Evanna counted down the minutes until Thursday when she would finally get to see Harry since returning to Hogwarts. It was stupid, she knew, but she had kept the little note that her old house elf had delivered to her just as she had been about to step into the Prefect's bath. She had screamed and immediately clutched her robe tighter to her, but Dobby seemed just as disapproving of her and Harry's relationship as everyone else.
When the night finally arrived, Evanna felt alive with energy. She could barely keep herself in her seat through dinner and only calmed when Theo sent her a curious look from his seat across the table from her. She quickly poured herself some pumpkin juice and found an excuse to get out of the Great Hall early. As she left, she caught Harry's eye at the Gryffindor table and her cheeks heated as he smirked at her.
Before Myrtle was able to say a word to her, Evanna had already slipped down the tunnel to the Chamber of Secrets.
"Massster!" Del exclaimed in excitement as Evanna made her way into the Chamber. The basilisk respectfully kept her eyes squeezed shut as Evanna stroked her nose.
"I'm sssssorry, friend," Evanna hissed back. "I've been watched sssssincce returning to Hogwartssss."
"Massster should bite the watcherssss," Del responded. "Show them your power."
"They report to a ssssspeaker more powerful than me," Evanna admitted, scratching the snake beneath the chin. "The other sssspeaker at Hogwartsssss will be down ssssoon-will you lead him to Sssssalazar'ssss old room?"
Del grumbled, but agreed as Evanna made her way to the room, immediately pointing her wand at the fireplace as it always tended to be on the chilly side in the Chamber. She was warming her hands at it when Harry finally stepped in.
"I guess the twins were right-Slytherin really was the first agorapho-"
Evanna did not allow him to finish whatever stupid thing he had been about to say as she instead reached up and kissed him. He pressed one hand around her waist and tangled the other in her hair, pulling her impossibly close so that she could feel every quidditch-hardened muscle. When she finally pulled away for air, Harry had a somewhat loopy grin on his face. Evanna giggled at the sight.
"It's been more than a week since the Sorting," Harry said, a small pout to his lips. Evanna smiled.
"Did that greeting not make up for the delay?" she asked coyly.
Harry smirked. "Not quite," he said, his voice taking on a slightly growling quality that sent electricity down Evanna's spine.
"I can't believe you actually convinced Dobby to bring your message to me," she said. "He was always terrified of me growing up-not that I ever did anything to the little bugger, but-"
"Do you really want to be discussing a house-elf right now?" Harry asked, trailing his fingers up and down her arms.
"Have you got something better in mind?"
Harry smirked and it was a good thing he was already holding her, because Evanna's knees felt like jelly as he again swept her into a kiss. For a moment, they weren't pawns in this war that could end their world. Instead, they were just any other teenaged couple, sneaking away from everyone to be wrapped up in one another. When they finally felt like talking, Evanna spread a blanket by the fireplace while Harry grabbed a few pillows for them to sit on.
"I knew your father had grown up in an orphanage," Harry said without preamble. "I didn't realize his childhood was so similar to mine."
Evanna sat up, frowning, eyes roving Harry's face even as he stared into the fire, not looking back at her.
"He's who you meant, right? When you told me that you didn't approve of Dumbledore sending magical children to be mistreated by muggles?"
Evanna chewed on her lip. "To be truthful, Harry, in that moment, I meant you."
Harry snorted and looked down. "Dumbledore showed me some memories of Tom Riddle in the orphanage. He… he reminded me of myself."
The equal will escape into the night….
Something in Evanna shuddered. She grabbed Harry's face and forced him to look at her. "Harry, listen to me. You are nothing like my father."
"The prophecy called me his equal, Ev," Harry said in a quiet voice.
Evanna shut away the memory of the prophecy Trelawney had given her just a few months previous. Her mother-Narcissa-had always been disdainful of divination, claiming the only true prophecies were of the self-fulfilling sort.
"You're not," she said sternly. "You are a sixteen-year-old Gryffindor with a flair for dramatics with hair that makes girls swoon. My father…. My father is something else entirely. If showing you these memories has caused you to doubt your own goodness, Dumbledore never should have shown them to you."
"It's the first time he has done anything to train me. Wouldn't a good Slytherin say it's best to know your enemy?" Harry said.
"We prefer to have our information be a little more current than fifty years ago," Evanna said dryly. "And given you are snogging his heir…"
Harry smirked. "You like my hair?" he said with a mischievous grin. Evanna blushed.
"I said it makes girls swoon-I am hardly like other girls-I'm the heir of-"
"You like my hair," he said with a boyish grin that made Evanna's knees go wobbly.
"You're insufferable, Hary Po-" she squeaked as he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close once more.
The next day, Evanna found it hard to focus on anything but figuring out when next she would be able to visit the chamber with Harry. She jumped when Bridget grabbed her arm before she was able to walk into a Hufflepuff seventh year.
"Merlin, I've been trying to talk to you since we left potions," Bridget said as the Hufflepuff gave her a dirty look. She sneered back at him. "Where is your head?"
"Sorry, just preoccupied today," Evanna said, forcing herself back down to earth. "What were you trying to say?"
Bridget studied her for a moment. "Think you could help me with that potions essay? Everything that Professor Slughorn says goes in one ear and right out the other. Though I'm no longer sure if you're the one I should ask."
Evanna snorted. "You think I ever listen to him?"
"Not really, but you've always been Professor Snape's favorite for a reason," Bridget pushed.
"I suppose I've some time before dinner," Evanna said. Without even discussing it, the two girls made their way to the Castle Centre, where they had spent the majority of their time since second year. Evanna smiled to see Luna hanging upside down from one of the hammocks as soon as they walked in, reading a Quibbler.
"Wouldn't it be easier to just turn the magazine upside down?" Bridget asked.
"But there are so many benefits to allowing all your blood to flow to your brain, and with the wrackspurts in such high numbers in the fall, I have to take any advantage I can get!"
"Trelawney still discounting every prediction you make?" Evanna asked, easily translating the Lovegood-ese. Predictably, Luna gave a little irritated huff, the normally airy quality to her voice sharpening.
"If the good professor would just do away with all different things she tries to burn in her classroom, her aura would clear and she may be able to make true prophecies!"
Evanna didn't say anything, remembering her own ill-fated visit to the Divination teacher's tower. Perhaps it was a good thing that her aura remained clouded most of the time. Evanna cleared her throat and turned to Bridget.
"So remind me what the essay is about today?"
The three girls worked companionably for a while, Luna eventually flipping down gracefully from her perch to also receive help on the essay. Evanna had definitely missed her time amongst her closest friends, away from the intrigues and simpering of the Slytherins. She found herself laughing and smiling more freely than she had all term in her Common Room.
That is, until, the fourth member of their group made her appearance.
Ginny Weasley stood at the door, taking in the once common scene. Evanna was the last of the three to look up. Luna jumped up, running over to the Gryffindor to tug her into the room, as though it was old times.
"Why are the Death Eaters here, Lu?" she said harshly. Beside Evanna, Bridget seemed to swell in irritation.
"Gin, please, they are our friends-"
"No, let her say what she wants, Luna," Bridget said. "She's just making herself look like a judgemental arse."
"Don't try and deny it, Travers-if you didn't want to be a Death Eater you would have found a way out-others have left everything behind to try and do the right thing!"
Ginny was tugging on a necklace that Evanna had not noticed on her before. The way she said it-it was as if she knew something. Something personal.
"I know you hate me now, Ginny," Evanna said slowly, standing up from the desk and acting as though she was approaching a wounded animal. "But I need you to tell me-do you know where my brother is?"
Something like fear and then very definite anger flashed in Ginny's brown eyes. "The fact that you are asking that, Malfoy, proves my point. C'mon, Luna, we shouldn't be hanging around them."
"Ginny-please-no one has told me where Draco is," Evanna pushed. "I just want to know if he's alright."
Ginny paused, but did not turn around. "That tells me everything I need to know about your position in this war."
Evanna started forward, but Bridget put a hand on her shoulder. "Let her go. Maybe it is for the best," she said in a low voice. Evanna turned to her Hufflepuff friend, doing her best not to show just how upset she was. "You need to be more careful with who you're seen with any way."
Evanna looked down. "How do I do this, B?" she asked softly. "How do I choose between family and friends?"
Bridget did not answer.
A/N: I'm still here! Sorry for the long time between updates-teaching is hard is all I have to say. Hope you enjoy!