Queen of Disaster | 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑢𝑠 𝐿𝑢𝑝𝑖𝑛

Chapter 101

After going to the bathroom and splashing some water across her face to cool her temper down, Diana went back into the dining room, where the plates and dishes had been cleared from the table, though everyone was still seated around it.

"Oh, Diana! Good, you're finally here!" Mrs. Rosier exclaimed, watching her as she pulled out her chair and took her place again. "We were beginning to worry. Did you get sick?"

"I was just feeling a little under the weather," Diana said in a voice weaker than she had hoped.

"Are you feeling better now?" her own mother asked, giving her a meaningful look. Diana could tell that her mother knew very well that Diana hadn't actually gotten sick. Physically, at least.

Diana merely nodded as a response, seeing as she couldn't bring herself to speak any longer. She threw a quick glance at Evan's direction, seeing that he still had the hint of a smirk playing at the edge of his lips, which was growing harder and harder to ignore.

At that moment, Diana would've gladly agreed to spent the rest of her life in Azkaban only if she could kill Evan Rosier on the spot, just to wipe that hideous grin off his face.

"Very well, then," said Mr. Rosier, smiling. "Is ze first week of July finalized?"

"Yes. We decided that it would be the best possible time for our wedding," Evan spoke up, looking over at Diana through his sharp blue eyes, "Isn't that right?"

"Yes," Diana whispered without raising her head, her eyes fixed on a spot on the table so she wouldn't have to meet anyone's gaze.

The adults began to speak of the other aspects of the wedding, such as the guest list or where it could take place. Diana had lost the ability to listen to them properly, but she assumed that the finale decision was to hold the ceremony at the Rosier Manor. Diana's own father didn't participate in the conversation very much, and he didn't speak at all unless directly spoken to.

Diana, much like her father, didn't speak at all until the meeting was over. Her mind was too busy with thinking of ways that could prevent this marriage from happening.

She must've run a hundred scenarios in her head by the time everyone got their feet to leave the dining room. But Diana knew that she had to be careful. She couldn't act hastily and do something without properly thinking about its every outcome or consequence.

The best scenario was to talk to Remus about it first. She was sure he would understand if she explained everything to him, and assure him that there wasn't a single part of her that wanted to go through with this marriage. Remus was a smart boy, and Diana knew that with his help, they could find a safe way to prevent it.

  Although there was still a big issue. Maybe before, Evan's threats had felt empty to her, but after seeing the Dark Mark on his forearm, things changed. If Diana decided to run away, Evan had the ability to hurt her parents and everyone she loved. Taking away people's lives and torturing them was now a part of who Evan was.

"Thank you, Félice, for having us," said Mrs. Greengrass as they were about to leave, all of them gathered at the entrance doors of the manor.

     "And thank you for coming." Mrs. Rosier smiled at her warmly, before turning to face Diana. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you over Christmas."

     Diana gave her a polite half-smile, but as Mrs. Rosier brought her into a hug, all she could think about was Evan, his words echoing through her mind.

I'll give you until Christmas break to end things with Lupin, or the consequences will be on you...

When I get angry, things will get messy, and people will get hurt...

When Mrs. Rosier pulled away from the hug, Diana turned to shake hands with Mr. Rosier.

"Welcome to our Famille, Diana," he said.

Diana thought to herself that he didn't seem like a bad person, and neither did Mrs. Rosier, other than their blind prejudice toward Muggles, Muggleborns, and half-breeds.

     In fact, from the long conversation they had over lunch, Diana figured that the Rosiers were even more prejudice than her own family.

Her mother always thought that Muggleborns weren't unworthy to study at Hogwarts, but the Rosiers didn't think that they were even deserving to live. They believed that the Dark Lord was fighting the good fight, and applauded him for all the Muggle massacres. They said that the earth had to be wiped of their kind.

Diana wondered if Evan's parents knew that he was a Death Eater, but she was sure that if, in fact, they were aware of it, they would count it as a noble service to a noble cause.

At last, whether she liked it or not, Diana had to bid Evan goodbye. So, mustering all the self control she had so that she wouldn't rip him apart right on the spot, Diana sternly raised her hand for him to shake.

"Goodbye, my dear Diana," Evan said charming, but when he took her hand, he held it so firmly and harshly that she was afraid he might break her fingers.

Diana smiled through the pain, gritting her teeth together as she tried not to show her hatred on her expression, so she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

With that, Evan leaned in to place a small kiss on her knuckle, and this time Diana couldn't do or say anything to stop him, because everyone's eyes were now on them.

But the moment his cold lips touched her skin, darkness covered her vision.

The feeling was cold, and she felt stuck in a solitude of darkness, sucked into an abyss with no way back.

And then, the blackness slowly faded away, and amidst it, she began to see blurry images, flashing before her eyes in quick motions.

In the first vision, she saw dead bodies everywhere. Next, houses were burnt to the ground with the Dark Mark splattered against the dark sky.

The next image flashed before her eyes, and she found herself walking down a dark and empty street, almost floating like a ghost. It was night and it was raining heavily. Halloween decorations were outside the houses, though there was no sign of children around. Only silence.

And then, from afar, Diana saw a man with a wand in his hand, standing over a body that laid on the wet ground, in the middle of the street.

Diana went forward, narrowing her eyes so she could see more clearly. But the image was still blurry. She couldn't see who they were.

She advanced on, but as if sensing her presence, the man who was standing turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. Diana had to hold back a gasp when she saw Evan Rosier. He looked older. Colder. Merciless. Blood was dripping down his forehead.

Holding her breath, Diana dared to look down at the body that laid motionlessly on the ground.

  "No! NO!" She suddenly screamed when she saw Remus's dead body, pale and cold. He wasn't breathing. His eyes were closed, never to open again.

Her vision went dark again, and through the blackness, Diana saw the eyes of the Grim, red and glaring.

And then, as soon as it had all happened in that one split second, Diana opened her eyes again with a snap, finding herself back in the Rosier Manor, with her hand still clasped in Evan's clutch.

Breathing heavily, she pulled her hand away from him and quickly left through the entrance doors with her parents, after bidding everyone goodbye one last time.

For the rest of that day, Diana tried to forget the horrifying vision as the hours passed by, but the growing pain in her left shoulder was impossible to ignore.