"Salazar, this is too dangerous!" a rounded woman with a kind face said. She gathered her skirts in her hand to chase after the tall, pale man. The man had something wrapped in a bundle.

"It is no more dangerous than what lurks outside this castle," he snapped, not slowing at all as he made his way through the dungeons of the castle belly. "Either help me, Helga, or leave me alone!"

"Sal, you have to know we cannot let you do this."

Another man had appeared at the end of the hall, ruddy, but with grey streaking his great beard. Beside him stood a willowy woman, a frown cut into her face. Salazar hissed, backing away.

"So much for loyalty, Helga," he snarled.

"Salazar, we cannot allow you-"

"Allow me, Godric?" he growled. "I've already done it."

Salazar tossed the blanket-wrapped bundle on the floor, but there was nothing but the blanket there. Within a moment, the two wizards had their wands out, causing cries from the two women.

"Salazar, no!"

"Godric, the children!"

"Where did you hide it, Salazar?" Godric ordered.

"Where it will stay until it is needed," Salazar said. "And make no mistake, you will need it, now matter how much you cannot stomach it. What happened to my daughter will not happen-"

"Get out!" the willowy woman shouted. "Get out of this castle! You've made this place-a place for learning and growth-into your own personal base for revenge!"

"You cannot-"

"I can," the woman said, the diadem on her head glinting as she straightened. Then she began to speak ancient words and the winds whipped around them as Salazar was cast out of the castle.

"They were right," his voice echoed around Evanna's mind. "As were you tonight."

Evanna turned to see him standing on that hill, a sad look on his face. "Where have you been?" she demanded.

He did not answer, only giving her a smile.

"Might I suggest that you do not cloister yourself in the dungeons?" he said. "Only, those of my line are already so terribly pale."

Evanna went to her classes on autopilot for the rest of the week. As she had told Harry, they were in separate Houses and separate years. It only made sense that they did not see each other often. And they did not.

At mealtimes, though, Evanna felt his eyes on her, watching her every movement. She could not help but wonder how long before he went to Dumbledore and they decided together that it was best she was in Azkaban. Or, if not that, how long before her father realized that she was not following his orders to find out about the prophecy from Harry. Oh, she had briefly probed him while they had duelled, just so that she would not have to completely lie to her father, but even that brief moment had told her Harry was blissfully unaware of any prophecy.

When it all became too much to handle, she visited Del, showing the basilisk how she could now fly. She flew around in her colorful cloud, great swirls of smoke licking up the statue of Salazar Slytherin. But his eyes made her feel guilty. So, Saturday afternoon, she found herself in the Castle Centre for the first time since before the Yule holiday.

"Well, look who the crup drug in," Bridget said as Evanna silently made her way to her usual hammock and flopped into it. "I was beginning to think you would never come back here."

"I was too," Evanna admitted. She glanced around the room. Merlin only knew where Luna was, but she had expected Ginny would be in here and asked Briget where the redhead was.

"Hell if I know," the Hufflepuff shrugged, then narrowed her eyes at Evanna. "Is everything alright?"

Evanna glanced at the door, making sure it was shut firmly before telling her friend, "Harry knows."

The effect was immediate. Bridget went from lounging on her oversized pouf cushion to standing, hazel eyes wide in terror.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded.

"Harry knows that I am the Dark Lord's heir," Evanna said, somewhat detached.

"He knows you're-how? Why?"

"I told him."

"You told-Okay, okay, we can fix this. Say you had a psychotic break because of the summer or Lucius-"

"I don't-"

"-ought to keep the Ministry off you for a little while at least so you can-"

"Harry's not-"

"Dumbledore is the real issue-"

"Dumbledore knew before Harry did," Evanna interjected. "As he's yet to do anything, I doubt Harry knowing will be my downfall."

"He's the bloody Boy-Who-Lived!"

"And the paper is still calling him the Boy Who Lied," Evanna snapped. "I wanted him to know. It wasn't fair to him-for him to continue liking me-to accidentally say something that I had to report back."

Bridget's face became more sympathetic, but she shook her head. "But, Ev, your father will-"

The door burst open and Ginny marched in looking absolutely livid. Evanna braced herself as Ginny whirled on her, waiting for the explosion that was sure to come. However poorly Harry had reacted, Evanna knew that hearing it from her very best friend who had stood beside her even when she was acting her worst would be all the more devastating.

"Do all of you damned Pureblood elites think you are just Merlin's bloody gift the world or is your brother just that damn special?"

Bridget and Evanna exchanged glances, the other girl lifting her hands and settling back onto her pouf as if to say "I'm just gonna watch the show on this one."

"I assume something happened beyond my brother's usual idiocy?" Evanna said after far too long. Ginny must have been annoyed enough that she did not notice Evanna's long pause because she just took up her usual perch and glared at Evanna as though she was in fact Draco.

"He kissed me."

Bridget started cackling, rolling back on the pouf and kicking her legs out. Evanna just gaped at Ginny.

"April is a long way off, Ginny," she said.

"Trust me, I am not playing a prank," she said. "I'm much better than that. And you sound like a hyena, Travers!"

Bridget only laughed harder. Ginny scowled at her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Bridget said, a little breathless. "I'm sorry, but I never guessed Luna would actually win this bet!"

"I'm sorry, but you bet on Malfoy kissing me?" Ginny screeched.

"No, of course not," Bridget said. "Luna did. I bet on you kissing him."

Ginny screeched wordlessly this time. Evanna narrowed her eyes, wondering what else Bridget and Luna had placed bets on. Bridget continued laughing.

"When did this become a thing?" Evanna demanded, glancing between Ginny and Bridget.

"There is no-"

"They never stopped playing quidditch," Bridget said in a mock-dreamy voice. "Two lovers-torn apart by House and circumstance-made equal on the pitch-"

Evanna nonchalantly hit her Hufflepuff friend with a Silencing Charm before turning deliberately to Ginny.

"Care to share exactly what happened?" she said.

There was something odd in Ginny's expression when Evanna said that. Evanna was almost tempted to probe her friend's mind for answers, but the thought of watching her best friend and estranged brother kiss, as well as the invasion of privacy, held her off.

"We-I had been helping him… With his Sloth Grip Roll. Yeah? And after-he bloody kissed me!"

Evanna blinked. She had been expecting for her friend to stretch the truth, but this was just awful. Perhaps the DA needed lessons on how to properly lie…

The thought of the DA lead to thoughts of Harry. Painful thoughts. She knew she had been right to tell him. The moves he used during his duel had told her he had another teacher over the holidays, so she need no longer worry about training him. He deserved to know. And she needed to serve her father, if only she could convince him to try a different method than the ones he currently pursued.

Evanna forced herself out of those maddening thoughts.

"What happened after that?" Bridget was asking.

"I slapped him."

Ginny said it with such relish that Evanna could not help skimming the surface of her friend's mind to see her brother's startled face. There was something odd about the image though. They were not outside, but in a tower.

"Merlin's beard, Gin!" Bridget exclaimed. "What did you do that for?"

"Because the boy can't go from calling my mum dumpy to kissing me and expect that he just can because he's the great Draco Malfoy!"

"So, then, it has nothing to do with how well you liked the kiss?" Bridget said looking like the cat who had caught the canary as Ginny made a little exclamation of disgust and threw a pillow at Bridget. Evanna shook her head in amusement.

"Did you tell my brother this?" Evanna said. "He can be quite dense-you really have to spell it out for him sometimes. Assuming, that," she shuddered dramatically, "you did like the kiss?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Ginny's face was as red as her hair.

"Ooooh, she really liked it!" Bridget crooned. Ginny threw another pillow at her.

"Well what about you?" Ginny demanded, turning to Evanna. "Harry tried to kiss you before Yule and you just ran away!"

Bridget whipped her face to Evanna at that, but this time there was no laughter on it. Had it been before Evanna told Harry who her father was, she might have been embarrassed, but as it was she felt the overwhelming sadness that had been trying to swallow her all week. It made no sense for Evanna to be this sad over an almost kiss. She was the heir of the Dark Lord, not some lovesick little girl. But, it was not just any boy. It was Harry.

"What?" Bridget said. "You didn't tell me that."

"I-I don't want to talk about it," Evanna said, gathering her things. "Nothing will come of it any way."

"Wait, Ev-" Ginny started after her.

"Don't," Bridget said, holding their friend back. Evanna all but ran out of the room, wandering through the halls of Hogwarts, intent on getting completely lost. She was not sure when or how the girl found her, but somehow she was not surprised to notice Luna walking behind her.

Evanna slowed her steps and the blonde simply took Evanna's hand in hers, not saying a word and the two made their way to the Astronomy Tower. Evanna breathed in the cold January air deeply. Luna still held her hand tightly.

"You shouldn't hide yourself so much, Evanna," the Ravenclaw finally said.

"I'm sorry?"

"You shouldn't hide who you are," she said. Evanna blinked as she heard the thought floating at the top of Luna's mind.

"You know?"

Luna looked at her with large, solemn eyes. "I went into the forest to feed the thestrals today. Harry was there."

That small statement had so much to unpack that Evanna was not sure where to start. Luckily, Luna seemed to sense this and continued to talk.

"He's very upset, you know," she said reasonably. "He seems to think there is something wrong with him. That he is going Dark."

"That… that's absurd," Evanna said. "Harry could never go dark."

"That is not true," Luna said. "I think Harry could go Dark more easily than most of us like to think. He is so full of anger, and he does not know how to let go."

Evanna let the statement sink in. Harry go Dark. The notion was not a pleasant one. She had seen during their training sessions how powerful Harry was, that he just needed to train that raw power into something more usable. The boy was pure fire and with the right push, he would burn someone.

Luna was still speaking.

"He's been afraid this year that You-Know-Who is possessing him," she said softly. "And then he found out that he was in love with You-Know-Who's daughter. It scares him. He believes that there is something wrong with him because he loves you. So, you need to quit hiding."

Love? Since when was Harry in love with her? Since when did anyone love, truly love Evanna Malfoy?

"I told him who I am," she said. "I-I didn't want him getting more hurt."

"No, you told him who your father is," Luna said. "If you had told Harry who you are, he would not be worried that he is turning Dark. Nor would he be trying to take the first girl he can find to Hogsmeade."

Evanna opened and closed her mouth. As usual, her friend was making little sense.

"You don't like seeing people hurt, Evanna," she explained. "Even when they have hurt you. Ginny and Bridget were not kind to you first year, after you were Sorted into Slytherin, but you still helped them help me. And then you went into the Chamber with Ginny. You have forgiven and helped your brother more times than I can count. This year, you have become friends again with Nott, even though he went behind your back with Pansy."

"I killed Lucius," Evanna all but whispered, her head hung. Hearing this praise from Luna, the best person she knew… It made her want to curl up and cry.

"And you have been punishing yourself for it ever since," Luna said, not missing a beat. "It's why you told Harry what you did. You are a good person, Evanna. You just need to stop hiding that from yourself."

Evanna swallowed hard. "Since when do you go around spouting off wise tidbits?" she said, trying to regain control of the situation.

"You people always forget I'm a Ravenclaw," Luna said with a smile. Evanna smiled back at her.