Severus's p.o.v.
"You cast a spell and hurt a muggle, Severus. Do you realize that?", Albus spoke.
"She was in danger, it was-"
"She's an Avenger! She's more than capable of handling herself. You cast a spell and attacked a muggle! You endangered our word, and for what?"
I sigh and rub my forehead.
"I understand that you love her, I understand that you are afraid but you have to learn how to trust her. For your sake and for the sake of our world. She is not Lily, you have to understand that.", he speaks angrily.
"I know she's not Lily, I just ...", I stop myself.
"You are afraid of loosing her now that you finally found her. And that you finally found yourself.", he finishes for me.
"You can't put her in a bubble, just because you battle with your fears. Your heart choose, and it choose her for a reason. Understand that. She doesn't need protection."
"Yes she does! She's not immortal!", I say, getting consumed by anger.
"It's her choice to risk her life everyday. Accept that.", he informs me.
I frown, "And that means, what? That I should just let her die, even if there's a small chance that I can help her, save her? Do you even know what love is? Do you even know how it feels to be with someone who you can loose at any given moment? I don't hive a shit if people discover our world, it that means keeping her here, with me, alive. Do you understand that?! I don't care! My life isn't an undercover mission anymore. I'm not a walking shell anymore, I have a life and I would give my heart, soul and much more for that life. For her. And I don't care what you think. I did the right think. The right thing for us. Because that's what matters. Us. And I will protect her whenever she needs. Always and forever.", I say and walk out of his office.
"The second task is about to begin.", I hear Thor's voice as I walk trough the hallway.
"Where's Evie?"
"She will join us at the lake.", he informs me and I nod.
X X X
I look around, already worried but I can't find Evie anywhere. The second task is almost over and she never showed up.
"Where the hell is she?", Thor asks.
"You didn't talk to her?", I ask him.
"I did. She was doing something on her laptop, waiting for Tony to call her and told me we will meet at the lake. She seemed fine."
I see Minerva walking towards us, looking very unpleased.
"Mister Odinson, where in the world is misses Stark? The Avengers should be at every task, together. And where is your brother?"
Thor and I share a worried look.
"What if he hurt her?", I ask, my heart starting to race.
"What if she hurt him? That's a more realistic scenario.", Thor tells me.
Well, she sure doesn't like him but I doubt she would risk everything just to prove a point to him. In that moment, we see Loki and Hagrid walking towards us.
"Do you people even communicate?", he asks, obviously annoyed.
"Where where you?", Thor asks him.
"Guarding Hagrid's hut, like I was told.", he states and Thor frowns, "Who told you to do that?"
"The guy from the Ministry of Magic. I saw him and Evelyn walking towards the lake earlier and he told me that there's an indication that someone might attack his hut, and that I was assigned to guard it.", he explains.
"You saw Evie?", I ask, remembering her mention a person from Ministry yesterday.
"Yes! You made a potion for her, for this task.", he tells and my stomach drops.
"I didn't make a potion for her.", I slowly say as the dots connect in my head.
Loki frowns, "What?"
Suddenly, Potter flies out of the water and hits the ground right beside us.
"Harry, are you alright?", Albus asks as Potter coughs up water.
"Professor Stark... she's down there.", he tells between breath's.
"Where is she?", I ask, kneeling in front of him.
Panic starts to consume my mind and I can't think rationally anymore.
"Way back there. I tried to pull her out but grindylows attacked me and I lost her.", he explains and my eyes widen.
"Leave that to me.", I hear Loki say right before disappearing.
Evelyn's p.o.v.
"Damn laptop.", I say in frustration, hitting the side of the screen a few times.
Technology doesn't really work here in Hogwarts, and I knew that but still I had hope. My thoughts are interrupted by my watch ringing.
"Finally.", I say to Tony.
"We had a meeting so I couldn't answer.", he informs me and I start to feel nervous, "A meeting? What happened?""
"Nothing, that's the problem. We can't find Strange."
"Oh, that.", I say, feeling a bit relieved.
"What did you want?"
"Who's Spiderman?"
"Peter Parker, why?", he asks a bit surprised.
"I heard some students talk about him and became curious. He's like... a superhero?", I ask and Tony chuckles, "He's a kid that got bit by a radioactive spider and, instead of dying, his body reacted in creating superpowers. He swings around and occasionally saves people. Nothing too serious, if you ask me."
"Did you try to ask him about Strange?"
After a brief silence, Tony starts to laugh.
I raise my eyebrow, "What's funny?"
"Are you serious right now?", he asks, still laughing.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Evelyn, he's a sixteen year old kid who goes to high school and wants to get into MIT. What the hell would he know about Strange? Stop joking around."
"Well, kids talk.", I say.
"About dumb shit.", he tells.
"What does it cost for you to find him and ask him?"
"My time. I'm not wasting it to interrogate someone who barely hit puberty."
I sigh, "Fine."
"Is that why you called?"
"Yes."
"Jesus Evie."
He's starting to raise my blood pressure, so I decide it's time to end the call, "I have to go, the second task will begin soon."
"Good luck. Bye."
"Bye."
Pulling on my suit, I take my gun, dagger and sword, and walk out of my room.
As I'm walking, I see a man approaching me. The same guy I saw yesterday, from the Ministry of Magic.
He smiles, "Evelyn, right?"
"Yes."
"Albus send me to give you this.", he says, handing me a glass bottle.
"And this is?", I ask, lifting my eyebrow.
"The second task requires people that will be sort of trapped in the water. We are missing one person and Albus thought that you would be a good fit. The potion will wake you sort of numb and you won't feel anything. Harry will save you while performing his task.", he explains and I look the bottle.
"It's safe. Severus made the potion.", he informs me.
I take the bottle and he smiles, "Come on, drink it."
As I open the bottle, a weird, unpleasant smell fill my nostrils so I make a face, turning my head away from it.
He laughs, "Some potions are not easy to drink."
"Are you sure this is done right?", I ask and he nods.
I take a deep breath before closing my nose with my fingers and pressing the glass bottle on my lips, drinking the fluid like I would drink a shot of hard liquor.
"It wasn't that bad, was it?", he asks as I hand him the empty glass bottle.
"It wasn't bad, it was horrible.", I say, whipping of my lips.
"Come on, let's go. I'm taking you to your place.", he tells and starts to walk.
"What's your name, by the way?", I ask as we walk towards the lake.
"Bartemius.", he tells, looking at me.
"That's ...a nice name.", I say.
"Thank you, Evelyn. You have a nice name too.", he tells with a small smirk.
"My mother choose it.", I inform him.
"Your mother has a good taste in names.", he tells, leading me into the woods so I stop, "The lake is that way.", I point back, starting to get suspicious.
He smiles, "This is a shortcut to where you need to go."
"Aren't you supposed to be by the lake?", I hear Loki's voice and see him approaching us.
"Change of plans. I'm helping in the second task so you'll be alone with Thor.", I say to him.
"Actually, Albus has informations that Hagrid's hut may be attacked today, so he assigned you to guard it.", he informs Loki, who crosses his arms, "No one told me anything."
"I'm telling you right now."
Loki's eyes shift from him to me, "Can I speak to you for a second?"
I sigh but move with him aside.
"You trust him? He looks like a junkie.", Loki states.
"He's from the Ministry of Magic so we better listen to him. They are already pissed that we are here.", I say, looking at Bartemius.
"Are you sure he's not lying? I saw Thor today and he didn't tell me anything. I don't trust him.", he speaks and I'm starting to get annoyed.
"And I don't trust you but here we are. Just do what you are told and don't ask unnecessary questions. Okay?"
"The potion will start working soon so we need to hurry.", I hear Bartemius say.
"And try not to do anything stupid in the process.", I say to Loki and walk away from him.
As we get closer to the lake, I start to feel dizzy and my eyes start to feel heavy, so I shake my head, trying to remain conscious.
"I don't feel so good.", I say, grabbing a tree too stay on my feet.
"The potion is starting to work. Don't worry, just close your eyes and let it go. Soon enough, everything will be over.", I hear him say so I frown, "What?"
In that moment everything becomes dark and my body finally gives in.
X X X
"You are not what you think you are, my dear. Look closely into a mirror and you will see your true colors, your true potential. Something that has been hidden from you for years. The moment you become aware of who you are, that's the moment you will become unstoppable. Don't forget your true self, I know you remember. Try... to remember."
My first breath fills my lungs with water and in that moment, I shoot my eyes open. Looking around, I realize I'm underwater, obviously. I try to swim up but something is tied around my leg. Seaweed. I try to undo it but nothing helps. In that moment I feel a hand grabbing me and I see Harry. Suddenly, weird jellyfish-like creatures surround us and attach Harry, making him let go of me. He shoots a speel at them and they fall dead or unconscious so he flies up and out of the water, leaving me to struggle with my seaweed. Right as I'm starting to run out of breath, i untangle the green shit from my leg but, at that very moment, I strong hand grabs my neck. A mermaid? I thought they where way better looking. Always wondered what in the hells lives in this lake. Well, curiosity killed a cat. What a fun way to die. And to think, Loki was right. Damn.
I hit the mermaids hand a few times but nothing helps. As she, or he, tightens the grip around my neck, I can feel my brain become dizzy again, loosing the oxygen. My body slowly gives in one more time and, as I'm about to make amens with my life, another pair of strong hands grab me and pull me out on the surface.
In matter of seconds, I'm lying on the ground, coughing out water as people circle around me.
"What the hell happened? Are you okay?", I hear Severus's worried voice as he wraps his arms around me.
"I... need air.", I say, pushing him away from me.
"What happened? What did you do? What did you drink? Who gave you the potion?"
Questions start pouring on me while the only thing I want is to fill my lungs with air again.
Albus wraps a gray blanket around me and kneels beside me, "Who gave you the potion? Do you know his name?", he asks with a calm voice.
I nod a few times, "Bar...Bartemius.", I say shivering from the cold wind blowing.
Suddenly, the questions stop and everyone looks between themselves. I made a mistake ...again. But this time, it almost cost me my life.
