Hermione, Kassi and George were sitting around a table at one of the newest Hogsmades bars discussing matters that would have been reason to lock them up in St. Mungo's for the rest of their lives.

"Alright so let me get this straight you think that this new Professor, Twinky is it? Is planning something awful along with Draco and possibly Oliver. The Oliver Wood who used to be obsessed with Quidditch? Then fell in love with Lulu? Sounds a bit sketchy although I wouldn't mind hexing his arse into the next life." The girls had just gotten through all of their theories including a strange theory about werewolves with a liking for blondes? He didn't know where that theory had come in but was sure it was a joke of some kind, maybe...

Kassi pointed out the obvious, Oliver wasn't acting himself, Draco was up to no good as usual, and there was some master mind behind it all. The question was what harm could actually come to the wizarding world with Voldemort dead? His bits of soul destroyed? It was near impossible for Voldemort to be back in any way shape or form wasn't it?

"Come on George you know it makes perfect sense. The way Oliver disappears, all of a sudden him and Malfoy are on speaking terms, and those long sleeved shirts are putting me on edge." Hermione shuttered as George produced a hearty laugh.

"You are the suspicious one Hermione. Come on he might be disappearing because he is planning to woo Lulu some more in a way that may guarantee him her heart. He is a professor so he can be on speaking terms with Malfoy all he likes and perhaps by putting Evelyn with him he is trying to promote inter house unity? Then the long sleeves are easy to explain, its winter, no one in their right mind would wear t-shirts!" Hermione looked sheepishly at Kassi who resigned in a sigh, he was right everything that seemed to be happening could be explained but still that did not ease her restless mind which reeled with suspicion. She knew something was not right.

"George I know what this looks like, that we are jumping to conclusions but I know something is wrong." Kassi stared into her cup of coffee in front of her as she lifted it to her lips thinking silently. "What we need is proof and your going to help us."

"Why would I do that?" George lifted his eyebrow as Hermione and Kassi gave him a scary resemblance of a Slytherin Smirk.

"Because we are going to help you get Lulu."

-0-

Why did everything have to go so wrong tonight?! First Fred pushes my pleading for at least a common friendship away like a piece of dirt then I catch him making out with Kate! And he had the gall to call to me, expecting me to understand!!

Indeed men are insensitive.

I'm so sorry to have to rant to you like this.

It is quiet alright my dear, please do tell me more.

I think I'm going crazy really, sometimes I wake up in strange places. The other night I woke up and I was standing over Dumbledore's grave, it was unnerving, then again a few days ago I woke up whilst writing some obscene thing about Mudbloods. What is happening to me?

Don't worry dear child everything will be alright.

Then there is the fact I feel sick, I think by the day I get paler. I went to the hospital wing and Madame Pomfrey could find nothing wrong with me even though I've had two unexplainable nose bleeds in the past week and increased easiness of bruising.

All will reveal itself in time, everything has a reason.

Thanks for listening. Just let me know if I can ever do anything for you.

Don't worry you will know when the time is right. Now sleep.

Cuddling into her bed sheets Evelyn closed her eyes and surrendered herself to a dead sleep that she would wake from hours later in a cold sweat with a nightmare on the verge of her memory but with no strength to bully it to show itself.

Pulling her sweater on and her shoes Evelyn proceeded out of the tower down over the stairs to the fresh air which she welcomed with open arms. The wind women loved hide and go seek and tonight Evelyn would keep her company as her thoughts whirled around like the wind in a ancient dance.

Walking to the lakes edge Evelyn stared out over the water wondering what would happen next. What did the future hold if anything? She had once read a poem she was sure called 'The Window' in which a person remained on the other side of the window looking out on the world without experiencing life, without the pleasures nor the suffering, without love and without hate, that reminded her of what she had done all her life. She had forced herself to build an invisible wall around herself to keep herself from true pain but it never kept everything out for once in a while she truly let down the wall and then came the suffering. Truth is never a shout when you have a wall built around you it is but a whisper. Now she did not even know the reason for the wall, did she have something to hide? Something to protect? Or was she being selfish? There had to be a reason, and when that reason was found the key to her past would be right in front of her as well.

"You look cold."

Evelyn nearly fell into the water before she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist preventing what would have been a very awakening swim. Turning around in the arms she looked to see who her assailant was and was surprised to find herself face to face with Draco Malfoy. "Draco you scared the hell out of me! What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." His usual smug smirk formed across his face as he loosened his grip on Evelyn but did not entirely let her go. He had a plan to carry out so why not have some fun right?

"Well I was just thinking is all, I couldn't sleep up in the castle..." Evelyn felt slightly comfortable there with another's arms around her in a protective embrace. She wanted to feel safe, protected, and that is what Draco was portraying whether he knew it or not.

"I couldn't sleep either. I'm more of a night owl really." Draco was about to let go of her when she lowered her head to his shoulder and a small damp surface touched his skin as her tears went unheard. Tightening his grip instead he whispered sweet nothings of comfort which he would eventually bring crashing around her. Finally, what seemed like hours to Draco, Evelyn broke from his embrace to wipe away her tears and study him carefully.

"I'm not sure if I should tell you this, I've been receiving memories through these short dreams, or at least I think they are memories. Very few you know, I only remember a few things now and its only because once I remember I write it down before I can forget a moment or two later. I think my mother is dying Draco, I feel my family's pain even if I can't see their faces. There is also an empty place in my heart in which I think was reserved for my best friend, the one who I think had managed to break through my barriers to the truth." Evelyn hesitated not wanting to divulged too much to her new found friend. She was not sure of his intension in being nice to her, after all she was Gryffindor and he was Slytherin, then again everyone deserves better then to be judged by appearances and such plus everyone deserves a second chance.

"You have barriers hiding what truth Evelyn? What are you hiding so desperately that you chose to separate yourself from others and change when you are around different people?" Draco took his turn to study his ticket to happiness, his ticket for...

You have a choice Draco

No I don't

Yes you do

I don't I have to do this, even if I fail at least I would have known I tried to bring them back right?

No Draco, this is wrong. You are stealing her away from her chance.

She is a mudblood she deserves no less.

"That's the thing Draco, I can't remember why I built these walls around me. It's as if I won't let anyone see my emotions as clearly as I do, but I think I may have even blinded myself from the truth. Whatever that truth is." Evelyn was clearly frustrated with this situation of memory loss. Losing 17 years of your life certainly does put a hole in hope.

"Remember what you told me in the Room of Requirement, you said whatever it is, it will be ok. That is what I will tell you know, whatever it is, it will be ok." Draco reached out to brush a hair from her face when he stopped himself dropping his arm to his side. What was wrong with him? Perhaps he sympathized with her because of her loss of family and apparently her mother was to die, he knew what that felt like, when you could do nothing to prevent any of it.

"Thanks for just listening."

"Trust me, you don't want to thank me. Now I will bring you back to the tower and you will get some sleep your looking deathly pale." Draco swept her away to the castle by her hand to her tower hoping she would get some sleep and discontinue this nice streak towards him.

-0-

Lulu wandered down from the Ravenclaw common room still unable to find Kassi. Where was everyone? She had went to find Hermione in the library and she wasn't there, she went to the Joke shop and it was closed! What was going on now?

"You look a little lost."

"Merlin Oliver! Don't do that!" Lulu nearly jumped out of her skin as she turned around to face her Charms Professor who was giving her that strange look as his eyes fell on the necklace he had given her. Why would she wear it if she didn't like him at least a little right?

So Lulu you've found yourself here yet again with Dear Professor Wood... And what do you plain to do about that? You've either got to push any feelings you have had toward dear Oliver or face up to the truth. You do like him at least a little... But what is this new uncomfortable anxious feeling? I can't really like him that much... Then why am I being so weary?

"Sorry Lulu I didn't mean to scare you." Oliver laughed sheepishly as he ran his hand through his hair.

"It's alright, I was just looking for Kassi but it seems everyone has left me." Lulu regarded Oliver for a moment pondering something along with random thoughts of George popping up.

"You look a little flushed, are you alright?"

Lulu considered his question for a moment, was she really alright? She had been looking for Kassi to discuss a few things, then she went to find Hermione to see if she could talk to her, and as a last sort of result she had went to find George but everyone seemed to be too busy.

"I'm a little stressed out, its nothing really." Half truth half lies always balanced out to satisfy people right? Wrong.

"You are a very bad liar." Oliver tipped Lulu's chin up to look into her eyes which darted around refusing to rest on his face. What were to happen if eyes met in a lone corridor like some movie cliche? What were to happen if he was the one to comfort her whilst George was off making secret plans? Would the comforter get all the glory and the girls heart in the end, or were movie cliche's overrated?

"Only when I want to be." Was she actually going to stand here and flirt with her professor after she had shoved off his affections already?

"Why Miss Evans are you trying to be clever and witty?" Oliver's eyes danced with mischief as his fingers intertwined in Lulu's stray strands of hair. How far would she let him go? He really did care for her, even if she did not chose him he would protect her to the end. For once he had something more to care about in his life then Hogwarts and Quidditch, for once he felt strange fluttering's of uncertainty in his heart.

"I'm already clever and witty I don't need to try. Ravenclaw remember?" Lulu felt the increased tension of a boundary being crossed, the question now was how far would she let him go? She didn't really now in this night when she wanted someone to confide in and hold her and tell her it was going to be alright no matter what.

"Yes but with the heart of a Gryffindor. For only a Gryffindor could have stolen my heart." Oliver watched Lulu's expression change several times with in a few moments as he searched for her true reaction to such strong words.

"Oliver please don't say that. I really can't deal with it right now, right now I just need a..."

"A friend? Of course Lulu, I will be your friend for now, if that is what you need." Oliver let his hands fall back to his sides as his eyes showed a moment of disappointment but acceptance for now.

"Thank you."

"Shall we go have some Hot Coco then? I've heard a good talk over Hot Coco does wonders."

Lulu giggled in a very out of character voice as she relaxed stringing her arm through Oliver's walking toward the kitchen entrance to a promising nice chat. "Hot Coco it is then."

-0-

It's funny how one night can change so much around. The next morning all of Hogwarts woke up to singing.

One month till that day

Come what will may

No LockHeart to ruin the mood

Nor Snape to be so crude

Awake dear Students to our countdown

I'm sure you'll all come around

To the spirit of Valentine's

As I sing every morning the signs

You could hear groans and moans through out the castle and some colorful words from certain students including that of Lulu, Kassi, Evelyn and one from our dear innocent Hermione Jane Granger.

As students filed into the Great Hall noting that the date was only January 14th true to that terrible song sung that morning by some unseen creature. Many single people were in a terrible mood, many young girls went around all day in a fit of giggles, and still others just ignored the whole ordeal.

Evelyn walked down the hallway towards the Charms classroom as she glared disgusting at some first year girls walking down the hall giggling and whispering rather loudly about Valentine's Day. Walking in Oliver directed his hand towards the seat next to Malfoy as usual. Evelyn couldn't understand it, Oliver was a former Gryffindor, he hated Slytherin's all except for Malfoy. Well Malfoy wasn't such a bad guy, since Christmas ended that is. Strangely Malfoy seemed to do a 360 turn in his attitude towards her. Lulu and Kassi thought he was up to no good but he was the only one who would listen to her and what happened last night had her questioning her feelings towards him and her friends.

"Now class open your books to page 341 on unspoken time spinning charms. Please silently read the next 5 pages and practice the new charms we learned last class. Begin." Professor Wood sat down in his desk taking out a few papers to grade as the cracking of spines filled the air. Hermione of course quickly filled through the pages before anyone had barely gotten off page two.

Unspoken charms are as simple as your resolve put behind it. You have to want it, really want it before it can happen. Time charms were first discovered in 1458 by the famous Wizard Gindadorff.

Evelyn skimmed the first paragraph before a piece of paper floated over on to her lap and started to unfold itself. Looking around to see where it came from she saw that everyone in the room had their eyes glued to the books. Unable to find the perpetrator she glanced down at the note picking it up to place it on the book to better read it.

Barriers are there to keep people out, my goal before Valentine's is to break those barriers so that I may taste but a sip of your truth. I feel like I am talking to myself for I have built my own barriers around myself so far that I am willing to hurt anyone to get what I want. Whatever anyone says to you this week, always remain that good hearted person to everyone. All is not what is seems.

Your secret admirer

Well that is a little cheesy, thought Evelyn, but it is kind of sweet too. Something that might have come out of a dream, like your knight in shining armor and all that. Sure she was sure she had read many of those novels because somewhere inside her she wished that she would find that special guy who would just listen and tell her she was the only one, in reality though there is no such thing. But this was real wasn't it? Or rather as real as it could get considering it was some alternate universe. Heck, thought Evelyn, anything can happen with magic right?

"Please put away whatever you are reading Evelyn and reading the assigned work." Professor Wood was looking at her with a very strange gaze, perhaps calculating into the future?

"How?"

"No one smiles when they read about these Charms." Oliver chuckled as the young student blanched and placed the note she had been reading into her pocket.

Right... back to whatever we are supposed to read. Staring at the page Evelyn did not turn it for the rest of the class whilst everyone else already had their wands out and were practicing the newest Charms. A few minutes before the class finished Professor Wood approached Evelyn and Malfoy with a smirk across his face, you know one of those - I'm about to do something evil- smirk.

"Since you've obviously gotten nothing done this class Evelyn I suggest that you and Malfoy meet tonight in my classroom for extra time to get those new charms down. After all Mr. Malfoy is one of the top students, I'm sure you'll be perfect under his guidance." Draco's apprehension turned into a scowl as he growled at the Professor.

"But Professor I've got much more to do, I've no time to waste here re-teaching her." Draco added a little venom to his voice as his scowl deepened.

Why is he so reluctant to spend an extra hour with me? What happened to the Draco I met last night? Of course he isn't as bad as before, he might have called her a mudblood before, but still. She had hoped that he would stay as nice. Remembering the letter of course she remembered to smile and just not take his venom to heart, after all she was supposed to be nice no matter what.

"No but's Malfoy, you'll be doing this. I'm sure that an hour won't hurt after all. Plus it will give time for an inter house unity friendship to form. Come on Malfoy even you can't say no to spending an hour with a pretty girl." Professor Wood was having a little too much fun with this situation but before he could say another thing the class was over but before either were allowed to leave they both agreed to the little study session in his classroom that night.

"Rotten arse is getting in the way."

"What do you mean by getting in the way Draco?"

About to use her last name Draco Malfoy realized that he did not know Evelyn's last name, she had never mentioned it, neither had the teachers. "What is your last name Evelyn?"

"Well I know this will sound strange but I don't have one really. I forgot my old last name and never bothered to replace it." Malfoy seemed to consider this for a moment and nodded as if understanding some deeper meaning.

"Right then well I guess I'll have to call you Evelyn then but please don't call me Draco." He drawled at her as if uninterested in her existence, what a 180 from last night.

"Why not?" It made sense if he called her Evelyn then she call him Draco. Why would she call him Malfoy?

"Just don't. I'll see you tonight then Evelyn." Walking briskly away leaving Evelyn to stare at his backside Malfoy had made a rather confusing impression.

"Right then Draco." Evelyn answered in a whisper walking off to the kitchens to grab something for lunch before sneaking up to the library to avoid a good few people.

-0-

"What do you mean she saw you and dear Kate snogging?!?" George was yelling at his brother for the first time in well ever. After everything Fred had told him he figured he had the right to do a little yelling.

"Well Merlin I didn't know she was upstairs in my bed with Malfoy!" Fred snapped back at his brother figuring rightly or wrongly that it was none of George's business for the first time.

"Oh come of it, your just jealous it wasn't you up there. After all she did call after you not to leave and if you hadn't you would have been up there with her." George smirked at his brother knowing he had won but perhaps he had hit a slight nerve in doing so?

"I am certainly not jealous of that-that ferret! She is the one who wouldn't have anything to do with me." Fred was fuming mad, well he was angry but he was also bloody mad, quiet insane!

"If I remember that conversation she said nothing about having nothing to do with you, actually she only said that she knew that the bloody dare meant nothing. You know you couldn't have told her the truth." George wasn't sure if he should laugh at his brother or slap him into his next life. "After all she did save your life if you've forgotten so soon."

"Oh yes the truth does wonders. You know I used to hate you but because your such a bloody good kisser I think I might just love you, that makes perfect sense. Merlin George what is going on in that head of yours?!" George sighed and decided to ignore the man, he would calm down in a little while anyway, and after he realized what he'd said he would be freaking out even more after all Fred just admitted in a strange way that he loved Evelyn. "Fine ignore me George see if I care."

"Right I'm off to see Lulu then she'll be better company I'm sure."

-0-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0---------

Righty then Elven Princess Ginny I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Well I'm off to study Biology!