I don’t care what news I get I just want this stupid potato dog on my dash
^
Lucius watched her for a little while as she ate, then nodded and resolutly returned his gaze to his own food. At times, he had to admit that he preferred eating alone over sharing a meal like this. There was nothing companionable about their silence- if anything, he felt as though Evelyn blamed him personally for losing Severus. Truth to be told- he had had eyes for her when she was still involved with his friend, but never in a million years had he wished for things to go the way they had.
After dinner he got up abruptly and poured himself a glass of firewhiskey filled to the brim. Once he had downed a few gulps he looked back up at the table, where Eve had only finished half her food so far and he sighed.
“You can stop if you are full for tonight, however, I do expect you to eat a little more in the weeks to come. As I said, Severus would want you to remain healthy under my care.”
Healthy, that was something she hadn’t truly been in years. Not even her beloved had managed to bring Eve to good health. Yes, he’d helped her gain enough weight that she didn’t look emaciated, and diminish the risk of ripping her insides to shreds whenever they’d made love, but he’d been taken from her before he could do much else getting her to eat more than a few bites at meals had taken him ages to accomplish in the first place.
Honestly, Eve never blamed Lucius for what had transpired, bugger, she hadn’t even really been aware that he’d actually been interested in her at all. She’d been convinced his attempts were simply to rile up Severus she couldn’t comprehend anyone taking interest in her, Severus had been surprising enough, that wonderful, perfect man, after all; what, if anything, could the great, pure-blood patriarch of the Malfoy family see in a scrawny, bony, useless, pathetic little muggle like her? It was a thought that worried her as she forced herself to eat; Lucius didn’t think she blamed him, did he? Yes, she had little will or drive at the moment to keep herself alive, she wanted to die like she deserved to for being such a failure but she didn’t blame the wizard for the actions of the people who enforced an absolutely barbariclaw to fix their population problem. It was the fault of the Ministry, not him. The Ministry of Magic, and her. Eve was the one who failed to be able to give Severus a child; she would have gladly died trying, if only to save her beloved from unhappily wedding and raising a child with someone he didn’t love. She knew magic could likely help the child survive if she could not live long enough to carry to term, but Severus had vehemently refused to let her take the risk for him.
Looking up when spoken to again, Eve quietly nodded in understanding as she rose from the table, Maggie the cat jumping from her place at her feet into her arms as the tiny muggle pushed the chair back in quietly. As she was about to turn to leave the room with the cats Snow being a few feet ahead of them because she wasn’t overly fond of Lucius, nor was Maggie but Snow especially didn’t like the man, she paused and raised her tired eyes to look at the patriarch again.
“Mr.Malfoy, I….I don’t blame you, for what happened…I blame myself” she spoke, her voice a little weak from not using it for so long.
He perched his lips together until they formed a very thin
line, devoid of all blood that normally gave them a soft pink color.
Trying to turn her away, no matter how futile or alcohol induced the attempt was heart breaking, and her supportive speeches did not make the process any easier.
“Eve I cannot take care of you right now.” he spoke, trying his best to articulate clearly despite his state of intoxication.
“Severus, I don’t need to be taken care of all the time! I’m an adult! It’s high time I care foryou for once, I’m not about to leave you like this!” Eve responded stubbornly; she wouldn’t just, listen to him while he’s intoxicated or at all, considering what he was trying to do.
“You underestimate how much I love you. I refuse to leave the man I love to suffer, now or ever! You’re the only man for me, and that won’t change! I beg you, don’t shut me out! Severus….”
“I cannot bring Severus back-” Lucius snapped when he noticed Evelyn had not touched her meal for the third day in a row.
“So eat- he asked me to take care off you and I doubt he’ll be pleased to find out I let you starve to death.”
Eve turned her gaze up suddenly at the sound of Lucius snapping at her, she wasn’t exactly stunned that he had…. he wasn’t Severus, nor had his patience with her. He wasn’t, and that was the whole problem. Everything was wrong; Severus had been taken from her, and she was here, in Malfoy Manor, across the table from her soulmate’s dear friend. That, in fact, as Lucius had said, was why she was even there to begin with; her beloved had implored the head of the Malfoy family to…take care of her, whatever the hell that would mean in the future. Nothing made sense anymore, and she had nothing left but her bittersweet memories and two cats…well, and their matching tattoos, but nothing else remained.
Eve obeyed reluctantly no food was appealing to her anymore, she just wanted to vomit at the sight of it. Shed already hated eating, and the way she looked, but seeing the relief on Severus’ face each time she made herself eat, each time she gained a pound had been worth the effort, but now there was nothing to look forward to, nothing to be happy about, but for naught more than the fact Lucius stated; Severus had asked Lucius to keep her intact, only the fact that Severus would be upset by her death kept her from doing exactly what Lucius was insisting she not do on his watch. Eve wouldn’t mind starving to death at this point, she wanted to die so badly. Right when Severus had needed her most, she failed him. She deserved to die for putting him in this situation, wasting Lucius’ time… Her love was miserable with some other woman, trying to conceive with her a child demanded of him by the blasted marriage law, because the puny muggle couldn’t give him one… actually, she could, theoretically, but her internal organs were so mangled that were she to try to carry Severus’ child, the strain of the pregnancy on her damaged innards would kill her. The sun, her happiness had gone with him, and would never return…
“You should have left when I told you to.” He brought out with some difficulty, finding no better way to convey his feelings than to try and drive her away. Again.
“And you should have listened when I said that it’s not happening, Severus. I am going absolutely nowhere.” she knew exactly what Severus was trying to do, and it wasn’t going to work. No, he was the best thing that ever happened to herno matter what Severus thinks about the matter. Eve loves Severus far too much to let him go, knowing the alternative. “My answer is the same as it was the last time you tried to chase me off, and it won’t change the next time you try either.“
Eve’s cheeks turned a slight pink with embarrassment at her right hand’s comment, feeling far less than nice. Although, it was a vote of confidence she appreciated nonetheless. The kingpin knew Severus well enough to know he was equally miserable in that suit, so she avoided commenting, despite thinking it was an excellent look for him. As elegant as he was, he pulled off the look rather…Flawlessly, perfectly, like the bloody suit was made for him.
With a soft sigh, Eve pulled out two journals and a case file to show Severus; she hadn’t shown him the other half of the case file, hadn’t planned to before he’d gotten the cleanup over with. She’d received it all a few hours previously, and looking everything over, she doubted he’d like this extra layer to the mission especially considering she’d neglected to tell him beforehand.
“The part I didn’t know about until quite recently. Apparently, there was another reason everyone was so bloody insistent that we be the ones to carry out this particular mission. Seems we’re going to be committing identity fraud for the next few months; a recently deceased couple, the girl succumbed to some terminal illness, I skimmed over that bit, and her partner passed a week later from heartbreak.” she explained as she tossed him one of the journals; black leather, a little worn and smelling of smoke and cologne with tattered edges. After a moment, Eve began to speak up as she made an attempt of lacing the ribbons on her shoes and failing miserably, one might add.
“A stolen car is waiting for us outside, I’ll drive while you read that. Apparently, the poor kid’s death is what convinced her father to switch sides. Can’t remember at the moment what exactly he does, I know he’s some sort of wealthy politician…I’ll probably remember later, he’ll be assisting with our cover, and housing us until this nightmare’s over. The bloke who owned that? His…associates already disposed of the bodies discretely, and made sure their passing wasn’t registered. It seems that with a few… minor alterations to our appearances, we fit their physical descriptions just about exactly. Eerily so. Thankfully, he was just as much of a grump as you are, so it won’t be hard to impersonate him…Well, aside from the little details about him you’ll have to memorize from that…” the young kingpin finished, looking up briefly at the journal she’d thrown to Severus.
