Snakes and Roses|| Rosekiller || ✔️

1. Seventh Year

Evan:

Evan has always found comfort in things that have routines, things that feel ritualistic, such as showers.

Today is 1st September, the day Evan begins his seventh year at Hogwarts, which theoretically should be an exciting time for him, except it's not, because he hates it there. Evan feels isolated in that place, such a large castle, so much space and Evan has nothing to fill it with except himself. So really, today is a better day than any to turn to comforts and routines like the shower.

Evan steps into the shower, immediately appreciating the warm water that beats against his skin, it's rhythmic, Evan likes it, he feels comfortable with the feel of it, familiar. He lathers soap along his body, relishing in the feeling of cleansing his skin. He lets the water wash the soap off of his body before he reaches for his shampoo bottle, staring down all of the other hair products he will eventually need to use.

Having curly hair means long showers, but Evan doesn't mind it, he likes passing the time, he likes having something to do, something to focus on. He runs his hands through his hair, spreading the shampoo through to his roots. He lets the shower cleanse his hair, enjoying the satisfying feeling of it all.

What feels like a lifetime later, Evan turns off the shower, immediately missing the warm thrum of the shower. He sighs before stepping out of the shower and drying himself off.

Evan then needs to dress in his muggle clothes, which he much prefers over wizard robes. He pulls on some ripped, bleached denim jeans, a black band T-Shirt with 'Led Zeppelin' written across the front. He then walks out of his bathroom and over to the full-length mirror stood against the wall across from the bathroom in his bedroom so that he can clasp his chain around his neck.

Once he's ready, he heads downstairs where he finds his Mum, Evelyn,  sat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. His Mum offers him a soft smile as he reaches for the cereal and pours himself a bowl.

"Good Morning, Dove" Evelyn greets him softly as he stands opposite her, tucking into his bowl of cereal.

Evan has been called 'Dove' by his Mum for as long as he can remember, he finds it endearing, really. She claims it's because he looked like a dove when he was born, he thinks she means he looked beautiful as a baby, the sentiment is there, but it doesn't really make sense, but Evan doesn't want to upset her, so they just go with it.

"Morning" Evan replies with a small smile as he continues to eat his cereal before he places the bowl in the sink. He walks over to his Mum and kisses her on her cheek before walking over to his shoe rack where he pulls out his black doc martens and puts them on.

"How did you sleep?" Asks Evelyn

"Yeah, fine" Evan replies

Evan did not sleep well. He never does the night before school, it always makes him restless, knowing exactly what he's going back to. It's not much better being at home, but at least when he's at home he doesn't have to pass hundreds of students in the hallway, all of them staring at him, talking about him behind his back, calling him a swot, or odd, or a teacher's pet, calling him all sorts of names.

Hogwarts is a source of happiness for most, not for Evan, though, for Evan, Hogwarts is a source of anxiety. It holds no happy memories for him. He spends his time in classrooms, the library and his bedroom. He can't spend time in the Common Room because that is where Barty Crouch hangs out.

Barty Crouch is probably the only person Evan truly hates. He's always trying so hard to get a rise out of Evan, always taunting him. He finds a way to encounter Evan every day, spilling pumpkin juice over him in the mornings, knocking his inkpot over in class, making comments every time he sees him, tripping him up in the hallway. Barty Crouch is never out of ideas and Evan cannot stand him.