RP: Evangeline's House

Lily let out a laugh and walked over to James, brushing his unruly hair aside and taking his hand in hers.

L: Were you going to ask or do I have to do the work now?

She looked divine in the soft wintry light and her green eyes shone like emeralds.

Amy pursed her lips.

A: This is gonna be fun.

J: I mean I'd never want to enforce the patriarchy by depriving you of the right to flirt with me, Evans.

James smirked and took her hand.

Remus snorted.

R: Maybe.

L: Well then... may I have this dance?

Sirius grinned at his best friend essentially living the dream.

S: James is getting lucky.

Evangeline turned them round so she could also observe. James was curtseying and taking Lily's hand.

J: Shall I lead?

E: So he is.

mildly shit but i am tired


“Is that her? I can’t believe it, she looks beautiful.”

“If you leave me for her I wont even be mad.”

Remus and Amy, perhaps a little tipsy on Ilse’s prosecco and enchanted cocktails, peered over the vol-au-vents table at Francine Bottle, who was deep in conversation with a tall, aging man that Amy recognised to be Juniper Underwood, an advisor to the Dutch Minister for Magic whose face seemed to be constantly featuring in tabloid scandals these days. Francine was beautiful, it could not be disputed. Lithe, graceful, with deep brown skin dotted with white tattoos- stars that moved and twinkled on the slopes of her shoulders and the backs of her calves. Clad in a glamourous black sleeveless cocktail dress that clung neatly to her stomach before descending into a flowing skirt, her prestige and beauty seemed to become an aura surrounding her. Despite all the trimmings however, Amy noticed with a twinge of excitement, Francine had crinkled brown eyes with a glimmer to match the stars on her shoulder blades- she had the eyes of a wonderful writer.

“You go first.” Remus nudged Amy, who looked at him with an appalled face.

“I can’t go first!”

“Why not?”

“I might trip over or accidentally break something.”

Remus sighed and stood up, his legs tiring from being crouched behind the table like spies for what felt like half an hour, “Amy, we have to be brave, we may never get this chance again.”

Amy peered at the hand he held out to her, “Fine… we’ll both go.”

“Agreed.”

With shaky steps and clammy hands frantically being wiped on thighs, the two approached their idol. She was even lovelier up close, smatterings of freckles spanning her face, a milky white birthmark on her left collarbone. Even her hair, smoothed back into a long braid studded with silver gems, gave off something wise and otherworldly about her. Sensing their presence perhaps, Francine paused in her narrative to Mr Underwood and turned slowly to face her biggest fans.

“May I help you?” Her smile carried in her tone and it was magnificent.

“Mrs Bottle,” Remus began, gripping Amy’s hand tightly, “my girlfriend and I are big fans of your books-“

“He bought me a first edition for Christmas-“

“It was signed, a pain to find but so worth it-“

“I love your style, your words just flow off the page like water-“

Francine held up one petite hand to halt their ramblings, which was extremely effective.

“My children, I am honoured to receive such praise.” She placed the hand on Amy’s shoulder lightly (Amy’s hair immediately tightened into ringlets from the shock), “And might I add, you both look magical tonight.”

“Thank you, Mrs Bottle.” Remus mumbled.

“It’s Francine, “ she winked, digging in the black drawstring bag she held at her side and drawing out two long black feathers, “these are a couple of my reserve quills, if you would do me the honour of keeping them. I love to meet admirers of my work.”

The pair took the quills in quivering hands, looking as though they may cry.

“Pleasure to meet you both.”

“P… Pleasure…” In an instant, the author went back to her conversation and Remus pulled Amy away, hands shaking. This could be the best night of their lives so far, and even Ilse’s dirty looks as they went back to crouching behind the vol-au-vents couldn’t dampen it.

The night passed in a blur of swirling skirts and clinking glasses. Sparkling wine flowed freely as the laughter. Evangeline glowed as she wandered the room, greeting her guests, some with handshakes and her wittiest repartee, others with affectionate hugs and warm words.
However, it wasn't all fun and games; doing her duty, she dragged a reluctant Sirius over to her parents for small-talk. Already her mother was put in a bad mood when Evangeline interrupted her conversation with Goneril Ettubrute, rumoured to be an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries. Evangeline had never much liked the woman, whose teeth always struck her as too straight to be real, which made her wonder how she had lost her first set. All the same, her mother was torn from the potential Unspeakable, and forced into conversation with her daughter and Sirius, who had to refrain from pulling at his collar. Had James been there, he might have made a joke about how Sirius ought to be used to collars by now - but he wasn't. He was far across the ballroom enjoying a lively conversation with the manager of the Quidhampton Quails Quidditch Team, and enjoying Lily's proximity.
"The decorations look wonderful mother, you've done a splendid job! Sirius was just telling me how much he admires the floating photographs." Indeed there were photos of Evangeline throughout her life swirling around the edges of the room. People plucked them from the air to examine them for a moment, and then they rejoined the aerial procession. With a light shove in the ribs, Evangeline prompted Sirius to speak to her mother.
Stuttering, he stuffed one hand in his pocket to disguise the slight shaking, eventually settling on saying, "Yeah, it was a really good idea Mrs. Loveridge - you haven't aged at all since that picture of you and Evangeline as a toddler." Clumsy but complimentary, it could have been worse.
"My, how charming of you Sirius, though I fear flattery will get you nowhere. Remind me of your surname?"
"Black," he refrained from spitting the name like an undesirable piece of food stuck in his teeth. At this, Ilse raised her eyebrows and looked mildly impressed.
"The London Blacks? You must be Walburga's boy."
Anything but that. The hand in his pocket clenched into a fist, and Evangeline placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Yes, mother. Walburga and Orion. You know them?"
"Quite well, yes. We met when I was a girl, visiting Britain with Aunt Mathilde. Some sort of anniversary of friendship between Hogwarts and Beauxbatons. I stayed in Walburga's dormitory for the duration of my stay and we've kept a little in touch since. I had no idea you were so well-bred. But... you are a Gryffindor, yes? I was under the impression that the Blacks were a Slytherin family."
Sirius mustered a smile; "Consider me the Black sheep," he smirked slightly at the pun, and Ilse had the grace to let out a small, quiet hum of a laugh.
Thus ended the conversation, with Ilse seeming a lot friendlier towards Sirius now that she knew of his aristocratic heritage. As soon as they escaped, Evangeline squeezed his hand and discreetly kissed him on the cheek, enthusing about how well he had done, and how she thought her mother liked him much more now, and how she would have learned to anyway but his name helped so much! They went back to dancing.
As James was showing off his spoon-on-nose trick to impress Lily, they were approached by a very attractive girl, who looked older than them by at least four or five years. Her hair was strawberry blonde and feather and flared, much like the muggle star Farrah Fawcett's. Her skin was sunkissed and light freckles danced over her nose and cheeks like constellations, framing her stunningly crystal-blue eyes. She wore a pale yellow dress in a chiffon-like fabric, the sleeves floating around her wrists like a genie's. It stopped at her knee and was gathered to emphasise her tiny waist. With a smile she addressed them both.
"Good evening, I was wondering if you could help me. I'm looking for my parents, or my sister actually. She's the birthday girl, Evangeline," she explained with just a hint of a Dutch accent to her lilting voice.
Although the question was perfectly innocent, Lily clasped James' hand discreetly and moved a fraction of an inch closer, although still replying to the girl with a smile, "I think she's dancing with her boyfriend, Sirius - look for the tall guy with the slicked back black hair."
The girl nodded with a smile and a word of thanks before gliding into the sea of dancers to search for her sister. Eventually she found her, and tapped her on the shoulder. As soon as she turned around, Evangeline gasped and clasped her sister in a hug.
"Julietta, you made it!" she exclaimed, pulling back to examine her sister. "You look beautiful! How was the journey? Oh!" Evangeline clearly remembered Sirius only at this moment; "Sirius, this is my older sister, Julietta! You remember, we weren't sure she would make it, she's been working in Bosnia over the spring. But she's here; you're here!"
Sirius exchanged a grin with Julietta, both pleased to see her so happy. They shook hands smilingly.
"Sirius Black, I'm-"
"Evangeline's boyfriend - I know, she writes very expressively about you - usually positive."
The rest of the evening was spent conversing with Julietta, who proved much warmer than her mother, and brought out the sunshine out in her often frosty sister.
As midnight chimed, everyone wished Evangeline a happy birthday, and sang to her. Exhausted, the guests meandered up to bed or to their cars one by one - Sirius would have gone to Evangeline's had her mother not been watching them like a hawk.
The house slept.

(ooooooohhhhhhhhhh)

(aaaaaaahhhhhhh)

Evangeline woke the next morning, at 9am, late for the household but deserved after the celebrations (and prosecco) last night. Running into the shower, the hurriedly washed her hair and body and set about taming it all. She then scrambled back into bed once she was primped and freshened, to pretend she'd woken up like this in case Sirius or someone else came in to surprise her in bed.

Sirius, tousled curls and tired eyes, woke up in a bed he wasn't sure he remembered being put in. It took him a few blinks to notice that this wasn't his dorm, and a few more to recognise the snoring form of James across the room. Oh yeah, it was Evangeline's house. The clock on the wall told him it was half nine.

S: Oh shit it's her birthday.

Scrabbling out of bed and fishing about in his case for two crisply wrapped boxes, he dashed from the room and tried to remember which door led to his girlfriend.

Doors would perhaps have been the more appropriate term. The large double doors that led to her room, complete with small seating area and fireplace, were are the very end of the hall of the floor above Sirius'.

(rich bitch)

Scaling the staircase was an event, every step creaking with unreasonable volume. If anyone popped their head out to see what was causing the racket, they would see a curly haired flannel clad kid looking extremely lost and confused. He regretted not wearing a shirt to bed, the draught put goosebumps across his shoulders and down his arms. Finally he spotted double doors- this must be it.

He cleared his throat and knocked three times.

(it's fine it's only a small seating area)

Evangeline jumped at the sound, calling out in her groggiest voice,

E: Come in!

She sprawled herself attractively on the bed.

Sirius pushed the doors open and stepped in with caution, not really knowing what to expect. after scanning the room quickly (a seating area!!?) he spotted Evangeline attractively sprawled on the bed. Grinning amusedly, he approached her.

S: Happy birthday Evangeline!

He launched onto the bed next to her.

S: And stop pretending you naturally wake up with lip gloss on!

Evangeline wiped the gloss on the back of her hand and feigned innocence.

E: I have no idea what you're talking about. But thank you.

She wound her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

Sirius' smile widened, and he presented her with the two boxes- one significantly smaller.

S: Okay, I'll admit, I had these wrapped by Lily.

He gave her the bigger one (a photo album) first.

Evangeline opened the parcel delicately, beaming from ear to ear when she opened it.

E: Oh, Sirius...

Sirius leafed through the pages over her shoulder, shots of the two of them and with their group. He pointed at one image, taken on the first day back after the Christmas holiday. Evangeline stood smiling with her arms around Amy and Lily. The nature of wizarding pictures meant that the three were permanently finding a joke funny, beaming at whoever was taking the picture. They wore their house scarves and snow whirled around.

S: I love this one.

E: You love a photograph that you aren't in? Are you okay?

She giggled, turning each page reverently and finding joy in every photo.

He gave her the other one, which was clearly a ring box.

S: Don't panic, I'm not proposing.

E: I wouldn't panic if you were, I'd just tell you not to be so silly.

She smirked smugly and removed the paper.

E: Lily really is very good at wrapping, I'd have her do mine.

It was a delicate silver band with three clear gems in a small cluster.

S: It's enchanted, if you rub it, it corresponds to this-

He lifted his arm to show her a thin silver band around his wrist.

S: And it'll tighten. Mine works the same, just like a little hand hold or ... I don't know, James gave me the idea.

He mumbled.

Evangeline gasped as soon as she saw it, beaming at him as she held her wrist out so that he could put it on for her.

E: That's... that's... such advanced magic!

She exclaimed so as not to show too much emotion.

Sirius grinned and slid it on her wrist.

S: You can tell me if you hate it.

E: You know I would. But I don't. So I won't.

Evangeline crawled forward and kissed him.

He kissed back, letting his hand drift into her hair.