till death do us part -regulus black (the blacks, vol. 1)

chapter 22 - new year's 1976-1977, part 4

Evangeline's grandfather, Thomas, joined them soon after they started talking and was filled in the conversation.

'My son couldn't do such a thing,' Thomas argued. 'Plus, he's dead.'

'But did you see his body when you buried him?' Evangeline asked.

'No, because...' Agnes started, but when she realised that the two teenagers might be right, she stopped.

'Because we've never found his body,' Thomas said, looking at Agnes.

'So, I have a sociopathic uncle who's one of Voldemort's most trusted followers?' Evangeline asked. 'This family has some deep issues,' the girl joked.

'A sociopathic uncle who, if he recognizes you, could have you killed,' Regulus pointed out.

'What did you tell your family, Regulus?' Thomas asked his granddaughter's boyfriend.

'That Eva's a squib from a pure-blooded American family,' Regulus answered.

'Which we did not get completely wrong, because, apparently my grandfather's the only pure-blood wizard and my grandmother is a muggle-born, and my mother is adopted,' Eva said tensed.

'Was there any place he could have seen you?' Agnes asked.

'No, other than the Black Christmas Ball,' Evangeline answered. 'You don't think he could have been in contact with your aunt Druella, now do you?' Evangeline asked Regulus.

'My sister wouldn't allow her daughter to be in contact with the rest of our family,' Thomas pointed out. 'So, you're pretty safe there,' he added.

'I have a question,' Regulus said. 'If Rosier, later turned Rose, is your surname,' Regulus addressed Eva's grandparents, 'how come Evangeline's surname is also Rose?'

'Even though we didn't tell Adalyn everything about our past, we told her that our family is an important English family who's gone extinct and it has lots of wealth to its name. We taught her to appreciate the name and wear it with pride, so, when she got married to Eva's father, Phillip, he agreed to keep our family's surname,' Agnes explained.

The teenagers spent the rest of their day with Eva's grandparents, dining and chatting about England, the Black's, London, the Wizarding World, Hogwarts and Quidditch. By 7 o'clock Evangeline and Regulus had already taken the subway to Adalyn's apartment. When they got back home, the two teenagers laid in bed and cuddled, thinking about the day they had just had.

'It's crazy, you know?' Evangeline spoke up. 'Technically speaking, we didn't completely lie to your parents,' she said.

'We just twisted some bits and pieces,' Regulus said. 'We'll have to be extremely careful from now on.'

The rest of the couple's trip was spent in the calmest way possible. The two took walks and discovered new cafés together, Evangeline showing Regulus around New York and discovering new cultures

It was New Year's Eve, and Evangeline and Regulus were getting ready for a party they were invited to via Adalyn. Evangeline's red dress seemed fitting for the occasion, with white heeled boots and a jacket over it. Regulus' outfit consisted of an all-black assemble, with a black dress shirt and dress pants, and a black tie.

'You know, I've never thought that you had attended socialite parties before,' Regulus told Evangeline.

'My grandparents were always people with a luxurious lifestyle and connections. When I was younger, my mother and I used to live with them on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. So, your family's parties weren't that big of a deal,' Evangeline explained.