Esme was not happy.

There were things that made her happy, like eating waffles and reading mystery books and complaining about their muggle neighbours.

She was always pleased to see her friends and, of course, what made her happiest was Regulus. Just being in his company was great.

But even that couldn't make Esme happy now.

Not when she was stood opposite Walburga and Orion Black.

"I've missed you so much." Walburga told her youngest son, "I wish you'd come home. Whatever trouble you think you're in, we can help you fix it."

"I'm not..." Regulus hesitated, knowing he was going to have to lie. He had done it lots before, but never with the mortality attached that this lie had. "I'm not in trouble." He stated finally.

Orion scoffed and rest a hand on his wife's shoulder as he stood beside where she sat in a chair, "You never were a good liar. That girl-" He pointed at Esme, "Has done exactly what we warned you she would. She's dragged you into trouble."

"No!" Regulus exclaimed, "It's-it's got nothing to do with Esme. Don't act like you're better than her."

Esme folded her arms and took a deep breath to try to remain calm as she stood slightly behind Regulus. The four of them had met up in the small, now derelict muggle park in the outskirts of London.

At this point, the evening had thoroughly settled in and the amber glow of sinking sun had washed across the sky.

"Regulus, just come home. For me." Walburga said quietly, trying to mask the hoarseness of her voice.

Truthfully, the woman did look very ill.

Esme made a mental note to apologise to Regulus for assuming his mother had been lying. He hadn't seen his mother in over a year and for Esme it had been nearly two years.

In that amount of time she had changed drastically. Her usual clothes hung loosely off her boney frame and her face was dark and gaunt with weariness.

He sighed, "Mother, I... I didn't agree to see you so I could come home. I just wanted to make sure you're okay. I'm not coming back."

Orion pursed his lips and checked his watch.

Walburga, on the other hand, was not done pleading as she replied, "I will be better if-if you come home. You've got to."

"M... Mother... Mum... I can't-it's not that, actually... I don't want to." Regulus ran a hand through his hair and threw a glance over his shoulder to the girl behind him.

She nodded a couple of times in support and briefly held her hand out against his back.

Then Orion spoke, "You've turned out just like him after all."

They all knew who he meant.

He would never utter his actual name, but they all knew without a doubt that Orion had been referencing his eldest son.

Walburga had slightly flinched just hearing the implication.

"Yes, well..." Regulus hesitated slightly, "I know what a disappointment that is to you both."

Orion hadn't finished though.

He slowly continued, "There's always one in every year. There was your cousin... That stupid girl. Then your brother... Then her."

He looked past Regulus to the girl behind him.

"I don't know-" Regulus was interrupted by his father.

"Anyone who gets close to them ends up dragged down into the mud. I wish I'd intervened earlier... Even before you went to Hogwarts I knew she was trouble."

At this point, Esme was biting down so hard on her tongue that she was drawing blood just trying to stay quiet.

She kept having to remind herself that she was there to support Regulus and not get involved, which would be a lot easier if she wasn't being dragged into the conversation so much.

"Father, I-"

"So you won't come home?" Orion was growing red in the face now as Walburga's expression changed into something Esme had never seen before. She looked nervous... Anxious.

"No." Regulus shook his head firmly.

Orion cleared his throat and checked his watch again, "I gave you your chance. The shame you've brought on us will never be undone. You know that. Carry that with you. This was your chance and you lost it. Now, this is what has to happen."

"What?" The question slipped past Esme's lips before her brain had even caught up with her mouth.

Walburga turned to look up at her husband, "What do you mean, dear?" She asked quietly.

"I mean I'm about to wash away your son's disloyalty." He clarified.

Regulus swallowed the lump in his throat and instinctively stretched one hand out behind him to grasp onto Esme. As they tightly gripped hands, they both slowly reached for their wands in their pockets and clutches them tightly in preparation for whatever was about to happen.

Clouds had begun swirling in the sky above them and a terribly cold wind was rushing through the trees around them.

Whatever was coming, it wasn't good.

Then a snap sounded.

"Oh no."

Then another snap sounded.

"E-Esme."

Then another.

Then another.

Followed by nearly a dozen more snaps.

And at last, Orion reached down to grab his wife's hand and, with one last twinkle in his dark eyes, he disapparated the two of them out of them way.

"My daughter..." Lucas Avery greeted with outstretched hands and a malicious grin and he stepped out in front of the hoard of Death Eaters, "How long it's been. Why ever wouldn't you come home to us?"

Every face they knew from their childhood was in front of them. Bellatrix Lestrange. Antonin Dolohov. Lucius Malfoy. Corban Yaxley. Alecto Carrow. Evan Rosier. Rabastan Lestrange. Walden Macnair.

Esme stepped up beside Regulus, "You're sick. You know what you've done. This can't come as a surprise to you." She spat venomously.

Then Ignatius emerged beside his father, "You should have known this wasn't a good idea. You should have known someone would have gotten you caught by now." He warned.

"Don't you dare threaten us." Regulus lifted his wand and pointed it at Ignatius.

Then another snap sounded.

And even more yet again.

Esme and Regulus looked at each other first... And then slowly turned to see who had appeared either side of them.

"I'm lost now." She whispered, "What's going on?"

Sirius Black, Frank Longbottom, and Gideon Prewett materialised beside Esme. Sirius winked at her, "We were called to help."

She frowned, "But it's not the time yet?"

"Someone called us early." He explained.

Lucas Avery took a slight step back, "I don't mean to interrupt your little reunion with the traitors, but we must have a discussion."

"About what?" Fabian Prewett asked as he stepped out on the other side of Regulus.

Avery cast a glance to the other Death Eaters around him and then, smirking the whole time, proposed the offer, "We only want those two." He pointed at Esme and Regulus, "Those who betrayed us are a liability. If you give us them, we'll let the rest of you go unharmed."

Esme and Regulus' grip on each other tightened.

It made sense really, to them. The Order didn't benefit from them being around - they didn't go on any missions for Dumbledore or recruit any members because, to the Ministry, they were suspected Death Eaters.

There was no need for anyone to die for them.

"Ok-" Esme was cut off by Sirius sharply elbowing her in the side and for once, she remained quiet.

"Not a chance, snakey." Sirius called out.

Lucas chuckled lightly and then raised his wand directly at his daughter.

Esme almost fell to the floor. She thought she was going to cry and shout and throw up all in one go.

The image seared into her brain - she wasn't even sure her eyes were working as all she could make out was the wand pointed directly at her face.

"I... I... Reg..." She mumbled weakly, her voice cracking.

Regulus slowly held out his hand, "Lucas, please, let's not do anything hasty. Just-just put your wand down."

"Ha!" Lucas scoffed, "You dare address me like that? That'll be your last mistake."

Ignatius too had grown incredibly pale, and he had pocketed his wand away again and was, ever so discretely, sliding backwards into the mass of Death Eaters.

"Father-" Esme croaked out.

But then the impossible happened.

Lucas Avery lifted his wand and opened his mouth.

He brought it down.

He uttered the curse.

But Esme didn't see the flash of green light. It had been blocked.

Blocked?

All Esme had seen was a blur of something passing in front of her.

It wasn't just a blur though. There was something more to it.

Because Esme had this feeling... This bad feeling.

An enormous pit had opened up in the pit of her stomach and Esme was filled with the dread. She couldn't bring herself to move her gaze, but her trembling knees wouldn't support her weight for much longer.

"I-I... I..." She didn't know what she was trying to say. Part of her just wanted to make sure that she could still talk.

Esme was still alive.

She could feel Regulus' hand in hers. She could feel her heart violently beating it her throat. She could feel the late winter breeze still blowing past her.

It almost brought tears to her eyes because she had not been ready to die.

Then Esme felt curses and hexes and countless other spells flying past her face. And then she was aware that the Death Eaters and the Order members had broken out into duels.

Regulus tugged lightly on her hand, and ever so slowly Esme finally came around to the present moment.

It was just setting in what her father had done.

Then.

Then it set in that something had stopped the killing curse from striking her down.

But it wasn't something, was it?

Esme looked down.

Her knees gave in and she crumbled to the floor.

Her heart had broken and her breath was trapped in her throat.

Because it wasn't something, it was someone.

And it wasn't just anyone.

Esme had never felt worse.