He has to be careful
Evan's pov:
Only a month into the investigation, and they only had two more people left to interrogate.
Sirius and James agreed to tackle Meadowes and Mulciber, Pandora and Evan would talk to Crouch and Pettigrew, Lily and Sirius: the prewetts, Evan and James: Wilkes and Avery (who apparently live together), Pandora and Lily: Snape and Fowley (Lily insisted on confronting Snape), and then James and Lily would confront Regulus. They split off into teams every interrogation to avoid the likelihood of an assault. Marlene would be the only one to not be involved in these as it would be best for her to stay hidden so she could be a fully-fledged spy when the time called for it.
It appeared that both Evan and James were cautious and hesitated when it came to interrogating Crouch and Black, Evan just didn’t want to open old wounds whilst James claimed it would be “unfaithful” to Sirius (who, multiple times had said he didn’t care).
Today, however, they couldn’t avoid it any longer. The Crouches and the Blacks needed to be interrogated and the hesitation was just getting out of hand. So that’s what they set out to do.
Pandora and Evan now stood outside a house they both agreed to never visit again. It held too many memories that could easily risk the whole investigation if they weren’t careful.
So they should be careful. Evan should be careful.
Pandora was the one to knock as Evans hand froze as he reached to do so.
The door opened slightly to reveal a petite blonde girl shaking. Winky was the Crouches maid, she did everything they asked of her. She was more of a slave if anything. She’d probably prefer that title too.
She stood frozen in the crack of the door, it was as if she was paralysed, that was until Pandora woke her out of her gaze by speaking. She spoke in that tone that she only ever addressed a child in.
“Hey, do you think you get Bartemius Crouch for us?” Winky squeaked finally coming out of her iceberg, nodding ferociously before closing the door probably to find the man in question.
“Well isn’t she sweet?”
“She’s a slave, She had to act that way. Probably cry herself into depression if she was ever let go”
“poor girl” then she reappeared in the slightly opened door to ask “Names please?” They responded and she ran off again, she was quicker to return this time as it took her probably less than a minute to allow them in and lead them to the living room where she instructed them to sit and wait. She left the room leaving the two alone.
Evan, again, found himself unable to move. The room was almost identical to how he remembered it to be. The only difference being the lack of people, lack of movement and sound. It was completely devoid of the living, just the ghosts of those taken too soon.
Crouches wife died only a year after her son, most likely from grief. She was only in her late forties; it was horrible but for someone like Crouch. Maybe it was deserved.
It was a horrible way of thinking, Evan knew that, but it didn’t stop him from thinking it over and over again as they waited in the hollowness of a house once a home.
Winky reappeared in the doorway but this time she was followed in by her master. The years clearly hadn’t treated him kindly. Good, Evan thought, Maybe he’ll die next.
It wasn’t a secret that Evan blamed this man for his boyfriend’s sudden death. Maybe Evan wouldn’t blame him as much and feel more sorry than angry if the man actually tried to be a dad, but he didn’t, and he needed someone to blame and he was right there so why not? He didn’t show up the funeral, he didn’t say goodbye. All he did was make Evan feel anger he never knew he was capable of feeling and Evan grew up in a house where you had to kill anyone who did you wrong so that’s saying something.
Crouch took his seat opposite them, demanding Winky to leave, and he just glared at them, no desire to be the one who starts the conversation. He always seemed to love small talk when it wasn’t his son, apparently that also included when it wasn’t Evan or Pandora.
Pandora was the first to break the silence “I’m sure you know why we’re here” no response, just more glaring “or not... There’s an investigation going on and as you can see, we have taken up the job of solving it.”
“What do I have to do with this?” And behold, the man speaks
“there was a party just over a month ago. Someone had dies at that party. Do you know who?” And he’s back to silence “Antonin Dolohov. Know him?
“Colleague” My god, he’s learning.
“Indeed. He’s dead. He fell victim to The Carty Junior. Know why?” He shook his head. And yet Evan thought he was getting somewhere. “Dolohov had planned an attack on twins. Know why? Shook his head again, a shame that. “Me neither. Anyways! We went through the invite list; we went through the cameras. Match name to face yknow? Anyways, you were invited, yes?”
“I didn’t go” He should get a medal at this rate. Look at him go
“Thought so, you weren’t on the cameras. However, you had been there according to the list. You were ticked off, meaning you were there and they let you in. Now here’s what I don’t get, the cameras say you weren’t there, you say you weren’t there, so why does the list say otherwise?”
“Maybe the person at the door was bad at their job and messed it up” Oh the shade! And to only think he didn’t know any words a few minutes ago.
“Oi! That’s my father you’re on about”
“I know” Weird, weird man.
“How do you know that if you weren’t there?”
“Its his job, it’s what he does” This is getting boring. I cant make comments on this. Evan thought but did not say allowed. "Do you go to parties often?” He asked instead
I don’t”
I can tell. Not one for drinking?”
“no” Funny. Evan raised his eyebrows, nodding his head towards the half empty-half full bottle of vodka on the coffee table besides the man. Should really cover up your tracks if your going to lie. “Not mine” Seriously?
“Who’s is it then? You live alone”
“Do I look drunk to you?”
“Sort of” Pandora stood on his foot and now not only did he have to push away the urge to spill that bottle all over Crouches head, he also now had to fight the urge to scream at the pain now rushing through his leg that Pandora’s heel had caused. Prick. “Ok, fine. You don’t drink. You smoke?”
“Why’s this relevant?”
“You could’ve shown up at the party wasted, high. I don’t want to cross out the chances.”
“I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I don’t do drugs”
“Of course not.” Evan said very pointedly not acknowledging the mans appearance that could clearly say otherwise. Not the same man Evan knew. In Evans opinion, He looked a bit off his rockers. He wasn’t going to say that though. It would be rude, the good and respectable side of him continued to remind him.
“May I ask, who does the drink belong to if its not yours?” Pandora asked bringing his attention back to her.
“My maids, Winky likes a drink now and then. Since my wife died, she’s not been the same and who am I to stop her? I’m sure you would understand the feeling” he said this directly at Evan who froze at the words.
Pandora squeezed his hand which apparently forced their ways into fists. He hadn’t even realised they did. He looked at her hands and didn’t look back up or say anything else. Pandora could easily take the lead. She was happy to do so.
Be careful. Stay calm.
They basically find out nothing. Just that Winkys got a drinking problem and Crouch looks close to his deathbed. Very different then they were only six years ago.
They left the building, Pandora headed towards the car. Evan did not. Instead, his feet decided to take a detour. He heard Pandora call for him but he couldn’t stop. He ignored her and kept walking. He had no idea where he was going, but apparently his feet did. They wouldn’t stop moving and when they finally did, he found himself face to face with a shed resembling the building its in the back garden of, the house he left only seconds ago. Back so soon.
He opened the shed door and stared; he didn’t bother closing it. He just froze, everything around him froze.
There, only a few feet away from him, was a casket almost as white as the rare sight of snow if it wasn’t for the dust creating a warm coat over it. It was like no one visited him, no one cleaned him. Why did it look so...deserted?
It was only more evidence no one cared apart from Evan. He hadn’t been here for six years and no one kept him company.
Why did he stop visiting? Why is he here now?
He attempted cleaning the casket. He needed to bring it back to its old lively state, the one Barty would’ve hated but in a strange way loved. He needed to fix it.
He doesn’t want to damage the casket. Would he damage it by touching it? What if he damaged it? Would Barty notice if he damaged it? Would he be mad at him if he did? He’s never been mad at Evan before. Would he now?
“Evan...” Pandora stood in the doorway, watching him, her expression filled with pity he certainly did not miss.
“He doesn’t visit, See this? Dust. Its dirty. Whys it dirty? Why doesn’t he visit him? Shouldn’t Winky be cleaning him? Pandora...He’s been deserted. They deserted him. Do you think he noticed? If Barty...” His voice broke. Is he crying? When did that start? “I... If he noticed they...I left him behind” His voice broke again nearing the end of that sentence.
She moved towards him and he completely broke as if they were reliving a memory from seven years ago.
Pandora is a very touchy person, Evan is not.
She seems to forget this as she just holds him, ignoring how, even seven years later, the touch causes him to tense.
He cries into her arms, forcing his walls to break so he can relax. Maybe that was a bad idea as this caused him to fall, his legs gave in and she brought herself down with him, not letting go, not talking, just holding.
He stopped rambling too, he couldn’t breath, never mind talk.
“Do you want me to let go?” Evan shook his head. Although he would never admit this out loud, he needed this.
Bartys not someone he can ignore and forget, he needed this hug to remember that, he needed Pandora to fix him, to mend his broken pieces.
Together they couldn’t ignore and forget, but they can love and remember.
Evan needs to grieve; this is how he does that
Seven years later, and he grieves.
Ignore and Forget, Love and Remember.