This chapter was difficult to write. And I put five hours into this and all I hope you like this chapter.

ENJOY!

Chapter 9

Evanna had dragged Draco through the corridors to her room. Draco was looking at her with an exasperated fondness. Once she had locked the door, Draco immediately took Evanna in his arms, he was extremely happy to see her free of the pain. Evanna returned his hug with equal happiness. This was the first time that she had let him hug her and it was a relief. Evanna had never let herself become used to harmless physical contact before. That would have made returning to the tender loving care of the Dursleys much harder. Now she would never go back there. She was free and it was a liberating experience.

"So, can you explain the wings now?" The curiosity in Draco's voice made Evanna laugh.

"I am an angel. Well, not exactly. My mother had been adopted by the Evans'. She was actually from a pureblood family that was wiped out during Grindelwald's war. The females of that family would come into their inheritance on their sixteenth birthday. We grow wings and they reflect our life. Every girl has a different power, which comes out within four weeks. I changed yesterday at midnight so I don't know my powers yet. And once my powers settle, I will be able to feel a connection to my mates." Evanna's voice was becoming more excited with each word that tumbled out of her mouth. And Draco could do nothing but watch. His sister in all but blood was happy for the first time since he had met her. Her smile was like a thousand diamonds. It was the rare genuine smile that she reserved only for him and Blaise.

Draco's soft smile distracted Evanna from her tale. "So what made you smile that way Draco?" Evanna inquired in a soft voice.

"Oh, nothing, I was just thinking how rare it is to see a genuine smile on your face. And your wings look absolutely beautiful. But why are they grey?"

"They are grey because they haven't fully developed yet. I can't fly yet. But I was wondering, who will teach me to fly?" Evanna said.

Draco replied, "I think it will come to you instinctively. I wonder if this is the reason you're so good on a broom, it was just your powers showing a little early."

Evanna nodded her agreement, "Maybe you are right. On the subject of wings, I forgot about Hedwig! She was out hunting last night. She won't know that I left. How will she find me?" Evanna's voice raised and she started pacing on the carpet.

"Vanna, Vanna! Listen! Hedwig is a very smart owl. And she is your familiar; your connection will lead her here. Even through the wards." Draco said to console her. "And what are you going to do about your birthday? It is today, you know. I will be bringing your gift this evening. And now I can finally take you shopping for clothes, because you won't be returning to that hell hole." Draco continued to change the subject.

Evanna started smiling slowly. "It is today! I completely forgot in the excitement."

'Trust her to forget her own birthday' Draco thought fondly.

Evanna's tone changed to worry once again, "But the Weasley's will send gifts. If I'm not there the owl will return the letters and packages and they will suspect something!"

"Then Uncle Sev will go there and take your packages from the owl. Tomorrow we can send Hedwig with a reply so they won't suspect a thing."

Evanna was happy that Draco was here to be her voice of reason or she would forever be worrying about something or the other.

"In fact I will go talk to him right now; he will still be in the study." And with that declaration, Draco left the room.

Draco had no difficulty finding the Study as he was quite used to navigating large Manors. He knocked on the Study door. He heard a faint 'Come in' and took the liberty to enter. He saw Severus and the Dark Lord there, almost ready to leave.

"Uncle Sev?" Draco said tentatively.

The two dark haired men turned towards him. Severus replied, "Yes Draco?"

"I was wondering if you could visit Privet Drive once again."

Severus scowled. "I do not want to visit that disgusting place again Draco, so you better have a valid reason for requesting this."

"Actually Evanna was worried that the Weasley's would send gifts and their owl will return without dropping the packages. She doesn't want them to suspect anything. They might tell Dumbledore." Draco saw as the hard lines on Severus' face softened at the mention of Evanna.

"Fine, I shall go to the place" 'but only for Evanna's sake' was left unsaid but not unheard. Draco was not a Slytherin for nothing, he was quite perceptive. Severus' tone suggested that he was not just doing this for Lily Evans' daughter; he was doing this for Evanna, and that alone said a lot about his feelings. Once Severus had left, Draco turned to the Dark Lord. "He cares for her, doesn't he?" This new form of the Dark lord was infinitely more approachable than is snake-like self and Draco was not afraid to speak up in front of him anymore.

"It is much deeper than that, Mr. Malfoy. For the both of us." Draco found this to be cryptic, but the emotion in his voice left Draco stumped and he quietly turned and left the study.

A mere fifteen minutes later, Draco and Evanna were summoned to the Living room through Mipsy. What they found was almost enough to make them laugh had it not been for the livid look on Severus and Tom's face. Severus' usually impeccable robes were ruffled and the feathers stuck in his hair and hands indicated a recent scuffle with an owl.

"What happened?"Stifling her chuckles, Evanna said, "What's wrong?"

"A love potion. A LOVE POTION!" Tom's voice rung through the room. "I am going to murder those low-life scum!" Both Draco and Evanna were surprised when Severus pulled Tom into his arms and kissed him thoroughly. Evanna was still confused what they had been talking about.

Once Severus had detached himself from Tom's mouth, he spoke, still keeping a firm hold on the shorter man's waist, "I ran a detection scan on the parcels I retrieved from Privet Drive. It turns out there was a heavy dose of love potion in the food package as well as a strong compulsion spell." His voice was controlled but both the teenagers could hear the loathing in his voice. "It turns out that the Weasley's are not as trustworthy as you believed them to be, Evanna." He said with a regretful tone and a sympathetic expression directed towards the only female present.

Then Tom addressed Evanna directly for the first time, "We will see to it that they pay for this Evanna. You will not have to worry about all these manipulations, once we are done with Dumbledore AND the Weasleys."

The determination in Tom's voice did nothing to bring Evanna out of her shock. Her thoughts were revolving around only one thing. 'Is everything in my life a lie? Mrs. Weasley? How could she..? Are they truly like this? Why? What would they get from doing this to me?' The males in the room watched with sadness as the expressive green eyes filled with anguish and the pearly tears started to fall. All three of them rushed to support her as she fell to her knees. Tom cradled her head in his arms as she cried in the crook of his neck. Her hands were tangled in Severus' robes and he made no move to change her position. Draco was sifting his fingers through her hair, trying to calm her down, but the tears kept coming. Slowly her sobs turned to screams, and she yelled her complains to the heavens. Her mates, unable to do anything but watch as she wept her heart out, were crying for her on the inside.

Evanna cried, and wept for all the betrayal she had faced, the deaths she had seen. She let out the tears she had stopped when Cedric and Sirius died. She cried out the pain she was dealt at the hands of the Durselys. She cried in relief that she had at least five people in her life who would not hesitate to hold her hand as she went through all the hardships of life, and she let the blessed unconsciousness consume her when it all became too much.

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-clicheluver