THIRTEEN

Eve laid in bed and reread the note that had been given to her last night at dinner. Hermione had dropped it on her lap as she passed her on the way to the Gryffindor table. A move, Eve had to note, that was uncharacteristically sneaky for the usually prissy, rule follower.

Thankfully, no one had seen the exchange between the two girls, Eve's friends having been engrossed in their usual teenage dinner time banter. Eve slipped the note into the pocket of her robes, saving the contents for the very moment she'd be able to read it without the curious eyes of her peers. And when that time came, alone that night in her bed, hidden behind drawn bedframe curtains, she opened Hermione's note.

Written in neat quill cursive, the words read: Come join Dumbledore's Army and learn to defend yourself against the dark magic Umbridge refuses to teach. Saturday at the Hog's Head, 4 o'clock.

Eve had no idea what to think of Hermione's note, or rather, invitation. Was it meant to a secret study group? A support group for other students with scars on their hands? Could she bring a friend along to all of this? None of her questions could be answered, but she decided she didn't need clarification to know that she must go.

Eve felt a tinge of guilt when she told her friends to go on their Hogsmeade visit without her. She figured faking sick would be easier than telling them she had plans that didn't involve them. Between Douglas and Fiona, there was no way Eve would have been able to depart from them in peace. Not to mention, she still didn't know just how secretive the meeting was meant to be. She didn't even know who else would be going. Possibly, Neville. Definitely Ron.

The guilt, ashamedly, did not last long, though. Eve scanned the message in her hands again, for the hundredth time, and bubbling anticipation began to rise with her. She looked at the clock that hung just above her dormitory door. It was ten past 3.

Eve went quickly into action, jumping out of bed and beginning the layering that would brave her for the winter weather. She tossed her pajama shorts off and replaced them with a pair of blue jeans. Her father's old gray, oversized university sweatshirt was left on but became layered under her blue plaid winter coat. Tying the laces of her combat boots that now adorned her feet at record speed, she took a quick glance at the mirror. Makeup or haircare products were out of the question at this point, so Eve figured her old black baker boy hat might cover what she was desperately missing. She also thought it would perhaps cover her face from potential sightings of friends who undoubtedly thought she would be under her bed covers all day.

Eve went unnoticed when she made it out of her dormitory and into the empty common room. It seemed everyone had decided to be out, one way or another, which was both helpful and unnerving for Eve's current game plan. Crawling her way out of the Hufflepuff entrance, she was gratefully greeted by a similarly barren corridor. Hustling down the stoned floor, she had just made it past the fruit portrait and began to turn out into the main hall when she heard a voice coming from the opposite side of her.

"de Santos."

The voice played again in her mind as she recognized the familiar tone. She turned towards the boy now, leaning against the way of the corridor she just entered. In a moment of a glance, she studied his hazel speckled eyes, the curve of his lips, the disheveled left parting of his hair. A small smile crept on her lips to meet his own.

"George, what are you doing here?" She asked casually, even though she genuinely had no clue what he could possibly be doing in an empty corridor. For a second, she thought maybe it was a trap, and a look of dread filled her face.

"You're not setting me up, are you?" Eve asked now, taking a step away from the boy in dramatic terror. She really was frightened of what the twins were capable of, even on short notice. George just laughed, though, pushing off from his weight on the wall and meeting Eve face to face.

"You seriously think I'm pranking you? I can't just casually wait for a friend alone in a corridor?" George asked. His tone was plain, but his eyes were playful.

"Well, technically, yes. You can do that…" Eve began, mulling over George's excuses carefully, "Wait, how did you even know I was coming down? Everyone's already gone to town by now."

"You're awfully on edge today," George conceded, looking at Eve up and down with careful judgment before beginning his walk down the corridor. When Eve didn't move after a few steps, George turned and rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Eve. We're going to be late," George sighed, but he sent her his usual mischievous grin. Eve's puzzlement faltered instantly, and she moved to quickly meet his side. It only made sense now that George would know about the meeting. It was apparent Harry was close to the Weasley family, and the brawl from the quidditch match proved that the boys were close enough to swing a few punches for one another. But now, the curiosity was left on Eve herself.

"I understand why you know, but how do you know I know?" Eve asked, her question coming out more riddle-like than she had intended. George smiled, though, seemingly on the same page as her.

"I make sure to know everything that is going on with everyone at this school," George replied, but when he was only met with an eye roll from Eve, he continued.

"Hermione told me what happened."

George's tone was serious when he said this, more serious than Eve had ever heard from him. Eve met his eyes for a moment as they walked, his face forming an expression she had never seen from him before. She looked away and shrugged, not really didn't know what to say to him, especially if he had already been told everything.

They passed a group of rambunctious younger years, their voices trailing behind them as they climbed a flight of stairs and made into another corridor where they were alone once again.

George stopped suddenly now, and Eve, right as his tail, followed suit. Eve turned to the boy, looking at him curiously and waiting for an explanation for his halt.

"Can I see?"

Eve almost didn't understand the question, but she watched as his eyes flickered to the left sleeve of her coat. For some reason, she didn't hesitate like she had for others.

Eve lifted her hand toward George, filling the small space that now remained between them. The cut had scabbed over by now, and Eve could tell it was beginning to fade from its original bright red coloring. It didn't hurt anymore, but when George took her hand in his own, gingerly studying the scar for a closer look, her hand burned with a completely new sensation.

"I'm sorry about what Flint said," George muttered finally, and Eve nodded.

"Thank you."

"Fred and I put U-NO-POO in his pumpkin juice yesterday. He should be hospitalized soon enough," George replied, his stern look subsiding to something cheekier. Eve would have found the gesture pretty sweet, romantic even if she didn't have to think about Flint in the infirmary for a severe case of constipation.

"All that for me, huh. You really shouldn't have," Eve grinned, her eyes darting back down to their still enclosed hands. George's eyes followed hers.

"Since you showed me yours," George began, releasing Eve's hand and pulling his opposite hand for display, "I suppose I should show you mine."

Eve glanced at George's extended arm, taking a gentle hand to brush the sleeve of his coat up to reveal his own marking.

"I must not create outbursts for attention," Eve read aloud, a small smile escaping her lips, "Seems a bit too accurate to serve as punishment, I have to say."

George scoffed, releasing his hand, much to Eve's dismay.

"Yeah, my mum will be sending a 'thank you' card any day now," George replied plainly, but Eve could see the grin he tried desperately to hide.

Footsteps broke Eve's stare, and she glanced behind George's shoulder to see his twin's pacing silhouette come into view from the far end of the corridor they had yet to reach.

"Oi, are you two planning on standing there all day?" Fred called out. George sighed, turning and beginning his steps toward his brother's direction, Eve trailing close behind.

The two of them caught up to Fred and turned down the corridor he had just come from, following his footsteps quickly until they landed in front of a classroom. Eve didn't recognize the classroom, having never been down these corridors before. She stared at the door before glancing at a statue situated a few feet to the left of it. The figure was made up of old gray marble and was formed in the likeness of an old humpbacked witch. Eve looked between the twins for an explanation, but their eyes were on the statue.

The girl watched as Fred took his wand from his pocket and tapped it on the witch's back, with all the casualness the twins had for any strange, troublesome activity they invited anyone into.

"Dissendium."

Fred's words caused an instant reaction from the witch's form, the stone backside sinking in and moving away to reveal a hallow opening large enough for someone to get through. Eve brushed past the twins to get a closer look inside, finding only a steep stone ledge tucked under the opening.

"Is that a…" Eve began, but her guess seemed almost too comical to say out loud.

"Slide, yes," Fred finished, turning to Eve now and smiling when he caught her incredulous look, "We're showing you this with all confidence that you won't utter a word of it to any of your canary-colored companions."

"Mhm," was Eve's attempt at a reply, the girl again leaning to get a better view inside the opening. She couldn't believe this passageway had existed the entire time she had been attending Hogwarts.

"Ladies first," George said from his spot behind Eve.

Eve turned to him and watched his face cast upwards into a challenging grin. For a moment, apprehension hit her, and she thought of at least asking where the tunneled slide went to.

But that wouldn't be fun, now would it?

Eve faced the slide again, and taking a sharp intake of air into her lungs, she hoisted her legs over the edge of the stone opening, steadying herself with her hands on both sides of the edges. She glanced to Fred at her side, who watched her curiously, not entirely sure she had it in her to drop.

But Eve let go, and the world around her quickly fell into darkness. The drop on the cold stone slide gave a rush of blood to her head, a sensation she had not felt in so long, maybe since childhood. She thought of the first time she rode a broom. It was exhilaration and wonderous nostalgia as she fell down into whatever oblivion the twins had in store for this little adventure. But the moment ended just as quickly as it took off, and before Eve could tense for arrival, she hit a hard dirt landing on the ground below the edge of the slide's lip.

Eve huffed deeply, her head still swirling and her eyes a bit blurry. Appearing now from her adjusted vision, Eve took in the dark and chilled tunnel she had fallen into. Surely, she thought, they were somewhere underground, maybe on castle grounds still, perhaps a bit farther. Her stare broke from a soft landing just behind her. Eve turned and watched the boy brush his pants casually, but there wasn't much to clean. He had landed on his feet. He glanced up, and Eve could see the dark outline of George's smile.

"Pretty sure I heard a scream at some point up there," George teased as he approached where Eve stood, stopping only short of a foot between them. Eve could swear she could feel the heat of his breath on her.

"It was more of a…sharp yell. A strong shout, maybe," Eve replied in her best attempt at banter, but George's stare on her in the darkness brought a feeling of flutters to her stomach. Another sensation she hadn't felt in so long.

George laughed lightly at her words, his eyes still not breaking from hers for a moment, even when the rush of air behind them indicated Fred's arrival. Eve watched with an anticipated breath as George opened his mouth to reply.

"Lumos."

A bright light was cast from the wand in George's hand, and with one last grin in Eve's direction, the boy met his brother's side, the latter now straightening his own clothes from the ride.

"I can't believe you went first, de Santos," Fred said, as the three of them began their pace through the dark tunnel ahead. He looked at Eve with an impressed grin.

"I thought one of you would push me in if I didn't," Eve shrugged, but she even felt the slight pride in such a daring deed, at least for her Hufflepuff standards.

"I was thinking about it," George replied from the other side of her, but Eve only rolled her eyes, fearing another stare at him would lead to the butterflies again.

"Oh, I've meant to ask you," Fred began, seemingly completely oblivious to whatever teasing his brother was enacting on Eve.

That's what it was, right? Teasing?

"How was the practice with Umbridge? We saw you lot out there the other day. You can see her pink costume from the stands from a mile away."

"Oh, lord," Eve replied, all previous sensations completely denigrating rapidly now with the mention of the woman, "It was awful. She kept asking what the purpose of hitting the bludgers was even for. I think she wrote down every time Dawson yelled something. Well, that was actually pretty funny now that I think about it."

"But she approved it, then? The team playing?" George asked.

"Yeah, I think so. She hasn't said anything different," Eve shrugged.

The trio walked for a few minutes longer now, the conversation playing out the same. As they walked, Eve could notice the ground slightly elevating as they seemingly got closer to ground level. Before long, she could see the vision of stone stairs come into view, taking the place of the dirt ground.

Eve stood at the end of the long, endless stairwell, unable to make up where it ended. The twins, who had already started climbing, turned to her with grins.

"Figured out where we are headed yet?" Fred asked.

"Buckingham Palace for all I know," Eve replied, beginning her climb now, but the twins' confused expression made her stop again.

"That's where the queen lives, you know? Queen of England?" Eve offered, the boys giving a nod of recognition before shrugging and turning towards the stairs again.

The climb up the stairs felt like an eternity, but perhaps it only was 5 minutes or so, really. Eventually, the stairs stopped on a ground wall, the small dirt clearing holding a single ladder that lead to what seemed to be a trap door of some sort. Fred went first, climbing the ladder and with one hand still gripped to it, the other raised onto the wooden door. Eve watched as Fred pushed with a heavy hand, the small squared door lifting with the sound of something heavy scraping to the side. Something had clearly been covering the door on the floor ahead. Fred disappeared at the top, leaving an illumination from the opening from whatever room he had entered.

Eve turned to George, and the boy gestured towards the ladder.

"Go first, in case you fall or something," George shrugged.

Eve nodded and began her climb up the ladder, a pair of hands appearing at the top as she got closer to the clearing. Eve gave an arm to Fred's outstretched hands, and the twin effortlessly pulled the girl into the room. George quickly followed, and as the boys closed the trap door and began covering it again with whatever boxes were around, Eve inspected their surroundings. They were clearly in a storage room, with all the boxes and brooms occupied idly around. She glanced at a stacked box beside her and read the printed label, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum.

Eve thought back to the last Hogsmeade weekend, and she turned to the twins with a bewildered look.

"We're in Honeydukes."

The boys nodded and made their way towards the door, Fred taking the lead in slowly turning the knob and peaking a fraction of his head out the other side.

"This is the tricky bit," George whispered from beside Eve, the girl turning to cast a slight grin at him.

"What? Picking which romantic date to disrupt?" Eve whispered back.

George rolled his eyes and turned back to his brother, who was motioning for the two to follow him out. The trio slipped out the door, going unnoticed by the various students that now surrounded them casually shopping.

Eve kept her face hidden beneath her hat, quickly following the twins as they beelined for the front door. Fortunately for her, they were met with a particularly desolate Hogsmeade street. The chilly weather had most students inside any given building or huddled in close groups beneath shop roofs.

The rain that had fallen just a few days prior had begun to freeze, and the air now filled itself with the soft cascade of snowflakes. The ground was covered in a thin layer of white snow, decorated with the hundreds of different footprints of the town's visitors.

The three of them walked past High Street, home to all of the main shops of Hogsmeade. They passed Zonko's, The Three Broomsticks, Madam Cassandra's Hair Salon, and Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. Walking farther away from the central spots that would be filled with students, Eve and the twins followed a path up a small snowy hill to a part of town that mainly went uninhibited by students. The Hog's Head came into view.

"Well, let's see how this goes," Fred sighed, grabbing the door and leading the way inside the dingy, dark pub. Eve had never been inside before, thinking it was a spot meant to the older, more sketchy natives of the town, certainly not a teenage girl who wore penny loafers and lip gloss.