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

chapter 21 - new year's 1976-1977, part 3

'Found her there in the morning when I came in,' Adalyn explained. 'What happened?' she asked her daughter's boyfriend.

Regulus, trying his best not to wake Eva up, picked up her head and sat down on the couch, putting the pillow on his lap and laying Eva's head carefully back on the pillow.

'We got into a fight,' Regulus sighed.

'Why? Is everything okay?' Adalyn asked.

'I don't know, Adalyn,' the boy sighed. 'We've never fought before and I didn't know how to control myself. I've never felt this kind of anger before. It was as if darkness was covering my eyes and didn't let me see straight,' he reasoned.

'Have you ever had issues with controlling your anger?' Adalyn asked in a motherly tone.

'I've never been angry before my brother left,' Regulus answered. 'But when he left and left me behind, I got so angry I smashed everything in his bedroom,' he added.

'And before that?' the older woman asked.

'I play sports and I'm very competitive. I do get angry on the field, but I manage to keep my anger under control.'

'Have you ever tried going to therapy?' Adalyn asked.

'Therapy?' Regulus asked.

'Have you ever tried talking to a psychologist, sweetheart?' Adalyn made her question clearer.

Regulus knew what psychology was from Muggle Studies and he knew that Evangeline was meeting up with a psychologist every Wednesday after school. 'No,' he shortly answered.

'Why don't you try going in for a session with the psychologist Evangeline goes to?' Adalyn asked. 'I'll take care of getting you an appointment and paying for it, you just have to show up and tell her everything that's been going through in that head of yours. And, if you like it, you can keep going.'

'You'd do such a thing for me?' Regulus asked.

'You remind me so much of my brother. He was just like you, young and with what felt like the weight of the world on his shoulders. And all of this drove him to madness. He killed himself when I was pregnant with Evangeline, since her name.'

'What was your brother's name? Evan?' Regulus asked.

'Evan Rosier, but my father adapted our family name to Rose when they moved from England,' Adalyn explained.

'Did you say Rosier?' Regulus asked.

'Yeah, pretty posh French for an old English family,' Adalyn laughed. 'When they adopted me, the family name was still Rosier since they had just left England. My mother used to say that my father's family disowned him for falling in love with her, a commoner,' Adalyn recalled. 'Now, if you excuse me, I have to get to work,' the mother said, handing Regulus a cup of coffee before leaving.

As Evangeline was still asleep in his lap, Regulus couldn't help but think of what Adalyn had just told him. Was there any possibility that Evangeline's family was a family of wizards?

When Eva woke up, she felt someone's fingers running through her hair. She slowly turned around and looked up at Regulus.

'Hi,' she whispered, not sure of Regulus' mood.

'Good afternoon, Sleeping Beauty,' Regulus said, kissing her forehead. 'I'm so sorry about last night...' he told his girlfriend.

'It's alright,' Eva tried assuring not only Regulus but herself, too.

'No, it's not,' Regulus acknowledged. 'You're my girlfriend and I'm not supposed to treat you like this,' he added. 'I talked to your mother. She said it'd be best for me if I were to talk to a psychologist.'

'And are you going to?' asked Eva curiously.

'If it means I don't go off on you like that, 100% yes,' Regulus answered quickly. 'She also told me something interesting about your family,' Regulus said, making Evangeline raise an eyebrow. 'She said something about her family. She said something about a certain uncle of yours, Evan Rosier,' he continued.

'Evan Rose,' Evangeline corrected.

'To your family, yes, to the Dark Lord, Evan Rosier,' Regulus said.

'Wait, what?' Evangeline asked, jumping and sitting up on the couch.

'Your mother's family adopted her. She was taken in by a family of wizards, one of the sacred 28. They fled England to run from Voldemort when he first started gaining power,' he explained.

'It's not possible,' Evangeline shook her head. 'My uncle killed himself long before I was born.'

'Your uncle is very much alive,' Regulus said.

'But, it's impossible, my mother is a spitting image of my grandmother,' Evangeline reasoned.

'Could have been a coincidence,' Regulus said. 'Do your grandparents live here, in New York?' he asked.

'Yeah, they live around here. Not quite far from here, actually,' Evangeline answered.

'Mind paying them a visit?'

'Sure,' Evangeline shrugged.

The couple went and got ready for the day then left for Eva's grandparents. The two took the subway to Evangeline's grandparents' apartment. When they got off the subway, they walked for a short while until they reached an old block of apartments. Eva rang the intercom, and the door unlocked. They walked up the stairs and Evangeline's grandmother opened the door.

'Hello, dear,' Agnes, Evangeline's grandmother, greeted her granddaughter with a thick English accent.

'Hi, lovey,' Eva said, hugging her grandmother. 'Lovey, this is my boyfriend, Regulus Black,' Evangeline made the introduction.

'Hello, ma'am,' Regulus said politely.

When Agnes heard the name Black, she knew that he was not an ordinary teenage boy. She walked the two to the living room and the teenage couple took a seat on the sofa while Agnes sat on one of the armchairs.

'You have a lovely house, Mrs Rose,' Regulus said politely.

'Thank you, dear,' the elder woman smiled at the teenager.

'Eva is right, your daughter, Adalyn, is a spitting image of you,' he added.

'Evangeline, sweetheart, didn't you get yourself quite the gentleman?' Agnes told her grandmother.

'I indeed did, lovey,' Evangeline smiled at her grandmother.

'So, dear, where are you living in London?' Agnes asked.

'I've been living with Regulus and his parents,' Evangeline admitted.

Regulus saw how tense Agnes got at her granddaughter's answer.

'They've been nothing but nice and welcoming to me,' Eva added.

'Well, I'm glad you're happy, dear,' Agnes told her granddaughter.

'We came here to ask you something?' Regulus spoke up, catching Agnes' attention.

'Sure, dears, what is it?' the woman asked.

'Adalyn pointed out earlier today that you had a son,' Regulus started saying. 'Evan,' he added, and Agnes nodded.

'Yes, he was my husband's son from his previous marriage,' Agnes explained. 'Why are you asking?' Agnes asked.

'Is there a chance your stepson is a man named Evan Rosier?' Regulus asked without giving it a second thought.

'You're one of them,' Agnes whispered, and Regulus nodded. 'How? How do you know him?'

'He's still alive, Mrs Rose. He's one of Voldemort's most trusted followers,' Regulus explained.

'My son would never do such a thing,' Agnes shook her head.

'Apparently, he did,' Regulus said. 'Which means that Voldemort can never meet you,' Regulus told his girlfriend.