutely wonderful."

"Good," Regulus said, a smirk spreading on his lips. Pulling her along gently behind him, Regulus sneaked Freya up from the basement to his bedroom on the fourth floor, barely missing being caught by his mother. Pulling her into his room, Regulus pushed Freya up against the closed door and suddenly bit gently on her neck, making her gasp. Regulus smirked at her reaction, licking at the sensitive skin where he'd bitten her. "Perhaps the book could wait a little longer, yeah? Read afterwards?" Regulus said, pulling away and looking into her eyes seductively.

Freya ran her nails down Regulus's bare chest, her hands finding her way lower until they made Regulus's eyes widen, his head lulling forward, a guttural moan lingering in his throat. Freya grinned enticingly. "I think that just might be a wonderful idea," Freya whispered lustfully. Regulus smirked almost evilly at the girl before grabbing the backs of her thighs and picking her up. Freya wrapped her legs tightly around his waist as she pressed her body as close to his as she could, tangling her fingers in his hair again. Placing one hand under her bum and the other between her shoulder blades, Regulus carried Freya away from the wall. Dropping her easily onto the large bed, Regulus climbed on top of her, pulling off her clothes as he moved up her body, kissing every inch of exposed skin. Her body arching into Regulus's touch, Freya let him make her forget everything else in the world.

As Freya slowly woke up, she rubbed her eyes as she settled further under the blankets to escape the cold air. She felt her pillow vibrate as she heard a soft chuckle, and her mind processed that it wasn't a pillow at all, but Regulus Black's chest on which her head laid. Freya smiled slightly at the realization. She felt his lips brush her hair, then heard him murmur, "Good morning, love."

Freya smiled for another moment, then the fact that it was morning settled into reality. She suddenly bolted upright, not caring that she was still naked when the blanket fell away from her chest as she did so. Turning and looking at him, Freya's eyes grew wide with fright. "Morning? No, no, no, it can't be morning," she exclaimed.

Regulus frowned as she jumped out of bed, hissing as her feet made contact with the cold hardwood floor, and began rummaging around for her clothes. Rolling onto his side as he watched her, Regulus asked, "So what? It's morning, big deal. You've spent the night here plenty of times."

Freya, finding Regulus's watch on the nightstand, gasped at the time. "Yes, but never until nine in the morning! James, Lily, and Sirius will notice that I'm gone, and I can't go around Obliviating them every stupid day when I slip up," Freya groaned.

Regulus frowned. "What does that mean?" he asked.

Freya stopped her rushing about the room, pulling on her underwear and bra as she answered, "Night before last, James slipped me Veritaserum, and forced me to spill the truth about us, about everything. I had to Obliviate four people in order to keep us a secret yesterday morning! I can't do that again, Regulus, or I might cause permanent damage. I can't hurt them like that. They might not put the two of us together right away, but it certainly won't take long." Freya, now clothed in her underwear, covered her face with her hands and sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do…"

Looking as though his heart had dropped to his stomach, Regulus wrapped his hand around Freya's wrist, pulling her back onto the soft bed and underneath the warm covers, pulling her body up against his naked one. Playing delicately with her hair, Regulus murmured, "Freya, maybe it's time. Maybe it's time that people find out about us."

Freya shivered against the cold, causing Regulus to pull another blanket up over her. "But I can't become a Death Eater," Freya said as her fingers traced lightly over the Dark Mark on Regulus's arm. "And I'm not willing to risk Voldemort killing you. I love you too much to condemn you to that fate because of me."

Regulus pressed his lips to her hair, then pulling back to look into Freya's eyes, asked softly, "What if you didn't have to become a Death Eater yourself, and I wouldn't have to die?"

Freya narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the Slytherin. "What do you mean?"

"My cousin Narcissa married a Death Eater but isn't one herself, but she's a loyal pureblood who has married into the cause and support's Lucius's actions with the Death Eaters. Maybe you could do the same. If you did that, you're not taking the Dark Mark, and we're both still safe." Freya's eyes widened as Regulus reached over her into a drawer of the nightstand, pulling out a small black ring box. Opening it, he revealed a sparkling solitary diamond set in a gold ring. "So, will you marry me?"

Freya shook her head in disbelief. "Is this a joke?" she asked softly, ghosting her fingers against the hard rock of the diamond.

Regulus smiled at her, seeming to hope that her surprise was a good sign for him. "No, of course, it's not," Regulus said with a grin. "This would actually work. We could introduce you to my parents this morning, tell them we're engaged, then send you back to your house to gather your things before you move in here. So what do you say?" Freya felt tears of happiness building in her eyes, and her throat constricted from the effort not to cry, so she simply nodded. Regulus looked overjoyed, taking the ring out of the box and slipping it onto Freya's finger. Kissing her lovingly, Regulus mumbled, "Come on, now, let's get dressed so we can show you off."

Freya nodded, and quickly hopped back out of bed, finding her blue robes and throwing them on, then grabbing her black cloak and pulling it over her shoulders. Regulus watched her with a slight smirk on his lips as he admired her figure from his bed. Finally, after she was nearly fully dressed, Regulus dragged himself from bed as well, planting a tender kiss on the back of Freya's neck as he passed her on his way to the closet, sending shivers down her spine. When both were dressed at last, Regulus summoned his house elf. The elf appeared with a pop, bowing to Regulus while eyeing Freya suspiciously. "Yes, Master Regulus?" Kreacher asked.

Regulus asked, "Where are mother and father, Kreacher?"

Kreacher replied, "Master Orion and Mistress Walburga are on the ground floor of the house, having breakfast in the dining room. Shall Kreacher prepare plates for Master Regulus and his guest as well?"

Regulus nodded, saying, "Yes, I do believe that would be best. But something small, we have a busy day ahead of us and can't spend much time eating breakfast."

"Of course, Master Regulus," Kreacher said with a bow, then popped away.

Regulus entwined his hand with Freya's as he led her down the stairs to the dining room. Freya trembled with nerves, remembering all the horror stories she had heard from Sirius about Orion and Walburga Black. Feeling her shake, Regulus looked back at Freya with a smile and squeezed her hand comfortingly. As they reached the ground floor, Freya forced a smile and nodded. Regulus led her into the dining room, where Orion and Walburga looked up at the pair. "Regulus," Orion said with a certain command to his voice that made Freya shiver. "Who is this friend you have brought into my house?"

Regulus grinned excitedly at his parents, then announced, "Father, Mother, this is Freya Potter. She is a loyal pureblood, and she has just accepted my proposal of marriage."

Orion raised an eyebrow at the pair, but Walburga's face exploded into a wide smile. Jumping up from her seat, the Black family matriarch rushed over to hug her son. "Oh, my son has found a proper pureblood girl to marry at long last!" Walburga exclaimed. Releasing her son from her embrace, Walburga swallowed Freya's small frame with her large, round figure as she hugged her son's fiancé. "I am so happy to be bringing another girl into this house at last."

Orion sat back in his chair, asking, his voice portraying no emotion one way or the other, "Is the girl pregnant?"

Freya blushed furiously at Orion's question as Walburga let go of her. Regulus took her hand again and answered, "No, of course not, Father."

"Very well then," Orion said, a slight smile cracking his face. "Then we'll have to marry you two off as quickly as possible so you can get to work on changing that. The Black family needs a proper heir. I will not have that blood traitor former son of mine inheriting everything and letting the family die out."

Regulus nodded solemnly, and Freya could see he was fighting a smile. "Of course, Father. We would like to be married before the end of the break."

Freya jumped slightly, startled by the suddenly extremely close wedding date. Regulus and Walburga walked over to the table, where Kreacher was placing plates of hot food on the table across from where Walburga sat. Regulus sat by his father, who sat at the head of the table, with Freya on his other side. Orion asked, "So, Freya, what house are you in at Hogwarts?"

Freya answered quickly, "I'm in Gryffindor, actually."

Orion immediately frowned, and Regulus rushed to remedy the situation. "She's not a Gryffindor like Sirius is, though. She's smart and cunning, and as loyal a pureblood as any. While not a Death Eater herself, she is quite proud of me for having become one so early in life and supportive of all of the Dark Lord's plans for the wizarding world. I personally believe the only reason she got placed in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin is the courage she has shown in coming forward as proper pureblood out of a family of blood traitors that take in the likes of Sirius."

Orion nodded, contemplating, then Walburga said, "Well, that sounds like something that can be forgiven if she lives up to proper pureblood standards. If the wedding is going to only be a week away, though, then perhaps we should move her into Grimmauld Place as soon as possible."

Regulus nodded. "Freya will be gathering her things from the Potter house following breakfast and bringing them here to move into one of the guest bedrooms until we are married next week."

Orion nodded. "Excellent," he declared. "Regulus, I expect that while Freya is out, you will begin making preparations for the wedding, such as selecting groomsmen and such. Freya and your mother can handle the rest, once Freya has returned."

Freya nodded as Regulus answered obediently, "Of course, Father."

Freya flooed into her home, holding her breath when she found James, Sirius, and Lily all sitting on the sofa, staring at her as though they had been waiting there for hours. James jumped up and tackled her in as tight a hug as he could manage. "Where the bloody hell have you been?" James exclaimed.

Lily added, "We've been really worried about you, Freya. You disappeared without a trace."

Freya wriggled out of James's arms. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you," Freya mumbled.

Sirius was suddenly out of his chair and across the room, grabbing her left hand. "What is this?" he demanded, gray eyes flashing with anger. "What the bloody hell is this?"

Freya tried to pull her hand away, but Sirius would have none of it. Angling her hand, Sirius showed James the diamond ring that accessorized her hand. James glared at her as he demanded, "Freya, what the hell have you done?"

Lily asked, "What is it, Sirius?"

Sirius answered angrily, "It looks like a bloody engagement ring."

James repeated, "Freya, what the bloody hell have you done? Where have you been? When did you sneak out of here?"

Freya finally managed to yank her hand away from Sirius's grasp, and she answered softly, "I slipped out last night when everyone else was asleep."

"To go get engaged?" James said in disbelief.

"No," Freya answered quickly as she pushed past the two men, heading up the stairs to her bedroom, the other three following closely behind her. "I mean, I wasn't planning on… He just sort of asked out of nowhere, and now I'm getting married sometime next week."

"What?" James shouted at the top of his lungs. "Next week? What the bloody hell do you mean you're getting married next week? Who is it?"

Freya cowered from James's anger as she reached the door of her room. "R – Regulus Black," she said under her breath.

James murmured angrily, "Say that one more time?" as he towered over her.

Freya opened the door to her room and slipped inside, followed by her brother, her brother's best friend, and her sister-in-law. A little louder, Freya said shyly, "Regulus Black."

She waved her wand, and her belongings began flying into her trunk as Sirius yelled deafeningly at her, "What the bloody hell is the matter with you? Since when are you even dating my little brother? Are you stupid, Freya? He's a bloody Death Eater; how could you possibly agree to marry him? He will chew you up and spit you out. He will ruin you!"

Freya turned on Sirius angrily, "He is not like that! He'd never hurt me."

"Your friends sent me an owl this morning, Freya," James said. "They seem to believe that you Imperiused them into taking back past letters they'd sent me, telling me that you were depressed and withdrawn, and that they suspected Regulus had something to do with it. They said they were shocked when the spell wore off this morning and realized what had happened. What the bloody hell did you do to Diana and Charlotte, and what the bloody hell is Black doing to you? Has he put you under the Imperius Curse or something?"

Freya flinched at her brother's angry words. "He most definitely has not cursed me," she insisted. "I'm fine, really. We've been dating since the first week of last summer."

"Why don't I remember the letters Diana and Charlotte wrote me that you forced them to take back?" James demanded.

Freya mumbled, "Because yesterday morning I erased everything involving me and Regulus from all of your memories."

Sirius yelled, "You did what?"

"I put Memory Charms on you, James, Lily, and Remus after you gits tricked me into drinking Veritaserum and forced me to tell you everything about me and Regulus."

"Why the hell would you do that?" James asked, venom tingeing his voice.

"Because it was dangerous for you guys to know," Freya screamed back. "If you knew and Regulus found out, there's no telling what he would have done to protect us! If word had gotten out about us before we knew what was going to happen, and one of the other Death Eaters had found out and told Voldemort, it might have gotten us both killed. I was protecting myself and the man I love, and don't you dare tell me I'm wrong."

"But you are wrong, Freya," Lily said soothingly. "We would protect you. We don't want to see you get hurt; you should know by now that we'd do anything to keep you safe, no matter who found out that you were dating Regulus Black."

"That's not the point. If I had told you from the start, you all would've done everything possible to keep me from ever seeing him again. I love him, and he loves me," Freya insisted.

James begged, his voice cracking under the strain of trying not to cry at the thought of losing his baby sister to Voldemort, "Please, Freya, don't do this. Don't become a Death Eater. Don't even marry a Death Eater. Just stay away from Black, please; he's dangerous. He's changing you inside; he's dragging you into dark magic and that's not like you one bit. You never believed any of that blood purity shit that Black is all into, why would you want to get involved with a man like that?"

Freya slammed the lid of her trunk shut just after her things finished piling into the trunk. Freya called out, "Kreacher!"

The house elf appeared between Freya and James. Kreacher answered, "Yes, Miss Freya?"

"Kreacher!" Sirius exclaimed. "What the bloody hell are you doing answering Freya's calls?"

"Master Sirius," Kreacher sneered with a slight bow. "Master Orion has asked Kreacher to answer and obey all summons and commands from Miss Freya Potter. Kreacher obeys Miss Freya as though she were Master Regulus."

Sirius growled at the house elf, "Kreacher, I order you to leave the Potter house and never come back, no matter what."

Freya countered, "Kreacher, Sirius does not tell you what to do; I do. Take this trunk back to 12 Grimmauld Place immediately, and tell Regulus I should arrive within ten minutes."

"Of course, Miss Freya," Kreacher said with a low bow. The house elf disapparated, taking Freya's trunk along with him.

James moaned, "Freya, what has he done to you? You've been depressed, withdrawn, you apparently haven't been answering my owls for weeks according to Diana and Charlotte, and now you're cursing people and marrying a Death Eater? What is going on, Freya?"

Freya brushed past him angrily, sick of having the same argument over again. "I love him, James; isn't that reason enough?"

James shook his head, running down the stairs after his sister, Sirius and Lily in tow. "So what if you love him, Freya? He's a Death Eater, and he's never going to change. That should be reason enough to stay away from him, no matter how much you love him," James shouted. James grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her to a stop in front of the fireplace. "I can't let you marry him, Freya," James said softly.

Freya spun around, pointing her wand in James's face. "James Potter, you will do no such thing," she hissed. "That goes for Lily and the other Marauders, too. I love you all, but I love Regulus, so I will not let anyone ruin this for me, got it?"

James nodded, and Freya saw a single tear escape from her brother's eye. Freya felt tears building in her own eyes, as well. "I love you so much, baby sis," James mumbled. "Please, don't do this. Don't betray us like this. We're your family."

Freya lowered her wand, then threw her arms around her brother, hugging him as tightly as she could. "I'm sorry, James," Freya whispered. "I love you too, but I'm still going to marry him." With that, Freya slipped out of James's arms and into the fireplace, flooing out to Grimmauld Place.

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