Evelyn Leigh Proudfoot-Weasley

[Ministry, Anyone at the Ministry]
[Morning]

Charlie received rather good news over the weekend and with hardly a thought, much to the surprise of both of them, she agreed to quit at the Ministry and go with him. She was full of surprises these days, and- more importantly- she was ready for a change. Moving to Romania was quite a change. Now all that was left was to break the news. And quit her job. She entered the office with less trepidation than she would have expected. This was the right decision.

[Ministry, Anyone who would be there (particularly Kingsley & Harry)]
[Morning]

Evelyn and Charlie had returned to London the previous day and Evelyn had yet to tell anyone about her marriage- and had asked George and Tonks not to say anything either. As soon as she'd gone into work she'd visited the records department to get her name officially changed on all documents to Evelyn Proudfoot-Weasley. Now it was out there, everywhere, on files and her M.L.E. badge and on a page in Kingsley's desk informing him of the change. The placard on her desk had extended itself and there it was in curling calligraphy on the gold plate. It was a rather strange thing for Evelyn, to be married, and she was still having difficulty wrapping her mind around the concept.

[Egypt, Charlie, George, Tonks, Don]
[Saturday Afternoon ((Putting it up early))]

Evelyn was nervous, and of course she was having second thoughts. That's just how she had always been, terrified of commitment. She stood in she and Charlie's hotel room staring at herself in a mirror. She'd made Charlie promise not to come in and said she would meet he and Tonks and George down by the beach. Tonks had delivered the trunk as promised, and now Evelyn was dressed in her mother's wedding gown kindly edited by Dezi. It fit perfectly, even if it wasn't exactly appropriate for a beach side wedding in Africa. A quick charm made sure her hair would stay in place and that she would remain cool out in the sun despite the heavy fabric. They'd even found a wizard to perform the ceremony for them. With a deep breath she straightened out her hair and veil and then apparated out to the deserted little seaside cove they'd chosen for the "wedding".

[Owl To Tonks]

Tonks,

Can you come to Egypt this weekend? Just for a few days?

[Zoo, Charlie]
[Midday]

Evelyn didn't get a chance to read yesterday's Prophet until that afternoon and- though she was livid about certain parts of the gossip- she was too swamped with work to do anything about it. She got home so late that Charlie was already asleep and when she woke up he'd already left so she hadn't had a chance to talk to him about any of it. On her lunch break, she decided she would pay him a quick visit. When she arrived at the Zoo there was a nice little crowd of people despite that it was a Tuesday afternoon and she was pleased that business seemed to be going well. She wandered around for a few minutes, eating a sandwich she'd picked up on her way there, and hoping to run into Charlie.

[Flat, Charlie]
[Morning]

It was a rather nice morning, Evelyn decided as she put a kettle on the kitchen stove for tea and then disappeared into the bathroom to brush her hair and wash her face. She and Charlie had both managed to get the day off and, while they had made up from their fight, they had spent the previous evening finally physically making up. Despite all their best efforts it had been the first time they'd had a chance to be alone. It had been nothing short of glorious in her opinion and she'd told him, only half joking, that they really should be celibate more often. Today, her plans included lounging around the house wearing next to nothing doing practically nothing and maybe finishing a book or two. She smiled dreamily and examined herself in the mirror. Curiously, something seemed off. It took her a few moments to realize what was wrong and when she did she nearly fainted. Her hand fluttered to her neck and she shook her head a few times, hoping that by wishing it wouldn't be true. But it was- the charm she usually wore was missing. Evelyn stared at herself for a few more moments before quietly making her way back into the kitchen, unsure of how to go about things. This had never happened to her before.

[Flat, Charlie]
[Four in the Morning]

Sliding her key into the lock and pushing the door open as, Evelyn slipped into she and Charlie’s flat and fumbled in the darkness for a light switch. As she stepped forward she felt something large and furry blocking her path on the floor and that something gave a little hiss as she unceremoniously tripped over it. “Sorry, Po,” she mumbled, “Were you waiting for me?” The kneazle pulled itself from under her legs and came to lay on her chest, purring and nuzzling her face. “Most action I’ve had in ages,” she laughed to herself and patted the cat until she found its ears to scratch. “You know you’ll have to move eventually,” she told him. “I’ve got to turn on a light.” She sighed when the cat made no effort to move. “Or, okay, I’ll just lay here on the tiles all night, that’s nice.” Gently, Evelyn shoved Po off her and the kneazle made a noise of protest. “Bloody bratty cat,” she said affectionately and gave him another scratch behind the ears before he sauntered off with an offended air. Evelyn finally found the switch and flooded the entryway with dim light. Her keys were dropped into her purse which was then tossed onto a side table and her shoes were thrown into the hall closet. Her limbs were heavy with exhaustion but her mind was reeling, still fueled by the adrenaline and caffeine of a long night. Bed sounded like a good idea, but so did a cigarette, so she settled for the latter- standing out on the flat’s little balcony and watching as the city slowly began to awaken. Lights in some flats, a few cars on the streets below, but otherwise there was a lovely sleepy silence. Evelyn could not decide whether to try to crawl into bed without waking Charlie or to just pass out in the guest room so as not to disturb him. She had to return to work around one that afternoon, so she really ought to try and get whatever sleep she could. Probably better not to wake him she thought to herself and felt immediately guilty. It was just an excuse. They barely saw on another these days and whenever they were together she felt like something was off. She kept the flat clean, left out tea and coffee for him when she left in the mornings, they had chats and a few meals together but that was all. She tried to chalk it up to their busy schedules, but truthfully she almost felt like she was avoiding him again. Charlie’s mistrust, though apparently resolved, was still an issue for her. His clinginess when she’d gone to her Grandmother’s castle had bothered her more than she liked to admit and she was honestly still a little angry with him about the way he’d acted after her parents visited. She had really needed him, and he’d acted a total prat. Of course the latest news- that Oliver Wood and Angelina Johnson were getting married- only made things worse in her mind. Of course she was pleased for them, but it irked her that these kids were getting married and she was twenty-eight and only just now in her first serious relationship. Her first serious relationship which was, at the moment, still entirely screwed up. She sighed and tried to think of other things, focusing on the dark street below and the cigarette between her lips.

[Flat, Charlie]
[Early Evening]

"It's good to be home," Evelyn murmured to herself as she fell onto the couch in she and Charlie's flat after a long hot shower, dressed only in a towel, with a bowl of ice cream and a book. Every thing was finally taken care of at Castle Leslie and she was caught up on her projects and paperwork at the office. Evelyn actually had a few moments to herself to relax and she was taking full advantage of that. It was also nice to think she would be sleeping in her own bed for the first time in weeks. As she cracked open the book Po wandered over and jumped onto the couch to curl next to her. She absent-mindedly scratched behind his ears as she read the first few paragraphs of one of the trashiest romance novels she'd ever picked up.

[Morning, Castle Leslie]
[Anyone she's probably let friends know by letter by now the address]

The past week had been hectic between settling her Gran's affairs at the estate and work in London and she was glad to finally have a day off. With no time to herself Evelyn hadn't seen Charlie since the previous weekend, though she'd sent him a few owls to ask after him. It was probably better this way at the moment, though as the week went on she grudgingly admitted to herself that she missed him.
At the estate she had let most of the staff go (though she'd helped them find other employment first) and hired an older witch in a nearby village to work as a live in housekeeper. A groundskeeper and gardener would still tend to the outside and now and then the housekeeper could call in a muggle maid if she needed it. Evelyn still wasn't entirely sure if she would keep the place (which, in retrospect was more of a manor than a castle so she still didn't know why it was called 'Castle Leslie') so for now she would just use it as a sort of vacation house.
Evelyn decided to spend this morning finally really exploring the grounds. She wandered to the far side of the lake to see the view of the house from there. Really, the place was charming.

[Flat, Anyone, Attn: Charlie ]
[Afternoon]

Evelyn finished packing a bag and surveyed the bedroom to see if she'd forgotten anything. She was only taking clothes, a few books, and some work related items with her to Ireland. She still needed to talk to Charlie and check the weather for Ireland. The latter she did first and packed an extra warm clothes when she saw that it was just as cold and rainy there as it was in London. Next she sent an owl to Charlie. She would've just left him a note but she couldn't take Po with her since the castle was full of the muggles who were the domestic help for her grandmother. "I know you want to come, and I'm sorry," she said to the kneazle who was staring at her with as sad a look as a magical cat could manage. "I promise you can come along later, when there's not muggles about. You'll love it. Lots of room to run." She scratched Po behind the ears and then pulled on her coat. All that was left was to wait for Charlie.

[Diagon Alley, Anyone (especially Angie :D)]
[Afternoon]

Evelyn had been in a rather foul mood lately and George Weasley's birthday party hadn't helped matters. She had not spoken to and barely seen Charlie since the party- quite a feat considering they were supposed to be sharing a bed. Long hours at work (that she was secretly thankful for) kept her at the Ministry and she'd taken to meandering around Diagon during her lunch break instead of going home. Ocassionally she'd even popped into a bar or a shop after work just to kill time. She didn't want to admit to herself that she was avoiding Charlie but she suspected- and was oddly irritated by- the fact that he might be avoiding her. Of course, Evelyn wasn't only avoiding Charlie- she hadn't really spoken to anyone unless she absolutely had to. She was afraid of running into anyone who might ask questions- were she and Charlie fighting? Why had Charlie tried to snog Angelina Johnson? Why did Charlie get into a fist fight with Donaghan? She had no desire to deal with any of it.

[Charlie's Office in Hogsmeade, Charlie]
[Noon]

As soon as she'd seen the Prophet that morning Evelyn resolved to come to the sanctuary during her lunch break and snoop through his desk. She wasn't searchiing for anything more incriminating than a sample of his handwriting. All she'd found at the Ministry was his squiggly signature and that was no help. She just had to be certain.

He wouldn't... she thought to herself as she rifled through a stack of parchment on his desk. He couldn't. He knows better. He knows I'm not... but then, she wouldn't put it past him- he seemed ready to take the next step whenever she was just getting over the last one. That marriage secret had her freaked out and she'd barely noticed any of the others, not even the fact that her own had been printed. Now Evelyn was on a mission. Finally she found what she was looking for- some boring letter to a feed supply company- and was able to compare his handwriting to the note in the Prophet. The scrawls were not a match. She sighed in relief that quickly turned to horror as she realized the similarity between his writing and the one on the heart secret. So it wasn't marriage, but "spend the rest of my life" was just as bad. She just couldn't win.

[New Flat, Anyone]
[Late Afternoon]

It had taken all weekend but Evelyn's things were finally unpacked and neatly placed where they belonged. In retrospect she had far more than she'd expected to, but far less over all than Charlie. Most of her things consisted of books and clothes and she was rather glad he brought in basics like silver wear and a couch. She was doing her best to be patient with the fact that most of his belongings were still in boxes and she tried to help him unpack what she could. Arguments so far had been minimal- centering around things like why they couldn't share the closet and how the main bedroom should be decorated. Some of the furniture from her old room was now in the guest room and some of it was in the living room and the only real concession she got was that they would be using her bed because it was larger. But it had to have a less girly comforter- no flowers- and Merlin forbid she try to put up the canopy. There was also now a Chudley Cannons poster over the bed. Still, she could deal with it all. Mostly. As long as he didn't try to make her move her bookshelves out of the living room- and he hadn't yet- she would be perfectly fine. She'd moved her writing desk into the spare room and she went to it now to find a file she needed for work and then settled on the couch to read it over.

[Afternoon, Charlie]
[Random flat in London]

It was absolutely perfect. Evelyn stumbled across it on her way home from work- literally, she tripped and fell onto the front steps. When she looked up there was a vacancy sign and she decided it couldn't hurt to at least look. The landlord was in and he gave her a tour of the place- it was large enough with a good view and within walking distance of the Ministry. The price was surprisingly reasonable and she was told that if she was interested she could move in as soon as that weekend. It took all of her willpower not to sign a contract right then. Instead she stepped outside into an alley and patronused Charlie to meet her as soon as possible.

[Cubicle in Auror Office, Anyone at the Ministry]
[Morning]

Evelyn sat at her desk, looking over a stack of files and trying to ignore the memos the buzzed around her head. She'd been getting notes all day about the new Minister and she was having trouble keeping up with things. In the next cubicle over Williamson was twirling around in his chair tossing sharpened pencils up into the ceiling. Evelyn glared up as yet another pencil missed its mark and thwacked her on the head. In retaliation she picked a paper weight from her desk and lobbed it over the divider. She smirked in satisfaction at the sound of a thunk and a pained "ow!"

[Flat, Charlie]
[Morning]

When Evelyn awoke she wasn't sure what day it was, or if it even was day yet. Her eyelids were heavy and her head was pounding and her feet were feeling rather pained at the moment. After a few groggy seconds she realized it was because she was still wearing shoes. The night before was a bit of a blur, and the dizzying sensation she felt when she sat up- in her own bed, she noted- did not help matters. She was still a little drunk or very hungover, though probably it was a combination of the two. Slowly she surveyed her darkened room, noting the sunlight filtering on the edges of the blinds. So it was daylight and a glance at her clock told her it was morning. It was sunday, she realized after a few moments, which meant no work barring an emergency. She was still fully dressed and had been laying with her head at the foot of her bed. A loud store interrupted her musings and she glanced at the little couch in her room to see Donaghan sprawled out there on his stomach. Not only was Donaghan passed out in her bedroom but he, unlike her, was sans-clothing. All he wore was a rather ratty and small pair of undershorts with a union jack across the back of them.

"Donnie! Wake up!" she called out, trying and failing to remember any details about the night before. She vaguely remembered him coming over to the flat, and she remembered talking to him, she also remembered two bottles of firewhiskey. After that, nothing. She cringed at the thought of what she probably couldn't remember.

"Eh?" Donaghan muttered, rolling right off the couch and landing on the floor with a loud thud. "Ouch. Wha?"

"What're you doing here?" She asked in an impolite tone, feeling irate and snippy.

"You asked me to stay," he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Did we...?" she began, staring at him in horror.

He looked confused for a moment before her meaning seemed to dawn on him. "No, no. 'Course not," he answered and climbed back onto the couch. Evelyn gave an audible sigh of relief that Donaghan chose to ignore. Though, he was right, of course they hadn't. She wouldn't do that to Charlie. Even if they were sort of broken up. And besides, she was still dressed, so it had been a stupid question in the first place. However, even as relief flooded her, a guilty feeling began gnawing at her conscience. Something had happened, but she just couldn't remember what.

Donaghan's snores had begun anew when Evelyn finally remembered an event that had occurred somewhere between the end of firewhiskey bottle number one and the start of firewhiskey bottle number two. Donaghan had kissed her. She didn't want to think about it. So instead, she groaned and got off her bed, kicking her shoes off as she went to the kitchen to start a kettle of tea.

[Auror Offices, anyone]
[Early Morning]

The raid on the castle was arduous and in the end the aurors had come away with minor injuries and only a few Death Eaters. Evelyn was disappointed that a some had obviously escaped before the raiding party arrived, but she was slightly mollified by the fact that perhaps Ginny and Cho would have more information. After she'd made sure that the prisoners were locked up in holding and sent a fresh team of aurors and hitwizards to the castle Evelyn settled down in her cubicle to quickly file the necessary paperwork. She did her best to keep busy enough that her mixed adrenaline rush, exhaustion and relief did not completely overpower her. She reminded herself of her mental to-do list which included visiting Cho and Charlie's sister in the hospital, reporting to Kingsley, owling Charlie, and sleeping for several days.

[Flat, Charlie]
[Early Afternoon]

Evelyn trudged into her flat, exhausted, and tossed her shoes aside before falling onto the couch. She'd hardly been home in the week since Ginny and Cho's disappearance and even now she intended to return in a few hours. Tonks was still there and they'd been doing things almost in shifts, reminding each other to get a few hours of sleep when they could. Once she was on the couch Evelyn realized she probably wouldn't make it all the way to her bed, so she stayed where she was and was soon asleep.

[Charlie's Flat, Charlie]
[Morning after Christmas Day]

Evelyn hammered on Charlie's door, a little more angrily than she should have. She'd stopped herself from owling him immediately the day before- after her father decoded her necklace- and had instead griped about her problems to Harry. She thought sleeping on it would make her less upset, but that hadn't worked, and so the moment she got to London she'd decided to go straight to his flat before even going home.

[Flat, Anyone]
[Evening]

"Yes, I know but-"

It had been a horrid mistake to answer the phone, but she'd done it automatically. Evelyn should have realized no one but <i>her</i> ever actually called. None of her wizarding friends had phones. Still, without thinking, when the phone rang she picked up and now she really regretted it.

"Look, I'm really busy and-"

She sighed and tapped her fingers on the counter top, wondering if she could get away with just hanging up. Probably not. She'd just call back.

"...Fine. Fine, I'll see you then. Okay... Bye, mum." Resigned, she hung up the phone and proceeded to bang her forehead against a wall. It was going to be a painfully long Christmas.