The invitation from Rodolphus seemed out of character at best causing Evan to sip his tea to feign his surprise from the question. It was not that Rodolphus was particularly unsociable, Evan was often able to convince him to attend his parties and other shenanigans, it was more the fact that he was never quite this sociable. Evan was typically the one doing the inviting and Rodolphus was normally the one huffing and reluctantly agreeing, but instead it seemed the tables had turned. It also struck him as odd that Rodolphus would invite Alina as well, not that there was any issue between the pair instead just the fact that they were very different people.It was a move that struck a chord with Evan for it was honestly the first time any of his schoolmates had bothered to extend an invitation to Alina as his partner. Of course his friends liked Alina, that wasnât the case, but so many were still fixated on her being Luciusâ little sister that they forgot she also had ties to Evan.
However, as quickly as the invitation was presented it was also momentarily forgotten at the mention of Bellatrix. âOh do we have have to invite Bellatrix? Iâd rather not have to spend any more time with her than necessaryâ Evan joked, crinkling his nose. Evan was aware that Rodolphus spent a lot of time with his cousin, it was hard not to be aware when he did consistently see them out together or when encountering his lovely Aunt, but he was not aware it was serious enough to spend time in a setting that clearly mirrored a double date. âWhatâs your interest in my cousin anyway?â Evan asked angling himself to read Rodolphusâ face, a smirk playing at his lips. âI have heard through the grapevine that you two are spending a lot of time together, but then again Auntie Dru can be a tad delusional so I wasnât sure if I quite believed herâ he shrugged, taking a sip of his tea, âThough I do believe out of all of them Bella might be the most sane, or at least the most manageable. Andyâs got a bit of a je ne sais quoi about her that I donât think would sit right with you, and Narcissaâs a bit young and probably a little too nice for you. My dearest Bella, on the other hand, is a little unpredictable though. Definitely keep you busy, if thatâs what youâre looking forâ.Â
Evan liked to think he was afforded the same perks of being a Black, without all the fuss. Here in Britain, the only family he was associated with was the Blacks though in France he was given the perks of his own name. It was like being a Black without the pressure nor having to deal with the insanity. Instead he had grown up alongside his cousins and had a decent relationship with each. As they had gotten older priorities had changed and they were definitely as close as they once had been, but they were his family and Evan took that very seriously. He didnât have siblings and his cousins were the closest thing imaginable to having sisters or brothers, minus that disgrace Sirius, and Evan did care deeply for them no matter what the case. There was one thing, though, that Evan was steadfast in and that was staying out of their personal business. He didnât want to know who they were dating or fucking or whatever else because it didnât matter to him unless it was serious. Most the eligible men in society were his friends and he knew both the bad and the good about each of them, it was hard to stay neutral when it came to his family, so instead Evan took a very hands off approach. When Auntie Dru came asking questions Evan didnât pay them much mind, instead he allowed the girls to handle their own issues. It was their lives and Evan only wanted for them what they wanted for themselves.
Getting advice from Rodolphus was not a new thing. Getting advice from Rodolphus on his relationship with Alina was a very new thing. Actually getting advice at all on Alina was very new. Evan didnât receive much advice aside from his conversations with his father because frankly no one cared to listen to whatever struggle he was having. âIt was so badâ Evan chuckled at the memory, âI saw her from across the room and knew I had to have her, just to be informed who she was. Almost any other name and I wouldnât have waited four yearsâ Evan nodded his shoulders falling with a sigh, âHer brother is a good man though. Lucius has been more than fair in this whole situationâ it was something Evan counted himself lucky for. At the mention of why Alina was marrying him, Evan had to bite his tongue about duty and priority. Rodolphus was aware and his advice was pointedly not taking consideration of any of the societal bullshit but instead the true reasoning behind it all.Â
âYou mean sheâs not marrying me for my money?â it was a weak joke accompanied by a weak laugh as Evan took a sip of his tea. Serious conversations were not his forte and they made him feel uncomfortable to take things like this to heart. âI know I should talk to her about it, but I canât help but want to shield her from it. My familyâŚ..theyâre a lot to handle. Especially considering what Iâll be inheriting some day. The Rosier name does not hold the power here that it does in France and I fear subjecting her to all of that will only make her resent me. She hasnât met them yet, I donât want to overwhelm herâ. Alina could handle a lot and it was not that Evan thought she could not handle his family, it was the fact he didnât want her to have to. Society in France was not anywhere near as formal or polite as it was in England and subjecting Alina to them would also be opening their relationship to more public scrutiny than they had felt thus far. In England others talked behind their back, in France they would gladly say it to their faces. âItâs not only my duty to protect her, but my want. She is my priority.. Alina is my family, more than anyone else, and I want to do everything in my power to keep her happyâ.
Shoving the double date idea - or at least the spark of it - away from his thoughts, his mind latched onto the question of why he was so attached to Bellatrix these days. Well... He didnât have a decent enough explanation, other than that they hadnât seen fit to part since they discovered they worked exceptionally well together. Despite the subtle bickering, the all-out fights and shouting matches, as well as the honest exchanges in the quiet hours of the early morning. He would have liked to know himself. Shrugging his shoulders in nonchalance, he sighed softly. âAnd here I thought you got along just fine, isnât it polite to invite another female for Alinaâs sake?â His eyes crinkled slightly in the corners as he answered playfully, still trying to formulate an accurate answer. Bell was just... âI thought of it as more of a get together.â Which in all honesty was a little small, with four people, right? Well, he didnât really have any clue as to how big or small a group had to be to make a meeting casual and inviting. He felt that every meeting was a bit too much. Be it two, three, four or more than that.
âEvan,â he cut in wearily. âYouâre sounding a lot like my mother.â She was almost the same, presenting him with facts on suitability of women from other families, whenever he was at a pureblood gathering. Even when not. She found ways to sneak information into conversations, letters... her creativity knew no boundaries. With an almost exhausted heaving of breath he relented. Maybe if he entertained Evanâs question by addressing the Black sisters one by one, he would get to an answer. âAndromeda has been a favorite of my mothers for quite some time, Iâm a little surprised we havenât been set up yet. Sheâs... quirky,â Rod tried carefully. âNarcissa is far to sweet, but,â he began to smile. âSheâll find someone to bestow her love upon. I canât imagine that stubborn little girl to not invest herself in a man whoâll become her project.â Yes, he thought sheâd rather have someone she could lean against, who could open up about feelings... personal things... who needed things from her only she could give and give them back in turn. Rodolphus though? He wasnât even remotely ready to let anyone under his skin. Not even Bellatrix. But Narcissa would wilt under his care - because he would never be able to give her the attention she needed. Also, heâs known her for a long time now and she was more like a little sister to him than anything else.
Bell, though... she was different. There was a certain back and forth between them, born out of a long time ease. Sometimes he puzzled over others not being able to get along with her. âI work well with her. Bell, sheâs not that hard to handle, not as far as I can think of.â Maybe his answer came a little too casually, but there was something inside of him, that wanted to turn away from that question and the thoughts that accompanied it.
Irritated about that fact he dropped the subject immediately after that sentence.
Instead he followed the want to focus back on Evan and his oncoming marriage with Alina. It was news to him how Lucius had reacted - since he hadnât been there and hadnât even dared to ask the blond how he felt about his sisterâs engagement before he even had his own. âHeâs always been more of a diplomat.â He agreed on the subject.
Rodolphus hummed low in his chest. There it was again - pure devotion on the other manâs face. Almost surrounding him like a golden halo. Rod licked his lips, thinking hard about what advice to give the other man. But without being in the same situation, he couldnât very well give any sound advice at all. Still... âItâs good you feel that way. But donât try to be overprotective. Trust that she can handle some situations on her own and if you think she canât right now, then... slowly build her up. Enable her to be confident in the situations you think she might not be able to handle on her own. This doesnât mean you have to abandon her to the wolves. Just... you canât always be there when she meets your family or stands before any other difficult situation.â
