So after the culmination of the Christmas holidays and Regulus's accidental confession, we're back down to shorter chapters, sorry! Also, I've only really written drafts of the story, so updates might be once a week now, though I'll try to stick to two!

As usual, thanks so much for your reviews! I haven't had time to answer as I got them, so I'll answer on here again. Anyone not interested, just skip the black!

Creelluka: yeah in a way, Reg's an innocent isn't he? You'll see what happened this chapter ;)

alyssadavis25: keep watching ;)

Guest: Poor Reg! But the chapter was necessary for us to see why he is the way he is.Ash-Caro-Lynn: I think he would be annoyed, but I'll make him forgive you because your review was so sweet!

xXRosexScorpiusXx: Your review is - as always - much appreciated, the "child swap" thing is exactly what it made me think of too! I wanted to show how both sides could react the same way given the right situation.RHatch89: Simple and efficient. I like it.

iwantsprezzatura: Well remembered! Yeah, it would be a bit grim for the situation! Regulus really has no clue when it comes to interacting with Muggles, he just doesn't understand them.

Thanks everyone else for following/favouriting - last chapter was really one of my favourites, so I'm glad you all liked it!

'Regulus darling, have you finished packing? Just because we live in London doesn't mean that there might not be traffic on the way to the Platform! Regulus…Oh my!' Walburga Black's hand flew to her mouth.

Emma's eyes fluttered open in an unfamiliar place. Did I oversleep? Where am - her thoughts trailed off as she saw Regulus's mother in the doorway. Then she realised that she was curled up next to her son. On his bed. In his room.

She immediately sat up, pushing the boy away from her. At least she was still fully dressed, but the damage had probably been done.

'It's not what it looks like Mrs Black -' she started.

'Oh, call me Walburga, dear,' she said, breaking into a stunning smile that lit up her face. 'After all, you'll be part of the family soon!'

'I will?' Emma asked uncertainly, frowning a little. This was not the kind of reaction she was expecting.

Regulus rolled over and yawned, rubbing his eyes. He slowly seemed to become aware of the situation, but didn't seemed too bothered. In fact, he seemed almost too relaxed for Emma's taste. Before he could open his mouth, his mother noticed he was awake and started exclaiming, a faraway look in her eyes.

'Oh Regulus, you've gone about this all wrong, but I forgive you. What a match! The Potters' blood is almost as pure as the Malfoys'. Oh I just can't wait to start planning the wedding!' she clasped her hands together in excitement.

'The wedding?' Emma repeated stupidly, her brain trying to work in overtime.

'It all makes sense now, bringing you home to live with us "for a while", blaming it on that boy...'

'Relax Mum, we were just up late studying,' Regulus cut through his mother's speech in a bored tone. 'We must have fallen asleep whilst practicing Transfiguration. You're supposed to change your partner's eyebrow colour.'

Emma looked at him. No one would think that he was lying from the casual way he picked his Transfiguration book off of the floor. Sometimes he outdid even himself. He must have only just noticed it. He raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

'Yeah, we're not very good at it,' she said, realising that she needed to add some kind of contribution.

'Oh,' Walburga looked put out, before putting on a bright smile. 'Well in that case Emma would you mind giving my son and I a little privacy? Kreacher has made fried eggs and bacon.'

Emma was grateful for the excuse, but couldn't help a shudder when out of sight. It was uncanny how Walburga could seem like such a normal person when Emma had seen how she acted when no one was around. How could someone treat their own children that way? Walburga had never seemed mean to her - in fact, she had never even seen her raise her temper other than that one time at the dinner table. But even then, it seemed more like the outburst of a brewing argument... She resolved not to let her dislike show though, for Regulus's sake as well as her own. Besides, who was she to judge?

She took me in when my own parents didn't want me. How can I ever repay that?

At the station she saw James and Sirius first, and quickly steered Regulus in the opposite direction. Walburga had dropped them off at the station before going off to do…whatever the Black mother did. She was grateful Regulus's parents weren't present actually. It would be much easier to play off the "oh, I just spent a couple of days at his house". Though she was beginning to suspect that keeping secrets ran in the family. No wonder Regulus kept his mouth shut so often.

The back of her neck prickled, as if she was being watched, jerking her from her thoughts. Sure enough, when she turned around she saw Avery's eyes boring into her. What's he doing here? He didn't have any younger siblings that she knew of. He jerked his head in a "come here" movement. She slightly frowned and moved forwards, blocking his view with Regulus's body. As if I'd be stupid enough to do that.

'I can't believe my mother,' Regulus was saying. 'It's only quarter to eleven.'

Emma nodded sympathetically and peeked over his shoulder. His own thoughts must have been full, because he didn't notice her inattention. Avery was still staring, but with an exasperated expression. He rolled his eyes at her, looking at her with a look reserved for terrified first years. It pricked her curiosity as well as shaming her for showing her fear.

'Wait here for a sec,' she said to Regulus.

Without waiting for a response, she walked over to the older boy, now hiding in a pillar's shadow.

'What do you want?' she asked, glancing around, crossing her arms over her chest.

'Relax Potter, strictly business today. Black's too conspicuous to talk to,' he replied, staring to where a group of giggling girls were talking animatedly, their eyes trained on the Slytherin. Regulus appeared not to notice. 'But this information is for the both of you. Next Hogsmeade weekend. The Dark Lord wants to test you.'

Without further ado, he turned on the spot and vanished. Emma was left staring at the brick wall behind him, a thousand "test" ideas running through her mind. Before she could really think about it, she heard a voice calling her name.

'Hey Ems!' Rabastan was waving out of the corner of her eye. 'We've got a spare compartment! Come on in!'

Spotting her parents entering the station with James, she high-tailed it to the train, literally jumping into the compartment after Rabastan and slamming the compartment door shut, effectively cutting off any conversation going on inside,

'So…What should we do?' Rabastan asked after an awkward silence.

The three of them were in a compartment with Evan and Lucinda Rosier. Emma didn't even know why Evan was there since he was a seventh year. Her guess was boredom and hoping to see Alecto before having to go to the Prefect's carriage. Fat chance of that, she thought. Alecto was always on the train with seconds to spare.

'How about thinking of ways to murder my brother?' Regulus said lightly, looking out of the window.

Emma leaned over, hoping to see James, maybe catch his eye without her parents noticing. She missed him already and if she was really honest with herself, she wanted to know how her parents had reacted to her departure. She felt a stab of sadness, they didn't even bother to send me a letter to ask where I was, or if I was okay. Immediately, she chided herself. Why should she care? They obviously didn't. But she was sure that James did.

She craned her head around a little more. Regulus made a face and pushed her hair out of his face, but she ignored him, scanning the crowds for the tell-tale mop of unruly black hair. She supposed that he had already spotted Lily Evans somewhere. There was a sudden cough. She looked around to see Lucinda glaring at her. Emma raised her eyebrows, what?

'I hate you sometimes, Emma!' she burst out, running from the compartment.

Rabastan just shrugged at her. Evan didn't look like he cared in the slightest. Emma sighed and slid the door open. Lucinda had always been emotional, but she had seemed fine three days ago at the party.

'James!' she exclaimed joyfully as she searched the compartments. As usual he was with his group of three other Gryffindors. Lou was probably off with her Ravenclaw buddies.

He raised a hand in greeting and she flew over to hug him.

'Can't…breathe…Ems,' he gasped, but Emma just hugged him tighter. Remus laughed, and James put his arms around his sister. 'It hasn't even been a week you know,' he chided gently.

Or that's what he would have said, if she dared hug him in front of his friends. Instead she just stood there awkwardly in the doorway, willing James to come out into the corridor. The three Gryffindors stared at her - she had obviously interrupted something.

'I'm sorry, is this a bad time?' said a familiar voice.

'Um.' James said, torn between his sister and the girl he loved.

'Not at all Lily,' Emma smiled brightly, choosing for him. Something seemed to squeeze her heart, and she suppressed all of her questions. She would find her brother later. 'He's all yours.'

'But I don't want him to be -' Lily stuttered as James turned crimson.

'What James, no declaration of undying love?' Sirius teased.

'I think he likes you,' Emma whispered as she left Lily in the doorway.

She found Lucinda in the loo. Well, it was lucky she did, since she cast Alohamora on the lock. Who knew what could have been lurking behind that door?

'How did you know it was me?' the blonde girl sniffled.

'Well the crying's kind of a giveaway...'

'It's not funny!' Lucinda cried, looking like she was going to burst into tears again.

Emma sighed and pulled the toilet door closed, locking them in. She perched on the sink opposite and motioned the toilet seat. 'What's this about?'

'Stop doing that,' the other girl complained, but sat down all the same.

'Doing what?'

'Just…Merlin, do you have to be so put-together? At least give us other girls a chance.'

Lucinda pouted, but it seemed like she had gotten what she wanted off her chest.

'So let me get this straight,' Emma said slowly. 'You want me to have a breakdown so…Actually no, I don't get it.'

There was a pause in which Emma thought about all the times she had cried in front of Regulus or James, precisely to keep up her "tough" act. Appearance was everything, as she had learned in that fifth-year closet. It was better to hide any vulnerabilities, even with Lucinda and Alecto: her best friends.

'I wish I was like you,' Lucinda sighed. 'Everyone respects you, and the younger Slytherins look up to you.'

I worked hard for that image, Emma thought with an inward smile. Now I know it's working. Maybe she would be able to influence the younger Slytherins into joining their cause. However, she had never thought that Lucinda would be bothered.

'But everyone likes you,' Emma pointed out, not sure where this was going. 'And you're always the life of the party.'

Lucinda's parents worked in exports and imports with Honeydukes and the Bertie Bott's Beans industry, and Emma had always privately thought that Lucinda's bubbly persona came from eating too many sweets when she was young. She was easily one of the most popular girls at school, with a mostly carefree attitude and a knack for fun ideas. Even the teachers smiled when she breezed into the classroom, with the notable exception of Professor McGonagall, who never thought the Slytherin put enough effort into her classes. One of the reasons why Lucinda decided to drop it.

'But I'll never be good enough for him,' Lucinda said sadly, as if it were the end of the world.

'For who? Sirius? Let me tell you, you are worth eight times that slime ball -' Emma started ranting.

'Merlin, no! I'm talking about Regulus!' Lucinda burst out.

'Regulus?' Emma asked. Does she think that he looks up to me of all people? Oh man, if only she knew…Regulus's respect for me is probably at 0% right now. Besides, he can't even look at me after last night. That was a serious invasion of privacy...

'Isn't he just wonderful?' Lucinda had a dreamy look to her.

'You could say that,' Emma replied, but the other girl carried on.

'You know, I always knew he was good-looking. But it's the way he is, so calm, so sure of himself. Nothing can touch him, you know? That night we spent together... I just lay in his arms thinking that this was the safest I could ever be. Then he's a pure-blood, and oh so intelligent…'

'Wait, you...' Emma trailed off.

'Oh, I'm not supposed to say!' Lucinda giggled. 'But you'll keep it a secret, won't you? He says that it's more special if it's between just the two of us. The secret makes it all the sweeter.'

'I bet he did,' Emma said, thinking of the girls she had seen sneaking out of the Prefect's bathroom once in a while. At least he kept it out of the broom cupboards.

'And then I woke up and they said he went home with you!' Lucinda gave her a long look, and Emma realised that it was no accident that she had told her about New Year's. She bit back a smile. This was safer territory. This was the gossipy side of Lucinda that tried to find out what happened between who and tried to find a way to use the information.

'I thought it was just a joke, but then this morning you were all over him and -'

'Excuse me?' Emma frowned. This morning he was so cold I could have poured water onto his head and broken icicles off of his nose.

'Oh come on, "leaning over to look out of the window"? That's the oldest trick in the book!' Lucinda tossed her hair back.

At least she's feeling better, Emma thought sardonically.

'What I just want to know is how do you do it?' Lucinda asked. She had wiped away her tearstains and was looking slightly defiant

'Do what?' Emma was getting frustrated. What is the point of all this?

'Get his attention,' she said impatiently. 'You say you're friends and you're always together, but most of the time you just sit there in silence. Whenever you're not there, he asks about you.'

'Like you said, we're friends,' Emma said.

'I don't believe you,' Lucinda said immediately, and then sighed dejectedly. 'You act as if you can do anything, and people just let you. It's not fair, playing around with people's feelings.'

'Life's a game Lucinda. You just need to learn the rules.'

'Do you make it a hobby to be so cryptic all the time?'

Emma smiled and smoothed her friend's curly locks.

'Look, despite you saying such horrible things today, I like you Lucinda,' she said. 'That's why I'll give you a clue. If you show your hand to everybody, then you'll lose no matter what the cards are.'