The Palmers' New Plans

Moody gulped back the Firewhiskey in his flask. If there's anything that Barry Crouch Junior got right…he thought to himself. He eyed the men's room. The wooden door was leaning out of its hinges. It was just like the rest of the dust-caked, slightly-slanting, nearly barren muggle inn he, Manny, and Lupin had entered after running out of the Enzo Manor. It wasn't five – star accommodations, the glass of beer Lupin sipped in front of Moody looked ecru rather than clear. But considering that they had to hex throngs of witches and wizards just to escape their last residence, the hotel was more than homey. Speaking of home… Moody mused before asking: "How's Nymphadora?"

Lupin choked on his drink, he coughed it out. "Sorry," he said when he finally stopped. "It's just – you were so abrupt. Why are you asking about her all of sudden, and how would I know?"

Moody chuckled, his gut rumbled. "Come off it, the whole Order knows about you and her." The sudden bloom of pink on Lupin's scarred face only made the ex- Auror laugh more. "I'm surprised the werewolves you spied on before this didn't discover you."

Lupin swirled his half – finished alcohol in the mug. "Yeah, and I'm surprised the rest of the Marauders didn't find out about my lycanthropy sooner than they did." His laugh was dry. When Moody stared at him with his brown eye – his blue one was too busy jumping between the patrons and the exit – Lupin went on. "Her parents wouldn't approve."

"Andromeda and Ted are good people." Moody told him. "It's why they raised a good girl, albeit a hopelessly clumsy and often cheeky one."

Lupin grinned with pride, and then frowned. "They'd probably worry about their future grandchildren, not that they'd be wrong…"

"Thinking of breeding with her, Lupin?" Moody asked. "You hound."

Lupin snorted at that. "She's the one you brought it up!"

"Amongst other things I bet, like marriage." Moody guessed. Amber eyes growing to dinner plate size was all the confirmation Moody needed. "She proposed to you then, atta girl."

"I told her I needed to think about it." Lupin stared into his drink. "But soon after that Dumbledore asked me to help with this rescue mission."

Bet he's been thinking all right, thinking of how he can let Nymphie down gently. Moody shook his head. Poor bloke still doesn't think he deserves a family. "If you learnt anything from those Enzos, it's that not everyone takes after their folks. Could you imagine that Mouse acting like Niccoló, Clarissa?" 'Mouse' was their code word for Eva and despite the girl being a Parselmouth it was fitting enough in Moody's mind.

"The Enzos seem to attract strong magics don't they?" Lupin mused aloud, deftly dodging the subject. Moody rolled both eyes at that. "That one girl had a pretty strong Veela charm for someone who was only half."

Or maybe she was working it extra hard for someone it particular. Is it the scars? The so – called 'wounded bird' appeal that makes these girls flock to him? I'll never get women. As he thought that, his tea incident with Clarissa flashed in his mind. He shook his head again. Never.

"…And then you add Scott, plus the girl we never got to see, I think she's got an ability too." Lupin shrugged. "But I could be wrong."

"Better overestimate the enemy than underestimate, I say we assume Eufemia does." Moody waved over to Manny, finally out of the men's room. "We were talking about your kin."

"My Mum always tried to keep me and Carmen from knowing how crappy that side was." Manny grumbled. "I had to dig for awhile before I found out about the bat in 6th year."

"6th year?" Lupin repeated. "You've known for awhile!"

"I knew about Clarissa, not where the manor was, not that I didn't spend half of 6th year searching for her." Manny rubbed his head with one hand. "I was such an idiot back then. I only looked to see if I could prove to some Pureblooded duffers that I was from a distinguished line instead of just the son of a Half - Blood."

"What happened 7th year?" Lupin asked.

"Ceres." Manny smiled for the brief moment when the name was on his tongue. Just as quickly, his face went neutral. He reached into his robe and pulled out a paper.

Ceres…Ceres Townsend, Moody remembered the curly haired blonde with green eyes that sparkled while she gabbed with other Order of Phoenix members in the First War. She was smart even amongst the Ravenclaws. She didn't take any nonsense from anyone – me included! She would have been a good fit for Scott.

"I talked to Madame Maxine while you two ordered, and I just met with our French spy in there. He gave me this map." Manny started. "Meanwhile, the Beauxbatons' Headmistress told me that the French Ministry has heard whispers of a stronghold for Death Eaters off the coast of Antibes. But since the Aurors haven't found any proof to those rumors yet they didn't want to waste their wand – power on a wild goose chase. The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement there is being also obstructive. Some people think he's a You-Know-Who sympathizer. Either way if there was a group of pureblood zealouts under his nose, he'd lose a lot of support in his upcoming bid for Minister." He grinned. "Good thing we've got nothing to lose by checking it for ourselves."

"Miss Palmer, can I speak to you for a moment?" Eva blinked. She looked at Su next to her but the Ravenclaw shrugged and offered to carry her things to the library for Eva. When Eva said no the Taiwanese girl smiled and told her she'd be in Madame Pince's domain if Eva needed her. Eva waved to Su as she left and then walked to the front of the class when Slughorn waited. He grinned and she gave a shy one back. "I must say, you and Miss Li made an excellent Babbling Beverage, it's quite the complicated potion for a sixth – year but I figured if anyone could make it, it'd be you and Mister Potter."

"Um, well thank you Professor!" Her smile widened. A small part of her was confused at the bit with Harry. For someone who complained so much about Potions before, he seems good at it. Then again, it might have been the Professor rather than the Potions giving his problems. "But what about Su?"

"Yes, yes, she's rather good, although she has a habit of testing new ingredients instead of sticking to the formula when you're not her partner." Slughorn shook his head. "If she just stop having her experiments explode, she'd be doing a lot better in my class. But, this isn't about Miss Li, this is about you! You and your Uncle." Eva winced. "He was brilliant with his Potions too once he got a bit of tutoring. Are you hoping to take after him and be an Unspeakable?"

Eva looked down, the eager – chipmunk look the Professor had made guilt come over her. "No, not really." She glanced back to the Professor to see him, predictably, frown. "I was thinking about being having an Apothecary or maybe even being a Healer."

"Oh…oh!" Slughorn's cheerful tone returned. "I can see it! I can see a line of Palmer Apothecaries all throughout England, maybe through all of the United Kingdom." Eva gulped. "Or Eva Palmer, Concierge Healer, keeping our wealthiest wizards and witches in good health – my, you're much more ambitious than I expected you to be!" Eva shook her head. She opened her mouth to explain. "No, need to explain dear, I like it! It's good aim high! I have a feeling that we'll be hearing a lot about you after Hogwarts, mark my words. And of course you'll remember this dodgy old Professor right?"

"Of course Professor!" Eva said, and meant. "But I got the ideas from my Mum. She told me that before Muggles had modern medicine they sometimes used plants and herbs to help them get better. She says some still do."

"Ah, appealing to sources outside the Wizarding World too, impressive." He nodded. "You know dear, you have it better than some muggle – borns, being so privy to our kind by having a Sqiub mother and magical grandparents – I still can't believe you're Manuel's niece, not his daughter. I heard that he and his wife was expecting around the time you should've been born."

Eva sighed. "They were but Auntie Ceres died and the baby died with her."

"Oh, terrible, just terrible. Ceres was brilliant too, but she did have a bit of a temper. She was a bit like you, a Muggle – born, but the parents of two Muggle – borns, but when I mentioned I was surprised by her skill level for her kind, she got offended." The two of them had been walking and Slughorn finally stopped. "Not that I meant anything by it."

Eva gave him a small laugh. "I understand."

"Good!" Slughorn continued his stroll, catching up with the Hufflepuff. "After all, if I did mean anything, then I wouldn't be inviting you to my Christmas Party, now would I?"

"Christmas Party? Er, I don't know…" Eva began. "Is it at the castle? If it's not then I can't go." Reminding herself of the conversation Dumbledore had given her after the Feast made her tone deflate. Dumbledore told her that, for her safety, she couldn't stay with her great aunt for the holidays like she normally did. Learning that the Weasley's offered to have her over during Christmas took a little of the sting out of that painful news. However, the sting doubled over at the next tidbit: she couldn't be by herself in Hogsmeade, not that Su, Hannah, Susan, or Ernie minded when she explained Dumbledore's orders. They happily kept at her side during their trips. It was her that minded. Eva often strolled by herself on those days, enjoying her time away from the buzzing castle. She liked it when it was just her and nature.

"Don't worry, I cleared it with Dumbledore, it'll be here – and it'll be before break so you can have your own Christmas plans. But I must say, a lot of important people will intend as well, some of them can make that Apothecary chain dream of yours come true –"

"Um, Professor –"

"– so put your best face and your best dress out. Oh, and mind who's on your arm too." He added, winking. Eva blushed. "The right date can make the right impression."

"Um, thank you, I will mind." Eva scurried out of the Potions room before the Professor could dig into her love life more. Not that I have one. She bemoaned herself. Parties are one thing, dating is a whole other drama.