Don't Think I Can Fight This Anymore

Dear Evelyn,

I’ll be rolling through town in a few weeks. I’ll probably stay for all of March, and maybe a bit of April. They’re renting out a room for me at the Leaky Cauldron. You and Ian still playing poker?

See you soon,
-Trip

~*~

Charlie woke up in a room that wasn’t his.

He blinked at the ceiling a few times, his mouth dry from the wine the night before. There was a tiny snore from next to him and he turned to look at Evelyn. She slept with her mouth open, and her sheets pulled up just enough to cover her perfect full breasts.

It was hard to think of her as a war hero, asleep like this.

He could see her tattoos now in the daylight. A collection of black stars under her left clavicle formed the Draco constellation. Her upper right arm had several circles of thorns, and growing off it were two blood red roses. One name was printed along the rim of each rose. Frankie Jones and Kevin Hayes.

“They died.”

Charlie snapped his attention back to her face to find her eyes open.

“Frank was tortured until his heart gave out at the Battle of Hogwarts. Poor Quinn was locked in a body bind and had to watch. Hayes was kissed by a wild dementor not long after that. I was the one who had to...well, I ended it for him. Save his family the pain.”

She looked into his clear blue eyes and saw sympathy and sorrow. But she carried the weight, and it was what it was.

She turned away from him and sat up, scratching her head. Charlie saw another tattoo on her right shoulder blade, a wand and a knife crossed over a maple leaf. Under that was a single star. She glanced over her shoulder at him and smirked.

“See something you like?”

He grinned back at her. “Maybe.”

She shook her head and swung her legs out of bed. “I don’t want to go to work.” she sighed.

Charlie sat up and looked around for his clothes, then remembered with a sigh that she had ripped them all off in the hallway. Despite not wanting to go to work, Evelyn was already half dressed while he inched off the bed completely naked.

Evelyn glanced at him and smiled to herself. Her nails had left bright red marks on his muscular back.

Charlie collected his clothes and went back into the bedroom as Evelyn dragged a brush through her hair.

“There’ll be coffee in the shop.” she told him, putting the brush on her nightstand and stepping into shoes. “See you down there.”

She left and Charlie finished pulling up his pants before sitting to put on his socks. Like the rest of the house, her room was furnished but sparse. No decorations aside from a vase of flowers charmed to keep the room smelling nice.

Charlie grimaced at his reflection in the mirror. How in the name of Merlin would he sneak past his mother in this state?

Charlie left the flat and headed down the steps, and was confronted by an obstacle he had not considered. His brother George leaning against the door to Sylvia’s flat, smirking up at him.

“Long night?” George called.

“Shut it.”

Charlie headed down the stairs, trying to ignore George entirely. He focused on buttoning his shirt.

“You aren’t leaving, are you?”

“I’m getting breakfast.”

“You might want to fix your hair first.”

Charlie had drawn level with George. He glared at him. “Same to you.”

“Touchy.”

Sylvia appeared at the door. “Ready? Oh, hey Charlie.”

“See, she can act normal. Why can’t you?”

“So many reasons, Charles. So many.”

Sylvia led the brothers down the steps and to the tea shop. Evelyn already had rolls and coffee out on a table with powder blue china. “Who needs a hangover cure?” she called.

“Me!” Sylvia replied.

“Coming right up.”

Charlie sat next to Sylvia and Sherlock rested his head on his knee. Charlie smiled slightly and scratched behind his ears. Evelyn came back into the room with a couple of Daily Prophets under her arm and holding a cup of blended green goop, which she gave to Sylvia. Evelyn sat between Charlie and George and poured herself coffee.

“So, Evelyn.” George smirked at his friend. “How was your night.”

Evelyn looked at George disdainfully but continued pouring Sherlock coffee without responding.

“Discover anything?”

Charlie could feel his ears burning. “George - “ he warned.

But Evelyn cut across him. “George, I’m older than you and smarter than you so you’re going to listen to me.”

“You’re not - “

“Yes I am. And because of that, I’m not saying anything about whatever you and Sylvia got up to last night, more out of respect for her than for you. On that note, I banged your brother last night. And you’re going to shut up about it before his ears melt into his hair.”

“Or what?” George smirked. “You’ll hex me?”

She leaned close to him. “No. I’ll tell you all about it.”

George and Charlie both looked horrified. “Evelyn, don’t - “ Charlie started weakly.

“All of it?” George whispered.

“Every excruciating detail.”

George looked slightly green and turned to his paper in silence. Evelyn gave Charlie a triumphant smile and happily tossed Sherlock a roll to go with his coffee.

“You’re a monster.” Charlie told Evelyn.

She grinned. “I told you I was in the army.”

Sylvia, who had finished gagging down her hangover cure, shook her head and started to butter a roll. She reached over and took the sports pages out of George’s paper. Evelyn seemed to be doing three things at once - eating, reading her paper, and writing a to do list. She also carried out a playful banter with Charlie, which made Sylvia giggle and made George more and more irritated.

George finished his breakfast quickly and stood. “I should go open the shop.”

“I’ll walk with you.” Charlie said, standing.

Evelyn glanced up at him with a smile. “Nice meeting you.” she said. It was the least awkward thing she could come up with.

“Yeah. You too.”

George rolled his eyes and bent over to kiss Sylvia. “Right. Dinner later?”

“Sure.” Sylvia smiled.

George shot Evelyn a dirty look in way of a farwell, and the two brothers left the shop. Sylvia waited in silence for a minute.

“So. How was it?”

Evelyn looked up from her list and smiled slightly.

Sylvia laughed and threw a roll across the table at her friend. Evelyn’s hand shot out and she caught it, then tossed it down to Sherlock.

Outside, Charlie and George walked up the street in silence. George seemed to be struggling with something for a moment, before he finally rounded on his brother.

“Did you really HAVE to shag my best friend?”

Charlie looked at his brother. “That’s what’s bothering you about this?”

“Among other things!”

Charlie ran a hand through his hair. “George, we both drank a lot last night. And she’s...well, she’s…really quite attractive, and - “

George rolled his eyes. “There’s a lot more to her.”

“I know that.”

“Do you?” Now George looked irritated again. “Look. Evs helped me through a pretty dark time, but she’s got her own issues. I get the one night stand thing. But I know you, and I know her. And I know what you’ve done to other girls on other visits.”

Charlie winced. No, he did not have a great reputation.

“So, I’m not asking. I’m telling. Unless you’re going to put in the effort, stay the bloody hell away from her. Because it won’t be me coming after you, it’ll be her. And there’s a thousand demons behind those pretty eyes.”

Without even waiting for a response, George strode away from him and into his own shop.

~*~

The next day was a Monday, so the tea shop was closed. Evelyn slept in until about nine, and drank her coffee and read her paper in her apartment. She spent her morning finishing the tasks on the to do list she had written at breakfast with Charlie. Then she apparated to the Ministry of Magic, where Ian was ready to meet her.

“I don’t know why you can’t do this.” she said irritably instead of greeting him. “You’re cutting into my boxing time.”

Ian stared her down, and she followed him to the gold elevators.

Evelyn stood at one and a half meters tall and weighed about fifty-five kilos. In short, she was petite. She was muggle born, and smart, and in school she had been a brilliant keeper for the Quidditch team. But they cut her because she was too reckless, and instead she joined a dueling club. She had been nationally ranked in Canada. And when she joined the military, she had excelled even more. Now, after the war, she went to muggle gyms to box and keep herself on her toes. And to keep herself from losing her mind completely.

And that was why once a month, Ian asked her to come in to the British Ministry of Magic to train the fresh aurors.

Today brought the three trainees she had been working with for a few months now, as well as an audience. Harry had shown up to observe, as well as Ian and a few other older aurors. Evelyn ignored them and got straight to work.

“No!” she shouted at the young blonde girl angrily as she was hit by Evelyn’s jelly-legs jinx. “Finite! No! What should you have done?”

“Shield charm?” the girl asked weakly.

“And if you can’t do that, then what?”

The girl was silent, and when Evelyn looked to the other two boys they were silent as well.

“Use your terrain to your advantage!” Evelyn gestured wildly around the large room they were using as practice space. “There’s all these chairs and shit just lying around - make something fly at me! If you’re close enough, punch me in the face!”

“Muggle dueling?” one of the boys asked.

“Why not?” Evelyn asked. “You’re much less likely to kill someone by punching or kicking them, and it may provide just the distraction that you need!”

“But still - “

“It’s saved my ass in plenty of battles.” Evelyn snapped.

They were quiet.

“Alright. Let’s take a quick break.” She said, catching a look from Harry. “We’ll get back to it in a moment.”

Evelyn walked over to the bench where she had left her belongings, stretching her arms and shoulders out. She took a bottle of water out of her purse and took a few gulps, then dumped some over her head.

Harry approached her and almost stopped short. Evelyn’s eyes were hard, but they weren’t quite like the crystals they had been when he first met her. Being back in her element, fighting and training, did that to her.

“You’re harsh on them.”

Evelyn glanced over at the younger man. “We both know that the people they’re going to be up against don’t fight fair.”

Harry glanced over at the kids. “You know, a lot of people would say that they don’t need to know that. That the war’s over, most of the clean up is done. And none of it will ever happen again.”

“None of it will ever happen again if they’re prepared.”

“They also say you’re a paranoid war veteran.”

“They seem to say a lot, don’t they?”

Harry smiled. “Yeah.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Anyway, despite what they say, keep it up. They need to be prepared.”

He walked away, and Evelyn pulled the elastic out of her hair and then put it back. “Alright.” Evelyn called over to the trainees. “All of you, come at me.”

~*~

Charlie tried not to think about Evelyn. He really tried to heed George’s words. He wasn’t going to make her empty promises, like he had done to so many girls. He wasn’t going to see her. He wasn’t going to do anything.

He lasted about two days.

There was something about the way her eyes sparkled in the light. They had the depth of oceans but he couldn’t see beneath the surface. The way she talked about everything and gave him nothing. The way she had taken physical comfort from him as if it was air she needed to breathe.

On Tuesday Charlie was eating lunch with his mother, father, Ginny and Harry. Harry had the day off, part of a new auror program to make sure at least sixty percent of the office was on duty at any given time. Arthur had stopped home for lunch for the occasion.

“I’m going to London to do some shopping.” Molly announced. “Glinda Higgens and I are eating at Evelyn’s place. Anyone need anything?”

Everyone shook their heads, but Charlie quickly said, “I’ll go with you, Mum.”

Ginny smirked into her soup as Molly looked suspiciously at her second eldest. “You hate London.”

“Well, I need new robes.” Charlie said hastily.

“And you hate Glinda.”

“I’m just trying to spend some time with you!”

Molly snorted and stood. “Right.”

“Pathetic.” Ginny muttered at her brother, picking up her soup bowl and following her mother to the sink.

Harry looked at Charlie. “Be careful.” he advised.

“What do you mean?”

“Charlie, everyone knows who you’re going to see. And I’ve seen her duel. So I’m telling you, be careful.”

~*~

Evelyn hurried over to Molly’s table with her bill and a small plate of petite-fours. She had initially been surprised to see Charlie walk in behind his mother and Glinda Higgens, dutifully holding all of the shopping. But she hid it well. She graciously showed them to a table with rose patterned china.

Molly took the check and looked at it. “Evelyn - “

“You and Aurthur spent enough here the other day for the engagement.” Evelyn said, waving her protests away. “Really, Molly. I won’t have to worry about rent for two months. I want to do this.”

Molly muttered indistinctly and started rummaging through her purse. Charlie got up and followed her over to the service station. “Hey.”

She smiled politely at him. “Hey. How was everything?”

“Great. Look, can we talk for a minute?”

“Yeah, come on, I gotta feed the fish.”

“Fish?” he repeated, following her to a door next to the kitchen.

The little courtyard was pleasant during the day, though the ivy was a little overgrown. Evelyn walked over to a small pond and opened a bucket of fish feed.

“So.” she smiled wryly at him. “Is this the part where you ask me out?”

“I leave for Romania tomorrow.” he said awkwardly.

“Ah. So it’s the part where you make empty promises.”

Charlie sighed in defeat. “George said something.”

“Yes. I believe the words were, ‘Charlie is a massive dickhead, so what if he trains dragons or whatever he does. I don’t want you going to Askaban for blowing him into tiny pieces, so stay away from him’.”

“Dickhead?”

“He might have used something else. I heard dickhead.”

They watched the koi fight for the food.

“Hungry bastards.” Evelyn tossed more food in. “They’ll overeat.”

“Can I write to you?” Charlie asked.

Evelyn laughed. “This entire country is old-fashioned. Yes. You can write to me.”

“And you’ll respond?” he asked carefully.

“Maybe.”

But the way she smiled at him, he knew she would.

“Great.”

She laughed. “You should get back to your mother.”

“Yeah. Right. I’ll...write you soon.”

“Get out of here, Weasley.”