CHAPTER FOURTY-EIGHT

Afterglow

Harry Potter had never known that life could be so beautiful.

He'd always been a child of misfortune. Orphaned at an early age and sent to live with loathsome relatives. Being hunted by the most feared wizard in the world. Witnessing the gruesome death of a classmate. Mourning over the loss of his godfather.

All of these events had made him grow up a little faster. However, he still felt a little like a child. His love for Eva made him feel young.

At some point they had maneuvered beneath the warm blankets on the bed. Eva lay next to him, gazing up at the ceiling. It had magically transformed into the night sky, complete with the moon and some constellations. Every once in a while, a shooting star would fly across the sky and Eva would gaze over at him, seeing if he was still awake and if he was the one causing all of the magic.

He knew that she thought he was doing everything because ever since they had made love it was as if there was an invisible connection between their minds. Every time he looked in her eyes he could tell what she was thinking.

He didn't know how useful his Legilimency skills could be. He did more than catch a bit of her thoughts every once in a while; he could sense everything about her. He could feel how nervous she was and when he was doing something that hurt her. He could sense where she wanted to be touched and when she wanted more. And there were times when she called his name and he couldn't be sure whether it was in his head or out loud. He never knew he could feel so close to someone.

Eva rolled onto her side and wrapped her arms around Harry's waist. He reached down and stroked her hair, enjoying the sensation of her curls against his bare skin. She looked up at him, her blueeyes glowing. "This is perfect," she whispered.

Harry grinned and pulled her arms so that she slid up to his eye level. He didn't want to admit it, but she seemed to be growing weaker by the minute. The full moon was approaching. Even as he thought it, she pointed up to the moon on their ceiling.

"It's full," she said quietly. "That's one thing I've missed. I never get to see it anymore."

Harry kissed her forehead. "Sometimes at night, when I check up on you," he tugged gently at the Moon Guide around her neck, "you're looking out the window at the stars. Even that first night when I visited you in Hogsmeade, you were staring outside."

"Aye. I guess it just gives me some time to reflect. I've lived in many different places in my life, but the stars never seem to change. They always feel like home." She snuggled closer to him, her eyelids fluttering shut. "I've got to tell you, before I fall asleep."

"Tell me what?" Harry questioned, tracing the line of her scar from her neck all the way down to her abdomen with his fingertips. She shivered in delight, but didn't open her eyes.

"About my job at the Ministry. I promised I would tell you tonight." She sighed and sleepily pulled herself up to a sitting position. She grabbed the quilt from the foot of the bed and draped it around her shoulders, covering her bare skin. "And actually, I need your help."

Harry had nearly forgotten about her promise. He was dying to know what it was that she did. Spending late hours researching at the Ministry, secret meetings with Charlie Weasley, jumping through Arthur's hoops. It all added up to a mystery.

He also sat up, covering himself with the sheet. "What is it? And why is it such a secret?"

"And it's got to remain secret," Eva said suddenly. "Just between you and me. You can't tell Ron or Hermione or Ginny. I know you hate keeping secrets, but it's very important. Or at least, it will be if my mission next week succeeds." She chewed on her lower lip. "If not, then I'm sacked and you can go blabbing it to anyone."

"You won't get sacked," Harry said reassuringly. "Go on. Tell me."

She hesitated. "At first, my job at the Ministry was really just to be an assistant to Arthur. My duties were mostly secretarial, until I showed that I had adjusted well to my circumstances."

"Circumstances?" he questioned.

"Dealing with my knowledge of the wizarding world. Apparently, the Ministry hasn't had a good track record dealing with Muggles who are aware of the wizarding world. They try to adapt to a new world view, one that contains both the Muggle world and the wizarding world, and sometimes they crack. There are those, like Seamus's father and your aunt and uncle, who choose to ignore the magical world. Then there are some, like me, who take it right in stride.

"So after they realized that I was all right with my new surroundings and my new job, I was assigned other duties. I went out with Arthur on emergencies. When Muggles had been attacked by their own teapots or suddenly found themselves shrinking after tasting a bit of an unmarked candy, I was there to counsel them until the Obliviators arrived.

"After I had been on a few raids, these experiences got me thinking about what would happen if there were more like me—Muggles who had been touched by the magical world, but choose to be a part of it instead of ignore it. There have to be others. So after many dreadful meetings with Fudge, I was able to start my research on what would happen if there was a kind of "Magical Intervention" of sorts."

"Hold on." Harry held up his hands to stop her from continuing. "You mean to tell me that you convinced Fudge that you should go around telling people about the wizarding world? That's breaking the law!" Professor Avis even had an entire unit set aside as to why Muggles shouldn't know about the wizarding world.

"Not exactly. There are already thousands of Muggles out there who know that some sort of magic exists. There are things that are unexplainable. These are the Muggles that I would reach out to. And I wouldn't go around telling everyone, only a select few who already have some knowledge that the world isn't quite exactly as it seems."

"But why? What's the point of telling Muggles?"

"So that we can help." She scooted closer to him on the bed. She was worked up; Harry could sense it.

"Help with what?"

"The battle to come, of course!" she exclaimed, excited. "You even said in your article that everyone needed to prepare their troops!"

Harry felt sick to his stomach. She was using his own words against him. "But Eva, an army of witches and wizards is one thing, but Muggles…"

"You've already expressed your opinion on that subject," she said crossly. "You may think that we're worthless against the Dark Lord and his minions. I intend to prove you wrong." She met his eyes and there was fire in them. "Some have said that you are too young to aid in battle, but I know different. I know that you are one of the greatest wizards in the world, Harry. And you may say that we Muggles have no arsenal to match the dark magic that we'll be up against, but I know better. I know that even without a wand in our hands we can be some of the bravest warriors."

"I never doubted your bravery," Harry shot back. No, he knew how brave she was. It was that quality she possessed that made her so attractive, and also made him worry the most. A warrior? This pale, small Irish girl? He wished he could keep her safe, locked away until the war was over.

"Then don't doubt my ideals," Eva said. She took his hands into hers and gripped them tightly. "I know it all sounds crazy at first. But things will fall into place. You'll see, Harry."

Harry sighed. He was afraid this wouldn't be the last time they had this argument. "And how many Muggles have you converted, exactly?"

"That's the problem, you see. I don't have any, just yet. And that's why I need your help."

"It's one thing to ask me to believe in you, Eva, but to actually help you break the law…?"

"It's not breaking the law!" Eva cried. "Arthur's made sure that I have all of the proper documentation and permissions. Hell, I've got everything but Fudge's personal blessing to start the process."

"Then what do you need me for?"

Eva sighed. "I'm afraid the Muggle won't believe me. He'll think I'm a raving lunatic. Here I am, confessing about a secret magical world, yet I have no proof."

"And I'm your proof?"

"Exactly." She nodded. "If things go well, you may even have to perform some small spell to make him believe."

"I can't do magic outside of Hogwarts."

"You've got permission," Eva replied. "Besides, it's not as though you haven't before."

"How would you know?" Harry asked. He thought he'd kept the letters from using the Patronus charm on Christmas Eve well hidden at the Burrow.

Harry could tell she felt guilty about something. "Harry, I actually know a lot. At the Ministry, I'm afraid I had access to a lot of files that are otherwise hidden from Muggle eyes. After that first night when you visited me in Hogsmeade, I did some checking up on you."

"You mean you snooped around?" He didn't know if he was more alarmed due to her spying or the fact that the Ministry had files on him.

"I didn't mean to read a lot, just the basics. I really didn't want to poke my nose into places it didn't belong, but you must admit that you've got quite an interesting history. I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry felt anger rising inside of him when Eva suddenly leaned over and hugged him. He could feel her bare chest against his own and felt something else rising. "I beg you, Harry. Please forgive me," she whispered.

And when she pleaded like that, how could he refuse? "It's all right. I imagine I would have done the same."

She pulled away from him, and he was sorry to lose her warmth. "And I don't want you to think that my job is just a crazy crusade to tell Muggles about the wizarding world. I've also been very involved in racial tolerance. I've been setting up some very good deals lately about integrating many things from the Muggle world into the wizarding world."

"What do you mean?"

"For example, the books that Professor Avis uses in her Muggle Studies classes. I arranged a few shipments to come from the Salem Witches Institute in the United States. That way, your classmates can be exposed to the culture of a Muggle through fiction and other works."

"That's why you were so interested in the new Muggle section in Flourish and Blotts," Harry realized.

"I was more than interested, Harry. I was the one who put it together. Charlie Weasley had managed to convince Gringotts to pay for half of the shipment, and all the Ministry had to do was match the other half. Flourish and Blotts was a tough sell, but it seems to have made quite a profit. You see, it's not just a matter of preparing a Muggle for the wizarding world, but also preparing the wizarding world for a Muggle."

"This is amazing," Harry said incredulously. "I can't believe you've been doing this the whole time."

"Aye, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. It's a very confidential project. If I don't produce a Muggle believer for Fudge within the next week, the whole thing is going to be scrapped, along with my position at the Ministry."

"Why so soon?"

"Fudge wants results. And I'm afraid that I've been dragging my feet a bit. The whole thing sounds good in theory, but when I actually put it into practice I may come to find out that all my work has been for nothing." She sighed and plopped backwards on the bed with her head propped up against one of the big, fluffy pillows. "So will you help me?"

"Of course," Harry replied, joining her. Her eyes were already closed. Exhaustion was overpowering her. He turned on his side so that he could wrap his arms around her and pull her close to him. He, too, closed his eyes, taking in the smell of her hair and imagining the night they had spent together.

"Good, it's settled. Next week, you'll come with me to meet him, and together, we'll tell David about the wizarding world."

"David?" Harry exclaimed. His eyes flew open. Eva, however, remained perfectly still in his arms. "David, who you used to work with, your old friend David?"

"One in the same," she replied, yawning.

Harry felt that familiar pang of jealousy in the pit of his stomach, but tried to ignore it. "Are you sure he's the right person to tell?"

"We'll find out next week, I guess." She rolled over so that she faced Harry, and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "Goodnight, Harry. I love you."

"I love you, too," he whispered. He gave her a kiss on the forehead as the stars on the ceiling about them snuffed out, one-by-one, until he was immersed in total darkness.

She was in his arms tonight and in his heart always, and that was what mattered.

There was a certain bounce in Harry's step as he climbed the stairs to the common room and told the Fat Lady the password to enter. Despite the fact that it was difficult to say goodbye to Eva after such an amazing night, he was happy. Hopeful, even. He didn't have to spend another night in detention with Draco. He had just made love to Eva and he knew she was safe and sound with Remus for the full moon in a few hours. Plus, he finally got to tell Ron and Hermione about everything that had been going on. He wouldn't have to keep any more secrets about his Legilimency training from them.

He could feel the weight being lifted off his shoulders already.

When he entered the common room, Ron and Hermione weren't together. Hermione was over in an oversized chair, reading a book, and Ron was playing a game of exploding snap with Neville and Dean. He needed to find a way to get the two of them alone. He decided to go up to the dormitory and unpack his things, then come up with some excuse to pull them both away from his housemates.

He had just changed into a fresh set of clothes when Ron burst through the dormitory door. "Where the hell have you been?" he demanded. "When you didn't come back last night, I thought for sure you'd been called out for a meeting with the Order. Or maybe Malfoy got the better of you in a duel."

"Nearly," Harry replied with a grin. He took his glasses off and cleaned them with his shirt, stalling. What could he say about where he'd been? He finally had permission to tell Ron and Hermione everything—but did he really want to?

"There's something different," Ron said, his eyes narrowing. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You look… happy."

"So?" He shrugged.

"You're never happy, Harry." Ron shook his head. "What's going on? Where were you last night?"

Harry hesitated. He glanced around at all the beds to make sure that he and Ron were alone. "I spent last night with Eva."

"Excellent. She's back in Hogsmeade?" Ron questioned.

He shook his head. "It's hard to explain. She and Remus have been coming here for their transformations each full moon. Dumbledore lets us be together."

"Be together… all night?"

"I'm not quite sure he knows about the all night part."

Ron stared at Harry with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "And when you say you spent last night with her, what do you mean, exactly?"

Harry couldn't help but smile. "I mean that the two of us were together… all night."

"Where?"

"The Room of Requirement."

Ron paused for a moment, thinking. "Yesterday was Valentine's Day." He studied Harry suspiciously. "Did you… sleep together?"

Harry nodded.

"Did you… do anything?"

He nodded again.

"Oy, Harry!" Ron punched him playfully on the shoulder. "How come you didn't tell me all of this before? I mean, there already was a full moon in January. Did you sleep with her then, too?"

"No. I mean, we slept in the same bed. But we didn't do anything. I mean, we did do some things. But not everything." He could feel himself blushing. He had just spilled his guts about his entire sex life to Ron.

Ron shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know if I'm more angry that that you and Eva are actually together or that you didn't bloody tell me."

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized. "I wanted to tell you, believe me. But I wasn't allowed to—until now. And I've got some things that I need to tell you and Hermione. We need to go someplace safer," he said, glancing around the room. People would get suspicious if Harry beckoned Hermione to come to the boys' dormitory and he didn't want to risk someone walking in on their conversation. "The sun's out. Let's go for a walk. A long one."

Hope you enjoyed my update frenzy! There should be more coming soon. Feel free to review and flame about how unrealistic the fic has become. But boy, it sure was fun to write!