Chapter Twenty-One: The Devil Within

You'll never know what hit you

Won't see me closing in

I'm gonna make you suffer

This Hell you put me in

I'm underneath your skin

~ The Devil Within; Digital Daggers

A/N: Warnings: some violence, although not undeserved. Little earlier than usual update but we've gone into lockdown here (again) so thought I'd give you this a tad early.

Also, the newest member of the Rosier/Black family is welcomed into the world!

In the early hours of the morning on the 14th of June, Phoenix went into labour. Camille immediately went over to Grimmauld Place to get Walburga, and they used the Floo network to go over to St Mungo's. Malcolm had rolled his eyes about the fuss, as if the birth of his first grandchild was of no interest to him. Evan was white as a sheet the whole time, even though he wasn't the one doing all the hard work.

The labour was difficult, but it wasn't long and there were no complications. Late in the afternoon of that same day, Phoenix collapsed back against the pillows, her entire body covered in sweat, as Heather wrapped her baby girl in a blanket. The newborn's cries were loud enough to make Phoenix certain her daughter certainly had quite the set of lungs. Overcome by a surge of love that was new to her, she held out her arms.

Heather settled the baby in Phoenix's arms, a warm smile on her lips as she watched the young mother and her child. Phoenix didn't think she had even known what love was until she'd seen her daughter for the first time. Tears of joy spilled down her cheeks as she stroked her daughter's hair. Fair, like Evan's.

"You did so well, darling." Evan pressed a kiss to the top of Phoenix's head, and the love she felt for their baby was reflected in his eyes. He might be a poor husband, but she had the feeling he would be a caring father.

"Cassiopeia." The word was firm but hoarse, from hours spent screaming throughout the labour. She cleared her throat. "I want to call her Cassiopeia."

It was Phoenix's middle name, and a traditional name for House Black. If their child would have Evan's last name, she wanted her daughter to have something of hers as well. Evan considered their daughter for a few moments, nodding slowly.

"Middle name?"

"Lysandra." Phoenix straightened up despite the fact that her entire body ached. "Cassiopeia Lysandra Rosier."

She stared across at her husband, expecting some kind of protest or interjection at her naming their daughter. Instead he smiled and sat on the edge of the bed, brushing aside the soft pink blanket to examine their baby.

"Can I hold her?"

"I mean, you're her dad." Phoenix handed Cass to him, adjusting his arms so that he was supporting the newborn properly. There was pure adoration in Evan's blue eyes as he stared down at her. Phoenix surmised that her husband might believe he loved her, but he finally did have someone he could love—their daughter.

"How are you feeling?" Heather appeared by the bedside with a steaming potion, offering to Phoenix. She took a few sips and the dull ache throughout her body began to ease. Phoenix didn't really know what to say. She had never anticipated being a mum at nineteen, but the moment Cass was in the world, suddenly Phoenix had something she loved like nothing else.

"She's beautiful." Phoenix watched Evan place a finger in Cass's tiny hand. Was this what Walburga had meant, when she'd talked about children changing things? She hadn't found pregnancy easy, but it was all worth it for the baby in Evan's arms. Cass was the beacon of light in Phoenix's life that she hadn't known was possible.

"He's good with her," Heather noted, an eyebrow arched in surprise. She had been nothing but civil toward Evan, but Phoenix could tell that she disliked him. Not that she could blame her, considering how Evan had behaved the first time he'd been introduced to Heather.

"I know this won't be easy," Phoenix said quietly, "I mean, I'm nineteen and he's twenty. We're young."

"That doesn't mean you won't be good parents." Heather smoothed a strand of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. "From the first time you came in here, you were always so concerned about the baby. Making sure she was safe, healthy. You loved your little girl before she was even before, I think you're going to be a wonderful mum."

"I don't exactly have a good role model."

"Where is my gorgeous granddaughter?" Camille's high-pitched voice was accompanied by the staccato clicking of her five-inch heels. Her hair was perfectly coiffed, and it looked as though she might have gotten a manicure since she had accompanied Phoenix to St Mungo's. She looked absolutely immaculate, and Phoenix shrank back into the pillows, aware of her lank hair and puffy eyes.

Walburga followed Camille in. Though not dressed as glamorously, there was still an air of sophistication about her. The pair of women closed in on their shared grandchild like vultures over a carcass.

"What did you name her?" Camille took the baby from Evan's arm, rocking her and cooing. "Oh, what a sweet little cherub."

"Her name is Cassiopeia Lysandra Rosier," Phoenix said, not that Camille was even listening. Walburga, though, gave a proud smile at recognising her daughter had kept up the family trait of naming children after stars. The baby started to fret, squirming in her blankets and crying as loud as her little lungs would allow.

"I think she's hungry, Mrs Rosier." Heather was polite but firm as she indicated Phoenix. "You should give her back to her mother."

Barely acknowledging the Healer's presence, Camille sighed dramatically before passing Cass back to Phoenix. The dark-haired girl shifted with a slight grimace, slipping the sleeve of her gown down and bringing Cass to her breast. Phoenix was exhausted, and the last thing she wanted to deal with was her overly extroverted mother-in-law and probably half a million instructions from Walburga and reminders of what she was doing wrong.

"Phoenix needs rest, Mother." Evan folded his arms and glared down at Camille. "She's just had a baby."

Phoenix's attention was solely on Cass. As her daughter yawned sleepily, she traced a gentle finger down her face. Would that blonde hair darken as she got bigger? Would she more closely resemble Phoenix, or Evan? She felt like she could watch her child for hours and never get bored, though her arm felt numb from supporting Cass as the baby drifted off to sleep.

Fortunately, Camille and Walburga seemed to get the hint, departing the ward in deep conversation. Phoenix supposed she should be grateful that there was something to bring people together, especially in a war that was tearing them all apart. Every other week, there was a death in the Daily Prophet, a name she vaguely recognised. Or names that were much more familiar, like Thomas Fawley. In a world of violence and death, Phoenix had created life.

Phoenix remained at St Mungo's for a handful of days, long enough that Heather's son Cedric had the opportunity to meet Cass. The young toddler was astounded by the baby, gently touching her fair hair and examining her with wide eyes. Phoenix was overwhelmed with love for her daughter, and her heart melted at seeing how Cedric interacted with the newborn baby.

Malcolm Rosier did not visit the hospital to meet his granddaughter. He waited until Evan and Phoenix returned to the estate, two days after Cass was born, to see her. When Phoenix held her out to Malcolm, a proud beam across her face, he took her with an unreadable expression. He surveyed the baby for a few moments, as Cass cooed quietly. There was no smile on his lips, no pride in his eyes, just cold calculation.

"You and Evan are young." Malcolm's voice was dismissive as he handed Cass back to Phoenix. "Fortunately, there is plenty of time for you to have a son."

Rage built up inside Phoenix and flared to life. She was doing everything that she was meant to as a dutiful Death Eater's wife, and still Malcolm treated her with disinterest and contempt. He barely even looked at his grandchild, simply because Phoenix hadn't had a boy. What sort of fucking outdated bullshit was that? She clutched Cass tight to her chest.

"What did you just say to me?" Her voice was dangerously quiet, the words hissed through gritted teeth. Evan's eyes widened as he saw the look on his wife's face and he moved to take her arm, but Phoenix shrugged him off.

Malcolm arched a surprised eyebrow. "I believe you heard me."

"I have just had a beautiful, healthy baby girl." Phoenix's voice shook with anger and she pressed forward to glower up at him. "If you have a problem with that, maybe next time you should be the one giving birth."

Evan's grip on her arm was more insistent this time, and he tugged her out of the room. Phoenix seethed with indignation, beyond pissed at the way Malcolm was acting toward her. Though Phoenix didn't tug away from Evan, she crossed over to place Cass in the bassinet as he watched with his arms folded over his chest.

"You can't talk to my father that way."

"Why?" Phoenix scoffed. "Because he's a Death Eater too? He was rude to me, and he's been an absolute git when it comes to Cass. She is his grandchild, Merlin's beard."

"He's still adjusting."

"Oh, bullshit." Phoenix whirled around to face him. "He's adjusting? Do you think it's easy being a mum to a newborn baby? Malcolm's only just met Cass. You and I both know what his problem is."

She took care not to shout, because the last thing she wanted was to upset their daughter. Phoenix was sick and tired of Evan making excuses for Malcolm's behaviour. He had never liked Phoenix, and he had made that apparent from the beginning. Instead of berating her for her attitude, Evan strode over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"You're exhausted. I know you've been up at all hours with Cass. You should get some rest."

Something made Phoenix prickle with unease. The memory of waking up to Camille informing her that she'd fainted. Phoenix had experienced nights where she had been very drunk and couldn't quite piece together the particulars of how things had gone, but she'd never had a blank spot in her memory like the one on the night she'd fainted. It scared her, and it was only because of the daughter that Evan loved sleeping in the bassinet that she dared to question it.

"Evan. The night that I fainted…"

Alarm flared in his blue eyes. "What about it?"

"I want the truth." Phoenix clenched her jaw and braced herself for more lies, for evasion. "I've never just...had a whole night I can't remember. I can't remember anything before I fainted. So I want to know what happened."

"It's better that you don't know." There was the curt dismissal, the frustrating response that she got whenever she asked for more than Evan would tell her. She wasn't stupid. She knew there was a darkness that lingered in her husband, clawing beneath the surface. He hated showing her, but she'd seen it regardless.

"Why?" she demanded. "To protect me, or you?"

"Don't push me, Phoenix," he warned, his eyes flashing with something she didn't quite understand. Danger? Rage?

"Stop." Phoenix held up her hands, frustration coursing through her at the constant stream of half-truths and avoiding the topic. "Stop with the bullshit and for once, be honest with me."

"You want the truth?" Evan stalked over to her, his temper snapping like an elastic band. He didn't touch her, but he did loom over her, and Phoenix swallowed at the feral fury in his eyes. "Fine. You saw something that you weren't meant to, and I took care of it."

The brutal words were followed by a tense silence as Phoenix tried to process what he meant by that. Her tired brain wanted to make sense of what he'd said, but something wasn't adding up. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sucked in a deep breath.

"What does that mean? What do you mean, you took care of it?"

"I thought you had all the answers, Phoenix." His tone was mocking now, and it dug beneath her skin and cut deep. "So you tell me."

Phoenix was stunned into silence. Was it that she couldn't understand what Evan was saying, or that she didn't want to? As the pieces of the puzzle slid into place, she shook her head, tears welling in her eyes as she unravelled the horrible truth of her husband's betrayal.

"You didn't. Tell me you didn't take away my memory of...whatever I wasn't meant to see."

Guilt and regret clashed in Evan's eyes and he stared at the ground, and she realised with absolute horror that he had obliterated her memory. Choking back a sob, Phoenix pressed a hand over her mouth. She couldn't trust Evan. She certainly couldn't love him. The man that she'd married, that she'd now had a daughter with, had proved that he took care of problems by wiping away their existence.

"What else?" Phoenix whispered, her voice hoarse as she struggled not to cry. "What else?!"

"Nothing else!" Evan exclaimed, holding up his hands. "I promise."

"How am I meant to believe you?" Phoenix hissed, lowering her voice so that her distress didn't wake Cass. "You wouldn't even have told me about this. How can you claim that you love me when you would do something like that?"

"It's because I love you that I did it," Evan insisted, reaching out to her despite her smacking his hand away, "Phoenix, please. If I hadn't erased your memory of what happened, the others would have killed you."

So what she had seen had been that horrific, that important to keep hidden, that the others would have resorted to murder. She turned away from him and sat heavily on the edge of the bed, trying to process her blatant terror. Phoenix had thought whatever else she had lost, she at least kept her free will. If Evan was freely erasing her memories, what was stopping any of the Death Eaters from using the Imperius Curse on her, as Rabastan had once threatened to?

Phoenix's body trembled as she curled her knees to her chest. She was not safe. She was not secure. Her marriage to Evan was beginning to feel less like a choice, and more like a prison. Despite Evan's claims, Phoenix knew that he had broken her trust forever. How was she meant to believe anything he said, when he could alter her memories at will? How was she ever meant to feel safe again, knowing that her own husband would use magic against her?

Surprisingly, Lucius and Narcissa were among the first visitors that Phoenix received following Cass's birth. Their son Draco had been born not even two weeks before Cass. She and Narcissa placed their babies on the bed, fascinated by the way the tiny pair wriggled around. Cass was certainly the more vocal and mobile of the two, while Draco seemed content just to sleep.

Phoenix was still distressed about what Evan had told her, and she had done her best to ignore him. Unfortunately, he was so besotted with their newborn daughter that it made things difficult. Phoenix didn't have the right to prevent him from seeing Cass, and she didn't have the heart to despite what he'd done to her. She invested everything she had into her daughter, and seeing Narcissa again was a welcome respite.

"I bet Abraxas wasn't an asshole about Draco," Phoenix said with a sigh. Lucius's father must have been thrilled that Narcissa had a son, whilst Phoenix continued to contend with Malcolm's quiet disappointment.

"Oh, Malcolm's a stuffy old git," Narcissa waved a hand, scooping up Draco and resting him in the crook of her arm, "You have a beautiful daughter, everyone can see that."

"Narcissa…" Phoenix didn't know how to broach the topic. She took a deep breath as she brought Cass to her breast so she could feed. "Does Lucius ever do things that you question? Things you don't think are right, or don't agree with?"

A shadow passed over Narcissa's pretty face, and that was more than enough answer for Phoenix. She was not the only wife of a Death Eater to live with the violence that her husband was part of. She wondered whether Lorna knew the truth, considering she was marrying Isaac Mulciber in just over a month. It was a merciless world to be inducted into, one that cared little if anything for the women of it.

"What happened, Nix?"

Phoenix didn't know how to tell Narcissa that Evan—who of course was Narcissa's cousin on the other side of the family—had erased her memories. Cradled in Phoenix's arms, Cass made soft noises of contentment. Everyone was already saying how much the child resembled Evan, and it disappointed Phoenix a bit to see so little of herself in her daughter.

"I'm just afraid. I have a baby now. I worry about what this war means for us."

Phoenix didn't sleep well anymore. She was constantly up with Cass, not to mention when she finally drifted off, she was plagued by nightmares of faceless men hidden behind Death Eater masks. It was strange to think how fearless she'd once thought herself, that she had been foolish enough to deny her destiny. This was the bleak future she could expect: questionable morals and Rosier heirs.

"She will be gorgeous." Narcissa placed Draco in her lap, leaning over to inspect Cass. "Impeccable breeding, you know."

Of course Phoenix knew. It was all anyone ever talked about, like she was a broodmare whose sole purpose was to have attractive children. She made Cass a silent promise: that her daughter would have a better future than Phoenix did. She wanted her little girl to grow up to pursue her dreams, not be married off into a prominent family as a teenager.

I'm scared, she wanted to say to Narcissa, I'm so fucking scared. I'm worried about being a terrible mum, I'm worried about what might happen to her, I'm worried about losing my fucking mind because I don't know what else Evan has done.

Narcissa's smile was pitying. "You're so young, Phoenix."

"I'm nineteen," she said, voice laced with resentment. She was younger than most of her friends and family, and was aware that they perceived her as a young girl with a little baby. She had imagined her life to look incredibly different by nineteen, and yet here she was, a wife and mother despite her best intentions.

"Ladies." Lucius stood in the doorway, arching an eyebrow at the pair of them. "Congratulations, Phoenix. Such a beautiful baby girl. Evan must be so proud."

Her thoughts were drawn to Regulus, and she felt a stab of heartache as she did every time she thought about her twin. How Regulus would have adored Cass, wrapped in the blanket that Sirius had gifted Phoenix. But Regulus was gone, and he would never know that Phoenix had a daughter, and that felt like being pierced with a thousand knives.

Narcissa must have seen the pain in her expression. "Come, Lucius. Phoenix is awfully tired, we should return home."

Phoenix smiled wearily, relieved for Narcissa's perceptiveness. As her cousin left, Phoenix held Cass close and inhaled her oddly calming baby scent. Would this be easier if Regulus was still here, she wondered, or would it make things that much harder?

Evan had been talking about getting a place of their own. Phoenix was pleased at the idea of leaving the Rosier estate, but dreaded the idea of it just being her, Evan and Cass. She knew that Walburga and Camille would continue to be overbearing, visiting their new residence to coo over Cass and dictate exactly how Phoenix was parenting her wrong.

"How's my little girl?" Evan swooped in and scooped the baby from off the couch, making her giggle and blow bubbles. Either he'd been working longer hours, or he was out with his fellow Death Eaters more often. Phoenix didn't ask questions anymore. Silence was her safest option, and she donned a smile as she watched Evan with Cass.

"She adores you," Camille cooed from her perch on the couch beside Phoenix.

"I've been thinking." Phoenix fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, crossing her legs. It was something that had been on her mind since Narcissa's visit, but something she hadn't possessed the courage to voice until now. "When Cass is a bit bigger, I thought maybe I should try and get into St Mungo's. My Hogwarts results were spectacular."

"Oh, don't be silly, darling." Camille waved a dismissive hand. "You don't need to work, Evan will do that. You need to be taking care of Cass."

Phoenix frowned. "But I want to work."

She needed to escape this suffocating environment, and she didn't believe things would be any better if it was just her and Evan with their daughter. Cass had quietened in Evan's arms, contenting herself with sucking at his sleeve.

"We can discuss it when Cass is bigger." Evan's tone indicated that was the end of the discussion for now, and Phoenix swallowed back her bitter disappointment. She supposed she should be grateful. He was absolutely besotted with their daughter despite Malcolm's cool disapproval. The older Rosier's eyes followed Cass with cold calculation, like he was already attempting to see what his granddaughter was worth.

"Isaac and Lorna's wedding is next week," Phoenix reminded him.

"I can look after Cass," Camille insisted, reaching out to take the baby from Evan, "I think it would do the two of you some good to have a break. Parenting can be so exhausting."

Camille had never been much of a mother to Evan, at least from what Phoenix had seen and what she'd heard from her husband. It was strange now to see her so devoted to her granddaughter, though she supposed it was because Camille could give Cass back the moment things became too difficult.

"My mother might want to see her," Phoenix said.

"Of course!" Camille's eyes lit up with delight. "Walburga can come over for dinner. What a wonderful idea. I'm sure she would love to see Cass."

It stung to realise that Walburga had seen Phoenix more since Cass had been born than she had after they had lost Regulus and Orion. What sort of grandfather would Orion have been? Would he be as icy and disapproving as Malcolm? Phoenix would never know, because it was another member of her family who had died before Cass had even been conceived.

Phoenix was constantly reminded of what she was: a Death Eater's wife. Evan had proved to her just what happened when she overstepped herself. So she donned a bright smile and tilted her head to the side as she looked at Camille.

"That does sound lovely."

Phoenix had practically lived in loose, comfortable clothing with her hair bundled up in a loose ponytail or messy bun to stop Cass from grabbing at it. In the emerald green dress that she'd picked out before Cass's birth to wear to Isaac and Lorna's wedding, she felt naked. The dress clung to her, highlighting just how much her body had changed. Two months postpartum, Phoenix still had extra weight around her stomach. She had gone up at least a cup size since having Cass, and her hips were definitely wider than they'd been before.

Isaac and Lorna had booked up an entire hotel for their wedding. Phoenix and Evan's room was nothing short of breathtaking, but as Phoenix attempted to get ready, she was overcome by a wave of frustration that had very little to do with her more curvy figure, but of course that was just the icing on the cake. Fortunately, Beth arrived with champagne as Phoenix fussed over her dress, and Evan took that as his cue to leave.

"This fucking dress," Phoenix seethed, tugging at the hem with growing agitation. She could use a simple charm on it, but that was hardly the point. Putting down the bottle of champagne, Beth crossed over and grabbed Phoenix's hands in her own. The blonde looked absolutely perfect, and her model-thin body did little to help Phoenix's own warped self-image, despite knowing that she shouldn't be comparing herself to her friend.

"You need to calm down. What's really going on?"

"I'm just...different."

"Yeah, you've had a baby, Phoenix. Before you get so critical of your body, remember that it carried and nurtured Cassiopeia for nine months."

"Poetic," she muttered mutinously.

"You know I don't mean the damn dress." Beth grabbed her hand and yanked her over to the queen-sized bed, forcing Phoenix to sit down. "You usually wouldn't give a shit what anyone thought of you. Something's happened."

If there was one person who understood just how dangerous the Death Eaters could be, it was Beth. Phoenix recounted her argument with Evan, and Beth's eyes widened with shock, a hand pressing over her mouth as Phoenix reached the part where Evan had admitted to erasing her memories. Her best friend's horror did little to ease her own feelings about it.

"That's fucked up," Beth whispered.

"What can I do about it?" Phoenix threw up her hands. "I just have to accept it, Beth. It means I have to be careful now."

"You're not okay, Phoenix." Beth's voice was firm as she examined her friend. "Look, you've been through a lot this past year and a bit. First Regulus, then your father. But what Evan did...that's traumatic."

"I don't know." Phoenix shrugged off Beth's words, suddenly uncomfortable. She wasn't some sort of victim in this situation. "I don't even remember what happened. That's not really trauma, it's just weird."

"If you say so." Beth didn't sound convinced, but she wasn't about to push the subject. Straightening her shoulders, she donned the mask of the perfect pure-blood despite her half-blood status. "I'm going to do your make-up. I don't want to hear any excuses, I'm doing it, and your hair as well. This sorry bird's nest looks like it hasn't seen a good updo in months."

"It's called motherhood," Phoenix grumbled. In truth, she relished every moment she spent with Cass, and she wouldn't trade it for anything. Nonetheless, she allowed Beth to lead her into the bathroom and after an hour, she was transformed from tired teenage mum into someone who almost resembled the old Phoenix, the one who'd been the star of parties and walked into any room with her head held high.

"Alright," Beth declared with a devious smirk, "Let's go get smashed."

After finishing the bottle of champagne with Beth in the hotel room, it turned out that Phoenix really did have every intention of drinking herself through a pure-blood wedding. Fortunately, it seemed as though Isaac and Lorna were genuinely happy with each other, so Phoenix's congratulations were actually real.

Evan was bragging about Cass to all of his friends, which made Phoenix roll her eyes. Few of the Death Eaters they'd gone to school with had children, so they probably couldn't even relate. She found herself indulging in much of the wine and champagne that the reception had to offer, feeling a pleasant tingle as she tottered slightly in her heels.

"Whoa there." Mitchell Avery caught her by the waist as she stumbled, an amused smile curving the corners of his lips. "You used to be good with the booze, Nix. Are you a lightweight now that you're a baby mama?"

Phoenix didn't like his hands on her waist, the dark gleam in his eyes as he tilted his head to the side. None of the Death Eaters were foolish enough to try anything, since they had the fucked-up view that she was Evan's property, but that didn't mean she liked a sleaze like Mitchell touching her. She shifted her heel so that the point of the stiletto came down on his toe, making him yowl in pain.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Phoenix giggled and tossed back her hair. "I must just be drunk."

"Bitch," Mitchell snapped.

Phoenix moved past him and made a beeline for Beth. Her friend had consumed even more alcohol, and was breaking it down on the dancefloor to Celestina Warbeck's sultry new number. Looping her arms around Beth's waist, she swayed to the beat with a giddy happiness that she hadn't felt in a long time. Tonight, she could forget about her family tragedies, about the marriage she was trapped in, about the baby she felt ill equipped to be a mother to.

Then she saw Mitchell across the room, flirting with some cousin of Lorna's who was maybe sixteen or seventeen. The girl looked uncomfortable with the attention, and Phoenix's deliriously good mood soured instantly. She remembered the World Cup. She remembered that she hadn't been able to stop what had happened to Beth. She could, however, make sure that Mitchell never touched another girl like that again.

Fuck, not long ago, she had been so determined to remain cautious around the Death Eaters. Or maybe it was just Evan she was hesitant around, because with champagne and daring burning through her system, she wanted nothing more than to knock the living daylights out of Mitchell.

"Phoenix." Beth gripped her wrist tightly. "Don't cause trouble."

"Me?" Phoenix laughed mirthlessly.

"I'm serious." Beth stared hard at her. "You have a way of making enemies of them. No one's forgotten what happened to Alexander."

I haven't forgotten what he did to me. It was the reminder of being curled up on the marble tiles, processing her brother's death and the Cruciatus Curse, a mix of the most excruciating emotional and physical pain she'd ever known. Phoenix loved Beth like a sister, but trouble happened to be something she excelled at, especially when she noticed Mitchell leading the girl from the room.

"Do you want him to pay, Beth?"

"Of course I do," Beth said, "But not like this."

Too late. Phoenix had already made up her mind. Marching out of the reception with her stiletto heels clicking against the stone, she cast around outside for the asshole who'd made Beth's life hell. She found him kissing the girl, clearly intoxicated, pressing her up against the wall as she teetered on her heels. Whipping out her wand, Phoenix pointed it at Mitchell's feet.

"Confringo."

The small blast made Mitchell stumble back, cursing. The girl shrieked in surprise and stumbled away, heading back into the reception as fast as her high heels would allow. Mitchell's eyes narrowed as he examined Phoenix, who kept her wand pointed in his direction. He removed his from his robes, scowling.

"Why do you always have to make everything a fucking drama?"

Phoenix shrugged. "I wouldn't if you stopped sexually harassing girls."

"Oh, fuck off." Mitchell scoffed. "If this is still about what happened at the World Cup, that was two years ago now. Beth wanted it."

Phoenix's temper flared and there was a curse on her lips, but Mitchell was faster.

"Expelliarmus."

Her wand flew out of her hand, clattering across the floor, closer to Mitchell than Phoenix. A smirk curved his lips as he examined her, head cocking to the side with feigned curiosity.

"What's the big plan now, Phoenix? Did I ruin your little 'girl power' moment?"

Phoenix held up her hands as if in surrender. She had probably fucked up by getting overconfident, and she had the feeling that Mitchell would hex her if she went for the wand. Licking her scarlet lips, she attempted to stall.

"Okay, you're right. I don't know what happened that night at the World Cup."

"Funny how quickly the tone changes when you're on the defensive." Mitchell walked over to scoop up Phoenix's wand, but once he was bent down, she struck with the swiftness of a serpent, her stiletto heel catching him in the stomach and knocking the wind from him. Mitchell doubled over and Phoenix kicked again, this time between his legs.

"Phoenix!" Strong arms wrapped around her waist, physically picking her up and dragging her away from the stunned Death Eater. She was unsurprised, when she was set on her feet, that it was Evan who had made her disengage. He picked up her wand and shoved it into his pocket.

"Your bitch needs a leash," Mitchell snarled hoarsely, but he cowered when Phoenix lifted her leg as if to kick him again.

"Trust me, I'm aware." Evan seized a hold of Phoenix's wrist and led her off to their room, where she was certain that she was going to get chastised again. This was a pattern, she mused to herself. Nonetheless, she couldn't find it in herself to be sorry about what she'd done to Mitchell. The prat deserved more than a good kick.

"Let me guess." Phoenix folded her arms over her chest as Evan slammed the door shut. "I have to be a good wife and keep my mouth shut and probably not kick prats?"

"You are acting like some kind of rabid animal," Evan snapped, leaning against the door, "Is it too much to ask you to let whatever petty grudges you have go while there's a wedding? Why do you need to act on impulse every time?"

Phoenix didn't know how she could explain herself in a way that Evan understood, and so instead she resorted to verbal barbs.

"How about you erase my memory? That would work a treat."

Hurt flashed across Evan's features, and she could tell that he genuinely regretted that—or did he just regret telling her? It was quickly replaced by irritation, as always when she tended to get under his skin.

"That's not fair, Phoenix."

"Neither is what happened to Beth, but you think we should let bygones be bygones so that you can drink with your mates."

"Phoenix." Evan's voice was tired, but his eyes glittered as he strode over and took her face in his hands, pressing a kiss to her lips. "There's already so much fighting going on right now. I don't want to argue with you. I don't want there to be tension everywhere I turn."

"Then think about our daughter," Phoenix said softly. Despite the fact she doubted there would ever be love in her marriage to Evan, they both shared a fierce devotion to Cassiopeia. Evan pressed his lips to hers again, softly at first but then with more passion. As he wrapped his arms around her waist, she knew exactly what he wanted.

Phoenix didn't want to fight either. She was tired of finding battles everywhere she looked, and it was so much easier to turn the other cheek...but not when it came to her friends. Phoenix didn't really give a shit what happened to her, though Beth was another story.

Sliding her arms around Evan's neck and running her fingers through his blonde hair, she let him lead her to bed. Phoenix and Evan hadn't had sex since Cass was born. She was glad that it happened in the dark, mostly because she was still self-conscious and didn't want all her flaws laid bare. She might never love Evan, but she could do this, and for now it was enough.