Chapter 33: ──thirty

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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘

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"I THINK HE FELT CLOSEST to the angels in the middle of a thunderstorm, soaked to the skin," Regulus faced her, cigarette lazily hanging on his lips. "And the problem was that he always chased the angels."

Olivia let a sad smile appear on her face. There they are, two people most affected by the loss of a man worth tens of other men. "Would you go back? If you could turn back time, would you do it?"

"I would kill to be able to turn back time," he said. "But I think even if I could, I wouldn't belong there anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"The Regulus Maxwell loved is no longer the Regulus sitting beside you," he said and Olivia can hear the pain in his voice, the longing and the anger. "The Regulus Maxwell loved was soft and desperately in love who hopelessly held onto the hope that everything would turn out just fine in the end. Now, I'm nothing but rough edges and ugly scars with a cynical mind."

"I think he would have loved you anyway," Olivia told him.

"Perhaps," Regulus grinned as if thinking back to the times he had his lover in his arms. "Maxwell is certainly stupid like that.

Olivia looked ahead, eyes tracing the shapes of the thousand stars against the black sky, legs dangling at the edge of the astronomy tower with the jacket Regulus had lent her wrapped around her shoulder.

It's way past curfew and a part of her feels guilty because she's certain James must be losing his mind back in her dorm room, but she needed to be someone who understood. James, no matter how hard he tries and she knows he will try hard, will never understand the pain of having the half of you ripped away and so she allowed herself to be selfish, consoling herself with the fact that he has the Marauders' map, most probably already knowing where she is and is just giving her the space she desperately needs.

"In the memory," Olivia started. "Maxwell said something about horcruxes, a way to kill him. What do you know about that?"

Regulus grinned at her, yet it held no amusement. Instead, it's dark and deadly and his eyes look as if he's ready to wage war. "There are six in total; his diary, the Gaunt's ring, Hufflepuff's cup, Ravenclaw's diadem, his snake."

Then Regulus pulled out the locket hanging around his neck to show it to her. Olivia recognized it to be the same locket Maxwell had been wearing in his memories. "And Slytherin's locket. Maxwell already destroyed the diary and the ring. I know where the cup is and I figured you deserved to be the one to destroy the locket."

Olivia looked away from the piece of jewelry, remembering it was owned by Salazar Sytherin himself, her ancestor apparently. That would also mean that her children will be too. She couldn't help but let out a smile as she imagines James' reaction to the news.

"Do what you need with it, I don't care."

Regulus raised an eyebrow. "Alright, then. The location of the diadem is currently a work in progress."

Olivia's brows furrowed in confusion as she tried to digest everything she's learned. "How do you guys know all this? What's a horcrux?"

"A horcrux is an object in which a wizard or witch has hidden a part in order to become immortal. It's very dark magic and can only be after committing murder," Regulus calmly explained. "It's some sick joke. A soul for a soul and all that."

"You mean to tell me Voldemort's immortal?" Olivia asked. "Like actually immortal?"

Regulus nodded. "That's right. It's possible to kill him, but eventually, he'll come back. That's why we need to destroy all of his horcruxes before that happens."

"And how do you know all this? I doubt Voldemort was just sharing this fucking gigantic information to everyone he meets."

"Maxwell is—" Regulus cut himself off and took a deep breath, instantly realizing his mistake. "Maxwell was a very good actor. Voldemort truly believed he's on his side. He took Maxwell with him to retrieve the Gaunt ring, something about a family history and all that; he gave Maxwell Slytherin's locket as an heirloom and told him to hide the diary."

Olivia turned away from him again, looking ahead. She imagined the things her brother must have done to be able to earn that trust and she can't help but shudder at the thought of it. "What about the snake?"

Regulus shrugged. "Well, I figured once Voldemort's gone for the meantime, I can go and hunt the fucking thing. Maxwell was going to go after it, but he was outed as a traitor before he could. Eventually, we destroyed the horcruxes he—"

"—died," Olivia finished quietly.

"Yeah, that."

It was then that they heard footsteps, causing the two to quickly turn to the newcomers only to see Samuel. "Your baby daddy sent me."

Olivia rolled her eyes as a small smile broke into Regulus' face when the older Kinsley squeezed himself between the two. She had already told Regulus and he had been nothing short of supportive.

"Are you done ogling Moony from afar because your stupid arse broke up with him?" She snarked back.

Samuel rolled his eyes. "As matter of fact, I just finished sucking his dick in the broom closet."

Olivia made a face as she pushed him away while Regulus burst out laughing. "That is disgusting and something I didn't need to know. Did you even wash your hands?"

"I'm not a fucking savage, Olivia," Samuel sassed. "Not that you can talk. Between the two of us, who's pregnant?"

"That's because you're biologically unable to get pregnant, dipshit!" Olivia exclaimed. "And in the broom closet, really? Have some class!"

"Details, details."

"You know," Regulus interrupted, his face red from laughing. "This conversation is not something we need to talk about."

Samuel turned to him, his eyebrow raised. "You're telling me you never sucked Maxwell's dick?"

Regulus smirked. "Oh trust me, I did more than suck his dick."

Olivia covered her ears. "Blah blah blah I'm not hearing anything."

The two men laughed as Olivia continued covering her ears.

"What are you idiots even doing here?" Samuel asked once he finally stopped laughing. "Potter is shitting his trousers with worry."

Regulus pouted. "I'm not an idiot."

"You dated my idiot younger brother with a severe hero complex," Samuel said. "That makes you the biggest idiot here."

"Yeah," Regulus agreed with a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess I am pretty stupid."

"What are you two doing here?" Samuel asked again.

"Talking about horcruxes and such," Regulus answered, knowing that Amara and Samuel both know about it.

"Why didn't you guys tell Dumbledore? Olivia wondered aloud.

"Maxwell doesn't trust Dumbledore and neither do I," it was Samuel who answered. "He was looking for a way around the prophecy. Dumbledore was all too willing to just chuck him into the battlefield to fight Voldemort and he'll probably try to do the same to you once he finds out you know."

Olivia frowned. She had no plans to fight anyone. In fact, she wants nothing more than to just grab James and Lucas and just disappear and raise her babies in peace, but James' stupid courage must have been rubbing on her considering she now feels guilt at the thought of it. Would she really just leave her friends and family behind to fight a war she's apparently at the center of? Would James?

Olivia knows the answer to that. James wouldn't do it. He'd fight alongside his friends, even if it meant risking his life.

"Which is why we stole the sword of Gryffindor," Regulus added nonchalantly, making the siblings turn to him.

"Excuse me?" Samuel sputtered. "Did you just say you stole the sword of Gryffindor? A priceless relic?

Regulus shrugged. "Dumbledore had it for years and knew about the horcruxes for years and didn't do anything about it so Max and I decided we'll be the one to actually do something. Also, the sword is the only thing that can destroy a horcrux so we needed it."

"Don't you have a horcrux on you right now?" Samuel asked. "Where do you keep the sword?"

Regulus smiled sheepishly, as if shy of his answer. "Well, we couldn't really keep it here. It's too dangerous so we rented this cottage near Hogsmead back when we were playing."

"You mean to tell me you're just leaving the sword of fucking Gryffindor around some place in Hogsmead?" Samuel asked the boy exasperatedly. "You teenagers are dumb."

"Shut up, you're literally sucking dicks with Lupin," Regulus said.

"You're right," Olivia said quietly, breaking the two's banter. "I want to destroy the locket. I want to be able to kill a part of his soul the same way he'd taken half of mine."

The three were quiet for a moment, neither of them knowing what to say. Grief hangs thick in the air as the trio sat there. Maxwell's memories had reopened old wounds that are yet to heal, they cut deeper and deeper until Olivia can feel the loss and grief in her bones.

Eventually, Samuel wrapped his arm around the two, planting a soft kiss on both their temples. "I guess we're going on a field trip."

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ALLOWING JAMES TO LET HER leave castle ground without him was no easy feat.

He had kept reminding her of the last time she went to hogsmead, a trip that had led to a near miscarriage. She understands where he's coming from, she truly did, but she knows she won't be able to rest if she doesn't do it. She needs to feel that power, the semblance of control.

She needs to know that even just a little, she has control over Voldemort himself.

"I need to do this, James," she told him. They had waited till tomorrow to sneak out and though it's not as late as last night, the sky had already darkened. They had decided to leave while everyone else had their dinner.

"Let me come with you," he pleaded, arms wrapping around her waist.

Olivia shook her head. "You can't. You don't understand."

"Then make me understand."

Olivia met his eyes, seeing the worry in the hazel irises and she can't help but feel guilty. She needs to trust him. He deserves to know everything. "Okay. I'll tell you everything once I get back."

James ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "How the bloody hell am I supposed to sleep with you out there with God knows what?"

"I'll only take a while," she promised as she wrapped her own arms around him. "And I have Samuel and Regulus to protect me if needed."

"That doesn't really make me feel better, Olivia," James admits. "I need to be the one there to make sure. I need to be the one protecting you."

She shook her head as she softly placed her lips against his. "No, baby. This one's on me."

"I won't be able to do anything but worry."

Olivia sat on the bed, opening her arms for him to which James quickly placed himself between her legs, arms wrapped around her swollen stomach.

She's beginning to grow into a house but James loved it.

"Don't worry about me," she told him softly, hands running through his hair.

James pouted. "I can't just not worry."

"You have to fix things with Sirius anyway," she reminded him. "Use this time to do that."

"I want to be with you."

"You always want to be with me," she mused.

"Yes, well, I happen to be in love with you if you didn't know."

She smiled. "That's good because I happen to be in love with you too."

"Cuddle with me then?" He tried again, looking up to meet her eyes, his own pleading her to stay.

"I have to do this for myself," she told him seriously. "Or I'll never be able to rest."

James let out a sigh of defeat as he placed his ears on her belly. "Mummy's so stubborn, don't you think, little nuggets?"

Olivia let out an amused smile, lightly hitting his head. "Don't turn my babies against me."

James grinned at her.

"Hey, nuggets? Mummy's gonna be gone for a while so I meed you to be good for her, okay?"

It was at that moment that Olivia felt a light kick on her stomach, making her widen her eyes as James looked up at her in awe. "Did they just kick?"

Shocked, Olivia nodded her head.

Grinning from ear to ear, James placed his head back on her stomach. "Hey, babies. It's daddy."

Kick.

James' eyes widened as he looked at her again. "I think they know me!"

Olivia smiled at his excitement.

"Does that mean you'll be good for mummy while daddy's not around?" He asked again and this time two little kicks followed and Olivia grimaced as they hit her abdomen, now making her want to pee.

"Your kids are kickers," Olivia told him.

James only grinned in respond. "Aren't you tempted to just stay in and talk to them all night?"

"Tempting," she admitted. "But I need to go, baby."

James dramtically frowned, making Olivia lean forward and kiss it off his lips.

"Be careful," he whispered between kisses.

"I'll be fine," she told him. "I'll come back home to you, I promise."

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SAMUEL FIRMLY HELD HIS SISTER'S hand as they sneaked out the castle. He only let go when they finally arrived at the cottage Regulus had led them to.

It was messy and only had one bed but the place had been decorated with polaroid pictures, most obviously taken by Maxwell as they mostly consist of Regulus. Others were simple, the boy smiling at the camera, sleeping, laughing, but some were definitely questionable, like a near naked Regulus with satin sheets barely covering his lower half with his body decorated with love marks and Maxwell and Regulus in a deep liplock, obviously naked, with bodies entwined.

Regulus quickly grabbed these pictures, stuffing them in his pockets as he awkwardly cleared his throat, avoiding the smirk Samuel is throwing his way.

"I see you and my brother were very passionate," Samuel teased.

Regulus' cheeks turned red as he walked towards the bed. "Shut up."

"Where's the sword?" Olivia asked, trying to get the picture of her twin brother naked and obviously humping something underthe covers out of her mind.

Regulus cleared his throat again as he pulled the bed up, revealing a secret compartment hiding the sword of Gryffindor itself and what Olivia assumes to be the Gaunt's ring and the diary as both lay broken on the floor.

"Do you want to do it now?" The younger boy asked as he handed the sword to her, to which Olivia struggled to hold up.

Seeing her reflection on the sword, she nodded her head. Regulus took off the locket and placed it on the bedside table.

Olivia looked at the locket, knowing it's probably the last of what's left from the ancestry she didn't know about, an ancestry she wants nothing to do with.

She remembers her brother and the things he'd gone through to protect her and she remembers James and the life he have planned for them and she realizes the deep hatred she holds for the dark lord, for her father.

As ling as he lives, all good things will be ruined and Olivia simply can't risk that.

With a newfound anger, she held the sword up and crashed it against the locket, instantly breaking it in half. With it's destruction comes a smoke in the shape of Voldemort coming after her and Olivia found herself taking a step back.

However, just as she was about to scream, it disappeared and she's left panting.

"What was that?" She asked, turning to Regulus.

"A part of his soul dying," he said as he picked up the now broken locket and the sword of Gryffindor, returning it back under the bed.

Olivia was just about to reply when the lights suddenly goes off, leaving them in complete darkness.

"What happened?" Samuel instantly asked, reaching into his pocket for his wand only not to find it there. "My wand's gone."

"What the hell," Regulus mutters as he too searches for his wand and realize that it had disappeared.

"Guys," Olivia calls for their attention, blindly reaching for anyone. "What's going on?"

Regulus' scream then sounded, causing Olivia to almost jump out of her skin.

"Reg?!" She calls in panic. "Are you okay?"

No reply came.

"Regulus!" Samuel calls this time as he too tries to reach for his sister. "I swear if you're fucking with us, I will fucking kill you."

Still no reply came.

"Sammy," Olivia calls as she hears someone breathing near her. "I think someone's with us."

It was then that two strong arms wrapped around her, hitting her on the head.

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OLIVIA WOKE UP FROM REGULUS' SCREAMS.

"Uh, you're finally awake," a sinister voice said, amusement lacing his tone. "I was worried you'd never wake up."

Olivia feels her blood run cold as she clutched the hem of the now dirty sweater she wore. She doesn't want to look up, afraid it'd confirm her nightmares.

"Olivia," someone's breathy voice called and she looked to the side to see Regulus on the floor, chains tightly tied on both his legs and arms and Olivia can see his mouth full of blood. "I'm sorry."

She feels her heart drop and her eyes burn with tears at the sight of him.

"No, Reg!" She tries to crawl over to him but her own chains not allowing her to move further than a few short inches.

She then hears someone walking towards her, seeing his cloak sliding against the marble floor in such a matter that did not make any sound and Olivia froze in her spot.

The figure then kneeled in front of her, cold fingers reaching up to lift her chin and before her stood Lord Voldemort himself, dark red eyes meeting her own.

"You've been very bad, daughter," his blood curling voice whispered.

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