Regulus had spent half of the day frantically cleaning his flat and as a result the article he had written for work was badly neglected and just plain rubbish but as far as he was concerned having Hannah here was more important. Half way through the day he had given up his efforts and summoned Kreacher to clean realising he was doing a poor job. Kreacher had the place spotless in about half an hour and Regulus had hugged the very pleased elf.

He had cooked a nice dinner, it was nowhere near at the level that Hannah could cook but he put a lot of effort into it. He was excited to see her. Partially because he had been plagued with nightmares since his mission and needed a distraction but also because it hadn't been until the day he saw her again that he had realised just how much he missed her. He had remembered the reasons he had wanted her and felt the same affection for her as he had the day they had broken up. He supposed it had never fully went away.

While he was waiting for her his mind drifted and he found himself thinking of an undesirable subject; horcruxes. The night before Regulus had stayed late at work and spent hours perusing through the archives of the Daily Prophet only to find an article, written over 100 years earlier, mentioning them. He couldn't believe how vile they were but he also couldn't understand why someone from the order of the phoenix had information on them. Furrowing his brow he reasoned at the Order of the Phoenix were the ones who prided themselves on being "good", who claimed to fight against the Dark Lord's evil so why would they have information on them. They surely weren't planning on making one. No, what had kept Regulus awake all last night was the idea that they had information on Horcruxes because the enemy had made one. Regulus felt his skin crawl at the thought of such an awful creation. Would the Dark Lord have dared to make one?

Regulus leaned further back onto the sofa and sighed. He already knew the answer was yes. When he had joined the death eaters, he had thought it was a noble cause. Thomas was right to call him naïve. He thought that wizards taking over could be good. Pure bloods could be in control, wizards wouldn't have to hide out of fear of being badgered by muggles for their magic and if anything muggles life could be enhanced. But staring at the dead body the day before, all his naïve illusions had been shattered and as much as he tried to suppress it he saw what his brother and best friend had seen years before, that this movement was wrong and the leader was evil. He shuddered at the thought of having to see Lord Voldemort again next week, but his thoughts were interrupted by the buzzer.

He rushed over to the buzzer elated that she was here. "Hello."

"Hey, Its Hannah, let me in please."

He felt his heart lift and smiled for the first time since he left the bakery. Regulus pressed the button allowing the building door to open and stood at the flat door waiting to welcome her. Regulus was grateful for once that he lived alone in his two bedroom apartment. Originally Barty was planning to move in with him but had changed his mind, wanting to be closer to his father so he could spy on him for the Dark Lord.

He rushed down the three flights of stairs to greet her and help her with the bags she had brought. Taking her suitcase Regulus was pleasantly surprised to see that pinned to her jacket was the broach he had given her a year and a half earlier.

"Welcome to my humble abode."

Hannah raised her eyebrows and Regulus conceded that it wasn't all that humble. When he had told his mother he was moving out she had bought him his flat. It was large and grand, his mother had been disgusted by his second hand leather couch and wooden tables but Regulus had shouted her down about letting her choose the furniture.

Regulus took Hannah's bag and brought it to his room. "You'll be sleeping in here."

"Where are you sleeping?" She looked around the large double bedroom that looked quite empty after he had cleared out all of his magical books and instruments.

"On the sofa. My spare room isn't decorated."

She gasped and looked horrified; "Oh no, Regulus, please, your saving me money on a hotel by letting me stay here. Let me sleep on the sofa."

After almost half an hour discussion Hannah was forced to give up and take Regulus's room. He informed her that he had made dinner and set it out in front of her. While they ate they talked of Hannah's new shop. It was not far from where they were now, in a nice and upcoming area and she was excited about the opportunity.

"Obviously, it's not set in stone. The place would need to be redecorated for a start, and I would need to find somewhere to live and someone to bake for the shop in Manchester. Paula is good, but she needs some more practice and the shop is so much busier than it was before."

"I can't believe you'll own your very own bakery. You deserve it."

"Well, first I will only partly own it and second I dunno that I deserve it. I think I am just very lucky, I thought this was years away from happening."

Regulus knew he had agreed to only be friends with her but she looked really pretty from across the table. He thought about leaning over and kissing her but stopped himself. For all he knew she could have a boyfriend. She had never said either way. Apparently she was thinking similarly as she burst out "So are you seeing anyone?"

He smiled, encouraged by her question, although at the same time doubting that he should be. His mind flashed to Rita but he concluded she didn't count and simply answered; "No. you?"

"No. I just broke up with a guy actually, about a month ago."

"Sorry to hear that." He wasn't sorry. In fact he was pleased but he couldn't admit that/

"Paula thinks your good looking. Maybe I could set you up." Darn it, he thought, maybe she was just asking for her friend. Regulus tried to hide the disappointment which was surely on his face and replied; "Paula is lovely but there is a girl I like."

"Oh" she looked crestfallen for a second but the express was quickly replaced by an apathetic look, "Do think you have a chance? Or will she stand you up like the other girl?"

He laughed remembering their first conversation, "no, she is too nice to stand me up, but she might break my heart. I think she just wants to be friends." He wasn't sure whether he wanted Hannah to work out he was talking about her.

"Oh. That's a shame."

"Yeah."

They spent the rest of the night drinking wine and eating a dessert that Kreacher had made. When they had finished she asked if he had made it.

"No, no. Kreacher made it."

"As in your butler?"

"Yes."

"Wow, so he still does stuff for you even though you have moved out."

"Sometimes, it's not good for him to be alone so much with my mother."

"hmmm, well my compliments to him, he is very good."

They sat around drinking elf made wine which Regulus had told her it was Australian while she showed him pictures of her brothers and sister, he moaned about his long hours at the news paper while she lamented that he didn't have a tv.

Just after midnight she pulled herself off the sofa, wobbling slightly as she stood.

"Oh I have totally had too much to drink tonight." She pushed her hair out of her face and turned to face him, I think I am going to head to bed."

"yeah, me too," Regulus groaned and reached his hands out for her to pull him up, she sighed and grabbed him, when Regulus was upright he found himself standing, still holding Hannah's hands and standing so close that he could feel her breath on his chin and while his nose touched her forhead. She looked up at him and they stared into each other's eyes for a few minutes before Hannah breathed the word "night", released his hands and rushed out of the room. Regulus heard his bedroom door slam shut and continued stand, his skin still tingling from the warmth of her body so close to his.