It had been three months now since I had returned home. Three months of endless turmoil as I realised that all of my friends from the past were dead.

And that more were soon to follow.

It wasn't long after I returned home that I realised the hidden meaning behind Regulus' words, he was Regulus Atticus Black, the man who died in an attempt to destroy one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. The note was folded neatly in between my thumb and forefinger as I rested back against a tree trunk not far from where we'd made camp, fingers stressing over the thin paper.

Sunshine,

Sometimes events of the past cannot be altered, cannot be stopped, no matter how stubborn and willful you are. Sometimes events slip your mind and that's okay too, but don't blame yourself. That's the only promise I'll ever ask you to make.

Remember, don't let your pesky little emotions get the better of you, they cloud your judgement and you turn into a sap. It's rather quite annoying.

Love,

R.A.B.

He knew. He knew that I would have to go back to the future and he knew that he wouldn't be there if I found a way back to the past. This was his parting gift.

I nursed the cup of black coffee delicately, knees pulled to my chest as I mulled over the events that were going to happen today in an attempt to distract my mind from the grief. Today we were going to take back Hogwarts.

It was an event that I had already lived through, one that I wasn't sure I would survive a second time. But what was the point in trying?

Everyone I cared about was going to die anyway. Almost everyone I cared about was already dead.

What was one more to the death toll? It would be insignificant. At least I would have peace.

I had already said my goodbyes to my father and brother, even Tonks, a month beforehand when setting out on the mission to find the hidden Horcruxes with my best friends. It had been a trying month, that was for sure.

"Ready to get moving?" Hermione asked softly, eyeing the bags around my eyes warily. She didn't know the full extent of what I encountered whilst I was in the past and she never would, some moments were too private for me to even consider sharing, especially the ones concerning Regulus and James. Memories were the only thing I truly had left of those in the past, but even they would fade over time.

"Yeah," I nodded, standing up, brushing the excess of leaves from my dark wash jeans. I quickly washed out the cup, storing it in Hermione's bag that had been charmed to be endless. "Let's get going."

Harry held onto my elbow, Ron mimicking the actions with Hermione as we apparated out of the lifeless and dull forest, landing us in Hogsmeade with a loud crack. Sirens rang loudly around us, alerting others of our presence, scattered feet and yells of alarm could be heard as they raced to find the intruder.

To find us.

"We've got to move," Harry hissed, tugging on my arm to wake me out of my moment of paralysed shock.

Our feet trod quickly, slapping softly on the stone below. We were running out of time. It wouldn't be long before the Death Eaters found us but last time Aberforth was kind enough to help us out – an action I knew would happen again.

"This way," I whispered, taking charge of the group, running ahead around the twists and turns, taking a moment to peak my head around the corner to check if it was clear.

"This isn't the way to Hogwarts," Ron whisper-shouted, face filling with a red colouring as his lungs began to wheeze.

"She knows what she's doing, Ronald," Hermione scolded, shooting a heated glare over her shoulder, narrowly missing hitting the side of the stone house.

"She's lived through this before, remember?" Harry prompted quietly, slightly annoyed at his friend's lack of trust.

"Right," Ron nodded, smiling tightly as he continued to catch his breath as we lent against a wall in an alleyway, checking if the coast was clear before continuing on.

"It's just at the end of this street."

We bolted down the street, making sure we stick closely to the walls in a single file line. The door opened with a slight squeak, a tall burly man rushing us forward.

"It's about time you lot got here," he grumbled, shutting the door softly behind Ron, turning to face us.

"Who even are you?" Ron collapsed against the side of the wall, chest rising up and down, sweat beading on his forehead.

"This is Aberforth," I introduced, "Dumbledore's brother."

"I didn't know Dumbledore had a brother," Harry commented, looking up at him with suspicion.

"You didn't know a lot of things about him boy," he grunted, moving towards the portrait of his sister. "Tell the others they're here."

"What others?"

"Behind the portrait is a secret passageway to Hogwarts, Harry. The others are the students, our friends," I informed him, graciously accepting Aberforth's offer of a glass of water.

"How do you know so much girl?"

"Let's just say that this is a moment of deja-vu," a smile twitched at the corner of my lips, the first one my friends had seen in the past two months.

Hermione shot a knowing smile at me, rushing this meeting along as the sirens were still blaring, death eaters going door to door, threatening to execute anyone hiding the intruders. Aberforth swung the portrait door open, ushering us in with a grumpy frown and a mumbled good luck.

Our wands lit up with a small incantation of Lumos, lighting the way in the small, dim tunnel. The rough ground slowly wore on the knees of my jeans, tearing and dirtying them. Sweat beaded on my forehead, the heat only just bearable as we force ourselves to continue.

"This is deplorable," Hermione cried, her knee falling onto a sharp rock.

"Try having to do it twice," I grunted, rolling my eyes as I avoid the rock that had hit her knee.

The tunnel soon came to an end, a shimmer of light hitting our eyes as the other entrance to the castle opened up. The others raised their wands threateningly, ready to strike at a moments notice.

"Neville," I breathed out, crawling past the others, eager to get out of the damp and dank tunnel.

"Lilah?" A voice echoed through the darkness as I leapt out into the room, throwing myself into the waiting arms. "Didn't think that I'd see you lot again."

"Your parents would be so proud," I mumbled into his chest, fighting back tears, clinging to the white school shirt.

"How...?" He pulled back from me, tears stinging his eyes.

"It's been a crazy year," I laughed out, flinging myself back into his warm embrace.

"It's only been five months,"

"Trust me Mate, you don't want to know," Ron shook his head, grinning at us from the hole in the wall.

--

Walls collapsed around us as I fought my way outside, shooting spells and counter curses left and right. I had to get to Harry before it was too late.

"Crucio," a man shouted, his wand pointed at me, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"Go," a voice shouted, jumping in front of me to deflect the unforgivable curse.

"Dad?" The air left me as I stared at him in shock, unable to comprehend how he was standing in front of me. He was supposed to be dead.

I had watched him die! A little voice reminded me that that was a different time, almost a year ago, that I had succeeded in at least changing one minuscule detail in time – one detail that was far from minuscule to me.

"Go," he nodded once more towards the battle outside, continuing to battle the cloaked man, "I'll be here when you get back, I promise."

With a last fleeting glance towards my father, I raced out of the hall and out the large wooden doors, ignoring the sound of my heart as it cracked, knowing that there was a possibility of my father dying once more, that I hadn't changed anything permanently.

I stared at the scene before me in horror, Harry facing Voldemort head on, struggling under his use of dark magic, struggling and losing. I couldn't let this happen, I couldn't let him die.

"Tom!" I screamed out, needing to draw his attention away from Harry.

The battling came to a halt, Voldemort's head snapping in my direction in fury before resting his gaze upon me as I raised my wand towards my opponent, blood trickling down the side of my face.

A grin stretched across his deformed face, a wicked cackle escaping his mouth.

"Do I really have to kill you for a second time, Little Lupin? Or is it Potter?" He asked.

"Nah," I reply with mock casualty, "it's just Lupin."

He quirks an eyebrow in my direction, a smile stretching across his thin lips.

"Still as quick with wit as ever, Miss Lupin. I have to say that I have missed our bantering ways. Things have been rather dull without you around."

"Maybe you should keep better company then, those serious snakes are no fun at all." I pout at him, tightening my grip on my wand.

I stare into Voldemort's red eyes as they dance in unrestrained rage.

The wind whips my frazzled hair over the back of my shoulder, the cool air stinging the numerous abrasions on my face. My wand started to shake, fear consuming me as I attempted to fight the oncoming sleight of emotions from a past I never got to live, a life that I remember living with James but never truly got to experience.

"Scared are we, Little Lupin?" He chuckled.

"Over you? Never." I spat, rage encompassing me as I remembered exactly what he had stolen from me.

Anger washed over his features, and in that instant, I knew that this was the final moment.

The moment where only one of us would live.

"Surrendering yourself for your son is quite a noble thing to do, Mrs Potter." He remarked, "However stupid it may be. First your husband, then your father and now you? Tsk tsk, all this trouble for one boy?"

I stare at him in shock, realisation dawning on me, "My father isn't dead, Tom," I smirked, finally having the upper hand, "I guess I changed a few things when you sent me back in time."

He stared at me, disbelief flickering across his features before they settled on a wicked smirk. "Let's change things up a bit then, shall we?"

"I died for him once, I'm more than happy to make that twice," I reply confidently.

"So be it then." He nodded, gesturing for someone to come forward.

What was happening? This never happened in the last battle.

Gold hair was the first thing I saw before the dots connected.

Nicholas.

"Long time no see Li. What's it been? Like twenty years? Perhaps not for you." He smirked, wand at the ready, black cloak billowing behind him in the wind.

With that small distraction, I left myself unguarded, vulnerable to attack.

"Avada kedavra!"

"Mum!" The voice alerted me but it was too late, green shooting at me too quickly for me to comprehend. This was it. This was how I died.

I will die for my family, for my friends, for my son.

And it was something I would do again in a heartbeat.

"Not today Ravenclaw scum," someone knocked me out of the way, landing roughly on top of me in a pile of debris.

I coughed loudly, back aching in pain and white noise erupted around me. Who knocked me out of the way?

I opened my eyes warily, curious as to whom I owed my life to.

Chocolate brown connected with smug, worried blue as they scanned my figure, their lips moving but no words reached my ears as I stared up in shock.

"James?"