Extreme Unction (Tom Riddle saga)

Chapter 1

"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stopper death"
~ introduction to Potion classes

Summer 1977

Evelyn finished brewing the potion and admired the result.
Satisfied, she stored the healing potions into her bag, getting ready for going back to St Mungo's in the following morning.

"Dinner's ready, Evy!" a voice called her downstairs.
"Just in time" the witch murmured and left the room to reach the dining room, pleased by its welcoming look.
"Thank you, Castor" she said to the wizard "Do you join us?".
The wizard made a dismissing face "Nah, I'll go to the Hog's Head to meet my friends".
"As you wish" Evelyn said with indifference "See you tomorrow then. Where is he by the way?".
Castor raised his shoulders "I'll send him straight here. Good night, Evy".
She nodded and took her seat, her hungry stomach attracted by the food, so she didn't wait to have company and started to taste from every dish.

Some minutes later a young wizard arrived panting, taking off his dirty cloak and tossing it away carelessly.
"Where have you been?" Evelyn asked slightly coldly eyeing the boy who sat on the other side of the table.
"At the post office. I had to reply to Reg before he worries about me" he said trying to sound amusing.
Evelyn just tightened her lips and focused on the dinner.

"Are you angry with me, mother?" the boy asked hesitantly when the silence in the house was becoming too heavy for him.
"No, I'm just tired" she cut off, standing up and taking out her wand to clean the table, not caring if the boy didn't make through his dessert yet.
The boy was quick enough to catch his piece of cake before it could fly out of his reach.
Evelyn stifled a smile, imagining the boy playing his beloved Quidditch.
"Are we playing gobstones tonight, mother?" he asked although his mouth was full of cake.
She sighed since she was too tired to play games, but she didn't want her son to sneak out of their house while she was sleeping.
"Fine, just one match, Richard" she said smirking at his enthusiast reaction "It shouldn't be hard for you to win against a sleepwalker".
Evelyn sat back at the table, observing her son as he brought the game and prepared the table.

Richard was sixteen. He was growing up so fast that the moment she feared the most was coming. In few month he would have become an adult. She imagined it like opening the cage and letting a bird fly away. And she feared not to see the bird come back again.
It seemed yesterday the day when she gave birth to him and with her heart exploding with joy she held him into her arms for the first time. He was so small back then, but he was crying so hard that he could shake the whole hospital.
Evelyn sighed at the memory. The boy in front of her was almost an adult and he was growing handsome and strong, just like his father.

"Ready?" Richard woke her from her daydreaming "And don't try to let me win easily".
"When did I ever let you win?" she scoffed "Aren't you tired of playing with me?".
"Castor cheats. And snakes can't play".
Hiding how bored the game was making her, Evelyn pretended to enjoy it and smirked as her son exclaimed with joy for winning.
"What if our family grows larger?" she asked bringing back the suspended topic "What about a little sister?".
Richard reacted wearing a bad, disgusted face "Nah. I don't want siblings".
He hurried to clean the table, then together they walked up stairs to their bedrooms.
"I'm too jealous of you" Richard added smirking at her.
Evelyn rolled her eyes and bid him goodnight, taking the opposite direction.
She changed into her nightdress and sat by the opened window, enjoying the fresh breeze of the summer night and the sound of the crickets.
She lowered her head and stared at her wedding ring, watching it reflecting the flame of the candle, the only light in the room.
The tip of her fingers played with it, until a soft knock on the door distracted her.
Evelyn startled noticing the tall, dark shadow by the door, that she didn't hear getting open.
"Mum? Can I sleep with you?" Richard asked softly, leaning against the door in his shirt and shorts.
Evelyn cursed under her breath. Why did he have to look so much like his father?
She hated mistaking him for his father, but she couldn't help it. That was her wish after all.