𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤. ʀ. ʟᴜᴘɪɴ

thirteen

Evangeline didn't want to leave Remus' cottage. It felt like home there, far more like it than hers. 

After going home and taking a well-needed shower, she set out for her mother's home just an hour before sunset. 

She arrived to the dreaded mansion, glaring up at the brick home. She knocked twice on the front door, seconds later her mother opened the door. Her usual scowl grew impossibly bigger, "You didn't tell me you'd be coming."

"Can I come in?"

Asteria slowly stepped to the side, "You look like you've been up all night."

"Hello to you as well, mother."

Asteria slammed the door shut as Evangeline made her way to the living room. She turned to Asteria, she looked the same as the last time she saw her. Dressed in black, hair pinned up, blue eyes sparkling with distain. 

Besides the eyes, Evangeline looked like her. She knew her mother didn't like that she got her looks. 

"Why are you here?"

"It's Christmas. I knew you'd be alone so..."

"I would have rather kept it that way than seeing my blood-traitor daughter," she spat. 

Evangeline rolled her eyes, "I find it funny you hate the way I turned out when you raised me on the belief system to stay true to myself and that I could do anything."

"I didn't expect you to imprison the very people that watched you grow up."

"Does that automatically make them good? Because some of them knew me as a child?"

"Because they were family! And you took all of that away!" Asteria yelled. 

"I didn't come here to fight, mother. I just... I just wanted to see you."

Asteria sat down on a loveseat, "I don't understand why you do, Evangeline. You're wasting your time. But it seems as if that's all you're doing now. Wasting time by teaching at bloody Hogwarts."

She sat down across from Asteria, "I enjoy it."

Asteria looked at her daughter, eyes trailing to a dark mark peaking from her knit jumper. 

"What's that?"

"What's what?"

"Your neck."

Evangeline mentally cursed herself, bringing her hand up to her neck. She pulled her jumper up slightly, "It's nothing."

Asteria chuckled lightly, "Interesting. I didn't think you'd ever find someone, let alone trust someone, after Damien. Not that you didn't have it coming..."

Evangeline stilled, glaring at her mother. She chewed the inside of her lip, "He doesn't matter anymore."

Her mother scoffed, "Oh, dear, but he does. You'll never get over that. I see it in your eyes."

"I haven't thought about him in ages," Evangeline truthfully said.

"So I take it whoever he is doesn't know about him?" Asteria questioned with a smirk. 

"No."

She hummed lightly, "I heard Lucius payed you a visit."

"Oh, I'm sure you enjoyed hearing all about that."

"The Malfoy family isn't as terrible as you think."

"Of course you'd be saying that, you suck up to all of them. For the record, I don't hate all of them. Just Lucius. I quite like Narcissa, and Draco is tolerable."

"You should go, Evangeline," Asteria said, standing up. Evangeline watched her walk across the room to open the curtains, letting light into the room. She kept her back to Evangeline, "You shouldn't keep coming here, you're only hurting yourself."

"Do you really not want anything to do with me? I'm the only family you've got left."

"Happy Christmas, Evangeline. Lock the door on your way out."

She slowly stood up, walking out of the living room with a sunken heart. She wiped a tear away quickly, leaving the home. 

She immediately went to Diagon Alley, struggling to be in a cheery mood as everyone else around her. Evangeline picked up a bottle of wine and chocolate cake as she said, apparating home when she finished. She changed into jeans and his jumper, and gave Remus a call. He arrived 30 minutes later. 

"Your home is nice, Evangeline."

"Thank you," she quietly said. 

He turned to her, "I like the jumper."

She smiled lightly, "Thank you. Got it from this guy I work with, he's quite handsome."

"Oh? Have I got competition?"

"Maybe."

They sat on her couch with the wine and chocolate, eating the cake straight from the box. Remus couldn't help but notice Evangeline's sudden quiet and downcast demeanor, a stark difference from the hours prior.

"Are you alright?"

"What? Oh, I'm alright," she replied, speaking into her wine glass. 

He took it from her hand softly, placing it down on the coffee table. 

"Your mother?"

She smiled humorlessly, "I don't know why I keep thinking she might give a damn about me when I visit."

"She's your mother. It's only natural to want to seek comfort in her. Despite what Padfoot says, I think he secretly wished Walburga would flip a switch and be a mother."

She couldn't help the tears from falling down. She wiped them away and he sighed, pulling her into his chest, "I'm sorry, Rem, I didn't want tonight to be like this. It's bloody Christmas."

"It's okay," he quietly said.

She let the tears fall freely, and he sat there rubbing her back and placing kisses on her forehead. After a while, her eyes began to dry. 

"Is your mother still alive?"

"I'm afriad not."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "What was she like? If you don't mind me asking."

And so he told her. She was a muggle, her name was Hope Howell. He told her about his mother meeting his father in a forrest when he saved her from a Boggart. All the way to their marriage, his birth, and how keen she was about Remus living a good life despite his condition. Her eagerness to have Remus attend Hogwarts, and how proud she was of him for his efforts in the war despite her fears. 

"She died in 1981. I was lucky to have her as a mother."

"I wish I could've gotten to meet her."

"I can assure you she'd take you in as an honorary daughter."

She smiled lightly, "I like the idea of that."

"Speaking of which... the Weasleys are eager to have you over for New Years. Molly nearly screamed out of joy when I told her you agreed to be there."

"It's a wonder how she and Arthur have managed to handle so many children. Those twins are enough to handle as it is."

Remus chuckled lightly, "Are they giving you a difficult time in class?"

"I wouldn't say that. There's certainly never a dull day with them. They learned quite quickly that I'm not the smartest person to target as a prank, but that hasn't stopped them from cracking jokes every 5 minutes. I must confess I enjoy it."

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

She nodded into his chest, "Yeah. I didn't mean to spill all of that on you so quickly, though."

"I don't mind, really. I'm glad you're comfortable enough to talk to me about this."

"I trust you."

He smiled down at her, "That means a lot, you know."

"I know."