i know why the caged bird sings | evan & cass
Evan could still remember well the anger that boiled his blood in third year when Yaxley “borrowed” a book that had been gifted to him by his late mother. How it had been returned to him ripped and torn, disrespected. He had set a cluster of tarantula’s on him in his sleep as punishment. Nor could he forget that feeling of debilitating rage when Cassandra had left him for that Gryffindor boy. The twisted, murderous fantasies that gripped his mind for months. His penchant for revenge had always been his Achilles heel and it often fueled and motivated every move Evan Rosier made, even if it sometimes blinded him in the process.
When he learned that Walden Macnair had been holding his ex hostage of his own accord for months, telling no one, the penchant was considerably strong. That was weeks, weeks he had been lied to to his face. Every moment he had stepped foot in a room with Walden and looked him in the eyes, he had been lied to. While he had given up his hot pursuit of Cassandra with the assumption that she would find her way back eventually, had he known that all this time she had been tortured and kept as his fellow Death Eater’s little pet, things would have been different. His face was calm and stoic as ever as he approached the Macnair’s home where he helped himself inside, ignoring the house elf that came to greet him. Walden had already been punished profusely for his treachery he knew, but he had not yet faced Evan. To Evan, this was personal. To Evan, the man may as well have stolen from his pocket. He had, in fact, disrespected him. And that, that could not be forgiven.
“Oh hello there, Walden,” Evan greeted his fellow executioner. His face was still bruised from the beating, his walk a limp from the torture curses as he rounded the corner. He knew that Cass wasn’t there. For the first time in a long while, Evan actually knew her location - not that he approved. While it had been under the Dark Lord’s approval, the woman he had once loved was currently under the Imperius curse at the Ministry of Magic, a puppet to the cause, a spy.
The truth was the Slytherin had already made his decision before dropping by. The exploitation of Cassandra Burke would end today. The man who had evidently chosen to pick up where Evan had left off would pay. He was taking back what was his, and he no longer cared what the consequences were. He was getting her out of this; he was getting his revenge. It was the switch of the knife flipping in his hand that made the older man pause mid sentence. The excuses and explanations came pouring out faster than Evan cared to listen. He watched as he backed away and turned, no doubt recognizing the murderous glint in Rosier’s eyes. He fumbled for his wand, but Evan was too quick for him, sticking his foot out to trip him to the floorboards, the sound of his body hitting dense and satisfying.
“Know what I just love about executions?” he growled, kicking the man in the stomach as he tried to heave up, sending his wand into a dusty corner. “I love the moment when the ax swings down and justice is served.” His hand dug into the mans hair and wrenched his head to the air. “You never should have laid a hand on her, Walden,” he whispered. “That was your first mistake.” The knife was now at his neck, piercing into thin skin. “The second... was keeping it from me.” The scream was piercing and blood curdling. Evan’s heart and breath could not have been calmer. He could have taken the easy route, but this was far more satisfying. He knew as it happened that Cass would be feeling the weight of the curse lift. By now though, she might already be at home where she belonged. Either way, Mulciber would get her for him.
“Sorry, old pal,” he said as the light left Walden’s eyes and his body slumped, not sorry in the least. Blood pooled the hardwood floor. His hand was warm and sticky with it. “You underestimated me.” They all did... they always did. Standing up with a sigh, Evan cast one last look at the body before looking over to the quivering elf in the corner. “Clean up the mess and cover the body when I leave.”
He had no idea what punishment he would face, but he was certain Voldemort wouldn’t want to lose two Death Eater’s. So be it. He had chosen his loyalty after all. Cassandra would always be family.
@purgatorybound
