"Prof– Emma. Please, don't…" Regina broke the kiss and backed away quickly as the blonde followed her across the room.

"Why not, Regina?" Emma asked gently. "We can take this at whatever pace you're comfortable with. It's all in your hands."

"I can't… Henry… My mother… I just…"

Emma shook her head firmly. "You can't let Cora control your life anymore, Regina. And Henry; he wants you to be happy. Besides, the kid loves me. I'm his favourite teacher apart from you and Severus." Seeing that the brunette was still wary, she placed her hands gently on either side of Regina's face again, smiling softly at her. "Gina… please don't deny you have feelings for me. Don't tell me that there's nothing real between us. That would break my heart."

Regina winced. "The last thing I want to do is hurt you, Emma. That's why this… whatever is going on between us… can't happen. We have to stop. You will get hurt… or worse."

"Is this about Daniel?" Emma asked. She remembered the handsome Hufflepuff Prefect, who had softened the young Regina, well. She also remembered the stories she'd heard about how he'd died. She had heard the true story, which was worse than most of the rumours, from Regina's own mouth and she had seen with her own eyes how much Regina had loved Daniel. "I'm not good and kind and gentle like he was, Gina. If Cora thinks she can separate us like–"

"Emma!" The dark eyes searching hers were wide and tear-filled. "My mother will kill you. She won't hesitate. I can't… I won't lose someone else I lo–" The word almost slipped out before Regina could stop it. Hastily she corrected herself, but Emma heard anyway. "I care about…"

"I love you too, Regina." Emma assured her softly, stroking the pad of her thumb along the other woman's cheekbone.

As the blonde rested her forehead against Regina's, the older woman sighed. "Emma…"

"Gina!" The door of her room burst open and Severus burst in, wide eyed and panic stricken. He paid no attention to the proximity of the two women, striding across the chamber and standing beside them. "They're here… They've got into the castle. I didn't expect them so soon."

"What?" Regina's words were barely more than an exhale of breath as she ripped herself away from Emma. "When?"

"Just now… Cora's gone to fetch Henry."

"No!"

"Bellatrix and the others are headed to meet Dumbledore at the Astronomy tower. Draco…"

"Go, Severus." Emma urged him, not entirely sure what was going on. "I'll go with Regina."

He stared at her for a moment, before giving a sharp nod of his head and turning on his heels. His robes whipped around him as he strode from the chamber once more and vanished from sight.

When Emma turned back to her lover she saw the older woman fumbling with her robes. Shaking her head, the blonde hastily buttoned them for her and held out Regina's wand. As she made to follow her from the room, Regina shook her head.

"No, Emma, no. You stay well away from my mother… my sister… from all of this. Stay here."

The blonde snorted and pushed past her. "As if. This isn't just about you, Gi… Henry's in danger."

"You don't… If you knew… If you really knew what was going on, Emma you wouldn't be half as keen to help me, let alone have anything to do with me…"

"Regina… whatever it is we can discuss it after we've got Henry safe and sound." Emma promised, trying to remind the brunette of the seriousness of their situation. "If there are Death Eaters in the Castle we need to raise the alarm." She saw Regina's hesitation and frowned. "You cannot be serious…"

"They're my family, Emma."

"But, Regina–"

"Bella's my sister; Draco's my nephew; My… my mother."

"The same mother who's gone to get your son and take him god knows where for god knows what reason." Emma snapped, trying to get through to the brunette. "Regina… Regina!"

The Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor pushed roughly past her and sprinted from the room. With an aggravated sigh, Emma ran after her, making their way towards the Ravenclaw Tower. She guessed that Regina was hoping they would be able to beat Cora there and get to Henry before she could. In all the years she'd known the older woman, Emma didn't think she'd ever seen Regina looking quite so terrified.

They sprinted through the dark corridors, completely ignoring the few people they came across as they travelled across the Castle and closer to Regina's son. Though Emma was taller and leaner and, she'd have said, far more used to running than the brunette, she struggled to keep up with Regina as they neared the Ravenclaw Tower. Even in her high-heeled boots Regina was sure she had never run so fast in her entire life, fuelled by her fear for Henry.

Rounding a final corner, the brunette witch skidded to a halt, her eyes wide. Henry was walking alongside his grandmother, still dressed in his pyjamas with his boots on his feet and his cloak thrown over his shoulders. His hair was still mussed from being woken up and if she hadn't been so scared Regina would have smiled fondly at the dopey, sleepy expression on his face.

"Henry!" She called desperately, one hand grasping blindly for him.

"Regina." Cora smiled at her, wrapping an arm around her grandson's shoulder. "We were just coming to find you. We need to get out of here."

"What's going on, Mom?" Henry asked, his face screwing up in confusion. Even through the haze of sleep that still surrounded him he could sense the fear radiating off his mother. "Grandmother says I can't stay here anymore and I can't come back next year. Why not?"

"Henry come here… Mother, please…"

Cora simply tightened her grip on the boy in response. "What do you think I'd do to him, my darling? He's my grandson; I'd never harm him."

"I never thought you'd kill my husband!" Regina almost screamed, losing control in the face of the intense emotions coursing through her.

In her surprise at the younger woman's outburst, Cora relinquished her hold on Henry's shoulders. Using the opportunity presented to him, the boy darted forwards away from her and rushed towards where his mother and Emma were standing. On impulse, Cora raised her wand, but Regina was faster. She raised her own, slashing it through the air and causing her mother's wand to sail out of her hand. Regina caught it and threw it behind her to Emma, who held onto it tightly.

"You performed the killing curse on Daniel while I begged you to spare him." Regina reminded her mother, apparently forgetting that Emma and her son were standing right behind her. In that moment the brunette was so full of emotion, so angry at the woman facing her, that she didn't care who could hear her. "I was pregnant and yet you murdered my husband, my son's father, without batting an eyelid. I would have promised you anything if you'd let him live. I would have done whatever you asked of me if you'd spared his life. But you wouldn't. You took Daniel from me and I will not let you take my son."

"What are you going to do, Regina?" Cora sneered, stepping closer to the shaking woman.

"I'll kill you."

The firm, determined tone with which the words were said made both Emma and Henry gasp with horror. Cora, however, simply laughed.

"You do not have it in you, Regina. You've always been a disappointment. Bella, Cissy… they're daughters to be proud of. Your sisters have never let me down."

"What about Dromeda, Mother? She's my sister too."

Cora hissed. "You want someone to blame for Daniel's death? Blame her. Blame Andromeda. She put ideas into your head… running off and marrying that… man. I should never have let her get away with that. I should have taught her the lesson before I needed to teach you."

"That wouldn't have stopped me falling in love with him."

"But it might have made you think twice about disobeying me."

"You think I won't do that again, Mother? To protect people I care about?" The brunette asked, her eyes narrowing. She raised her wand and examined it almost curiously for a moment, twirling it between her fingers. "All those times when you used the Cruciatus Curse on me as a form of punishment…. when I wouldn't do what you wanted… when you believed I'd failed you… what was it you used to say, Mother? 'I'm doing this for your own good, Regina, you'll thank me one day.' Well maybe this is the day." Closing her eyes for a moment, the witch channelled all of her anger and pain and fear, before opening her eyes and staring directly into her mother's. "Crucio."

The incantation was uttered calmly, almost coldly, but it definitely had the desired outcome. Cora dropped to the flagstone floor and began to writhe in agony, her face contorted in pain. Regina wanted to look away, but she found she couldn't. Almost as quickly as the pain had started, it receded and Cora was able to clamber unsteadily to her feet, her breathing laboured. She looked at her daughter and something remarkably like pride flickered through her eyes for a moment. Then she laughed.

"You'll have to do better than that, Regina." Cora taunted.

Regina raised her wand once more but, behind her, there was a loud gasp and she heard her son's voice, pleading with her not to cast the curse again. She half-turned to face him, wary of turning her back on Cora. The expression on Henry's face, mirrored almost exactly on Emma's, was enough to break her heart. She had hoped never to see her son looking at her as though he was scared of her, but there was definite fear in his eyes now. Regina looked down at her wand, suddenly appalled by what she'd done. She wouldn't go as far as to say she regretted it, but she certainly wished it hadn't been witnessed by anyone else. She would also give anything to take back the fact that Henry had heard the horrifying truth about how his father had died.

"H-Henry… I…"

"Mom!"

His panicked cry caused her to whirl back round to face her mother, expecting Cora to be closer to her. Instead she caught sight of the woman's figure fleeing round a corner and out of sight. Though Regina wanted nothing more to stay with her son and Emma, to try to explain herself, she couldn't let her mother go.

"Henry, stay with Em– Professor Swan." She ordered, her tone indicating that she was completely serious. Even if she hadn't been, the pale hand that wrapped gently but firmly around his bicep and held him against the blonde Charms teacher, would have prevented him following. "Stay here."

Taking off in the direction Cora had vanished, Regina spotted a group of Death Eaters marching along the corridor towards her. Her heart sank as Severus, leading the group, caught her eyes and gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head. With Cora nowhere in sight, the brunette raised her chin and stepped forwards.

"Bella… what's happening?"

"He's dead!" Her sister sing-songed joyfully. "Dumbledore's dead!"

Regina's eyes roved over the group quickly, landing on Draco's face. He was incredibly pale, almost grey, and looked as though he was about to be sick. She guessed at once that he hadn't been able to go through with the original plan and kill the Headmaster himself. Regina found that she needed to hear the words, though.

"Draco?"

Bella scowled at him and shook her head. "He didn't have the guts. Severus had to do it for him."

As her eyes flickered to her best friend's, she instantly saw the pain and regret there. Her heart went out to Severus, unable to comfort him, but knowing the toll playing a double agent was taking on him. With a curt nod, she glanced along the corridor.

"You should go; no doubt the Ministry will be here soon. I expect you sent up the Dark Mark?" She asked, knowing full well that her sister would not have been able to resist.

"Aren't you coming with us, Gi?" Bella asked, squinting at her carefully. "Where's Mother? She went to fetch little Henry."

"Mother and I had a… disagreement." Regina informed her in a hard voice. "My son will not be leaving my care. Henry and I will remain here for the time being. I refuse to drag him out in the middle of the night."

"Very well." Severus nodded at her. "You staying here will benefit us in the long run. We, however, should go… come."

Regina turned to watch as they swept along the corridor and down the staircase. She leant against the cold stone wall and closed her eyes, taking several long, deep breaths as their footsteps retreated. Silence had barely fallen when running footsteps caused her to stand upright, her head snapping towards the sound so fast she almost gave herself whiplash.

"Potter!" She called, seeing the boy running towards her. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"Dumbledore's dead!" He screamed at her. "Snape killed him!"

"What are you–?"

He didn't spare her a glance, let alone answer the question she was unable to complete. Instead he sprinted past her in the direction the Death Eaters had gone. Regina was torn between following him and returning to her son. After a moment's indecision she decided that Severus would not let anything serious happen to the boy and her own son needed her more.

Her return to the corridor that led to the Ravenclaw Tower was much slower than her journey away from it. Emma was trying to keep Henry there as Regina rounded the corner, but she gave up as soon as her eyes fell on the brunette witch. The boy raced away from her, launching himself into his mother's arms and holding onto her tightly, his face buried in her neck. Regina pressed a kiss to the top of his head, hugging him close and deeply relieved that her actions hadn't disgusted him enough to prevent him coming near her.

"Are you OK, Mom?" He asked after a moment, pulling away and looking up at her through huge, serious eyes.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that question?" She joked weakly. "I'm sorry, Henry, about…"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, too, about what Grandmother did to you. I knew my father was dead, but I never realised…"

"Henry… I'm so, so sorry you found out like that. I never meant for you to hear the truth in such a way." She pushed his hair out of his face and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Your father would be so proud of you, stopping me like that. But he'd be so proud of you in general; just as I am."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Emma said, stepping forward and gently laying a hand on the small of Regina's back, "but I think maybe we should get Henry back to bed and find out what's going on."

"I doubt there'll be much opportunity for sleep tonight, dear." Regina sighed, refusing to let grief or exhaustion wash over her as it was threatening to do. "I'm afraid that… that Dumbledore…" She sighed deeply. "The Headmaster is dead."

"What?" Emma breathed, horrified. "How? When?"

Knowing that she couldn't break Severus' cover, even with Henry and Emma, she gritted her teeth. "Severus." Henry looked heartbroken and Regina pulled him more firmly into her side. "Henry and I should go. Potter was there; he saw everything. When word gets out people will start putting two and two together and making twelve."

"What are you… Regina?"

"I'm a Mills. My best friend killed Dumbledore while my sister and my nephew looked on and my mother rampaged around the Castle. I highly doubt the Ministry Aurors will wait long enough to allow me to protest my innocence before carting me off to Azkaban for something I played no part in. And then my mother will get Henry and… I won't let her… I can't…"

"I won't let anything happen to you, Gina… either of you." Emma assured her firmly, stepping forward and curling a hand around Regina's wrist. Seeing the disbelief on the brunette's face, she pulled her closer and laid a hand on her cheek, stroking the pad of her thumb along Regina's cheekbone. "I won't." She smiled down at Henry who was watching them curiously. Meeting her eyes, sudden understanding dawned on his face and he grinned broadly. "From now on you are both going to be completely safe; I promise."

"Dumbledore said that when the time came I'd make the right choice…" Regina almost whispered, her eyes locked with the blonde's. Emma simply smiled back.

Henry rolled his eyes at the unmistakable tension between the two women. "Mom… just kiss her already."

Emma laughed at his bluntness as Regina blinked at him. "Kid's right, Regina, you probably should."

So she did.

A/N: So, that's it! The End. The final part of this story.

Although it has been left open for a sequel...

Then again, I'm not sure if one would be wanted (your cue to let me know...) and if it IS wanted, there is a list to get through before I can make a start (check out my profile if you're interested in what I'm working on at the moment!)

Anyway, thank you all! You're awesome! :D

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