A/N: Hey guys! I'm back with the second chapter of Something Uknown, Something New! I hope this is a good chapter, and that you like it(:
Now, without further ado I give you...the next chapter!
Disclaimer: Again, I own none of what you recognize...but i wish I did...
"Or witch, seeing as you are a girl." The woman looked at Evangeline, inspecting her. Then she glanced around, and an ominous feeling descended upon the occupants of the room. "Severus, I believe it is time we moved the girls." She said in a hurried voice as she headed to the window, glancing out.
Gwen stood up then with a defiant look and spoke clearly, "What is going on?" while Evangeline remained seated, studying the man in the doorway from the corner of her eye.
"We will explain when we get to Headquarters, but now we must leave." The man spoke, softly but with force. Gwendolyn looked at him with narrowed eyes and turned back to McGonagall.
"What about our parents?" She whispered.
"They will be safe. They have already been moved to an undisclosed position. But now we must hurry." McGonagall glanced back out the window, and with a resolved look on her face, pulled her wand from her robes. "Severus, you know what to do."
He nodded, pulled his wand quickly, and walked to Evangeline. "Come with me." He drawled.
Looking at him, Evangeline saw something pass through his eyes, something about people waiting. He had knowledge that he wasn't sharing. She stood and followed the man back outside, glancing around. It was still raining, more like sheets of water falling from the sky, and he pulled her right back into the cold.
Getting completely soaked again, the pair walked out to the street, one following the other. Then, the Professor turned back around to look at the house where McGonagall and Gwen had just emerged.
"Here we go!" Shouted the man, grasping Evangeline's wrist for the second time that night, and the image of her sister disappeared.
There was a tugging feeling coming from the center of her being and the pressure of Snape's hand grasping her wrist as they 'jumped' from the street to where ever the man was taking them. A second passed and her feet were again on solid ground. Dizzy, Evangeline lurched forward, ground coming fast causing her to squeeze her eyes shut and wait for impact.
The hit never came though. Severus still had a grip on her arm and when she started to fall, he quickly stepped in front of the falling form of Evangeline, catching her before she met face to face with the ground.
The two stayed like that for a moment until her dizziness subsided and her vision cleared. Taking in deep breaths, Evangeline realized what the man had done. In the short time of being in his company she had never thought that he was one to step up in that manner, she felt he was more like the type of person that would let you fall and scoff at your unsteadiness.
"Thank you." she whispered.
He said nothing, only released her and stood straight, looking down his nose at her.
"So…where are we anyway?"
"We are in a park. Headquarters is close by. Those in charge of this matter thought it would be best not to Apparate directly to Headquarters due to several…matters."
"Oh…"
"This way." He turned on his heel, walking swiftly ahead, robes billowing behind him when it struck her. Why was he dry? Inspecting herself, she realized she was also free of the water clinging to her clothing from the storm at home. Magic.
Evangeline thought that she had better keep up; something wasn't right and she didn't want to stay and find out.
She followed him down several city blocks until they eventually reached a long, brick building. To her, it didn't look like anything special, just like the standard apartment building that she and her family lived in before they bought their house. Next to her Snape stood still, glancing around to make sure everything was clear. When he had decided, he mumbled and the great building became even more grand.
The building started to move, sliding outward to produce another apartment section. There was a loud grating sound, but it didn't seem to bother the other inhabitants of the building. Soon the building ended its movement and Severus strode forward grandly, leaving Evangeline nothing to do but follow.
Without so much as a knock, he pushed open the door and practically flew down the hall to another door, which he opened and disappeared behind before she could say anything, leaving her alone in a place she knew nothing about. Glancing around, she stepped into the house and quietly shut the door behind her. The house creaked and moaned quietly and Evangeline wished more than anything Gwen was with her. Why had they been separated in the first place?
Glancing around, she noticed that she was in some sort of an entrance hall. The floors were wooden and a threadbare rug ran the length of the hall. To her right was a table that held old looking trinkets, most notably an old, dirty vase.
Standing where she was, she realized how alone she felt. Just moments before she had been separated from her sister and whisked away to some unknown location in a city she didn't even know the name of. Then she became angry; she had a right to know why she was taken away, seeing as it pertained to her. Clenching her fists and moving forward before she could decide against it, she marched towards the door that Severus had disappeared behind.
Just as she was reaching for the door knob, a loud crack sounded from behind her. Spinning around, she found a tall, dark man standing right behind her. Shocked and somewhat frightened, Evangeline let out a scream that was sure to wake up anyone who had been sleeping, and certainly enough to alert the people behind the door that she was there.
But no one came, only the man that had popped in. He walked towards her cautiously, reassuringly. He was speaking calming words to her, and his face showed he hadn't meant to frighten anyone.
"I…I'm sorry. I'm not used to things like this…" Evangeline trailed off, offering an apologetic look at the man dressed in an elegant outfit of blues.
"No, I should be sorry." His voice was deep, kind, instantly relaxing her fried nerves. "My name is Kingsley Shaklebolt." He extended his hand in a common Muggle greeting. She studied him closely for a few seconds before extending her hand and grasping his.
"I'm Evangeline Harpe."
Recognition and something else flashed through his eyes when she spoke her name. A grand smile came across his face as he shook her hand with enthusiasm.
"I am glad to have met you, Miss Harpe, though sad at the conditions at which we have met." The confused look she gave him pressed him to continue, "You are still in the dark. Please, come with me." He smiled at her once more, and then took off down another hallway. At the end there was a doorway and a staircase leading down to a lower area, Kingsley took the staircase and entered into a kitchen like area.
"It may be awhile, I'm not entirely sure. Would you like something to eat? Drink?" He asked her, being very polite, delicate…
"A glass of water would be just fine."
A moment later, a small glass of water was set before her and Kingsley excused himself from her company to see to some 'business'. At his departure, Evangeline was left to her thoughts and worries.
Why wasn't Gwen here? How long have I been here? Where did Severus go? What business did Kingsley have to do?
What was happening?
A creak sounded from behind her and she turned around in time to see a small, hunched creature head up the stairs that had brought her down to the kitchen-like area. He was mumbling things to himself as he ascended. So different…
"Ah, I see you've found your way to the kitchen." A voice drawled from behind her.
"Mr. Snape." Evangeline spoke. She hadn't heard anyone come down the stairs, only the frail-looking creature going up.
"Once McGonagall and a few others arrive, we can get down to business. But until then, I believe it would be best not to wander around the house." He seemed to be implying that she had come down here on her own accord.
"Kingsley, he brought me here." Just to clear things up, she thought.
He grunted and walked around the table to a chair somewhat across from her. Sitting down, he placed his hands on the table, folded them together and bowed his head, staring at patterns in the table top.
Evangeline took this time to study him. His hair appeared greasy, his skin was extremely pale, and his nose was rather large and slightly hooked. As he sat in front of her, he let out a sigh and his shoulders slumped forward, giving his back a slightly hunched look from where she was sitting. But that was just his physical appearance. Every time she saw his eyes, she could see a deep sadness in their deep, black depths. The way he walked, the way he spoke, it all showed past hurts to her, physical and emotional. From the way McGonagall acted around him, she could tell that he was trusted and respected, so why did he always need to wear a mask of sarcasm and scorn? Something about the way he looked right now made her want to hug him, but she decided against it, seeing as she had only met him a few hours ago.
So, instead of hugging him, she talked to him.
"Are you alright?" She asked quietly, and with her tone of voice she tried to express her concern, even if she had just met him.
His head snapped up to look her straight in the eyes unflinchingly. Eyes narrowed, he assessed her for himself as she had done previously. Then, his eyes met hers again though none of the hardness left them. A prickling sensation arose directly behind her eye; she felt as though something was looking through a filing cabinet to find something they wanted, and she didn't like it. Unknowing of what she was doing, she pushed against whatever was causing the pressure and it disappeared. The look of surprise in his eyes didn't escape her notice.
"How did you…?" Snape trailed off, clearly surprised.
"How did I what?"
His face spoke everything, as did his eyes. She was supposedly non-magical and she had just accomplished something very magical.
"Oh…" She whispered.
Snape opened his mouth to say something else, but that moment was whisked away when loud noises and screaming were heard from the upper floor. The first thing Evangeline noted was that Gwen was up there, and that her voice was the one screaming.
A/N: So, how do you feel about that chapter? Well, whatever you felt, through it into a review. I do enjoy reading them(:
ALSO!: If you enjoy anime and Inuyasha, step on over to iSpinFlags' story Obsidian. Its reeeeaaaalllyyy good(:
