Not much later, after having been set to rights by her Aunt, Alysanne found herself sandwiched between her cousins, Fred and George, at a table that had been set up just outside the front door of The Burrow, dark hair blowing gently in the breeze while she watched with rapt attention as a rather large cake was carried towards the center of the table, held aloft by the wands of her Aunt and Uncle. Eleven candles glimmered on the topmost layer, with tiny purple candied flowers resting in between each flame that had been carefully nestled in the chocolate frosting—
And clutched in her Aunt Molly's hand that was not holding her wand aloft was a beige-colored square envelope with spidery green writing sprawling across its face.
The cake forgotten, at least for the time being, Alysanne's eyes fixed themselves instead upon the envelope, her heart stuttering along against her ribcage as she began to bounce a bit on the edge of her seat. She knew exactly what it was, after having seen Ron tear open a similar envelope months ago on his very own birthday. And although it would have been a lie to pretend that she was not rather eager to partake in the cake her Aunt Molly had baked just hours ago, Alysanne found it nearly impossible to tear her eyes away from the envelope, at least until the sound of a distinct pop reached her ears, and her attention swiveled to the man who had just appeared a few feet away from the table.
"Uncle Remus!"
Both the cake, and the envelope temporarily forgotten, Alysanne wriggled her way free of both Fred and George, and bolted across the lawn towards the rather shabbily dressed man that had just appeared out of thin air. In spite of the almost haggard quality of his features, as though whatever he had been partaking in prior to his arrival was worthy of causing the utmost exhaustion, the man was more than able to manage a smile as Alysanne practically vaulted herself into his arms. A laugh had escaped him while momentarily holding the young girl in a warm embrace, though it was not long before he was holding her at arm's length as though to get a better look at her—
"Ah, so it is you, Annie. Couldn't tell there, for a moment—" The man stated, stooping to tuck a stray lock of dark hair behind Alysanne's ear, before straightening once more, and turning his attention to Molly as she bustled towards him to take his cloak, "Sorry I'm late, Molly. Ran into some trouble at Gringott's."
"No trouble at all, Remus," Aunt Molly replied, sparing a smile for the new arrival, and ushering him to a spare seat at the right side of her husband, "Here, you're just in time for the cake, and I'll have Arthur fix you up a plate from supper."
"Thank you, Molly."
"What trouble at Gringott's?" Fred inquired, scooting over just a bit so that Alysanne could resume her seat between himself, and his twin, though his gaze remained fixed on Remus all the while. "Goblins fighting amongst themselves again?"
"Hardly, Fred. There seemed to be some doubt over whether or not I was authorized to obtain something from them, given my—er—history, so to speak."
"Your history?"
"What history?"
"What was it you wanted to obtain?"
Smiling slightly at the predictable pelting of inquiries that he received from not only Fred and George, but Alysanne as well, Remus was prepared to reply, only to find himself rather effectively silenced by the significant look Molly sent his way from across the table. Clearly, her intention was to withhold that particular bit of information until after the last of the cake had been finished—
Given that rather large portions were currently being sliced off so that they could float towards each person seated at the table, perhaps a small delay was not that unwarranted.
As the small grouping enjoyed their cake, Alysanne allowed her mind to stray, once again, to the envelope that she could now see, resting securely beside her Aunt's plate. If she knew anything about Aunt Molly at all, she knew that she would likely have to wait until after the last of the plates had been cleared, cleaned, and put away in their proper places before she was allowed a glimpse of the letter herself. And although she was forced to suppress a small huff of impatient aggravation at the thought, Alysanne could not help but allow herself to be once again distracted, this time by the sound of Remus' voice as he addressed a question that had been put to him by Ron.
"No, Ron, I don't think that will work how you expect it to," He was saying, amusement coloring his tone as he shook his head with a smile, and reached for the rather bedraggled looking rat held in her cousin's outstretched hand. Startlingly enough, however, the rat, rather than accepting the idea of being handed off to another person, gave a startled squeak and began to struggle in Ron's grip, such that after a tense moment of suspension in mid-air, he actually managed to squirm free. In next to no time at all, the rat had scampered across the table, jumping off of the edge, and finally coming to rest in a trembling heap in Alysanne's lap, while Remus took the liberty of speaking once again.
"And something tells me Scabbers may not want to be subjected to such a spell, in any case."
"But he'd be so much more interesting if he was able to do a trick or two," Ron griped, sending a half-hearted glare towards Alysanne as she found herself quite unable to resist a snort of amusement at his apparent desperation. "Shove off, Annie, you said just last week he was boring."
"I don't think he'd be any less boring if he was tap-dancing, Ron—"
"So you think."
"So I know."
"You two and your bickering, honestly," Aunt Molly sighed, her twinkling eyes getting in the way of her attempt at conveying exasperation, while she looked from her son, to Alysanne with both hands upon her hips, "Isn't there something else you'd rather be doing, my dear?"
"Such as what?"
"Such as opening your presents, I would suspect."
The argument over Scabbers ended, at least for the moment, Alysanne turned her attention to the gifts that were now arrayed in a haphazard formation around her. In their midst, the envelope she had seen earlier had somehow appeared, nestled in between a particularly lumpy package, and a square box that was almost too delicate in appearance to touch. Almost immediately she reached for it, her eagerness to finally read its contents causing her to inadvertently knock over the lumpy package, thus forcing it to emit a rather loud bang.
"George, if you've given your cousin one of those exploding hats from Zonko's—"
"I haven't, Mum, I swear!"
"It was me," Fred cut in, grinning from ear to ear, and leaning across Alysanne, who was still determinedly trying to unseal the envelope she held clutched in her hands as though she thought someone might pry it from her grasp at any moment, so that he could grab the lumpy package and set it to rights once again. "She was the one who said she wanted one."
"And why on earth would she want one of those?"
"So that, next time Ron tries to steal one of my books, I can jam it onto his head," Alysanne replied rather primly, suppressing a giggle as Ron stuck his tongue out at her, and returning her attention to the envelope as she finally succeeded in getting it open. "Apparently it makes your ears ring for three days on end."
"Well I'll thank you very kindly if you would hand that little parcel my way," Aunt Molly ordered, at least somewhat reassured that Alysanne appeared far more intrigued by the contents of the letter she was now perusing than she was at the loss of one of her birthday gifts. "Anyway, this sort of thing is bound to be on a list of items not allowed at Hogwarts—"
"I got in!"
"Well of course you did, dear, did you really have any doubts?"
"I got in!" Alysanne repeated, her excitement causing her to once again resume the act of bouncing slightly in her seat, thus unseating a rather disgruntled Scabbers onto the grass at her feet with a small squeak of protest. "I'm going to Hogwarts with Ron!"
For the next few moments, amidst the congratulatory hugs, and shouts of excitement from Ron, Fred, and George, Alysanne found her spirits soaring far higher than she had ever dared to believe possible. Ever since Ron had received his letter, she had been practically brimming with the hope that she would get hers, as well, the prospect of somehow being overlooked haunting her even in spite of its rather improbable likelihood. Fred and George had told her of their exploits at the school, of course, as had Remus, and even her Aunt Molly, and even though it was hardly their intent, they had inadvertently filled Alysanne with a simultaneous excitement and growing dread that she might not be able to partake in the same adventures that they themselves had been permitted to enjoy.
Of course, now, it seemed that her worries had been far more than unnecessary—
"Go on, then, dear, open your next gift," Molly instructed, effectively jolting her young niece out of her wayward musings as she gently nudged the tiniest of the parcels towards her. "Be careful with that one, dear. It's quite valuable, or so your Uncle Remus tells me."
Aware of the knowing smile that her Aunt sent towards Remus after speaking, Alysanne's brow furrowed in obvious curiosity, though she seemed to be far too distracted by discovering the possible identity of the box she now clutched gently in her hands on her own to ask what on earth it was directly. Tentatively, she untied the delicate silver bow that was wrapped around it, her fingers setting to the task of unfurling the light grey paper beneath as quickly as she dared. Her mouth fell open almost as soon as it was removed, revealing a startlingly silver box that glinted beneath the light of the candles that Aunt Molly had bewitched to float above the table as the sunlight sank beneath the trees at the edge of the property—but perhaps what earned her attention the most, even more than the lovely etchings of roses that were decorating each edge of the box's sides, was the etching upon the lid of three distinctive letters—letters that were likely meant to signify a name.
E. A. P.
"Evelyn Alysanne Prewett. It was your mother's," Remus supplied, the sudden sound of his voice from his new location behind Alysanne causing the girl to jump, while simultaneously craning her neck back to look up at her Uncle with widened grey eyes, "She would have wanted you to have it, I think, along with what's inside it."
"What—what's inside it?"
"Why don't you go ahead and open it and find out?"
Determined to follow instructions perhaps more so than she ever had been before, Alysanne gently twisted the tiny jeweled knob on the front of the box and lifted the lid, her brow furrowing for a moment as she glimpsed the contents inside. Cushioned on a deep purple velvet, there was a wrought-iron key, held in its place by still more thin silver ribbon. Tentatively, as though half afraid that it would fall to pieces at the slightest provocation, Alysanne grazed her fingertips against it, tracing the metalwork with her lips slightly parted in open admiration. But of course it did not take long for her confusion and curiosity to win out over her silent amazement, her eyes tearing themselves rather reluctantly away from the key so that she might peer up at Remus, who had somehow managed to persuade George to move aside so that he might sit at her right side, instead.
"What is it for? The key, I mean."
"Your vault," Remus replied, a smile toying with the edges of his mouth as he leaned towards Alysanne, and lowered his voice in an attempt at conspiratorial good humor, "In Gringott's bank."
"Gringott's—but—but I've always gone to Aunt Molly for money," Alysanne stammered, her eyes darting over to her Aunt in their turn, having grown wide as a result of her confusion. "Do you—am I starting to become a burden?"
"Good gracious, of course you aren't, dear! We just thought, now that you're about to set off for school, it might help if you had a more accessible supply of money for your own use!"
"You're—you're certain?"
"Of course we are. You listen to me, Alysanne Prewett," Molly began, reaching across the table, and grasping her niece's hand so that she could give it a squeeze that was meant as both an encouragement, and a promise, all in one, "You will always have a home with us. Always, no matter what, is that clear?"
With a nod, and a faint smile, Alysanne found that she was rather easily able to return to the task of opening the other presents set out before her, the tiny box holding the key to her vault at Gringott's remaining close by her side throughout. In truth, although she adored each and every thing that she opened thereafter, her attention kept straying back to the box, her eyes roving over her mother's initials with something akin to wonder. Of course she had heard stories about her, though none of them could ever truly compare to the opportunity she had been denied—the opportunity to know her mother more directly.
But even with those thoughts in mind, Alysanne knew she would have been a fool that this particular birthday just might have been the best one yet…
…
(November 5th, 1981)
"I trust you already suspect the reasoning behind my visit, Molly," Albus stated, stepping over to the armchair that his companion had gestured him towards, albeit rather half-heartedly, and taking a seat so that he might warm himself by the fire crackling in the hearth nearby.
"I do, Albus. Though I fail to see what answers you think I can give you, after everything that's happened."
"It is possible that you may remember more than you think, you know. I often find, when confronted with a hazy memory, that it helps to talk the whole thing through."
"Talk it through," Molly repeated, the disbelief apparent in her words as she perched upon the edge of the sofa, and regarded the man seated across from her as though questioning his sanity, "That seems to be about the last thing I want to do, at the moment. I have children, you know, Albus—"
"Who are, if I am not mistaken, with your husband at the present time?"
"Yes."
"Then I feel that I must encourage you to take this rare moment of time that you have to yourself to grieve."
"Grieve—I don't even know where to begin!" Molly exclaimed, her voice cracking in spite of her hopes to avoid it, while her cheeks flushed pink in belated embarrassment. "My brothers—my sister—and—and him—"
"You may say his name, Molly," Dumbledore advised, leaning back in the armchair he occupied, and threading the fingers of both hands together in a moment's silent thought before going on. "Whatever he's done, he was still your family."
"Whatever he's—Albus, he's killed thirteen people!"
"Would you not have done the same, if Arthur was killed simply because he was in the wrong place, at the wrong time?"
"Evelyn was killed vising Lily and James Potter—"
"And she left behind a daughter, and a man who loved her more than anything. While you have taken your anger—your sadness, and thrown it into your children, Molly, perhaps you ought to consider what one is to do if they have no such activities to steer themselves towards."
"You cannot possibly be excusing his actions, Dumbledore!"
"I am not."
"Then what are you doing?"
"I am simply trying to envision a situation that might hope to explain why someone I always thought to have the best of intentions could have thrown it all away so quickly."
Stunned into silence at the sudden appearance of a very real grief in Dumbledore's words, Molly simply sat where she was on the sofa's edge, her fingers picking idly at a stray thread upon the cushion for want of anything else to do. Perhaps she had been wrong in assuming she was the only one that had been this drastically affected by the news of the past few days. Perhaps Albus was now feeling every bit as lost—every bit as betrayed as she had, the moment she had learned the truth. After all, he had seemed to hold a peculiar sort of affection for the man Lily and James had once considered to be among their closest friends…
But in spite of that belated acknowledgement, Molly was not entirely prepared to be forgiving, her shoulders squaring a bit as she straightened her posture and spoke with a voice that was all but trembling in defiance.
"I won't give her his name, Albus. I won't force an innocent child into being a pariah before she's even two years old!"
"No one is asking you to, Molly," Dumbledore assured, sitting a bit straighter himself as he sought to persuade the distraught woman on the sofa to meet his gaze directly. "Though I would encourage you to tell her who she is when the time is right."
Only able to manage a faint nod, Molly turned her gaze from the man in the armchair, to the fire directly beside him, her eyes burning with unshed tears as she tried her best to keep them at bay by staring at the flames. In truth, this did nothing but further the burning sensation, thus forcing her to eventually close her eyes, and allow a tear or two to slip past the barrier she had tried so diligently to create. True to form, however, her companion did not allow her to linger for very long in such a pensive silence, his next words rather effectively jolting her into awareness once more, and forcing her to face him head on as he spoke.
"Have you given any thought to the surname you will give the girl, then?" He inquired, the gentleness of his tone provoking a small sigh from Molly's parted lips, and causing her to simultaneously relax by just a fraction, though her brow did furrow for a moment of silent thought before she replied.
"Prewett," She declared, determination coloring her tone as she squared her shoulders once more, and placed her hands more firmly upon her lap.
"She deserves to be named after those who fought the Dark Lord, and died for that cause, not for a man who quite obviously meant to join him."
Whether or not her late sister would have agreed with such a decision, Molly found that she was nothing short of resolute, her determination to protect the young girl that had been entrusted into her care by a man that she had once trusted far outweighing any guilt she might have felt at straying from Evelyn Prewett's wishes…
…
Well hello once again, my dears, and welcome (finally!) to chapter two! I have to say, after a brief delay, this particular installment got away from me, especially since I had not initially intended to reveal what I just did at this moment in time. Regardless, though, I suppose I decided to listen to the muses, in the end, and I do hope that my decision didn't put any of you off!
As always, my heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of you that has taken the time to read, follow, and favorite this little story thus far (MommaTurtle1315, Sombodyrandom, nevilleslongbottom, patamon642, skyjadeprincess, victoria cullen35, , ChimeraKitten, NicZ99, RememBearMe, RenaKaya, Sentinel951, Tora3, iteradnecem, laeoris, and shiningpearls, that means you!). I truly do appreciate the support, and I do hope that you all enjoy this chapter as you appear to have enjoyed the last! Please feel free to leave some feedback, if you'd like…I really am eager to hear what you all think!
Until next time, loves…
MOMM
