Despite all of the talk of the Dark Lord and a wizarding war, Esme was grateful to be back home for the Christmas holidays.

Though she was most grateful that, now she was seventeen and had passed her apparition exam, she could see Regulus as much as she pleased.

That's why it was little surprise that during the first weekend of the holidays, Regulus and Esme were sat together in the kitchen of her home.

They sat quite peacefully, each reading on their own as they sat opposite each other at the table. Although this was quickly disturbed.

"I love you."

Regulus choked, holding one hand over his mouth to stop from spraying hot tea everywhere. Once he'd managed to get his breath back, he looked across at Esme who had picked her book back up and was continuing to read it as if nothing had happened.

"Do you realise what you just said?"

She looked over at him, "Sorry, what?"

"Those-those three words you just said to me." Regulus frowned, thinking perhaps he had just imagined it.

"Oh, sorry was I mumbling?" She looked sincerely at him, "I love you."

And just like that she turned back to her book.

"Are you talking to a character from the story?" He asked.

She scoffed, "Don't be stupid, Regulus. Why would I love a fictional person?"

"There you go again!"

"What?"

"You're not drunk are you? Has someone put the imperious curse on you?"

"Shut up."

"Let me get this straight-"

Esme groaned, shutting her book and looking Regulus in the eye as she told him, for the third time, "I said I love you."

"I-wow... Ditto."

She raised an eyebrow and titled her head to the side, "Ditto?"

"No! That's not what I meant!" Regulus exclaimed suddenly, realising how his words had been interpreted.

Esme leant back in her seat and folded her arms, "You didn't mean ditto? So you mean you don't reciprocate?"

"What?" Regulus' face fell. How had this gone so wrong, so fast for him?

"Esme, sorry, of course I love you." He blurted out, and relief washed over him as Esme's shoulders relaxed down and she smiled at him.

"Thanks."

Regulus was stunned. He almost felt like he'd been hit over the head with a frying pan.

He watched as Esme turned back to her book, continuing to read it as if nothing had happened.

Had anything happened?

Regulus started to think perhaps he'd hallucinated the whole conversation.

"Out of mere curiosity... Why now?" He asked with a small smile.

"Why not?"

He laughed, "Fair enough."

"So... Why now?" Esme asked Regulus, putting down her open book and staring at him.

He frowned, "Why now what?"

"Why say that? Why do you love me?"

"Is this a trap?"

"Regulus!" Esme complained, kicking his leg under the table.

"Ow! Merlin!" Regulus pushed his chair back so he was out of reach of the girl.

He rubbed his leg and, when he looked back up, Esme had resumed reading her book again.

"Esme... I think I've known for a very long time. I just felt... Perhaps insecure? I didn't want to put you on the spot." He admitted, smiling sweetly as she looked back up at him.

"Is that actually true or are you just trying not to annoy me?"

"Let's be real, when don't I annoy you?"

"Good point. So it's true?"

"Yes."

Esme smiled at him, "I could kiss you now."

Regulus sighed, "Ugh, Ignatius."

"Yes, that's the way to get me hot and heavy - mention my brother." Esme frowned at him sceptically, her voice laced with heavy sarcasm.

"What? No." Regulus shook his head, "Knowing my luck, your brother will walk in and curse me."

She laughed, "I think he's more annoyed at me at the moment - for the whole Peeves fiasco, which wasn't even my doing!"

"Better you take the blame for that one." Regulus admitted, "Because if he finds out I'm behind that as well, that might just be it for me. God forbid he ever forgets when he caught us in the back of the library."

Esme let out another laugh, "I reckon we'll give him a heart attack before he graduates."

Regulus smirked, "Challenge accepted."

Then, there was a knock on the door.

Tentatively, Ignatius poked his head around the door and scanned over the room before announcing, "If you two are so much as sitting beside each other, there'll be trouble."

"You're really intimidating, you know?" Esme mocked her brother as he entered the kitchen and neared the table they were sat at.

"I know." He replied, picking up a piece of toast from her plate and eating it.

Regulus stared at the boy in disbelief, "What exactly are you doing?"

"Well..." He took a sip of Regulus' drink, "I'm going to meet Snape later. Didn't realise it was such a big deal to hang out with my mate until then, though I suppose you've replaced me with her."

"Her?" Esme stood up from her seat.

Regulus interjected the building tension between the siblings, "I'm not sure I replaced you, Ignatius. I was technically friends with Esme first. You know, like fourteen years ago."

"Shut up." Ignatius grumbled.

"What are you doing with Snape?" Regulus asked.

"You don't want to know." The older boy replied shortly, taking the last piece of Esme's toast.

Esme walked away from the table, moving around the kitchen island to stand on the opposite side so she was further from her brother and less likely to hit him.

"Why?" Regulus continued to inquire.

Ignatius raised an eyebrow, "Firstly, because neither of you will like it. Secondly, neither of you can be trusted. Just because I'm not dobbing you guys in for planning an escape doesn't mean I haven't forgotten that you're a liability for our plans."

"So it is Death Eater business." concluded Regulus.

"These days it's always Death Eater business. Don't worry about it."

Regulus looked over at Esme, who was staring at her brother.

"Well, we've got to go." Regulus rose from his seat, drawing Esme's attention to himself.

"Do we?" She frowned.

"Yes, don't you remember?" He smiled, but Esme looked directly at her eyes and that's all she needed to know, "We planned to go to Diagon Alley." He explained.

"Yes, of course." Esme nodded in agreement.

"Alright..." Ignatius furrowed his eyebrows in doubt as he watched them leave the kitchen together - he suspected something was going on, but he wasn't quite sure what.

"We're not actually going to Diagon Alley, are we?" Esme asked as she followed Regulus out of the front door and down the steps away from the house.

"Of course not."

"So where are you going?" She came to a halt. Regulus kept walking forward a few steps, down the drive, then came to a stop and turned to face as he replied, "I don't know."

"When I'm glad to see you thought this through." Esme let out an airy laugh.

"Well... About tomorrow..." Regulus began gently, not quite sure how to broach the subject.

Esme's expression softened because she knew he was very tentative of her plan. "Yes? Do you still want to come?" She asked.

"Of course. You're not going without me."

"But..." Regulus rubbed the back of his neck as Esme stepped towards him and he continued, "No matter how insane and dangerous your plan is, I am very proud of you."

"Proud?"

"Obviously."

"Why?"

"Do you really not know? Esme, you're going to save lives. You could help end this war before it gets too bad and... You won't get any credit for it. And... the crazy thing is that you don't even care. You're saving people for the sake of saving people. There's nothing not to be proud of." He looked at the girl, utterly amazed that Esme didn't see it herself. Esme was always so concerned thinking about other people that she'd never really paused to look at who she was.

Good thing Regulus was there to do it for her.

"You really just want to me say I love you again, don't you?" Esme laughed, hoping to swiftly change the subject as she was uncomfortable accepting positive praise.

He grinned, knowing exactly what she was trying to as he replied, "It's got a nice ring to it, is all."

"I don't want to wear it out." Esme shrugged mischievously.

"Oh, I don't mind at all." Regulus insisted.

"Shut up, Black." She muttered, cupping his face in her hands and guiding their faces together, "I do love you, though."

He smiled, "Good thing I love you too."

"Good." Esme smiled softly and leant up to kiss him. "Shall we go back inside now?" She asked.

Regulus nodded hurriedly and eagerly replied, "Absolutely." His lips ghosting over hers before he reconnected their lips.