Evan woke hours later in a new room, with sunlight streaming in through a window onto his face. He sat up, confused. He was in a bedroom, plain looking and on the small side. Atop him was a soft duvet in a nondescript cream that matched the walls. Looking around, he could make out the blurry image of his glasses on a nightstand and he put them on. The world became suddenly clearer and Evan pushed himself out of bed. He was mostly bare, wearing only a pair of undies, and he flushed red. He searched the room for anything to cover himself, and he sighted a small stack of clothes on a comfy looking chair in the corner.
There was a note atop the stack reading "When you're dressed, feel free to come find me downstairs." It was signed 'Lily' and Evan couldn't help but feel comfort in such a simple note.
Rummaging through the clothes, Evan's first thought was that they were tiny. Surely he wasn't that small? But upon closer inspection of himself, he realised with surprise that he was in fact the small one, and the clothes in fact looked a little on the large size for him. That couldn't be right, he thought to himself. He hadn't been that small in years... or- had he?
His brain ached trying to remember, so he shook it off and picked out a blue polo shirt and a pair of shorts, upon realising that any of the trousers would be too long.
When dressing, he was careful to avoid disturbing the bandage on his chest, which looked to have been changed to a fresh one while he had been sleeping.
Against one of the walls stood a tall mirror, which Evan curiously made his way towards. He was surprised to see a small boy, maybe seven or eight years old, with tanned olive skin and shaggy black hair. He could have sworn he wasn't so young.
He looked skinny, with spindly limbs and knobbly knees. His forehead was marred by a large scar resembling the branches of a lightning bolt, reaching across his head and splitting his left eyebrow. Reaching up to touch it, he noticed another scar on his hand. How hadn't he seen that yet?
Upon a close inspection it was a sentence, reading "I must not tell lies". Evan stared at it, puzzled. A faint memory tugged at his brain but he couldn't pin it down.
Turning away from the mirror, he searched about the room again. There weren't any shoes set out for him, but there were a few pairs of socks in different sizes that he sorted through.
Donning the best fitting pair, he left the room.
Cautiously, he made his way into a corridor. To his left was a staircase, which he travelled down as quietly as possible. He didn't quite know why, but he felt an overwhelming sense of dread at the mere thought of making a sound and disturbing the people who so graciously took him in.
The stairs led into another corridor, which spilt off into various rooms. One such room was the living room he had been laying in hours earlier, the door being open and Evan looking in as he walked. It was empty. Evan wondered where Lily was. Maybe the kitchen? Wherever that was.
Testing one of the doors further down the corridor, Evan found himself looking into a study. Once again, it was empty, and Evan quickly shut the door, not wishing to intrude on the space.
The third door in the corridor finally revealed Lily, who was, as Evan had guessed, in the kitchen. She was at the sink washing up. Beside her a towel floated in midair, drying plates and bowls
the woman set down after scrubbing away at them. Evan watched in fascination as the dry plates then flew to awaiting cupboards, neatly putting themselves away.
There was also another woman in the room, older than Lily, and with frizzy red hair. She was holding a sleeping baby in her arms, another in a carrier next to her on the small kitchen table. Something about her sparked familiarity in Evan, but he couldn't pin down why.
She sighted Evan and smiled at him warmly, "Hello dear," she greeted, alerting Lily to his presence.
She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled brightly, "Oh, hello Evan. I hope you slept well." She pulled her hands out of the soapy water in the sink and plucked the towel out of the air so she could dry off.
Evan nodded, "Yes, ma'am," he said politely, and Lily let out a bemused laugh.
"Oh, oh god, please don't call me that," she giggled. "You'll make me feel old. Just call me Lily," she requested, walking over to the table and picking up the second baby before sitting down beside the other lady.
"Do those clothes fit alright?" The unknown woman asked. "Charlie should be around your size, but if they're too large we can always shrink them down a little bit."
"They're a bit big," Evan admitted nervously. "But I don't mind. You don't have to."
"Nonsense, dear. What's the use in clothes that don't fit right?" The woman giggled, causing the baby in her arms to stir. It let out an uncomfortable whine and the woman sighed, "Oh, I'm sorry Freddie," she soothed, adjusting her hold on the child and stroking its back gently.
"How old are they?" Evan asked curiously, ignoring the twinge of remembrance he felt at the name 'Freddie'.
"A year," the woman said. "It was their birthday last week. They're growing up so fast," she said fondly.
Evan wandered over the the baby in Lily's arms. Its eyes were open, staring at him with curiosity. "Hello Georgie," Evan muttered, feeling an overwhelming sense of sadness as he held out a finger. He couldn't help smiling, though, as the child grabbed at it.
"How did you know that?" Lily asked in surprise.
Evan looked up at her, confused. "Know what?"
"His name," Lily elaborated, and Evan blinked.
How did he know that? "I don't know," he said, and the baby giggled, garbling out a string of nonsense and pulling Evan's finger to his mouth, chewing on it with his mostly toothless gums.
The other woman let out a musing hum, "Would you like to hold him?" She asked warmly.
Evan smiled, "Can I? Miss..." he trailed off.
"Molly Weasley," the woman chuckled as Lily helped Evan hold Georgie.
Evan looked down at the baby in his arms, who blinked owlishly up at him before batting at his nose.
Lily chuckled. "I think he likes you," she said.
Molly Weasley nodded, "I don't think I've seen George warm up to someone so immediately."
Evan muttered to George, "I think I like you too."
"Ike!" George exclaimed with a shriek of laughter. "Ike!"
In Molly's arms, Freddie stirred and let out a short wail. "Oh, come now Freddie," Molly shushed, rocking the baby gently. She caught sight of the delicate looking watch on her wrist and let out a surprised frown. "It's three o'clock already?" She muttered. "I'm afraid I have to get going, Lily dear. The boys need collecting from Andromeda's."
Lily nodded, standing. Evan handed her George and she set him in the carrier as Freddie began crying. Molly fussed to get him to calm down as she stood and gathered her belongings. Evan frowned at the noise and tentatively walked towards Molly.
"It's okay, Fred," he soothed at the baby, who silenced upon seeing him.
Molly and Lily were taken aback.
"Kay," Fred babbled with a pout.
"Aww," Lily smiled.
Molly giggled, "I'm going to have to bring these two over more if this is how they behave for Evan."
Evan flushed, backing away.
Lily handed Molly the baby carrier, and led the woman through to the living room, Evan following after the pair. He waved Molly goodbye as she reached the fireplace, and watched with curiosity as she took a handful of green powder and threw it into the unlit grate. Green flames erupted, to Evan's surprise, and Molly muttered "Tonks Residence, Reading."
Stepping into the flames, Molly and the two babies disappeared.
"Now," Lily turned to Evan, grinning. "How's about you and I make brownies?"
The next couple hours passed, Lily and Evan laughing in the kitchen, getting themselves covered with flour and cocoa powder. James walked in on the pair giggling as they danced around the kitchen to Celestina Warbeck songs, a tray of brownies cooling on the counter among a mess of bowls and spoons and measuring cups.
"Did someone let a cloud of doxies in here?" James laughed, waltzing over to his wife and kissing her on the cheek. "It's a mess!"
Evan gasped in surprise upon noticing the man, and jumped away from Lily, looking around the room fearfully at the mess they had made.
"Evan sweetie?" Lily asked in worry.
"What's the matter, kid?" James frowned, kneeling down to meet Evan's eye level.
"I'm sorry," Evan said. "It's my fault. I spilled flour and- then miss Lily- I'll clean up- I-"
"Hey, calm down," James soothed. "You're not in trouble."
Lily frowned, looking to James with concern. "James," she muttered.
Her husband looked to her, nodding.
Lily nodded back and smiled down at Evan. "Evan sweetie, why don't you go pick out a book to read in the living room. Take a couple brownies with you, they should be cool enough now," she suggested, walking to the brownies and cutting a few slices for Evan.
Evan took them nervously, but left the room as was told.
Once the boy was out of earshot, Lily turned to James.
"That poor kid," she frowned. "He looked so scared. Do you think..."
James nodded, "Possibly. I mean, just look at him. He's way too skinny. And those scars he has?"
"Have you had any luck with the missing person reports?" Lily asked, walking over to James and allowing him to embrace her in a hug.
James shook his head, "I spoke to Mad-Eye at training. He hasn't come across any case about a kid like Evan."
"What if he really doesn't have anyone?" Lily muttered.
James kissed her forehead gently, "We'll figure out something."
Lily nodded solemnly.