After some time, Rowan interrupts James' pensive silence. "You are looking much better, James," she loudly said with a flicker of lingering concern in the depths of her eyes.
James opens his eyes to reveal a thin tired smile. "I suppose, I have just been tired as of late because of our O.W.L.'s. That and well I found myself missing home, I've been rather homesick," he honestly replied. For it was indeed the truth, he still desperately missed his wife and son. But they were forever lost to him.
Rowan gives an assessing look, before slowly nodding her head. "It has been a rather trying year for everyone this year especially studying for our O.W.L.'s."
James nods his head appreciated the sentiments behind the statement even if they were white lies. "Yes, well, I suppose I should congratulate you," he murmured with faint warmth.
"Mm," Rowan murmured in reply.
James's lips twitch for a bit with mirth before he sheepishly blinks. "Er, I forgot to tell you this last time we spoke, and I don't know if your grandfather has already informed you, but I am to be your primary escort for the presentation ball tomorrow night."
Rowan actually blinks in surprise and stares at James blankly for a moment, before frowning. "Did your father force you, James?" She genuinely asked rather concerned.
James rapidly shakes his head and hastily replies, "No, I volunteered."
"You volunteered," Rowan slowly said with clear disbelief in her voice. She paused, before carefully eyeing James. "Is this because Lily is Severus's primary escort?"
"No," James truthfully committing the detail about the deal with her aunt, Professor Prince. "It was my own choice, Rowan, and that is all that you need to know."
Rowan arches her brow at James but does not speak. If James had made such a decision, well, it wasn't her place to further pry. Besides she should be grateful that she would be attending her presentation ball with a friend and not a stranger. And she was, but still, she did worry about James especially after everything that had transpired during the year.
Feeling relieved that Rowan wasn't pressing him for further answers James curiously turns his gaze towards the crowd and finds his gaze drawn to Severus and a thin, pale middle-aged witch with sharp features that resembled the Prince family members. "Hey, Rowan, who is that Severus is speaking to? She seems familiar, but I can't quite place her." He nudged his head in the direction that he was looking at.
Rowan pulls herself from her thoughts and glances up in the direction James is indicating at. For a moment, her face goes rigid before becoming blank. James notices and stares at Rowan with curiosity. "It's Eileen," she said and added after a pause, "our mother."
"Your mother?" James blinked in surprise, before whirling to stare at the witch. "But I thought Eileen Prince was dead?"
"She is," Rowan flatly answered.
Seeing that Rowan didn't want to speak further on the complicated subject, James slowly pulls back, but not before asking one last question. "Are you alright, Rowan?" His eyes flickered with concern over Rowan, whose face is now pointedly blank.
I will be," Rowan quietly replied, before excusing herself and making her way towards Severus.
James watches Rowan go, before turning away and making his own way to his father. Rowan had respected his own wishes and he would do the same for her. Still, he was curious by nature even now, so maybe, he'd ask his dad more on the subject. He'd surely know more about the subject.
With a blank poker face, Rowan approached the figures of Eileen and Severus. Roderic Filch, Eileen's husband stood some distance away giving his wife and her firstborn son room to speak. He carefully holds his son, Rodney, who sleepily snuggles into his neck and dozes off. It was already an impressive achievement that the little boy had managed to stay awake during the entirety of the ceremony.
With Roderic and his son, Rodney a safe distance away, Eileen and Severus converse. Severus's face looks cold and hard, while Eileen pleads with her son anxiously. Rowan arrives to hear their mother, Eileen say, "I am not asking you to forgive me, Severus, I know that I failed you and Rowan miserably nor can I fix the past, but I would like to at least be a part of your futures."
"You left without a word!" Severus hissed through gritted teeth. "We waited for you and you never came back for us! You abandoned us!"
Eileen flinches as though she had been slapped, but she cannot deny the truth of her son's words. "I did," she painfully replied. "I-, I can't deny that. But I've always run away from my problems-."
"Problems!" Severus interrupted and swelled with fury. "We were your PROBLEMS!"
Before Severus can finish his sentence, Rowan's hand clamps firmly over his open mouth. "Don't say something that you will end up regretting later, Sev," she firmly reminded her twin brother.
Severus slowly closes his mouth as Rowan removes her hand and coolly eyes their mother. His nostrils flare, but he remains unwillingly silent. "Go on," Rowan flatly said, "speak Eileen."
Eileen clenches her skirt nervously, but continues, "I've always run away from any of life's difficulties. I ran away from my parents and magic. I lied to my husband and in the end, I ran away from my children. In the end, I have always run away whenever I could from my problems." She took a deep breath and earnestly stared at her children. "I don't expect your forgiveness, nor do I expect things to ever fully be right between us. But I don't want to miss anything more than I already have. Please," her eyes begged her children to at least hear her out.
Severus darkly glowers at his mother, but is surprised by Rowan saying, "I had withheld on replying to Caretaker's Filch's invitation for dinner, I wished to respond in person." She paused and in a flat tone answered, "Severus and I will accept the invitation for dinner as previously proposed."
Eileen's face lights up with hope and opens her mouth to speak, but Rowan coldly interrupts, "Do not expect this to be a loving meal, Eileen, nor for anything to be close to right between us. But I would prefer not to have one more regret on my plate, I have more than enough as it is especially how it ended between father and us."
Eileen's face is stricken for a moment with old guilt and shame. Rowan merely curtly nods at the person, who was once called mother, before tugging Severus away by the hand. Even still, Eileen's eyes fill with hope and moisture as she hurries to tell her husband the good news. Her children were willing to give her a second chance and that was more than enough for her.
A short distance away Severus wrenches his hand from Rowan's grasp. "Why would you agree to such a thing?!" He angrily hissed at Rowan.
"Because I have seen what hatred does," Rowan truthfully retorted, "and I do not wish that for us. Besides, can you truthfully say that you still do not care for Eileen, Sev? We both know that between the two of us, it was always you and mother who shared a closer bond. No matter how angry you are, you still love her and that is the truth that makes you feel more enraged even after all this time."
Severus opens his mouth to speak, before closing it unable to refute the truth of Rowan's words. Turning his head to the side, he bitterly remarks, "Even if that is the bloody truth, Rowan, that gives you no right to force and hoist such a compromise upon me."
"I know that you still carry father's pocket watch everywhere you go," Rowan quietly countered. "Just as I still carry father's jacket in a hidden corner of my school trunk. No matter how much we seek to deny them, there is a part of us that will always care for them."
Rowan paused to tiredly sigh and admit. "I don't want to have any further regrets, Severus, I am sick and tired of them as it is. I would rather avoid this one if I can." She paused with a brief twitch of a smile. "Besides, it's not as though we have to live with her."
Severus still bears a grudging expression on his face, but it softens much more at Rowan's words. He did not want to admit that his sister's word had struck a chord. He lets out a loud huff and looks down his nose at her. "We have guests to attend to," before hurrying away to greet their godparents in an effort to distract himself and hide his inner turmoil.
Rowan's eyes with mixed feeling as she watches Severus move away. She could argue hormones, but the truth is that there is no easy way to handle emotional turmoil. Emotions and memories are a heavy burden at times. And time truly is the only real solution that causes everything to fade away.
With a composed expression, Rowan returns to greet the rest of those in attendance including her godparents. She wasn't sure how she felt about Fleamont Potter, but she knew that she liked Dorea Potter, her aunt's dear friend and mother of the deceased Charlus Potter. They would have to just wait and see what would come of it.