And here you are! The sequel to A fate worse than death!

The reunion we all have been waiting for!

If you like it, leave a review behind, we love to hear your thoughts!

Triggers will be updated along the way.

Written together with Madamkitten.

J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter!

Enjoy


Chapter 1.

Regulus and Hermione landed in a small field near a dense forest. He was out cold, the apparting with Hermione had taken the last of his strength.

Hermione looked up and saw her surroundings, not quite sure where they were.

"Where did you take me?" she asked and looked at him. She wasn't scared, somehow she knew he wouldn't harm her.

"Black? Black, can you hear me?" Hermione asked as she pushed against his back, but got no response. Suddenly alarmed that he wasn't breathing, she pushed him onto his back and dropped down beside him, pressing her ear against his chest. She could faintly hear his heart beating, and as she watched she saw his chest rising and falling with each shallow breath he took.

"Oh, thank goodness! You're not dead!" Hermione stood and looked around, taking a moment to get a good look at their surroundings. They were in a clearing somewhere, and a small house was on the other side of the clearing. The house appeared to be abandoned as she saw no signs of life anywhere, aside from the birds and insects she heard in the distance, they were alone.

"Please, let this be yours!" Hermione pleaded, as she carefully levitated the unconscious man. She very slowly went to the house, making sure he wouldn't be harmed as she walked across the uneven landscape and up the front steps. She opened the door, with her wand held out in front of her incase there were any unexpected surprises, and they both went inside.

The small cabin was empty. It contained only one room, with a door in the corner and windows letting in a little bit of light on the remaining walls. There was a bed, a small couch that had definitely seen better days as well as two mismatched and well worn chairs sitting directly in front of a fireplace taking up most of the space, with a tiny kitchen tucked off to the side. Hermione levitated the wizard over to the bed, gently putting him down there she magically pulled the quilt that was draped over the end of the bed up over him and cast a quick scourgify at the bed. Having done all she could do for the movement, Hermione went over to the small fireplace to get a fire started and hopefully warm up the small home. As the fire's warmth spread, she decided to look around the cabin a bit more. A few more cleaning and freshening spells were needed here and there, but overall the cabin looked to be well taken care of. The cupboards in the small kitchen area even had some food items stocked.

Tucked beside the tiny kitchen there was a small cabinet which contained both magical wizards robes as well as a few pieces of muggle clothing. Whoever owns this cottage must be a wizard! Hermione thought to herself as she dug around looking for anything that could be useful.

After a quick look around the small room to see if there was anything she hadn't yet looked at she decided to see where the door in the corner of the room led to, hoping that it was a bathroom! Much to her relief, it was! The bathroom itself was quite small, only a small toilet and shower with a sink and a small cabinet. Opening up the cabinet proved to be a good decision, she found several vials of various potions inside. She quickly found some pain relief potions and others she thought might help heal the wizard in the bed before leaving the bathroom and returning to the sleeping wizard.

"I really wish you would wake up, so I can get your name." Hermione said as she eyed the man in the bed. He was extremely handsome. His dark black hair hung to his shoulders, and she felt a very strong urge to run her fingers through it and see if it was as soft as it looked. Sighing, Hermione got to work. She managed to open his mouth and poured the potions in, massaging his jaw to get him to swallow the potions. She just hoped that the potions were not so old that they no longer worked. The cabin appears to have not been in use for a very long time given the amount of dust she had to clear away.

"Well, I might as well take a shower while you sleep," she said as she walked towards the bathroom. It had been a very long time since Hermione had gotten a good shower, and she was feeling filthy after everything that she had been through. She could only hope that the shower worked and had hot water!

Regulus had no idea how long he had slept. He woke suddenly, thinking it all just had been a dream. But as he felt the softness underneath him, he realized he was in a bed. All at once, the memories came rushing back to him. She had broken the curse! Then he had managed to apparate them both here. Suddenly, scared that his witch wasn't there he tried to get up to go find her and make sure that she hadn't been splinched or injured while he was asleep.

"No! You lay down, your body is still healing," Hermione quickly rushed from her place on the couch as soon as she heard him rustling in bed.

She gently pushed him down on the pillow, arranging it so he could sit up and be comfortable.

Regulus was in heaven. She was still here. Here, with him! She was here, it wasn't just a dream.

"Water, please," he managed to say, damn his voice sounded raw and was barely more than a raspy whisper.

"Here you are. Go slowly, only a tiny sip." She said as she brought a glass towards his mouth and helped him drink it.

Oh how heavenly it felt. All of it, no more pulling and breaking of his body. He could feel his body, his human body. Slowly he started flexing his muscles in his arms and legs, feeling soreness and pain everywhere, but as she had said, his body was still healing. He knew it would be painful. He was just so happy that he was alive, and he was here with his witch. He looked at her again, taking in her beauty.

"Thank you." Regulus quietly said and looked at her.

"You welcome, what's your name? I never got a chance to ask," Hermione said blushing a bit.

Oh he loved that, he would do anything to get her to blush like that.

"You were right in one thing," Regulus smiled, and she looked at him, unsure what he could possibly mean by that.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"You have been calling me Black for quite some time now, which is quite fitting, considering." he said as he looked at her, holding back laughter.

"I did, but surely that cannot be your name." Hermione said and blushed a bit more.

"My name is Regulus Arcturus Black." Regulus said and she looked at him in shock.

Then she started laughing, and Regulus just smiled. He loved that sound. Seeing his witch blush and hearing her laughter made his heart skip a beat, he was just so happy.

"Are you really Regulus? RAB? Is that you?" Hermione asked and pulled a chair over so she could sit beside him.

"Yes, that is me. I have been cursed for many years. Until now actually, thank you for breaking the curse." Regulus said sincerely and took her hand in his. It only made her blush even more, but oh how he loved it. He loved the feeling of her hand in his. Something he had been dreaming about for years now, and here he was sitting with her hand in his. Each moment since he woke just got better and better.

"Why were you cursed in the first place? Everyone assumed you were dead, no one knew what happened to you." Hermione asked, she still had her hand in his.

"The Dark Lord had requested my house elf for a task. No one dared to say no to him, certainly not me, so I did as he asked and brought my house elf to him. The Dark Lord took Kreacher with him but when he returned, he was alone and said that Kreacher had died. I was devastated. I had known Kreacher my whole life, he had raised me. But there in my sitting room in Grimmauld place, sat Kreacher. He was weak and wounded but he had managed to come home. He told me everything that had happened with the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord had taken him to a cave and made him do things that hurt him. Once he had regained his strength and healed I ordered Kreacher to take me to the cave. Once there he showed me how to enter, where the locket was. Right away I knew what it was and what the Dark Lord had done. I wanted nothing to do with the Dark Lord after that, he had harmed my elf and lied to me, and had done the most foul thing a wizard could ever do. He had made a horcrux. I knew that I needed to get that locked out of the cave and destroy it. I made Kreacher tell me everything he knew about the place. After learning about the potion in the basen, I made Kreacher vow that whatever happened, he would force me to drink the potion. And he did, he was a good elf. I was able to remove the locket, but somehow we must have alerted the inferi. I didn't think I would survive, there were just so many of them. I gave Kreacher the locked and ordered him to return to the manor and destroy the locket. I could see that he was heartbroken, but he obeyed my order and left. By now the inferi were surrounding me and pulling me into the lake so they could kill me. I used the very last of the magic I had left to push the inferi away and get out of the water. As soon as I was out of the water the Dark Lord appeared in front of me. I've never seen him so angry. The Dark Lord decided that the best way to punish me was to force me to guard his horcruxes and I have been cursed ever since. I thought I would be doomed to guard those foul things for the rest of eternity." Regulus said, the gentle squeeze from her hand told him that she was still there.

"Oh my, you've been cursed all these years?!" she asked and looked at him.

"Yes, I have aged well, haven't I? The Dark Lord's curse completely stopped the aging process, giving me eternal youth!" he said and laughed a bit. It made her giggle and blush.

He looked around, finally noticing the room and he remembered how he had bought it for his own safehouse, if he ever needed to get away. He hadn't seen this place in years.

"This is your safehouse? Right?" she asked and looked at him.

"It is, yes. I bought it in case I needed to get away, or wanted to hide out. It's charmed and warded, so we're safe here. We are not far from a small muggle village if I remember correctly, but it has been quite some time since I have been here." he said and looked at her.

"How do you feel? After everything you have been through," she asked and looked at him.

"Right now, I am feeling wonderful. This is the best I have felt in a very long time.I feel like I am alive again! I spent years having my bones broken, being bit by venomous beasts, being eaten by cats or snakes, my body will never truly heal." he said sadly.

"That doesn't matter, the only thing that does matter, is that you are here and you are alive," Hermione said.

"I have you to thank for that. Had it not been for you, I would never have survived any of it. I am forever in your debt, my sweet Hermione." he said as he took her hand and kissed it. Oh how he had dreamed of this, he could hardly believe that he was finally able to do that!

She was blushing even more now, which only made him smile. He loved her, he surely did.

"I made some soup, are you hungry?" Hermione asked shyly.

"Starving," Regulus smiled.

"I'll get you some, you stay here," she smiled as she went to the kitchen. He followed her every step, not letting out of his sight.

"Why did you decide to become a Deatheater?" she asked as she looked at him from the kitchen.

"I didn't make that decision, my mother and father did. Sirius was the lucky one, he got away. I was too much of a coward to run, especially after I saw what had happened when Sirius ran." Regulus sadly said.

"I am not sure if you know what happened with Sirius or not?" she asked as she poured some soup up in a small bowl.

"Yes, and it kills me. I saw him at Grimmauld place when he was alive but couldn't talk with him. I wish I had been able to tell him how sorry I was for everything." Regulus felt tears in his eyes.

"I am sorry that he passed away before you were able to speak with him, that must be so difficult." Hermione said as she sat down beside him, taking his hand and giving it a small squeeze.

Regulus nodded his head and took a deep breath, slightly shaking his head to clear his thoughts. Even the food smelled wonderful as a human again, he had completely forgotten how wonderful food smells!

Hermione took the spoon toward his mouth and helped him to eat. He wasn't sure he could do anything himself at the moment. He hated feeling so weak and useless, depending on someone else just to eat a bowl of soup.

"I don't think a simple tomato soup has ever tasted so good." Regulus sighed as she helped him drink some more water. She didn't say anything, she just smiled at him.

Regulus felt bad for forcing her here, and keeping her away from everyone else. He wasn't even sure if she wanted to be here with him.

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have taken you with me. But I couldn't and I won't stand the way your so-called friends treat you. They are terrible people, and treat you like rubbish. You are such a beautiful and strong witch. Far more intelligent than anyone I have ever met! You should surround yourself with people who are worthy of you, instead of settling for people who do not deserve your friendship and loyalty. If you want to leave, I won't stop you." Regulus said as he eyed her.

She was blushing again. Hermione had never had a boy call her beautiful just because he wanted to tell her she was beautiful. The only other person who had called her that, wanted something from her. This time was different, and she knew Regulus wanted nothing from her. He just truly felt that she was beautiful.

"I think I'd like to stay with you. I am grateful for what you have done, you were always there for me." Hermione smiled and looked away. Regulus couldn't help it, he took his hand, slowly under her chin, and lifted her head so he could look at her.

"I'll always be here for you, always! You have my word on that. I owe you so much, I would not have survived that long if it hadn't been for you. I owe you my life." Regulus said as he stroked her chin lightly.

Regulus saw how she nervously rubbed her arm, and looked at it.

"What is that?" He said as he grabbed her arm. Hermione tried to keep it out of his reach, fearful for what his reaction would be when he saw it. She always kept her arms covered, and tried so hard to not draw attention to what was there. She hadn't even noticed that she had been nervously rubbing at her arm when Regulus had touched her face and looked into her eyes.

"It's nothing," she whispered as he gently pulled back her sleeve and read the angry letters carved into her flesh.

MUDBLOOD.

"Who did this to you?" Regulus hissed as his magic started to rumble and filled the room.

"Please, Regulus, don't. It's nothing, it doesn't matter! " Hermione cried while she tried to pull her arm towards her.

"Who Hermione?" He asked more gently and tried to control his magic. He didn't want to scare her more than she probably already was. He hadn't been able to use his magic for so long he hadn't realized how little he had control of it. He would have to work on regaining control, this would be a problem if he didn't.

"Your cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. We were captured and brought to Malfoy Manor not long after the locket was destroyed. She decided that I needed a permanent reminder of exactly what I am." Hermione mumbled as she looked away and brushed a tear out of her eye.

"Malfoy Manor?" Regulus asked, trying to figure out if his favorite cousin Narcissa Malfoy had been there as well.

"The Malfoys were just as much prisoners as we were. They clearly didn't like it there, but Bellatrix, she is a maniac. All those years in Azkaban really did a number on her. She's insane." Hermione said.

"She has always been a maniac. They do say that when a Black is born, they flip a coin. You either get mad and bad, or light and good. " Regulus said.

"She is definitely mad," Hermione said.

"She is, don't worry my sweet sweet witch. I will make her pay for it if I ever lay eyes on her. I promise you." Regulus said as he took her hand again. He gave it a squeeze and she smiled at him. Regulus didn't know if she wanted to stay or go after that revelation, but he really hoped she would stay.

"You should rest now, I'll find some more pain relief potions for you to take so you can get a good night's rest." Hermione said as she got up and went to grab a potion. Regulus did feel tired, but he was scared that she would disappear from him again.

"Don't worry, I'll be here when you wake. I promise. I'm not going anywhere without you." Hermione smiled as she helped him drink the potion.

The last thing Regulus remembered before closing his eyes was his witch kissing his forehead. Then sleep took over.