It was a glorious morning the day Regulus and Esme ventured out into the countryside. The first glistening light of sunrise was peaking over the hill, illuminating the dewy grass. Minute by minute, the sunlight was creeping down the opposite hill towards where Esme and Regulus sat on a tartan blanket in the valley.

"I'll admit..." Esme began slowly, "This may have been a good idea."

Regulus chuckled, resting his head in his hands as he lay out across the blanket, "I could have told you that."

"Way to stay humble." She replied whilst sat with her legs tightly crossed and a bowl of fruit in her lap. Lazily, Esme would pick at the variety of raspberries and strawberries as they both watched the sun slowly rise over the landscape.

"At least it gets me away from your parents." He sighed, "I'm fairly sure they're getting ready to murder me."

Esme straightened out her legs and replied, "My mother adores you."

"Your father more than makes up for it. He barely let me through the door yesterday. He thinks I'm no good." Regulus closed his eyes.

Looking over at him, Esme revealed a small smile, "The only person he likes is my mother. I wouldn't worry about it."

"I can't help worrying about it. He's very protective of you and Ignatius and that doesn't bode well for me."

Esme picked a raspberry out of the bowl, rolling it between her thumb and forefinger for a moment before carefully taking aim and flicking it at the boy.

"Ow! What was that?"

"Did a bird poo on you?"

"WHAT?"

"It's the only explanation."

"DEAR LORD!"

Regulus leapt upwards, frantically running his hands through his hair and over his face as he tried to work out what had just hit him.

"I don't understand! What happened?" He looked down at his hands - perfectly clean.

All of a sudden, Esme burst out laughing. She clapped her hands over her mouth in sheer glee as Regulus slowly calmed down. He turned to the hysterical girl, who was struggling to control her breathing, and the biggest smile emerged on his lips as she continued to giggle - tears emerging in her eyes from the laughter.

It was the first time Esme had actually laughed since the initiation ceremony and Regulus was over the moon to see her so freely happy again.

Then he looked down and saw a flattened raspberry at his feet, and finally put the pieces together.

"Esme." He picked up the bruised fruit, "I swear..."

"The look on your face!" She exclaimed, gradually calming down but with the grin still plastered across her face, "That was the best."

"I can't believe you." Regulus sighed, a little embarrassed about his overreaction, "It's a good thing I brought my broom." He muttered.

Esme laughed lightly, "Oh, are you going to fly away from me now?"

"Exactly." Regulus grinned, "And, if I don't get practicing for Quidditch, I'll be in major trouble with Talkalot."

She blinked, believing the boy was joking at first, and then when he stared blankly back at her she asked, "Talkalot?"

"Oh. She's the new Slytherin Quidditch captain. Lucinda Talkalot. She's nasty... In the year above, in Slytherin." He explained.

"Well of course she's in Slytherin. It would make it pretty difficult for her to be your captain otherwise." Esme smirked.

"All right, smart arse."

Esme rocked back on her hands and looked up at Regulus as he tucked his broom under his arm, "Why have you never tried out for Captain? I think you'd be great."

"You don't know anything about Quidditch. You don't even like it."

"Doesn't mean I don't know what makes good leadership." She argued.

"Honestly..." Regulus pulled on his gloves, "I've never really been one for leadership positions and teamwork. I prefer doing things on my own, hence the Seeker position."

"Fair enough," Esme shrugged, "Now get flying bird-boy."

Regulus laughed as he swiftly kicked off from the ground, rocketing up into the blue sky.

Laying down on her back, Esme watched Regulus dart through the air with ease, a smile playing on her lips the whole time. It was a great relief to find some peace, lay out in the sunshine with nothing to bother her. Esme was unbelievably grateful for the peace and company of Regulus Black, someone who she knew always had her back.

After what seemed like an age, Regulus landed quietly back on the ground. He panted as he wiped a small trail of sweat from his forehead and slowly padded back over towards where Esme lay on the picnic blanket.

"You haven't fallen asleep, have you?" He asked, dropping his broom down to the floor and pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Not quite." She mused, "It's weirdly entertaining watching you fly about."

"Want to know what's more fun?"

"No."

He laughed, "Watching you struggle to fly about."

"You've gone insane." Esme shook her head and tightly closed her eyes.

Regulus say down beside her, leaning over the girl so close that theirs noses were nearly touching. "Maybe." He replied.

She opened one eye and, seeing how close Regulus was, let out a shriek. Esme pushed him away and finally sat upright, "Fine! I'll ride a stupid broom as long as you never scare me like that again."

Regulus grinned broadly, "Deal."

After much bickering, and a lot of delay tactics on Esmerelda's part, she finally gripped the broomstick with a stern frown carved into her features.

"Do you remember anything from last time you flew?" Regulus asked with exasperation as he adjusted Esme's grip for at least the seventh time.

Esme sighed, "I think I buried that memory."

"Right, there." Regulus stepped back finally, "All you need to do is kick off from the ground. Just think about hovering, then you shouldn't fly off too far."

"That's not at all comforting." She complained, but nevertheless did as she was instructed. It all happened a little to fast for Esme's liking. She quickly lifted off from the ground and she let out a yelp as she lost her balance and swayed from side to side.

"Woah! It's alright." Regulus reached up, taking hold of the broom and gently guiding it back down to a more comfortable height. He held one hand on the broomstick, and the other on Esme's arm as she finally rebalanced herself in an attempt to stop from falling off of the broom.

"This is not fun." She grumbled as Regulus laughed again, and she pointed out, "If you dare let go of this broom I'll never talk to you again."

"Wow." He chuckled, "You really are a wuss."

"I am not!" She complained, "It's just common sense. People have died playing this stupid game."

"I don't think anyone has died hovering..." He looked down and then back up at Esme, "precisely half a metre off the ground."

"I could be the first." Esme muttered, "And you'd be to blame."

"You're right, you make an incredibly valid point." He shook his head with a smile as he guided the broom down a little more until Esme planted her feet back on solid ground.

Regulus took the broom from her as Esme wiped her hands down her jumper and patted down her hair. "About what happened... The whole Dark Mark business..." He began slowly, testing the waters to see how Esme would react.

She only hummed in response, not making eye contact with the boy as she handed him back his gloves.

He continued, "You know we'll work something out, don't you? There's always a way to make things better. Even if we can't escape from all of this, there's always a way to make the situation better."

"I know." Esme nodded, "I just haven't figured it out yet."

"Just, don't worry about it too much. We'll find the light in this darkness soon enough - a way to make this all worthwhile and meaningful." He smiled.

A way to make it meaningful.

Those words stood out to Esme instantly. She didn't know why straight away, but there was a reason those words stayed with her. In the not so distant future, they would spark a life changing plan from Esme. She just didn't know it yet.

Esme looked at the boy and laughed, cupping his face in her hands as she inquired, "Did you get that from a book?"

"Yes, actually. You'd underlined it in one of your poor books." Regulus leant his head against her palm.

"You spout some of the cheesiest nonsense." Esme used her other hand to run through the short hair at the nape of his neck, "But thank you."

"For what?" He asked.

"For putting up with me being miserable and annoying. I don't know anyone else that would." She admitted.

"Well nobody else lets me kiss them." He grinned, leaning in slowly to sweetly connect their lips in a brief kiss.

"Merlin, the cheesiness never stops with you." She sighed with a smile.

"Only for you, my dear."

Esme raised an eyebrow at him, and then beamed as she reached up to bring their lips together again and, more importantly, stop Regulus from talking.