Following the events of the same universe where Juliet Potter and Remus Lupin fell in love, the insouciance has faded into misery as all parties prepare for the war, willing to pull any card to win a war from which none will truly come out victoriou...
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December 1977
"It's so fucking cold." Juliet muttered, sighing as she looked around.
Enormous rocks were all around the three of them, clearly they were in a cave, but Juliet wondered if they may have made it to the wrong one. She could not spot a single Inferi, no lake, no potion, and no locket. Though she could still hear the sound of sea waves crashing onto the side of the mountain.
Had it not been for the terribly gloomy atmosphere of the place, probably due to the atrocity of the things Voldemort had done there, Juliet may have found it peaceful.
But at that moment, it was so very far from it.
"Do you want my coat?" Regulus asked her, his eyes scanning the place.
"No, I'll be fine, thank you. Where are we?"
"I apologize, Master Regulus and Mistress Potter. I couldn't get us immediately inside." Kreacher spoke with a small voice.
Juliet stared at him, able to tell he was still drained from what the Dark wizard had done to him.
"Inside?" She asked, turning to the two biggest rocks. Kreacher nodded. "Okay, how do we get inside?"
"The Dark Lord... He..." The house-elf trailed, unsure of whether he should dispose of that information or not.
"Kreacher, we need to get to that locket." Regulus told him.
"Your enemy must weaken him or herself to enter." The house-elf spoke, as though reciting something he had learned.
Juliet and Regulus exchanged a look. "Does he mean physical injury?"
"There are things far worse than physical injury." The Slytherin stated.
"I'm pretty sure that's a notion he fails to grasp." The girl scoffed. "I mean, truly, someone who has been splitting their soul into Horcruxes is unable to feel anything but the thirst for power."
"Horcruxes?" Regulus frowned at the use of the plural, staring at the girl.
Though she wasn't looking at him, she was glaring straight at the rocks, cursing herself for letting it slip. It was Regulus, he was helping her, perhaps he should've known.
But not quite yet, she couldn't trust anyone but herself anymore. Who was to follow her in that suicide mission if they knew all that she did? If they knew the secrets she had discovered? Perhaps it was better for her to be alone.
Hence, sighing she fished a pocket knife out of her small bag that was resting on her hip, cutting the palm of her left hand without hesitation.
"Juliet!" Regulus exclaimed, lunging to stop her but he was too late.
The blood had already started to flood out, and she did not waste one moment more. She stepped towards the rocks, touching her bloody hand, letting the red liquid spread on the enchanted entrance.
While Juliet was watching the entrance make path for them, Regulus had rushed to Juliet, grabbing her hand to look at the cut.
"Do you have bandages in your bag?"
"Regulus, it's just a cut." She brushed him off but he glared, rummaging through her bag and fishing out a piece of bandage out of her first-aid kit.
Barely a minute later, when he was done, he nodded satisfied and Juliet who was just blankly standing there, snapped out of her trance and sighed.
"Are we ready?"
"No." He answered with so much honesty she couldn't help the small smile on her lips.
"For the ones we love." She stepped forward, offering him her hand, dragging him through the path once he put his hand in her wounded one.
"For the ones we love." He repeated, his voice a whisper as he stared at what stood before them.
A rather short path that ascended laid in front of them, leading to a small island surrounded by a lake so dark that for a second Juliet wondered if it was filled with ink.
As they walked forward, Kreacher was trembling, hiding behind and clinging onto Juliet's leg. She'd look down at him and notice his fearful glares, and she gulped, starting to get tense, not fully knowing what was awaiting them.
Juliet couldn't help but look at the water, attempting to spot an Inferi, but it was pointless, there seemed to be nothing in those waters first glance.
"I wouldn't get too close if I were you, Mistress." Kreacher mumbled, tugging onto her shirt.
"Why is that?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow.
"They do not appreciate anything disturbing the water..." He explained, stepping back.
Juliet stared a few seconds more at the lake, before standing up and walking towards the basin in front of which Regulus was already waiting.
"It's empty." She stated, look into the bassin. "Are we too late?"
"No, I think it's hidden." Regulus said, frowning.
Juliet look between him and the basin before reaching to take it, pouring the liquid on the rocks. When she put it back in place, the basin that was empty a mere second ago was full once again.
"Well, that was useful." The boy gave her a sardonic smile.
"Sod off. I saw no locket in there."
He attempted a spell on the basin, but it was useless again. "Then we have no choice but to drink it."
They suddenly heard Kreacher whimpering and turned around in sync, confused.
"Please, Master, no..."
"Kreacher, we're not going to make you drink it." Juliet reassured before turning back to Regulus. "What do you say, you take a shot, I take a shot? Like we used to do after a Quidditch win. Did Slytherins do that?"
"Do you think you Gryffindors are the only ones to know how to party?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Well, no, Hufflepuffs look like they have fun." She teased. "Come on. There's gotta be a shell or something around here. It's going to be hell to drink it out of the basin. That shit is too heavy. You'd think You-Know-Who would have the decency to put that bloody locket in a mug or something. Seriously, who goes for a damn bassin on an island guarded by freaky undead creatures that like to drown people? As if that little bitch wasn't dark enough with the name he's given himself?"
Regulus chuckled and shook his head, amused by her antics, picking up a big shell hidden behind a rock as she was rambling. He then turned to her, and his expression had turned more serious.
"Whatever I say, don't stop me, alright? I'll beg, but you have to keep giving it to me until there's not a drop left." He said, approaching the bassin.
"What are you saying?" She stared at him confused.
