It was almost midnight when Regulus left the manor and went straight to Annabelle's parents' house. He was hoping to spend a carefree evening with his future wife and in-laws. What he failed to anticipate was that he would find the Dark Mark floating above the White residence. It felt like the world had suddenly stopped spinning. Regulus heart was racing so fast that he was certain that it was going to explode.

With difficult, he got his legs moving, and suddenly he started running to the house. Even before he entered he could already smell the carnage. This cousin Bellatrix really had a dramatic approach when it came to killing and torturing her victims. He slammed the door opened and saw a couple of bodies laying on the floor. Others like Annabelle's brother Alfred, had his body and blood decorating the ceiling, like a very macabre wallpaper. Regulus felt that some of the food in his stomach was trying to leave his body. He tried his best to put himself together, focusing on finding out if there were any survivors - and especially hoping that by some heavenly miracle Anna would have been anywhere else but there that evening. He cast homenum revelio, which informed him that there were at least two people alive lingering in the house. Following the spell, his heart almost stopped when he realised that the two last alive people were inside Annabelle's room.

Regulus' wand hand was shaking in a mixture of hope and fear when he opened the door. The image he saw would never ever leave his mind. Bellatrix laughing loudly like a maniac, bouncing Annabelle's body around the room like a ragdoll being thrown from wall to wall. She had cuts all over her body - including her face - forming words like 'scum', 'mud' and 'dirty mud'. Regulus knew that no matter what, they would never fully heal. Annabelle was so pale, and by the amount of blood on the floor, and at the walls, he could well imagine the reason.

"Little Reggie finally have come to play!" Bellatrix said with a crazy grim, leaving Annabelle's body dropped from the ceiling without a second thought. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to join our little girly chat, cousin. Rabastan and Rodolpho got bored of waiting and left me alone here having all the fun by myself, you see…" she informed him. Her annoying girly voice was getting on Regulus's nerves. He couldn't restrain himself any longer.

"LEAVE-HER-ALONE" Regulus was shaking with range. His feelings were so strong that he could feel the raw magic begging to be released from his fingers. Begging to hurt his cousin Bellatrix.

"Tut-tut Regulus, you disappointed me," she said walking away from the Muggle who was fighting to remain conscious on the floor. "breeding with a muggle, Reggie? I mean, really? I thought that you were different from little Siri…"

"GET OUT! LEAVE US ALONE!" Regulus said now pointing his wand to Bellatrix's face.

"Did you know that she was with child, Reggie? Conceived just a few days ago. We couldn't risk having a horrendous Half-blood tarnishing our family tapestry, could we?"

Regulus's was now making the room to shake as if they were in the middle of an earthquake with accidental magic, such was the strength of his rage. He felt like he had enough and decided to evoke the curse that was dancing on the tip of his tongue.

"AVADA KEDAVRA," he said, but Bellatrix managed to duck away from the curse. She suddenly became serious and threw one last curse on the girl that was lying down on the floor before she finally disapparated, leaving Regulus and Annabelle alone.

Regulus kneeled in front of the girl and saw that now she had more blood coming out her mount. She also had a couple of nasty exposed fractures on all her limbs, and Regulus wouldn't be surprised if she also had a couple of broken ribs.

"Anna! Can you hear me? Stay with me ok? I'm going to heal you… you are going to be all right…" he said pointing his wand to her left leg in order to start mending her bones. But the reaction she had with the spell wasn't what he had expected.

"What… I don't understand, why are you not healing?" he said confused trying to remember if he had performed the correct wand motion. It was then that he noticed that not only her bones had failed to mend, but a rash seemed to be spreading over her entire body.

"Gosh, she poisoned you as well!" and then he noticed that there was also some purple foam dripping from her mount along with the blood. "multiple poisons…"

Regulus tried to wipe away some of her own blood that was still dripping from her forehead, where the word 'mud' had been carved. He was disheartened, and for the first time, he started to realise that healing her would be a job that was way beyond his abilities. She then started to shake in a strong convulsion. Regulus was no healer, but he knew that he needed to act fast if he wanted to avoid her to die on his arms.

"We need time… I need to buy us some time…." he said remembering one spell that he had read about it, but never used. It was dark magic, but at least, it would stop her from dying on his arms at that moment.

Anima Vitae. It was considered to be dark magic because it borrowed his own life and health for her to be able to survive. If he stayed more than two meters away from her, both of them were likely to die. But at that moment Regulus couldn't care less for his own life - Slytherin self-preservation be doomed. He could only care about the life of the girl who was dying on his arms. He casted the spell, and carefully carried her down the stairs, as he wouldn't dare to apparate with her in such a state, as apparition could sometimes make things worse in very severe cases like that.

Regulus was about to leave the White's residence when he saw his brother rushing inside the house like Regulus had done not long ago.

"Regulus! So it is true, then. You are a Death Eater!" Sirius said pointing his own wand against his own brother.

Regulus felt exhausted. He didn't want to deal with his brother.

"Sirius please, I beg you… just let me go…" Regulus plead, with tears of despair on his eyes.

"YOU KILLED THEM!" Sirius said looking at his childhood friend who was glued to the ceiling.

"No, I swear I didn't. Bella and her husband did this… I'm just… you need to let us go, Sirius. She needs to see a healer… and she is… she is dying!"

"And why would you care? Since when do you care for them? Or for any muggle, mind me add…" Sirius could see the despair on Regulus pale face, but he knew that his brother could be a very good actor when it suited him.

"Sirius, please! Now I can finally understand... this blood supremacy... mother was wrong... I was wrong..." Regulus begged, but his brother had his wand pointed to him and an expression that showed that he was determined not to let Regulus go without a fight.

"Yes, you were. But regretting your choices now won't change what you did. I'm still going to hand you over to the DMLE. They will put you in Azkaban, where you shall rot. Now be a good boy and put her down."

"Sirius I can't!" Regulus pleaded.

"Just do it, Regulus. I will take her to the St. Mungos"

"You don't understand! I casted Anima vitae on her. If she is separated from me, we both are going to die!" Regulus said trying to phrase his urgency.

Regulus was almost regretting having cast that spell now that Sirius had arrived. His brother would be able to take her to St Mungo's, and he... well, somehow he wasn't feeling worried about his own fate anymore. If he had to die in order for her to live, so be it. The sound of muggle fireworks started, announcing that it was already 1979. Both brothers remained glaring at each other for a couple of minutes. But it was Sirius who broke the silence.

"Just put her on the floor. I don't want to hit her!" Sirius begged.

"No Sirius, I can't… she is my…" Regulus took a deep breath and slowly moved her body in a way that Sirius would be able to see the bracelet on her wrist. "she is my fiancé, Sirius. You are right. I am a Death Eater, but I swear I did not plan this attach... "

Sirius seemed to be taken back by this revelation. Despite that, his wand's aim remained strong as ever pointed to Regulus chest.

"You would never... you are lying... I'm not sure what you want with her, but this must be a lie..." Sirius cautioned.

"Brother, you don't need to believe me... but you must let us go,"

"I don't want to risk to hit her, but you leave me no choice, Stupefy," Sirius said just before he casted the stunning spell. But Regulus somehow managed to block the incantation, even while he still held her on his arms.

"What is going on here..." Helen, Annabelle's twin sister entered the room carrying a bottle of champagne that fell on the floor as soon as she took in the blood scene massacre that had occurred on her childhood home. Both Sirius and Regulus looked at her, who had her mount and eyes wide open in horror and as she realised what had happened there.

"Anna? Or is it Helen?" Sirius started saying, as he calmly walked towards the teenager who was shaking in a complete state of shock.

Regulus decided to take advantage of his brother's own distraction and sneaked away from the garden backdoor. When Sirius finally noticed his brother's absence, Regulus had already flown away on his broomstick with Annabelle and was half on his way to Spinner's End.

Severus Snape wasn't home when Regulus arrived and helped him inside, but Regulus didn't expect him to. He knew that Snape was likely to still be with the others doing the attacks. But he hoped that Snape's wards would be good enough to alert the former Slytherin that he had some uninvited guests, and Regulus hoped that this would be enough to make the Death Eater rush back home, instead of staying out for celebrations. While he waited, Regulus placed her on the sofa and kneeled beside her body with a conjured cloth and started to clean some of her wounds. Every moment he found a new wound, a new place that would need medical attention. Regulus's body had also started to display some wounds - an effect from the magic he had performed - and his own nose had started bleeding.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for Severus entered the house, his silver mask still covering his face, and his wand on his hand, showing that he was ready to kill if necessary.

"Regulus Black," Severus said as soon as he realised who his uninvited guest was. He removed his mask straightway before talking again "What hell are you doing here?"

"Severus, my friend… I beg you… please, save her!" Regulus was still kneeling beside his muggle lover, who was lying still as stone as if she was in a coma. The despair on his face was so evident that Snape didn't even need to read Regulus mind to figure out how important that woman was for the youngest Black heir.

Without asking any questions, Severus quickly removed his travel cloak and started to perform a series of spells on the muggle girl to see what could be done to save her. Regulus sat on the couch next to the sofa, trying to give Snape some space for him to work, but at the same time, remaining near enough her as it was required by the bond he now shared with her. Snape summed potions and placed a bezoar inside her mount, while he carried on casting spells that made some of her wounds disappear, however, some of them seemed to be resisting his incantations. Regulus remained there, watching his friend trying to save the life of the woman he loved - and now he no longer doubted that it was actually true love what he was feeling. Regulus remained there, silently waiting, hoping that Severus would soon stop and inform him that Annabelle would be fine. Only that it wasn't what happened.

"I'm sorry Regulus… I did all I could" Snape said before standing up "whoever did this to her, ensured that it would be impossible to fully heal her without killing her first. If you keep her under Anima vitae, as you are, you might buy her a few weeks, maybe even one or two months, but no more. She will still be on this pitiful coma existence, and the only thing you will gain from it is to deteriorate your own health and kill yourself at the of it. The kindest thing to do to both of you is to let her go."

"No… No... NO!" Regulus craved both his hands on his long hair, removing some tugs after this act of desolation "there must be something we can do… she can't just… please, Severus, she can't… she can't die!"

Regulus kneeled near to her immobilized body, holding her hand, stroking her hair. The hard truth that she was not going to recover was starting to finally sink in. She was still covered in blood, and he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of guilt for bringing her to his life. For not anticipate what the consequences of his actions would likely to be. For not protecting her as well as he should. For having believed on atrocious things, such as muggle's inferiority, and especially for following the orders of a mad-man that had to give him nothing but sorrow in return.

Regulus didn't know how long he stayed there, looking at her barely alive figure, which was laying on Severus Snape's old couch. In fact, Regulus only reminded himself where he was when he felt the weight of his old school friend's hands on his shoulders. It was only then that Regulus noticed that he had been crying. He tried to discreetly hide his tears away from the other male in the room, even though he was sure that he had already noticed them.

"Regulus…" Snape started not sure of what he should say on that situation. "Who is this… girl?"

The pregnant pause and the disdain on Severus's voice didn't go unnoticed by Regulus. He stroked the girl's face while he decided how much he should tell him.

"Her name is Annabelle White. She is… she is my fiancé," Regulus said without removing his eyes from the girl.

Snape looked him pitifully.

"I'm guessing that someone from the Black family did not want to hold their peace…"

"You guessed right."

Snape remained in silence as he carefully deciding how much of his private life he would dare to share with the younger Black heir.

"My father was a muggle. I still have no idea what my mother saw on him. They didn't have anything in common. He was…" Severus stopped, not really wanting to share his opinion about what his father really was. "They are too different from us. that is why I don't believe that a relationship with a muggle can ever have a bright future…"

"And still, you left yourself to fall in love with Evans…" Regulus stated making Severus Snape glare at him clear annoyed.

"Lily is a witch…"

"Evans is a mu…muggle-born witch" Regulus corrected himself in middle of his sentence. "She's been raised by a muggle family. She carries their traditions and values"

"Lily is different from the muggles…"

"Annabelle is different as well. She is…"

But Regulus stopped middle-sentence realising that soon she would no longer be alive. Soon he would need to refer to her in the past tense, and there was nothing that he could do about it. This thought made him feel hollow and bitter.

"Bellatrix told me she was with child..." Regulus informed Snape, who immediately bent down to perform two more spells on the unconscious girl.

"She still is..."

"Is there... anything..."

"No. There isn't..." Snape stood up once more "no fetus magical or not, would be able to survive such an early labour induction. You should forget about it."

Snape seemed to notice the turmoil on his friend's mental state and decided that it would be probably best to leave him be. Severus then left Regulus and his muggle girl alone and went to his private quarters. Once he was already out of sight, an apparition noise announced the presence of Regulus's house-elf Kreacher. He looked miserable. Kreacher was stumbling as if he was drunk and were pale as if he was ill. Regulus managed to catch the elf just before he treated to fall on Severus carpet.

"Ma-master Regulus…" the house-elf mumbled "Kreacher is a ba-bad elf… didn't stay there as Regulus's master ordered… but master Regulus ordered Kreacher to come back to him… those dead living creatures were trying to kill Kreacher. Kreacher was scared. Kreacher didn't know what to do, so Kreacher..." but the house-elf never finished off that sentence. He stared at the rusty flowery wallpaper for a long moment, until Regulus took pity of the elf's clearly disturbed state. Even though Regulus was feeling more than miserable at that moment, somehow he felt like he needed to know what had happened to his house-elf. If for nothing else, at least as a silly attempt to take his mind away from his own sorrow, at least for a few moments.

"Kreacher, you are not making any sense. Sit down. Now please, tell me exactly what happened."

Regulus ordered, and Kreacher was forced to describe everything that had happened with him from the moment the Dark Lord took him out Regulus's sight. Regulus then heard the house-elf's tale on how he was forced to go on a trip to a mysterious cave. Kreacher told him as many details he could remember of the place, and how it was warded. Kreacher also informed him that Voldemort had kept an Inferi army guarding one single precious object that he had transported there. But it was the way that Kreacher described that particular object that caught Regulus attention.

"Kreacher, what do you mean by the 'Dark Lord's locket being'? I don't understand what you mean by that…" Regulus asked as he noticed his elf seemed to be taken back by that particular object.

"Kreacher means exactly what Kreacher said, Master Regulus. Regulus's master has a locket that he has kept a piece of Regulus's master being on it." Kreacher said despite been clearly uncomfortable talking about that particular object.

"You meant to say that the Dark Lord has hidden a locket that has part of himself imprinted on it…?" Regulus asked the house-elf, who nervously shook his hands to confirm Regulus' line of thought. "But what could that be…? How would he keep a part of himself in an object…?" Regulus was pacing from one side to the other from Snape's living room, trying to figure out the Dark Lord's riddle.

Fortunately, it did not take long for him to remember the description of one particular piece of dark magic that he had read in a book. The very same book that had prompted his approximation with one that they had mistakenly exchanged a couple of months ago. It felt like it had been years now. The thought only increased the sore raw wound he was now sure he had under his chest. A pain that he knew that he would not have to be feeling if it were not for the Dark Lord himself. Voldemort has a Horcrux. Voldemort has a Horcrux and I'm likely to be the only wizard who knows where it is hidden. Maybe I will be able to have my revenge after all.

Regulus's sharp mind quickly came on this conclusion, but he rushed to hide it, as he didn't feel like he should trust this particular information to anyone. Not even his good friend Severus. Nonetheless, before he could think about, a morbid but promising plan started to be formulated on his head. He would need Severus help, and he was sure that his Death Eater fellow would not want to help him go through with the dark plan Regulus had in mind.

Thankfully Regulus being a Slytherin through and through, had grown to be an expert on the art of blackmailing. Severus would hate to help him, but Regulus was certain that he would do it regardless. Because that self-preservation was a strong trait at the snake's house. A trait that Regulus realised that he no longer possessed.

The full moon was glowing in the sky, and they were only a few minutes away from the witching hour. Flecks of cold sea water were sprinkling at the three beings that had dared to stand on the rock that stood at the entrance of a cursed cave. Regulus looked completely destroyed, his hair was messy, his clothes were dirty and the dark half-circles under his eyes were the clear proof that had hadn't slept for days. Despite that, he felt determined. He was carefully carrying Annabel on his shoulders. The muggle girl remained unconscious - held on an enchanted sleep, barely alive, only surviving through the power of the magical bond that Regulus had placed on her for the past dozen days. Kreacher was by his side, not by his own will, but due to the force of the bond he shared with his master.

"Ma-master Regulus," Kreacher the house-elf held one of Regulus hands so tightly that the young man was sure that it had cut his blood circulation on that hand "please don't do it! Don't make Kreacher do this..." Kreacher whipped, glaring his master with fear in his eyes.

"Sorry Kreacher… but this is the only way. But don't worry, you will be alright this time. I promise"

If Regulus thought that this would put Kreacher's feelings at bay, he was quickly proven to be mistaken, as the house-elf started to shake after hearing his statement. Ignoring how bad Kreacher was feeling about it, Regulus ordered the elf to bring him to the hidden passage of the cave. Once they were there, Kreacher tried to protest when Regulus informed him that he was going to be opening it with his own blood instead of hurting Kreacher as Voldemort had done.

"Stop protesting Kreacher. This is my choice to make, not yours. You must keep your strength. If everything happens according to the plan, you will have a Horcrux to destroy after all…" Regulus said before he made a small cut on his hand in order to feed the magical gate, opening it as he had expected it would. They entered the main chamber and Regulus was stunned by the eeriness of that place, which was bigger than he had imagined it would be. The only two lights came from the tip of his own wand, and from the centre of the island where he knew his cursed prize was resting.

"Summon the boat," Regulus ordered Kreacher before he changed the way he was carrying the unconscious muggle girl to a bridal style. "not long until we are free, my love. I promise you... I won't let anything like this happen to you in our next life…"

Regulus whispered to the muggle girl's ear, but if she heard anything, she was unable to acknowledge it. He tenderly kissed her forehead and carried her to the boat that Kreacher had already pulled from the bottom of the lake.

"Ma-master Regulus," Kreacher whispered with reluctance while the boat was taking them to the small island on the cave's centre "Kreacher doesn't think Master Regulus is on his right mind… what is Mistress going to say when she finds it out?"

"Mother won't know about it, because you are not going to tell her. Simple as that. You are not allowed to tell about this to anyone in the family, do you hear me? Especially not about the bond I am about to make between mine and Annabelle's souls. Nobody can ever dream about that. I am going too far, doing the unthinkable... I can't risk endangering her life again..."

Regulus noticed the Inferi sleeping under the water, just as Kreacher had previously described to him. Now he had confirmed why the Dark Lord had needed so many dead bodies. Everything just to protect his precious Horcrux. Regulus tightened his grip on the unconscious girl in his arms. They were going to die, but at least he was in peace with the fact that they were going to take a small piece of the Dark Lord with him. It wouldn't be a worthless death. Even sweeter revenge as he believed that the spell he was going to perform was going to allow him and Annabelle to rebirth - to reincarnate again. The Dark Lord wasn't going to have this chance.

It was a very experimental piece of magic. People who performed the ritual had obviously died - and people did not seem to be able to take their memories with them if they ever successfully managed to reborn again. However, there was some evidence of its efficacy, and at the current circumstances, Regulus was more than willing to take his chances. He didn't want to live anymore. At least, not in a world where he and his Anna were unable to live a long and prosperous life by his side.

They quickly approached the small island, the green light that emanated from it, was becoming brighter as they were getting more near it. When they finally got to the shore, it was clear that the light was coming from inside the potion basin. Regulus walked to the opposite side of the island and laid the girl on the floor before he started to prepare for the ritual he planned to finish once he managed to retrieve Voldemort's Horcrux from the basin. He drew a pentacle with a special paint that Snape had made for him after Regulus threatened to spread that he loved Lily Evans to all Death Eaters. Among other things, the potion contained his and Annabelle's own blood. He placed the girl's body on the centre, the engagement jewellery he had previous gifted to her, in one of the edges of the pentacle and whispered a couple of incantations that formed a small ward inside the circle. He lighted six black candles. When everything seemed to be in order, Regulus left her body there and turned his attention back to Kreacher.

"When I finish the ritual, our bodies will burn into ashes. Please, clean up any residual trace magic of this ritual I am performing. Absolutely nobody should know about it." Regulus looked to the girl who was lying on the cold floor of the artificial island "Ensure that her twin-Sister has that bracelet. I wrote her a letter… here…" Regulus gave it to the house-elf who was shaking in anticipation for what was about to come.

"Ma-mas-ter..!" Kreacher started but Regulus ignored him once again. Instead, he turned his attention to the basin. Regulus got an old wine glass he had brought with him from his pocket and dunked it inside the basin, filling it with that cursed potion.

"To your health, Kreacher" he toasted the air before he allowed the bittersweet taste to invade his mount. The vision of Annabelle being tortured by Bellatrix came to his mind and he felt his body tense, but he drunk every single drop of it. He filed his cup and carried on with the psychological torture of reliving everything that had happened with him and her during the past couple of days. However, the potion did not affect him as much as it should have, as he already spent a great amount of his time ruminating about their fate. It was all very recent, the wounds were still fresh and opened. If anything, the potion only made his suffering even more intense than what it already was. This ended up giving him even more reason to carry on drinking it and filling his cup three, five, eight times as it was revenge along with the hope for a brighter future that fueled his actions.

When he finally finished drinking the last drop of the potion, he felt the immense thirst that Kreacher had described to him.

"WATER… water…" he begged. The thirst he felt was so huge that it clouded his mind preventing him from have any clear thought. However, they were prepared for this, and Kreacher was able to give him exactly the antidote he needed without waking the dark creatures that were resting inside the lake.

"Here Master Regulus, drink this…" the house-elf said before he provided his master with a vial containing the antidote that would allow Regulus to recover his senses once again.

Regulus blindly accepted and took the remedy the elf gave him without a second thought. He immediately recovered his senses and grabbed the Horcrux that was resting inside the old basin. Regulus quickly made a copy of the Slytherin locket and wrote a rushed message to place inside it.

"To the Dark Lord

I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more.

R.A.B."

Regulus then placed the fake locket back to the basin and casted the spell that he had seen Voldemort casting when he had seen Kreacher's memory. Regulus and Kreacher remained in silence while they observed the basin to magically fill itself as it had happened when Voldemort had placed the real Horcrux inside it.

"Here Kreacher, please take it…" Regulus asked handing the real Horcrux to the house-elf who was still shaking when he took it. He checked his pocket watch that confirmed what he already knew "I… I think... it is time…"

Regulus glanced to the muggle girl's body who was still resting on the same spot he had previously laid her in. He looked paler than ever, but he was determined to go through this to the end.

"Mas-mas-ter Regulus…" Kreacher start whipping, but Regulus decided to ignore the house-elf state. He didn't want to change his mind.

"Please Kreacher… make sure that letter reach her twin-sister… and take the bracelet to her… Anna will reborn on her own family, and... my soul shall follow her… never mention this to anyone"

Kreacher then was forced to watch as Regulus entered inside the pentacle and recite the dark incantations that would bring his own life to an end. For a very brief moment, Regulus lifted the spell that was keeping Annabelle's alive in a coma. He ended the ritual setting fire to both their bodies. Their bodies had already started to burn when Regulus heard her saying 'I love you' for one last time before he watched her life to leave her eyes. He kissed her tenderly and hugged her firmly, ready to embrace death and the unknown. The physical pain he was feeling was tremendous, but he didn't move an inch. He braced the heat of the fire that was burning his body until he could no longer feel anything. Regulus was then engulfed by the kiss of death.

Once the ritual was over, Kreacher did what Regulus had requested. The house-elf cleared the magical traces of the ritual, gathered Regulus' and Annabelle's ashes and apparated back to the rocks outside the cave.

The house-elf felt the salt sea water to splash on his face. Kreacher felt numbed. His Master Regulus was no longer alive and he had witnessed his death, unable to do anything to stop him from taking his own life. Kreacher looked at the locket and the bracelet determined to fulfil the last two missions that master Regulus gave to him: To destroy the locket and to give the bracelet back to Annabelle's twin sister.