I Do Not Own Harry Potter.

Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room, listening to Ron and Hermione have another row. They'd been having more arguments lately and he had the feeling that this relationship was either going to fall apart or be one of those love-hate things. Neville came and sat in the chair next to his. He'd come back yesterday from St. Mungo's and everyone wanted to know how Eva was doing. He'd given Harry, Ron and Hermione their letters at dinner. And he'd hinted that Eva knew about Snape's threat to Harry.

"How did this one start?" asked Neville, nodding towards Ron and Hermione.

Harry sighed. "I can't even remember. They were fine this morning." He ran his hand through his hair. "Forget their relationship; I don't think that I can take any more of this."

Neville chuckled and looked over at Ron and Hermione. He had a feeling that this pair was on the rocks and heading straight towards a crash. He knew they'd had feelings for each other, but he'd never really thought about how mismatched they were. Ron needed someone he could take care of.

"How long do you think this will last?" Neville asked.

"Probably another hour or so," replied Harry.

"No, no, I mean the whole thing."

Harry gave Neville a shocked look. "You think they're going to split up?"

"They're not really suited, Harry. They both need different types of people." He looked over at them and continued. "I think they were more curious than anything. I'm in no doubt they care for each other, but I'm pretty sure they would kill each other if they didn't."

Harry thought about it a while before smiling. Neville was right. Ron and Hermione probably didn't suit each other, but they sure did make for an entertaining show. "Eva's going to be upset," said Harry out loud.

"Why?"

"After all the energy she spent getting those two together, for them to break it off would be upsetting to anyone."

"I'm sure she'll understand." Neville turned back to face Harry. "Speaking of which, what's up with you and her?"

Harry looked down at his hands. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Can we talk about something else, Neville?"

Neville looked at Harry and smiled. "Harry, I can't believe that you're letting Snape get the better of you. I would have thought his threat would have pushed you into chasing Eva."

"If it had been under other circumstances I would have seriously thought about it, but you know how much I want to be an Auror. If I don't get an 'O' on my N.E.W.T.s, then I can kiss that goodbye."

Neville thought that the explanation was valid, but he knew Harry better than that. There seemed to be more to this than he was letting on. "And?"

"And what?"

"Come on Harry. That can't be the only reason you're okay with just letting Eva go. I know you better than that, I hope."

"I really don't want to talk about this, okay?" Harry stood and gathered his books and bag. He was going to the library, where he could do some work without so many distractions and interruptions.

Just as he was about to go out the door he felt Neville's hand on his arm. He turned and saw a very serious looking Neville. "Don't make the mistake of thinking that Eva will just take this sitting down. She's going to be hurt, Harry. You promised never to hurt her." He let his arm fall to his side and Harry exited the common room.

He walked to the library and sat down in a corner table. He tried to concentrate on the essay he and Ron were researching for Potions, but when he looked up the first time, he noticed that this was the table where Eva usually sat when she began at Hogwarts. His mind wandered on its own through the last few months at Hogwarts. Their training sessions and the classes they shared together. He was disgusted with himself for not concentrating on his studies and slammed the book shut, which earned him a 'shush' from Madame Pince.

He didn't want to hurt Eva, but there were things that she knew he wanted to do and in order to do them, he needed an 'O' in Potions. He could just hear Snape's words the day term had begun. He'd asked Harry to stay after class.

"You have an interest in becoming an Auror, do you not?" he asked.

Harry only nodded.

"It's interesting to note that you will need an 'O' in this class to enter into Auror training. Now, your work has been averaging at 'E' lately, but I'm sure you can bring that up rather easily."

Harry was rather shocked with what the professor was saying; he was never this nice. "Thank you, Professor," he replied. He turned to leave the room, but Snape had begun speaking again just as he was nearing the door.

"It would be a shame if you did badly in this class. I have seen many students get this far, but because of a few false steps fail."

Harry turned to look at the professor in shock. What was he talking about? Harry noticed that Snape was sitting on Eva's stool in front of her desk. His meaning about 'false steps' was clear. Harry nodded and left the room.

The memory of that encounter still sent a chill down his spine. He'd not told Eva about it because he knew that was just what Snape wanted him to do, it was his opportunity to fail Harry and dash any hope of becoming an Auror. He'd only confided in Ron and Hermione. They had no idea what to say besides to encourage him to do well in Potions so as not to give Snape more cause to fail him.

Harry could not concentrate at all and decided to just go to bed. At least sleep would not require much on his part. He made a decision, though, on his way back to Gryffindor Tower. He would have to forget about Eva completely. It was the only way to make sure they were both happy. She would not have to worry about looking over her shoulder because she was Harry Potter's girlfriend and therefore a prime target for Death Eaters, and he would be able to move forward in his quest to become an Auror. He tried his best to ignore the pain that the decision caused his heart to feel.

Eva had asked the nurse who came to check her vital signs while Draco was gone, where the ward for permanent spell damage was. She was glad to learn that it was on the same floor as her own room. That would mean that she could easily sneak out and come back without much of a chance of getting caught. She really did not mind getting caught, as long as she got caught after she had healed Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom.

She was brushing her hair when Draco returned from getting their food. She devoured her meal and even ate what Draco did not finish. She'd had four meals so far and it was only two in the afternoon. She was always amazed how each time she healed herself, her method of recovery differed. Last time she'd done something major, she'd felt like sleeping until Christmas.

"So, where were we?" asked Draco when she finished.

Eva slurped the rest of his milkshake and looked at him over the rim of the cup. When she was sure that she'd finished the whole thing she lobbed the cup into the waste basket by his chair. "I think you were asking me why I refuse to marry you," she teased.

"Oh yes!" he said dramatically. He made a big production about getting on one knee. He put one hand on his chest, above his heart, and the other he extended in the air. "Please, most fair and charming Severa Raven Nocturino, marry me! Make me the most miserable - I mean happy man on the planet!"

"HEY! That wasn't romantic!" she cried in between her laughter.

"Give me some time to work on it," said Draco as he got back into his chair. "But if I remember correctly, we were actually talking about Lucius. You wanted to know where he was at the end of August."

"I guess I was just curious," said Eva.

"Sure," said Draco, obviously not convinced. "Anyway, what did you and your dad talk about?"

Eva rolled her eyes. "Same old thing. I like Harry; he doesn't, hence I get punished."

"What?!"

Eva nodded. "I am not allowed to see him outside of classes. I cannot have meals at the Gryffindor House table, and right after the Yule Ball he told me that I had to make nice with Pansy Parkinson."

Draco shook his head. "I have nothing against you spending time with your House, but even I wouldn't make you be nice to Pansy. To be honest, I feel like hexing her a lot of the time."

They both laughed. It seemed their mutual dislike for Pansy was a nice way to spend the time. "Has she really been torturing Hermione this week?" asked Eva.

"You heard me?" asked Draco.

"Of course. Didn't you know that most people in comas could hear what goes on around them?"

"Your dad had said something about you being able to hear us, but I didn't really think about it. I was talking more so I wouldn't cry." Eva smiled at him and he cleared his throat. "Anyway, yes, Pansy has taken your little sabbatical as a chance to resume her torments on Hermione, but she's been eyeing Ginny lately. I'd warn your little Weasel friend if I were you," said Draco.

"Her name is Ginny and her brother's name is Ron; not Weasel. And I plan on making sure that Pansy knows just how I feel about people who break promises."

Draco smirked and raised an eyebrow. "I almost forgot what you were like when you lost your temper."

"I do not plan to lose my temper. I will simply express my feelings in a strong manner."

Draco just harrumphed and eyed her suspiciously. "Any particular form of punishment you plan on using?"

"Really Draco," Eva said in an insulted voice. "You would think I was some sort of vindictive woman by the way you talk."

"You're passive-aggressive, is what you are. And that has to be the scariest kind of person you could cross."

Eva just raised her eyebrow and Draco didn't know if she was agreeing with him or just letting him know she didn't want to keep on with this line of conversation. He took the latter as the meaning.

"So, anything specific you want to do tomorrow?" he asked.

"You'll be here tomorrow?"

"Yes, Mum said I can stay until the afternoon, at least, then it's back to the grindstone."

"How about we go and visit the children's ward? They have one, don't they?"

Draco grimaced. He liked kids, but they were sticky half the time and that stickiness was, well, sticky. "I'm sure they do, but I don't think that you're allowed out of your room."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Ask your dad," replied Draco. He tried to suppress a yawn, but failed. "I'm sorry, I think all that food is starting to settle down."

Eva stood and took his hand. She walked over to her bed and hopped on then scooted over to make room for Draco.

"I don't think we'll fit, Rave," said Draco.

"Yes, we will. We just have to sleep on our sides. Take off your shoes and robe." Draco waggled his eyebrows at her and it caused her to laugh. "Don't you be getting any thoughts, mister. We're just going to take a nap."

Draco removed his robes and shoes and then slid into the bed next to her. He waited for her to position herself on her side before scooping his arm around her and placing his head right behind hers on the pillows. He inhaled the scent of her hair, just like the rest of her, it smelled like roses. "I really do love your hair," he whispered.

Eva smiled at the comment and scooted a bit closer to him. She soon heard his breathing become slow and even. She did not take long in following him into sleep.

That was how Severus and Narcissa found them two hours later. It seemed that they were both not only affected by the food, but also just plain tired. Severus decided that he would spend some time in Diagon Alley and Narcissa agreed to accompany him. They left word of where they would be with the nurse, in the event that either of the teens wanted to know. Severus doubted that Eva wanted to know anything about him at this point in time, but it was always comforting to know that the information was there if she needed it.

Eva awoke from her nap before Draco. She flipped onto her other side and watched him sleep for a while. She loved the way he looked so innocent when he was asleep. She brushed a stray strand of hair that had fallen from the rest of the perfectly groomed bunch. He stirred and moved onto his back. The bed was getting a bit cramped and so Eva decided go out in the corridor for her first walk. She waved to the nurse as she left the room and was informed that her father was in Diagon Alley at the moment, in case she was looking for him.

"Did he say when he would be back?" asked Eva.

"No, Miss, but he did say that I was to send word if you required him."

"That won't be necessary, thank you," responded Eva.

She walked back to the room and found Draco in the same position as before. She knew that if she wanted to do this, now would be the only time she would be able to. She had to wait for the nurse to sit down at her station and sneak down to the door that led to the rest of the hospital. She shut her eyes to envision the door at the end of the corridor and figured that it was too far from the station and at the right angle so as to not be seen. Eva crouched next to her door and waited until the head of the nurse was no longer visible over the desk. She discarded her robe where she was and made her way noiselessly in her pajamas to the door. She was so grateful to the person who decided the hospital should have swinging doors; it made her sneaking out easier. She checked to make sure that no one was walking about in the corridor.

Eva crawled out of her ward and made her way down the corridor, keeping her eyes on the signs posted that pointed people to the various wards on the floor. She spotted the swinging doors that were labeled Permanent Spell Damage and took a deep breath. This was it; she still had the chance to turn back, to change her mind and just rejoin Draco in her bed. She straightened her shoulders, Nocturino's do not back down. She walked into the ward and was greeted by a nurse.

"How can I help you, dear?" she asked.

"I j-just came to v-visit Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom." Eva scolded herself for letting her voice falter.

"Of course, right this way. It's nice for them to have company. It's usually just their son and Mr. Longbottom's mother. Nice enough woman, but with horrible taste in hats," said the nurse. She pulled back the partition that separated the two beds and Eva saw the older couple asleep in their beds. "Oh, they're napping. Would you like to come back later?" asked the nurse.

"No," answered Eva quickly. "Would it be alright if I just sit here with them for a while?"

"Of course, dear. Let me know if you need anything," said the nurse. She closed the partition after Eva had entered and walked back to the other patients.

Eva looked at the couple in their beds. Mr. Longbottom was a handsome man, but she could see that Neville obviously took after his mother. Eva's heart broke at the thought that Neville had had to see his parents like this for most of his life. It was not fair.

Eva approached the bed with her hand extended. She was going to heal Mr. Longbottom first. He was probably harder to crack under Cruciatus and therefore probably required more Energy; she would have to see how much Energy she had left for Mrs. Longbottom. Just as she was about touch him, the partition opened and the nurse popped her head in.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she cried as she pulled the curtains farther and began to approach Eva. Eva quickly placed her hand on Mr. Longbottom's chest and concentrated; she would have to begin quickly before the nurse intervened.

A bright light began where Eva had placed her hand and Mr. Longbottom opened his eyes and looked Eva right in the eye. Eva had a chance to smile, but only for a split second. That was when the pain began. Eva cried out as she felt both her legs break. She fell over Mr. Longbottom, but managed to keep her hand in place; she couldn't break concentration. Eva felt something wrap around her chest and squeeze until she felt her ribs crack. She would have cried out if she'd had any breath left. There was also a burning sensation across her chest and she felt a warm substance ooze onto her skin; she knew she was bleeding. She felt sharp stings across her face and the feeling that her head was about to explode. She forced herself to keep on concentrating for the sake of her friend and his family. It seemed like an eternity before the light subsided and Eva's pain dulled a bit.

Mr. Longbottom had not gone through the ordeal without wounds of his own. His face was covered in scratches and his left arm appeared to be at an odd angle. He was looking at Eva with something close to adoration. Eva lifted a corner of her mouth in a smile; it was the only movement she could make without feeling pain.

The nurse who had witnessed the beginning of Eva's healing had made an emergency announcement to all the Healers on call. There were probably now fifteen Healers and some thirty nurses watching in awe as Mr. Longbottom sat up in the bed and looked around. He saw his wife looking at him with a blank expression and it seemed that much of what he knew came back to him.

"Merlin's beard," he whispered and looked over to Eva. He glanced over her battered body and then turned to the Healers. "Well don't just stand there, she needs help!"

Eva was surrounded by Healers as Mr. Longbottom rose from the bed and went to join his wife in her bed, where his wounds were tended by the nurses. Eva knew that she only had a short amount of time before one of the Healers suggested she be taken back to her room. She needed to get to Mrs. Longbottom. "Please, just heal my ribs and legs," she gasped out. Every breath was like fire in her lungs.

Her bones were quickly mended and she was able to breath easier. "If one of you would be so kind as to fetch Albus Dumbledore, I believe that he is conversing with my Healer. Also if someone could go to my room at the end of the corridor and let the nurse know that my father needs to be summoned, I would greatly appreciate it."

Two nurses quickly went on the errands while some of the Healers looked at her oddly. "You are the young woman in the private section of the hospital?" one asked.

"That's me," said Eva as she got out of the bed. She walked over to Mrs. Longbottom's bed and she could still fell the soreness in her newly healed bones. "Mr. Longbottom if you would please allow me to help your wife." The man nodded with a look of awe on his face and moved from the bed.

Eva sat down gingerly and placed her hand just under the woman's left breast, right over her heart. She faintly heard people rush into the room. She heard her father call her name and Professor Dumbledore try and calm him. She called as much Energy as she could from herself and concentrated on channeling it into Mrs. Longbottom.

This Healing was much like the one for Mr. Longbottom. Eva felt her bones break and her chest wound re-opened and more scratches came to her face. This time however she felt a distinct flow of energy forcing itself out towards her. She was not sure what it was and tried her best to keep as much energy going towards Mrs. Longbottom. She finally couldn't hold any longer and she began to pull back. The force of energy made one last strong push forward and Eva took the full-force of it. She was physically lifted and thrown across the room. She hit the opposite wall and fell, face first, onto the floor.

Eva felt hands rolling her over gently and looked into the eyes of her father. "Is she alright?" she whispered.

"She will be fine, darling. You need to think about yourself now," he said.

"I'll be fine," was all Eva said before slipping into unconsciousness.

Eva's eyes opened wide. She looked around the room and recognized it as her hospital room. She saw her father sleeping in a chair by her bed with his head lying on the bed by her right hand. She looked more and saw that her mother was also there.

"Mum," whispered Eva. Her throat was sore and dry and she tried swallowing to better speak. Her movements were enough to wake the man by the bed.

"Eva," said Severus. He hit a button above her bed before waking Saveage.

Saveage was by the bed in an instant. "Eva, darling, are you hurting? Do you need something?"

"Water," she croaked.

Severus poured a glass of water and held it to Eva's lips. She drank the whole glass, sip by sip and fell back onto her pillow. The Healer walked in and Saveage moved to stand by Severus.

"Good morning, young Miss Nocturino, how are you feeling this morning?" asked the Healer as he moved his wand over her body.

"Like I had a run-in with a hippogriff," said Eva.

The man chuckled. "Mustn't be too bad if you're joking about it."

"Humor is my shield against the pain," she quipped.

The Healer laughed again and put his wand back into the pocket of his medical robe. "Well, your shield needs a bit of help. I'm going to give you a pain potion so you can sleep better. Your body was beaten up quite badly three days ago, but I'm sure you'll recover just fine. Your being awake so soon is a wonderful sign."

"Three days? I've been asleep three days?" she asked. The Healer nodded. "What day is it?"

"It's Wednesday morning, February the fifth," said the Healer.

Eva laid her head back on the pillow. "How are the Longbottoms?" she asked.

The Healer let out a sigh. "It's quite amazing, actually. They are fine. Even though they seem to remember all that was done to them, they show no signs of insanity. They have been wanting to see you since we removed you here on Saturday night."

"I would like to see them, too," said Eva around a yawn. She winced when she breathed in too deeply.

"I think it's time for that pain potion," said the Healer. Her handed the potion to Saveage. "Just rest, Miss Nocturino, you'll feel better soon."

Eva faintly heard her mother begin to ask the Healer a question about how long the scar would remain, but she dozed off before she could really think about it or hear the answer; she wasn't even able to clear her mind.

"She's awake!" cried Neville as he burst into the Gryffindor common room. He stopped in front of the three students by the fire.

Harry, Ron and Hermione, along with the rest of the school, had heard about what Eva had done for Neville's parents. The only House that was not itching for news of her recovery was Slytherin. In fact, those students had done nothing but talk about how shameful it was to have someone like that in their House at all. The only thing that kept them semi-loyal to her was her pure blood. Draco seemed to be the only one who was not participating in the bashing. He'd been rather changed since his return from the hospital. He'd been very quiet and reserved, as if he was thinking about something all the time.

Harry leaned forward in his chair. "When did you find out?"

"Just now. Mum and Dad sent me an owl. She woke up this morning and the Healer said that she should be back by Monday if things go smoothly."

Harry let out a pent-up breath. He'd been riding an emotional roller coaster the last few days. He'd been glad that Eva had forgiven his part in her initial injury, but when he'd heard about what she'd done for Neville's parents he felt guilty for some odd reason. Hermione had told him it was because he knew that she was the one. Harry had not really understood what she meant by 'the one', but he did know that she was right about his being a coward for backing down so easily. Ron had been a bit of help, though, which was surprising. He'd said that Harry shouldn't be feeling so bad; if Eva really liked him, she should be willing to wait for graduation and Harry's entrance into Auror training. He'd pointed out that guys were always waiting on girls and that if it was going to work between them it was only fair for the waiting to be shared.

Harry took Ron's advice with a grain of salt. It was a bit strange to be getting relationship advice from someone so recently broken-up. Ron and Hermione had had one last row on Sunday night and had called the relationship off. They'd been awkward around each other since, but they were still speaking, for which Harry was grateful.

"Harry?" called Hermione.

"I'm sorry, what was the question," he said, coming back to reality.

"I just asked if you were alright?" she repeated.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm glad she's doing well," he said.

Hermione and the two boys eyed Harry suspiciously. He'd been miserable since Eva was first taken to the hospital. He'd only regained some of his natural cheer when Neville returned from his visit and gave them their letters. He'd had his first real meal for the week. His melancholic mood had returned when he heard about her activities and present condition. Dumbledore had even called him into this office to make sure that he knew Eva was going to be fine.

"Are you sure you're alright, mate?" asked Ron.

"I'm fine! Will everyone please stop pestering me about this?!" he stood and stormed into his dormitory. He had a pile of homework to do, but he was too preoccupied to think.

He missed Eva more than he could bear. He missed being able to see her every night at training and talking to her like they'd known each other their whole lives. He missed stealing kisses in classroom eleven and when they'd 'happen' to be passing through a deserted corridor at the same time. He found himself thinking about her more and more as the days went by. It seemed Snape's idea of keeping them apart only made him want to be closer to her.

Harry punched his pillow in frustration. He might want to be with her more, but there was no way he would be able to go about it without Snape finding out. He was torn between being with Eva, or becoming an Auror. It was not fair; nothing in his life ever seemed to be fair. He dozed off to sleep in his fit of rage at the injustice of the world, without clearing his mind.