Her mother's reply came a few days later. It was a busy night in the Hog's Head. Evangeline had already dealt with three rowdy drinkers and a couple of bad pick-up lines.
Her boss, Phillius Fern, waddled up to her showing her the horribly familiar black owl clutched in his hands.
"This came for you," he rasped and Evangeline nodded, holding her arm out for the owl to climb onto.
Her mother's owl had learnt not to stick its talons into everything that moved so it rocked on her arm, the letter still tied around his left leg.
She quickly went into the back of the pub where her bed was situated in a small room beside the back door out of the Hog's Head.
Leonidas, the midnight black owl fluttered to perch on the window sill when Evangeline shook him off her arm. She untied the letter from his leg and gave him a treat. Her own owl eyed the other warily and squawked loudly until Evangeline gave him one of the treats.
With shaking hands she pulled the letter from the envelope, ignoring the pristine writing of her mother and the fact she had omitted Theodosia from her daughter's middle name.
Evangeline,
This whole business with your working at a common hovel is putting nightmares in my head. Your father agrees with me when I say that as a proud Malfoy you cannot be allowed to work and live where you are any longer. That said, I have talked to Albus Dumbledore about you being able to return to Hogwarts to complete your education
I will not have my daughter making an even bigger disgrace of herself. You will learn what it is like to uphold the dignity of this family as I will no longer permit you to run ruin your own life.
I promise you that you will be back at school before the weeks end.
Dumbledore will see to that personally.
Give our regards to our Lucius and don't do anything stupid.
Sincerely,
Your mother and father.
Evangeline was sorely tempted to tear the letter to pieces, a furious scowl marring her flawless face. How dare they be so bold? Sending her back to Hogwarts, the nerve!
She bit down hard on her lip and thought for a long time until Phillius poked his dirty face into her room and growled at her about getting back to work.
All night she was walking around like a zombie until a familiar face made her smile.
"Chris!" she called, making her way to the front door where the young man had cautiously entered.
He grinned at her and took her wrists gently, knowing she was his only lifeline to safety in the Hog's Head.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Erm, there's someone outside to see you," he replied and Evangeline raised her eyebrows.
"Then why don't they come inside and see me?" she said, placing her hands on her hips and Chris shuffled nervously.
"He said he'd rather not..."
"Do you know who he is?" Evangeline asked Chris and he nodded solemnly.
"Yes, it's Albus Dumbledore,"
----
Professor Dumbledore looked exactly the same as he always had to Evangeline except for one key difference, he wasn't her professor anymore.
"My mother sent you," she stated flatly when they had retired to the Three Boomstick's. Without telling Phillius of course, he would've had Evangeline's head for stepping foot in their rival tavern.
Dumbledore smiled and offered her a butterbeer which she accepted because she thought she would need something to take her mind off the elderly man in front of her.
"She did but I must agree with her that you should come back to Hogwarts," he said calmly, a sincere smile on his lips.
"What if I don't want to go back? I failed my OWLS anyway. How in Merlin's name am I meant to come back from that?"
"With help and tutoring. You're a bright young woman Evangeline and you were a good student. You may not have passed your OWLS the first time around but I am more than confident that you will the second," Dumbledore said and Evangeline found herself staring at him.
"You know what would be worse than failing the first time?" she asked quietly and his silence was all the prompt she needed. "Failing a second time."
