𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄 —

❝ ʀᴇᴍᴜꜱ... ꜱʜᴇ'ꜱ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪꜰᴜʟ, ꜱʜᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋꜱ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴇᴠᴀ. ❞

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE MARRIED TO THIS BLOT, EVANS!" Sirius exclaims a champagne glass in his hand from beside Remus, in front of the newly wedded couple as they look at one of their best friends amused.

"It's Potter now, Pads," James proudly states, wrapping an arm around the Lily Potter. Sirius purely scoffs playfully as Remus hides his amusement behind his glass of champagne before noticing a beautiful vanilla gold-haired woman greeting Lily. He recognized her as Lily's bridesmaid whom he walked down the aisle with — and he couldn't help but admire her as she wore a dark emerald green dress that hugged her body perfectly. He quickly blushes as he drags his eyes before noticing she had caught him staring with a smirk.

"Sirius, Remus, this is my best friend, Evangeline Taurus. Remus, you walked down the aisle with her."

"Yes, of course." He quickly mutters, nodding in acknowledgment as Sirius and James glance at one another with certain looks.

"Please, call me Eva" Sirius gives her a smirk as Remus gives her a polite smile.

"This Remus Lupin and Sirius Black — They were James's groomsman, along with Peter but I don't know where he went."

"We've known each other for years, through elementary school—" Lily quietens her voice and lowly whispers.

"She went to Beauxbaton and our moms were best friends, so we were bound to be friends after my mom knew the Taurus family was filled with wizards and I got my Hogwarts letter." Remus looks at her with a genuinely curious smile on his face.

"For the newly wedded—" Another person starts giving a speech for the new couple and they turn to the person standing and speaking with their champagne in the air — that certain person is the one and only, drunk Alice Longbottom with her husband, Frank, looking at her embarrassed.

But meanwhile, Eva and Remus couldn't take their eyes off each other.

After a little bit, everyone started dancing and Remus was sipping his fifth champagne glass that night. As everyone danced, Remus sat behind watching with a happy smile at his table — watching as Sirius and James were now dancing with one another while Lily was chatting with James's cousins.

"Why aren't you dancing like everyone else?" The pretty voice asks him, making him look up and see it was Eva, who spoke to him. She gives him a kind smile before sitting in the seat beside him.

"I'm not much of a dancer," He remarks with a shrug, bringing his glass up to drink. She rolls her eyes and chuckles. Remus couldn't help but smirk as she chuckled before giving him a sly grin. He admired the way her pale skin almost glowed under the bright lights from the ceilings.

"I love dancing, but these shoes are killing me." She groans, slipping off the black high heels she wore. She then sighed, grasping his glass of champagne and chugging the rest. He raises an eyebrow at her in surprise and laughs.

"Come on, let's go dance Mr. Lupin" She stood up, but her shoes were still off. He looks at her with hesitant pursed lips. She only smirks, reaching her hand out for him and wiggling her fingers for him to take.

"Come on pretty boy, a walk down the aisle isn't the only thing we're gonna do together" She yanks him from his seat making him bark out a laugh, and she leads him on the dance floor, barefoot.

Going beside other couples, she takes his hands, putting them on her waist, and puts her arms around his neck. The song was slow but still a fun song, so once in a while they'd try to trip each other up playfully. They couldn't help but laugh together, and their friends couldn't help but smile in adoration at how cute they were.

Her tipsy side was slowly taking over as she laid her head on his chest and began humming the song. She smiled to herself as she heard his heart beating quickly. She bites her lip and looks around before stepping on her tippy toes and getting closer to him.

"How about we get out of here?" She whispers in his ear, making him look at her as she holds an excited grin. Both were drunk off glasses of champagne and were having so much more fun than they honestly thought they would.

"Let's go." He was the one who was pulling her out of the ballroom now as she was a giggling mess beside him.

They laughed as they both got up to his hotel room. However, people stared as they laughed and whispered to one another as they stood close in the corner of the elevator.

"Shh!" Remus cackles hysterically, as she almost trips over her feet. They get to his door and he unlocks it quickly. They make their way in, and she takes a huge breath before glancing around his hotel room. He closes the door behind him, and he watches her every move quietly. She looked at the wide window that outlooked Paris's night sky and the large comfortable-looking bed. She turns to him, biting down on her bottom lip to hide her smirk before sighing to herself.

"Eva..." Remus whispers as she steps closer to him, before almost pressing him up against the door flirtatiously. He wasn't complaining about the closeness... He loved it.

"Yes Remus?" She whispers innocently, tilting her head softly to the side. Her sparkling blue eyes pierced into his brown ones.

"I..." He didn't know what to say or what he was going to say — he wanted to just kiss her but didn't know how to make the first move. But that didn't matter anymore when she pulled his tie and crashed her lips on his.

It was a surprise and he tried reacting quickly by placing his hands on her hips. Her kisses were dominant and rough, but the more he kissed back the more she melted into it and grew soft. There was an unspeakable force between them, pulling them closer and closer to each other.

She pulls him closer by fisting her hands on his shirt, and then they pull away for a brief second.

He was flustered. Red blushed along his cheeks, as he stuttered. "Y-your—"

"Oh shut up" She laughs, cupping his face and kissing him again. And he happily complied. They couldn't deny the pull they had towards each other ever since walking down the aisle together.

After that night, they started seeing each other but it was difficult because of the fact death eaters were everywhere threatening and killing wizards and muggles. The war was getting worse and worse with more and more people dying every day.

Once Lily and James started needing protection, Remus and Eva both agreed they weren't ready for a relationship right now. Even though they've grown to almost be best friends — they thought it was for the best that they split ways and Evangeline started focusing on protecting herself and her family. Remus didn't want her family to be in danger because of him.

But little did he know they already were.

It was almost a year later when his doorbell rang... And what was outside the door changed his life forever.

Remus was sitting on his couch, reading from one of his favorite authors. But other than that he's been stressed with protecting Lily, James, and their three-month-old baby, Harry in hiding. It was beginning to grow overwhelming for all my friends.

The doorbell rang a few times and he groaned. "I'm coming, just a second!"

He looked through the peephole and grew confused. He saw no one. He opened the door, but nobody was there. He looked down the halls and there was no one in sight.

That's when a small cry was heard below him. He looked down in confusion, to see a basket with a pink blanket draped over it. But there was movement under the blanket and in the basket. He crouched down to examine, and slowly lifted the blanket. His eyes widened to see a baby girl sucking on her thumb under the blanket. He looked around the halls one more time. But again, no one in sight.

Who's baby is this? That was his first thought. And why is it at my door? That was his second thought. This was surely nothing he would expect from such a non-eventful day. He looked around one more time before quickly grabbing the basket and bringing the baby inside. You could tell by the way he firmly carried the basket and slowly he went, he was trying so hard to be careful like the baby in the basket was a glass ancient artifact.

He placed the basket on his table and examined the baby closer. She had greyish-blue eyes that were big with long eyelashes. Her hair was a golden blonde, but there was still barely any on the top of her head.

"I'm so bloody confused—" That's when he saw an envelope beside her. He grabbed the letter beside the baby and saw it had his name on it.

His confusion grew more and more, but he quickly tore the envelope open to find a letter inside. Keeping an eye on the baby, he started to read the letter.

~~~

Dear Remus Lupin,

This is probably more likely a surprise to you. It's been a while since we've talked — it has to be almost a year since I've seen you.

It's Evangeline Taurus. And this little lady is Magnolia Hope Lupin...

I wanted her to have your name, so she always knew who her father was.

~

His breath hitched and stopped reading for a second. He leaned against the table, beside the basket glancing at the baby.

"Magnolia..." Like the baby knew her name perfectly, she looked at Remus with her big eyes.

"This is just..." He didn't know what to think but kept on reading.

~

Her middle name is your mother's name.

But anyway. The death eaters have been trying to kill my bloodline ever since the war started. And they're getting close now. So I didn't know what to do because I knew I was next. I didn't want them to get my baby girl, you were the only person.

I'm sorry I didn't tell you about being pregnant in the beginning but I didn't want to stress you even more. I'm so sorry.

She has no one left except for you, Remus.

And I think it's best that I tell you, I'm a Veela. Making Magnolia quarter Veela. And again I'm sorry for lying to you.

It sickened me every day when I was pregnant and decided to keep it all from you.

I always loved you Remus, and I will forever.

Please take care of our daughter. She deserves the world. She deserves a happy story with you.

Love,

Evangeline Taurus

~~~

The tears in his eyes felt hot. After he finished reading it, he folded it neatly and looked at Magnolia.

He couldn't believe she was gone.

And he's a bloody father.

On the way home earlier, he grabbed a newspaper but didn't bother to read it yet. He quickly rushed to his coffee table, taking the newspaper and flipping through it.

~~~

WE'RE UPSET TO ANNOUNCE THE DEATH EATERS AND WHO-SHALL-NOT-BE-NAMED ARE SUCCEEDING MORE AND MORE. EVANGELINE TAURUS, DAUGHTER OF EUGENE TAURUS, A POWERFUL WIZARD WHO WAS PART OF OUR MINISTRY BEFORE HIS DEATH, WAS FOUND DEAD IN HER HOME - THE TAURUS BLOODLINE HAS ENDED AND HAS GONE INSTINCT.

KEEP THE TAURUS FAMILY IN OUR PRAYERS AND HOPE THIS WAR WILL END SOON. BE SAFE AND KEEP YOURSELF PROTECTED.

~~~

He ran his hand through his hair and threw the newspaper. Remus sighed before getting up from the couch and walking back to Magnolia.

She was trying to reach out to him for him to pick her up and he smiled. He booped her nose with his index finger, and she grabbed it with her little hands. Some of her distinct features made him think of Evangeline. Not trying to feel upset right now, he carefully and slowly picked her up out of the basket. He held her to his chest and had another hand holding her bum.

He walked to the couch and lay down. His back was leaning on the armrest and had his knees up for her to sit up on as she sat on his stomach. She clapped her hands as she curiously looked around.

"I don't even know one thing about... I need to owl the others" He quickly got up, with Mags in his arms, making her giggle.

He quickly grabbed parchment and a pencil, setting it on the kitchen island counter. While holding her, he couldn't figure out how to write and hold her with one hand without her falling backward and not dropping her.

He didn't want to set her on the counter or the floor. He honestly wanted to keep holding her as long as possible.

He bit his tongue in thought and then swung one of his legs up on the counter. He sat Mags on the leg that was on the other counter while he stood with one leg. He grinned to himself as he started writing a letter to Lily, James, Sirius, and Peter that he was a father.

When they got the letter, they were extremely confused. Immediately planning a dinner with all of them and to see Remus's 'daughter'.

Sirius thought he'd finally gone mad.

Peter was just utterly baffled.

Lily seemed excited and immediately was the one inviting him for dinner. Also trying to cope with the loss of her best friend by busying herself with her friends and new baby.

James thought this was some prank and it was going to be a doll with Remus, not an actual baby.

On the way to James and Lily's, Remus was a smiling mess. He held Magnolia proudly down the street, he had found a small black knitted sweater for her to wear in the basket - that looked almost like a little dress on her.

When Remus entered the house, he had his very own key. He heard everyone was already there. He heard Sirius and James banter back and forth about Harry. As Lily happily cooked, hearing their non-stop conversation.

Remus kicked off his shoes and walked into the kitchen holding Mags. He saw Sirius and James talking back and forth, as Harry was sitting on James's lap. Lily was cooking with a black apron on and Peter was at the table reading the newspaper, eating baby carrots.

As he entered though, Lily was the first to notice him. Forgetting about the news he told them through the letters, she looked at the baby and realized in seconds. She looked at him shocked, seeing the baby he was holding. With a loud crash, she dropped the glass plate onto the floor. Making all three heads turn to her.

"Love, are you alright?" James asks his wife, and then it's Peter who sees Remus and Mags.

"Bloody hell... It's true" He whispers, slowly getting out of his chair. Making both James and Sirius turn and see Remus.

"Remus..." Sirius says, dragging out a chuckle and getting out of his chair.

James looked shocked and stepped forward, holding Harry to his chest with wide eyes.

"You aren't mad!" He cheers, making Remus chuckle. Magnolia was falling asleep, clutching onto Remus's collar.

"I'm not mad," Remus chuckles in response, his tone telling them he's just as surprised as them. Lily ran up and looked at her closely before gasping, putting her hands over his lips in discovery.

"Remus... She's beautiful, she looks just like Eva." She said, the overwhelming feeling of tears about to fall. Remus smiled at her knowingly before giving her a side hug and pressing an encouraging kiss on her head.

"Yeah, I know... It's great, isn't it?" He asks with a small chuckle, hoping that'd bring one out of Lily and she happily chuckles back with a nod. "She didn't really leave us, huh?"

"You know what this means?!" Sirius exclaims before Lily can respond but she quickly shushes him with a glare.

"She's sleeping!"

"But do you know what this means?!" James whisper-yells, holding Harry up as he looks at Maggie curiously.

"They're already gonna fall in love!" James coos at Harry, kissing his chubby cheeks.

"Oh childhood friends to lovers... How romantic" Sirius dramatically states, before stepping closer and tickling her small hands.

"What's her name?" Remus smiles and looks down at her.

"Magnolia Hope Lupin."

authors note !!!

i'm so excited for this edited version to be out, you have no idea. and the fact everything is edited so there might be some moments that were cut out and replaced with something else, so some things will be new... but enjoy!!! ( this part used to be the prologue but i decided there's not gonna be a prologue in this book :)

i also have changed evangeline's face claim to margot robbie