Author Name: Saerry Snape
Rating: PG-13, may be R in later chapters
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Inspired by Lady Erised's wonderful Snapefics (specifically The Prince Returns, When the Past Comes Back, and Betrayal), Constantine1453's Harry Potter and the Trials and of His Life, and my Snapefic Nothing But the Rain. The Dark Prince officially belongs to Lady Erised; I use him with her permission. Lady of the Night is the sequel to my fic The Dark Prince.
Summary: Sixteen years after Hermione Granger gave birth to a dark-haired, green-eyed little girl, the past has returned to haunt the victims of a time in September of 2002. The year is 2019 and The Dark Prince has been released…
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God, I feel like hell tonight
With tears of rage I cannot hide
I'd be the last to help you understand
Are you strong enough to be my man?
Oh oh…
Sheryl Crow – Strong Enough
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Chapter 11…tears of rage…
As soon as Evan got back into Hogwarts and had his trunk in Gryffindor Tower, he went racing for the dungeons. He was probably the only Gryffindor in history to know the location of the Slytherin common room and knew that he shouldn't be running towards it (as teachers might get ideas and follow him, finding out that he knew) but he had to. Over Christmas hols, Helena's father had been released from Azkaban. Or at least he was supposed to be. Now he was a fugitive. He'd killed the two Aurors who had gone to let him out and now he was loose. Harry Potter, the Dark Prince, was loose and Evan was one of the few people in the wizarding world who knew what that could mean for Helena.
"Mr. Longbottom!" yelled Professor McGonagall as he blew past her.
Oh shit, thought Evan, blatantly ignoring her and speeding up. He was worried about his best friend and he'd be damned if he let a soul stop him from checking on her!
"Sorry, Nick!" he yelled over his shoulder and he plowed through the Gryffindor ghost, who was staring blankly after him.
Finally, he reached the dungeons and practically leapt down the stairs that led down into them from the part of the castle that was above ground. He got lost on his way to the Slytherin common room (the dungeon corridors tended to move at times) but finally found it, recognizing the tapestry that hung right beside the hidden entrance.
To those who knew it, the entrance to Slytherin house would open, not only by password, but by Parseltongue. Helena had been trying to teach Evan the language since she had discovered she, like her father, could speak it but they had not gotten very far.
"Your mother was a… No, that's not it."
"Brave, brave sir Robin… No."
"I am Death… No!"
"What are you… Damnit!"
"Someone singing in the choir… BUGGER!"
"Open damnit!"
The stone wall slid aside and Evan charged in, his yellow eyes immediately falling upon Cadius Malfoy. He stormed over to the other boy, who look up at him and snapped, "What are you doing in here, Longbottom?"
"Looking for Hel," replied Evan, personally thanking the summer's he sometimes spent with Hel for allowing him to copy some of the expressions of her godfather. "Where is she, Malfoy?"
"Granger? Haven't seen her."
Evan scowled and snapped, "I can tell you're lying, Malfoy. Now where is she?"
Cadius snorted and said, "Girl's dorm." As Evan headed into that direction, the dark-haired boy yelled after him, "But I warn you, Longbottom, she threw out Wilkins and Rook earlier!"
Evan only snorted in reply and continued on into the girl's dormitory, walking along until he found the sixth years. Easing the door open, he called, "Hel?"
"Out!" shrieked a voice from Evan's ankle and he jumped back. Hekate, Helena's asp, hissed at him, his eyes gleaming darkly. Evan eyed the creature and backed up, calling again. "Hel?"
"Evan?" came a weary response. Helena's head suddenly poked out the door of the bathroom and she snapped, "Hek! Let Evan in!"
The snake grumbled something but moved away from the door, allowing Evan to enter. As he closed the door behind him, Helena ducked back into the bathroom, saying, "I'll be out in a minute, Ev."
Evan nodded and settled down on the edge of Helena's bed – which he identified by the fact that her leather coat was thrown on top of the trunk sitting at the end of it. He twiddled his thumbs absently while he waited, watching Hekate as the snake slithered across the floor to the bathroom door.
The aforementioned door swung open suddenly and Helena ambled out, clad in only a towel. Her dark hair, which had appeared to have recently been hacked off below her ears, clung to her head in dark spikes. Evan's eyes threatened to bug out of his head at this sight. He'd seen Helena in many things (ranging from a bathing suit – a sight very few had seen – to a full suit of armor when she'd been Joan of Arc for a Halloween Ball) but never a towel.
Helena seemed to sense his discomfort and blushed scarlet, which barely showed against her dark tan. She clutched the edges of the towel tight in one hand and opened her trunk with the other, not noticing when Hekate wrapped himself about her ankle. As she bent to dig through it, she said, "What's going on in the outside world, mate?"
"Besides your father getting out of Azkaban?" asked Evan, trying not to focus on the expanse of bare back that the cropped hair and towel showed.
"Yeah," replied Helena in a dark tone. "Besides that piece of news straight from the mouth of Hell."
"People are in a panic. They're certain Voldemort's going to show up any minute."
"He just might," commented Helena. "He's got his precious Prince back now."
Evan frowned and said softly, "All else he needs is his Heir."
The lid of the trunk slammed down and Helena's emerald eyes burned with a scarlet light as she glared at him. One hand whipped forward and grabbed the front of Evan's shirt, jerking him towards her. This new vantage provided him with a view down into the space between the towel and Helena's body.
"I will never be his Heir," snarled she, bringing Evan's attention up from the view down her front to her face. "Not as long as there is breath in my body will I conform to his will!"
"I believe you, Hel," choked Evan, his breath slightly cut off by the grip she had on his shirt. "I know you'd never go to him. Either of them."
The scarlet light dimmed in her eyes and Helena heaved a sigh, loosening her grip on her friend's shirt.
"I'm sorry, Ev," she sighed. "I've not been myself lately."
"I understand," said Evan, trying his best to keep his eyes on her face and away from the view the towel afforded him.
Helena shook her head and gave him a sad smile, saying, "No, you don't understand, Ev. But you try."
"I understand about your mum. Mine…"
"I know, Ev. But you've got yer da." Helena paused as her Cockney accent grew slightly stronger. She and her mother had lived in the London slums for the first four years of her life (hiding from both the wizarding world and Voldemort) so her accent was a mixing of that area and the cool lilt of her godfather's Welsh that she'd picked up. "And e's a good man. But Ah've got nobody. Uncle Sev's a peach but e's nah me da. Ah'm as good as 'n orphan."
"Your not alone, Hel," whispered Evan. "What's family really?"
Helena shrugged, looking forlorn. Evan rose to his feet at this and pulled her into a gently hug.
"It's the people you love you. That's family, Hel. And you've got a whole wagonload of people that love you."
Helena sniffled and lifted her head to look at him with misted eyes. "Do you love me, Ev?" she asked softly.
Evan smiled and pulled her close, burying his face in her wet hair. "More than life itself," he whispered into her ear, sending a quiver through the body clasped tight against his.
They stood like this for a long time, locked together by their arms. Then Helena whispered, "Thanks."
Evan said, "You never need to thank me, Hel. I'll do all you ask and I will never betray your trust. I swear it."
Green eyes looked up into yellow and Helena whispered in a childish tone, "By your heart?"
"By my heart," responded Evan wholeheartedly.
Helena smiled up at him then gently pulled away from his grasp. Evan let her go, sitting back down on her bed as disappeared into the bathroom to change.
When she reappeared, he got up to leave. But Helena shook her head and waved him back down. Evan complied, frowning in confusion.
Helena climbed up on the other side of the bed and laid down, looking coolly up at Evan. The boy eyed her for a moment then slowly laid down as well, freezing when she scooted closer and laid her head on his chest. After a moment he relaxed and carefully angled an arm around her, pulling her closer. He leaned his head against hers and whispered, "Are you sure I should stay in here? If I get caught…"
"Uncle Sev'll understand," injected Helena. "So'll Aunt Minnie."
Evan couldn't help but smile at the name Helena had long given his Head of House and said, "I hope your right, Hel."
Helena tilted her head up so she could smile at him and replied, "I am." She then snuggled close and sighed contentedly before closing her eyes.
Evan smiled tightly as he watched his friend fall into the arms of Morpheus. He did love her – and not just as a friend either. He'd never had the courage to tell her, being afraid that she didn't have the same feelings for him.
But he remembered overhearing a conversation between Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster when he was a fourth year about – not Helena – but her parents. McGonagall was under the impression that if Hermione had told Harry about her feelings, he would have never become the Dark Prince. Dumbledore had told her that that was possible but not probable. He had then winked in Evan's direction and the fourteen-year-old had fled, fearing a reprimand. But none had come and he had kept the conversation in his memory.
Now he made a promise. He would tell Hel what he felt. Whether she felt the same or not didn't matter.
He just didn't want his friend to follow in her father's footsteps.
And he'd do anything, anything, to keep her from that fate.
Even if it killed him.
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And for the million hours that we were
Well I smile and remember it all
Then I'll turn and go out
Story's completed
Mine is a long way from done
Sister Hazel – Champagne High
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Chapter 12…smile and remember…
"My Prince…"
"My Lord," said the Dark Prince, bowing low before his master's throne, unmasked and dressed in the same robes he had left Azkaban in.
"So you return. And have found me. I expected no less."
"Return, yes, my Lord. Where else might I have gone but to you?"
An alabaster hand tapped long fingers against the arm of the throne and red eyes narrowed slightly. "Indeed," said Voldemort, frowning slightly. "You managed to bring forth my Heir, you know. A girl-child."
"I am pleased to hear that I succeeded in your wishes, my Lord. Where is this child?"
"Hogwarts. With your…predecessor." 'Predecessor' was spat out in a venomous tone. "The Traitor."
"I will retrieve her if that is your will, my Lord. Snape will be no difficulty to defeat. He's old. Out of practice."
"Praecipito." The Prince was thrown down onto the cold, unyielding stone on his face by an invisible force. "Do not underestimate him. He is still your predecessor and he has reason to kill you."
The Prince slowly pushed himself up off the floor, rising only to his hands and knees. "May I inquire this 'reason', my Lord?" he asked.
"He is the godfather of your girl-child."
"Him?"
"Yesssss," hissed Voldemort. "Beware, my son. You may have almost defeated him before but remember what stopped you."
Emerald eyes burned dark.
"I remember."
"Do not make the same mistake twice. Kill Severus and bring me your girl-child."
"I will, my Lord."
"I know you will," hissed Voldemort. "Crucio!"
The screams of Harry Potter echoed through the confines of the dark maze of dungeons as he was tortured for sixteen years of absence.
A/N: If anyone has anything to say about Evan's behavior, what else do you think a sixteen-year-old male is going to do when greeted with a sixteen-year-old female in a towel? Even if it is they're best friend.