helloooo! please excuse the early update, things have been super overwhelming and busy this week. i may not be able to update next week either, so i apologise in advance! hopefully things will get back to normal soon ❤️

"I mean it when I say that you two," Evan announces, scowling. "Are the worst."

Regulus just grins, leaning back on the sand and looking perfectly unaffected by his friend's annoyance. A few feet ahead of them Finn stands knee-deep in lakewater, carefully keeping her face directed out at the horizon in an attempt to hide her mortified flush.

"Sorry, mate." Regulus says, though it lacks sincerity. "We'll remember the silencing charm next time. Promise."

"That was your fault." Finn hisses at him, mortified. "How am I supposed to remember it?"

"Good point." Evan nods energetically, as though he's won the argument now that Finn has agreed with him. "It's on you, Reg. I mean seriously, I did not need to hear all that-!"

Finn squeezes her eyes closed in a wince and tries hard to ignore them both. Part of her curses herself for caving to Regulus' suggestion that they go visit the kelpie; but after how good he had been to her only the night before she finds herself hard-pressed to refuse him anything. Even still, she is a little apprehensive despite the serenity of the small sheltered lakefront.

Her attention is better focused on the water anyway — the kelpie has surfaced about fifteen feet away from her, bulbous eyes aglow in the golden evening sun. As soon as Finn spots the familiar sleek form, she tosses the raw meat she's been holding in her hands.

The kelpie moves so quickly that Finn almost misses it — in a flurry of water and dark spindly limbs, the creature actually leaps out of the water to catch the hunk of raw meat mid-air.

Startled, Finn stumbles back with a choked off little yelp.

"Fuck!" She yells, whirling around to stare at the boys with wide eyes. "Did you fucking see that!"

Regulus has sat up, his own brows raised in surprise. The conversation with Evan has been abandoned, and he pushes himself up on his knees to get a better look at the kelpie tearing the raw meat apart. Its movements are surprisingly sharp and agile for a creature that only a month and a half ago had barely been able to float.

Finn laughs, delighted. Now that the kelpie is in shallower water, she can see that the sharpness of the hollows between its ribs have softened out. It doesn't look nearly as horribly thin as it had before — its muscles are no longer wasted, but now ripple with ill-disguised athleticism. It looks strong and healthy, and Finn feels a little thrill of self-satisfaction at the knowledge that she had helped the poor struggling creature.

"Did you see?" She asks again, turning towards the boys with an excited grin.

"Yes, I saw." Regulus has pushed himself to his feet and stepped closer to the waterline, presumably for a closer look. "Come here, Finn."

"Why?" She asks, unable to suppress the automatic defensiveness that surges up whenever she's told what to do.

Regulus smiles, but there's a hint of strain around the edges of it. "Because, love, I daresay that your tender care has resulted in that kelpie regaining a great deal of its previous strength. If it chooses to attack, I don't imagine that you would be able to outrun it."

Finn's smile falls rapidly at that. Suddenly, it doesn't feel like such a good idea to stand watching the kelpie eat in the shallows. She beats a hasty retreat, wading back to the sandy shore. She sort of hopes that it doesn't look as though she's running away, but a larger part of her really doesn't care. She's not willing to allow herself to get caught by another magical thing that wants to do her harm.

Once she reaches the edge of the water, the tension lining Regulus' shoulders softens a little and he steps back casually to lead the way back to where Evan is laying out on the blanket Finn had brought from home. The early September sun has little warmth in it, but Evan has his eyes closed and his face tilted towards the sunlight as though he's a wilting houseplant.

"Hey," Finn says insistently as she settles onto the blanket beside Regulus. When Evan doesn't open his eyes, she reaches out and pokes his shoulder. "Hey! Did you see the kelpie!"

Finally, Evan cracks open one of his eyelids. It's a lazy gesture, and he doesn't even open it all the way, but his gaze settles on her anyway.

"It wasn't that impressive." He mumbles. "I could probably jump higher than that."

"You absolutely could not," Finn snaps back, irritated. "It jumped right out of the water!"

Regulus lets out a little groan of complaint as he falls back against the blanket, his long legs stretched out across the sand. "No arguing. It was so peaceful before, let's get back to that."

"It wasn't peaceful." Evan disagrees immediately, his face scrunching up in distaste. "I was complaining about how my poor innocent ears were violated last night-"

"Oh my god, Evan, shut up!" Finn complains, tucking her knees up against her chest in mortification. He's been at this for most of the day, and she's beginning to lose her patience. There's only so much humiliation she can handle.

Regulus snickers, though he tries to hide it; presumably in an attempt to spare Finn some dignity. From his position laying down beside her, he reaches out to lay a hand on her thigh and begins to knead at the soft flesh there. It's an innocent touch, but Finn feels her cheeks heat at the familiarity of it all the same. It's so rare for her to be touched at all, and yet she's actually beginning to grow used to Regulus' hands on her — beginning to crave it, even.

Evan throws his hands up defensively, still scowling. "I'm only saying! I would have appreciated the show, but it felt like overhearing my bloody parents shagging-"

"Merlin, Ev, enough!" Regulus says, though his frustration is softened by a snigger. "Give it a rest."

"Oh, easy for you to say. I imagine you got a perfectly restful night of sleep last night-!"

Finn tunes them out, her attention fixed on the dark stretch of lakewater. The kelpie has long finished the raw meat Finn had thrown it, and is now slinking around the shallows. Its yellow gaze is piercing and intense as it watches them on the shore, and Finn finds herself marveling at the curious intelligence reflected in its eyes. It doesn't look as though it wishes her any harm; its large eyes remind her a little of a wide-eyed puppy, and she finds herself filled with a strong impulse to pet it despite Regulus' warnings that it would almost certainly drown her.

After a couple of minutes go by, a creeping sense of anxiety begins to creep in and she starts fiddling with her fingers. It's nice, being out of the house again, but Finn feels on edge. She hates herself for it; her whole life, her little home in the mountains has  been a safe haven, a sanctuary of fragrant flowers and wild forests and mountain views. She hates that one tiny incident with a crying boy and a wand has ruined her sense of security.

Perhaps she's gone tense, or shown some other sign of discomfort, because Regulus picks his head up to squint at her. After watching her face for a few seconds his hand on her thigh squeezes once, and then he pulls himself up into a seated position.

"Right," He says casually. "Time to go, I think."

"Yes," Finn agrees, admittedly relieved as she takes Regulus' hand and allows him to help her up.

When they get back to the house, Evan disappears into the living room to watch whatever soap of the day is currently on for the evening and Finn makes her way to the kitchen, stretching her arms overhead and yawning. The trip out of the house and down to the lake had made her feel a little better, just like Regulus had hoped for.

The September sunshine was soothing, and it allowed her to feel as though she was returning to her usual self and routine, even if only temporarily. She even feels invigorated from having seen the kelpie so strong and healthy looking, and knowing that she was the one who had helped it. It gives her a similar sort of satisfaction to see Regulus, with his cheeks fuller and in better colour than when he had first come to live with her.

No sooner has she stepped into the kitchen than she hears Regulus following after her, and she tosses a questioning look over her shoulder. When he catches it, he clears his throat and raises his eyebrows back at her.

"Aren't you coming to sit with us?"

Finn just laughs, a little weakly. "So I can hear more about how mortifyingly loud I was last night? No, thanks."

"You weren't that loud." Regulus murmurs, following after her step for step. "Don't mind Evan. He's just very dramatic."

Finn laughs again, stronger this time. "Ah, it must be a magic thing then. Are all magic people so dramatic?"

"It runs in our blood," Regulus says, his own mouth beginning to curve in a grin. "Can't be helped."

Finn is actually inclined to believe that, considering everything she's seen from Regulus and Evan so far. Maybe that's what it was to be a Pure-blooded witch or wizard — insufferable dramatics about bloody everything. Finn wishes she didn't find it all so endearing.

"Come on," Regulus says entreatingly, following after her as she steps towards the oven. "Shall we join Evan? I believe that programme is on — the good one, with the Americans. I'm most anxious to find out who shot J.R., and I cannot abide by cliff-hangers."

Finn just rolls her eyes as she begins opening the cupboard under the sink in search for cleaning supplies. She can't find a sponge, and she pushes aside a number of half-full bottles in irritation as she attempts her search.

"Oh, you go on. I need to clean the oven." She says, pulling out a bottle of cleaning solution and setting it on the counter.

Regulus purses his lips, visibly unimpressed. "You need to?"

"Yes, look at it! It's filthy."

He does as he's told, and levels an evaluating look at the stove. He hums thoughtfully, but it's not a look of disgust that creeps into his face; rather, he looks amused.

"I'm not sure anything in this house could be classed as filthy, Finn." He says, rubbing at his mouth to conceal a tiny smile. "I don't believe you would stand for it."

"Well," Finn sniffs, shooting him a sharp look out of the corner of her eyes. "I'm still just a Muggle. Can't risk the state of the house dropping below your precious Pure-blood standards-"

Before she can even finish her admittedly snarky comment, Regulus draws his wand and flicks it in the direction of the oven. There's a quick rush of air, and then all of a sudden the stove is outright sparkling.

Finn stares at it, mouth agape, before turning to stare at Regulus with wide eyes.

Regulus is standing and looking very pleased with himself as he surveys his magical handiwork, but when he turns to look at her his eyes go wider as he takes in her expression.

"Bloody hell." He says, starting to smile in earnest. "Is that all I had to do to get you to look at me like that?"

Colour rushes to her cheeks, and she pushes herself hurriedly to her feet. Now that the oven is clean (and cleaner, in fact, then she would ever have been able to manage to achieve by hand) there is little point in continuing her search for cleaning supplies. She straightens her clothes in an effort to avoid meeting Regulus' gaze.

"Like what?" She asks lightly, trying to pretend as though her face isn't burning.

"Like that."

They haven't discussed this thing between them, despite the fact that it has so clearly spun out of their control. They're both so deprived of the simplest touches that it's become so easy to lose themselves into the steady slide into intimacy, the headiness of their kisses and touches blinding them to anything else. And yet sometimes, sense rears its head and prevails. Regulus straightens, and his expression smooths out.

"Are you alright? After the lake trip, I mean."

"Yes," Finn seizes upon the change of subject gratefully. "Yes, it was.. I suppose I should say thank you."

His eyebrows rise again, betraying genuine surprise. "For?"

Finn shuffles on her feet and tries not to squirm in embarrassment. "I know I haven't been myself since... um, but you've been very nice to me."

The surprised expression on his face softens into one of understanding, and then into something else. He ends up looking away to the side, perhaps to hide whatever stirring of emotion has begun to cross his face.

"Well, I have a lot to make up for," He says quietly. "And it was my brother that caused you such distress, after all."

The stillness of the kitchen lends the moment a sort of unexpected intimacy. They're not standing terribly close to each other, and they're not even looking at each other, avoiding eye contact to the best of their ability, but the air is thick with a quiet understanding despite the amount that is going unsaid between them.

It's almost a relief when Evan calls out for the two of them from the living room; it rescues them from having to claw their way out of their own little world, and deposits them firmly back on solid ground.

Shaken back to himself, Regulus clears his throat and looks expectantly to her once more. "Will you join us?"

"Yeah." Finn says before she can think too hard about it. "Yeah, alright. I'm going to get into my pyjamas first, though. To get comfortable, you know."

He inclines his head, and gestures grandly to allow her to pass him into the hallway. She steps past him with a smile, and keeps smiling the whole way to her room.

Her muscles still twinge with every little move she makes, a pleasant achey reminder of the night before. Every time she almost manages to convince herself that it had just been a very lovely dream, she feels the gentle bite of her hamstrings aching and realises that it wasn't just a desperate delusion conjured by her sleeping mind.

It's only once she's pulled off her clothes and stands in front of her mirror in nothing but her underwear that she spots another little piece of evidence from her encounter with Regulus — several dark purple bruises bloom their way over her shoulder and up her throat. She hadn't seen them that morning; Regulus had already been in the kitchen when she had woken up, and she had gotten dressed without looking at herself before joining him and Evan for breakfast.

Finn brushes the pad of her index finger over a bruise at the base of her throat and feels it tingle. There's certainly no way of mistaking them for anything other than indisputable proof that last night had happened, despite how insane it feels. Her face heats at the thought that they might have been visible all day.

She's still touching her neck absently even as she grabs at her nightdress, the silk cool against her fingers. In her distraction, she doesn't notice the bedroom door opening.

It's only when she sees movement in the mirror that she realises Regulus has slipped in behind her.

"Wow, couldn't even stay away for five minutes?" She rolls her eyes without turning around, although she finds herself uncomfortably aware of all her exposed skin.

"Ah," He murmurs, stepping his way over to her and stopping just behind her back. In the reflection of the mirror, Finn watches the way his eyes rove over her. "You said you were going to change. I couldn't bear missing the show."

His fingers coast over the curve of her naked waist, and Finn bites her lip hard to keep from smiling. "Is this you trying to flirt with me?"

"Hardly the first time," He says lightly, his fingers coming up to brush lightly over one of the bruises on her shoulder. "But I'm glad you finally noticed."

That gives her pause. It's true that they've gotten a lot more comfortable with each other, and Regulus had kept up the sweet little pet names even outside of Evan's company, but Finn truly hadn't let herself think about it too much. She's all too familiar with what happens when she gets her hopes up prematurely, and she's not looking to repeat her past mistakes. She tries to catch his eye in the mirror, but he steadfastly avoids eye contact. It seems like a calculated attempt to hide his expression; perhaps he doesn't want to see her reaction.

Flustered and hyper-aware that she's in nothing but her underwear, Finn steps out of Regulus' hold and clutches her nightdress to her chest in a weak attempt at modesty. Regulus straightens, his lips tilting up in a smile as he eyes her up.

"Why so shy?" He murmurs, reaching out to pluck the pile of silk from her hands.

Finn lets it go easily, though she still shifts self-consciously on her feet once she's left exposed in front of him. He's seen her in her underwear plenty of times at the lake, but the connotations this time around are completely different. This time, he's looking at her as though he wants to take it all off again.

"It's not matching." Finn blurts without thinking.

Regulus is carefully eyeing the barely visible bruises on her hips, clearly noticing the way that his own fingers match the shapes, but he looks up to her face at that.

"Pardon?" He says, blinking.

"My..." Finn trails off, mentally cursing herself. Honestly, why was she even bringing this up? "My underwear doesn't match."

It's silly to fixate on something so minor, she knows that. But she thinks that if her underwear was at least matching, she might feel a little more confident. Her bra is just plain white cotton with purple polka dots, and her knickers are pastel blue with little white flowers. They're perfectly fine, but they certainly don't scream sexy.

Regulus is still staring at her uncomprehendingly. "Match what?"

"Each other, stupid!"

"What are you talking about?" Regulus sounds absolutely bemused, his eyes darting from her bra to her knickers as though he's looking for clues.

Finn just gestures at herself impatiently. "The patterns!"

"I... see." Regulus says, in a tone that suggests he has absolutely no idea what she's talking about. "Well, it... I think it looks just fine."

He even gives the elastic edge of her knickers a soft tug, as if to punctuate his words. Finn snorts and takes a tiny little step closer to him before placing her hands tentatively on his shoulders. Part of her still expects him to shrug her off but he just watches her calmly; a hint of anticipation glinting in his eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Oh yes," Regulus nods, bending his head and pressing a light kiss to her mouth. "More than fine. It looks... looks good."

Finn grins, which ruins the kiss a little, but Regulus doesn't seem to care; he just kisses the corner of her mouth instead.

"Even if you think Muggle underwear is weird?" She asks, her words a little muffled against his lips.

"Even then."

She snorts, but before she gets the chance to retort Regulus pulls away from her. A little disappointed, Finn watches him go — she's expecting him to make another comment about Evan waiting for them, but his face is turned towards the window as he frowns.

"Your uncle just crossed the wards." He says suddenly, his head tilted as though he's listening for something.

The news clearly comes as a surprise to both of them; it's only been two days since Al had been here last, and it was unusual for him to return so soon. A nervous pit begins to form in her belly at the thought of him arriving with bad news, and she crosses her arms uncertainly over her chest.

"Do you think something bad has happened?" She whispers a little anxiously.

"I'll go and check," Regulus says quietly, stepping towards the door.

"Wait!" Finn says, "My nightgown, Regulus."

"What? Oh." Colour flares in the highpoints of his cheeks, and he hurriedly holds out the nightdress, still clutched in his hands, for her to take. "My apologies."

As soon as Finn takes it from him, he bobs his head in a funny half-bow and hurries towards the door. Left alone once more, Finn takes a deep breath. Though she now has her nightdress back, she doesn't pull it on — instead, she reaches for the same knee-length skirt and lumpy jumper she had been wearing earlier and redresses, before following Regulus' path out of the room.

It hadn't taken her long to get dressed, but when she returns to the living room she finds that her uncle has already arrived and is already discussing something with Regulus in low tones. Even Evan is listening closely, having turned the television off to give the matter his full attention.

"Shall we leave now, then?" Regulus is asking, brow creased in a thoughtful frown.

"Yes," Al says, "Hurry up. No sense in being late."

Startled, Finn crosses her arms as she watches them. "Late to what?"

Her uncle looks up, though he doesn't look surprised to see her standing there — his bloody magical eye had probably seen her coming. He looks absolutely exhausted, with dark bruise-like circles in the hollows beneath his eyes and his skin uncharacteristically sallow. His broad shoulders sag a little, as though he's carrying around an enormous weight on them.

"Order meeting, Finn." Al says, forcing a grim smile for her.

"Tonight? Right now?" She asks, her eyes flickering towards Regulus. He's mostly impassive, though Finn can see the way his fingers drum restlessly against his legs. "It's so late-"

"We've been alternating meeting places and times for the past while now, to avoid becoming predictable." Al says, scrubbing at his face with hands. He looks wrung out, all grey and stressed, but then his head snaps up and his face crumples a little. "Jesus, I didn't even ask how you are. Sorry, Finn, I'm not myself-"

"That's alright," Finn says quickly. "I'm fine, really. Regulus and Evan have been very kind to me."

A little smile breaks out on Regulus' face, tiny and pleased. On the couch Evan straightens up too, clearly surprised at Finn's assertion; but then his expression brightens, and he looks to her uncle with a ridiculously smug sort of look on his face.

Al's expression, on the other hand, is politely disbelieving. "Is that right? Well... good."

When her uncle begins shifting on his feet, Finn is reminded of the sense of urgency that he had arrived with. A quick glance at Regulus shows that he is equally anxious to leave; he turns to Al and clears his throat.

"Allow me to change into appropriate clothes." He says. He doesn't wait for a response before retreating back down the hallway towards Finn's room.

A beat of silence passes, and then Finn looks to her uncle. He looks dead on his feet, but Finn knows better than to offer him tea — he's too stressed and in too much of a hurry, and she knows that it will only distress him to have to refuse her.

Finn looks to Evan, and raises her eyebrow. "Are you going, too?"

"Oh no," Evan looks amused at the thought. "I'm not invited."

Finn nods, a little uncertainly. It seems like her uncle has been careful with keeping the identities and location of both Regulus and Evan as defectors a secret from the rest of the Order. Though Regulus has been eager to get involved and prove his worth, Evan has been taking a much more relaxed approach — it seems as though most of his involvement in the war has been incidental.

"I'll go get my shoes." She says at last into the silence. It's somewhat of an impulsive decision, but she decides to commit to it fully — she may dislike the thought of being surrounded by so many people she doesn't know, but she dislikes the thought of Regulus going without her even more.

That grabs her uncle's attention, and for the first time he looks entirely alert.

"Finn, love, I don't think that it is the best idea for you to-"

"I'm not going to argue over this," Finn interrupts, her tone deceptively light even as she squares her shoulders combatively. "I'm going to get my shoes, and then we'll be ready to go."

For a moment it seems like her uncle is going to continue to refuse. His shoulders square, mirroring her, and his expression sets into firm disapproval. But he must be even more worn down than she thought, because after only a moment his face wobbles and he closes his eyes in quiet defeat.

Satisfied, Finn just nods and steps out into the hall in search of her boots.

Finn is still reeling a little by the time they step up to the Order safehouse. Side-Along Apparition doesn't seem to get any easier with experience, and she totters along at Regulus' side as she tries to suppress her nausea.

The safehouse is a simple little cottage on the outskirts of a small Muggle town; electric lights glow in the distance, painting the dark landscape with luminous little dots. The cottage itself is unassuming, with simple stone walls and a low sloping roof. The windows are aglow, the house lit from the inside, though it's impossible to see anything through the glass. It's impossibly quiet — Finn can only guess that there is some kind of magic protecting it all.

As Al steps forward to rap at the door, Finn glances up at Regulus.

He stands straight-backed, his jaw clenched, and he continues staring straight ahead. He had changed into his wizard robes before they had left the house, and he cuts an impressive figure in his dark attire. Finn is a little unnerved by it, as she had become so used to seeing him dressed in casual Muggle clothes, but she has to admit that he looks good like this; elegant and powerful.

"Are you still annoyed with me?" She whispers, nudging at him with her elbow.

He's been painfully quiet since they'd arrived at the Apparition point, hardly even looking her way. It bothers her more than she'd like to admit; she finds that she's grown accustomed to having his attention on her.

Regulus' gaze flickers towards her uncle; when he's satisfied that he is distracted, he turns his face towards her properly.

"You should not have come," He whispers. There's a tiny crease to his brow, a sign of concern. "The last meeting was different, it was only us and a proxy from the Order. This time there shall be many-"

"Is this not the whole reason we started this?" Finn whispers back, confused. "You wanted people to see that you've changed, right? That's why you suggested this whole pretence in the first place-"

"Yes, I know!" He hisses, frustrated. He drags a hand through his hair, upsetting his perfect curls. "But I didn't think that- I mean, my brother is going to be here."

Finn swallows, then forces a casual shrug. The prospect of seeing Sirius Black again does not bring her any great degree of pleasure, but she hates the idea of being cowed by him forever. And she certainly doesn't want Regulus to think that she's weak, so she shakes her hair back and tilts her chin up at him.

"Yes, but I'll be beside you the whole time." She whispers. "So it'll be fine, won't it?"

Regulus swallows, still staring at her carefully. After a brief pause, he nods his head. "Yes. Of course."

Distracted as they are, they almost miss the moment that the door to the house opens. It's not until golden light spills across the lawn that they realise someone has answered Al's knocks. The man standing in the doorway is very handsome, with dark skin and deep set features. His expression is wary, and he eyes each one of them up carefully before his gaze settles on Al.

"Moody." He says, his voice a low rumble.

"Kingsley." Her uncle greets, before stepping forward to engage in a conversation muttered so low that Finn can't hear.

After a moment, Kingsley nods and steps back to allow them to pass. Both Finn and Regulus follow after Al into the house. Finn's first impression of the place is that it's bigger on the inside than the outside — they enter into a small hall, and follow Kingsley directly into a perfect cosy kitchen. It's not huge, but it's certainly much larger than it had looked from outside. In the kitchen, several people are gathered around and talking in low tones.

As Al stomps into the room, the hushed conversations come to a pause and all eyes swivel towards him. As a natural consequence, their attention is also drawn to Regulus, still standing behind him.

Even Finn feels the weight of their regard, and their attention isn't even on her. She recoils a little, edging closer to Regulus and fidgeting.

"Fenwick," Her uncle calls; he's either ignorant of the tension or willfully ignoring it. "Any news?"

A young man in the corner winces and shakes his head. "Sorry, sir, but no. The Minister is refusing to even consider the possibility that the Ministry may have been infiltrated. It's difficult to know if they've gotten to him yet."

Finn tunes out the conversation, peering instead up at Regulus. He's standing with his stance wide and his shoulders set, as if he's bracing for an attack. Though his expression is neutral, his eyes are darting around vigilantly. Finn feels a little pang of sympathy for him, and nudges him softly in solidarity. He's rigid beneath her touch, but he softens just slightly as he darts a look down at her out of the corner of his eyes.

The surprise in the faces of those gathered in the kitchen is impossible to miss — it's clear that they recognise him, but they mustn't have been told that he was their Death Eater defector. As her uncle steps further into the room, he draws their attention away and begins leading them into another room just beyond the kitchen; from here, Finn gets a glimpse of what looks like a plush sitting room. There's even more people gathered in there, and she hears Al greet them all in his usual forbidding growl.

Regulus doesn't immediately follow after him, though. He stays in place in the kitchen, taking the time to collect himself. Taking advantage of their brief moment of privacy, Finn turns to face Regulus properly. His shoulders are still set and tense, but his attention shifts to her almost immediately.

"Are you..." She begins, darting a look towards the sitting room door. "Are you worried about your reputation? About me ruining it?"

"What? No," He says quickly, frowning. "There's not much left of it anyway, considering I am presumed dead by most of wizarding society." He pauses then, and his eyes are cautious and hesitant as he holds her gaze. " And what's left of my reputation is yours to ruin."

Finn snorts, but she can't help the colour that floods her cheeks. She barely even knows how to react him anymore; there are still a few stragglers hanging by the living room door, but he hasn't said it loud enough for them to hear. If it's part of the pretence, it's very convincing.

She's so caught up in being flustered that she hardly notices when Regulus stiffens beside her, his eyes narrowing. It's only when he takes a step even closer to her that she looks up at him, and in doing so catches sight of a familiar figure stepping towards them.

Sirius is already wincing as he steps into the kitchen, his hands held level with his shoulders as though he's anticipating a negative reaction already. Just like every other time, Finn is struck by the strong physical similarities between the two brothers. This time though, she sees the differences, too; Sirius is clearly styling himself after a Muggle rebel, with his tight trousers and shaggy hair and leather jacket. It's a contrast to the sharp, clean lines of Regulus in his dark wizard robes, even if they share the same arrogant good looks.

"Regulus," He greets, his tone forced casual. Though his shoulders are loose and his hands are raised in supplication, there's a subtle animal grace to his posture that suggests danger.

Regulus stares back at him, impassive yet cold. The two of them are stoic and collected, but Finn can feel the solid line of tension running through Regulus' body.

"Sirius." He replies at last. His jaw clenches defensively as his arm winds around Finn's back, as if trying to gather a bit of reassurance from the physical contact. "Where's your bloody shadow?"

Sirius smiles, but it's a bitter and strained thing. "James is inside the meeting room with Lily."

Finn can feel Regulus straining to snap back, and her stomach sinks at the prospect of an argument breaking out. They're already in unfamiliar territory, and the idea of being surrounded by magic people already has Finn feeling on edge — further conflict might actually make her sick.

She lays a hand on his wrist and frowns up at him before whispering sharply, "Don't."

Regulus' jaw clenches, but he subsides all the same. He's still glaring at Sirius resentfully, though when he speaks again he's not nearly as confrontational as he had been before.

"Well, move aside and let us into the meeting then."

For the first time, Sirius' gaze flickers down to Finn. He's unmistakably surprised to see her, though he hides it well with a smile.

"Finn," He greets, tilting his head entreatingly at her. "I wanted to apolog-"

"Don't speak to her." Regulus interrupts, his voice sharp and annoyed. "You have no right."

Clearly irritated, Sirius scowls at his brother. "What were you even thinking, bringing her to this?"

Regulus raises his chin obstinately, but his hand clenches in the soft fabric of Finn's jumper at her hip. "Oh, so now you're concerned for her, is that it? Where was this sense of consideration when you were pointing a wand at her throat?"

Finn glances up at him in surprise. They hadn't really discussed the incident all that much; when Finn had retreated to her room to hide in her bed in the aftermath, Regulus had put most of his energy in coaxing her back out again. And once she had finally begun to feel more herself, she had been distracted by the new sense of intimacy blooming between them after they had slept together. She hadn't realised how angry Regulus was about what had happened with his brother; it seems like he's just been bottling up all that animosity and saving it for his next encounter with Sirius.

The expression flickering on Sirius' face is plainly guilty, though he still clenches his jaw stubbornly. Despite the dangerous edge to Regulus' voice, Sirius addresses Finn once again.

"I genuinely am sorry about all that," Sirius says earnestly, tilting his head to meet her eyes. "It was reckless and stupid and we really didn't expect you to be so scared. Sometimes Muggles don't even know what wands are, you know. We thought you might be a little ticked off at us after, but we really didn't realise how badly it would scare you. We were just trying to draw Reg out."

Regulus' hold on her tightens, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he looks to Finn and waits for her reaction. Sirius really does seem genuinely sorry, and his big grey eyes are so very similar to Regulus'. Finn watches him thoughtfully, before sighing.

"Okay," She says, leaning carefully into Regulus' side. "Fine. Let's just forget about it."

Sirius' face brightens, his shoulders loosening somewhat in relief. If she's honest with herself Finn doesn't know if it will be as simple as that, but she doesn't want to be the one standing in the way of the brothers moving on; after all, they have enough problems as it is.

"Great," Sirius says, his relieved smile growing. "Moody really let fly at us after the whole thing, you know. I don't even know what jinx he used on us, but it left us with these crazy boils in unmentionable places that make it incredibly uncomfortable to sit down-" He breaks off then, his expression turning thoughtful. "Sorry. That's probably too much information."

"A little." Finn says dryly.

Though Sirius seems pleased with Finn's forgiveness, Regulus is still narrow-eyed and clearly resentful. When he speaks, his voice is cold. "You're lucky that Finn is so forgiving."

Sirius scoffs. "Clearly. She must be a saint if she's been putting up with you."

"Jesus Christ," Finn mutters under her breath, irritated, before raising her voice. "Will the two of you shut the fuck up?"

Unfortunately, speaking up means that she draws Sirius' attention onto herself yet again. A strange glint enters his eye, sly and impish. Finn recognises it as a sign of danger — Evan often gets the same look whenever he's about to say something stupid.

"You know, Finn, I'm hurt." Sirius says, pouting like a child. It's an innocuously innocent expression, marred by the cheeky smile beginning to curve the corner of his mouth. "You kicked me out of your bed only to invite my brother into it?"

Beside her, Regulus makes a very odd sound in the back of his throat. Finn doesn't look up at him, electing instead to scowl at Sirius. "Oh, you're such a fucking pervert."

His smile just grows, turning wolfish as his eyes slide sideways to look at his brother. Whatever he sees on Regulus' face has his grin widening impossibly further, and he finally begins to step backwards towards the door leading to the meeting room.

"We'd better join the meeting. It'll be starting soon." He says lightly, still grinning as he leads the way into the adjoining room.

Sighing, Finn begins to follow after him. Regulus is slower to move; he looks as though he's been smacked right between the eyes. Once Finn gets a couple steps ahead, she looks back over her shoulder and raises an eyebrow at him as she waits for him to move after her.

It seems like her look is enough to get him moving, because he jerks forward in order to catch up with her. Finn can hear the low murmuring of conversation in the meeting room beyond the kitchen that Sirius has disappeared into, and her stomach clenches hard in renewed anxiety. She has no idea what to expect from this meeting, and the sense of the unknown is making this whole experience so much worse.

But Regulus catches her by the arm before she can cross over the threshold of the room.

"What the fuck was that?" He whispers, his eyes wide and horrified. "You told me nothing happened."

"What?" Finn whispers back, her forehead creasing in a frown.

"With my brother." He hisses, eyes darting towards the door to make sure no one is listening. "When did that happen?"

"Oh my god," Finn narrows her eyes, beginning to get irritated. "You can't actually believe I fucked your brother. He's just being an arsehole."

"Sirius doesn't lie about things like that," Regulus clearly isn't willing to let it go, stepping closer and ducking his head down towards her. "Did he- I mean, was this after the hospital?"

"No," Finn answers on reflex, before wincing a little. "I mean, it never happened at all! Jesus Christ, do think that poorly of me?"

"No," Regulus hisses, "But I certainly do think that poorly of my bloody brother-!"

It seems like their argument isn't going to end any time soon, and Finn is beginning to grow genuinely irritated. How could he really think that she had been with Sirius, the same boy who had terrorised her in her own home twice, and his own brother! But it's not the right time or place to explain, especially as her uncle shouts at them from inside the room.

"BOY!" Al hollers. "Get in here!"

Finn clenches her jaw. They don't have time to discuss this properly, but she's still oddly hurt that he doesn't believe her. Surely it was obvious that Sirius was only being a dick and making a stupid off-colour joke, and she can't understand why he's taken him at his word.

"Get inside." She says, her tone gone cool and annoyed. She gestures at the door to emphasise her point, before folding her arms across her chest.

For a moment Regulus hesitates. His eyes dart over her face, clearly realising that he's upset her.

"Finn-"

"We'll talk about it later," Finn interrupts. "Get in there."

He still looks unhappy with leaving it at that, but there's nothing he can do. The Order meeting is clearly about to get underway, and Regulus has waited such a long time to be accepted into their midst. It would be very stupid for him to stand outside the room continuing such a ridiculous argument, but it seems for a moment as though he's going to do it anyway.

Luckily, the forbidding expression on Finn's face seems to convince him otherwise, because he makes an unhappy face before loping through the door. Finn takes a breath in an effort to calm and brace herself, before following him into the room.

The long table in the centre of the room is already almost full, the witches and wizards lining the table murmuring in low tones with each other. Finn's eyes dart all around the room rapidly, trying to take them all in. They're all wearing wizarding robes except for Sirius, though many of them are wearing them casually open with Muggle clothes underneath. Several of them are wearing pointy witches hats as well. For the first time, it hits her that she's actually in a room full of magic people, and her steps slow as anxiety begins to rise in her throat. God, she really hadn't thought this through. 

"Finally," Her uncle grumbles from the top of the table. "Sit down, boy."

Regulus is pale, though his back is perfectly straight and he's managed to retain that haughty air that comes so naturally to him. He walks proudly over to a free seat, though he pauses when he realises that Finn hasn't followed him to the table.

She's too busy staring around at all the curious faces peering at them; though they're mostly focused on Regulus, the few eyes that are on her have her feeling overwhelmed and anxious. She doesn't know how Regulus can handle it, and she struggles not to shrink back entirely. She's not used to being around crowds of people, and she's certainly not used to people staring at her like this.

Regulus clears his throat, before stepping back and taking her by the hand. It feels a little like he's throwing her a lifeline, and Finn grabs at his hand tight and allows him to lead her further into the room. If she hides just slightly behind his back, then he doesn't make any comment. He just pulls out one of the empty chairs at the table to allow her to sit, before taking a seat himself.

Before Finn has even fully sank into the chair, a man speaks up from the bottom of the table. "This is the Muggle, then? Madame Bones said the boy was involved with her."

Finn winces, then shuffles closer to Regulus as her face burns from humiliation. God, this is just awful. The Order members present around the table are clearly both surprised and fascinated by Regulus Black's presence and what it means for them, and Finn's presence seems like just an additional oddity. She squeezes Regulus' hand tight, their silly little argument forgotten for now as she searches for reassurance.

From the bottom of the table near her uncle, the familiar stern face of Madame Bones becomes visible as she leans forward in her seat. Her hair is gunmetal grey and cropped in a sever bob around her chin, making her look very intimidating indeed.

"Hello, girl." Madame Bones says in a booming voice. "Is he treating you well, then?"

Finn shrinks a little further, mortified by the attention. "Oh, um- yes."

"This is hardly appropriate." An older man pipes up; he's positively ancient, peering at the two of them from beneath enormous scraggly eyebrows. "Surely having her bear witness to the goings-on of the Order only puts her at more risk?"

Someone else pipes up with, "How do we know she hasn't been Imperiused?"

"He hasn't had access to a wand," Sirius says sharply, his eyes narrowing. "He hasn't cursed anybody."

The older man appears unconvinced. "You're his brother. You're not exactly impartial. And I struggle to envision what exactly the heir to the noble and most ancient house of Black would want with a Muggle in the first place."

The sarcastic derision in his voice is brutally obvious, and another older man sitting to his side nods sagely in agreement. To Finn's relief, not everybody seems to be on the page as them — others sitting at the table just look uncertain, and several people glance at Sirius as though waiting for a reaction. Still though, his tone of voice is enough to have her shrinking back a little, clutching Regulus' hand like a lifeline.

An older lady with cat-eye rimless spectacles and her hair scraped back in a severe bun leans forward from where she's sitting near the very top of the table, her eyes narrowed in scrutiny. She looks like a very strict librarian, and Finn finds herself straightening her back unconsciously under her gaze.

"From my memories of young Mr. Black's time at Hogwarts," The woman says, her voice sharp and precise, "Darker spells were not amongst the areas that he excelled in." She levels a stern look over her glasses at Regulus. "Despite his later unfortunate choices, of course."

Regulus' face twitches, as though he's not entirely certain whether to laugh or not. "Thank you for that, Professor," He murmurs. "Although I resent the insinuation that I was anything but brilliant in my schoolwork."

The stern woman's mouth twitches, as though she too is suppressing a smile. The older man with the wrinkled sour face doesn't seem placated, however, and seems ready to continue arguing until Al speaks up.

"Enough." Her uncle's voice is deep and menacing. His regular eye is twitching a little, and his expression is set in an expression of deep frustration. "She is an adult capable of making her own decisions, and she is not under any magical influence."

Finn is surprised to see everyone in the room straighten, as if coming to attention under Al's gruff, angry tone. It seems as though it's his Auror persona coming out — even Sirius sits up a little straighter, watching her uncle with a look of respect that seems out of place on his face.

With a sigh, her uncle turns to look at her again. As his eyes dart over her face and her tense shoulders, Finn knows that he's seeing every bit of discomfort she's trying to hide. His mouth purses a little as he seems to come to some sort of decision.

"Finn," He says decisively. "Could you wait out in the kitchen?"

Honestly, it's a relief. The overbearing atmosphere of the dark little meeting room is getting a bit much for her, and she feels utterly cowed by all the curious and assessing stares that are currently being leveled at her. She doesn't even feel disappointed at the thought of missing whatever they're going to be talking about — she trusts that Regulus will fill her in on all the important bits later.

She tries not to look too relieved as she pushes her chair back, but she's sure she probably fails. As she starts to stand, however, she realises that Regulus has yet to let go of her hand. He's still staring at her uncle with a set jaw, his chin tipped up challengingly.

"Why can't she stay?" He demands.

"It's fine," Finn whispers to him hastily, nudging his shoulder hard with her elbow. "I think I'd feel better waiting outside, anyway."

For a moment, Regulus just sticks his chin out mulishly as he scowls in her uncle's direction. His hand squeezes tighter around hers as though he's not actually going to let her go, and Finn realises that perhaps he's more anxious about being alone in the meeting than she had realised. Her heart squeezes, and her eyes dart to Sirius of their own accord; he's already watching his brother with an odd sort of expression on his face.

"You can't just make her sit alone out in the kitchen." Regulus continues, his voice cold and hard. "I thought you people were meant to be above ideas of blood purity."

"Honestly, it's fine-!" Finn hisses at him, mortified at all the attention they're getting. The witches and wizards sitting around the table are watching them all with open interest as if they're acting out a very elaborate soap opera. "You're making a bleedin' scene!"

Al is getting visibly aggravated, glaring back at Regulus as though he's trying to set him on fire through the force of his stare alone. But despite his worsening mood, he actually seems to agree with Regulus about Finn being forced to sit alone out there. He turns to survey the room, as though looking for a volunteer to accompany her.

Near the bottom of the table, there's movement. Finn cranes her head around, and is surprised to find a face that she actually recognises. Remus Lupin has begun to push himself to his feet, his light brown hair rumpled and messy.

"I'll sit with her," He offers, before looking to her and giving her a small wave.

Finn waves back on reflex, her shoulders relaxing a little at the friendly gesture. At her side, Regulus' back stiffens a little, and he leans around her to get a proper look at Remus before he looks up to her with a confused frown. No doubt he's wondering how on earth they know each other, but Finn is still annoyed enough at him about his assumptions about her and Sirius that she just ignores his questioning stare burning into the side of her face.

"No," Al barks, "We need to hear your report on your time with the pack in Slovenia."

Though Finn has no idea what he's talking about, Remus' face tightens as he sits back in his chair. To Finn's enormous relief, she's not left waiting long for someone else to volunteer to go with her.

"I'll join her," A pretty girl stands up further along the table, sitting just opposite Sirius. Her hair is a beautiful shade of red and is tied back in one long silky rope down the length of her back. She levels a quick look around the room, before looking to Finn and shooting her a quick, friendly smile.

The girl looks to Al again, and her voice turns a little cool. "I'm not sure I feel comfortable here anyway, given the state of our apparent security."

An almost imperceptible wince crosses Al's face, but he inclines his head her direction anyway. Several of the seated Order members exchange uncomfortable looks, clearly communicating silently with each other. Finn, on the other hand, is preoccupied with her own realisation of who this girl has been sitting with. James, the same boy that had come with Sirius to her home, is sitting at her side and peering at Finn with an unmistakably guilty expression. When he realises that she's looking his way he sends her a bizarrely hopeful smile; it falls very quickly into dismay when Finn looks away from him.

But her attention is inevitably drawn back to the two of them when Lily turns to take something out of James' arms — at first glance, Finn thinks it's just a heap of blankets. But when she looks again, to her utter bewilderment she sees it's a baby. It's with a sinking sensation in her stomach that she remembers what James had said about dark wizards trying to target his family. This red haired girl must be his wife.

Finn is still staring stupidly at the two of them when she feels a soft tug on her hand, and she looks down to find Regulus staring up at her from his chair. Obligingly, she ducks down to allow him to speak into her ear so that no one can overhear.

"You don't have to sit out there if you don't want to," He murmurs, though he's still frowning. "If we insist, I'm quite sure that your uncle will allow you to sit in on the meeting. He must know that I'm going to tell you everything important, anyway."

Finn gets a funny feeling in her stomach at that and shifts on her feet. She hadn't expected such a gesture of solidarity from him, and she doesn't quite know how to react to him. All she can do is nod with a weak little smile.

"It's fine," She says yet again in a whisper. "I'm happy to sit out there. I'm a little uncomfortable in here, anyway."

Regulus just nods, and as she straightens up he leans forward and speaks in a slightly more urgent tone, "The most important thing for you to know about the wizarding world is that Slytherin is the best house. Remember that if Sirius or any of his friends talks about Gryffindor."

"Oh, shut up." Finn mutters back, rolling her eyes at him before allowing her expression to turn earnest. "Are you going to be okay?"

It's a genuine question, but Regulus' lips quirk up as though she's being funny. "I'm quite sure I'll manage, Finn." And then he adds in a whisper, "But thank you."

She nods, watching his face carefully. He's still pale, but his eyes are determined and he gives her a small smile to set her own nerves at ease.

"Just- Don't antagonise them." Finn whispers, still fidgeting. "Try and be likeable — if you can."

He makes a face at her. "What is that supposed to mean? I am likeable."

Finn hesitates. "Um. Yeah. Okay then, I'll see you in a bit."

"What? Wait, hang on," Regulus sits up and grabs her wrist before she can step away, before tugging her back and dropping his voice low. "Are you saying you don't think I'm charming?"

"Finn," Al barks, startling Finn so badly that she jumps. His eyes are narrowed in their direction, clearly unhappy with the fact that her and Regulus are still holding up the meeting. "The boy will survive for an hour without you."

Finn reddens, mortified as several of the room's occupants chuckle quietly amongst each other. Her embarrassment worsens even further when Regulus says loudly and obnoxiously, "What if I can't?"

"Shut up!" Finn hisses at him, slapping at his shoulder. Still flushing, she sends an apologetic look her uncle's direction before ducking away towards the door.

The red-haired girl is standing waiting for her patiently, her baby on her hip. She smiles at Finn as she moves to join her, and opens the door.

"Hi," She whispers to her, "I'm Lily."

Finn manages to return her smile, though it's a little weaker, before turning to look over her shoulder one last time. Most of the witches and wizards have already turned back expectantly to watch her uncle as he clears his throat and begins to address them, but two faces have turned back to watch her and Lily leave the room; Regulus' eyes are on Finn, and James watches his wife and son leave with an anxious expression, his brow drawn into a frown.

The concerned look on James' face makes Finn's stomach clench horribly as she thinks of what James had said that day he had grabbed her outside her house. They're after my son. My baby. They want to kill him.

Even as Finn follows Lily out of the room and into the kitchen, she's unable to stop herself from stealing one last look at Regulus. He's still looking her way, and the last thing she sees as the door closes behind her is his face smoothing out into that cold, distant expression that Finn recognises as him Occluding.