ooc: thread is marked [m] due to a small bit of language.

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“What do you want, mother?”

The metal door handle was cold under his touch, the whisper of wind that slid its way through the open threshold even chillier. As he stood there, debating between closing the door in Victoria Evans’ face and letting her through, Cooper could not help but shiver. Perhaps it was the weather, perhaps it was her presence, but he suddenly did not feel all too put together. His lips dry, he arched an eyebrow in her direction, shuffled his feet and cocked the eyebrow in an indication that he was awaiting a reply. An owl hooted and a car dashed down the street, but the night had became silent for him, as he stared at the woman whom might have given birth to him, but whom he felt no connection to. His heart fumbled against his ribcage, an unwelcome beat that almost caused him pain.

Dinner had been a quiet event as well, as Snooky remained in the kitchen, unwilling to provide company, and the twins somehow managed to go through a meal without making a mess of the entire dinning room. They had struggled a bit as he’d bathed them and prepared them for bed, but that had been the most stressful part of his evening. Gaspy and Kat had proven to be tired, and each had fallen asleep in their room without a bedtime story. With a sense of nostalgia, Cooper had covered them both, watching as their small hands crawled around the blankets as if to hold it close. And then he’d left both their doors just a smidge open to allow the light from the hallway to tickle their rooms, before heading downstairs to an empty and silent living room. Snooky had already been asleep, and he’d had the house to himself.

Ever since the Renwick files had gone missing, Cooper had found the idea of leaving his work literarily at the office quite unattractive, and had taken to bringing the files home –which also proved to be an entertainment for an insomniac mind. Having poured himself a tall glass of wine, Cooper had just had time to settled into the couch with the Godric’s Hollow file in his hands, before the bell had rang and his attention adverted from the case. Narrowing his eyes, he had slowly placed the glass on the coffee table, before standing in such a way that conveyed much doubt, as he wondered who the sod could be paying a visit at this time of night.

The answer was the woman with the pale skin and the dark eyes that was now staring at him with something akin to apprehension. “I wanted to talk,” And wasn’t it curious, how even now, when he’d made it clear he wanted her out of his life, she still acted as if she had control of everything? But she was the type of woman it was hard to say no to, and Cooper found himself stepping away from the doorway to allow Victoria Evans passage into his home. As she passed, a whiff of her perfume met his nostrils, familiar in the way one remembered a childhood friend –so clear, yet so far away. She was dressed in black, with little adorning her appearance, and Cooper found himself reminded of the night Aidan Renwick had made his presence known in the same household.

Swallowing back unwanted memories from a night exactly one month before, Cooper gently closed the front door, as Victoria made a point of allowing herself into the living room. The Auror found himself uncomfortable with the entire situation, yet his curiosity was enough to keep him from ordering her to leave. Folding his arms across his chest and clenching his biceps in an attempt to ward off the coldness that had overtaken him, Cooper followed his mother in. “I believe I asked why you came, Victoria,” He stressed her name, hoping she’d be offended by his use of it.

Instead, she smiled and rolled those cold eyes of hers, as she slowly turned to face him and lifted a shoulder in a shrug –managing to do even that in such a way that it seemed almost elegant. “It was a month ago tonight,” She said, with no need for further clarification, her words stinging his ears and making him wince, as he suddenly moved past her, lent down towards the coffee table and scooped up his glass; draining the wine down his throat in a single sip, he hissed in approval. “That’s no way to deal with it, honey,” Yet even as she removed the glass from his fingers and place it back on the small table, she couldn’t manage to quite create a connection.  She looked only like a woman with a heavy secret and its weight on her back. As she tried to caress his shoulder, Cooper stepped back from his mother.

“I know what date it is,” He snapped, his muscles feeling tense as unfamiliar sensations filled him to the very core. “That doesn’t explain what you’re doing here,” However, almost as if he didn’t expect an answer, Cooper stalked by her, swept the glass back up and let his heavy footsteps carry him to the kitchen and the unfinished bottle of wine. By the time Victoria reached him, he’d already made himself another drink, and was standing with his back towards her, head hanging low. One hand cradled the glass, while the fingers of the other one curved around the edges of the counter top and the muscles on the back of his shoulders strained with buried emotion. “Get out,” He whispered, only to hear her begin to complain. “GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!” He roared, sweeping around and tossing the glass of wine at the wall right above her head. “YOU’VE NEVER CARED, YOU’VE NEVER GIVEN A SHIT, SO DON’T YOU DARE START NOW!”

His breath erratic, he moved towards her, face contorted in anger. Victoria did not flinch, however, as he grabbed her by the upper arm and dragged her to the doorway. She did not complain as he pulled the door open and pushed her out. She simply stared at him, as he slammed the door shut. Chest heaving, Cooper turned on it, sliding down against the wood until he sat on the floor with his knees pulled into his chest.

And then he sobbed.