It was almost unusual for the house to be so quiet in the afternoon.

Normally at this point Ignatius would be causing mayhem with his friends, galavanting around the grounds with his father scolding them for being annoying.

Yet, there was only silence.

Esme felt almost uncomfortable. There was also another part of her that suspected this was a warning, an omen of things to come.

She was right.

The doorbell rang out, piercing the calm atmosphere like a knife. Almost causing Esme to jump, she rose from her seat in the living room and listened out for a moment to hear if anyone else was going to answer the door.

Nothing.

Letting out an irritated sigh, Esme folded down the corner of the page and closed her book, setting it down on the table before walking out into the hallway.

Just as she reached the door and was about to turn the handle, the doorbell rang out again, quickly followed by a couple of knocks.

Esme gritted her teeth together, already annoyed at whoever was on the other side of the door. Nevertheless, she twisted the handle and as the door swung open, Esme wished she had never decided to answer the door.

Standing on the doorstep, wearing a grin as mad as her wiry hair, Bellatrix Lestrange looked directly back at her.

"Ezzy-merleda! What a delight!" Bellatrix exclaimed with glee, pushing past the girl and straight into the house.

"Please, come on in." Esme grumbled, staring at the empty doorway for a moment before closing the door and following Bellatrix down the hallway.

Bellatrix spun around on the spot, staring over the large reception room. "I've always thought what a wondrous home you have here." She mused with a laugh.

"Please don't take offence but.... What exactly are you doing here?" The younger girl inquired.

"Always straight to the point! I like that." Bellatrix beamed, "No need to waste time on formalities, after all. We've known each other forever!"

Esme raised an eyebrow, "Something like that."

"Well, actually, it's not good news, I'm afraid." Bellatrix pouted playfully at the girl before spinning around again and continuing to poke around the room. She would pick up books, flick through the pages, then put them down. She was rifling through drawers and cupboards as she walked around the room's circumference.

"What's wrong? Do I need to get my father?" Esme asked, knowing that Bellatrix would never give her a straight answer.

"Is your brother around?" Bellatrix ignored the questions.

"What? I don't know. Why?" Esme frowned, furrowing her eyebrows.

Bellatrix ran her fingers along the top of the radiator as she walked, and then came to a stop. She finally faced Esme with a wicked smirk as she replied, "I know you're up to something."

Esme felt her stomach drop.

But she couldn't give anything away.

"Up to what? Studying? I'm doing a lot of that." she suggested.

"What fun!" Bellatrix clapped her hands together, "You're playing stupid."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb."

"Wh-I don't-"

"What are you up to? You better not be causing trouble." Bellatrix sneered.

That was all Esme needed to know. She was safe, at least for now.

Bellatrix didn't know what Esme was up to and that meant she wasn't in trouble, yet.

"When have I ever caused trouble?" Esme offered with a slight shrug.

This earned a laugh from Bellatrix, "Ever since you got sorted into Ravenclaw. Nothing but bad news, you are."

"Ever so kind. Thank you. Means a lot." Esme responsed through a tense jaw and gritted teeth.

Bellatrix twirled a strand of her hair around a finger, "Where were you last weekend? I don't think you were home. Shall I ask your parents?"

"Since when is it a crime to go outside?"

"If you don't tell me what's going on right now-"

Then suddenly there was a rush of flames from the fire place.

Sparks and soot flew out into the room, quickly followed by some rather loud coughing. This sharply caused the two girls to stop arguing and turn to the scene of the commotion.

"My birthday can't come fast enough. Floo powder is the single worst form of magic." Regulus complained, half-stumbling out of the fireplace as he dusted off his jacket.

"Regulus-"

"I mean really? I'm allowed to use floo powder but not allowed to use magic to clean off the soot? What kind of logic is that?" The boy rambled irritably and failed to rub the dirt completely off his face.

"Regulus!" Esme hissed.

Finally, the boy looked up and froze in his spot when he saw who was standing beside Esme.

"Oh, Bellatrix. I-er... Nice to see you." He greeted awkwardly.

"It's a pleasure, as always." Bellatrix grinned sweetly.

"I haven't intruded, have I? Esme never tells me anything. If you're busy with plans I'll just go." Regulus offered.

"No!" Esme exclaimed, "No, we're not busy, are we? Stay, please."

The older woman giggled and then asked, "Now you're here, Regulus, perhaps we could have a talk... Alone?"

Esme and Regulus stared at each other with wide eyes as they scrambled to come up with some idea to escape.

However they didn't quite manage it.

"I-er... Yes, I suppose. Sure." He stammered.

"Are you sure I can't-"

Bellatrix cut Esme up by holding up an abrupt hand, "Would you excuse us, Avery?"

Esme exhaled rather angrily and muttered under her breath, "In my own home? Sure. Perfect."

Shaking her head and trying not to start yelling, Esme left her living room and shut the door sharply, almost slamming it in its frame.

For what felt like an age, she paced up and down the hallway. Occasionally, Esme would pause to press her ear up against the door but she could never hear a word.

After about twenty minutes, the conversation in the living room appeared to draw to a close.

Bellatrix drew her wand, ready to disapparate, but turned to face Regulus one last time. She smirked evilly and sneered, "Don't think I don't know where your loyalties lie... With that traitorous Avery girl. I'd watch yourself, because it isn't just you who'll get burnt for playing with that dirty fire."

Regulus gulped as Bellatrix finally vanished from the room with a snap.

"Esme?" He called putting, heading to the door to pull it open.

She fell into his chest as she'd been leaning against the door to try and hear what was being said.

Regulus exhaled slowly, holding his hands on either side of Esme's face purely because he didn't know what else to do. "Did you hear all that?" He asked.

She shook her head, "No. What happened?"

"Lucy Bagman sold us out."

"What?"

"Yes." Regulus dropped his arms and began pacing around the room, "I knew this was going to blow up in our faces."

Esme frowned, "What did Bellatrix say?"

"She knew." He panicked, running his hands through his hair and tugging on the ends, "Bagman must have sold us out!"

"Must have? What exactly happened? Regulus!" She quipped.

"Right, sorry, yes." Regulus came to a stop and turned to look over at her, "Bellatrix knew we were up to something. She asked if I knew who the Bagmans were. We're dead. Oh Merlin..."

"That doesn't mean anything. You really think if Bellatrix had any concrete proof she would be here gloating? If that were true we'd already be dead." Esme pointed out.

Regulus exhaled sharply, "Wow, yes, that really makes me feel better. 'We'd already be dead'."

"Regulus, stop it." She complained.

"I knew this was a dangerous idea. I knew it. I knew there was something wrong with Lucy. I knew that. We're so screwed. I shouldn't have let you do this. We're in so much trouble."

"Regulus-Reg! Stop talking." Esme took ahold of his hand in the hope of snapping him out of his rambling, "You really think you let me do this? Regulus, stop freaking out. Everything is fine. We'll play safer next time."

Regulus groaned, "Next time? I think I'm going to be sick."

"Regulus, please," Esme ran one of her hands through his hair, "If you don't want to do this anymore, it's okay. If anything, I'd feel better knowing you're not involved and at risk."

He offered a small smile and replied, "You think I don't want to do this anymore? I feel sick because I know we have to do this again. Bellatrix coming here to intimidate us just proves that we have to keep going. We should be helping people in that constant state of fear - it's no way to live."

She cupped his face in her hand and grazed her finger over his cheek, "Really?"

He begrudgingly responsed, "Yes. It's a brilliant idea. We'll play safer next time."

"You're brilliant." Esme grinned, leaning in to kiss him.