forever & always (the blacks, one-shots)

✧6✧

~ The Order of the Phoenix does not find out the truth about Evangeline and Regulus. After not receiving any word from Narcissa, Evangeline goes to England to ensure her family is safe. Once a group of Death Eaters hear that Evangeline Black is back in England, they kill her. ~

It was a dark and gloomy day at Malfoy Manor. Draco Malfoy was sitting in his bedroom, waiting for the meeting to commence. He was about to attend his second meeting since he had joined the Death Eaters and did not like them. He was thinking about how different his life could have been if his father did not side with Voldemort upon his return. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his bedroom door.

'Come in,' he said, and his mother, Narcissa, entered the boy's bedroom.

'Draco, dear, the meeting is about to begin,' Narcissa announced to the 17-year-old boy. Whenever she looked at the boy, Narcissa would see her cousins. She had yet to tell the blonde boy the truth about his heritage, but in her heart, she knew that she would do so once the timing was right.

Draco stood up from the armchair by the window where he was previously sitting and followed Narcissa into the dining room of the Malfoy Manor, where the meeting was held. He sat down next to Lucius and Narcissa while they were waiting for Voldemort to join them. They did not have to wait long as the man entered the room soon. He sat down at his usual seat, at the head of the table, overseeing his loyal followers.

'Corban Yaxley has just announced to me that we had a stray coming back to us,' Voldemort said. 'Unfortunately, the deserter was killed as soon as they set foot back in England,' he added. 'Narcissa, did you know that Evangeline Black was still alive? That she was making her way back to England?' Lord Voldemort asked the wife of his trusted follower.

When she heard her cousin's name, Narcissa could not say anything. Did Yaxley and the others kill Evangeline? 'I did not know anything about that, my Lord,' Narcissa lied to the man.

'Very well,' Voldemort said, nodding his head. 'I imagined you would like to give Mrs. Black a proper funeral, seeing as she was one of your own,' he added.

Bellatrix looked at her sister, trying her best not to show any signs of emotion. She loved Evangeline dearly, and the girl was like a little sister to her. Bellatrix knew that Evangeline fled London after Regulus' death and lied to Voldemort about her whereabouts for years. Bellatrix Lestrange might have been insane, but she protected her family no matter what.

Draco looked at his mother, seeing her almost lose herself during the meeting when the name was said. He did not know who the woman was, but he could notice that she was somebody important to his family. He even saw his father lose himself for a second. He had a million questions running through his mind at the speed of light, but he knew he should refrain from asking for a while.

As soon as the meeting finished, he and his family oversaw the departure of the Death Eaters, and then he was sent to his room by Narcissa. He did not exactly listen and followed the three adults to Lucius' study, standing by the door, eavesdropping on the conversation.

'Do you think they truly killed her?' Draco heard his aunt, Bellatrix, ask.

'Why would she come back? She knew it was not safe for her here,' Lucius Malfoy added. 'Narcissa, you told her that the Dark Lord considered her a deserter and that he would kill her if she tried to come back, right?' the man asked his wife.

'I did, Lucius,' Narcissa Malfoy replied. 'I told her repeatedly that any attempted she would make to return would get her killed.'

'Then why did she come? Why would she risk it?' Bellatrix asked her sister.

'Do you believe that she would not worry? That she would live the rest of her life happily without her husband and a son she could not raise?' Narcissa yelled at her sister. 'Do you even remember how broken she was when Reggie died? Do you remember how much she cried? Do you remember how she wanted to die?' she asked her sister. 'Because I do.'

Son? What son was his mother talking about? And who was this Evangeline? Was she Regulus Black's wife? Who was their son? Did he know the boy?

'Eve loved him...' Draco heard his father sigh. 'She did everything in her power to keep Draco safe and now she is gone.'

When he heard his name, he understood what was happening. He was not his parents' child. His mother was this woman named Evangeline and she tried her best to protect him. Draco could not listen to the conversation anymore. His whole world was shaken from the ground, he did not know who he was anymore. The 17-year-old boy ran to his room. He heard someone calling him, but he did not look back. He made his way into his bedroom and lay down on his bed, facing the wall.

'Draco,' the boy heard the voice of who he believed to be his mother for his whole life.

He did not answer, instead, he heard the door to his bedroom close.

'Dear, I know you were listening to our conversation,' Narcissa said as she was approaching Draco's bed. 'I am sorry we did not tell you earlier. We were waiting for the right time to do so,' she explained.

'And now she is gone,' Draco whispered.

'Oh, dear,' Narcissa sighed as she sat down on the bed, looking at the boy whose world was shaken in a matter of seconds. 'Your mum loved you more than anything. Everything she did was to protect you,' Narcissa explained.

'Why did she leave me behind?' Draco asked.

'Come, I want to show you something,' Narcissa said, standing up from the bed and watching Draco as he did the same. The two left the boy's bedroom and walked towards a room Draco was told he was not allowed to enter for most of his life. Narcissa opened the door slowly and walked into the room while Draco stopped by the door frame before following Narcissa into the room. The woman walked towards a shelf from which she grabbed a frame. 'These are your parents,' Narcissa said, handing Draco the photograph.

Draco looked at the two teenagers smiling happily at each other. She noticed a blonde woman smiling widely while a brunette male was kissing her cheek. He could not help himself but notice the resemblance between him and the woman in the picture.

'They were young when they met,' Narcissa began to explain. 'I remember your dad, Regulus, telling me about this beautiful Muggle girl he met at the park one day. He described her as beautiful, kind and smart. I was a little bit taken aback by the fact that she was a Muggle, but was also happy that he was happy after a long time of suffering. When I met Eva I understood why my baby cousin was so taken by her. She was extraordinary.'

'She was a Muggle?' Draco was shocked.

Narcissa nodded her head. 'She might have been a Muggle, but she was strong and brave,' Narcissa answered. 'They hid the truth from your grandparents. Walburga and Orion did not know the truth about your mother,' she added. 'But, she was my cousin. Her mother, your grandmother Adalyn, was adopted by my grandmother's brother. She was a Rosier and she then became a Black.'

'Why did she leave?' Draco asked.

'Your dad died before you were born. He was a brave man who believed in equality and that in order for you and those of you to be safe, he had to do something no one attempted to do before. He wanted to defeat Voldemort but he died doing so,' Narcissa answered. 'Your parents loved you dearly and you should know that they died for you.'