The Prophecy: Displacement

Damn the Catalysts and his own bastard of a brother. Saren was out of school, without his wand, scarred, and damaged. He could barely focus on anything, though how much of that was from the head trauma and how much was from the liquor he'd knocked back as soon as he'd come home was impossible to tell. This was a living nightmare. The three had pushed him to the edge and he'd lost what little control he had, now look where he was. It was their fault, and he wouldn't let them get away with ruining his life.

His parents hadn't so much as sent an owl, though he knew the pair had been contacted due to his brother's involvement, and he hoped it stayed that way. The last thing he needed was his muggle mother looking at him and asking what had happened to her baby and his father angry and damning. He yelled, throwing the empty glass in his hand at the fireplace, where it shattered. Only when he reached for his wand to clean up the mess, did he remember all over again that he didn't have his wand. He yelled again in frustration, but it only served to bring a dull ache to his head.

Evangeline wasn't sure she should be visiting. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to be visiting, but what if Saren needed help? Everyone had turned against him, and whatever happened, everyone needed someone. She smoothed down her skirt and patted her hair, then pulled her purse into perfect place on her shoulder and picked up the paper shopping bag she'd set down momentarily at her feet.

You're a Purist! You think you're better than us, and you're not! You're not even Pureblood... Voldemort!

She shuddered just at the thought of it. Were the accusations true? Oh, not the Purist bit, that much she ignored. What did it matter if someone thought wizards were a little better than Muggles? But was he a halfblood? Or worse, was he Muggle-born?

She refused to believe it. He was far too handsome, charming, and talented. Yes, she would give him the benefit of the doubt, and not just because he was the closest thing to a future husband that she had. Love was blind, right?

Saren forced himself to take a deep, bracing breath when he heard a knock. His jaw tensed with the effort as he opened the door to see Evangeline. If he was completely honest with himself, part of him had expected to never see her again. He swallowed and stepped back to let her in. "Watch out, there's glass in front of the fireplace, I haven't cleaned it up yet." All he needed now was for the girl to kick off a shoe and slice her foot. Someone would probably manage to pin it on him, with his current luck.

Evangeline gave a watery smile and stepped in, careful to avoid the area around the fireplace. "I brought some things for you," she said, trying not to act as awkward as she felt. "Food mostly, so you don't have to go out if you don't want to." Which, considering the mood around school, was likely. Saren had been vilified, and Evangeline was still trying to decide whether he was worthy of such dislike. There was still much that she didn't understand.

At least he still had one ally, although for all Saren knew she might run off after her duty was done. "Thank you," he said. "You didn't have to do that. I'm sorry about what happened, things got out of hand." He still couldn't believe it had happened, it was insanity. Rather than face her when he was still barely keeping himself in check, he turned to head into the kitchen.

Evangeline watched Saren walk away and stood where she was for some few minutes before following. She set the bag on the counter and began to take things out, things she knew he liked or guessed that he might, a bottle of wine she knew he was fond of, and a few necessities.

"I'll... leave if I'm in the way," she offered. It should have occurred to her that maybe he'd rather be alone. "I'm sorry if I've intruded."

Saren closed his eyes, took another deep breath, then turned to her and took a step to put a hand against her lower back. "You don't have to leave, I'm just in my own head, is all," he said. "What happened has been brewing for years, and now it's ruined my plans and I don't..." He stopped and breathed heavily through his nose, unwilling to let the anger come back and scare her away.

It was easy to misinterpret the stifling of anger for some other emotion. Sorrow, perhaps? Regret? Sadness? "What plans?" Evangeline asked, realizing after she'd asked that she likely shouldn't have. "I'm sorry, it's none of my business," she corrected herself, "but if I could help, I would." Her brows drew together slightly. "You've been nothing but good to me, and certainly much better than anyone else." Including her own family.

Saren pressed an almost absent-minded kiss to her hair as she spoke. "You've been a wonderful companion, don't worry about asking me things," he said. "They've taken my wand and suspended me, for all I know I'm to be put on trial." He was so close to graduating and his business was doing well, but this fiasco would ruin it all.