𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤. ʀ. ʟᴜᴘɪɴ

fifteen

New Year's Eve. At the Weasleys.

According to Remus it was casual, so Evangeline settled for a long sleeve red turtleneck knit dress that ended at mid-calf, paired with black ankle boots. Since she wore a turtleneck, she didn't have to worry about her scars showing so she tied her hair in a low bun.

"Professor Vandeleur! Oh, it's a pleasure to have you here," Molly Weasley excitedly said as they walked in, "And Professor Lupin, it's lovely to see you again. Please, there are pastries in the kitchen and living room, make yourselves at home!"

They walked  into the living room hand-in-hand. Fred stood by the tree most likely putting a charm on it to prank everyone later when he turned to stare at them, his eyes flickering to their hands.

"George! You owe me!" he yelled, "Happy New Year, professors. How has your holiday been?"

"Quite well," Remus said.

"I can see that. Bill won't like that, Professor..."

"What?" Remus asked.

Fred laughed, "Our older brother Bill had the biggest crush on Professor Vandeleur during their years at Hogwarts. We still tease him every chance we get about it. Oh, this is going to be fun."

Remus laughed, to her surprise.

"I look forward to it," he said.

Evangeline rolled her eyes, "Merlin."

"No Merlin in here, Professor."

He walked away and Evangeline bent down to a television sitting on a stand, watching an old black and white Christmas movie play. She tilted her head, watching it curiously.

"This is a television?" she asked Remus.

"Yes. You've never seen one before?" he questioned, smiling at her curiosity.

She shook her head, "No."

"You know of and have a telephone in your home, but have never even seen a television?"

She stood up straight, "I have not, Remus. In case you forgot, I grew up around strictly magic."

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her, "It's all right. Padfoot and Prongs had no idea what a television was until we spent the day in a muggle down back in 75. Gods, I wished I photographed their reaction."

"Professor Vandeleur! Professor Lupin! Lovely to have you two here." Arthur Weasley interrupted with a wide grin, "My children have been boasting about your class, Professor Vandeleur."

"Have they now?" Evangeline asked, slowly turning to Ron and Ginny, who were standing with Harry listening awkwardly.

"There they are!" Sirius' voice boomed through the house.

He slapped a hand on Remus' shoulder, "Well done, mate."

Bill and Charlie shuffled into the room from the kitchen. Bill's eyes widened the size of saucers at the sight of Evangeline, and tried to turn back to go into the kitchen. Charlie chuckled and turned Bill right back around, shoving him into the room.

"Charlie, come meet Professor Vandeleur!" Molly exclaimed.

He walked to her, shaking her hand, "Nice to meet you, Professor. Heard a lot about you."

Bill rolled his eyes, "And Bill, you of course know her," Molly teased.

"Mom..."

Evangeline chuckled and held out her hand to Bill, "Lovely seeing you again, William. You've grown up."

He laughed slightly, blushing furiously as he took it, "Yeah, it's great to see you, Lina."

"I'm sure you remember Professor Lupin from last Christmas," Molly said.

He nodded, "Yeah–" he choked on nothing when he saw their hands interlocked, "Yeah, of course."

"Poor lad, you stole his girl," Evangeline heard Sirius whisper to Remus.

Besides Bill hardly being able to get out a proper sentence to Evangeline, New Years Eve was going splendidly. Arthur asked every question he could to Evangeline about her time as an Auror before Molly scolded him away and offered Evangeline cookies. 

Ron avoided Evangeline at all costs as he was almost certain he failed her mid-term exam, Fred and George joked with her and she laughed along, Charlie made small-talk, and Bill did everything he could to escape the teasing from his family about her. Remus found it amusing, Sirius found it hilarious. 

By 10, Remus was yawning and checking his watch, sighing when he realized there were still 2 hours to go. 

"Getting tired?" Evangeline asked, slumped on the couch with a glass of wine beside him as they watched Sirius laugh and joke with the twins.

"A bit. New Moon is tomorrow night."

"Yeah," she said.

"Does it make you as tired and weak as it does full lycanthropes?" he inquired.

She nodded, "A bit, yeah. I doubt it's as bad for me as it is you, though. We can leave for the night, if you want."

"No, it's all right."

Remus was barely holding on by 11. That's when Evangeline stood up and spoke, "Remus and I are going to count in for the night. New Moons typically tire," she explained. 

"I figured. Was waiting for him to just fall asleep right there on the couch," Sirius said as Remus stood up, bones lethargic. 

"Thank you for having us, I hope we can do something like this again," she said to Molly and Arthur.

The two said their goodbyes, and they apparated to Remus' cottage.

"We didn't have to leave, you know. You looked like you were having a good time," Remus said as she guided him to the bedroom.

"I would much rather crawl into bed with you," Evangeline said as Remus sat on the edge of his bed. 

He looked up at her, "You look really pretty, you know."

She smiled while looking down at him, holding his face in her hands as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "You don't look too bad, yourself."

He smiled and she leant down, kissing his lips gently. He looked up at her tiredly, "Stay?"

"Of course, go ahead and crawl into bed without me. I have to go home and change."

"You can take one of my jumpers again..."

"Your closet is going to be bare if you keep letting me steal your clothes, Remus."

He smiled, "They look better on you."

Evangeline stepped away and took out her wand, "I still have to take this makeup off and brush my teeth. I'll be back in a jiffy."

Just 10 minutes later, Evangeline apparated to his cottage again. She saw that Remus was already in bed, fast asleep on his back. She smiled at the sight before changing out of her dress and into one of his jumpers, sighing happily at the smell and feel of it.

Remus shifted and turned his head to her, peaking an eye open. He smiled at the sight of her hair down, makeup off, and dressed in only one of his jumpers.

"You looked breathtaking all dolled up, but I think you look best like this," he said quietly as she crawled into bed next to him.

She laid on her back as Remus shuffled close to her. He stayed on his stomach, laying an arm over her abdomen and resting his head in the crook of her neck. He pressed a kiss to her collarbone, "Night, love. Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year."