In the end, always laugh. And do not lose this strange habit of having faith in life.
Daniel C. L. (via convertions)
evanroseier:
Evan smiled as she laughed, he was always a fan of making jokes and while he often cared most about amusing himself he also enjoyed amusing others greatly too. It was especially nice to hear Alice’s laugh, it’d been some time since they’d seen each other and that was probably more his fault than hers despite what many would probably guess. He nodded along to her hushed voice, it was crazy how long it’d all been. Ten years seemed to change the world, or maybe he’d just not noticed it all yet, but he viewed it very differently now. “ I don’t know what eleven year old you are talking about, but all I can remember is one just as dashing and delightful as now, just a fair few inches shorter.” He’d said with a laugh, it was a lie her description was probably far closer to the truth. Back then was so different from where he stood now, he was much softer and eager to prove himself, probably a little awkward too often tagging along with Freya and Lise instead of making friends of his own.
“ It is very kind of her to let everyone get a little Evan time, but she’s not selfish she’s always willing to share. I’m shocked more people aren’t trying to get your attention though” He responded as they’d made their way to the table. Once there both were quick to settle into the seats, this proving to be a much more comfortable situation for Cousin Alice as she seemed to relax into her seat. “ I don’t know much about pregnancy, but I think that’s probably pretty common at your stage of things. What are you eight months now?” He asked, tilting his head in thought trying to figure out if he was right or wrong. He could have easily been wrong, he wasn’t really keeping track of it, but eight months felt like it was in the right range of things. Evan’s smile widened at the thought of talking about Greta. “ My date, right, well her name’s Greta Catchlove and we’ve been pretty good friends for a bit. You might know her actually, she seems to have a way of making friends with everyone.. but she’s really sweet, sees the good in just about everything, and really loves her grandma and pet spider Rosie. As for my life…” He trailed off thinking of what exactly he should stay, there were certainly parts he’d need to leave out. “ Well, there’s not too much to say, but I work at the Ministry now, it’s actually where I met Greta. What about you anything new and exciting except the obvious of course?”
...
Alice laughed, shaking her head as she thought of the young boy Evan had once been. Time had been kind to him in some respects and not in others. He had grown into his looks, for sure, but he had also grown into the burden of familial expectations and obligations. Alice was fairly certain that he had followed in her uncle’s and Freya’s footsteps when it came to the Death Eaters (not that she ever brought the topic up around him, because really it was better if she didn’t know for sure), but she was also pretty certain that his heart wasn’t in it. Evan had always been far more like his mother than the Rosier side, and Alice found herself wishing that her ex-aunt had stuck around in England instead of gallivanting off to America, or that she had been a little younger, able to be there more for him during those formative years at Hogwarts. Maybe if things had been different, he wouldn’t have felt obligated to follow the path laid out for him by his father. Alice sighed, knowing that it was useless to play the what if game. What had happened couldn’t be changed, and all she could do now was try to show him that there was another option out there for him, in whatever way she could.
Alice nodded as the topic turned back to her pregnancy. “Yes, eight months. So really, anytime in the next six weeks I could have a baby!” She shook her head in disbelief, still hardly able to wrap her mind around the reality that after all these years, she and Frank were finally going to have a child. Despite the bowling-ball sized bump she was sporting, none of it felt real to Alice. As Evan mentioned his date’s name, Alice broke out into a wide smile. “Yes, yes, of course I know Greta!” She exclaimed delightedly, feeling even more confident that Evan was on his way to a better path. “She’s quite a delight to be around. I forgot that you two would have worked in the same office. We met at a cafe near the Ministry once when we were both taking a lunch break and bonded over tea and books. I’m so glad you two know each other!” Alice looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Greta, but after giving the room a quick scan and seeing no sign of her, she turned her attention back to her younger cousin. At his question, Alice shrugged. “Not much, really. I’ve taken a step back from my typical Auror duties so now I’m just helping train the newbies and pushing papers.” She made a face to indicate how she felt about the amount of paperwork that now comprised her days. “And Frank’s been out of the country on a mission, so that’s been a bit of a bummer. But other than that, we’ve just been preparing for the baby and doing ordinary life.” As ordinary as life could be in the middle of a war. “How about you? Are you enjoying your work at the Ministry?”
𝙴𝚊𝚟𝚊𝚗 𝙱𝚘𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍, 𝙴𝚞𝚛𝚢𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚜
@frxnkislong
THE BROKEN HEARTS GALLERY (2020)
dorcxsmdws:
…
“You’re of plenty use,” she said softly. It never sat well with her when people downplayed their strength or usefulness, and although Alice didn’t necessarily need a self-esteem boost, she still deserved to know that she could be an important asset and pregnant at the same time. “Nearly no one else has the same access you do. I’m a halfblood, you know? I’ve been working at this for nearly a year now and the trust is still only minimal. Enough that I overhear important things, but not enough that I’m told them, anyway. You’ll be a good asset down here while I try to run interference where I can.”
When she started all of this she would never have had such a frank conversation in a room full of people, but she had quickly learned that no one expected a secret conversation to be held in a room full of people – but the background noise made eavesdropping more difficult. “I don’t like when things are out of my control,” she admitted. “I’m good at this, I get why this is my mission, but it makes me nervous when others, who are less used to their tactics, have to put themselves at risk. But it should all be fine. It’s – it’s fairly simple.”
...
Alice listened intently to what Dorcas was saying, appreciating that the younger witch considered her useful despite how far along she was in her pregnancy. Giving her a sympathetic frown, Alice glanced over to where Bellatrix and Rodolphus were greeting guests. “You’re doing a great job,” she murmured, looking back at Dorcas. “It takes time to do what you’re doing, to gain the kind of trust we’re after. And I may be a pureblood, but my cousin knows me well enough to suspect my allegiances, so I’m fairly certain I only received an invitation because of my maiden name.” She laughed. “Still, I’m glad to be here, and I’ll do what I can to protect our people and eavesdrop for any useful information.”
Alice sighed, nodding her agreement at Marlene’s statement. She felt the same way every time she watched a young Order member go into battle or on a mission. They were eager and skilled, of course, but until you had seen as much of this war as people like Alice and Moody and Dorcas had, there was a certain naiveté that always put you at risk. “I know,” she said softly, thinking of all the people here tonight that she would have preferred to keep home. “Paulie and Lily really shouldn’t be here, but Moody wanted to let anyone who volunteered come. Personally, I’m not sure this mission is really worth the risk.” Alice looked into Dorcas’ eyes. “Have you heard anything so far?”