A/N: I can't believe it. It's finally here. I bring to you ladies and gentlemen, the last chapter of Collision. I think I may cry. Do pay attention to the author's note at the end of this chapter though? Thanks!

Collision: Chapter 11
Eva's Secret

A heavy silence settled in the room as the two wizards stared at Eva. "What are you talking about?" Draco asked, voice carefully controlled.

Eva collapsed against a wall, scuffing her toe on the floor. "How do I start?"

"The beginning would be nice!" Draco snapped. His anger was being carefully controlled. Just when he thought he couldn't handle anything else that night, Eva once again threw something shocking at him.

She sighed. "For starters, I'm not a muggle." She had the decency to look Draco straight in the eye as she said this. It did nothing to lessen his sneer.

"You're a witch?" Harry asked, clearly perplexed by something.

"Not quite," she smiled sardonically. "I'm a Speaker."

Draco's breath left him like a popped bubble. Harry looked even more confused, but Draco knew exactly what a Speaker was. Very few people even believed the Society still existed. He would think Eva was just pulling another one over him, except those few wizards that knew of the Society would never even joke about being a Speaker. No wizard wanted to be asked to join. Very little was known about the Society's practices, but it was reputed to be a very difficult lifestyle. Members of the society could never have a family. They couldn't even form close friendships. Their life was completely devoted to whatever it was the Society did.

"So all this time…" He couldn't finish his question.

Eva looked at him sadly and seemed to understand his difficulty. "I have hated lying to you Draco," she said earnestly. "Especially once we became friends. And we are friends. I would do anything for you, Draco, which is why I'm even telling you this. No one is supposed to know about my true mission, but I can't lie to you anymore!"

The young woman seemed to be as conflicted as Draco, which eased some of the blonde's hurt. He looked at her and shook his head softly. "So you weren't just using me?" he asked.

She cringed. "You've always thought I was using you. You just assumed it was to help me blend into wizarding society. And I know you've been using me to help your image!"

It was true. Their relationship had only formed because he had seen an opportunity through Eva. He hadn't expected to grow to care about her. "You're really a Speaker?"

She nodded gravely. "Now you see I had no choice in any of this. I could be killed for betraying our secret. But screw it. They can't kill me until my mission is over anyway. No one else can do it."

Draco was going to ask about that little revelation but Harry finally spoke up. "What's a Speaker?"

Suddenly the blonde could do nothing but laugh. It took several minutes for him to gulp down enough air to calm down. "I'm sorry," he said, wiping his eyes. "It's just—this whole thing is ridiculous. I'm terrified that you're a Speaker and Harry doesn't even know what it is!"

Eva smiled carefully. After ensuring that Draco was recovered she turned her attention to Harry. "What I'm about to tell you, you cannot share with anyone." Harry tried to respond but Eva cut him off. "Anyone. Not even Hermione or Ron." She glared until he nodded. She pushed herself off the wall and began pacing. "The Society of Speakers is an ancient coven, dating back centuries. We are charged with maintaining the balance between good and evil in the world."

"I didn't even think you existed anymore," Draco admitted.

"That's how we prefer it," she said. "The problem with knowing of our existence is that people expect us to step in whenever some ill befalls them."

"Like Voldemort," Harry whispered. The name still sent shivers down Draco's spine.

"Exactly," Eva said firmly. "Our job isn't to eradicate evil; it's to make sure it never overtakes good."

"It almost did with V-v-the Dark Lord," Draco pointed out.

"But it didn't," she stressed.

Harry frowned. "And the Society had nothing to do with that?"

Eva blushed. "Not entirely," she mumbled.

"Wha-how?" Harry sputtered.

"That I'm afraid I cannot tell you," Eva said sternly. "And I will take that to my grave. I can tell you that it was no accident you took possession of the Deathly Hallows. I am still pissed about you tossing the stone in the forest. It took quite some skill to recover it. However, I am pleased with the protection of the Elder Wand."

Harry stared. "How do you know about that?"

"So it's true?" Draco asked, gaping.

"I told you it was," Eva snapped. "A very big slip up on my part, but luckily you didn't question me about it too much. And you cannot tell anyone," she said seriously. "The Society agrees that no one should know about the whereabouts of that wand." She looked at Harry. "Your decision was a wise one. Should you die a natural death, no human will be able to wield its power. Even if your death is forced, the one who kills you will not know of their acquisition."

Draco blanched as Eva talked about Harry's death so casually. He barely heard Harry's appreciative response. "So you have the Resurrection Stone?" he tuned in to hear Harry ask.

"We do," she said nodding. "And now that we've found it we will protect it quite well. The cloak, of course, is yours. It is the least dangerous of the Hallows anyway."

"But what about the Enchanted Stone?" Draco asked, wanting to bring the conversation back into familiar territory.

Eva glared at the empty box before kicking it. "Like I said, we don't step in to save the world every time a madman decides to become a despot. However, some circumstances are so serious that we are forced to act preemptively." She made another symbol in her palm. "Our other charge, besides maintaining balance, is to keep a watch on the artifacts of the Old Ones."

"The old ones?" Harry asked.

Draco looked at his friend in awe. "They're the ancestors of all wizards," he said.

"Supposedly," Eva said with a nervous chuckle. "They were definitely rich in magic. They left several artifacts all over the world. We suspect that they were originally left for their scions or their tribes, but changed hands as the way people lived changed. Some artifacts were completely lost. Others still exist within families and we can only watch over them from a distance. Others, like the Enchanted Stone, have gained quite a reputation and can only be discovered through legends.

"My mission is to recover the Enchanted Stone—along with several other artifacts—before someone else does."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "You perceive a threat." It wasn't a question.

She nodded carefully. "A great evil is present in the world right now," she said.

"Worse than Voldemort?" Harry asked skeptically.

"Much worse," Eva said. "This evil is also much more intelligent and just as patient. It knows of the existence of some of the artifacts and the powers they can wield. If the right combination of magical weapons were possessed by this evil, it would surely overturn the balance of the world."

"You don't know who it is?" Harry asked.

"We don't even know what it is," she explained. "There is no guarantee that this is human, or even one being. All we know is there is a great concentration of it."

Harry frowned and ran his hand through his hair. "Of course. My life can never be easy."

Eva placed a placating hand on his arm. "This isn't your battle, Harry," she said. "You weren't even supposed to be dragged this much in, and I apologize for that. The only charge I am placing you with is to make sure none of this gets passed on beyond you. No one can know. And you certainly have no reason to worry about your future." This seemed to relax the wizard.

"Now I understand why you're willing to risk your life," Draco whispered.

"But not yours!" she said sharply. "I will keep looking for the stone, but I am no longer involving you."

Draco wanted to argue, but reason won over his emotions. Now that he knew who Eva really was, he was quite confident in her ability to take care of herself. Not to mention that as far removed as he was from his childish ways, he still greatly cared about his own skin.

"That's strange," Harry muttered.

"What's strange?" Eva asked, turning her gaze to follow Harry's.

"The eyes of the statue," he said. "I thought they were green?"

"They were…"

"So why do they look purple now?"

Eva stepped up to the icon and studied it. She closed her eyes and seemed like she was meditating for a moment. She shook herself out of her trance and smoothed her hand over her hair. "I can't believe it," she said, shaking her head.

"What?" Draco asked, stepping up beside her.

"The stone," she said, waving toward the eyes. "It's been here all along."

Draco studied the eyes. "I thought there was only one?"

"There is," she answered. "It's been split in half. They split the Enchanted Stone in half." She laughed humorlessly.

Draco gasped. "What does that mean for you?" Harry asked.

"It means my search is over. The stone is useless as an artifact in this state. It still retains some magic, but nothing that could be manipulated. Even if you put it back together, it will never have the power it once had." She sighed. "I admit that it pains me to see one of the artifacts so demolished, but it makes my job easier. We can leave it right where it is." She bowed to the statue. "Thank you, Ganesha, for easing my burden. If you would continue to protect these stones, I will ensure that my mission is carried out to my utmost ability."

A soft breeze blew through the small enclosure. It smelled faintly of sandalwood and lotus flower. Draco watched as Eva closed her eyes and smiled. She opened them as the breeze calmed and turned to her companions. "Let's get back to the inn," she said. "We still have two days to enjoy India before we have to head home."

Draco and Harry sat across from one another in the dining car of the train. Eva was left sleeping in their compartment. Draco had given Weasley strict instructions to watch over his friend lest he wish the wrath of Malfoy upon him. Interestingly, Weasley had said nothing but to confirm that he would watch over Eva. It was likely that he was too shocked by Draco's protective instinct to argue its method of delivery.

The past two days had been a whirlwind of sightseeing. Eva continued as if no major changes had taken place, but Draco supposed she was used to such things. He tried to follow her example, but sometimes found himself in deep contemplation over the issue. Harry had been fantastic, bringing him back to present with playful jabs and surprisingly comforting touches. Eva would give him a satisfied smile and guide Hermione and Ron's attention away from them.

He smiled at his friend's matchmaking attempts and took a sip of his coffee. He started as Harry made a face. "What?" he asked, eyes narrowed. He tried not to be defensive, he really did.

Harry shook his head. "I still can't believe you drink your coffee black."

Draco smiled and took another sip. "It's an acquired taste." He meant more than the coffee and wondered if Harry would catch it.

The other wizard gave him an appraising look before leaning back in his seat. "Tell me about yourself."

A cough wracked Draco's body as he unsuccessfully tried to snort while taking another sip. The question had caught him by surprise and he found it amusing. Harry waited patiently as he got his coughing under control. "Are you trying to kill me?" he wheezed.

Harry smiled. "Hardly."

Draco shook his head. "You already know all about me."

"I know my assumptions and stereotypes. I want to actually know you."

"Are we really having our first date on a train?" Draco asked. Harry just smiled in response. The blonde closed his eyes. "What makes you think you'll like the real me any better?"

"I like you now," Harry responded. Draco opened his eyes to see the other man smiling softly. "And anything has to be better than what I've thought about you all these years."

"Maybe you have a thing for bad boys?"

It was Harry's turn to choke on his coffee. "I don't think you're a 'bad boy' Draco."

The blonde smirked. "You're right. You don't know me very well." He leered at the other man. Harry rolled his eyes, but his faked nonchalance was ruined by the blush creeping up his neck. Draco chuckled. "I'm not sure your current assessment is far from the mark," he said, suddenly becoming quite serious. He needed to put away his snide sense of humor and see if this could actually work. "I was a prat in school."

"'Was' being the key word," Harry pointed out.

Draco gave him a genuine smile. "Touché," he responded. "I'm not sure what you want to hear."

"Whatever you want to tell me." There was a pause before Harry sighed. "All right, how about I go first."

He set down his mug. "A few years ago I defeated Voldemort," he began. Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "The thing is, I had a lot of help, but no one else got nearly enough credit. A lot of people died helping me, and nothing I do will ever be enough to honor them." Draco remained silent. This was a side of Harry he had never seen nor imagined. "I get a lot of attention from the press, and I hate it. I wish I could just live a normal life. I rather value my privacy, and I don't get a lot of it. I never know if my accomplishments are real, or if they're being blown out of proportion because of who I am. I don't know who is really my friend and who is after the fame." He gave Draco an emotionally charged look. "I'm thinking the fame isn't what you're after?" It may have been a statement, but Draco could hear the question underneath.

"You're right," Draco said, finally breaking his silence. "I'll admit that I see you as the hero who defeated the Dark Lord," Harry flinched, "but that's not all I see." He folded his hands in his lap, trying to break down the strong shields around his more delicate emotions. In a rare moment of seriousness, Eva had warned him that if he wanted to hold on to Harry, he would have to be completely honest and open. He would have to learn to share how he really felt. It was not something that came easily to him, but he would try.

"A long time ago I met a very special boy. I offered him a hand in friendship, but he turned me down. I was hurt and hid that hurt behind a façade of anger and hatred. I set out to make his life hell. What I didn't realize then was that the boy was a much better judge of character than I." He dropped his gaze to his folded hands and swallowed down the lump of fear. "In my sixth year of Hogwarts I became the youngest Death Eater and was given the charge of killing my headmaster."

He could feel Harry studying him but didn't dare look up. "I did a lot of awful things out of desperation. My father was imprisoned and the Dark Lord threatened my mother. I prayed every night that someone would save me; that I could have my own hero." He chuckled drily at the memory of that scared little boy. "That hero never came and when I failed to kill the headmaster my favorite professor did. From then on my entire family was a prisoner in our own home." He paused to control his breathing. "Once a hero was brought to our home and I was ordered to identify him. When I looked into his eyes I realized I never hated him; and even if he didn't want me, he would not die by my hands." He had to stop as the emotions of that moment threatened to overcome him.

A gentle hand was placed over his. He finally chanced a look up. Harry looked at him sadly. "I never even knew," Harry whispered. "You were just another Death Eater, and I was on a mission. I thought it strange that you didn't give me away, but I didn't have time to think too much about it. Since the end of the war though, I've wondered about it a lot."

"I told you," Draco said, "I couldn't let you die."

"You said because you thought I could save you."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "That's a lie. I knew I was beyond saving. But I thought you could save others. And I knew I had no chance to live if you died."

When he finally opened his eyes he saw Harry frowning at him. "What do you mean by that?"

"By what?" Draco asked.

"That you would die if I died."

He took a deep breath. This was it. "Harry, I—"

Draco cut himself off as a shadow loomed over the table. He looked up to face his cheerful best friend and an extremely put-out redhead. "She insisted on finding you. So I escorted her. You'll find not a hair out of place, metaphorically speaking of course," Weasley said grumpily as he eyed Eva's sleep-mussed hair.

"Metaphorically?" Draco repeated with a smirk, familiar persona settling into place at the sight of the redhead. He heard Harry sigh but paid it no attention. "That's a big word for you."

The glare that was directed toward him could have killed men of fainter heart. "I'm going back to sleep," the redhead declared before turning and storming out of the dining car.

Eva chuckled as she took a seat beside the blonde. "I woke him up to ask where you were. He's not pleased."

Harry snorted. "You woke up Ron? I think 'displeased' is an understatement."

"He'll get over it," she said with a grin.

With an answering smile, Harry waved over the "waitress" for a cup of coffee. Eva thanked the woman and added the necessary cream and sugar. "So what are we talking about?"

"We're having a date," Draco said, comically wiggling his eyebrows. He stole a glance at Harry and noted the brunette relaxing. The seriousness of the moment was over and it seemed Harry would play along with whatever tale Draco spun.

Eva rolled her eyes. "No offense, but this is a pretty pathetic first date."

"Is this the first?" Harry asked, chin propped up by his hand.

She raised an eyebrow. Draco would like to say he taught her that, but he had to concede that she had been quite skilled at it before their fateful meeting. "What else would be your first? Surely, not the club. That could hardly be counted as a date." She hummed and copied Harry's stance. "Although, since you guys had a steamy make-out session before an official date, does that mean sex after the first date?" she asked before scrunching up her nose. "I wouldn't recommend it. Not only would it be rather uncomfortable, but I think poor Ron would have a fit."

Harry sputtered and Draco felt his face heat up. "If you're trying to embarrass me, it's not going to work."

"Then why are you blushing?" she asked snidely, pinching his cheek for good measure.

He frowned. Turning to Harry he said, "We were having such a good time until the riff-raff showed up."

Harry quirked an eyebrow but Eva just laughed heartily. "All right, I'll let it go. But I'm not leaving. I don't mind being the third wheel."

Draco snorted. "I just bet," he said around his coffee cup.

"Hmm," said Eva, and nothing more. He waited patiently, sensing that she had something on her mind. Harry shifted uneasily, clearly uncomfortable with the silence. Draco caught his eye and subtly shook his head. It took a lot for his best friend to be serious, and he could tell something weighed heavily on her. Finally she placed her mug on the table and tapped her fingers against the handles.

"As soon as we get back to London, I'm putting my two weeks in with Jackie."

The admission caught Draco by surprise. He carefully placed his mug on the table and pushed it away. He stared down at his hands and asked one simple question: "Why?"

Eva smiled self-consciously. "My mission is finished. I have to go report and then begin the next search."

"But do you have to leave?" asked Harry.

She glanced at Harry but kept her focus on Draco. "Usually I just up and leave. I don't get close enough to anyone for them to miss me. I vanish and no one thinks twice. You're different." She placed a hand on Draco's cheek. "We share a soul you and I."

He smiled and choked back a sob. She had made that proclamation before, but she had been drunk and he thought it had been the liquor speaking. "You're like the sister I never had," he whispered, placing a hand over the one on his cheek.

"I know, which is why I'm even telling you this. Why I've told you anything. But I have to continue my search. The safety of the world is more important than our fragile hearts."

"Fate rarely ever consults with us feeble humans," Harry said seriously.

They turned to face him. His green eyes were shimmering. "Well-said," Eva replied. She picked up her coffee cup. "I'll also be consulting with the Ministry. It would bring up to much trouble for all of you if I didn't. I'll let them know that I miss the familiarity of my home. I've received a letter from a cousin I didn't know I had. I'd like to reconnect with my only remaining family."

Harry nodded. "I'll back that story." He frowned and studied her. "What really happened to your parents?"

Eva laughed. "Really, I had expected that to be one of your first questions. And I thought Draco would have picked up on it by now."

Draco blushed and mumbled under his breath. Honestly, he'd had a few distractions the past couple of days and could not be expected to be abreast of everything. He certainly didn't appreciate her insinuations. His heart fell as he fully realized what her leaving meant. "I'll miss you," he admitted.

"Of course you will," she said, eyes full of humor. "And I you. But that's not the question." She turned back to Harry. "My parents died before I ever knew them; I'm an orphan." She shrugged. "You know, the typical sob story. The Society picked me up from an orphanage and trained me."

"Why you?" Draco asked.

She shrugged again. "Why not?" He glared at her. "Oh all right, I can't tell you. Seriously!" she exclaimed when his glare did not lessen. "There is some information I can't tell you. I've already told you more than I should about all this." She blew a stray hair out of her face.

"So who was really killed?" Harry asked.

"No one, the whole thing was staged." She took a slow sip from her mug. "The bodies found had been dead for months. Jane and John Does we picked up from a morgue."

"Who?" Draco asked with his eyebrows drawn down in confusion.

"People that no one claimed when they died. The American Ministry didn't realize it because wizards aren't big on autopsies."

"What about the murderers?" Harry asked.

"Our own people," Eva responded nonchalantly. "Just a few suggestive spells and they had been 'jailed' for life."

Harry shook his head. "That's quite elaborate."

Eva shrugged. "I needed an elaborate cover for a long time stay. I knew it would take me a while to find the stone."

"You needed an identity," Draco stated.

"Exactly!"

"Is Eva even your real name," Harry asked. Draco nearly choked. He didn't even think of that option!

"As far as I know," she replied. The blonde let out a breath of relief. Harry eyed him fondly. The attention did amazing things to Draco's stomach. He still couldn't believe Harry felt that way about him. He sent him a small smile and brought his attention back to the present.

"So you leave in two weeks?" Draco turned to his friend for affirmation.

She nodded. "I will miss you." She sniffed and blinked away unshed tears. Draco found himself fighting his own emotions. He would not cry. Malfoys did not cry.

A hand reached across the table and clutched Eva's. "You'll keep in touch?" Harry asked. "Only that I wouldn't want Draco to die of worry."

The joke was enough to break the high emotion at the table. Eva laughed. "I'll find a way to keep in touch," she promised.

A/N: Oookay, so I have a feeling a lot of people are going to be real pissed with me. But don't kill me! There is an epilogue coming. And it will be a treat for all of you fabulous readers that have been following this and decide to let me live. *sheepish smile*