The winter was encroaching slowly into the semester; the wind turning to snaps against the windows and the sky a dark coffin black on most nights. The clouds liked to roam low on the terraces that stretched out across the grounds from the Gryffindor Tower. The students huddling up towards the fire grew exponentially as the break was coming about, and the library was filling quickly with students putting last minute words to their last minute assignments.

Dumbledore had been right, of course. When wasn't he? Only days after the sudden meeting in his office, I was sat in charms when I flicked my wands and the drapes along the wall caught on fire. Ironically, we were trying to do water absorption charms, and it became an incredibly good example for the classroom of what not to do. As well as an opportunity for Lily Evans to show off that she knew a fire reduction charm. I was lucky as all the Professors had been given advanced notice that there might be some incidents in the classrooms I was in, so there weren't any points deducted, though Professor Flitwick had asked me kindly to put my wand on the desk. Transfiguration had followed, and I had only succeeded in somehow morphing my own hand into a black furred paw before McGonagall sent me packing off to the library to study theory.

Classes like Arithmancy and Potions became my absolute best friends, as they only included theory and there was no practical wand work that I needed to do. It was also safe to say that Lily Evans and Alice Krimpt were only too keen to badger me about what the hell going on. It's not like suddenly getting practical wand work wrong was normal.

I clenched my teeth together at the poke that Lily sent my way; her eyes indicating the apparent transgression I had made as they locked on me and then shifted back over to my seatmate.

"Eve, do tell dear old Gideon that he has got it all wrong." The red-head boy wrapped his arm around my shoulder, clanking me against his ribs, and tugging up at my throat. My swallow ached as I pushed the food through.

"Gideon you have it all wrong."

"See, Ev—"

"Hang on just a second, she only agreed because you had your hand at her throat. That's a forced acquiescence to the terms."

"Acquiescence, oh dearest brother you did grow up smartly." Fabien shot a quick wink over my way, as I shuffled the chicken in my plate, cutting it further into pieces. When he received only a minor action of my lips twitching, his wink grew into an aggressive assault at my side. "Where's my smile Evie?"

My food fell sloppily back onto my plate, my cutlery clattering, and I ejected from the bench as quickly as possible. His fingers were twitching, brushing light strokes along my skin, prancing into a more dangerous region. Gathering up my arms, I criss-crossed them around my torso and slammed my foot into the ground. "No tickling."

"Aw Evie." His bottom lip came out with a snap. His large brown orbs trying to imitate, pathetically might I added to myself, the impression of a wide-eyed baby. "Don't be like that."

The hairs at the back of my neck stood on end, and I felt the breeze of the fingers whispering across my skin. A delectably annoying pinch shot through me, throwing my chest into overdrive as I dove away from the hand. Flashing around the face them, I was surprised to find the curly hair of Sirius Black. His smile grew large, his teeth protruding into my vision, as he continued to send his large grin over to me. I flung my hands out at him, barraging his shoulder at his horrible attack.

"Sirius Black, how dare you."

"If you scratch my face then the ladies will attack you midg, so be careful." His hand coming up and meeting my smacks. We ended up giving each other high-fives for a concession of seconds before I moved back to the bench. "Mind if I join you guys?"

Lily turned her head over towards the end of the row were the rest of the Marauders were eating lunches. Remus had once again paled; his closed wounds from the month before marking up his face in weird patterns. I flickered my gaze between the solitary Black that was standing over me, to the group of three that were eating their own lunches. James had turned slightly away, angling his back from our group, which was odd considering that Lily Evans sat in this direction, and his back was the only thing I could make out.

"You're friends are over there Black."

My gaze wandered over to Lily whose adamant curiosity wouldn't allow her to gratify the absolute horror that would reign on her if Sirius Black sat with our group. Surely, James Potter would use the opportunity to spring into action his new ploy; using Sirius has the connector between the two groups. I had obviously failed in that regard. When Sirius didn't move, Lily's eyes enlarged, the whites growing as her lips pursed as she nodded for me to say something to him.

I could hear the chatter of Fabien and Gideon behind me in one ear, and the silence from the opposite side of the table as Alice slowly munched away and Lily begged me to make the call. The rest of the dining room was splattered with people, odd voices and jokes filtering in. Sirius Black held my gaze; crystal blue matching with shadowed grey. His orbs, waited, clinging onto mine, hoping to swirl my blue into his grey and create a new color. There was a sheen I hadn't seen before, a taunt plainness to his skin that for once had no boyish grin but more of an earthen, barren sunken grimace.

"Take a seat." I moved my book-bag out of the way, placing it underneath the table. As I came back up, I did my best to ignore the drilling anger that was directed over towards me.

The tight grimace on his face cracked open, soft lines opening up to stretch his thin lips. There was that glow again in his eyes, a mixture of cool blues that swept in as the clouds of grey shadows drifted along his vision. "Cheers."

He sunk low into the seat, quickly grabbing at all the food that was within reach. Lily positioned her head onto her shoulder, locking me into a deep stare. She narrowly nudged her chin down, her lips thickening into a solid piece as they glued together. Her green eyes barraging me with an intensity that widened her pupils, and extending the whites. She flicked them over to Sirius, and then back at me, the redness draining from her face. The red spirals of her hair kept her flushed though, as the candles in the room flickered across the palate of her face. I shrugged in return, and when her eyes only ground more into my own, I replied with a roll of my eyes.

"Yes Lily?" Shoving a fork full of food into her mouth, she merely chewed sloppily on her food, as she looked me. I could imagine myself as the food in her mouth. A plastered a sardonic smirk on my face and tilted my head over to the side in a whimsical toss. "Can I help you with something?"

"Not at all, Evelyn."

Sirius reached between us at this point, grabbing onto the jug of but I etched a cheesy grin onto my face. "I'm glad."

"What's the matter with you two?"

I peered over at Gideon and managed a smile towards him. "Lily's on her period."

There was a series of shudders: Alice snorted softly into her drink, Lily protested loudly, slamming her fork and knife into her plate, Fabien choked lightly on some food whilst Gideon spun his eyes wildly between us, and Sirius' face turned from the pallid expressionless to a mischievous flush.

The next pause was brought about by an owl squawking up ahead of us. Its brown wings cutting through the air as it glided down the length of the Gryffindor table. What appeared to be its distinctive quality were the feathers that extended from its eyebrow, slanting upwards at a slope, thinning out so you could see the individual one that sprung up. The goggles it adorned created almost a perfect figure eight around its eyes, minus where its black beak protruded from its head. I could make out the black splotches along its skin, and the more amber brown color of its eyes as it dropped a letter. Before it could go into my food, I snatched at it, feeling the paper give beneath my fingers.

"That's a bit odd, ain't it?" Fabien muttered as he peered over my shoulder. "Owls don't usually come during lunch."

Lily nodded as well, cooling down her anger as she flickered her gaze between the paper in my hand and my face. "It happens."

I turned over the parchment, my fingers glided over the barren surface of the front. Not a word was written out. Not a single mark was etched into the top. I turned the envelope up to the light, hoping to see through the paper, but nothing shown through. I turned it back over, roving my eyes through the blank backside. The seal that had glued the envelope shut was the symbol from the postal service, which meant that it hadn't been sent from home. Nor would I be able to find out who had written it.

"Midg you're looking a bit pale there. I wouldn't worry. I get letters like that all the time from girls confessing."

I turned my gaze over towards Sirius and the tension that he was trying to suck away from me. When had he gotten so good at reading me? Collapsing my gaze back down, away from the grey tones of calm and worry, I looked over at the cream pastel envelope. It sunk lower towards my lap, as if it suddenly weighed too much for my shaky grip to hold. My fingers quivered as I dragged my pointer through the small opening and across the seal. The pop broke the jail cells holding back my nerves. I drew a quick breathe in, feeling my head beginning to pound and tugged the letter from the confines.

"Dearest the lovely Evelyn Potter,

It's been a bit since my last letter. I apologize sincerely for the delay in getting this to you. I hope this finds you well and healthy.

I still find myself so utterly enraptured by you. Your very being soothes a piece of me that I thought I had never even developed. I couldn't say I've ever loved anyone so much as you. I think you're the finest specimen of a woman that I have ever laid eyes upon. Your hair, like a flaxen white that shimmers with the subtle hues of gold. Your eyes, that I would willing allow to search me to my very soul. Your body, that prances through the hallways covering them with the smell of you.

In everything I find your perfection. I've even found your grades to have become a great appeal to who you are. I know I haven't ever said that to you before, but I must say, the idea that the woman that I have come to love so earnestly can perform as best in the class is attractive. I told you. I find new ways to fall in love with you every day.

However, those friends of yours will have to go. Appearances mean the world to me. Mudbloods and blood traitors will not be tolerated, do you understand? When you become mine, I'll have to punish you for your transgressions.

I do hope you find it within yourself to correct this problem. I'd hate to damage anything as beautiful as you.

With the most passionate love,

S.A."

My stomach urged for my food to come back up. My throat barricaded the air from entering my way. I could feel everything from the blood that pulsed through my head, hearing the thumps each time in my ears, to the whimpers of puffs of air that traced around my legs. It was as if eyes laid upon my form, and I surged from my seat before I could even really feel the strength of my legs. There was something powerful that was coming to unlock the jail cell that separated me from the rest of the world. That invisible barrier that was surrounding me, because part of me was still so untouched. Now, someone had a hand over my heart. I could feel the ghost of fingers over my skin. Someone had the keyring.

"Evelyn."

"I've got to go."

Somehow I had made it out of the great hall before I turned back around. The hallway that lead to the stairs felt so long. The shadows crept outwards, angling over the domes in the roof, stretching through each of the crevices. The portraits on the walls were idle, sinking deep into a muddy tide pool of colors, sticking there on the parchment. My knees ached beneath me, like a deep rolling pain that had hammers knocking nails into my skin.

"You forgot your book bag."

"Shit." I scrambled around at turned towards the light shimmer of Gideon Prewitt. My hand half tucked towards my wand underneath my robes. "Don't – do – that."

"Sorry." I snatched for my bag and shoved the paper into my bag, so that I could feel as if the black ink was staining me any longer. "You alright? Sirius was right. You look a bit tense."

"Fine."

Gideon's hand came to my shoulder, the permanent smile on his face still etched along the lines around his mouth. "So there was nothing in that letter?"

I grabbed hold of the life line that he had given me, letting my head fall into his solid chest. His heart beat beneath my forehead, and I matched my breathing with it. He smelled of cinnamon for some reason; the odd spice reminded me of the time mom was in the kitchen cooking pumpkin cobbler. As Gideon pulled me closer, letting me sink within my memories and his body heat, my heart slowly came to a halt. The ever present thumps just growing still as I ladled up this new memory, feeling his body curving into mine. His smell melting into my nose. His warmth blowing fire into my veins.

"Nothing was in the letter." I could only say that as I felt the confidence sinking back into my skin. The voices in my head dying to a slow mummer as I felt the shift in his arm and became aware that his hands were now both of my shoulders and my middle back.

His hands sent small shivers going up my sides as he began to pull away. My fingers uncurled from his shirt, aching as they came undone. With a step back, he responded, "If you say so."

The two of us began to move down the hall way. The jumble of words in my head figuring themselves out slowly. The words paraded forward one at a time in my head and I latched to the ones I knew would actually make a coherent sentence. "Thanks for the hug. I needed it."

"Oh? Better than Sirius Black's?"

My head jerked slightly, tucking my chin into my neck before swerving up to face the twist in his lips. "What?"

"You and Black looked pretty chumming back there."

"We're just friends."

"Since when?"

"Since the summer." The note in my voice slammed a wall in front of Gideon who turned to face me, the brown hues in his eyes dancing angrily at me. "Why do you care?"

"Do all your crushes start as friends?"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"I thought you liked me." The words snarled out, biting at me like a wolf launching at its prey. "Don't tell me that was a lie."

"I do like you."

"You have a funny way of showing it, love."

The breathe I let out grated up against my teeth, sending cold shock waves through my mouth. I scratched away at my head, letting my nails create a feeling that I actually knew and recognized instead of the unidentified irritation that was shaping towards Gideon. "You're ruining a good moment. - And I'm not your love."

"There we go again. Always my fault isn't?"

"You're picking a fight over god knows what!" The words shot through me. I hoped they would send Gideon to the other side of the castle. "Why can't you just be my friend for a minute?"

"You confessed to me, Evelyn."

"Why do you keep bringing this up, Gideon?"

"You know what – it doesn't matter." He twisted to walk away, his long legs gaining him a distance much faster than I could keep up with.

"Gideon, explain this to me. Don't just walk away." He continued walking and after a point I just didn't feel the need to continue after him. I watched as he disappeared around the corner and out of sight. My eyes slipped to a close, and I breathed in deeply to cool the anger that was flooding my veins.