A/N: In celebration of the fact that I've finished this fic now, I'll let you have another chapter ;)

Thank you all, guys! :D


Emma couldn't sit still. She hadn't liked the thought of Regina going to visit her mother and now she was adamant that she had been justified in her worries. The brunette had shrugged off her concerns, reminding her that she'd been dealing with Cora for decades and would be absolutely fine. Emma hadn't missed the look that passed between Regina and Severus, however, and was slightly irritated that the older woman seemed to be trying to protect her from something.

The two women had left the Hogwarts grounds together and walked to Hogsmede where Regina could Apparate to her mother's house. Emma had headed into the Hog's Head, hoping that Killian and Neal could distract her from her worries. They hadn't been much help, however.

After the meeting of the Order several days earlier, they were more vigilant about who was in their pub. Every couple of minutes they would sweep their gaze across the clientele looking for anything suspicious. Between their roving glances around the room, the two barmen would casually wander between the tables, collecting glasses and making conversation with the witches and wizards in the pub.

"I think Cora might be in again tonight." Neal muttered as he rounded the bar with a tray of empty glasses and set them on the surface.

Emma looked up from her drink, her eyebrows furrowed. "What? How d'you know?"

"See that table in the corner with the three old ladies, four old men and the guy who could easily pass as a troll?" He asked, keeping his gaze on the glasses. "They stopped talking when I walked over, but I'm pretty sure I heard 'Draco' and something about a plan."

"Keep an eye on them." The blonde ordered firmly.

Neal raised an eyebrow at her questioningly as Killian sidled up to them, laughing at something the blonde leaning over the bar apparently said to him. He shot her a wink and was still chuckling when he rested his elbows on the surface of the bar and looked between his friends.

"How are things going with your lady friend?" He asked Emma, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "Is she as much of a firecracker in–?"

"Stop right there, Killian Jones!" The blonde ordered firmly, pointing a finger at him and narrowing her eyes. "I'm not discussing that with anyone, let alone you. I know what you're like. Besides," she glanced over her shoulder, "Neal reckons Cora's in tonight and I severely doubt Gina would appreciate me saying anything at all when there's a danger of her overhearing."

"She's here?" Killian asked, suddenly serious. His eyes moved over the customers until Neal surreptitiously pointed out the table they were keeping under close observation. "Shouldn't we try and listen in on their conversation or something?"

"How do you propose we do that, exactly?" Emma asked, unable to completely concentrate on the matter at hand. She was starting to wonder, if it was indeed Cora sitting in the corner of the pub, where Regina actually was. "Go and join them?"

The darker of the two men grinned and reached into his coat that was hanging on a peg behind the bar. He rifled through the many pockets, before pulling something flesh-coloured out and grinning at her. Emma raised an eyebrow, completely unimpressed at his apparent plan.

"Extendable ears." He informed her with a grin, waving the object at her. "Those Weasley twins know a thing or two about spying…"

"Are you honestly suggesting that we use a toy Fred and George Weasley invented to listen to a conversation a group of potential Death Eaters are having?" Emma asked him in disbelief.

"Have you got a better plan?" Neal asked, taking the ears from his friend and sliding them underneath the tray he was about to carry over to the table in question.

When Emma didn't reply, merely scowled at him, he smirked and weaved his way across the room. They watched as he set down the tray and began handing out the drinks. Apparently he attempted a joke, but Neal was the only one laughing. The rest of the people privy to what he had said were staring at him, stony-faced. With a small shrug, the barman turned and walked back to the bar.

He handed the ear in his hand to Killian and rounded the bar. Leaving Killian and Emma to listen in, he kept the customers supplied with drinks and snacks and away from where his friends were hunched over the strange, rubbery ear, listening to the conversation on the other side of the room.

"… things are coming along nicely now. He is anticipating that it will only be a matter of weeks, a couple of months at most, before we can progress to the second stage." One of the females announced. Even in her disguise Emma was sure it was Cora speaking. There was something about her tone that was unmistakable.

"Can you be sure the boy is capable of doing what is asked of him? He's been working on this for months…" A male voice asked, almost hesitantly.

"Drac– he is perfectly capable." A different female voice snapped angrily. "The Dark Lord trusts him to do as he was asked and that should be good enough for you."

"I'm sure Amycus is aware of that, my darling." The first woman spoke again, as far as Emma was concerned confirming her suspicions that it was in fact Cora. She made a hazy guess that the second woman, the one who had defended Draco so vehemently, was Narcissa. "I don't expect that he would question the Dark Lord, would you?"

"Of course not!"

"I didn't think so. Now, as to the other matter, Grey, how are things going with your… acquaintances."

Emma squinted at the ear on the bar, trying to work out what that last sentence meant. She put things together in her mind, linking bits of information she'd heard in different places. Grey… Greyback… Fenrir Greyback. That would mean that the acquaintances mentioned were, presumably, the other werewolves that Remus was living with at the moment.

"They're all coming round to my way of thinking." A growling voice answered, sounding as though he was laughing as he spoke. "We're going to have a very effective way of persuading people to do what we want."

"Perfect."

That was the last thing they heard before chairs scraping and footsteps moving towards the door caught their attention. Killian gave a sharp tug on the length of string attached to the ear on the bar between them and the other end zoomed across the floorboards and leapt up to join its partner. They waited until all eight figures had left, before glancing around.

"Fenrir Greyback?" Killian muttered, obviously having followed the same train of thought as his friend. "That's what Remus was talking about the other night, right?"

Emma nodded slowly. "At the moment I'm more concerned about what they were saying about their plan moving on to the second stage soon."

Killian sighed. "Dumbledore?"

"Dumbledore."


It appeared to be morning when Regina opened her eyes next. The room, her old bedroom, was certainly bathed in sunlight and she wondered how long she had been unconscious. Pulling herself into a seated position, Regina raised one hand to her forehead and frowned, looking around for any clues as to what had happened.

She was still fully dressed, including her shoes. Whoever had put her to bed hadn't even bothered to cover her with a blanket. That would explain why she was absolutely freezing, she realised with a frown.

"You're awake at last?" The question sounded more like a sigh of relief as a figure crossed the room quickly towards her. "How are you feeling?"

"How do you think I'm feeling?" Regina snapped as her sister perched beside her on the bed.

Narcissa reached out to rest her hand on the younger woman's knee, but Regina flinched away. "Mother went too far this time, Gi." She said softly, pain and regret flashing through her eyes. "We were waiting outside… we heard you collapse…"

"Well that must have been nice for you."

"Gi… don't…"

With a flash of coal black eyes, the younger woman moved off the bed, putting distance between them. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly, feeling vulnerable under the knowing, yet sympathetic, gaze of her older sister.

"Gina, please." Narcissa walked slowly towards her, her arm outstretched. "You know what Mother's like… you know what hap–"

"Are you being serious?" Regina asked, laughing mirthlessly. "Of course I know what happens if we go against Mother's wishes. I am the one who woke up goodness knows how long after having the Cruciatus curse cast on me by our mother; our mother, Cissy. So don't talk to me about what Mother is like."

"Why are you here, then?" Narcissa demanded, frowning. "You got away, Gina… why did you come back."

A full minute passed while the two women looked at each other. Then Regina lifted her chin and stared proudly at her sister. "For Henry. I need to make sure that she isn't planning something that will negatively affect my son."

"And Draco?"

"And Draco." Regina agreed with a slow nod. Then she sighed. "But Cissy, he is… he won't talk to Sev or I… he thinks we want to… I don't know, steal his praise? He won't accept our help."

"He is proud, like his father."

"What is Mother planning, Cis?" Regina asked. "You must have some idea. Where were you when I arrived?"

Narcissa looked worried. Her eyes flickered towards the door as though she expected their mother to appear there at any moment. Regina noticed her hesitation and stepped forward, bridging the gap between them and laying her hand gently on her sister's forearm.

"What is it?"

"I can't…"

The younger woman frowned. "Why not?"

"Because it's better that you don't know."

Regina almost told Narcissa that she knew that there had been secret meetings taking place in the Hog's Head, but managed to stop herself at the last moment. Telling her sister would be doing the very thing that she had tried to assure the members of the Order she wouldn't ever do. Instead she clenched her jaw and curled her hands into fists at her sides. Furrowing her eyebrows she took another step forward, removing the space that had been left between them when Narcissa stepped backwards.

"Cissy… how can I protect your son if I don't know what is going on?"

"The plan will benefit Draco, not hinder him."

"How can you be sure? This is the Dark Lord and his supporters we're talking about. Mother is, first and foremost, a Death Eater. That will always, always come before us. Our mother, who taught us that love is weakness and power is everything."

"Regina."

"No, Narcissa, you know it's true."

There was a long silence. Regina was about to give up and count her losses when her sister let out a long sigh. The younger woman paused, tilting her head and waiting for Narcissa to say something. Again it didn't seem as though she was going to, but then, as Regina began walking towards the door, her sister grasped her hand.

"Draco thinks he's almost finished fixing the Vanishing Cabinet."

Regina frowned. "The what?"

"The Vanishing Cabinet… didn't you know?"

"I knew he was working on something, but neither he nor Severus have been particularly forthcoming on exact details." Irritation flashed across her face. "Apparently everyone believes it is in my best interests to know as little as possible."

Narcissa nodded slowly. Retreating to the bed, she patted the mattress beside her and waited for her sister to join her. It was reminiscent of their childhoods and Regina almost smiled at the memories that flooded through her. Most of the few good memories she had of her past involved Narcissa in some way.

"There is a Vanishing Cabinet hidden within Hogwarts. Its twin is in Borgin and Burkes." Narcissa explained quietly. "It needed some repairs, which Draco has been undertaking when he can. Things haven't exactly been going to plan and… some people… have been getting impatient…"

"The cursed necklace?"

"Quite."

"Was that Mother?" Regina asked with a deep sigh. When her sister nodded, she frowned. "Draco very nearly got the blame for that. Luckily he had spent the afternoon with me so I was able to vouch for his innocence."

Narcissa's jaw clenched. "I warned Mother and Bella against it…"

Regina snorted. "As if they would ever listen."

Inclining her head slightly, the older woman exhaled sharply. "The Cabinet is almost ready. Draco estimates that it will be two months at most before it can be used to transport Death Eaters into the Castle."

"For what purpose?"

"To kill Dumbledore." Narcissa told her bluntly.

A sudden chill ran through Regina and she clenched her hands into fists. "Does Severus know?"

Narcissa nodded. "Of course. He performed the Unbreakable Vow to say that, should Draco fail, he will carry out the Dark Lord's wishes."

"He…"

"Regina. In a war there are casualties."

Dark eyes met slightly lighter ones almost desperately. "But how many casualties?"