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~~Chapter Thirteen: Secrets Shared~~

Kevin caught up with Evelyn before she left the great hall. Hearing his footsteps behind her, she turned around wearily and put her hands on her hips. "Ok. I give up, we can talk. I'll spare fifteen minutes."

"The library?" Kevin asked shortly. Evelyn nodded, and they walked off into the dusty library and sat down at the nearest table. Kevin slid some student's abandoned homework aside and onto the floor and set his elbows on the table.

There was a second of awkward silence, which Kevin broke. "So. Evelyn- - there is something very odd happening. With us-- I mean, you and I... er..."

"Us." Evelyn said matter-of-factly. "It's just a word." Kevin blushed slightly, looking down at his hands, and Evelyn brooded for a few seconds. "Yes, I think I agree. The fact that Queathil didn't bite you, and still can't tell me why, proves there is something strange about you. Maybe..."

"We do have one thing in common. I'm certain of that." Kevin stated. He looked up at Evelyn, his composure regained, his tone frank. "Secrets."

"Yes... secrets."

"Perhaps we should just tell each other something-- just a little at a time. Maybe we can get some answers."

"I'd kill for answers right now." Evelyn looked up from petting Queathil on her lap and smiled. "Sure."

Kevin cleared his throat. "I suppose I'm first. All right." -Take a deep breath, Kevin, you're fine. A little at a time, remember?-

But he couldn't think of what to say. What first? He wanted so much to explain everything to her, to anyone, to share all the feelings that had tormented him for over a year now with someone who would listen and care. Anyone who would listen...

"Evelyn," He said quietly. "I'm not supposed to tell you this. It's a secret. A big one. I could get expelled, I suppose, for telling you; maybe worse."

"Worse?" Evelyn asked incredulously. "What the hell worse could you get then being expelled for telling me something? Oh-- sorry--"

Kevin waved away her apology absentmindedly and continued. "I'm a student from another school. A school that no longer exists. It was destroyed completely in a... tragic accident... I was, as far as I know, the only survivor. I've heard there were others, but I don't know about that. Nobody I ever knew survived."

Evelyn was scrutinizing him with a mix of suspicion and confusion. "What happened to destroy it?" She asked. It was obvious from her tone that she didn't believe this, not quite.

Fighting back old memories that were desperately trying to resurface, take him over, Kevin answered. "Nobody quite knows... there was an earthquake, out of nowhere. All around the school. I think I..." He broke off. Suddenly, in his eyes, Evelyn looked different-- her eyes were diamond, her hair goldish-blond...

Evelyn seemed to notice something was wrong; she leaned forward and touched Kevin lightly on the shoulder. He didn't respond, he merely rocked back on his seat slightly, mutter to himself-- his mind was trapped inside the same memory, looping over and over. Evelyn, worried at the lack on response, shook him hard on the shoulder.

"NO!" Kevin yelled. He reached up with his hand and grasped onto Evelyn's so hard she was pulled forward slightly. "Don't let go-- don't..."

Evelyn retracted her hand from his suddenly loose grasp and sat back down, keeping her eyes straight on him. He was looking away, blushing, his eyes glinting with tears.

"Evelyn, I shouldn't have told you anything-- it's too much. Too complicated. I'm insane anyways," He added with a forced laugh. "They say that happens to survivors of traumatic experiences."

"We're all a bit mad," Evelyn retorted. "And now that you have made a mistake and told me something, I want to know the whole story. I believe you." Kevin looked up, his face a mask of surprise.

"But first I'll keep my side of the bargain. Kevin... have you ever heard of Death Eaters?"

Returning to his normal self, Kevin shook his head. "Sounds like some vampire group. You're not into blood sports, are you?"

Evelyn laughed along with him, but only shortly. "No... it's something much worse. I assume you've heard of the Grea-- the Dark Lord?"

"Voldemort," Kevin replied quietly. "Insane wizarding murderer who was mysteriously defeated by the child Harry Potter. Don't know much more then that about him, although I certainly know he had supporters."

"Yes, Voldemort. Most people are scared of the name. It brings back memories of the horror he caused in his reign. He and his people were responsible for so many murders, so much death and destruction..."

"I know," Kevin said quietly. "My parents were murdered by some of his followers."

Evelyn frowned. "I'm sorry, Kevin. You must have been... very young." She paused. "Wait! If you're only eleven..."

"No," Kevin interrupted with a melancholy sigh. "I'm thirteen. And a half, if we're talking time-wise. It's part of my story. But you should continue yours."

"Well, the term we use for the Grea-- Dark Lord's followers around here is Death Eaters. And that brings me to my point... Kevin, I'm a follower of Voldemort."

Silence suddenly fell, as Evelyn uttered the final word. The only sound she could hear was her blood pounding, her heart beating louder and louder. She dared not look up-- she didn't want to see the look on Kevin's face. She supposed he might hex her, curse her badly...

"Evelyn. I think I understand."

Evelyn looked up. "Understand? You can't..."

"Yes I can," Kevin interrupted. "You're a Slytherin. You are being forced somehow, some way, to follow the orders of real followers of the Dark Lord."

"Yes." The sound was a whisper, but with only the sounds of their voices in the library, Kevin could hear it as clearly-- no, clearer-- as if she had shouted it.

"In case you were wondering, I don't blame you at all."

Evelyn looked up at him. It was her turn to try and blink back tears now. "How..."

"You're not evil. I know that."

"Aren't I?" She retorted sharply. "The Sorting Hat is never wrong, they say. And you know what? I consciously wanted to be in Slytherin when that hat was put over my head. I wanted to be important, 'cool'..."

"People change. They mature, they grow to understand things they didn't before." Kevin interrupted once again. "Now anyways, I have another question for you. How can there still really be servants of the Dark Lord, if he is defeated?"

Evelyn sighed. "Well... things collapsed after he died, I was told. But the network in the school was too perfect to sacrifice. Year after year, it stays, and the Serpent Robe-- the mysterious head of all the Death Eater activity at Hogwarts-- simply keeps the information he would normally send to the Dark Lord stored away, in case one day he returns." She sighed. "Gary... Gary and I think we might be able to change things. With no real Dark Lord to serve, the circles of... amateur Death Eaters... might be very easy to change. Change, weaken, and break."

"So you don't really follow him," Kevin whispered.

"I have to follow my orders though, Kevin. Whatever they are. And my recently acquired position is at stake because I have failed my most recent orders... orders to find a book-- that I suspect you have."

Kevin looked up in surprise. "The book... of course! It makes sense. You with those two other students after hours, looking for the mystery book I have... yes, it fits."

"Naturally."

"Yes, naturally." Kevin sighed. "But what do we do about the book? I suppose if your position is at stake..."

"I don't know," Evelyn mumbled. "I have other students' testimonies that the book is not to be found, so the blame isn't all on me. And if I have an excuse not to continue finding information for them..."

"Right," Kevin said. "But what is it, anyways?"

"I don't know. I wasn't told. But it's something of great importance-- Vesk was furious when I failed to find it originally, and he nearly demoted both Sethin and Gary when neither of them could help."

"Odd," Kevin muttered. "All I know is, it's locked, and I can't open it with any spells. And I've searched the library through for any that might work!"

"Well, I'm not handing it over to them," Evelyn said. "Maybe we can resolve the mystery together." She sighed and leaned back. "But I've told you my story now. Can you finish yours?"

Kevin tried.

He didn't remember the words he was saying, later. He only remembered recalling memories of his friends, the times they had shared, and the tragedy that had separated them. He found himself going on to how his 'mirror' haunted him at Hogwarts, what it had told him, and about the strange Raven scar on his arm. Finally, when he had nothing more to say, Evelyn and him talked of brighter things, such as Quidditch. They laughed for a while, sharing memories and thoughts old and new, like they were friends who had known each other for years.

A beam of light from the window beside the table landed on Kevin's face, and he stopped suddenly and blinked in surprise. The sun was rising. They had talked all night. He suddenly became much more aware of everything- - he was holding Evelyn's hand, and they were on the same bench-- very close. He looked over at Evelyn in surprise, who looked back at him with a similar expression. He gulped at how close their faces were.

"Uh... Evelyn... when did you..."

"If I remember correctly," She said, biting back embarrassed laughter and looking away, "I moved over from the other stool when you were talking about... your friends. And you..." She looked back at him suddenly. "And you took my hand when I was talking about my first year here. And.. you... didn't let go..." She spoke those last words so slowly and quietly, and made them last so long, they seemed to echo around the dark-haired boy as he looked back at her.

"Kev," Evelyn said quickly. "This is stupid; I'll regret it. But before the feeling fades, I want to..."

She didn't get any further then that; the distance between then had been shrinking as she has been speaking, both of them moving ever so slightly closer, until finally his lips brushed hers. Their lips met in a slow, almost shy kiss. Kevin was only aware, just then, of the warmth that flooded his every sense, the wonderful sensation that everything was, and would be fine; Evelyn, in contrast, began feeling, hearing, sensing everything in perfect detail; the wetness of his lips, the stand of his hair that was brushing her cheek, and the strange feeling that she wasn't one person, but only half of one, and when they had kissed, she had found the other half.

All too soon, it ended.

A/N:

Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been writing a lot-- I'm up chap. 16-- but I keep spotting problems and fixing them. I hope to update 14 for you soon :).

I also found out a rather scary fact. I have more directories in my hard drive that begin with 'D' than all the other letters in the alphabet... *chuckles*

Anyways, please do review!! ^_^