Eveline Wood ~A Harry Potter slow burn~

🤍16~ The welcome home feast

 Finally, they piled into their Muggle car, which had Sam shaking his head with mild amusement and Vivienne on edge, as always.

"I still don't know why we don't just fly," Oliver grumbled, slumping into the back seat next to Eveline. "Would be so much easier."

Vivienne's knuckles were white against the steering wheel as she cautiously pulled onto the road. "Honestly, Oliver, flying around in public would attract far too much attention! Do you want us to end up in the Daily Prophet for all the wrong reasons?"

Eveline hid a grin, watching as her mum's panic spiked every time the car jolted on the bumpy road. The Muggle transport always made Vivienne uneasy, but Eveline found it kind of funny.

As the car ride continued, the familiar feeling of home started to sink in. Oliver's usual Gryffindor confidence melted into his whiny, younger-self tone when he was around the family. She always found it amusing how different he was at home compared to school, where he tried to keep up the 'cool, perfect Gryffindor' act.

Still, as she gazed out the window, watching the countryside blur past, Eveline couldn't ignore the pang of sadness that surfaced. Ariana's absence hit her hard. No matter how much time passed, there was always a hole where her sister used to be, especially during the holidays.

Eveline shifted in her seat, forcing herself to focus on the now. They soon pulled up to their house, warmly lit and decorated with twinkling lights and tinsel. The familiar sight brought a soft smile to her face, but the sense of emptiness lingered in the background.

As soon as they arrived, Eveline dumped her trunk near the door and set Bruno's cage down with a thud, glad to be back. The warmth of home embraced her immediately.

"I missed you, Fabien!" Eveline said, grabbing her brother and hugging him tightly. "Bet I missed you even more than Ollie."

Fabien beamed, loving the attention, while Oliver grinned, ruffling his little brother's fluffy hair. "How've you been, little man? Giving Mum and Dad grief while we've been gone?"

"Yep, I've been a big troublemaker!" Fabien said proudly, puffing out his chest.

Oliver laughed. "Oh really? What kind of trouble?"

"Well, I got on your broom! But Dad pulled me off, and I fed the cat all the leftovers... But that was an accident! Oh, and I stole some of your stuff from your rooms—oops!" Fabien giggled, realizing he might have confessed too much.

Oliver gasped dramatically, eyes wide. "Ev, what are we going to do about him? Snooping in our rooms!"

"Yeah, you better not have taken my chocolate frog cards, Fabe," Eveline added with a mock-serious tone.

Fabien's eyes widened as if realizing the gravity of his crime. "I...uh...I might've just looked at them..."

Oliver gasped again, even louder this time, pretending to be outraged. "Just looked? You're in big trouble now, mate."

Their playful banter was interrupted by Vivienne's voice carrying from the kitchen. "Guys, dinner's ready! Get down here before it goes cold!"

Oliver, always the first to respond when food was involved, immediately perked up. "Come on, little rascal," he said, scooping Fabien up onto his shoulders. "Let's go eat before Mum loses it."

Eveline laughed, following them into the kitchen. As they stepped in, the smell of the welcome-home dinner filled the air. It smelled delicious, much to Eveline's relief. The last time her mum cooked, it hadn't gone so well.

"Wow, smells great, Mum!" Eveline said with a teasing grin. "Are you sure you made it?"

Vivienne swatted her playfully. "Oh, hush, you cheeky little thing! Of course I made it. Who do you think I am, a terrible cook?"

Eveline gave her a knowing look, but the atmosphere was light, and the laughter that followed made her feel at ease. They all gathered around the table, and the conversation quickly turned to Hogwarts.

"So what's your favourite subject then? Your mother asked curiously

"Probably potions-charms I reckon... oh and flying!" Eveline enthused

Vivienne smiles proudly, clearly pleased you had taken after he in potions

"I knew you'd like potions the most!!" Her mother says, flashing a smile at Sam

 "Only bad thing about potions is Snape though" Eveline complains

"Ugh, Snape. The man's got a serious stick up his..."

  Vivienne interrupts, giving Oliver a sharp look.

"Oliver! Mind your language!"

"Don't blame yah mate, Snape was a real pain sometimes I have to admit and he was a student back then not a teacher, would be a hundred times worse" Sam said laughing

"See? Even dad agrees. Snape's a nightmare!"

Her mum rolls her eyes, clearly used to their complaints about Snape. But she can't argue that the potions professor was strict. Extremely so.

"Well luckily my old professor wasn't like that or I wouldn't have gotten through OWLs" Vivienne said

"Ah, good ol' Horace. He was a character, that's for sure. Still salty I was never invited to those little parties of his though" Her dad said

"Parties?" Eveline asked

"Oh, Slughorn used to throw these little parties for his favourite students. They called them 'Slug Club' parties. He'd invite the kids with rich or famous families, or the ones who were just really good at potions, so I obviously wasn't invited" Sam explained

"I guess mum was in that club then" Oliver ask

Vivienne raises an eyebrow, giving Sam a sly smirk.

"It's always nice to be recognized for your talents, darling. Always remember that"

"Made any new friends?" Sam asked, passing a bowl of mashed potatoes.

Eveline nodded. "Yeah, quite a few actually." She said too invested in dinner to respond

"And what about Quidditch, Oliver?" Sam asked, shifting the focus to Eveline's brother. "How's your season going?"

Oliver launched into a detailed analysis of his latest matches, especially against Slytherin. "They're absolute cheats," he said passionately, stabbing his fork into a piece of turkey. "They aimed for my face! It wasn't a clean game."

Eveline rolled her eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I hate Slytherins, but I don't think it's a crime to hit the ball at your face, Ollie."

Oliver scoffed, ready to argue more, but their mum interrupted. "Speaking of Slytherins, are we still going to the Malfoys' Christmas party?" Eveline asked, trying to change the subject.

Vivienne nodded, taking a sip of wine. "Yes, we are. Lucius and Narcissa were very kind to invite us. We've been going for years."

Eveline sighed. "But that's exactly what I wanted to get away from!"

Her mum gave her a stern look. "Ev, don't be like that. The Malfoys are friends of ours, and it would be rude to decline now."

"Fine," Eveline muttered, pushing her food around her plate. "But I'm only going for the pudding."

The night carried on with light-hearted conversation, plans for the holidays, and lots of teasing. Eveline felt a sense of belonging as she sat with her family, even though the shadow of Ariana's absence never fully left her mind.

Later, as Eveline finally climbed into bed, she let the comfort of home wrap around her. The familiar creaks of the house and the distant sound of owls replaced the bustling noises of Hogwarts. Despite everything, being home was still one of the best feelings in the world.