Regulus stopped in the library before he carried on to Hypatia's room. There was no sign of the ritual left now. The tapestry itself has absorbed Hypatia's blood during the ritual.

He walked down the tapestry, seeing the death dates of his family. When he went into that cave there had been quite a few Black's, and now they were down to the dregs.

Bellatrix- insane and the Dark Lord's right hand.

Andromeda- blasted off the tapestry for having the audacity to fall in love. At least she was sane, and apparently had a daughter named Nymphadora.

Narcissa- married to a coward who had allowed the Dark Lord into their home yet again.

Sirius- still alive despite it all.

Hypatia- golden, beautiful, brave Hypatia.

He had a feeling she was going to be their saving grace. She was certainly the best thing he had seen come out of their family wreckage.

It was his duty to make sure the family thrived. He had his work cut out from him.

He paused in front of Narcissa's name, and stared at the name of her son. Draco. According to Severus he was in an impossible situation, unless Regulus did something quick.

"Kreacher."

The elf appeared, eager to serve. Regulus nodded to the pictures of Narcissa and Draco.

"Two of our family members are in danger. Severus assures me they are not loyal to the Dark Lord. Do you think there is any way you can get them out of Malfoy Manor?"

Kreacher's eyes grew wide as he thought.

"I not knowing Malfoy Manor well, but I knowing an elf who is. Dobby."

"Dobby?"

A young elf popped into the library of Grimmauld Place.

"You're not the great Lady Hypatia Potter! Wait a minute!" His eyes narrowed as he focused on the young man in front of him. He remembered him from long ago during the war. He could sense the soul bond between this stranger and Hypatia. "Did Hypatia take you for a husband?"

Regulus laughed, "Yes I suppose she did. I'm Lord Regulus Potter-Black now. Merlin, that feels odd to say."

Dobby smiled up at him, "What can Dobby do for you and the great lady?"

"Master needs Cissa and Draco rescued from Malfoy Manor," Kreacher piped up.

"Really?!" Dobby asked with wide eyes.

"Cissa and Draco only stay because they have no way out. The Dark Lord is going to mark the boy if he doesn't get out soon."

Dobby's eyes went wide, "Not Draco! His father is not much liking him. He called him weak for not beating me."

Regulus scowled, "Do you think you can save them? You might have to wait for the perfect moment, though I wouldn't wait longer than twenty four hours. I don't know what the Dark Lord will do when he hears that I've returned and bound myself to Hypatia."

Dobby's face hardened.

"I do's it. I save Miss Cissa and Mister Draco. I not let the Dark Lord mark my boy."

Regulus' face softened, "Thank you."

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

Hypatia placed the last gold pin in her long black hair. She had taken special care with her appearance today. She wanted to look perfect. Liberal amounts of Sleek Eazy's had been applied to her unwieldy black hair. It was braided and pinned back at the top in the popular style of Pureblood ladies.

Knock. Knock.

"Enter," Hypatia called as she picked up her Lady Potter ring and slid it onto her finger.

Regulus closed the door behind him, and made his way over to where she sat in front of her vanity. He eyed the ring. He desperately wanted her to already be wearing a Lady Black ring, but none of the existing ones would do.

Hypatia was special. She deserved a special ring.

"You look like you feel much better," Regulus noted.

Hypatia looked at her own reflection, and traced a hand over her face. "I do. My scar is gone. Did the soul bond have something to do with this?"

"I believe it did."

She smiled up at his reflection. The feeling of him just behind her was electrifying. She felt a wave of daring overtake her. She twirled on her stool and stood up so she was directly in front of him. She wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him tightly. Regulus smiled and dropped a kiss on her hair. She fit perfectly against him, her face resting against his collarbone.

Hypatia tilted her face up after a moment, and placed a gentle kiss on his jawline. Regulus sucked in a breath sharply. Just the touch of her lips sent his heart racing in his chest. His hands moved to grip her arms firmly.

"You're playing with fire, little witch."

"Am I not allowed to kiss my Lord husband?" Hypatia asked mischievously.

Regulus groaned, "Merlin you're going to be the death of me."

Hypatia sank back against him, and tightened her hold. Regulus wrapped his arms around her again.

"Never," she pleaded. "Swear you'll never leave me."

"I swear I'll never leave you."

He leaned back to give her a little space, though her hand almost immediately reached for his. She was incredibly petite. Her hand was nearly half the size of his, and he was not a large man. His muscles were well defined from Quidditch, though he could fairly be called lanky.

He looked down at her white dress. It was a beautiful cut, accentuating her small waist. The full skirts stopped just above her ankles, showing off a pair of very tall black high heels that had a bow on the clasp.

"How do you wear those things?" Regulus teased.

"Very carefully," Hypatia giggled. "I need the extra height! Even some of the second years are taller than me!"

Regulus conceded the point, "Well you look beautiful. I should warn you, I sent your friend Dobby on an errand for me.

"You what?" Hypatia asked in confusion as she stepped back from him. "Why was he even here?"

"It came to my attention that the Dark Lord planned to mark Draco. He and Cissa have been looking for a way out, and as the head of the House of Black, it's my duty to help them if I can."

Hypatia's face grew stony, "How do you even know any of that? What if it's a trap?"

"Severus came to inform me of some things I've missed. This is the job of a Pureblood Lord, Hypatia. I am an excellent Legilimens, though I am loath to use it against my own family. Still, I will, to be sure of their allegiance. I won't put you in danger."

"He's a prat," Hypatia accused. "He made my first few years of Hogwarts hell."

"There's a big difference between a prat and a Death Eater, Hypatia. Not that it's an excuse, but his home life couldn't have been good. Dobby informs me that Lord Malfoy called Draco weak for refusing to beat elves."

"Oh."

Hypatia had never really considered what it must be like to be Lord Lucius Malfoy's child. She always assumed Draco was spoiled rotten. She never imagined that his father would turn that anger back on his only son.

"I guess you did the right thing then."

Regulus nodded as he drew closer to her again, "I won't ever do anything that puts you in danger. Not if I can help it. You come first."

Hypatia smiled, and stepped back into Regulus' arms. He held her against him, cherishing the moment of silence in what was sure to be a whirlwind of a day.

"I've been advised that we should expect Dumbledore by noon. You should eat something before he comes, especially since you did a ritual last night."

"What about you? You've been semi-dead for over a decade."

"Okay maybe I should eat too."

A moment of silence passed before Regulus released her. Hypatia picked up her wand and stuck it in her arm holster. She wasn't sure she'd ever feel comfortable without it again.

Hypatia turned to look at Regulus. "I was wrong to ever trust Dumbledore, wasn't I?"

"You weren't a fool. You were a child like the rest of us. But we're adults now. This is our life, not his."

"I still have more than a year until I turn seventeen. He has a lot of power over me."

Regulus smiled wickedly, "Not anymore. I'm seventeen, and we're soul bonded. As archaic as it is, that gives me power over what happens to you. Not him."

Hypatia stared at him with wide eyes, "Truly?"

He nodded his head cautiously, not sure how she would react. To his surprise she smiled and ran back into his arms. He hugged her gently. He could feel how relaxed she was now, how the tension had melted out of her shoulders.

"This is not the reaction I was expecting," he admitted.

"Am I supposed to be outraged?"

"It had crossed my mind that you might be. Yes."

Hypatia stepped back and smoothed the shoulders of Regulus' robes as she thought. Perhaps she should clarify a few things.

"Will you abuse me and treat me like a house elf?"

"What? No, of course not. Also, I would never abuse a house elf. I feel like that's very important to make clear."

"Will you view me as nothing more than a means to an Heir?"

Regulus grasped her small waist firmly for emphasis, "Never."

"Will you try to make me happy?"

"As often as possible. I want to give you everything you could ever dream of. But we're in the middle of a war right now. Sometimes I may have to make hard decisions for our family. I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"

"Of course."

She knew that Pureblood men were used to having their orders followed. She usually resented it, but there was something about Regulus that made it easy to follow his lead. Maybe it was the soul bond. Maybe it was her long standing fascination with the lost boy.

Regulus smiled, "Good girl, because there's something we need to talk about."

Hypatia's mind had gone fuzzy at the sound of Regulus calling her a good girl, but she marshaled what little discipline she possessed to focus on what was going on.

"What is it?"

"I don't think you should return to Hogwarts."

"What?!" Hypatia shouted.

It was a knee jerk reaction. She didn't even like school. Regulus flicked a silencing charm at the door, undaunted by her volume.

"Why wouldn't I return to Hogwarts?!" Hypatia continued.

"Hogwarts is not safe for you. The children of the Death Eater's will be dragged into the conflict now. The Dark Lord could send them after you."

"You think they would do it right under Dumbledore's nose?"

"I was sixteen when they marked me, Hypatia. They want to mark Draco, and he won't be the only one. Where there's one Death Eater, there's always more."

"What about my education? I won't even be able to get a job without my NEWTS."

Regulus looked at her piercingly, "Do you want to work a job? As of today I think you might be the wealthiest witch in all of Britain. Our wealth combined is unmatched. There's no need for you to work if you don't want to."

Hypatia thought about what she actually wanted, but she had no clue. Her stomach dropped as she realized the reason. Regulus wasn't going to like it.

"I never thought I would survive this long," she admitted. "I kept my attention on surviving the next summer, or the next school year. It never occured to me that I might have someone to take care of me someday, that I might not have to fight my entire life."

Regulus kneeled in front of her and took her hands into his. His chest felt tight at what she had confided in him. There was a time when he had been so resigned to his own fate. He had gone to that cave without a care for whether he lived or died. But not this time, not with his soul tied to the beautiful witch in front of him.

"We are going to outlive the Dark Lord. We're going to win this war. I will support you no matter what you choose to do, as long as it is what you truly want."

"How do I even begin to figure out what I want?"

"Stay here this year. Remus can teach you. You can try all kinds of new things until you find something you're truly passionate about."

He left out that it would most likely be painful for them to be separated for long. He wanted her to make the decision on her own. Hypatia nodded, as resolve built in her. She wanted the future he promised, one where they got to decide what their lives would be.

"I'll stay here."

"Excellent."

Hypatia's stomach growled and she flushed a bright pink.

"Let's get some food."