Tuesday 29th January 1980

Unidentified Location, England, 15:00

Remus couldn't believe what had happened. What was happening. Present tense. What was going on was happening in the present and didn't have a completion date. Well, not for a few more months at least. How many months? Six? Seven? Five?

He didn't even know something as simple as that. Never got a chance to ask. Never gave Dora a chance to tell. This was all a mess. His life was a mess and it was all his fault. He had been stupid, stupid, stupid. There wasn't a word strong enough to describe how stupid be was. And here people thought that he was the smart one. He snorted deprecatingly at himself. He was definitely not the smart one.

He had got Dora pregnant and he wasn't even with her. He had got Dora pregnant and he didn't know anything. And wasn't going to be able to know anything for a while. Why did it have to be now of all times that he had an assignment for the Order? He hadn't had any for ages and then there was this one! Not that he wasn't grateful. He had been when Dumbledore gave it to him and he still was. He was currently between jobs at the moment - due to him having to take too many sick days. So, keeping busy was always nice.

But it wasn't nice now. No, it was the complete opposite of nice. It was horrible. All he could think that he wanted to get away. Get back to Dora.

Get back to Dora and do what though? Be together? They weren't really together. They had never put a name on what they were. Was it a relationship? A real one? You know, a boyfriend-girlfriend sort of one? He didn't think it was. They hadn't exactly gone out together... on dates. They just sort of... slept together. Actually, there was no sort of about it. They slept together. Had sex. He definitely couldn't deny that.

Not with Dora being pregnant.

Merlin. Dora was pregnant.

Just what exactly had he done?

1st February 1980

Auror Office, 09:00

Tonks shrugged her robes on, infinitely grateful at how loose the Auror robes were, at least for her. No, she was not going to make a comment on her height or lack of it. She got quite enough teasing from Sirius as it was about that, thank you very much. It wasn't her fault that she didn't take after the Black side of her family with their tall, statuesque frames. No. She was short. Because all the women on her father's side was.

She wondered what side her baby would take after. Hers or Remus'? Would it look like her but have Remus' brains or vice versa? Oh, she didn't want to think about this, not even a little bit. She couldn't, not with her mind all in a whirl like it was currently. She didn't know what to think.

She wasn't going to even have work to distract her because, well, she wasn't going to have any work to go to now. In fact, she already didn't because the Healer had informed the Auror Academy as soon as Tonks had reported back that she wasn't going to give up this baby. Tonks had been in several times since to discuss her options which really wasn't much at this point. She was still a Trainee, after all. Not even a fully-fledged Auror. She couldn't exactly take maternity leave when she wasn't technically an employee of the Ministry yet. Which sucked but that was life, wasn't it? Especially recently. For her anyway. Which also sucked. Especially when everyone else she knew was so happy.

Happy about their upcoming babies. Babies that they wanted and maybe even planned for. Or at least expected. Things that Tonks had not done. No, wait. That was a lie. She did want this baby. And she figured that she would want a baby at some point. Just...not now. Or anytime soon. But she was pregnant and she wasn't about to change that so she supposed she was going to have a baby.

Hers and Remus' baby. Or maybe it was just going to be hers considering she hadn't seen hide nor hair of Remus since their shouting match of her telling him. He had just left. No contact. No nothing. What was she supposed to do? Leave him alone? Chase him? She didn't know.

What she did know was that she still wanted to be an Auror. More than anything. And if it wasn't going to happen right now then at least she could make it happen later. Mothers could be Aurors, right? It was the eighties! Barely, but still. And she couldn't be an Auror right now, yes, she got that.

She could, however postpone her training for up to twelve months, upon recommendation from her instructors. Which, apparently, they had given quite easily. Apparently, she had impressed them enough during her training that they would be happy to have her back after she had given birth and then recovered. Which was something. It wasn't the best option- that being her not being pregnant at all - but it was the best out of some very sucky options. Like quitting the Auror Academy completely or taking up a more secretarial role to senior Aurors. No thank you. That was definitely not something she was going to do. Postponing it was definitely the better option. The only option really. And she was going to take it.

She was going to withdraw temporarily from the Auror Program, be pregnant for however many months she had left of being pregnant, have the baby, bond or whatever with the baby and then get right back into the Auror Program. Simple? Right? Somehow, she didn't think it was going to be that simple but she had to remain optimistic about something.

"Ah, Trainee Tonks," Williams greeted as he stuck his head out of his door at her knock. "Come in."

Tuesday 5th February 1980

12 Grimmauld Place, 21:00

Regulus closed the book with a satisfied 'thunk'. He got it. He finally understood. Understood what the Dark Lord needed to keep safe. Safer than even a Gringotts Vault or storage in a house. It had taken weeks of research, going through nearly every dark artifact book in the Black Library (some of them he was pretty hadn't been opened in decades) and even going to Borgin and Burke's to get three ancient books. Of course, the information he needed was in only one of those but at least he'd found it.

"I found it," he breathed incredulously.

He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't have believed it if it hadn't been right there in front of him, in clear black and white. If he was being honest with himself, he still had trouble wrapping his head around it.

Horcruxes.

There had only been mentions of them in the books in the Black Library, literal whispers of it. But it was there and there were references which had sent him on the wild goose chase that ended up with him in Knockturn Alley. At least it was on the decent-ish end. The other end was just... distasteful.

But that wasn't what was important. What was important was that he had figured it out. Figured out the Dark Lord. His big secret. And it was going to be his downfall.

Because the Dark Lord could not be allowed to remain alive and the Light side wasn't doing anything about that. Not that they could with this Horcrux of his. But Regulus could. He could do something. Was going to do something.

The thing was... he wasn't brave like Sirius. Nor was he bold. Confrontation, well, he couldn't do it. No. He couldn't.

So, he was doing what he did best. Gathering information and sneaking around. Operating from. The shadows without anyone realising. His last time at doing this may as well be his best one, right? And there was no point in procrastinating.

"Kreacher?"

"Master called?" Kreacher asked with a bow as soon as he appeared.

"Yes, I need you to do something for me," Regulus said brusquely. "And you must follow my orders to the letter."

Kreacher gave him a confused look.

"That is what I is always doing, young Master."

"Yes, well. And you mustn't tell anyone else," Regulus stumbled a bit over his words.

That got him a frown from Kreacher. "Master?"

"You heard me," Regulus said, his voice stronger now. "Anything that happens from this moment you can't repeat to another person. Understood?"

Kreacher twisted his long ear in his hands but nodded. "Yes, young Master. I won'ts be telling anybody whats you tells me."

Regulus nodded. "Good. Now, I'm going to bring me somewhere."

The seemingly simple task seemed to perk Kreacher up. "I can be bringing young Master to wherever he wants."

Regulus couldn't help but smile at the eager elf. "I know. You can go anywhere," he said fondly. "Even the place I want you to bring me."

"Master?"

"I-" Regulus found that his mouth had suddenly gone dry. He swallowed heavily and tried again. "I want you to bring me where the Dark Lord brought you."

He thought that Kreacher's eyes would pip out of his head when it sunk in exactly what Regulus wanted him to do.

"But that is being a horrible place, Master!"

"I know, Kreacher. That's why I have to go. Now."

He put an order into that last word, knowing that Kreacher would not be able to disobey.

"Yes, Master."

Regulus nodded. This was happening. This was really going to happen. It was going to happen now.

"One more thing. The locket. I want you to, to, I want you to take it, the locket, from me when I get it," Regulus managed to get out. "Take it and get out of here and then destroy it. Do whatever it takes but destroy it."

It had to be gone. Gone and never, ever be whole again. That was the only way to get rid of one of those. His hand clasped around the locket he had in his pocket. A fake one. Which would hopefully stop the Dark Lord realising what he had done. Until the real thing was gone, anyway.

"Yes, Master."

It wasn't like he could disagree but Regulus thanked him anyway.

"I wish to go now."

If he waited any longer je might back out. And he couldn't do that. He wouldn't do that.

Kreacher gave him a sad look but obeyed. It was strange travelling by whatever this was that House Elves travelled by but not uncomfortable.

Seconds later they were on the cliff that Kreacher had described all those months ago. The ones that Regulus had told him to describe again and again. Yet it looked different to what Regulus had expected.

At least the tide was out and they could walk over to the rock face, across a narrow path of flat-topped rocks with water lapping at each side. The tide was coming in. It would submerge the area soon. Which he wouldn't be seeing.

And then they were in after a payment of blood. A payment Regulus wouldn't let Kreacher make, much to the Elve's dismay.

He couldn't remember making the trip across theatre, Kreacher perched on him. The next thing he knew was that he was standing over the basin. The basin filled with the Potion that Kreacher said did horrible things to you. To your mind.

It was going to do horrible things to his mind. What would je see? Hear? Did it really matter anymore?

He took a deep, steadying breath in an attempt to stop his racing heart. It didn't really work but now he could focus. Somewhat.

He unshrunk the goblet je had brought with him. He wasn't that good at transfiguration, never mind conjuring. Not like Sirius. Which meant he had to bring the goblet with him. A goblet that he would be using to drink... drink this potion.

One final breath and his hand steadied somewhat. Good. Now. He was going to do it now. No hesitation. No more of that.

He closed his eyes and plunged the goblet into the liquid. It was cold. Like ice but also didn't feel wet. Just slippery.

The goblet was full.

Regulus could do nothing but state at it. But staring never got you anywhere, did it? Okay. Deep breath. He could do this.

He tilted his head back and downed it in one.

Sunday 10th February 1980

Tonks Home, 11:00

Telling her parents hadn't been fun. Not that she had expected it to be. Because what she'd done was stupid and it definitely wasn't anything to be proud of. Which they had told her.

What they hadn't told her, however, was that they were disappointed in her. No. They hadn't said that at all. Which was disconcerting because that's what she had been expecting. But nothing of the sort.

They hadn't been pleased, obviously. What parent would be pleased that their daughter had got knocked up out of marriage? With someone unknown? Yes, she hadn't been quite brave enough to tell them who the father was. Not yet.

But they hadn't thrown her out. Hadn't shouted or screamed. She would almost prefer that, honestly. But they did none of those things.

Instead, they sat her down and made sure that she knew what she was doing. Said they'd support her. Which just made Tonks feel guilty about being such a screw up. Especially since she had uploaded all of this on them when they had been the ones to invite her back home for dinner. Guilting her with the fact that she hadn't been home in weeks.

It meant that she freely answered all their prying questions about her health and her life without any protest. They had earned that much, hadn't they? Even if they were a bit much themselves. Their questioning was exhausting.

"You're hiding something from me," Tonks said in a lull in the conversation, trying to get the attention off her.

And because they were. Hiding something from her. They had been on edge and it wasn't completely due to her situation. Something else was going on.

Her parents looked at each other and communicated in that non-talking way people who had been married for nearly twenty years could do. It had been annoying for Tonks growing up and it was annoying for her now.

"What?" She demanded, having little patience for this sort of thing.

"Well, we've had a few-" Andromeda began.

"Only a few," Ted reiterated, earning himself a glare from his wife for his interruption.

"Threats," Andromeda finished., trying to sound blasé about it.

"What?" Tonks shouted. "Since when? Why haven't you ever told me about this?"

"For a while Andromeda said and then looked over to Ted. "When did we get that first one?"

"Last year? Around Easter? Maybe before?"

"Last year?" Tonks shrieked.

"It's really nothing to be concerned over," Andromeda tried to sooth her.

"Yeah," Ted said. "It's too be expected, really."

"Expected? What do you mean, expected?"

How did you even expect this sort of thing? Surely if they had been expecting it then they could have reported it? Or at least their suspicions? Why had they been just sitting around, waiting for it to happen?

"Honestly, calm down, Nymphadora," Andromeda chided. "All this stress isn't good for the baby."

"Stress? This isn't me stressed!" Tonks all but shouted.

No, she wasn't stressed. This was her angry. Annoyed. Worried. But not stressed. If you were stressed you weren't in control which meant you made mistakes. That was something that had been drilled into them at the Auror Academy. A stressed Auror didn't make wise decisions.

So, no, she wasn't stressed. Not even a little bit. It wasn't like there were tonnes of things going on that were important or dangerous or both!

Actually, maybe a little bit.

Friday 15th February 1980

Severus' Flat, 18:30

What with Lily being busy with her research in the Department of Mysteries and, you know, being married and pregnant, meant that she couldn't spend as much time as she liked making sure that Severus was being sensible about his health. Which is where Chryssie came in. She wasn't about to let him forget to eat or sleep. She was persistent like that. It had to be an Evans trait. An infuriating one. One he normally admired. You know, when it wasn't being directed at him.

"Chryssie, I'm not trying to be rude or anything but-"

"You should stop talking then," Chryssie interrupted him. "That way you won't say something stupid that we both know is untrue."

She had a valid point so he clamped his mouth shut, much to her satisfaction.

"Good boy. Noe, I brought you food," she said, holding up the paper bag she had been carrying.

A bag from which emanated a lovely smell of-

"Fish and chips!" Severus said gleefully, reaching for it.

Nothing beat fish and chips. Nothing. Except, maybe, Rosemary's Sunday Roast. But fish and chips were a close second.

"I'm sure my mother would be horrified I'm not getting you a proper meal but this will just have to do."

"You didn't have to do anything at all," he began and them saw her pointed look. "But I am very, very grateful."

It had been so long since he'd had food from a good chippy. Now if only Chryssie would give it to him!

"Let's at least pretend to be civilised," she said, summoning a plate and emptying his food onto it. She then produced a knife and fork which he shook his head at.

"Who eats a chippy with a knife and fork?" He scoffed, waving them away.

Chryssie rolled her eyes and shoved the plate of food at him.

"You don't have to babysit me," Severus complained but gratefully took the food.

He was hungry, after all. Starving, really. Admittedly, he hadn't been eating a lot in recent weeks but he wasn't going to say that to Chryssie! He did have some self-preservation.

"I really do," Chryssie told him, watching him wolf down his food. "Seriously, Sev, when was the last time you ate a meal?" He opened his mouth to answer but she talked over him. "Scones don't count as meals."

Hmpf. They definitely did. They were food, weren't they? And if you ate more than one then they definitely weren't a snack anymore which made them a meal. Chryssie obviously didn't think so but whatever. He just shrugged at her.

"Severus!"

"What?"

"How can you not remember the last time you ate? Seriously?"

"I've been busy!"

"Too busy to eat?"

"Yes!" Wait, that was not a happy look on Chryssie's face. That wasn't a good look at all. Time to backpedal. Quickly. "I mean, no!"

Chryssie did not look amused at him at all.

"I'm fine," he said weakly.

"You're really not. Eat."

He took another handful of chips and shoved then into his mouth, waving his now empty hand at his mouth in a "See?" gesture.

"Good."

It was nice to have friends who cared for him.