forever & always (the blacks, one-shots)

✧1✧

~ Regulus did not die before Draco was born, but instead when Draco was 4 years old. Evangeline didn't move back to New York, instead, she and Draco moved into 18 Grimmauld Place. This is their first Christmas since Regulus' passing ~

It was a rather cold day in London, December 24th, and Evangeline Black was trying her best to ready her home for Christmas. She didn't quite feel like celebrating this year, but Christmas was her son's favourite holiday. The poor 4-year-old had already lost his father only a few weeks before his birthday and he felt distraught by the absence of his father.

Draco Black was a smart little boy and when he saw his mother break down into tears while reading a letter that Kreacher, their house elf, brought over from his father, he understood immediately what it meant. The boy loved his parents, but he was more of a daddy's boy. He adored his father and tried to spend all of his time with him. He would sometimes sneak into the study where his father would work and sit silently, just watching his father.

Now Regulus Black was gone and his death left a bitter feeling in his wife's and son's hearts. Christmas used to be Regulus' favourite time of the year, mostly because his darling wife enjoyed it, but when Draco grew and understood the meaning of the holiday, he began to love Christmas as much as his mother did.

It was quite late when Evangeline Black came home from work, dragging a Christmas tree into the house that she bought from the market. It was hard without her husband there, but she was determined to make Christmas happen for his son. She wanted to see her son smiling again as he ran down the stairs and into the drawing room to look under the tree for his presents.

'Eva, is that you?' a feminine voice said from the kitchen.

Evangeline hung her coat and scarf in the hallway before attempting to take the tree into the drawing room. 'Yes, Cissy. I'm home,' she said.

While Eva was trying her best to get the Christmas tree into the drawing room, a tall blonde woman made her way into the hallway from the kitchen. 'Oh, Merlin...' Narcissa Malfoy sighed. 'Eva, darling, what in the name of Salazar Slytherin are you doing with this gigantic Christmas tree?' the older woman asked.

'Well, Cis, dear, this is our first Christmas without Reg and I want to make it as cheerful as possible for Draco,' Evangeline explained.

Narcissa Malfoy was the one who helped Eva with Draco after Regulus' passing. Cousin to the couple, Narcissa was given the title of "godmother" upon young Draco Sirius' birth. Narcissa loved her little godson from the moment she held him and promised both of his parents to protect and love him as if he were her own. Unfortunately for Narcissa and her husband, Lucius, the two could not get pregnant no matter how hard they tried, so after a few miscarriages and stillbirths, the two gave up and turned their undivided attention to young Draco.

'Now, could you possibly help me get this into the drawing room, please? I need to decorate it before Draco wakes up tomorrow morning,' Eva informed Narcissa, the other woman rushing to her cousin's side to help her.

Narcissa levitated the tree and placed it in a drawing room while Eva looked a little taken aback. Narcissa turned her head to her cousin and began to laugh when she saw the expression on Evangeline's face.

'You...?' Cissa began to ask.

'Yep,' Evangeline answered. 'With all that happened, I sometimes forget that you are a witch and that my husband was a wizard and that my son will be accepted into a magical school in Scotland upon his 11th birthday.'

The two women began to laugh and walked together into the drawing room. Narcissa brought magically the tree decorations into the drawing room while Eva sat down on one of the armchairs in the room.

'So, it's just you and Draco for Christmas?' Narcissa asked her cousin.

'Well, my parents are spending Christmas and New Year's in Paris. My grandparents couldn't make it due to a bad snowstorm. My brother is spending Christmas with friends in the Hamptons. Theo and his son are visiting Theo's parents. And Walburga doesn't wanna see me,' Eva explained.

'She's still mad?' Narcissa asked.

'She's furious,' Eva corrected. 'At one point I thought she would kill me when she found out that she was lied to her face for years,' the woman laughed. 'Ever since father's passing, she's growing madder by the day.'

Orion Black died only a month after his youngest son's death. His older son running away and his youngest dying at a young age destroyed him. The day of her husband's passing was when Walburga Black found out that her dear daughter was nothing more than a Muggle and that her grandson was a Half-blood.

'You could come to the ball Lucius and I are throwing for Christmas,' Narcissa proposed.

'As much as I would love to, you know I can't,' Eva mumbled. 'It's best if it's just Draco and me this year. I want to dedicate my whole time to him.'

Narcissa smiled sadly and took her cousin's hand into hers. 'Eva, I know it might not feel like it, but you still have a family, dear. You are my cousin and I would die for you. You have a wonderful son who's the apple of your eye. You have mothers who love you. Aunt Wallburga will come to her senses, I'm sure of that.'

'Thanks, Cis,' Eva told her cousin. 'You don't know how much those words mean to me.'

Narcissa left shortly after. Evangeline kept on assuring her that she could decorate the tree all by herself. It was not an easy task for one person, a Muggle, but Evangeline managed to get the tree decorated and the presents under the tree by 5 in the morning. As soon as she finished, she headed to her and Regulus' bedroom and fell asleep immediately after laying down in bed.

When she woke up, the alarm clock on her bedside table indicated 11:30 a.m. She was surprised by the fact that her son didn't wake up at six in the morning, jumping on her bed and telling her to wake up. She got out of bed and put her robe and slippers on, then headed to Draco's bedroom. She found her son sitting on the floor of his bedroom, playing silently with a few of his toys.

'Good morning, my little star,' Eva greeted her son with a smile.

'Good morning,' Draco mumbled.

Eva's smile fell. She sat down on the floor next to her son. 'What is wrong, my love?' she asked young Draco. 'Do you know what day is today?' she then asked her boy.

'I know it's Christmas, mummy, but I don't want to celebrate if daddy's not here,' Draco answered.

Her son's words surprised Eva. Her cheerful boy was no longer. Eva took Draco into her arms and sat him down on her lap. 'I know it doesn't feel like Christmas without daddy here, my love. But I can assure you that he would want us to celebrate your favourite holiday. He knew how much you love Christmas, baby,' Eva told her son, running her hand through his blonde wavy hair. 'Now, why don't you and I go down to the drawing room and see if Santa dropped by?'