Chapter 8
Andromeda Tonks recognised the boy working at the counter of Flourish and Blotts as soon as she entered the shop. It had been almost five years now since she had seen her cousin, Evan, and yet despite the fact that he was now taller than her, slimmer and with sharper features that no longer bore the childish softness they had once had, the face of the young child as he messed about with exploding snap cards still swam into Andromeda's mind, as clearly as if she had seen it yesterday.
"Mum, look, I found it!" Nymphadora's excited voice rang loudly through the bookshop as she tugged on her mother's sleeve and waved a brightly coloured Martin Miggs annual above her head.
"Shh, talk more quietly, Dora, darling," she chided, taking the large book from her and stroking her daughter's today teal coloured hair affectionately.
Evan had glanced up lazily at the toddler's shout and Andromeda saw his eyes drifting away from her in a bored manner before they snapped up to Andromeda's own face in shock and then disgust. Despite having left behind a large family, this was not a problem Andromeda encountered very often. Her aristocratic relatives rarely mingled with those they deemed below them, and therefore she had only ever caught sight of them very occasionally since she had left their exclusive pureblood bubble, and she had always had time to slip away before they saw her. To find a Rosier working in a shop was almost unthinkable. Most likely Evan's parents were punishing him for something or trying to teach him a lesson. He certainly didn't look like he was here of his own free will.
She wasn't going to let his disdain get the better of her and seized Dora's hand, walking purposefully to the counter and placing the annual, along with two silver sickles, down on the counter in front of her cousin.
"Hello, Evan," she said, with a tentative smile as the boy took the money and began tapping at the till without looking her. He did not react to her greeting and within seconds he had completed the transaction and shoved a bag containing the annual towards her, without so much as a glance.
"Mummy, why did that man look so angry?" Nymphadora asked as Andromeda led her to the door of the shop.
She did not answer, turning away from her daughter so that she did not see the tears pricking at her mother's eyes.
A/N- The next chapter will be the final one :'( I hope you're all enjoying this so far, please leave me a review and let me know what you think :)