I Do Not Own Harry Potter.
The next morning was Sunday and Halloween. While most of the students would be outside enjoying the holiday, Eva would be sitting in her room, contemplating the odd turn her life had just taken.
She had fallen asleep almost immediately the night before. The day's events combined with the energy that healing had taken out of her had worn her out. Exhaustion set in before she had time to push it back and to think about her situation. She woke up just as the sun was rising. It struck her then that this truly was the first day of a very different life for her.
She got up and dressed, but she did not go down to breakfast. She stayed in her room and did some of the homework that did not require too much effort on her part. She watched the students on the lawn, some just walking about, others sitting on scattered benches. Her eyes fell on Draco, who was sitting under a willow tree.
She wondered if he had known that Professor Snape was her father. Was that what he had been hiding from her? He had said it was nothing that would be life-threatening. She sighed and shook the thoughts from her head. It was no use thinking about that now, she knew who her father was and that was the end of that.
Eva knew her absence at breakfast would worry her mother about her frame of mind. There was nothing she could do about it now. She really didn't even feel like talking anymore. She had a lot of questions, but her emotions were so overwhelming that she was just too tired to think about another confrontation with her mother and Professor Snape.
She smiled at herself. She still thought of him as Professor Snape; shouldn't she be thinking about him as Father? Or Dad? He didn't have the look of a father; indeed, he had proven himself to be quite against the young. While Eva was rather mature for her age, she still liked to act silly and play around every once in a while.
A knock at the door brought her attention back to the present. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Darling," answered Saveage.
Eva sighed and crossed the room. No doubt her mother had brought Professor Snape with her and they wanted to talk and see how she was coping with the news. She opened the door and was not surprised that her guess was correct. She stood away from the door to allow them entry.
"How are you this morning, Eva?" asked Saveage, concern etched in the lines of her face.
"I am well, Mother. I should be asking how you slept," she replied. She was sure that her mother had not missed her formal reply.
"I slept well, thank you." She sat down in one of the chairs by the fire. "I was hoping that we could all sit down and talk about what happened yesterday."
Professor Snape was standing with his arms crossed over his chest behind Saveage's chair. "Please, do sit down, Professor," invited Eva.
Severus was impressed with her manners. Saveage had not neglected to teach her the graces that would be expected of her when she entered society. "Thank you, but I prefer to stand."
Eva nodded at him and took the chair opposite her mother. "I do have a few questions that I would like answered," she began.
"Ask anything and I will try to give you the answer," said Saveage.
"Why did Grandfather take you to America?"
"He wanted to get me as far from your father as possible. He knew that I was determined to be with Severus and he was afraid that . . ." Saveage did not quite know how to phrase it. "He did not believe . . . "
"He still thought I was a Death Eater," said Professor Snape.
"Did he have a reason to come to that conclusion?" asked Eva, still holding on to the hope that, maybe, her grandfather was the man she had known and loved.
"He had been told of my position within the Order by several people, Professor Dumbledore included. He had no proof of his suspicions," Professor Snape said hotly.
"Just asking," replied Eva. "Was there another reason?" She knew there was. It was one thing that had popped into her head before going to sleep last night and something she had pondered on during the morning. She knew her grandfather sufficiently well to know he would not have made the move unless there was danger involved. If he had wanted Saveage to stay away from Professor Snape or vice versa, there were wards he could have placed around the castle; there was something else here that was being hidden from her.
"There was no other reason," said Saveage. Her tone gave her away completely.
"If you are not going to tell me the truth, then why do you insist on talking?" asked Eva.
"I said there was no other reason," snapped Saveage.
That was the straw that broke the camels back. Eva jumped from her seat and glared at her mother. "Horseshit! Don't try to force a lie down my throat and think I'm going to just swallow it! You've been lying to me for fifteen years and I do not want it to continue!"
"I think that is quite enough," snapped Severus. He stepped between the glaring Eva and a shocked Saveage. "I completely understand your anger, but you will not disrespect your mother in such a fashion. I cannot believe that she raised you in such a way -"
"Who the hell are you to tell me what to do!" cried Eva, her anger at being lied to in such a horrible manner and over such an important thing finally exploding. "You have no idea how I was raised! Don't you even think for one second that you know who I am! You know nothing!" She turned and headed to the door.
"You will solve nothing by running away, Eva," called Severus.
"You would know, wouldn't you," she threw over her shoulder.
"That's not fair to your father, Eva," said Saveage.
Eva turned at the door and looked at Professor Snape. Her face was blank, showing nothing of the inner turmoil that she was feeling. "Life isn't fair," she spat. She turned and, with a swish of her robes strikingly like that of her father's, she left the room.
Severus made to follow her, but Saveage held him back. "She needs time, Severus. She will come to us when she is ready to talk."
"How do you know that? How do you know that she's not on her way towards the Forest again?"
"She is not stupid, Severus. She only went into the forest last night because she was distraught and her flight instinct kicked in. I have spent the last fifteen years of my life getting to know her. She's going to over-analyze the situation and when she's thought up an exhausting number of questions, she'll come to interrogate us."
"So, we just sit and wait," he said.
Saveage nodded. "That's what most of parenting is about. Just sitting and waiting. She's probably going to find someone to use as a sounding board."
Indeed, Eva had gone down to find Neville. She checked the Great Hall and the library, but found no signs of him. She left the castle to check the grounds and the greenhouses when she came across Professor Remus Lupin.
"Hello, Eva. I hope you're feeling well. We missed you at breakfast," he said.
"Good morning, Professor," said Eva. "I am well, thank you. I just overslept this morning."
Lupin smiled. Judging by the shadows under her eyes, she had not had a lot of restful sleep.
"If you'll excuse me Professor, I'm looking for Neville," Eva nodded her head and began to move away.
"I'm afraid that he's helping Professor Sprout on a project in the greenhouses. He's going to be busy all day."
"Oh," Eva had not known. She supposed she could always go and talk to Harry, but she felt reluctant to do so. He and Professor Snape did not get on well, and she needed an unbiased opinion at this time.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" asked Professor Lupin.
Eva eyed the man in front of her. "What did you teach when you were here?"
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," he answered. "It would have been your third year."
"Why did you stop?" she asked.
Lupin looked down to his boots before saying, "There were a lot of things that led to my leaving Hogwarts."
"So, you were sacked?"
Lupin smiled, "You could say that."
"You don't seem like a teacher that would need to be fired."
"Thank you, I think," answered Lupin.
"Did you come to Hogwarts for your training?" she asked.
"Yes, I did. Your mother and I were in the same House."
"Really? Oh yes, I forgot Mum was in Gryffindor."
"Yes. She and Lily Potter were very good friends."
"Did you know her well, my mother?"
"Yes, I did. We kind of dated each other in our sixth year."
"What was she like?"
Lupin smiled. He had hoped to be able to talk with Eva about how she felt with her discovery of who her father was. She had just provided him with his opportunity. "Well, she looks about the same. She and Lily were quite easily the prettiest girls in our year. She doesn't seem to have changed much, but then again, I have not been able to talk to her too much."
Eva looked down at her shoes. "Did you know my father?" she whispered.
"Pardon?"
"Did you know my father? Severus Snape," she said, louder this time.
Lupin hesitated, considering how to answer her question honestly, yet not strengthen any horrible, and probably unjustified, conceptions she might have of Severus' past. "Would you like to take a walk with me?"
Eva thought it an odd question, but she found it easy to talk to the man. He had information that she needed and so she readily agreed.
"You know Eva, I have met a lot of people in my lifetime," he began.
Eva rolled her eyes and groaned, causing Professor Lupin to look down at her questioningly. "Is this going to be one of those 'When-I-was-your-age' talks? I hate those."
Lupin let out a laugh that sounded suspiciously like a howl. "You are a lot more like your father than you know. No, Eva, this is not one of those talks. Your question just needs some explanation." He continued forward and she followed. "Your father was in Slytherin, as you know. He was pretty much the same as he is now, except maybe shorter and with a few spots now and then."
Eva smiled at the image that Professor Lupin had made for her. A short Professor Snape with spots on his nose.
"I don't know how much you have been told about his family, but you should know that he did not have a childhood like yours. From what I know and have been told, his father was not the kindest of wizards and his mother could do very little to protect him. He had to do things on his own for most of his life."
Professor Lupin sighed and looked down at Eva. "Sometimes, when people have not had enough good experiences in their lives, they just give up on ever having any and make some bad choices."
"Like becoming a Death Eater?"
Lupin eyebrows shot up. "You know about that?"
Eva nodded.
"Yes, becoming a Death Eater was a bad choice that your father made, but not one that did not also bring him some good things. That is how he was able to help the Order. It's also how he met your mother."
"So, what are you trying to say?"
"What I'm saying, Eva, is that you cannot judge your father by what he was in the past. Think about what he is now."
Eva looked rather surprised. "I have not passed judgment on Professor Snape. Well, that's not entirely true, but I have not given him the title of 'Father of the Year,' either. I just would like to know what he was like when he was my age."
Lupin's eyebrows knitted together at her request. He did not think he was the best person to be asking, but he would do his best. "Well, your father and I can't be said to have gotten along well, but we didn't hate each other either."
Eva walked along the edge of the lake listening to what the Professor had to say about her father. He had hedged quite a few times on certain parts of his story and she had the sudden feeling that he was trying to sugarcoat it for her. She did not mind, however; she just wanted information on what her father had been like. She knew so little that it somehow made her feel vulnerable. She did not notice that Professor Lupin was leading them back to the castle. Eva stopped abruptly when she looked up and saw the castle ahead.
Professor Lupin stopped a little ahead of her and explained, "I thought you'd be hungry; since you missed breakfast."
Eva's stomach growled in reply and she smiled. "I guess there's no use in denying it. Would you sit with me?"
"Um, I'm not so sure your fellow housemates would appreciate me as a tablemate."
"Probably not; they don't like anyone. But, then again, as they have shown me no courtesy, their comfort is the last thing on my mind."
Lupin was still a bit unsure of sitting at a table full of Slytherins, but Albus had asked him to help Eva in whatever way he could. "All right, but if a food fight begins, I'm blaming you," he joked.
"Deal."
Eva led the way to the head of the table. She saw that both Professor Snape and her mother were already at the table and the Professor had stiffened, if that were possible, at the sight of Lupin sitting next to Eva.
Professor Lupin helped himself to the variety of lunch foods on the platters before him. He tried to ignore the looks of horror that passed on the faces of the other Slytherins and then the daggers that some were sending him.
"Did you ever go to my home when you were here? For parties and such?" asked Eva.
"Only once," answered Professor Lupin.
"What did you think of my grandparents?" asked Eva.
"I didn't get to meet them for very long. They were on their way out of town and I got there as they were leaving."
Eva got a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Mum had a party while they were gone?"
Lupin stole a glance at the Head Table and saw that Saveage was conversing with Professor McGonagall, while Severus was glaring at the entire Great Hall.
"You have to promise not to tell your Mum it was I who told you this."
Eva raised her right hand and crossed her heart. The Muggle-ish custom made Professor Lupin smile just as it had Harry.
"Okay. It was our sixth year and we were all planning to go home for the Christmas holiday. Your Mum had invited Lily to spend the holidays at her house. Well, James, Harry's dad, had a bit of a crush on Lily and had found out about the holiday plan. I don't know how he did it, but he convinced your Mum to invite him, Sirius Black, myself and a few other Gryffindors, just so it wouldn't look suspicious, to have a Christmas party. It was more of a plan for James to woo Lily, and he knew your mother well enough that he was sure she'd invite us to stay a few days."
"Did she?"
"Yes, but only after I convinced her."
Eva smiled wickedly and leaned closer to Professor Lupin. "Did you? You know . . ."
"No! Merlin's beard! Where is your mind young lady?" he replied quickly.
Eva looked somewhat downcast.
Lupin knew she just wanted to know if her mother had acted the way most teenagers do. "We did play spin-the-bottle the next day," he whispered.
Eva clapped her hand over her mouth to quiet her giggles. She liked Professor Lupin; he seemed more like a favorite uncle than an authority figure.
"Would you like to continue our walk?" he asked after finishing off his sandwich.
"Sure."
Eva and Professor Lupin walked out of the Great Hall and back onto the grounds. They picked a bench that was just off the lake and far from any of the other students. Lupin wanted to get serious and didn't want other students to eavesdrop on this part of their discussion.
"Tell me about your grandparents," requested Professor Lupin.
Eva had not expected that question and it showed. She looked out at the lake and put her hands under her thighs. "I probably don't know as much as you do."
"I somehow don't believe that."
"I guess I should say that I thought I knew them well, but it turns out that I don't, I mean, didn't."
"How so?" asked Professor Lupin.
"You brought Mum to Hogwarts yesterday?" she asked.
"Yes, and I spent the day with her Friday."
"Did she tell you who my father is?"
Professor Lupin had been wondering where she was going and finally fell into step with her. "Yes, she did. Well, not directly, I kind of had to fish around for it."
"Did she happen to tell you that I had no idea who he was until yesterday afternoon?"
"Yes. I learned the whole truth about that from the Headmaster, and I figured out that you hadn't known by how upset you were when you blasted me into the Great Hall."
Eva looked up quickly, shocked at what he said. Then an apologetic look came upon her. "Sorry about that."
"No problem. As I said, I knew you were upset."
Eva nodded in thanks. "I wasn't just upset about finding out who my father is." She squirmed about in her seat and removed her hands from under her thighs. She looked at her fingernails and then turned to Professor Lupin; her mouth open to speak. The words must have gotten stuck somewhere between her brain and mouth, because she looked back down at her hands.
"Take your time, no need to rush anything," said Professor Lupin.
Eva smiled and thought about the best way to approach this. She decided to use her strengths and emotionally detach herself from the situation.
"Do you know Harry Potter well, Professor?" she asked casually.
Lupin was a bit surprised at her question, but decided to go with the flow. "Yes, I do."
"Then you know about how his Aunt and Uncle treat him," she said. Lupin nodded. "You could say that I was raised at the opposite end of the spectrum in many respects."
"Many? Not all?"
"No, not all. Harry may not have been treated well, but at least he always knew his position in the house. He never doubted it. That's not to say that I don't feel bad about how he was treated; if it were up to me, he would have had an infinitely better childhood."
"I, on the other hand, can doubt my position in my family."
"How did you come to that conclusion?" asked Lupin.
Eva stood from the bench. "I loved him so much! We were so much alike that I could have sworn I was his daughter rather than granddaughter. He taught me everything I know. Everything! About charms, potions, the Dark Arts. Mum and Grandmama helped, but he was my main source of knowledge. He gave me books that have been in my family for centuries and told me that I was a true Nocturino and that nothing would ever change that."
"The Dark Arts?" Professor Lupin sounded surprised.
"You should know, since you went to Nocturino Manor, that my grandfather was a Dark Wizard."
"What does your mother say about that training?"
"She knows about some of it, but not all." Eva slumped back down, but she slumped down to the ground and rested her back against the bench.
"I thought he was the most wonderful wizard in the world. I thought that only Grandmama knew him better than I did. He was the biggest piece of my world."
"Why the past tense?"
"He's dead. In more ways than one," she said. It amazed her at how tired her voice sounded. "Have you ever felt betrayed?"
"Yes," answered Lupin.
"Then you know how that emptiness feels. How you wonder what else in your life is a lie. You wonder about your friends and how much they know. You know how lost and alone one can feel."
"Does anyone else know about your father?" Professor Lupin knew that news tended to travel fast at Hogwarts, especially if it was something that was supposed to be kept a secret.
"Just you, Neville and Harry."
"Well, I don't know about those two, but you can count on me to keep my mouth shut."
"Thanks."
There was a silence between them that was not uncomfortable; it was contemplative. Eva was thinking about the moments she had spent with her grandfather and wondered how they could all have been a lie. Professor Lupin was trying to gather his thoughts to say something helpful to Eva. Finally, he broke the silence.
"I'm not going to tell you to forget what you heard about your grandfather. I'm not even going to tell you not to let it bother you. Mostly, because I know that I would be wasting my breath if I did. What I am going to say is this: Don't let what other people did in the past obscure what you want to do and become in the future. You are who you are in spite of it, not because of it. Think on that," finished Professor Lupin. He stood and placed his hand on Eva's head smoothing her hair back before walking away.
Professor Lupin would never know how much his words had affected Eva. He did not see the tears that fell from her eyes as she reflected on them. How she had applied them, not only to herself, but to her father, mother and grandfather as well.
Her father had left the Dark Lord's service in spite of what he knew might happen if he was caught. He even continued to help Professor Dumbledore, now that Voldemort was back.
Her mother had always been kind and loving in spite of being raised by a rather tyrannical man. She never once spoken ill of Eva's father, in spite of believing he had abandoned herself and Eva.
Her grandfather had loved her, maybe not right away, but he had loved her in spite of not liking who her father was. He had never once belittled her for being the product of a relationship that he had not approved of nor had even been official. He had never said one bad thing about Professor Snape, either, although, Eva doubted he had ever had any change of heart concerning the man.
She heard footsteps coming and turned to see who was approaching. Neville seemed to be reluctant to intrude on her privacy; he was walking with a bowed head and halting steps. Eva smiled and wiped her cheeks as she stood from her position on the ground.
"Hello, Neville."
"Hey, Eva. Are you alright?" he asked.
"Not completely, but I'm getting there. Watcha got there?" she asked.
Neville held out a small wooden box to her. It looked like a jewelry box, but it had musical notes and symbols etched on the surfaces.
"It's a music box. I remember you told me that you liked to dance and that you loved American music. I had thought to give it to you for Christmas, but I was trying it out and there's a song that I thought you'd like."
"How does it work?" she asked.
"Open the lid," he instructed.
Eva sat down on the bench and Neville followed suit. He watched as she opened the box almost reverently. No sound came out of the box and Eva looked confused. "It's not working," she said.
"You have to tell it what you want to hear. It's got thousands and thousands of songs on it, and it works fine with the wards on Hogwarts. Just wave your wand over it and tell it what you want."
Neville reached into his robes and pulled out his wand. He waved it gently over the box in Eva's hands and whispered something under his breath.
Almost immediately the air was filled with the sound of a piano, and then the voice of one of her favorite singers filled the air.
Young girl, don't cry; I'll be right here when your world starts to fall.
Young girl, it's all right; your tears will dry; you'll soon be free to fly.
Eva looked to Neville and was about to speak, but he held up a finger to his lips. She took the hint and listened.
When you're safe inside your room, you tend to dream
Of a place where nothing's harder than it seems.
No one ever wants or bothers to explain
Of the heart ache life can bring and what it means.
When there's no one else,
Look inside yourself.
Like your oldest friend, just trust the voice within,
Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way.
You'll learn to begin to trust the voice within.
Young girl, don't hide; you'll never change if you just run away.
Young girl, just hold tight; soon you're gonna see your brighter days.
In a world where innocence is quickly claimed
It's so hard to stand your ground when you're so afraid.
Love will reach aside a hand for you to hold.
When you're lost outside, look inside to your soul.
When there's no one else,
Look inside yourself.
Like your oldest friend, just trust the voice within,
Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way.
You will learn to begin to trust the voice within.
Life is a journey; it can take you anywhere you choose to go,
As long as you're learning, you'll find all you'll ever need to know.
Eva reached out a hand to Neville as the song was coming to an end. They listened to the chorus again; their foreheads against each other. Neville pulled her close and swayed to the music. He whispered the words and then moved his lips to her ear and with a firmness she had never heard in his voice he spoke along with the last words. "Young girl, don't cry; I'll be right here when your world starts to fall."
Eva pulled him closer to her and wrapped her arms almost painfully around his neck. The tears that were falling were no longer of sadness, but of joy. She had a friend who had promised to be there with her, no matter what. "Thank you, Neville."
He pulled her away a little and shrugged his shoulders. "It's just a music box," he joked. They both laughed and began looking through a booklet that had come with the box. Eva was ecstatic to find that all her favorite dancing songs were on there.
"You can even send it back to the shop and have some erased and some put in. They'll charge you, but we have the option."
"Do you know if they have any songs in Spanish? We went on a tour of Mexico, Central America and South America once and I fell in love with their music. Mum even had me take some lessons in dance while we were there."
Neville looked through the first sheet, which had a table of contents. He pointed to the bottom of the page. "They have a hundred songs." He flipped to the appropriate page and looked at the unfamiliar names. "Can you read any of these?"
Eva looked down the list and noticed some that looked familiar. She clapped her hands and bounced on the bench. "This is so great, Neville. I love to dance! We can have a mini-dance in my rooms sometime."
Neville was going to reply, but he heard the quick footsteps approaching just as Eva did. They both looked up and saw Professor Snape walking swiftly towards them.
He reached the bench and gave them both searching looks. Neville seemed to shrink from the Potion Master's stare, but Eva took hold of his hand and squeezed it. That seemed to push the professor over the edge.
"Just what were you two doing a minute ago?" he asked tersely.
"Nothing that would be considered breaking a rule," answered Eva.
"Longbottom! Explain yourself!"
Neville jumped a bit at the roared order. Eva quickly jumped out of her seat. She would not let this man intimidate Neville like that. She might have no control over how he ran his class, but this was not the dungeons. "He doesn't have to explain himself. And how do you know we were doing something wrong? Were you watching?"
"I have better things to do than watch Longbottom every minute," he snarled.
"Then how did you even know he was out here? Do you have one of your precious Slytherins following me?"
Something flicked across the professor's eyes. It was lightning quick, but Eva caught it. "You have someone following me?!" she cried.
"Yes, for your own protection," he snarled.
"I can't believe this!" she yelled. "Is it not enough that none of my housemates like me? Is it not enough that everyone looks at me like some sort of snob or freak? You have to go and set a guard on me!"
"Please dispense with the melodramatics, Miss Nocturino; they are not necessary."
Eva turned to Neville. "Would you please escort me to the East Tower? It appears I am not competent enough to be left alone."
"We are not finished here, Eva. You have yet to explain why you were in a compromising position with Mr. Longbottom." Professor Snape was not used to being directly disobeyed.
Eva kept her back to the professor. She knew that if she turned he would intimidate an answer out of her or Neville. She had once reigned in the desire to directly disobey him; she was not about to let the opportunity pass her again.
Neville walked with Eva back to the castle and led her to the East Tower stairs. Eva could tell that he thought the professor would be coming behind them at any moment, sweeping upon them with a horrendous wrath.
"Don't let him intimidate you, Neville. That's what he wants. You have to stand up to people like him. He will never respect you if you don't."
"Easier said than done," replied Neville.
"No, it's not. My grandfather was just like that. He would make dry, sarcastic remarks about my work, even when he thought it was well done. He's trying to see how much you can take. I would recommend you either ignore him, or do something about it."
"You want me to do something about it? Like talk back to him?"
"No, just stand up for yourself. When he says something about your work, make sure he has grounds to. If you know that it's up to snuff, then let him know or ask him why he marked you the way he did. Don't let him get away with ripping away your confidence. You're a great wizard, Neville; don't let anyone take that knowledge away from you."
Neville pulled Eva into a strong embrace. "Thank you. No one has ever told me that before."
Eva hugged him back and smiled when he pulled away. She heard the clock above the entrance chime the hour and knew she did not have time to go and change. "Guess we should be heading in for the feast."
"Yeah, you want to join us at the table?"
"I'd like that."
Eva and Neville walked into the Great Hall hand-in-hand. Eva did not miss the displeased look on Harry's face when he saw their intertwined hands. Neville noticed it too, because he let her hand go as if it were on fire. She frowned and placed a kiss on his cheek before taking the seat that Harry offered next to him; Neville blushed and turned to take a seat next to Seamus and Dean on the other side of the table.
Eva tucked into her dinner enthusiastically. She joined in the conversation at the table and even received a few non-hostile remarks from Hermione. When the main course was done, the plates were cleared. Eva patted her tummy and smiled.
"That has got to be one of the best dinners I've had since I've been here."
"It's not done yet," said Harry with a smile on his face. "Didn't you once say that you had a sweet-tooth?"
Eva smirked. "If you ask my mother, she would tell you that I had sweet-teeth."
Harry sat back and waited for the dishes to fill with the vast array of sweets that they were always part of the Halloween feast. He was not disappointed when he saw her eyes widen in surprise and then delight. She clapped her hands in happiness and began to sample everything within her grasp. She tried one of everything so as not to miss out on anything. She was finishing a treacle tart when she heard the flutter of wings.
Everyone in the hall looked up since it was an odd time for any mail to be arriving. Eva and Harry immediately noticed the basket to be the one that was filled with the sweets that she had bought her mother. It took two owls to carry and they dropped it on the floor behind Eva. She held out some tart to them and untied the package from their legs. They hooted in response and were off.
"Is it the Honeydukes basket?" Harry asked. It had looked like it from a distance, but now that it was closer he noticed that it was covered in brown packing paper.
Eva quickly ripped the paper and confirmed that it was her basket. "Yes, it is. Will you excuse me while I take it to her?"
Harry nodded and stood to help her off the bench. He picked up the basket and handed it to her. "I hope she likes it."
Eva felt the eyes of the entire school as she walked up to the head table where her mother was sitting next to Professor Snape. She was glad that the two had taken the seats that were near the end of the table. She would not have to walk behind all the professors to get to her mother.
She stopped in front of their seats and looked up at the angry face of Professor Snape. He must still have been smarting from her disobedience. "May I?"
He nodded once and she proceeded to her mother's chair. "I bought this for you. I was going to send it to you, before I found out you were here." She placed the heavy basket down in front of her mother.
Saveage smiled and caressed her daughter's face. "Thank you, Darling." There was no trace of anger in her mother's face or voice. She quickly removed the plastic wrapping holding in the contents of the basket and squealed in delight. She clapped her hands and fairly bounced in her seat; a gesture hauntingly like what Eva did when she was happy.
Professor Snape groaned next to them. "I see you have not lost your addiction to sweets."
"I am not addicted," Saveage said defensively. "I am simply fond of them."
Eva giggled. "It's no use, Mum. We're both hopelessly addicted. The only thing left for us is to have sugar pumped straight into our bloodstream."
Snape's lip curled as he saw Saveage bite into a chocolate frog. "I'm surprised you still have all your teeth," he commented.
Saveage and Eva smiled at each other and rolled their eyes. He sounded just like Aurelius. Eva placed a hand on Saveage's shoulder. "Mum? Could I speak with you tomorrow afternoon?"
Saveage looked pained. "I'm sorry, Eva. I'm going to be leaving tomorrow morning. I must get back and Professor Dumbledore has already arranged for my transport."
Eva looked up at the Headmaster and frowned. She looked back down at her mother a look of dejection on her face. "Okay, I understand. Will you write?"
"Of course, Darling. I promise."
Eva smiled a little and kissed her mother's cheek. Saveage grabbed Eva's hand before she could leave. When Eva looked her in the eye, Saveage motioned with a glance in his direction that she should do the same to Professor Snape. Eva bit her lip and looked at her mother with uncertainty. Saveage simply smiled and squeezed her daughter's hand.
Eva turned to Professor Snape and gave him an affectionate peck on the cheek. She did not know who looked more surprised: Professor Snape or the students who had been watching the exchange with her mother. "Goodnight, Father," she said before walking back down to the Gryffindor table.
She resumed her seat next to Harry and felt Neville's foot touch hers. She looked up at him and he smiled. She knew that if he could have done so without causing a riot, he would have patted her on the back and said, 'Well done.' As it was every one of the surrounding Gryffindors were staring at her wide-eyed, even Harry. She simply ignored them and continued her enjoyment of the sweets in front of her.
She had sampled every sweet that was within her grasp, but she looked longingly at a tart that was in front of Hermione, which she had yet to try. To her surprise, Hermione cut a slice and passed the plate to her.
Eva gave her a shocked thank you before digging into the tart with relish. Small sighs of happiness escaped her lips every now and then, causing Harry to throw her an amused smirk and Ron to watch her adoringly. She caught him staring at her with glazed eyes and glanced over at Hermione. She was giving Eva a look that could kill.
Eva frowned as she finished her treat. She knew that Hermione liked Ron, she had told her as much at the Three Broomsticks. What she didn't know was if Ron liked Hermione. There was only one way to find out. Eva put down her fork and turned to the girl in question.
"What color robes will you be wearing to the Yule Ball, Hermione?"
Hermione looked a bit shocked. She must not have been expecting her small favor to lead to a conversation. "Um, uh, I don't have my robes yet. It's a bit early to have them," she replied.
"It's never too early. What color did you wear fourth year? I heard you went with Viktor Krum. Isn't he cute?"
Eva put a dreamy look in her eyes and plopped her head into her right hand. She did not miss the look of anger that ran across Harry's face, but she needed to find out what Ron's reaction would be.
"Um, I guess so. He's really sweet. He bought me a corsage for the ball and was a complete gentleman, even though he never could get my name right."
Eva saw Ron's face go from dreamy to angry. Apparently, he did not like the direction this conversation was going. Eva decided to keep on her current track and see if she could derail Ron.
"Do you keep in touch?" she asked.
Hermione stole a quick glance at Ron and saw the annoyed look on his face. She smirked and gladly answered Eva's question. "Yes, we do. He writes regularly, even though he has such a busy schedule."
"Wow," breathed Eva. She noticed a few of the girls around them were whispering and giggling, she could only assume it was about Viktor. "It must be so nice to have a pen friend like that. I mean, it's almost like having a boyfriend. And he is older and really famous."
Eva's voice was almost dreamy and she could tell that Harry was annoyed, too. Well, there was nothing that she could do about that. She wanted to see how much Ron would react to her and Hermione's comments.
"Yes, he is older and so much more mature than some of the boys here," Hermione said.
Eva heard Ron mumble something about 'with age comes ugliness,' or something like that. She smiled; so he did like Hermione. She would have to do something about that. She could even start tonight. She liked the idea she'd had about having a mini-dance in her rooms.
"Hey, would you all like to come to my rooms and have something like a dance? It would be so cool and we don't have curfew until midnight tonight," she added.
Neville quickly agreed as did Dean, Seamus, Ginny, Lavender Brown, one of the Patil twins, who promised to invite her sister, and a few other Gryffindors who were fond of Eva. She noticed that Hermione had not agreed and she looked at her. "Please come, Hermione. I really would like to continue our conversation."
Hermione shot a quick glance at Ron's scowling face and agreed. Ron was quick to accept the invitation as well and that left only Harry. Eva leaned over closer to him and pressed her lips to his ear. "I was just trying to see how Ron reacted to Hermione possibly being interested in somebody else. Please forgive me?" she asked.
Her breath tickled his ear and he nodded.
"Will you come?"
He nodded again. His brain did not seem to be able to form words at the moment. The feeling of Eva's soft breath on his cheek turned it into mush.
Eva smiled at his silent consent. She knew just what she was doing. She often thought about the stolen kisses they shared every now and then when they were training. She wanted a little more than just a quick peck on the lips.
She looked across the Great Hall and spotted Draco. She thought it only polite for her to invite him. He was, after all, her oldest friend. He might even see that this inter-House rivalry thing was just so silly. "I'm going to invite Draco. I'll be back in a minute. Could you all grab some food and take it to the East Tower stairs?"
She jumped out of her seat so quickly that she did not see the looks of uncertainty that passed on the faces of some of the Gryffindors. She also did not hear Neville tell them that it was all right and to just grab food as she had asked.
Eva made her way down to the Slytherin table and slid into the empty spot next to Draco. She leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"I'm having a little get-together in my rooms and I was wondering if you'd like to come."
Draco turned his head a little to whisper back. "Will Potter be there?" Eva nodded. "Thanks for the invitation, but I'd rather not spend my evening with Potter and his gang."
"You can invite some people if it will make you feel more comfortable. Please, Draco, I would really like to spend some time with you."
"If you wanted that so bad, you wouldn't be having all your meals with the Gryffindors."
Eva moved away and looked down. "I'm sorry," she said. "The invitation stands if you want to come and you're more than welcome to bring some people." She stood and made her way to the doors of the Great Hall.
She saw the crowd of people waiting for her at the foot of the stairs and was surprised at the amount of food they were carrying. She smiled and walked over to them. "I didn't know this many people wanted to come."
Neville walked up to her, his arms overflowing with treats. "Some people overheard us and kind of invited themselves. I hope you don't mind."
"I don't mind at all. It's great! I've never had people in those rooms. I'm so glad to have company." She began to pick her way towards the foot of the stairs when she heard her mother call her name.
"Eva, I was just going to say goodnight," Saveage smiled at her. Professor Snape was at her side and all the students seemed to try to make themselves invisible.
"Oh, Mum, before you go, I want you to meet some of my friends." She motioned Neville and Harry forward. "This is Neville Longbottom; he's my Potions Partner and a very good friend."
Neville simply smiled and nodded his head. "I'm sorry for not shaking your hand, ma'am. It's still a pleasure to meet Eva's Mum."
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Neville." She placed a kiss on his cheek, which made the boy blush furiously.
"And this is my friend-"
"Harry Potter," breathed Saveage. She extended her hand towards him, as he was not carrying anything. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry."
"The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Nocturino," said Harry. He took the offered hand and placed a kiss on the delicate fingers. "Eva has told me all about you."
"Don't believe any of the bad things," she joked. Saveage leaned closer and placed a kiss on his cheek as well; he also blushed like Neville. "Thank you for watching out for her yesterday."
"It was nothing, ma'am," mumbled Harry.
She smiled at him and looked back to Eva. "Are you all going to your rooms, Eva?"
"Yes, Mum. Oh, and you have to meet some other people too. That's Ron Weasley over there." Eva moved and grabbed Ron's hand to pull him forward. "He's on the Quidditch team, he's the Keeper."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ron," said Saveage. She shook his hand and also kissed his cheek. He blushed even redder than Neville, if that was possible.
"And Hermione's here somewhere." She looked over the heads of the students and finally saw the bushy-haired girl walk forward. "There you are! Mum, this is my friend Hermione Granger. She's one of the smartest girls in school."
"Really? It's a pleasure to meet you, Hermione." Saveage shook Hermione's hand and placed kisses on both her cheeks. She looked back to Eva. "I'll let you go on to your fun. Goodnight, Darling." She held out her arms and Eva gladly fell into them. "I hope to have a nice long talk soon," she whispered.
Eva nodded against her shoulder and pulled back. "Goodnight, Mum. Please be careful on your way tomorrow."
"I will, Darling." Saveage placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead. She held her at arm's length and sighed. "I'm going to miss you so much."
Eva smiled and was about to turn to go up the stairs when she remembered Professor Snape standing at her mother's side. She turned and walked through the few people who had begun to follow her. She reached up to the Professor and placed her arms around his neck and a kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight, Father," she said. She squeezed his neck a little and then let go. She did not expect him to kiss her back, but she was rather surprised when he called out, "Good night, Eva."
The song that Neville played for Eva is by Christina Aguilera and is called "The Voice Within"
Just a little note: No one knows that Professor Snape is Eva's father, except for The Order, Harry and Neville.