~Harry POV~
"Where have you been, Harry? Your detention should have ended an hour ago!" Hermione exclaimed as Harry walked in the door. "I have some more Murtlap essence for your hand." He shrugged moodily and slumped onto the couch that Ron was sitting on, wanting nothing more than to copy Hermione's homework and go to bed.
Unfortunately, before Harry was able to ask to see Hermione's Charms essay, she had spotted the handkerchief around his hand.
"Where did you get that?" Hermione questioned.
"No where," Harry mumbled.
"Well, you're going to have to take it off if you want me to help you," she said.
Harry frowned, but quietly did so as she asked. Ron's eyes widened beside him.
"EBM? Is that the Malfoys' crest?" he said, pointing at the corner of the now bloody handkerchief.
Harry's face heated up and Hermione locked her eyes onto him.
"You were with Evanna again," she all but accused. "Merlin, but is she some sort of part Veela?"
Harry blinked at the sudden viciousness in Hermione's tone. Even Ron seemed a little stunned.
"I mean-she can't be as bad as her brother, right? Or Ginny wouldn't-"
"Not the point, Ronald," Hermione snapped, roughly grabbing Harry's hand and putting it in the bowl of murtlap water. He hissed slightly at the pain of it. "I've told you my suspicions."
"Yes, only one-hundred and forty two times," Ron mumbled. Hermione turned her glare on him.
"All the Slytherins have been calling her my lady. I even saw some of them bow to her," Hermione said, emphasizing the latter. "I told you, I thought it was a good thing that you two parted ways at the end of last year. She obviously holds some sort of sway over them."
Harry pursed his lips. Hermione had come up with many theories to do with Evanna over the course of the new term to explain the Slytherin's newfound confidence and the way that people were now fawning over her. Theories had ranged from Evanna having done something important for the war effort to her being married off to some sort of Wizarding royalty for some sort of alliance to her being a spy on Dumbledore. Each theory had been more ridiculous than the last and Harry had been sure to point that out, causing Hermione to accuse him more than once of being bewitched.
"Yeah, the Malfoys are rich and powerful," Ron said dismissively. "Just the kind of thing Slytherins love."
"But it's more than that! I was outside of Professor Snape's room the other day and even he was calling her milady!" Hermione persisted. "I even heard him call her princess. Princess, Harry!"
Harry and Ron exchanged looks. They had heard the rant several times.
"Just calm down, Hermione," Harry said. "She just helped me with my hand. That's all."
"That doesn't explain how late you were," Hermione said.
"ImayhaveduelledNott," Harry muttered, knowing what his friends would take that as. Sure enough, Ron started laughing immediately while Hermione shook her head. Harry stared into the bowl his hand occupied, preferring not to look at either of them.
"Maybe we should be checking his drinks for love potion," Ron joked. "Bloke's gone round the bend for a Malfoy seems like. It's the eyes, right, mate? Makes her more exoctic. Definitely not the hair-"
"You're not being helpful, Ronald. In fact, you're setting the Women's Rights movement back about seventy years," Hermione scoffed.
"I honestly don't have any idea what you are talking about," Ron said.
"You've honestly never read a history book, have you?" Hermione replied, shaking her head again.
"Can you two maybe just-not argue?" Harry asked, suddenly far too irritated for this conversation. "Or don't. I don't care. I'm going to bed."
He stood to go to the dormitory, but was stopped by Hermione.
"Wait!" she said. Harry turned back around to see Hermione and Ron exchanging nervous looks. "We-I wanted to ask you something."
"So long as it has nothing to do with bloody Slytherins," Harry said. Hermione nodded emphatically.
"We-I was just thinking about how well you did in the Tournament-and before in the Shrieking Shack and the Chamber of Secrets and going after the philosopher's stone-and obviously Umbridge isn't going to teach us anything-"
"Spit it out, Hermione," Harry said, feeling more frustrated every minute.
"We're in a war, mate," Ron said before Hermione could continue. "And we need to know how to fight. And Hermione here thinks you could teach us."
~Evanna POV~
Professor Snape was less than pleased to learn of Theo and Evanna's night time escapades and called them both into his office the next morning. He lectured both of them on the importance of decorum and not getting caught before taking another twenty points, as was his custom when his Snakes got in trouble with other professors.
"You are dismissed, Nott," he finally said. Evanna rose to leave with her boyfriend, but Professor Snape stopped her. "One moment, Miss Malfoy."
Theo gave Evanna look that clearly said that he would take his orders from her, should she desire him to stay. The way Professor Snape grit his teeth told Evanna that he knew what Theo was doing and what's more, that Evanna did technically outrank the Professor. Evanna nodded at her boyfriend to let him know that it was alright that he left.
"You must be more careful," Professor Snape said as soon as the boy left. "If you feared Lucius' wrath in regards to your acquaintanceship with Potter, surely you must know that your father would be that much angrier."
"Father says I am his equal-"
"The Dark Lord hold himself equal to no one," her professor hissed. "He demands full loyalty from all of his followers-"
"I am his heir, not-"
"Has this summer caused you to lose all of your senses?" Professor Snape all but snarled.
"You can't talk to me like-"
"When I am trying to preserve your miserable life, I can talk to you however you like, princess," he hissed. "Harry Potter is your father's number one enemy. Somehow, it has been kept from him that you helped Potter escape the graveyard last term-something that can only be achieved if you don't have your boyfriend and your admirer brawling over you in the corridor!"
"I wouldn't call Harry my admirer-"
"The boy has spent four years trailing you like a puppy and is only just this term taking out his aggression towards Theodore Nott instead of your brother now that there is a rival for your affections," Professor Snape drawled. "Now tell me-do you want your father to order you to lure Potter to his death?"
"I-"
"Or he could even order you to kill Potter yourself-that would make you equal to the Dark Lord, would it not? Are you ready to become the murderer of one of your schoolmates?"
"I could never-"
"I know that," Professor Snape hissed. "Just as I know that it would be the end of your life if the Dark Lord suspected you held any loyalty to Harry Potter."
Evanna was silent. "I've barely spoken to Harry since the Third Task," she said softly. "I understand we are on opposite sides of the war. So does he."
"Do you? Because the both of you are acting like imbecilic teenagers in a Shakespearean tragedy!"
"We are teenagers!"
Professor Snape froze at that and looked up at Evanna with unfathomable eyes. The Potions Master had never been a particularly happy man-far from it, in fact. Evanna wasn't sure she had ever seen him truly smile. But, in that moment, he looked so sad and weary, like he was hundreds of years old and had seen too many tragedies in that time. But, as far as Evanna knew, Professor Snape was a relatively young man. Though she supposed he had seen his share of tragedy.
"Yes, you are," he said. "And at this rate, you are teenagers who could very well die in this war. Potter does not have the training to survive and you-you…"
The Professor trailed off. Evanna frowned, remembering the duel between Nott and Harry. If her father truly wanted Harry dead, it was only a matter of time. Evanna could barely last in a duel with the Dark Lord, and that was her father was not looking to kill. But, in the graveyard, she knew he had wanted to end Harry that day. Harry had survived that night, but only because of great luck and once-in-a-lifetime circumstances. If he was to have a fighting chance, he would need training, intense training like she had received growing up.
But Harry winning could mean the death of her father, couldn't it? Evanna was no longer sure of much, but she was sure that she did not want her father to die.
Maybe, just maybe, if Harry could be given an edge to survive long enough for Evanna to convince either side that war was not needed. Thinking on what Evanna knew of Harry's home with the muggles, she was sure he would see the reason in wizards ruling over such beastly humans to prevent more damage to Wizard children like Harry and the world at large. And once her father saw how Dumbledore had left the Savior of the Wizarding World to languish with his abusive muggle relatives so as to manipulate the boy… Well, her father respected power. And, untrained Harry may be, he was a powerful wizard.
"Miss Malfoy, are you paying any attention at all to me?" Professor Snape snapped. Evanna whipped her head to meet his gaze, now annoyed, but still with that sadness behind it all.
"Sorry, sir," she said.
He frowned. "I do not want word of you going near the Potter boy again. When you serve your detention with him, you are to not acknowledge him in any way, unless you wish to show him the same kind of disdain that your brother does. Am I understood?"He would do well to help bring back the Camelotian society Evanna envisioned. A world that was better than her father or Dumbledore could envision.
"Miss Malfoy, were you paying any attention to me whatsoever?" Professor Snape said.
Evanna's eyes snapped back to his, which were now mostly annoyed, but she could still see that pervading sadness in his black eyes.
"Sorry, sir," she said, deciding not to vex the poor man further. At least, not for that day.
"You are not to be seen with Potter again. At your detention, you are not to interact with him whatsoever. If you must, show him all the disdain that your brother manages on a daily basis. You must show the world that Potter is not your ally, not any more. I don't want to hear of any more friendliness between you two, am I clear?"
Evanna bit back the urge to ask how he was going to make sure that she followed his orders, but decided against it. It would be easier, she knew, to simply do as she was going to and allow Professor Snape to believe as he would.
"Perfectly clear, sir," she said. The professor gave her a suspicious look that clearly said she was laying it on too thick, and Evanna did her best to appear innocent. He heaved a great sigh and waved his hand at the door.
"Go on," he said. "It is time for your first class."
Evanna nodded and took off to the greenhouses, slipping into her spot beside Bridget just before the bell rang. The Hufflepuff gave her a concerned look.
"There's rumors all over the castle that Theodore Nott and Harry Potter were fighting for your hand last night," she murmured, pulling on her dragonskin gloves to extract the butober pus. Evanna wrinkled her nose at the ghastly plant.
"They were just being testosterone-ridden boys and I happened to be there for it. It was nothing so dramatic."
"Whatever you say, Ev," Bridget said breezily. "I just hope you're being careful."
"I'm a Slytherin. We're always careful," Evanna replied.
"Never thought I'd say this, but you need to be more Slytherin," Bridget said, shaking her head. Evanna gave her a look, but all her friend did was squeeze out more butober pus.