"I can't thank you enough for this, really."

"Please, it's my pleasure." Esme nodded sincerely, gently tapping her fingertips on the surface of the wooden dining table as she watched the older woman walk around the edges of the room, fretting with mountains of paperwork.

Mrs. Bagman was a very tall slender woman, though the stress of the current climate in the wizarding world had definitely taken its toll on the woman. Whilst she was still beautiful, with her blonde hair pinned up and bright red lips, she had become much more frail and gaunt-looking.

Where there had once been a warm and lovely woman, there was now an anxious and panicky shadow remaining.

"I don't want any trouble, of course. Only the best for my boys. I don't want you to get into trouble either." She turned to face Esme and anxiously pulled at the collar of her dress.

Esme smiled warmly, "Of course. Andromeda told me you had two sons?"

"Oh, yes. Such sweet boys. Otto and Ludo. They're only young - Ludo hasn't even started Hogwarts yet. I just-I need to keep them safe. Their father doesn't see that as a priority. I'll do anything for them, though." The woman rambled slightly, picking at the skin around her fingers as she fidgeted and looked down at the floor.

"Mrs. Bagman... I-"

"Lucy, please." Mrs. Bagman insisted with a wavering smile.

"Lucy..." Esme sighed, "You know I need any and all the information you can give me. Everything."

"Y-yes." She nodded quickly, "You understand my reservations, surely?"

The young girl pursed her lips and thought for a moment before replying, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to help you. We're at risk just being here, too."

"You're right. You're right. My husband he-he's been getting far too involved with Death Eater business. It's only a matter of time until messes up and gets us in trouble. I don't want any part of it. They're all crazy!" She exclaimed fearfully.

"I know." Esme confronted, "I just-"

"Mummy! Come play!" A little blonde boy burst into the room, shrieking and giggling. Then, not far behind him, was an even smaller boy with darker brown hair, who waddled into the room trying to keep up with his older brother.

Lucy gasped, "Oh, Ludo! Boys! I told you we had guests over. Please, go back upstairs and behave!" She ushered her children swiftly out of the room and quickly up the stairs.

As Esme waited, she heard the pattering of young feet upstairs and soon the door reopened and Lucy Bagman returned, wearing a rather bashful smile.

"Professor Dumbledore will help?" Lucy asked, gently pushing the door closed behind her.

"Yes." Esme nodded.

"Okay..." Lucy took a deep breath, "I'll tell you everything I know. I-er... Does your friend want a drink? A cup of tea?"

Esme bowed her head and grinned, "He's fine, really. He'll just get annoyed if I distract him."

Regulus Black shook his head in disbelief and dug his hands further into his pockets. He did not like this one bit. He had a very bad feeling.

Nevertheless, he remained stood by the front door, occasionally peering out of small window in the top of it to see if anyone was coming to the door.

Then a horrible coldness washed over him.

"Esme!" Regulus called out sharply, drawing his wand, "Esme! It's Bellatrix!"

The kitchen door slammed open as Esme and Lucy burst into the hallway. Regulus watched Bellatrix striding down the street in black robes, growing closer to the house with each second that passed. The older woman was anxiously tugging at her blonde hair as Esme drew her own wand and cried, "We've got to go! Now!"

Then, there was a knock at the door.

"Regulus!" Esme reached out to take his hand and apparate them out of there when Lucy interjected.

"No! They'll hear you disapparate. Use the vanishing cabinet. Upstairs." Lucy stood between the two of them pleadingly.

"A what?" Esme frowned.

"Do you know how to use one?" Lucy asked, already moving past Regulus to the front door to feebly hide them from view.

"I do. Let's go." Regulus grabbed Esme's hand and ran up the stairs, pulling her along with him.

"What's-" Esme immediately clamped her jaw shut and stopped talking as they heard another knock on the front door downstairs.

"In here!" Regulus hissed, spying the vanishing cabinet in the upstairs office, "Get in!"

He opened the door of it, allowing Esme to step inside first and then he quickly followed her.

As they heard the sound of the latch being undone and the front door creaking open, Regulus gently closed the door of the vanishing cabinet, incasing them in a cloak of darkness.

"Regulus..." Esme whispered, gripping on tightly to his hand.

Regulus didn't reply. He raised his arm to hold Esme's hand over his heart and then... A gentle click.

Esme hadn't even noticed it over the sound of her own panicked breathing, but Regulus instantly recognised the noise.

"Okay. We can get out." He sighed, finally.

"Get out? Are you insane? There's no way Bellatrix has already left." Esme pointed out through gritted teeth.

Regulus let out a slight nervous chuckle as he pushed open the cabinet door, "We're not there anymore. Do you really not know what a vanishing cabinet is?"

"What's going on?"

"They work in pairs. You walk in one cabinet and it transports you to wherever the other one is. Very good for undetectable escape." Regulus explained, looking around the room to see they were in a bedroom.

Esme frowned, looking around the room, "How exactly do you know so much?"

"My mother has one." He replied as he opened the bedroom door to peer out across the landing, "Do your parents not?"

"No." She stated, gently peering through the gap in the curtains to try and make out where they were.

Regulus sighed, "I suppose they don't need one. Nothing to escape from."

"What is your mother escaping from? Surely not Death Eaters."

"I don't know. She's had it since I can remember. Sirius used to escape through it after getting in to trouble and I'd have to go and fetch him so he didn't get into more trouble. My mother just uses it as a normal wardrobe now." Regulus admitted.

Esme straightened up, closing the curtains again and turning to face him with a small smile. She could tell that even mentioning Sirius' name made Regulus think back to that moment on the train before summer.

Regulus worried that perhaps that had been his one chance to reconcile with his brother.

But, Regulus was still upset with his brother, no matter how much he wanted them to be on good terms. Regulus had been abandoned by his older sibling and that wasn't something easily forgiven.

"Reg-"

"Where are we? Any idea?" Regulus asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Not a clue. Surely we can't be too far away." Esme thought, leading the way downstairs.

They appeared to be in a rather quaint little cottage. The walls were lined with bookcases, which were rammed tight with all manner of books. Everything appeared to be coated in a thick layer of dust. Looking into the rooms, the furniture was covered with cream sheets and all of the curtains drawn tightly shut.

"Should we just go home? Or is there still more to talk about with... Her?" Regulus questioned.

Esme laughed, "You don't like her one bit, do you?"

"I don't trust her." He shook his head, "How can you trust someone who's so ready to throw their husband to the wolves? What will happen to him when the Death Eaters find out his wife sold him out? He'll be dead."

"Surely she's prioritising the safety of her children." Esme suggested, "We don't really know anything about their personal relationships."

Regulus shrugged, "She could very well be lying to us just so we get Dumbledore to protect her. What did she even tell you?"

"He's... He's recruiting." Esme mumbled.

Regulus sighed, "We already knew that. That's what got us involved in this mess."

"No. Not just wizards anymore. He isn't just recruiting his friends." She shook her head and looked over at the boy, "He's recruiting giants and... Werewolves. The Dark Lord is building an army. Something about... Oh I can't have forgotten his name already... A-er, Oh! Greyback. There's someone called Greyback involved."

"An army?" Regulus felt the colour drain from his face, "That can't be good."

"There really might be a war." Esme's voice almost faltered as she spoke, because they both knew if there was an outright battle, they'd be trapped on the wrong side.

"Let's... Let's go home." He offered weakly, putting his wand away in his pocket.

"Sounds good. I need to write to Dumbledore." Esme took ahold of Regulus' hand again as they stood at the bottom of the stairs of the house.

She pressed a soft kiss to the back of his hand and, just like that, they snapped out of view.