Chapter Fourteen: Preparing for Christmas
When Remus awoke rather late on the morning of Christmas Eve, he was slightly disappointed to discover that he was alone in the bed. After the pleasurable activity of the night before, he wasn't really surprised that he slept a bit later than usual, but he rather hoped that Evangeline would have too, and that they could awaken together and pick up where sleep had finally caught up to them last night.
Happily he relaxed into the comfort of the bed for a moment and replayed the lovemaking of the previous night in his mind. This was already the most wonderful Christmas he'd ever had, and he anticipated that the wonders would continue. No longer did he have to sit aside and envy Severus his wife. Now she was his, and he had every intention of keeping her.
Eager to see his new lover again, he got out of the bed and dressed for the day with a big smile on his face. He couldn't help but feel that the smile would be a permanent feature from now on. Totally happy with the world, he opened the door to the wonderful smell of coffee and well cooked food, and made his way downstairs to find Evangeline and wish her a special good morning.
Once downstairs, he crossed through the sitting room and entered the kitchen to find her sitting at the kitchen table with her nose in a book as she ate her breakfast. He stole up behind her and slipping a hand beneath her hair, he lifted the fragrant mass from her neck so he could nuzzle and kiss the tender flesh beneath with his starving lips. "Good morning, Angel." He murmured softly as he bent down and encircled her with his arms. "Did you sleep well?"
She jumped slightly in surprise, then accepted his greeting warmly. "Yes, I did sleep quite well, actually…once my companion stopped kissing me awake."
He chuckled and took a seat by her at the end of the table. "Oh…but that was the best part of last night. Actually, there was no bad part of last night. Being with you was absolutely wonderful. I hope it was for you, too."
She smiled reassuringly at him as she poured him a cup of coffee. "Yes. Last night really was wonderful. Thank you."
As he began to dish some of Rooty's appetizing cooking onto his plate, he returned her smile and asked. "So, what would you like to do today?"
She closed her book and leaned toward him eagerly. "Well, since tomorrow is Christmas, I rather hoped we could get a small tree and decorate it. There are quite a few right here on the property that I think would work. I was hoping you'd help me select one and get it in here. What do you think?"
Remus grinned happily at her. How domestic. "That sounds great, Angel. I haven't put up a Christmas tree in years. Hagrid and Flitwick usually handle that at Hogwarts, and when I was alone, it never seemed to be worth the effort."
"Great. We'll go after breakfast. I have a small box of ornaments that I went and retrieved from my shop. Then I bought some more in some of the shops around here when I decided to try to have a tree this year. I'm not especially good with magical decorating, although I think I could probably conjure up some garland. How about you?"
"Well, when I was a boy, my mother showed us how to make these iridescent bubble ornaments."
He considered thoughtfully. "I haven't thought about making them for years. They were kind of nice, though, at least the ones my Mom made were. I was never as good at it as she and my sister were, it seemed kind of sissy to a 7 year old boy, but I could give it a try, I suppose. Nothing to lose by trying."
"Absolutely. Family traditions are nice. You've never told me anything about your family. Do you see much of them? Where do they live?" She regarded him with interest over the rim of her coffee cup.
He sighed and put down his fork. "There's really not much to tell. My parents are dead. My sister decided a long time ago that she didn't want anything to do with a werewolf. I haven't seen her in years. I'm not even sure if she's still alive. If she is, I'm afraid I wouldn't have a clue as to where to find her…not that she'd want me to anyway."
"I'm sorry to hear that. My parents are both dead, too. I never had any brothers or sisters. I always wanted some. I can remember thinking how much fun it must be to be part of a big family. I always planned to have at least a dozen children to make up for being an only child." As she realized what she'd said, Evangeline's eyes widened and her face paled. Her cup rattled severely as she hastily replaced it in her saucer and put a shaking hand over her mouth and glanced away from her table companion.
Remus reached out a comforting hand and slipped it over the trembling one that sat gently on the tabletop. "I'm sorry, Angel. I didn't mean to bring up any unpleasant memories."
She turned sparkling eyes back to his and lowered the hand from her mouth. Her tremulous lips formed a tentative smile. "It's not your fault. I'm the foolish one. I've just got to start thinking before I speak that's all. I really should know better."
Throwing caution to the winds, Remus offered. "You know…you have a long life ahead of you, Evangeline. You may yet have that large family…who knows."
She stiffened in her chair and her eyes glittered like frozen ice chips. "I told you how I felt about that Remus, and that hasn't changed." Her jaw clenched stiffly and she dropped her eyes from his to peruse the table intently. "I think it would be better if we dropped the subject of having children, okay?"
Reluctantly he realized that he'd overstepped his bounds…he'd been so happy to have her in his life that he was letting himself forget that while he might be her lover that was a long way from being her husband or the father of her children. He'd let himself get lost in a pleasant daydream…and that could spell disaster if he wasn't careful. Don't push! He told himself sternly. So he took a deep breath and nodded. "Of course, Angel…whatever you want. What were some of the good things about being an only child? I was always fighting with my sister about something, and we had quite a few cousins close by when I was growing up, too. I always wished that I had more privacy."
She nodded. "Yes, being an only child did have some advantages, I suppose. Privacy was certainly never an issue. I got to spend as much time as I wanted with my mother and father…although both of them were busy people, they always seemed willing to make time for me. I used to love spending time in my Dad's potions lab watching him work. Both of my parents loved me and tried to make my life happy. I guess I had a pretty good childhood over all…no regrets."
Evangeline fell silent realizing that Remus didn't know about her heritage and what her mother had truly been. Would it matter to him that she wasn't fully human? It hadn't to Severus, and with his background she'd have expected that it might. Should she tell Remus the truth? After some consideration, she decided to wait, there wasn't any rush after all. It was probably enough that he knew about her abilities. There'd be time enough later for more intimate confidences…if their relationship continued.
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After breakfast, Evangeline and Remus put on cloaks and went out into the brilliant day and scouted around for the perfect Christmas tree. The weather was a bit milder than it had been. The storm of the night before had washed the air clean, and there was a hint of freshness in its scent that mixed delicately with the smell of the trees and the nearby sea. Remus felt reborn. The sky was blue, the fir trees were green, and life was perfect.
It took all morning for them to select a tree, cut it down and move it into the cottage. Then they had to decide just where to put it. That took longer than he'd have ever imagined, too. But it didn't matter. There was certainly no rush. Never before had he taken such joy in the process. Where they ended up didn't matter to him as much as the journey. He was savoring every moment, every look, every word, every touch. Storing it all up. When he realized that he was doing this, it gave him pause. Why was he reacting this way? Was he still afraid that being with Evangeline was too good to be true? What could happen to change things now? Nothing! She was his, and if he wanted to savor every moment, well then he would. It didn't mean that anything bad was going to happen, he told himself. Determinedly he plunged back into the moment and refused to worry any longer about how many of them they'd have together.
After lunch, they tackled decorating the tree. Evangeline produced her ornaments, and they hung them up, admiring each of them as they hung them from the fragrant boughs. Once the ornaments were properly arranged, Evangeline took her wand and produced yards of golden garland to encircle the tree with gilt. Then it was Remus' turn.
The curious witch watched closely as Remus took his wand in his hand and hesitated. "Do you remember how to make them?" She asked.
He nodded doubtfully. "I think so." Taking a moment to call the procedure back to mind, he bit his lip in concentration then he muttered a soft incantation and the tip of his wand began to glow with a golden sparkle. The sparkle spit gold dust and grew to the size of a Galleon. Then Remus muttered something else and twisted his wand abruptly and the sparkle of gold flipped over and was suddenly encased in what looked, for all the world, like a soap bubble. Remus reached out and caught it before it could fall to the floor and presented it to Evangeline with a flourish.
"For you, my lovely lady." He said with a triumphant and slightly relieved grin.
Very impressed she reached out and took the delicate bubble and held it carefully in her hand. The glimmer of gold inside continued to spit and sparkle as the outer surface shown with an iridescent sheen. "Oh, Remus, it's beautiful! Can you teach me how to make one?" Her eyes glowed with excitement.
Remus' heart swelled as he looked at the delight on her face and knew that he'd put it there. "Of course. It's not difficult. It just takes a bit of practice."
The rest of the afternoon passed in the enjoyable practice of ornament creation, amidst lots of laughter at frequently popped bubbles.
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Steven stood back and rubbed his aching back as he surveyed the contents of the barn. His scar tissue ached and burned a bit, but it was worth it. Everything was neatly organized and stored into easily managed and well-labeled containers. He felt a deep sense of satisfaction at the order that he'd brought to all the chaos that had been the contents of the barn. This felt right to him. A place for everything and everything in its place. He had the feeling that he was used to things being well ordered. Being able to find exactly what he wanted in a room full of objects without any problem at all, seemed like the natural order of things for him.
Smiling contentedly to himself he turned around, and his eyes fell on a small box of nails that rested on the floor behind him. The smile on his face was immediately replaced by a frown of exasperation. How had he missed this? He bent down and picked up the small box and turned back to the neatly organized shelves to see just where it belonged. The large box labeled nails was naturally sitting on the highest shelf just out of easy reach. With a sigh of annoyance, he turned to get the stepladder so he could return the box to where it belonged.
Then he paused and looked at the box as it rested inoffensively in his palm. Turning back to the shelf, he eyed the large box above his head. Perhaps he didn't need the ladder. Taking aim at the large open box, he tossed the smaller box up towards the opening with an easy motion of his hand. As the small box flipped upward and grazed the edge of the larger box as it dropped over its rim, he realized that he should have taken the time to get the ladder after all. The large box had been more carefully balanced than he'd thought and the additional weight so close to the front end was now threatening to bring the entire square container full of nails down on his head!
With a reflexive yelp of…"No!" He threw up his hand towards the box and ducked his head. For an instant, he felt a tingling surge in the tips of his fingers as he cringed and tried to cover his head with his other hand to protect himself from the onslaught of sharp metal objects that would be landing on him momentarily. When nothing happened, he cautiously raised his head and looked up at the box that a moment before had been tilted precariously on the edge of the shelf. It now sat firmly settled back in its place in absolutely no danger of falling.
He frowned ominously. What was going on? He'd been certain that the small box of nails had unbalanced the whole container. Why didn't it fall? Everything looked okay now. Had he just imagined that he'd been in danger of getting pelted by nails? Apparently so. He shook his head and snorted in disgust. He was getting far too jumpy! Trying to relax once more, he stepped back and surveyed his hard day's work as he rubbed his strangely tingling fingertips with his thumb.
While staring up at the well-ordered shelves in satisfaction, he suddenly had a sharp memory flash of a large stone walled room filled to bursting with amazing objects. Not simply boxes and cartons, but flasks and vials and large bottles with formerly living things floating around in them, and books…hundreds of what seemed like very old books. And cauldrons? Could those huge kettles actually be cauldrons? It was like a mad scientist's laboratory, and it was lit with…candles and lanterns of all things. What could it mean?
Hesitantly he shook his head and the image faded. The flashes that kept coming to him didn't make any sense. It was as if he was remembering some fantasy novel as opposed to his life.
At this point the barn door opened and his employer came in. "My goodness, Steven. What a lot of work you've done! The barn has never been this clean and neat. I'm surprised some sweet young thing hasn't snatched you up and put you to work for her. This is marvelous."
Slowly he pulled himself back from contemplating his strange vision and focused on his employer. "Thank you, Mrs. Trevalleyn. I'm glad you approve."
"Oh my, yes. It's going to be a big help to be able to find things in here again." Her satisfied smile faded a bit as she noticed the strange expression on his face. "What's the matter, Steven? Are you feeling all right? You didn't strain yourself doing all this work, did you? You know you shouldn't overdo it. I know you're still a bit weak from whatever happened to you."
He shook his head and regarded her seriously. "No. I'm fine…I just had a flash of memory. At least, I think that's what it was. It's all so frustrating!" He jammed his fists into his pockets and scowled darkly down at the floor beyond the tip of his boots.
She considered him thoughtfully. "What sort of memory was it that would upset you like this? I'd think that anything you remembered would be a good thing."
"It would be if any of it made the least bit of sense. But the things I keep seeing are…fanciful…strange… They don't seem real. Like this one, it was a huge room in what looked like a very old building with heavy masonry walls and a vaulted ceiling, and the room was full of old books and bottles of…stuff…herbs or chemicals maybe. The room was lit with candles and there were cauldrons. Cauldrons! Who the hell uses cauldrons for anything other than playacting?"
She shrugged. "Maybe that's what it was…a play. Maybe you're an actor." Another idea struck her. "Or maybe you worked in a laboratory in an old building at a University. Some of those old places might have walls and ceilings like the ones you described and bottles of chemicals, too."
He shot her a sharp glance. "Maybe, but…how would that explain the cauldrons?"
"Maybe they weren't really cauldrons. How clear was this memory anyway? Did it last very long?"
"No. Not really." He admitted with a sigh. "I suppose you're right. I may be misinterpreting what I'm remembering. It's all still a bit foggy and vague. I just wish it would all come together and make sense. I really hate not knowing who I am and where I belong…and if there's anyone out there who's looking for me." For good or ill. He thought silently.
She patted his arm comfortingly. "It'll all come back to you eventually, Steven. Don't try to force it. Now, are you sure that you don't want to come with me to my Katie's house tomorrow? I hate the thought of leaving you here all by yourself on Christmas. You'd be welcome, you know."
He tried not to grimace. The thought of Mrs. Trevalleyn's happy family gathering made his stomach churn. A whole crowd of strangers! Nothing could interest him less, of that he was very sure. "No thank you, Mrs. Trevalleyn. I'll be perfectly content here alone. Thank you for the invitation, though. It's very kind."
She nodded. "Not at all. If you change your mind, just let me know. Now go get washed up and come into the house and have your supper. Gosh, but it's nice to have someone to cook for again." With a warm smile, she turned away and left the barn as he stood and watched and wondered.
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Author's Notes:
SevyHero: Sorry about the computer problems. Thanks for the kind words.
Snapefan51: Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying things. Snape, or I should say Steven, is trying very hard to keep his quick tongue under control. He feels that he's found a safe spot to hide and lick his wounds until he can figure out what in the world he should do. He doesn't want to rock the boat by chewing out his benefactress! :)
Arachne's Child: You've hit the nail on the head, I'm afraid. Evangeline's betrayed Severus and hurt Remus…and devastated herself.
Jezebel: I prefer Evangeline with Severus, too…so does she. Severus has extreme reservations about your use of the word "cute", though. :)
Werecat99: Everyone's wondering how Snape's going to get his memory back. The reality will probably disappoint. Glad you liked the picture. :)
Manic: The painting that currently hangs in Evangeline's bedroom is the portrait of a house elf that Evangeline painted during Minerva's visit. The painting that Remus was glad she'd put away was the life-sized animated version of Snape. The concert painting is currently boxed up at Hogwarts along with the Alchemist's portrait because Evangeline couldn't bear to look at them any more; they reminded her too much of Severus.
Lina Lupin: Snape hung his sanity on this one image of Evangeline through all he experienced for this whole past year. Her face is the strongest image in his mind, and not knowing who she is and why he can't stop seeing her face is driving him insane. No, Evangeline would never sell her paintings of Severus. I do enjoy reading everyone's thoughts on how they are going to come face to face again, though. :)
Bookwitch: Thank you so much for your very kind reviews.
Jtyw: Certainly Evangeline wouldn't use her real name…she's in hiding, too. Not from Muggles, though. :)