This year's Christmas dinner was hosted by Aunt Druella and Uncle Cygnus. Therefore, Regulus found himself standing by their front door. He stood in front of his parents and next to his brother Sirius, all dressed in their finest robes; Sirius was wearing a respectable shade of deep red, instead of the hideous blue he'd worn last summer to Regulus' birthday—he wasn't stealing the attention this time!

Bellatrix opened the door and welcomed them into the house. She led them both to the sitting room, whilst Mother and Father disappeared into the dining room to have a chat with Aunt Druella and Uncle Cygnus, who were setting the table.

"You're a little early," said Bellatrix as she sat down opposite him.

But Regulus paid little attention to her, nor to his brother. Not even the cackling fire, which was warming his cold hands, managed to hold his attention for long.

Narcissa wasn't here.

There was nothing that could've made this Christmas worse than Narcissa's absence. They could've done all sorts of things together but instead he was stuck here and she was off having fun with the Malfoys. Probably. He didn't really know if she had fun, but he hoped she did. Or maybe he didn't, maybe he wanted her to be as miserable as she had made him.

Maybe next year they could do what she had promised. She would be here next year, wouldn't she? Merlin, he hoped she would be. He turned to his brother, who sat next to him, and asked him just that.

His brother shrugged. "I don't know. She might... or she might not."

That wasn't fair. "But she's our cousin, she's supposed to be here with us! It isn't the same without her!"

Sirius just shrugged again, so he looked at Bella. Please, let her know more, he begged quietly—but she shook her head. "I don't know, sorry."

Wonderful. Just wonderful. Did anyone here know anything?!

He got to his feet and left the sitting room. Mother and Father would know, surely? He entered the dining room to talk to them.

"Father," he started as he approached him. "Do you... do you think Narcissa will ever come back?"

His father looked up from what he was doing and turned to face him. "Regulus," he said with a deep sigh, "families are difficult, but just because your cousin isn't here with us now, doesn't mean she's never coming back, nor does it mean she isn't your cousin anymore."

"But she left us!"

"She did not leave us," Father said. "Look, your cousins are away at Hogwarts all year, aren't they?"

"But that's different!"

"Is it really?" he asked. "Or is it all the same? They may be gone for now—but that's because there are more important things going on. An education, for example, or building the future. But that doesn't change the fact they're always coming back to us. They haven't left, not really. Family don't just 'leave'."

"But some have left!"

"What do you mean?"

"Like... on the tapestry... the blacked out people... what if Narcissa-"

"Regulus, listen to me; Narcissa is a wonderful, talented witch who knows what is at stake. She is doing all she can, she is doing all that is expected of her. There is absolutely no need to be scaree about her ending up in that way—she'll end up in high places if she keeps doing what she's doing. Please, stop your worrying and just enjoy your Christmas."

"I'll try," he answered, though he wasn't all that convinced. Maybe Narcissa was trying, but maybe those other people tried, too. Wasn't everyone trying to do the best they could?

"Come on!" Sirius dragged him outside, barely able to contain his excitement. Regulus tried to run along, entering the grand gardens to their cousins' countryside manor. The cold air, the crispy snow beneath his feet, the endless view of nothing but fields and trees... it was a million times better than their cramped London home, hidden in some Muggle street—of all places!

In the distance he saw Andromeda and Bellatrix engaged in a snowball fight, and he allowed Sirius to drag him all the way over to them.

"Come join us, boys!" Andromeda called out, "it's great fun!"

She grabbed her sister's arms and they spun around together, faster and faster until they let go and both fell into the snow. They both grabbed handfuls of snow and started throwing them at each other—and at the boys.

Regulus ducked out of the way but they managed to get Sirius, who started making snowballs of his own to fight back.

Regulus was mostly very cold, but he had an idea that would make it better (hopefully).

"You know what we should do?" he asked, "a game of snow-Quidditch!"

"Like we did last year? You still remember how it goes, then?" Asked Bellatrix.

He nodded.

"I'll get the brooms," Andromeda volunteered and she dashed off, Sirius following her to help her carry the brooms back outside.

He was watching them run off into the house when he felt something hard hit his back. He stumbled and tripped over the harm of his robes, falling headfirst into the cold snow as he heard Bella laughing in the background. He scrambled back to his feet and stared at her smirking face, the snowball in her hands.

"That wasn't funny!"

"Sorry," she chuckled, "I just couldn't help myself. It's a good thing the snow softens the fall, isn't it?"

He sighed. Yes, that was a good thing, but that didn't make it any better.

"Hey... I didn't mean for you to trip, you know. That just happened."

"I know," he mumbled.

"Are you having fun?"

Regulus nodded. "I wish it was like this forever," he admitted after a little while. "That you didn't have to go back to Hogwarts."

"Well after I graduate, you can come here as often as you want and I'll gladly push you into the snow."

Regulus laughed. "No, not that! I just don't want us all to break up again. I wish Cissy was here..."

"We all do, Reg. We all do."

They say time files, and to Regulus, it certainly seemed that way. The Christmas holidays came to an end, Andromeda and Bellatrix went back to Hogwarts, and Regulus and Sirius were stuck at home once more, struggling through their lessons one day at a time.

The months flew by and before long, Easter was approaching. Easter brought with it another holiday for Hogwarts students—another chance to see his cousins.

Or so he'd thought.

Easter, for Hogwarts students, was mostly a time of learning. Bellatrix stayed behind to focus on her N.E.W.T.s, for she wanted to be top of her class. Andromeda came home, yes, but even she was mostly seen with her nose stuck in a book.

And Narcissa? Narcissa once again stayed away. She had been invited to spend the holidays at the Malfoy's once more—an offer she just couldn't decline.

So Easter wasn't nearly as exciting as he had anticipated. Still, he, his parents, and Sirius appeared on time for the annual Easter brunch. Uncle Alphard was hosting it, and he hadn't been able to speak to him since that strange conversation on his birthday. Uncle Alphard hadn't been there on Sirius' birthday—he was in France at the time, and he had been in France for Christmas as well, making Easter even more exciting. Would he tell stories of France?

But it didn't take away from the fact that he felt very lonely as they sat there, at that long table, with barely any people present.

The brunch itself was incredibly dull. Uncle Alphard barely said anything about his trip to France. In fact, he barely spoke at all. This set a precedent and nobody spoke for the rest of the brunch.

He was the first to ask to be excused, and wandered around the house. It was far smaller than their own home, smaller than the manor his cousins lived in, even smaller than the houses belonging to his grandparents. That wasn't to say his uncle was poor, oh definitely not—he just preferred to live in a small home. He always said he didn't need much.

Uncle Alphard never changed anything in his house. The guest room he had slept in since he was little still looked the same, the sitting room still looked the same even though it was in desperate need of redecorating where Regulus was concerned; the sofas were hanging onto their last threads and the chandelier could fall down any moment, from the looks of it.

But right now, there was something else in the living room as well. Someone else. Andromeda. She was sitting on one of those battered sofas skimming through her Charms textbook.

"Hello..."

She looked up.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you in the dining room?"

"I have to study."

"You can study later."

She shook her head. "I'm fine studying now."

"But-"

"I'm not in the mood, Regulus."

He sighed. He could understand that, to some extent. He missed Narcissa and Bellatrix, and they were her sisters—she'd miss them a thousand times more.

"Do you think they'll be here next year?"

"Hmm?"

"Narcissa and Bellatrix... do you think they'll be here next year?"

"Bellatrix will have graduated by then."

"She can still choose to leave, like she did now."

She clasped the book shut. "You're a selfish little fella, you know that? It's always you, you, you. Let people live their own lives for a change. Now if you'll excuse me..." she got up and walked past him without another word, leaving him all alone again.

Fantastic. Even she didn't want to talk to him. She thought he was selfish. Ha! Him, selfish! Bellatrix and Narcissa, they were selfish. Not him.

So he had no choice but to go back to the dining room to find his brother, the only person who wouldn't leave him alone—he had promised. But the dining room was empty except for his father and his uncle...

Wherever could Sirius be?

Not wanting to go through the house again, he walked up to his father and uncle. However when he got their attention, he forgot all about his brother and instead found himself asking, "do you think Narcissa is happier with the Malfoys? Happier than she would be with us?"

"We're talking," said Father, "now off you go."

"But-"

"We are talking."

"Fine!"

He stormed out of the room. Why did nobody want to talk to him today?! They could be so infuriating! He barely reached the hall when he bumped into his cousin. He mumbled an apology and said he didn't mean to bump into her, he was just trying to leave the room and there she was!

"You better watch where you're going, then."

"I was thinking about Cissy."

"Lovely. Do you mind?"

She tried to move past him into the room, but he shook his head. "Father and Uncle Alphard are talking in there."

"...so?"

"They didn't want to talk to me, either!"

"No surprise there..."

"What?!"

"Nothing," she said. She smiled a little. "Say, Regulus, what were you asking them?"

"If they think Cissy is happier at the Malfoys..."

Her smile grew. "You know her. She's always so proper, she will be a true Malfoy. She's probably wearing the most fancy robes in the world right now, attending grand tea parties... I'm sure she'll be alright."

He sighed. Maybe she was right... but he wasn't sure of he wanted her to be. There was something about her being happy at the Malfoys that made him inexplicably sad.

There was a hand on his shoulder from behind and he spun around. Father stood there, and asked: "Why do you have to worry so much?"

He thought for a moment, then, he mumbled, "they're stealing all my cousins..."

"Speak up, son. Who are stealing your cousins?"

"I don't know..."

"That's because there is no 'they'. You're young, much younger than your cousins. They're simply getting on with their lives. You'll understand when you're older."

"But I want to understand now!"

Too bad," he said. "We don't always get what we want in life, Regulus. It's time you learnt that."

Father brushed past him and disappeared into the living room. Andromeda was already gone. And to make matters even worse—Uncle Alphard brushed past him and left just as he wanted to try and talk to him.

Fine, he thought. If they all wanted to leave him alone, then he'd be alone. He'd show them what 'alone' looked like, oh yes, he would. He wouldn't talk to anyone any more for the rest of the day, no—week! That'd show them.

He'd be alone starting right now.

He sat back down at the table. He waited and waited, hoping for someone to come in so he could not talk to them. The thought of it was enough to make him grin in satisfaction—oh, the look on their faces!

But no-one came in. No-one at all. He waited for what seemed like several hours and everyone seemed to be avoiding that room!

So he got up. If they wouldn't come to him, he'd go to them. Yes, that was a good idea. He'd go up to them, make them think he wanted to talk, and then, just when they thought they were getting a conversation, he'd stay silent! It was brilliant!

He was walking through the house, looking for someone to not talk to, when he heard a pained cry from his uncle's bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, so he pushed it open a little farther, watching the scene inside.

Andromeda was standing her, her face covered with her hands. "But I don't want this!" she cried out, "don't you understand?! I'm miserable!"

He tried to see with whom she was talking, he pushed the door open just a little bit more. He still couldn't see, and he couldn't catch the other half of the conversation. Unlike Andromeda, the person she spoke to was whispering.

"But I am in love! I don't care what they'll say, it's MY life, not theirs!"

He pushed it open just a teensy tiny bit more—but it was a bit too much. He knew whom she was talking to now, for he was face to face with him seconds later, whilst Andromeda in the background shouted: "You're as bad as the lot of them!"

Uncle Alphard grabbed him by the ear, dragging him across to the adjacent study room.

"What did you hear", Uncle Alphard demanded. It wasn't a question, he knew he had been eavesdropping and there was no way he could lie his way out of it. For a moment, he considered staying silent – that had been the plan, after all! – but he decided that would only get him into more trouble.

"I didn't-"

"Don't lie to me," said Uncle Alphard very calmly, although his voice was dripping with anger. "I will find out the truth either way."

He had to think fast. What had he overheard, exactly? Andromeda had been upset, clearly, but about what?

"A-Andromeda, she's... she's in love? But she's... sad...? I really don't know anything, I promise!"

"OK, so you 'don't know anything'. Regardless, I don't want you telling anyone anything you do know about this situation. Understood?"

"You want me to lie about it?"

"Not a lie. You simply don't mention it. Keep it a secret. Secrets aren't lies, are they? They are necessary for the sake of protecting those we care about."

"I won't say anything. I promise."

"You may go now," said Uncle Alphard, holding open the door for him. "Do not 'forget' this promise—I will know if you tell."