The rest of the month flew by and soon it was December and Professor Snape was taking names for who would be staying behind at Hogwarts for Winter Holidays. Draco made a big show of signing his name to the list, bragging about his father wanting him to keep an eye on things. Evanna rolled her eyes. She had steadfastly ignored her brother in the Common Room and hallways, still beyond angry with him that he had informed their father of every little thing she did. Logically, she knew he had not meant for their father to punish her so severely-he didn't even know what had happened in that classroom that day-but it didn't stop her from being angry.
As was his custom, Professor Snape came to the Common Room on Thursday night to grade papers at a large desk in a secluded corner of the Common Room. Though he was not exactly a warm person, he would use the time to make himself available for homework help for the younger years, career guidance for the older students, and simply remind his Snakes that he was around. (It depended on the day whether that was a comforting thought or not.)
That night, he had come in and made an announcement. "I expect anyone staying over break to let me know by the end of the night. Given there has been two attacks, the Headmaster wishes to take extra precautions with students staying over break."
"He kept a three-headed dog in the third-floor corridor last year and he's worried about a Petrified cat and first year?" a sixth year called out to giggles around the Common Room. Evanna smiled and Professor Snape smirked.
"Sometimes the Headmaster is able to use more common sense than the usual Gryffindor," he drawled.
"But we're Slytherins!" a third year called. "And it's the monster of Slytherin! It wouldn't attack one of us!"
"Be that as it may, I happen to agree with the Headmaster this once," he said. "As said, you are all Slytherins. And as Slytherins, I expect you all to be prudent in the name of self preservation."
The Slytherins murmured to each other and went back to what they had been doing. Several went up and signed the list, though Evanna stayed where she was, reading a novel on the couch. Slowly but surely, the Slytherins began to disperse, going to their rooms or to Quidditch practice, clubs, even some to Toad Choir rehearsal. Soon, there were only a few students left in the Common Room.
"Ms. Malfoy?" Professor Snape called her over as he was going over the list of students staying. "Are you not staying over the break?"
His eyes were boring into hers. There was almost an echo of a thought, and a stronger feeling concern and anxiety than she had felt since her professor had strengthened the bracelet.
"No, sir," she said. "I'm going home."
"You do not have to," he said vehemently, a surge of protectiveness emanating from him. Evanna was rather confused by the strong emotion from the stoic-looking man.
"I need to speak to my mother, sir," she said softly. "And I don't think that will happen via owl."
Professor Snape frowned. "If something should happen, Floo my quarters at Hogwarts."
"I promise you sir, what happened before the Quidditch game really does not happen often. I can usually hold my own in our training sessions," she said reasonably.
Professor Snape looked rather like he did not believe her, but nodded anyway.
"Let me know if you change your mind," he said.
In addition to the sign up sheets for students staying over the holidays, another form on a lavender sheet of paper had made its way up onto the notice board.
"Dueling Club!" Eva had exclaimed. "That sounds brilliant-especially if Professor Lockhart is teaching it."
Evanna highly doubted that. There were many things to be said about her father's teaching methods, but she knew for certain there was nothing Professor Lockhart would be able to teach her that Lucius had not already. Besides, her bracelet seemed to lose its effectiveness when emotions were high, and a bunch of students being able to take out their frustrations on one another…
Best not.
Evanna quickly figured out how to Transfigure wool sweaters and socks as the weather grew ever colder, her dormmates often asking her to do the same for them. Most of her nights were spent in the library in order to avoid her brother, in addition to completing her homework. Unlike her brother, she was not top of her year in anything but defense. Though she always among the first to master the spellwork, she was never very good with all of the theory and essay writing that went with it.
One night, near the end of term, nearly all the tables were full of upper years, studying for their midterms. Evanna looked, and the only table that had any empty seats was occupied by a redhaired girl, writing in a diary.
"Hey, Weasley," Evanna said, sliding into the seat beside her. Weasley immediately shoved away the diary, brown eyes wide. Evanna furrowed her eyebrows. "Mind if I sit here?"
"Sure," Weasley said nervously, trying to rearrange her stuff to cover the diary. Evanna saw the word "Riddle" embossed in gold before Weasley managed to hide it completely.
"Thanks," she said. "My brother is always in the Common Room-I just have to get away, you know?"
Weasley nodded. "Be grateful you only have the one."
The two girls sat in companionable silence for several minutes, each reading their own respective books.
"Thank you, for checking on me after… after Colin," Weasley said. "And I'm sorry about what my housemates did."
Evanna blinked. "It wasn't your fault."
"Yeah, well," Weasley said awkwardly. "It was right. That Finnegan is a real piece of work. That's not how Gryffindors are supposed to behave."
"According to my Housemates, I was lucky more didn't attack," Evanna said dryly.
Weasley was silent. "It's so stupid-the Founders were all friends. That's why they started a school together."
Evanna laughed. "Did you forget the part where Salazar Slytherin left a big spooky chamber with some sort of monster inside?"
Weasley actually laughed, more color coming to her face for the first time in a while. "All four of us were getting along on the train and rooting for each other during the Sorting. But the next morning, only Luna truly didn't care what colors we were wearing."
Evanna was silent, unsure of how to respond to Weasley. She had honestly tried, but like the rest of the school, Weasley and Travers had both seen the green and silver and immediately thought evil. It was the same thought process that had led to those Gryffindor boys to attack her in the Great Hall. It was the same thought process that had made her beg the Sorting Hat to place her away from the rest of her family.
But her mother was not evil. She was fussy and elegant and loved Evanna dearly, even if she was rarely able to curb her husband's worst training moments. Professor Snape, while rather moody and bad tempered most of the time had taken Evanna under his wing and seemed to genuinely care for all of the students in his charge. At least, he took his duty to keep them safe, healthy, and whole very seriously. Not all Slytherins were like Lucius Malfoy and Evanna had at least two other role models to emulate.
"Are you staying at Hogwarts over the holiday?" Weasley asked, sounding hopeful.
"No, my brother is, but I want to see my mother," she said. Weasley seemed to slump.
"Oh, okay," she said, gathering her stuff. "So, um, I guess, I'll see you around, Malfoy."
Evanna regarded her for a minute, then held out her hand. "Evanna. My name is Evanna."
"Wha-"
"We introduced ourselves to each other on the train as Evanna and Ginny," she said slowly. "We didn't use our family names, we weren't Sorted yet. I'd like to be known as simply Evanna again."
Weasley smiled and took Evanna's hand. "Ginny, then. Just Ginny."
Evanna nodded happily. "So about that Charms essay-did Flitwick do any better explaining the theory to your class?"
"I doubt it," she said. "Mum has said that some Ravenclaws have the problem of being so smart that they don't know how to explain to anyone else. I was actually hoping you might know what to do-"
"I can do just about any spell you want but I'm pants at all these essays," Evanna said, just a note of whining to her voice. "I think I'll be lucky to get Acceptable in my classes this semester!"
Ginny's eyes widened. "Merlin, I forgot that we were getting our first marks soon!"
A/N: Thank you to all of my reviewers for your support! Sorry if this chapter seems a little filler-y, but I am trying my best to get through Chamber of Secrets before going to grad school/did have a few things I needed to set up for later chapters. Perhaps two more chapters and Evanna will be home for break-let's hope she starts getting answers!
The two girls sat talking in the back of the library, discussing everything from classes to the problem of Luna's stolen shoes to the Gryffindor boys still giving Evanna dirty looks and tripping jinxes. Some of the older ghosts would say, if you looked closely at the redhaired and blackhaired girls leaning together, you could almost imagine a burly man with a lion's mane of a beard and another, more slender, but no less dangerous looking, sitting beside exchanging stories and ideas for a new school.