till death do us part -regulus black (the blacks, vol. 1)

chapter 31 - italy, july 1979

Evangeline was woken up by the sun beaming through the windows of hers and Regulus's bedroom in the Black family manor in Italy.

The manor was in the countryside, in northern Italy. It was the place where they both wished that their wedding would take place. Ever since Regulus brought Evangeline to the manor the previous summer, Eva fell in love with the place and its stillness.

She rolled over and found her soon-to-be husband sleeping on his belly, with his face towards her. She silently chuckled and ran a hand through his curls, trying to tame them for a second.

Regulus's eyes lazily opened, looking at his fiancé beside him, his lips curling up into a smile.

'Good morning, love,' he said with his usual morning raspy voice.

Evangeline kissed his temple and then his cheek. 'Good morning,' she replied. 'We have to get going, otherwise, your mother will come in and drag us both to breakfast,' Evangeline laughed. She knew that what she said was true, recalling the family vacation to France they had two years prior.

Regulus sighed but did not show any signs of wanting to get up. He pulled Evangeline close to him and kissed her forehead. Evangeline leaned into his body and kissed his shoulder.

'Can you believe that in a couple of hours we are going to be man and wife?' Regulus asked.

'And for that to happen, I need to go and have my breakfast, get dressed, do my make-up and then walk down the aisle to you,' Evangeline said. 'And if we want all of these to happen, you will have to let me go,' she added.

Regulus sighed and let go of Evangeline, who quickly got out of bed, put a robe on herself and went to the backyard. Walburga, Narcissa and Bellatrix were sitting at the table in the backyard, drinking their tea and talking.

'Good morning,' Evangeline greeted the three women.

'Look who decided to make an appearance,' Narcissa chuckled.

'I thought I would have to drag you out of that bedroom,' Walburga told the young woman.

'There would have been no need for that, mother,' Evangeline told Walburga.

Addressing your mother-in-law as 'mother' was something Evangeline's grandparents taught her as a pure-blood custom. Agnes and Thomas brought up their daughter and granddaughter in pure-blooded ways when it came to manners and behaviour. So, when Regulus proposed, it was easy for Evangeline since she knew all the pure-blooded ways.

'Is any of your family going to be attending, Eva?' Bellatrix asked.

'I sent an invitation to my father out of respect but wrote in a note saying that I did not want him here. My grandparents would not miss it for the world. And my mother and I are still at odds because I chose to marry at 18,' Evangeline explained.

'So, the only guests on your side are going to be your grandparents?' Narcissa asked.

'Yes, pretty much,' Evangeline nodded.

'Well, then, I am to be a guest on your family side,' Narcissa told Evangeline. Oh, if only she knew that their family relation went dipper than she thought.

Later, Evangeline and Narcissa found themselves in one of the bedrooms of the manor. Evangeline was sitting on a chair, getting her makeup and hair done by Narcissa.

'Are you not sad that your grandparents are the only ones of your family attending?' Narcissa asked.

'Not at all,' Evangeline said. 'If they are not happy for my happiness, then they are not welcomed to attend,' she added, seeming happy as ever.