"Regina!"

The brunette faltered in her step at the surprisingly feminine voice calling after her along the street and demanding her attention. Turning, the witch frowned lightly at the sight of her sister picking her way carefully along the uneven cobbled street towards her, pointedly ignoring the witches and wizards who were looking at them warily. Apparently one of Cora Black-Mills' daughters was one thing, but two of them in the same place was something to be feared.

"Narcissa?"

"I need to speak to you." The older woman said in a low voice. "It's important… it's about Henry."

Her interest piqued by the mention of her son, Regina nodded slowly. "Go on."

"Not here. Can we speak at the school?"

"Of course." The brunette agreed, even more intrigued by the need for privacy.

They headed back to Hogwarts quickly, not speaking until they had shut themselves away in Regina's office down in the dungeons. Minerva had descended the staircase at the sound of the Head of Slytherin entering the castle but, spotting the older witch following her sister across the flagstone floor, she changed direction and stalked past them into the Great Hall. Glancing over her shoulder as she reached the double doors, Minerva met Regina's eyes, sending her a questioning look. The brunette ushered her sister through the door that led down to the dungeon corridors, before nodding sharply at her friend.

"Well, what's the matter, Ciss?" Regina asked as they settled themselves on her sofa.

"You remember that we were playing host to the wandmaker and the others at the Manor?" Narcissa asked quickly, receiving a nod in response. "A gang of Snatchers located Potter and his friends. They brought them to us and… there was an unfortunate incident."

"What kind of unfortunate incident?"

"They escaped."

Regina's eyebrows shot towards her hairline. "What?"

"Oh, don't, Gina." The older woman sighed, frowning at her. "Mother and Bella have already had their say; although it was really Bellatrix's fault more than ours…"

Knowing that Narcissa only used their elder sister's full name when she was irritated with her, Regina didn't comment. "What does this have to do with my son?"

"Molly Weasley's youngest son was one of those who staged the rescue." Narcissa told her bluntly. "There's going to be a retaliation."

"What?" The younger witch breathed in complete disbelief. "I know what Mother and Bella's retaliations are like… you can't seriously be–"

"No, Gina, I'm not happy about it but what can I do?"

Regina let out a long breath. "OK, so you think I should ask them to bring Henry back as soon as possible?"

"I do… it's for the best."

Nodding, thinking deeply, Regina stood and walked across to her desk. She scribbled a short note asking the Weasleys to bring her son back to Hogwarts immediately, citing a family crisis as the reason. An idea occurring to her suddenly, Regina scribbled a second note, concealing it carefully in her pocket, before sealing the message that she wanted to send. Telling her sister she would only be a minute, the witch made her way to the Slytherin Common room and requested one of the sixth year prefects take her note up to the Owlery and send it for her. She pointed out to the boy that she didn't need to remind him how important her correspondence was.

Returning to her office, Regina settled herself on the sofa beside her sister. They maintained a friendly conversation for a while, both of them content to talk about safe, mundane matters and stay away from more provocative topics. Neither of them wanted to talk about the dark days that they were living through. Neither of them wanted to be forced to think about what might be ahead for them and those they loved, whichever side they might be on. Instead they discussed whether Draco would pass his N.E.W.T.s with flying colours and what he might do once he left Hogwarts. They discussed Henry's ambitions to be Ravenclaw Quidditch captain one day and whether he would be made a prefect the following year. Neither allowed themselves to consider that their sons might not have a choice in their futures.

"I'd better be getting home." Narcissa announced at last, standing and brushing invisible dust off her robes. "Lucius gets… uneasy… if I'm away too long."

"Give my love to Draco." Regina requested. Neither of them mentioned the fact she hadn't asked about their mother or eldest sister during their conversation.

"And give mine to Henry."

"I'll see you soon, Ciss."

"Stay out of trouble, Gina." Narcissa almost pleaded. "Don't do anything stupid."

"I won't." Regina assured her, smiling at the concerned expression on her sister's face.

Pressing a kiss to the older woman's cheek, Regina wrapped her arms around herself and watched from the castle steps as Narcissa headed away towards Hogsmeade so that she could Apparate home. Just as she was about to turn and head back to her office, the brunette spotted two figures heading towards her. They paused as they passed Narcissa, all three glancing up towards the castle, before resuming their original paths.

Regina felt a tightening in her chest as she realised that the two figures walking towards her were Henry and Arthur Weasley. She took a stuttered breath and then turned, walking back into the Entrance Hall and arranging her features into a more appropriate expression for the situation.

"Regina, Severus wants to see you in the–"

"Can this wait, Alecto?" She snapped, her nerves unable to take any more.

"No, it–"

The door opened and Henry stepped through, Arthur on his heels. The older wizard looked reluctant to leave the teenager alone, sending Regina a sharp look as she stepped forwards towards her son. Ignoring him, she smiled broadly at her son.

"Henry!" It took Regina a moment to remember the part he was playing and understand the way he was hanging back, not greeting her with his usual enthusiasm. "How was your holiday? I hope you thanked Mr and Mrs Weasley."

"Of course I did." He muttered, almost sulkily.

"Come here, Henry." She commanded, almost falling for the act and stumbling over her words before calming herself. Wrapping him in a tight hug, she pushed her hastily scribbled second note into the pocket of his hoody and lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. "There's a note for Arthur in your pocket. I need you to slip it to him without anyone seeing. It's very important."

"What is it?" Henry whispered back.

"I'll explain later, I promise."

Pulling away, Henry pushing his hands into his hoody pocket for a moment as he turned to face Mr Weasley, who was frowning at Regina with suspicion. Glancing towards his mother, who was smiling softly at him and pointedly ignoring the man standing opposite them, the fourteen-year-old jerked his shoulders upwards.

"Can I say goodbye?"

"If you want to." Regina replied guardedly.

Pulling his hand out of his pocket, Henry walked back towards Arthur Weasley, holding out his hand to shake the older wizard's. Widening his eyes slightly as they made contact, Henry urged him not to make any comment about the folded slip of parchment that he had passed over. Getting the hint, Arthur simply nodded and smiled at the teenager, pushing his hands into the pockets of his robes in an awkward move.

"If there's nothing else I…" He started before Regina cut him off in a disinterested tone.

"You can go."

"Mom!" Henry chastised her, unable to stop himself.

Aware of other eyes on them, Regina glared at him. "Enough, Henry. Go and unpack your things."

Sending her a confused, almost hurt look, the teenager headed away quickly, taking the steps of the Grand Staircase two at a time. Regina's heart sank, but she was forced to keep her mask in place as she turned to look coldly at the redheaded wizard who was still hanging around in the Entrance Hall, despite having been dismissed. Despite knowing that it was not Arthur's fault, Regina couldn't help her temper flaring at the almost gormless expression on his face.

"Is there something else I can help you with?" She snapped irritably.

"No, I…"

"Then I suggest you leave."

Turning quickly, the click of her heels on the flagstone floor signalled her retreat to her office in the dungeons and the slamming of the castle door told her that Arthur Weasley had left. She paused with her hand on the doorknob of the dungeon door, listening to the Carrows talking in low voices, before turning and fixing them with hard stares.

"Is there a problem, here?" She asked in a low, dangerous voice.

"What do you know, Regina?" Amycus asked, stepping forward and closer to her. His sister followed, looking at her curiously. "You obviously know something that made you send for your son."

"I missed him, that's all." She retorted briskly. "If you think there's something more, you're welcome to ask my mother."

As they shrank back slightly, away from Regina, she nodded sharply and continued down to the dungeons. Pausing for a moment beside the doorway, the witch waited until they had disappeared from view and then stepped back into the Entrance Hall. She traced Henry's steps up the Grand Staircase, heading in the direction of the Ravenclaw Tower.

With the vast majority of the students still at home for the holidays, the corridors were deserted as she made her way towards the West side of the castle and the spiral staircase on the fifth floor that led up to the Ravenclaw Common Room. Pausing in front of the door, she automatically reached for the handle before remembering that there wasn't one. Sighing in exasperation at herself, she gazed at the Eagle knocker and waited for it to ask the riddle which, if answered correctly, would allow her access to the room beyond.

"If you have me, you want to share me. If you share me, you haven't got me. What am I?" The Eagle asked suddenly, its voice making her jump as it broke the silence.

Regina hesitated for a moment, pondering the puzzle. Then she nodded decisively. "A secret."

As the door swung open, allowing her access, the brunette smirked to herself. She strode in, spotting Henry sitting on one of the padded benches beneath one of the many windows that lined the walls of the Common Room, staring out over the grounds. The window he had chosen had a view over the lawns down to the hut that belonged to the groundskeeper and Professor Lupin's occasional Care of Magical Creatures colleague.

"Henry?" Regina murmured softly, not wanting to surprise him.

His eyes found hers immediately, the question in them clear. "What's going on?"

"Are we likely to be disturbed here?" She asked quietly, indicating the room around them.

"No… there's no one else here."

Nodding slowly, Regina wet her lips before sitting down beside her son. She crossed her legs, smoothing down her skirt almost nervously. Finding a loose thread, her fingers began playing with it almost of their own accord. Henry watched her wordlessly as his mother struggled to formulate a sentence to explain what was going on without worrying him more than was necessary.

"Mom?"

"Potter, Granger and Weasley were taken to Aunt Narcissa's house by a gang of Snatchers." Regina informed him carefully. When he opened his mouth to exclaim at the news, she held up a hand. "Let me finish and then you can talk." She promised him gently. "They managed to escape, taking the prisoners being held there with them. I don't know where they are, but I know they're safe… Professor McGonagall had a message from Luna Lovegood, via Neville Longbottom."

"You're working with Professor McGonagall?"

"That note I gave you for Arthur was a warning," she continued, ignoring his question, "about a possible retaliation for Ron's part in the rescue. I've advised him to take his family somewhere more secure than The Burrow, somewhere the Death Eaters would never consider looking for them."

"You're trying to help them." Henry pointed out, grinning at her. Then his face fell slightly. "Will they believe you're trying to help? Will they do what you suggested?"

"I don't know, Henry." Regina admitted. "Obviously I hope they will, but I honestly don't know."

"Maybe you should ask Emma to tell them."

His mother arched an eyebrow at him. "I don't know where Emma is."

"You do." He rolled his eyes at her. "You'd be way more worried about her if you didn't. You know where Emma is and you know that she's safe."

"Henry–"

"Mom, I'm nearly fifteen. I'm not stupid and I'm not a kid." Henry reminded her, slightly amused by her attempts to keep him in the dark. "Where is Emma?"

In an attempt to avoid answering the question, Regina stood up quickly. "I need to speak to Minerva. I said that I would let her know how my meeting with… I need to speak to her."

"Your meeting with who?"

"No one important, Henry." She assured him, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. "Be good, unpack and I'll see you later."


Arthur kept the note Henry had passed him clutched tightly in his hand as he strode down the path that led to Hogsmeade. He didn't as much as glance at it as he Apparated to the edge of his home, before striding through the protective enchantments and entering the house. Only when he was sitting at the kitchen table with Molly, the folded parchment on the surface between them, did he smooth it out and start reading.

'Molly and Arthur,

I know that I'm the last person you expected or wanted to receive a message from. I can't apologise enough for what you must think I did and I won't even attempt to. I deserve neither your forgiveness nor your understanding. I can't tell you much; all I can say is that I have never wavered in my loyalties.

The reason for my note is simple; Ron helped release some prisoners from my sister and brother-in-law's house. I've heard that there may be some form of retaliation and I wanted to advise you to leave your home and go somewhere more secure where you will not be found. I'm not sure whether I will be able to speak to you again, but I will do my best to contact those who might be able to.

Thank you for your kindness to Henry.

Regina'

Glancing at her husband, Molly shook her head. "I believe her."

"Molly, you can't just–"

"I believe her, Arthur." She repeated. "I was never easy with the idea that she would turn on us… turn on Tonks and Emma. Regina would never leave Henry here with us if she was on the opposite side of this war."

"But she–"

"She carried on doing what she did before Dumbledore died. She put herself at risk to get information for us about what they're planning." The woman reminded her husband. "I think we should take her warning seriously. If Regina was willing to risk breaking her cover to warn us then it must be dangerous."

"OK… where should we go? Bill and Fleur's?" Arthur suggested worriedly. He pushed back his chair and moved to the bottom of the stairs. "Ginny? Fred? George? Can you come down here, please?"

Molly shook her head at him. "Arthur! We shouldn't get the children involved until we know where we're going!"

"They have a right to know they could be in trouble, Molly." He told her firmly. "They're sensible and they might have a suggestion."

"What about Aunt Muriel's?" His wife said thoughtfully. "She's got a big enough house and I doubt anyone would think of it. Aunt Muriel is hardly top of anyone's suspect list… she's a hundred and seven, for goodness sake!"

"I'll let you drop that bombshell on them." Arthur chuckled as they heard footsteps thundering down the stairs. "I'll go and let Bill know what's happening."

"I bet Regina knows where Emma is!" Molly called after him in a knowing tone. "I bet she knows exactly where she is."

Her husband chuckled, hearing the meaning in her tone. "I'm sure you're right, dear."