idealistic

  There was no denying that something was wrong. Isa hadn’t intended to deny it this time either. Her lashes were still wet, cheeks flushed from the effort of weeping as she had. Her chest and stomach both hurt, as if she’d tightened the muscles in her chest for too long, and her sniffles were entirely undignified and unladylike as she regarded her older brother for the first time in ages. It wasn’t that she’d been avoiding him, it just was the way of things these days. She reached a hand up to wipe at her tears before she gestured for him to come and settle. “I––” She tried, her voice straining with the effort. She swallowed thickly before trying again. “It’s a long story, Evander. Please give me time.” She insisted, as she moved to sit on the sofa in her formal room. She tucked her knees under her, drawing a thick quilt over her as she watched him. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with a newer friend, and we’ve gotten quite close. It feels good, after Arabella.” She confessed, heart hammering in her chest. 

    Her tongue felt too big for her mouth, but she knew if she stopped explaining now he’d never get it out of her. He couldn’t know everything, of course, but he could know half truths. “We made plans, to meet at the Shafiq New Year’s party. I know what you’re going to say,” She held her hand up to stop him. “Why did I go alone? Why didn’t I tell you I’d be attending?” She mimicked, before shaking her head. “That’s not the point.” She sighed, “The point is we were meant to meet there, and it felt very important, but my friend never arrived.” Her lip wobbled as she bit down on it to still it, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks. 

     “I’ve written letters, I’ve stopped and talked to all their friends, coworkers, but nobody’s seen them, Evander.” She admitted, voice cracking as a sob wracked through her. “And now this business with the Minister, and the awful mark in the sky? It feels like the Prophet attack all over again and I can’t lose another friend, Ev. I know what you think about Bella, but I can’t bear it. I’ve been trying to, but I’m scared, and it feels too much like something Bella warned me about, when we were researching her article. She told me to watch for signs of change, for people suddenly quiet or gone altogether, for career changes, for changes in authority. Are we heading toward another time like before?” She’d been too young to really know what it was like, but there were tiny memories, glimpses here and there.  

     She took a deep breath, another sob breaking through despite her best effort. “I don’t want to be scared all the time, and I don’t want to lose anyone else. So I need you to ask no questions, and just help me find them. Please.” She begged. 

His heart clenched then sank as soon as he stepped inside her flat. Her words poured out, soaking into his skin and wrapped around his throat. Evander knew of his sister’s involvement with the prophet’s article. Knew that she had at least something to do with it. It was well known between the two of them how he had felt about Arabella’s friendship with her. How he felt about her in general. But this was not the time nor place for him to voice his opinions on those things. Evander could feel Isabella’s frantic desperation fill the space between them. He closed his eyes, allowing her to say what she needed to. She was too young to remember anything about what happened before. They both were. But the difference was that he had more of a memory of the way things had played out. He remembered all the violence and fighting that had ensued. He also knew that if Isabella ever knew that he was helping things progress the way they were that she would never speak to him again.

So, he kept his mouth shut. Held his tongue on matters that were sensitive to talk about with her. And more importantly, he kept his dealings with Tom Riddle to himself. Of course, he had questions about her attending the New Year’s celebration at the Shafiq’s. His sister’s safety would always be his first priority. Whether he was one of the people threatening that or not. Evander truly believed that he could keep her safe in all of this. That as soon as things changed, she would be much better off. If only he could change her mind on how the world should be. “Shhh,” he cooed, gently pulling her into his arms. One hand urging her to rest her head on his shoulder, the other rubbing circles on her back to soothe her. Evander placed a soft kiss on the top of Isabella’s head. Noting the tension that wrapped around the two of them. There were words that weren’t being said. An elephant in the room that needed to be addressed. But that would have to wait for another time. “Of course,” he assured her, voice soft, soothing, “of course, I will help you. I’ll pull all the strings I can in the Ministry and everywhere else I can to find this friend of yours.”

𝙾𝙿𝙴𝙽

Location : open

        “No judging, but I’ve got something of a foolish question.” It was more foolish, given they’d gone this long without ever figuring it out, but if they were honest about it it hadn’t ever been something they cared much about. “And possibly a bit insensitive. With the Minister’s passing, will there be an election? Or an appointment? Or is there some chain of command?”

@evcsnders​ | Isabella’s apartment, 2 days after sending letter to Winter Macnair 

   He hadn’t written back. Isa knew she needed to be patient, it hadn’t been that long since she’d sent Winter the letter, begging him to explain to her what had happened. Since then, the world had shifted once again, throwing Isa off balance. The Minister’s death, Winter’s absence, it was too much. She was doing her best to smile and to throw herself into the busy demands of others to keep thoughts at bay, but it wasn’t working the way it normally did. She was scared, and unsure of what to do next. There had to be something though, that would settle her mind and let her rest. Achilles was busy, work obviously calling louder than normal, and so the apartment was quiet. 

    Too quiet. 

   It had been a long time since she’d last seen her brother, but she knew it was worth sending the owl. Was Evander not one to always try to help her fix the messes she made for herself? People said she was the fixer, but Ev did it much better. When she tried to be helpful and subsequently ruined everything, he picked up the pieces time and time again. The problem was that she couldn’t be honest with him in this mess. He’d never approve of Winter, and he’d already come down on her hard about her lack of urgency in finding a suitable match. She exhaled, closing the envelope as she carried it over to her owl, hand smoothing over his feathers. “It can’t make anything worse, right?” She asked, eyes softening for her pet as she unlatched the window to let him out. She knew Evander would come, but what would he find when he got there?

      Isa moved back to her living room, eyes landing on Callix who gently groomed his feathers. Her eyes began to burn, her chest tightening as she stumbled, knees hitting the ground as a wail tore from her lips, unexpected and uninvited. Arabella wasn’t gone a year and already more lives were being torn from her grasp, and the warnings Bella tried to share continued to pile up. It was too much. Her crying continued, achingly, as Callix collected the sound to one day imitate. She needed to find a course of action, a plan, but she didn’t know what she could do. She’d already talked to every vendor near Winter’s shop, to all the people she thought he knew, had even visited a few favorite muggle shops and spaces. Nobody had seen or heard from him. When Evander got there, it would be enough to collect herself, but then what? She didn’t know, but the tears continued. 

Evander had lost count of the days since he had seen, let alone spoken to, to his family. He had written it off with his parents as work simply catching up with him. And in a sense, it was, in fact his work. Just not the kind of work that they knew of. No one knew of the work he was doing with Tom. Least of all, his sister. Merlin only knew what hell would break loose if she found out that he was giving his old friend some intel.  Evander kept that part of his life locked up tight. He had written countless letters to Isabella. Each and every one recounting how he wished she would just push their cousins out and move in with him. How she should let him take care of her. Each and every one of them were now sitting in his wastebin. He knew what the response would be if he had sent them. Evander wasn’t looking for a fight.

No sooner had he poured himself a small glass of brandy did his sister’s owl swoop in through his open parlor window. Landing seamlessly on his work desk. He quirked a brow at the letter Callix had dropped. His eyes skimmed the words. Two, three times. It was more of a quick note rather than a letter. All she had done was ask him to come over, but Evander knew his sister. Her handwriting quick and urgent. There was something wrong. Without much of a thought, he grabbed his jacket and left to see her. It never took long for him to reach her. Never finding the need to aparate when he could reach her so quickly. An urgent rap on her door and once it was opened, Evander gave her a pleading look. A look that told Isabella not to lie to him. He would know. He always did.

6GENERAL INFORMATION

Full Name: Evander Derrick Macmillian Birthdate | Current Age: 16 January | 32 years old Birthplace: Wales, England Current Residence: London, England Spoken Languages: English and French Gender: Male Pronouns: He/Him/His Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual Occupation: Improper Use of Magic | Ministry of Magic | Department of Magical Law Enforcement

APPEARANCE/PERSONALITY

Height: 6′2″ Weight: 189 lbs. Hair: Black Eyes: Chocolate Brown Complexion: Mocha   Build: Muscular, with broad shoulders Personality: Proud, Indignant, Charismatic, Observant, Careful + Studious Zodiac: Capricorn Sun, Libra Moon, Taurus Rising Faceclaim: Rege-Jean Page

MAGICAL BACKGROUND