LUNAR (A Harry Potter Universe Fanfiction)

Twenty Four. New Year's Eve.

Evelyn didn't arrive back at the flat until late afternoon on the day before New Year's Eve. Her shoulders were loaded up with bags, all of which she dropped on the floor as soon as she arrived. "Hi," she said, sounding a little breathless.

"Hi," said Sean, trying not to feel disappointed that his two days of quiet were over.

She unzipped her coat and dropped it over the back of the couch on her way around to sit by him. "How was your Christmas?" she asked, pulling her legs up to sit cross legged.

Her eyes looked brighter than they had in a while, more awake.

"It was fine," said Sean.

"What'd you do?"

Sean shrugged. "The usual Christmas things. Presents and dinner."

Evelyn waited for him to elaborate and when he didn't, Sean thought he could sense how hard she was working to keep her expression light.

"How was your Christmas?" he asked, because it seemed like a better idea to get her talking than to have her keep questioning him.

"It was really nice," she said with a smile. "I haven't seen my grandparents in a while. We all went to church on Christmas Eve and it was snowing out the windows just like it's supposed to."

"That's good," said Sean.

"Did it snow at your house?"

"A little."

"Remember last year how much snow there was at school?"

"Yeah," said Sean.

Evelyn fell quiet again. Her eyes were still wide open, but her cheeks had tensed.

She put her hands down on her knees. "Well," she said, "I guess I should go put all my things away."

"Right," said Sean. Evelyn hesitated for another moment before she got up. She went around the back of the couch and started to pick up her things again to take into the bedroom, but she put them back down, wrapped her arms around Sean from behind, and said "I'm happy to see you." Then she kissed him on the cheek and her hands slid to his shoulders as she stood upright again. She squeezed once before she left the room for real.

Sean shut his eyes for a moment. He was annoyed to find it was Caiti's voice echoing through his head. He'd heard her shouting match with their mum on Christmas and deep down, Sean knew Caiti was right. He wasn't himself.

The problem was, Sean couldn't do anything about it. He felt stuck and tired and empty and he just didn't have anything else left to give.

—-

Evelyn sat down on the edge of the bed to regroup before she started unpacking any of her things.

At home, she'd had so much time to think and plan, she'd felt hopeful again. She'd let herself feel bolstered by the holiday cheer and her family's presence and by Caiti's assurance that if Evelyn just tried harder, made Sean date her again, he would come around.

She knew she'd kind of given up the last few weeks. Maybe it wasn't fair to expect Sean to start putting in effort when she'd all but stopped trying, too.

This, she thought, was her window of opportunity. Before Sean went back to work. Now was the time for a breakthrough.

And if Evelyn could instigate that breakthrough without telling Sean how horrible she'd been feeling, that was all the better.

So Evelyn unpacked her things, steeled herself for a second attempt at normality, and headed back out to the living room with a photograph clutched in her hand.