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

chapter 26

Christmas morning had finally come and the teenagers were excited, nonetheless. They couldn't wait to see what presents they got and what food they were going to enjoy for Christmas dinner. Everyone was sitting by the tree in the drawing-room on the ground floor, drinking either their tea, coffee, or hot cocoa.

Evangeline was anxious. This was her first Christmas with her family as a whole and she went a little bit over the top, she knew it, but she wanted to make it special. She bought everyone, including the Weasleys, matching Christmas pyjamas sets and they were all wearing them with much joy.

'You look good, Draco,' Hermione joked, making Draco's cheeks heat up.

'You do, too, Mione,' he replied, smiling genuinely at her.

Hermione understood that he actually meant what he said, and so her cheeks turned the same red shade as his.

Evangeline and Adalyn were watching the two teenagers with a smile.

'You were just like them back then,' Adalyn recalled.

'Yeah, we were,' Evangeline sighed. 'If only he were here...'

'But he is, Eva,' Adalyn turned around, looking at her daughter and caressing her blonde hair. 'He is here within every cell in Draco's body. He's here within Sirius's memories. He is here within your heart.'

Evangeline smiled at her mother and then turned her attention back to her son and his supposed friend. She could now see it, the resemblance between her relationship with Regulus and Draco's with Hermione. Draco was truly his parents' son and there was absolutely no way of denying that.

Ronald looked at the young pair, jealousy flashing through his eyes. He always believed he'd have a chance with Hermione, but now, here was Mr Draco Black coming into their lives and stealing everything he and Harry held dear.

Harry looked bitterly at the youngest Black when he and Sirius were laughing over the pyjamas Evangeline insisted on buying for everyone. He felt that that Draco had stollen the last bit of family he had left. He couldn't see past the fact that Draco was a Slytherin who just happened to be raised by the Malfoys.

'Mum, this is for you,' Draco told his mother, handing her a box wrapped up in wrapping paper that had little golden stars on them. 'You always say how dad and I are your stars so I thought maybe you'd like this gift,' he added.

Evangeline thorn through the wrapping paper impatiently. When she opened the box, there was a certificate. She looked at the certificate with a small smile, tears glossing over her eyes.

'I know there's a Regulus, a Draco and a Sirius, but now to them joins an Evangeline,' Draco said, tears forming in his own eyes. 'This way, wherever I am, whatever there is to happen, you'll have your place on the sky to watch over me with dad by your side.'

Evangeline hugged her son, chuckling as Draco hugged her as close to him as she was doing with him. 'I'll always watch over you, my little star.' When the duo pulled away from their hug, Eva smiled at her son, caressing his cheek. 'Now it's my turn to give you your gift,' she said, standing up and walking to the tree, grabbing one of the gifts. She resumed her seat on the floor and handed Draco his gift.

Draco unwrapped the paper and saw a photo album. He quickly opened it and saw a collection of photos of his parents and himself.

'I thought maybe you'd like to know what it was like before all of this. I found some of these scattered around boxes in the attic. Some my mom brought from New York and there are some I got from Narcissa,' Evangeline explained.

'Can we look through it later?' Draco asked, and Evangeline nodded with a smile.

After Christmas Morning breakfast, Hermione left the Order of the Phoenix headquarters to spend the rest of her holidays with her parents. Molly and Arthur joined Adam and Adalyn for a stroll around the neighbourhood. Sirius and Robert went to a bar to have a couple of drinks. Harry and Ron were playing Wizard's chess in the drawing-room on the ground floor. Ginny and Sarah were spending time gossiping in Ginerva's room while the twins were in their bedroom, developing new products for their joke-shop. Which left Evangeline and Draco some time alone with that photo album and some hot cocoa.

little Draco, June 1980

'Look at how tiny you were,' Evangeline pointed at the picture with a smile.

'I was that tiny?' Draco asked shocked.

'Indeed you were. You were only a newborn!' Eva chuckled.

'I was adorable,' Draco pointed out.

little Draco, June 1980

'Who took this one?' Draco asked, pointing to another picture.

'Walburga, I think. Not sure though,' Evangeline said, admiring how tiny and pure and adorable Draco looked as a newborn.

'I was a cute baby,' Draco laughed.

'And you've grown into a fine young man,' Eva added. 'The perfect mix between me and your father.'

'You miss him? Dad, I mean,' Draco asked.

'Every second of every day,' Eva answered truthfully. 'But people can't be brought back from the dead no matter how much we wish for it to happen. I've come to terms with what happened a long while ago.'

'But have you ever thought about remarrying? Or, at least, finding someone else?'

'I have to admit, I've been on my fair share of dates over the past few years, but nobody could rise to your father's level. Most men wanted me because I brought power along with my family and connection. They wanted the influence I had on society. Others were just dickheads who needed nothing more than a good fuck,' Evangeline explained. 'Your father is the love of my life. He is why I kept going for all these years, because I made a promise to him, to myself, and to you.