"Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace..."
-John Lennon, 'Imagine'
Screams and shouts followed him; he couldn't remember a time when they weren't echoing in his mind. The scenery of the once pretty natural forest only seemed to be made up of accusing faces and flaming trees, yells turning into pain-filled ones that made him whimper but continue running.
There was no time; he was almost out.
Tick.
Tock.
He had to make it, he promised, he couldn't leave, not after everything he'd been through.
"There he is!"
"Off with his head!"
He felt the cold baronet point touch the small of his back, and the inhuman claws of the soldiers gripping him with their long red nails, and he knew it was over.
The last order was going to be fulfilled.
He felt a lone tear drip down onto his cheek as he was led away.
"The well had borne their part
But the noblest thing that had perished there
Was that young faithful heart."
-Felicia Herman, Casabianca
"The clouds are so pretty, aren't they?"
Evan turned his head to look at the sandy haired astronomer next to him with a startled look, the other male ignored the stares he was getting and instead pointed up at the clouds with a lazy, scarred hand. "Just observe, Evan. What do you see?"
The black haired boy sat up and leaned on his elbow, staring at the older man with amused blue eyes, before sighing and lying down again, making himself comfortable as he peered up at the clouds.
"Well," the boy's voice was surprisingly deep for someone his age. "That's… a bunny, and that one's a chair, and that one's the Queen of Hearts-"
Remus let out a quick laugh before smacking a hand over both his and Evan's mouth. "Shush!" he said, twisting his head around to see if anyone had heard the rude comment. "Do you want to get beheaded?"
The black haired teen made a 'Psh' noise from behind Remus's hand, and pried off the star watcher's fingers. "They wouldn't kill me," he told the amber eyed man. "I'm betrothed to the Jack and the Queen and King are my cousins."
"Yes, but you did just insult her."
"How did I insult her?" Evan sounded amused.
Remus looked torn for a second before pointing up at the cloud. "Didn't you just-?"
"'Didn't I just-?' what, Remus?"
The sandy haired man stared at Evan for a few seconds, before sighing and covering his eyes with his hand. Evan smirked victoriously as he lay back down again of the red-painted grass, making himself comfortable in the shade of the Hearts tree. "Relax, Remus."
Remus sighed but did as the younger man told, and rested his head on his arms. "You're very demanding, you know that, right?"
Evan laughed lightly in response, the velvet noise sending shivers down the astronomer's spine. "I guess that's what makes me a Black, being demanding."
Remus didn't reply, instead moving closer to Evan to point out a new cloud.
"Don't let the teardrops start
With love that's true, I'll wait for you
Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart."
-Vera Lynn, Auf Wiedersehen Sweetheart
"You can't do this, Alphard-"
The dark haired Jack turned and looked at his young betrothed, anger flashing in his grey eyes as he unconsciously snapped the pen in his hand. "I can do whatever I would like, Evan, because I am the Jack of this Kingdom and I have complete control over you."
"B-But that's not fair!" Evan's own blue eyes were wide and furious, anger seeping into his voice. "You do not own me, we are not married yet-"
"Just because you think you're so special, nephew, doesn't mean that I don't know about how you were born out of wedlock to that harlot in Clubs. If you mean that kind of special, then yes. I agree with you. You are special, especially since you've found yourself at court when you're just a sick Half-Blood."
Evan found himself paling- who could have told him? Who? He didn't know himself until his father drunkenly told him, did his father tell Alphard about Evan before Evan got to him? How many people knew about his blood now? Was that what had spread the rumors about him being impure?- and quickly backing away from the smug older man, who had a cruel gleam in his once warm and kind grey mirrors. "You can't tell me what I may or may not do, Evan. You have no authority." Alphard's voice was cold. "I am speaking with your father and breaking off our betrothal. You have three days to leave this court or else I will call the guards and have you painfully beheaded. Do you understand, Evan?"
The black haired teenager gulped harsh air into his painfully constricting lungs and nodded quickly; for he knew that Alphard would keep that promise. It was something Evan once found endearing with his should-have-been husband. Now it made him whimper and wish that Alphard was a liar and never kept his promises.
"Leave." Alphard barked. "Time's a' ticking."
The other boy didn't need to be told twice, and he fled. He ran pass all the confused- some grinning manically at him, they knew, THEY KNEW- faces of the courtiers and tried to get away from everyone, go anywhere, anywhere that might be safe.
Before he could blink, Evan found himself standing in front of the lone astronomy tower in the far ends of the Hearts Castle's grounds. Blooming heart trees and red roses (once white from Queen Narcissa's reign, but once Queen Bellatrix took the crown after the uproar, she had everything painted red, like the colour of the blood of the people she had beheaded) covered the pathway leading to the tower, and with the tortuous pattern of the white and black along the walls of the tower, the whole garden and everything in it was a sight to behold.
Evan stood in front of the spire for a moment, before rushing inside where he knew the one and only person who would listen to him was.
"Remus! Remus!" his footsteps echoed along the base of stones as he climbed higher and higher up the staircase to the top floor, where he knew the man was studying and marking charts. "Remus!"
Remus nearly jumped when he heard Evan's voice get closer and closer, and pushed up his reading glasses with one hand and tried to messily clean up the studio with another.
"Remus!"
"I'm here!" he called back as he scooped up ten charts into his arms and placed them quickly on the floor. "Come in, come in…"
The sandy haired man heard the door burst open and the sound of Evan's panting breaths, and he turned around after patting down his shabby brown coat and smiled at the younger man, "What-"
The smile slid off his face at the sight of tears bubbling in the other's eyes, and opened his arms to allow Evan to hug him. The black haired teen did so quickly, sobbing quietly as Remus patted him on the back. "There, there…" the man soothed as he rubbed slowly circles on the crying boy's back. "What's wrong?"
The Rosier didn't speak for a few minutes, which Remus expected, so he continued patting the boy and whispering calming words to try and coax what happened out of the tight lipped boy. "I can't really help you, Evan, if you don't tell me what's wrong."
"…Run away with me."
Remus blinked, his amber eyes flashing in the dim room. "W-What?"
"Run away with me, we could have a life somewhere in Spades or Diamonds, you can study for the royalty there and I can be your apprentice or I could be a scholar or something… please come with me, I don't want to be alone." Evan begged.
The man shook his head, eyes wide, and replied, "What brought this on?"
"Alphard broke up with me and threatened to have me beheaded if I don't leave the Court in three days' time, he found out about my parentage and… well…"
"But-"
Evan leaned up and pressed his thin lips against Remus's, the other man's eyes going wide as Evan's arms came to rest around his neck, his own arms automatically tightening further around the distressed boy.
"Wha-?" Remus gasped when Evan pulled back, staring into the younger man's eyes.
"Run away with me?"
The man took one looked around his dim and cluttered office, before turning his eyes to look into the pleading blue ones of Evan Rosier, and gave a soft smile.
"Oh," he sighed. "Alright then. We're going to have to pack accordingly, not to mention ration for food and water, and money since-"
Evan grinned and pressed another kiss against Remus's mouth. "Thank you." He whispered.
The sandy haired man shook his head and said simply, "Don't thank me yet, Evan."
"Life is hard.
Then you die.
Then they throw dirt in your face.
Then the worms eat you.
Be grateful it happens in that order."
-David Gerrold
"What are you smiling about?"
Evan turned his head to stare at Remus with clear blue eyes, blinking as he noticed that he was grinning broadly. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking about everything."
Life was good for the two. They, after two months of harsh travelling and fearing for their lives, had made it to the border of Diamonds where Evan got a job working for the local Potions Master, a pudgy but kind man named Slughorn, who allowed the two men to board in exchange for work until they found another place to stay. Remus had gotten a job as the Star-Reader's apprentice, and was fairly successful at reading the constellations, making enough money so that he could pay the rent and Evan could pay for the food and water.
Life was peaceful, three months spent along the Diamonds border they finally stopped checking over their shoulders, stopped eagerly listening to the news in case of any gossip about Hearts searching for them, and they ventured out to meet some of the local folks and charmed their way into the hearts of the old women (who occasionally gave them delicious free food).
Yes, life was good.
"The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom."
-Maya Angelou, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'
A year after leaving the Hearts Court, Evan finally heard a bit about what was going on in his home country.
"They say that Queen Bellatrix went into another rage and killed her husband after she learned about him cheating on her with his own brother." One of the married women said.
"They're sending out parties searching for new people for her to marry," another replied, stitching together a wedding dress, for her daughter was going to be married soon.
"Some say that they're looking specifically for two men though, here in Diamonds." Evan froze right outside of the cottage, his ears prickling as he tried to listen carefully to the conversation without looking as if he was eavesdropping.
"I wonder why?"
"I don't know."
The group of women moved onto another topic- the lady sowing the wedding gown needed help with picking out what coloured lace would go best with a pale skin complexion, but Evan didn't bother to listen anymore, instead running over to the cottage that he and Remus shared.
"Remus! Remus! They're coming, they're com-" he froze and dropped his basket at the sight of Remus's corpse freely flowing blood over the kitchen table, and his eyes widened at the sight of the Cardmen Guards clutching their lances closer to themselves, and he ran.
He ran.
For the Quidditch League (Canbaddles – Puddles) using the prompts: Red nails, "what are you smiling about?" and clouds. Break up Evan/Alphard using Remus.
For the Doctor Who competition using the prompt: Ninth Doctor – write about someone getting a new start.
For the Glee Competition – using the song 'Imagine' by John Lennon, I kind of took more inspiration from it and tried to incorporate it in, but my mind works in weird ways so when I imagine 'peace' and 'no killing, no heaven or hell' I, well, think of the exact opposite and use hate, killing, hell… etc.
For the Flower Language Challenge - ·Daffodil: Symbolizes unrequited love. Write about an unrequited love/someone who loves someone else secretly.
I don't own Harry Potter.