What's Papa Like: By Ang.
As the sun peeked through the windows and danced playfully across Evie's face, she yawned and stretched, forgetting where she was and all that had happened to her just the day before. Then, as she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings, it all came flooding back to her and a wide grin covered her face as she rolled over and hugged her mother's pillow to her face, inhaling her new favourite scent.
She replayed the events from the day before and wondered how Abigail was faring at Hogwarts. She hoped that things had gone as smoothly with their father and it had with their mum. But, knowing just how little she saw of her father some days, she wasn't overly concerned about Abigail revealing their secret with some mishap. No, she was more concerned about ruining things on her end.
"Well, it's about time you woke up sleepy head!" Minerva was standing at the door and smiling at her daughter. "I can't remember the last time you slept so late. It's nearly eight o'clock and I was about to think the trip yesterday had completely exhausted you," she teased as she sat down beside Evie on the bed.
Evie stretched once more and blinked harshly as Minerva waved her hand, permitting the curtains to part, revealing the bright blue of the sky and the large clouds outside the window. She couldn't understand why anyone would intentionally choose to get up so early in the morning. At home, she wouldn't even think of getting out of bed until at least nine, unless of course she had something specific to do that day. But since she was playing the part of Abigail, she had to start rising earlier in the morning.
"Yesterday was a big day for me, Mum, and I had a lot of things to think about last night. After I went to sleep, I had the most fascinating dreams. But when I woke up each time, I had to realize that they weren't real and that was sad." Evie had stayed awake for hours trying to think of the perfect way to get her mother to talk about her father and this was her chosen plan of action.
"Oh really! Well, would you care to enlighten your poor mother about these dreams of yours?" Minerva pulled Evie into her arms and tickled her until she was practically begging for mercy as the two dissolved in a fit of the giggles.
"I…I was dreaming that Papa was here with us and that you two were still in love," she said with a bluntness that stunned Minerva. "I saw him in my dreams and we were all so very happy. You two were kissing and hugging while I played with…um, a pet."
Minerva stiffened a little at the mention of Evie's dreams but she realized that sooner or later she would have to confess her deepest secrets to her daughter and today might as well be the beginning of the long and detailed process. Minerva had to admit, though, that the idea of telling Abigail about her father and ultimately her sister would be a huge weight off her heart. Then again, it could possibly cause her heart to shatter. It would all depend on how her daughter reacted. "Abigail, what did your father look like, dear?" Minerva asked with a shaking voice.
Fear gripped Evie's heart as she tried to think quickly. "Oh, well, I didn't really get a good look at him," she lied. "He was too busy paying special attention to you and I was busy playing so I can't really say what he looked like. But I bet he was handsome."
"Yes, baby, he is handsome. He is the most attractive man I've ever seen. You have his eyes, you know," she said wistfully. "Goodness, listen to me raving on about the past. How about you get up and have some breakfast? Then, we'll pack a lunch and head off to the lake. We can swim, take your new schoolbooks to look through, and just spend a lazy day in the summer sun."
Evie panicked when Minerva mentioned swimming. Her father had flatly refused to allow her to swim in the lake at Hogwarts so she had never truly learned how to swim. He had made it very clear that the giant squid did not take kindly to little girls splashing about in the cool waters and while she had been allowed to wade into the lake, it was only with the strictest supervision from her father or another staff member on the grounds. Hoping that her mother wouldn't try to make her swim, she agreed to her mother's proposal and dashed to her room to get ready.
The afternoon was passing by rather quickly as they flipped through the pages of Evie's schoolbooks. Having never been one to really enjoy reading or learning things just for fun, it was with half-hearted enthusiasm that she allowed her mother to explain some of the more important aspects of magic illustrated on the pages of the books. One thing did catch her eye though and that was the transfiguration text.
"Look, mum, it says here that we will be learning how to transfigure objects into animals and that a few witches and wizards have successfully managed to become animagi! I bet that takes a lot of power and concentration." Evie noticed the odd look her mother was giving her as she talked about that part of transfiguration and it unnerved her. She was aware that her father could readily turn himself into a snowy owl and maybe that was the cause for her mother's odd stare.
"Abigail, I hope you remember more at school than you do now. How many times have we gone over the properties of transfiguration and the delicate task of becoming an animagus? You've only asked me about it every week since you were old enough to talk! " Minerva exaggerated as she smiled. But she noticed that her daughter wasn't returning her teasing and it was almost as if she had just learned something shocking about her mother.
"Can you transfigure into your form for me again?" Evie asked. "I want to really study how you do it so I can remember things better. I want to make excellent grades in transfiguration so you'll be proud of me."
"Abigail, transfiguration is in your blood so I doubt very seriously if you'll have to worry about that. Both your father and I are able to transfigure into animals at will. He becomes a beautiful owl the colour of the purest snow and his wingspan is most impressive but not many people know of his ability to transform. He isn't registered with the Ministry for several good reasons. I, on the other hand, am registered and you've seen my form hundreds of times. But just for you, I'll change once more," she answered with a wink.
In the blink of an eye, Minerva disappeared and a small gray tabby cat was in her place briefly before jumping into the young girl's lap, bumping her head against her daughter's chin. "A cat!" she squealed. "That's it! You're a beautiful tabby cat and I am the luckiest girl in the world," Evie giggled, hugging Minerva to her and kissing the top of her mother's head.
Suddenly, it all made sense and Evie was having a hard time containing her excitement and shock. Surely, Abigail had seen Minerva transfigure hundreds of times but what she didn't know was how Evie had been denied a cat for years because of the obvious connection to their mother. She was more determined than ever to learn more about her parents split and how their mother felt about him still. As Minerva transfigured back into human form, she took a deep breath and asked the question which had been plaguing her thoughts for years.
"Mum, why did you and Papa split up when I was still a little girl?" There! It was out in the open now and all she had to do was sit back and wait for the answers to start pouring from her mum's lips.
"It's a long and very complicated story, dear. But I can assure you that it had nothing at all to do with our love for you."
"Then why did he leave us? Or did you leave him? I see how you get when you talk or think about him so I have to assume that it was his fault." That sentence was hard for her to speak but thinking like Abigail, she knew that's what her sister must've thought all these years, just like she had towards her mother at times.
"It wasn't anybody's fault, Petal. Your father and I just had different ideas on what a married life should be like. He was very busy all the time and there just didn't seem to be any time for us," she said with a hint of pain in her voice. "We tried to work things out for your sake but the harder we tried, the worse things seem to become and we didn't want you growing up in a house where we fought all the time. You're much too precious to us for that."
"But if he loves me so much, then why has he stayed away from us all this time? Didn't it hurt him when we left?" Evie was pushing her mother for answers now and she could tell that it was a painful subject to talk about but this was the only way she and Abigail would get their answers. It was also the only way they could even begin to understand why they had been kept apart for so many years.
"Abigail, your father has stayed away because at the time we separated, it was best for both of us."
"Do you still love him?"
A long silence fell upon them as Minerva locked eyes with her daughter. "Yes. I still love him, more than he loves me, I'm afraid. But that's a part of the past and one that I cannot change, even if I wanted to more than anything." A tear fell from Minerva's eyes and Evie reached up to wipe it away from her mother's face. She snuggled into Minerva's arms and sighed.
"Tell me about him, please. I want to know what my father is like. If he loves me as you say he does, then I at least want to know what made you fall in love with him in the first place. I want to understand what happened."
This was not the conversation she had planned to have with Abigail today but it was one she could no longer put off. Her daughter would meet Albus very soon and at least she would know how Minerva saw him instead of how the world perceived him. So, with a steadying breath she began to speak of the love of her life.
"Your father is a brilliant man with so many wonderful characteristics and ideals that's it's hard to put them into words. He first caught my eye when I was very young and I fell in love with him almost instantly. He had a way of making me feel so special and like I could do anything I set my mind to."
"Oh, kind of like the way you always believe in me?" Evie ventured to say.
"Yes, exactly like that. When we first started dating, he treated me like a queen, flowers, owls, candies, surprise outings late at night. He never ran out of ideas to pamper and delight me. He is one of the true romantics left in this world and I was very lucky to have him in my life, even if it was only for a short period of time. He used to call me his goddess and that's exactly how he made me feel."
"But I don't understand. If he had made a mistake, why not confront him and then forgive him? If you loved him and he loved you, why did you break up? Love doesn't stop just because things get rough. You didn't stop loving me when I did things you didn't like."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Petal. Sometimes you love somebody more than they love you. I suppose that's what happened between your father and me. I would have done anything for him and yet he couldn't make a few changes for me when it was all said and done. But you have to understand that it wasn't entirely his fault. I suppose I was accustomed to being the sparkle in his eyes and when he became increasingly busy at work, I just didn't feel as important to him anymore. Other things began to take up his time and I got pushed further and further down his list of priorities."
"You still love him, don't you?" Evie asked softly.
Minerva swallowed hard and closed her eyes as images of Albus Dumbledore flashed in her memory. Happy times they had shared together, the tender touches both during and after their lovemaking, the day she announced they were expecting along with so many more wonderful memories came crashing to the surface of her mind. She cupped her daughter's face and stared into the eyes she had inherited from her father.
"Yes, my wee Petal, I do still love him very much. But I'm afraid I've been gone too long now to turn back the clock and win him back. He's, no doubt, moved on with his life and even though he probably doesn't love me the way I still love him, I'm sure he still cares deeply for you."
"How can you be so sure of his feelings for me? You haven't seen him in years. Besides that, how do you know he hasn't regretted not coming after you and trying to win you back? I bet he regrets letting us go and wishes he could get you back."
"I saw the look in his eyes the day you were born and believe me, you are his pride and joy. You are the little girl who made the mysterious twinkle in his eyes shine brighter than I'd ever seen it. In fact, you have his eyes and several other of his characteristics that you aren't even aware of yet."
"Really? Like what?" she asked eagerly.
"Oh, the way you approach life, always with a child's eyes but still possessing the intelligence of a young lady. Your love for sweets and learning. Even some of the things you say remind me of him sometimes. But the most telling feature is your eyes. You have an uncanny knack of looking into a person's eyes and making them feel as if you can see right through to their soul. He used to do that to me all the time and while it was comforting, it could also be very unnerving."
Evie listened as her mother continued to talk about her father and she did not miss the obvious feelings connected with each memory or thought. It was clear to her that despite what had happened in their marriage, their mother still loved their father very much, maybe even more than she realized. And it was up to her and her twin to make sure that their parents saw the possibilities for a new future together.
Late that night, Evie sat at Abigail's desk and wrote her sister a long letter, describing what she had learned from their mother and asking how things were going with their father. Sneaking out of the house, she found the family owl and sent her on her way to Hogwarts, carrying one of the most important letters either of them would ever see.
TBC…