A MOTHER'S LOVE!
DECEMBER 1977
7th Year
• • • •
The Hogwarts Express rolled into Kings Cross Station, as Holland and her friends sat up in their compartment so that they could get off of the train.
"Who's meeting you here?" Remus asked his girlfriend, taking her carry on bag off of the overhead shelf and handing it to her.
"My Grandparents," Holland answered, as they moved to get off of the train, "All four of them."
"Do you think I could meet them?" The Gryffindor boy questioned.
Holland smiled up at him as they got their trunks, "They would love that."
Remus grinned down at the Slytherin girl, "You have to at least say hi to mine, James and Peter's parents, though."
"Of course."
***
"What do I say?" Remus whispered into Holland's ear, as she dragged him over to where Jeremiah, Delphina, Elara and Theadore had now arrived onto the busy platform.
"Well, as long as you keep clear of 'I'm the guy who's been making out with your Granddaughter for the past year', I think we'll be good." The girl told him, making him chuckle, before his girlfriend let go of his hand and ran into her Grandfather's arms.
"There's my girl," Jeremiah grinned, before pulling away and ruffling her hair, "We've missed you."
"I've missed you all too," Holland told her Grandparents, hugging them each, before moving to stand next to Remus, taking his hand in her own, "Um, this is Remus." She introduced.
Elara looked at them with a sad smile.
Remus gulped nervoulsy, holding his free hand out to Jeremiah, "Um. It-It's lovely to meet you all. Holland has told me so much about you all."
Jeremiah shook his hand, looking the anxious boy up and down with a smirk, "Holland's told us a lot about you too."
Remus felt as though he was going to shrivel up under his stare, much to the older man's amusement.
"Grandpa." Holland warned him, making him chuckle.
"It's lovely to meet you, Remus," Jeremiah told the boy, making him relax, "How's your father?"
"He's good, thank you," Remus nodded, pointing somewhere behind him, "He's over there, actually."
"I'll be right back then." Jeremiah smiled, going over to talk to his son's old school friend, as Remus was introduced to the rest of his girlfriend's Grandparents.
***
Later that night, Holland sat on her bed, reading Wuthering Heights, when hushed whispers in the hallway caught her attention, making the Slytherin stand up quietly from her bed and put her ear up to her slightly open door.
"I have never been more disappointed in you." Elara hissed.
"What else was I supposed to do?" Larissa asked her mother.
"Anything but make her do this," The older woman told her, "Surely you can see that this is the wrong thing to do."
"I'm her mother," Larissa exclaimed, "I'm just trying to protect her."
"No good mother would ever do this to her child," Elara snapped, "You should have seen her and that boy at the train station today. The way they look at each other. It's the definition of love."
Larissa teared up, letting out a heavy sigh, "You'll know what they'll do if this doesn't happen. I'd rather have her safe, alive and hating me than having to live with a massive target on her head."
"I know," Elara nodded, "But it might just have to be that way."
"I don't know what to do, Mother," Larissa sobbed, "I'm so scared."
"I know you are," The woman's mother cooed, bringing her daughter into a tight hug, "We all are. Just talk to her. It will all be alright. I promise."
***
Holland eyed her mother, as they sat together at a table in The Whisperwind, a popular restaurant in an Irish wizarding town near Whitlight - where the Lux family resided.
"Are you alright dear?" Larissa asked with a tight smile.
"Why did you want me home?" Holland asked, "Of all times, why now?"
"Because we've missed you and wanted to see you." Larissa shrugged.
"Are you sure?" Her daughter raised an eyebrow.
"Of course," The woman laughed, "Sweetheart, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." The Seventh year hummed, continuing to eat her lunch, as did her mother, leaving the pair in an awkward silence.
"So, how's this boy you're dating?" Larissa spoke up, "Remus, is it?"
Upon hearing the boy's name, a blush and a soft smile spread across the young girl's face. A sight that broke her mother's heart.
"He-He's amazing, "Holland grinned, "You know, he's kind, caring, supportive. He's perfect in everyway. I-I think you'd really like him."
Larissa's face fell, a strong, overwhelming feeling of guilt overtaking her.
"Actually," The woman licked her lips, taking in a deep breath, "There, um. There is something important that I need to talk to you about."
***
Holland angrily stormed into Lux Manor, rage filling her every being, as Larissa hurried in behind her daughter, closing the large oak door.
"I can't believe you!" The girl exclaimed.
"Holland please let me explain." Larissa begged.
"Out of all of the things you could have possibly done." Holland continued, ignoring her mother.
"Sweetheart, please!"
"And to think, I actually believed you when you said that you wanted me here because you 'missed me'."
"I did miss you!"
"Well this is a really funny way of showing it!" Holland yelled.
"Holland-"
"Didn't you even think to talk to me about this before you agreed to this insane decision?!" The angry girl shouted, "It does very much concern me, after all!"
"Holland." Larissa whimpered.
"Honestly, I don't know how I didn't expect that something like this would happen. Larissa Lux, the perfect mother, the perfect with, who has the perfect family never lets her own daughter decide anything of her own. Well guess what, Mother," Holland spat, teary-eyed, "I never needed you to tell me how to think. I needed you to be my mother."
"I know!" Larissa cried, both the mother and daughter sobbing at this point, as they stared at each other, out of breath, "I'm sorry that I've not been a good mother to you. I'm sorry that I made you keep your real self sheltered from everybody including yourself. But all I ever wanted to do is keep you safe," The woman told the girl, desperately grabbing onto her hand, "I'm so sorry, Holland but you have to do this. If you do this then none of us have to become death eaters. You do this and we get to live."
Holland stared at her crying, broken mother.
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." The woman repeated in broken whispers, as Holland pulled her into a tight hug.
"It's okay. It's going to be okay." She consoled her mother, fearing what she was going to have to do next.