"Regina?"

The brunette closed her eyes and leant back against the front door, gathering her strength before moving into the parlour to greet her girlfriend. She knew Emma would have a lot of questions, considering Regina had only told her the bare minimum before disappearing off to The Burrow. The blonde wasn't exactly known for her patience and Regina guessed that the only reason that she hadn't been followed across the country to the Weasleys' was that Henry would otherwise have been left alone in the house.

"Have you seen this?" Emma asked, holding something out in her direction as soon as she entered the room.

Regina blinked at the paper held aloft and shook her head, quickly crossing the space between them and dropping down onto the sofa. She scanned the text hastily, taking in the headline before frowning and skimming through the article it was attached to.

DUMBLEDORE ¨THE TRUTH AT LAST?"

Coming next week, the shocking story of the flawed genius considered by many to be the greatest wizard of his generation. Striping away the popular image of serene, silver-bearded wisdom, Rita Skeeter reveals the disturbed childhood, the lawless youth, the life-long feuds, and the guilty secrets that Dumbledore carried to his grave, WHY was the man tipped to be the Minister of Magic content to remain a mere headmaster? WHAT was the real purpose of the secret organization known as the Order of the Phoenix? HOW did Dumbledore really meet his end?

The answers to these and many more questions are explored in the explosive new biography, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, by Rita Skeeter, exclusively interviewed by Berry Braithwaite, page 13, inside.

"What in Merlin's name…" Regina breathed. She flicked through until she found the interview and read it quickly, her brows furrowing more and more with every word she read. When she had finished, she looked up at Emma, open-mouthed. "That woman…"

"It's a pack of lies!" Emma raged, ripping the Daily Prophet from Regina's grip and leaping off the seat. She started to pace around the parlor like a caged animal. "Anyone who knew Dumbledore will see through that in a second!"

"Exactly, dear." Her girlfriend agreed. "Anyone who knew Dumbledore will. Anyone else… it hardly matters what they think."

"That's not the point! He can't defend himself, can he?"

"Do you think he would have attempted to?" Regina asked, arching an eyebrow. "Would Dumbledore not have simply found it amusing, shrugged it off and pointed out that we have more important, more pressing, matters to concentrate on? I hardly think that some highly fabricated, laughable slander campaign by a woman, who is well-known to be more interested in lining her own pockets than anything else, is going to do much to tarnish Dumbledore's name."

Emma stared at her for a moment, as though trying to process her words. Then she sighed and shrugged, flinging the paper down on the table. "You're right."

"Of course I am, dear."

Letting out a long breath, apparently releasing her tension with it, Emma returned to the sofa and curled her legs up underneath her. "So, how did it go at The Burrow?"

"As expected." Regina informed her with a slight sniff. "I assume Dora informed you that she is pregnant?"

"Yeah…" Emma pulled a face. "Kinda bad timing, isn't it?"

"I don't see why. It's one tiny glimmer of light in all of this darkness. Besides, as I informed her, she'll have to be more careful from now on, which can only be a good thing where my terrifyingly reckless niece is concerned."

"How did they react to the news that the Death Eaters know about the plan?"

"How do you think they reacted?" Regina asked, arching an eyebrow. "But they've decided not to alter things too drastically. Potter will still be moved on Saturday and taken to The Burrow. It was suggested, momentarily, that he was brought here. Luckily that idea was thoroughly quashed…" She caught the expression on Emma's face and rolled her eyes. "It would hardly be sensible, dear. My mother or Bella or any of them could drop round at any time. Potter can hardly be stored away in a cupboard, can he? Hiding you is already enough of a challenge."

"I keep telling you that you don't need to hide me away from your family." Emma argued. "I can handle myself. If they try anything–"

"I'm not having this argument with you again."

Regina sent her a look, which clearly said that the subject was closed to further discussion. They'd had the same conversation many times since the start of the summer and both women were growing weary of it. Emma was adamant that she wouldn't be hidden away from Regina's family or kept a secret, whatever their reactions might be. Regina, on the other hand, was loathed to let her mother or elder sister discover her relationship with the blonde, knowing what would happen if they did. So far, none of her family had attempted to visit the house and so discovery hadn't been a problem. Now, though, Regina was worried that her presence at Malfoy Manor would cause that to change.

They sat in silence for a while longer as they often did recently, each caught up in their own thoughts. While Regina plucked absent-mindedly at the threads in the throw over the sofa, Emma chewed the skin around her thumbnails. Neither of them heard anything until Henry entered the parlour and cleared his throat to attract their attention.

"Henry…" Regina pulled herself together quickly and smiled at him. "Sorry, dear, we were miles away."

"An owl came for Emma…" The boy said, crossing the room and holding out a scroll of parchment. "It's from Professor Blanchard. I recognised her owl." He added quickly, seeing the questioning looks from both women. "I didn't read it!"

"I never thought you did." Emma assured him with a fond smile. "Thanks kid."

She held out her hand and accepted the scroll. Henry hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to leave, but his mother reached out and patted the seat beside her, craving contact with him after the evening she'd endured. While Emma read her letter, Regina and Henry chatted about his day and discussed what they thought Tonks was going to have and what the couple would name their child.

"Did you know about this?" Emma demanded suddenly, scowling at her girlfriend and brandishing the letter in her direction angrily.

"Did I know about what, dear?"

"Snape is the new Hogwarts Headmaster!"

"I was made aware of that fact earlier, yes." Regina agreed cagily.

"And he's sacked Mary Margaret and Rory?"

"Again, yes."

"And you didn't think to tell me?"

Regina clenched her jaw. "It wasn't the most pressing matter on my mind, no." She glanced sideways at Henry, who was looking between them interestedly. "Henry, go upstairs, please."

"But I want to hear!"

"Now!"

With a huff of indignation, the fourteen-year-old did as he was ordered, slamming the door and stamping his way up to his bedroom. They waited until they heard the tell tale sound of his bedroom door closing before continuing their heated exchange.

"How am I supposed to trust you when you don't tell me things!" Emma snarled. "I defend you and defend you to everyone else and then you keep things from me!"

"I keep things from you? Emma! I hardly think staffing changes at Hogwarts are a top priority for the Order at the moment!"

"Really? Because letting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers control our children's education isn't important?"

Regina was taken aback as the reality of the situation sank in. She hadn't really given much thought to what having the Carrows at Hogwarts would mean before now, too caught up in passing on the rest of the information to the Order and focusing on protecting Emma and Henry from her family.

"I never…"

"You didn't think."

"Severus won't–"

"Won't what, Regina?" Emma demanded, putting her hands on her hips. "Won't let anything happen to the students? Won't let You-Know-Who dictate what happens at Hogwarts? Who are you trying to fool? Severus Snape is a traitor and a Death Eater. He lied to you… he lied to all of us. He killed Dumbledore. As soon as you get that into your head the better."

"You don't understand!"

"I understand perfectly. Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater."

Silence fell over the room as the couple stared at each other. Emma looked as though she wished she could swallow her words, but they hung in the air between them like a toxic gas. Her lips moved wordlessly as she searched for something that would make the anguished expression on Regina's face disappear, but there was nothing she could possibly say that would do that. It had been said and no amount of apologising or backtracking could take it away.

"If that's how you feel…"

"Regina, I… I didn't mean…"

"No, Emma. I understand." Regina turned away in an attempt to keep the coldness in her tone. "I think you should leave."

"Wha– Regina? Please, I–"

"Now, Ms Swan. Get your things and get out."

For a moment there was silence, as though Emma was preparing to argue, but then Regina heard a defeated sigh from behind her. Footsteps headed towards the door and the familiar low creak signalled that she was alone in the room once more. Until Emma had really left she was not free to show her true emotions, so Regina fell back on her defensive haughtiness to mask how she really felt.

The sound of low conversation from above her let the woman know that Emma was telling Henry what was going on. Squeezing her eyes shut, Regina knew that she would have to deal with his upset and anger as soon as the blonde had gone. It was selfish of Emma, she thought angrily, to no doubt be piling the blame completely on her shoulders.

A soft knock on the door forced Regina to school her features into a look of contempt once more and she whirled around to face the blonde. Emma blinked, taken aback by the almost vicious hostility on the face she knew so well, but she didn't comment on it.

"I'm going… I'll be at The Burrow if… be careful."

It was on the tip of Regina's tongue to return the sentiment, but then she bit it back, knowing that showing concern would just make matters worse. Instead she simply nodded stiffly and turned her back on the younger woman. She listened out for the sound of the front door closing and, when it did, she was unsurprised to hear footsteps on the stairs.

"Mom?" Henry flew into the parlour like a hurricane. "What's going on? Why's Emma leaving?"

"We had a disagreement, Henry. Ms Swan revealed her true feelings and said something that can never be taken back."

"She said she upset you, but I…"

Regina was surprised, having expected Emma to make out that she had acted irrationally. "She did, Henry, but I… She made me realise the truth about this whole situation."

"What d'you mean?"

"Come here." She held out her hand and led him over to the sofa, settling them side-by-side and brushing his hair off his face gently. "You, Henry, are much safer here with me. I can protect you from whatever might be coming. Ms Sw– Emma is not. Being here with me, us, was putting her in far more danger. What she said made me realise that."

"So you sent her away for her own good?"

"I did." Regina agreed.

"So if you tell her that, she'll understand."

Hastily the witch shook her head, clasping his hands almost desperately. "No, Henry. She won't understand at all. Emma doesn't know your grandmother or Aunt Bella, other than by reputation and I want to keep it that way. Emma believes that she can defend herself from them or that, at the very least, she can hide from them."

"But they'd kill her… like my dad."

She nodded sadly. "I'm sorry, dear. I know you're fond of her."

"So are you."

Regina chuckled. "I am."

"This is so unfair!" He raged suddenly, clenching his fists and turning to his mother with eyes that were so fill of emotion that she nearly cried. "Why do they always have to ruin everything for you. I hate them! I hate all of them! Grandmother, Aunt Bella, Aunt Cissy, Draco… they're all the same!" Taken aback by the naturally calm boy's fury, all his mother could do was stare at him. "I'll kill them… if they try to hurt you, I'll kill them."

She grabbed his shoulders, her fingers digging into his flesh. "No. No, Henry, you won't. I won't let them destroy you like that."

"They destroyed you."

"Perhaps." Regina conceded, smiling wryly. "But that isn't the point. I'm your mother and it's my job to protect you. You're all I've got."

"And you're all I've got, Mom." Henry pointed out calmly. "So I'm going to protect you, whatever you say."

Pulling him into her arms, Regina held onto her son tightly. He embraced her just as firmly, refusing to let go even when she attempted to break away. A smile covered her face as he mumbled into her hair, begging her to stay still just a little longer.

When they eventually broke apart, she sent him up to bed with the promise that everything would be alright. Both of them knew that it was a promise she couldn't make; there was no way of knowing what would happen over the coming days, weeks and months. But it was all they had to hold on to and Regina knew that she would keep promising Henry that everything would be OK, either until it was or until she couldn't make any more promises at all.


A couple of days later, the Mills' were enjoying a leisurely breakfast together. It was the one part of the day that they were really relaxed, before the reality of the times they were living in came back to them and anxiety and stress set in once more. Regina was flicking lazily through a copy of the Daily Prophet, snorting with disbelieving amusement at most of the articles, while Henry re-read one of his comics and shovelled pancakes into his mouth.

A soft tap at the window alerted both of them to the arrival of an owl and Regina moved to let it in. No sooner had she untied the parchment from around its ankle than the bird swooped away.

"Who's it from?" Henry asked eagerly, before his mother had even had the chance to unroll it.

"Aunt Dromeda…" Regina informed him, frowning slightly as she read over the words her sister had written. "It seems that Potter made it safely to The Burrow last night."

"That's good." Henry grinned.

"Yes… but… Dromeda says that according to Dora, Mad-Eye Moody is dead and George Weasley lost an ear."

"What? How? Death Eaters?" When his mother simply nodded in agreement, chewing her thumbnail thoughtfully, he shifted in his seat. "Are we still going to the wedding?"

"Hmmm?"

"Bill and Fleur's wedding? Are we still going?"

"Oh…" Regina frowned, having forgotten all about it. "No, I don't think… You may go, Henry, of course. But I don't think I will."

"What is it?"

"What is what, dear?"

Henry stood up and attempted to pluck the letter from her grip. "What haven't you told me?"

"Nothing!" Regina deftly moved the parchment out of his reach.

"Mom!"

"Bellatrix attempted to kill Dora… she… according to Dromeda, Dora was very lucky to survive."

"But… Tonks is Aunt Bella's niece!" Henry pointed out needlessly. "I know she's… but I never thought…"

Regina shook her head. "They're dangerous, Henry. Never, ever underestimate them. Family means nothing to mother or Bella when it's set against what they believe. If they knew… if they knew that I… they would kill me without a second thought."

"That's not going to happen, Mom."

She smiled weakly at him, grateful for his positivity. Drawing out her wand, she tapped the letter from her sister and it burst into flames. There was no point keeping it and tempting fate. If her mother or Bella saw it then they would realise that Regina wasn't on their side at all.

Clearing up the kitchen while her son disappeared off to his bedroom, the witch made up her mind that she couldn't put off carrying out the decision she had made several weeks previously any longer. With things growing more and more dangerous, Regina had realised that she needed to make arrangements about what would happen to Henry if she was killed. While she knew that Emma would probably be keen to look after her son, Regina thought asking Molly Weasley to take him in might be a better idea. The blonde had almost no idea about how to raise a child and, while she knew that Emma would do her best, it wouldn't be fair to turn her life upside down like that.

Casting extra protection enchantments on the house, Regina hurriedly Disapparated and found herself standing and staring at the wonky house that would perhaps, one day, be the place her son called home.