One rainy evening in October, Eleonora and Eva sat at their usual spots in the library next to the windows as they worked on schoolwork. The low lighting and distant murmurs of students studying made the girls appreciate even more that they were inside from the frigid autumn rain storm. Since Quidditch practice was cancelled for the evening, it gave Eleonora a chance to finish her arithmancy assignment that was due the next day.

"How's it going, Ella?" she heard, looking up to see Eva stretching her arms over her head. Eleonora shrugged with a nod, replying, "good, actually. I was just checking over my answers because I just finished. How about you?"

Eva sighed, saying, "I'll be here a while longer. I procrastinated a bit on the midterm assignment for transfiguration and didn't realize how tedious the report would be. I'll be here until the library closes."

Eleonora frowned sympathetically, glancing down at the plethora of papers and books ordered neatly around Eva. She sighed, picking up one of them as she quickly scanned its contents, then said, "can I help you with any of it?"

"As much as I'd appreciate that, it's not much of a group assignment. But thanks. I actually would prefer that you relax for a bit tonight- you don't get much free time and I think you should take advantage of that," Eva said, resting a hand on Eleonora's forearm. Eleonora looked down to Eva's hands, smiling a little before saying, "are you sure?"

Eva nodded vigorously, saying, "you need sleep. Please, take a break tonight."

Eleonora smiled, leaning over to Eva's ear to hiss-whisper, "sleep is for the weak."

Before Eva could protest, Eleonora patted her other hand over Eva's and winked as she stood up to gather her things. Eva rolled her eyes with a snort of laughter, stretching her arms high before flopping her arms onto the table. She laid her head down, heaving a dramatic sigh, staring at the blurred trees outside while rain pelted the window next to them. Eleonora looked outside, then down to her watch, saying, "It's really coming down. Thank God practice was cancelled."

"I'm cold just looking out the window," Eva muttered, and Eleonora nodded in agreement. Eva sat back up, looking at Eleonora as she gave her a lopsided smile, saying, "Well, I gotta go. Don't forget the three essay questions at the end of the assignment."

"Essay questions?!" Eva screeched, frantically flipping to the end of the packet. She scrunched her nose, hissing, "bugger!"

Eleonora cackled, saying, "I'll never get tired of that- I wish we said that in the states."

Eva looked up, smiling a little despite the annoyance she had just experienced, then raised her glass of tea next to her, saying, "you're in the right place to pick up our quirks, cheers!"

She took a sip, making Eleonora laugh again, then put the cup down and began ordering her papers. Eleonora then said, "I'll be going. I have some prefect sh- I mean stuff that I absolutely love to do right now."

"Which is?"

"Going to Professor Lestrange to explain why he has to discipline some idiots in our house, since I gave them a week of detention," Eleonora replied flatly. Eva frowned, and asked, "do I even want to know?"

Eleonora inhaled slowly, shutting her eyes, and slowly shook her head no. Eva nodded, and Eleonora turned and began walking to the exit of the library. Eva called out, "enjoy yourself, Ella!"

Eleonora turned, jutting her head forward with a strained smile, then disappeared into the hallway. Eva chuckled a little, turning back to the work that still sat in front of her. She groaned, bending back over the third page out of eight of the assignment, dipping her quill into ink as she read over the question.

Eva worked in the quiet room, not noticing the students as they began to head back to their dorms for the night. Her half finished cup of tea sat next to her on its coaster, lukewarm by now and giving off a light aroma of earl grey. The rain still poured outside the window, making the library feel more comfortable as a refuge from the dreary fall weather. The dark room and sound of steady rain outside was beginning to lull her to the sleep. She was blinking slowly, finding it increasingly difficult to hold her eyes open.

Eva stood up, walking around a few shelves, finding that she was too tired to wake up. She couldn't quite walk in a straight line, always feeling like she was nodding off every few steps. Once she returned to her seat, she ordered her schoolwork so it was in two neat piles against the wall, looking as if nobody had been sitting there.

"What time is it?" she murmured, looking to her watch that read 7:15.

The library closes in 45 minutes, I can afford to take a short nap.

The lightning of the storm outside illuminated the entire window with periodic flashes, making her snarl in annoyance.

I can't nap at the table, the lighting is way too bright, she thought as she assessed the room around her. She turned her head to the left, seeing shelves parallel to the window which would block the lightning.

She did one last scan of her surroundings, then headed to the far corner shelves and laid on the ground. She rolled on her side, her face up against the books on the bottom row, pulling her hood over her head. She used the robes as a blanket, pulling the hood over her head and blending into the surroundings. The yellow gold of the Hufflepuff robes were completely hidden with the way she laid on the ground, and one wouldn't be able to tell she was there unless walking by and tripping over her.

Within a few minutes, she was fast asleep, falling into a deep slumber from exhaustion. The librarian made her final sweep of the library, seeing Eva's spot at the table had been tidied, with her chair pushed in. She extinguished the candles throughout the library, then left within a few minutes with her coat and umbrella.

Eva lay still, undisturbed by the rain as she conked out from exhaustion.


William drifted off to sleep for the seventh time in the past hour, already having another of his frequent nightmares. The dream continued from where it had just left off, and he felt painfully aware of a sudden loss of sensation from his body as he entered another bout of restless sleep.

Eva standing with Tom in a stairwell next to large windows where lightning flashed. Tom was smiling, but his eyes seemed dangerous, and she was captivated by his looks as most girls were.

"What is it, Tom?" Eva asked, standing a few steps below him. He smiled down to her again, saying, "I need your help. And I believe you're the only one who can help me."

He stepped down to where she stood, lifting her hand and holding it up with a gentlemanly smile, saying, "I feel you would... understand me the way others don't. Your compassion is unlike any other, and it makes me feel like I can trust you. I can see why Isidore has taken an interest in you."

"If you're going through something, Tom, you can always come to me," she said sweetly, clearly concerned for him with this oddly affectionate and warm behavior. He simply smiled, saying, "I'm glad to hear that. Because there is something on my mind."

"Tell me," she pressed, and he gently pulled her a step closer, taking both of her hands.

"You're a pureblood, are you not?" he asked, and she said, "well, yes- you know I am- but what does that matter-"

"Just because you might've heard of something before. It is new to me, and I would like to understand it better," he said, then his face changed to a look of worry. It was so well rehearsed, he turned a shade paler, and his voice was a whisper as he said, "it's something I fear and I don't know how to face it."

"What is it, Tom?"

Tom's eyes darted behind her and around them, and he finally whispered, "horcruxes."

Eva was silent, in a fearful shock that he knew what they were, and she said, "you don't have to worry. They aren't common and I can guarantee you that you wouldn't be a victim of one."

"A victim? How so?" he asked, already knowing the answer. The pretense was working, as Eva whispered, "to create one, someone must die. They're cruel- and unnatural, but I haven't ever seen one since Isidore's uncle."

"Would you be able to tell me more? I've been losing sleep over this and can't tell if this is an irrational worry... I feel it is but I can't control it, Eva," he said, his expression looking like that of a sad puppy. She nodded, saying, "it'll be okay, Tom. I'll always help you. I'll have to research some too, but we'll figure it out together."

William's eyes flew open, and he stared straight at the dark wooden bed posts above his head. He attempted to inhale, his body not listening as it finished an exhale. He fought each limb, trying to move at least one of them without any luck. He was in his body, knowing it was there, but felt helplessly paralyzed as he tried his hardest to move his right hand. The effort it took would've warranted a yelp, but not a sound would escape his throat.

Breathe, Will, he thought, fighting the panic that overcame him as his diaphragm operated on its own. He made a last unsuccessful attempt at moving, then gave up as his body laid stiffly in a tense state. It lasted another 20 seconds, then he finally was able to move his hand inward, earning a sigh of relief. He laid his arm over his eyes for a moment, taking slow deep breaths as he recovered from the horrible hour of restless sleep he had.

I have to sleep at some point, he thought, snuggling back into his pillow for another attempt to sleep. He was exhausted, and had no issue drifting off to sleep within a few minutes, and he felt his body tense. He was conscious enough to feel his body freeze, but another nightmare began.

Tom stood at the head of a table, with Isidore, Eva, Eleonora, Elaine, James, and Victoria seated in the remaining chairs. The room was dark, windowless, and Tom's charming smile was gone. His expression was placid, yet William got a sickeningly uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.

Wait- why am I there?! William thought, seeing himself in the dream as he stared down at the table.

"I'm glad we finally have established an official group. Each of you have ambitions, and I'll see to it that they come true. We'll change the wizarding world for the better, in more ways than one," Tom began, offering everyone a twisted smile.

"Victoria, James, and Elaine," he said, turning to the girls as they gave him undivided attention.

"You care for the underprivileged children that never had a chance at being a part of this world. That is a cause I hold near to my heart- I used to be one of them. We'll make sure they feel welcomed," he finished, then turned to William.

"William, far too many people are taken advantage of. You want to protect the vulnerable. We'll establish a system that brings justice for those who deserve it. The courage the Sinclairs have shown as generations of aurors will be recognized and continued with you. Especially your sister's memory that will be lived on. Christina's death was not in vain- and her bravery is what allowed her fellow aurors to capture my uncle, Morfin Gaunt."

How do they know about that?! I never mentioned Christina to any of them! William found himself proclaiming. Although, whenever this meeting was taking place, he clearly had mentioned it at some point. He had only a single memory of Christina- being the oldest of his siblings and borne to his parents when they were first married at eighteen years of age. William's first memory took place when he was a year old, and was Christina holding him in her arms with a radiant smile before she left for a mission of hunting Morfin Gaunt. William's parents nearly cut their children from the world of magic from their grief, which is why William began at Hogwarts a year later than the rest of the first years.

William watched himself in the dream give a small nod, his eyes flashing over to Eva as she gave him a warm smile.

I joined his cause to protect her. She was tricked- he realized.

"I'll see to it that Morfin pays for what he did to your family," Tom said, clapping a hand on William's shoulder. He nodded to Tom, saying, "thank you, Tom. Your words mean so much to me."

Tom smiled, squeezing William's shoulder one before letting go. William showed trust through his gaze, but had lied through his teeth. He still had Tom figured out, and was keeping up the facade of ignorance.

"Which brings me to Isidore-" Tom continued, looking into Isidore's cold gaze.

"You wish to protect your mother, just as much as your father does. They're married, happily, with twins on the way," Tom said with a smile, making Isidore's eyes flicker with emotion.

"We'll put an end to the antics of the Lestrange family. I promise that justice will be brought to them. Cornelius is in Azkaban, but he wreaks havoc in the world. I promise- actually, we all promise you and your family will be safe."

Isidore nodded, his expression dark. He was vulnerable to turning down a dark path from his past, which is what seemed to be happening.

"And Eva," Tom said, looking down to her hopeful expression. She smiled upon hearing her name, warranting a softer expression as he said, "you wish to preserve life the way I do. We'll find a way without using a deathly hollow. People can be with their loved ones the way they were meant to, and not be robbed of their time by this cruel and unjust world."

"Absolutely, Tom. Life is meant to be enjoyed-" she said, which made Tom chuckled as he finished, "to the fullest, for the longest."

Eva nodded confidently, and they saw Tom look to Eleonora.

"And Eleonora. We need a world that is accepting of people like you and me. I've been called inhuman and a monster as many times as you have. People like us should be embraced and not shunned- our abilities are a gift and can bring so much good to the world. We will create a place where you don't have to be ashamed of who you are. Where people don't have to fear power. I promise you, it'll happen."

Eleonora watched him, her face unwaveringly serious. She nodded, finally letting a small smile crawl over her lips, saying, "looking forward to it."

Tom smiled, looking back over the table as he announced, "All of you remain loyal to me, and your reward will be repaid tenfold-"

William's eyes flew open, and he lay with his limbs rigidly frozen.

No- no no no no please- it can't be- he thought, his eyes darting around the room in a panic.

Another thing William had never admitted was the fact that he was Seer. And a good one. His gift was particularly dream interpretation, and the only people who knew of it were his parents and siblings. William's abilities were so strong that he would have variations of dreams, as if he could see multiple outcomes for something bound to happen. He wasn't hit with premonitions often, but was almost never wrong when they came.

He desperately fought his body, begging for it to move as his heart thundered against his ribs. He wished for another vision- of another possible future- hoping that this reality wasn't the only option they had coming. But he was far too anxious to try falling asleep again. He finally moved his right arm, feeling the rest of his body follow in suit as he sat up.

As usual when this happened, he looked around to his roommates and saw they were all fast asleep. He quietly got out of bed, putting on a pair of shoes and his robes before slipping out of the house. He maneuvered through the dark halls, not needing light from muscle memory of doing this countless nights.

He made his way to the library, going over to the check out counter on the side where his group usually studied. He reached to a shelf underneath, pulling a cage up and setting it on the counter.

"Lumos," he whispered, illuminating the area around him. He heard the sound of tiny feet scuffling on shredded paper, then saw a hedgehog run up to him, its snout twitching as it sniffed in William's direction. William placed his wand on the counter, smiling as he unlocked the cage, reaching in to say, "good morning, Pokey."

The hedgehog ran into his hands, and William pulled him out, sitting behind the desk with a smile on his face as the hedgehog looked up to him. Even if it was only for a few minutes- it could make him forget the horrible premonition.

He stroked the hedgehog as he recalled what two of his divinations classmates said the other day:

"Wouldn't life be so much easier being a Seer?"

"Damn, I wouldn't ask for anything ever again if I could be gifted with it randomly!"

"Imagine the things we could do around the castle. We'd know how to not get caught a hell of a lot better than we do now!"

William frowned, hearing their cackling as he could still see them in class the other day. He held the hedgehog a little closer, feeling more alone than ever.

It's not a gift. You have no idea how much of a burden- no- how much of a curse it truly is-

Suddenly the hedgehog turned toward a muffled sound of rustling over by the shelves, and William stiffened, thinking it was the caretaker.

"Nox," he whispered, waiting in the dark for the sound of footsteps. He heard another noise, but it wasn't someone walking, only making him more confused. He slowly stood up, illuminating his wand again as he slowly approached the back corner shelves. He couldn't find anything in front of him, and walked down each aisle slowly, growing more confused by the second.

He turned the corner for the last aisle against the wall, slowly walking forward before stopping abruptly as his foot kicked something on the ground.

"Ow!" he heard a girl yelp, and he looked down to see a lump of robes at his feet. She sat up, pulling off her hood, and William instantly recognized the blond curls below him.

"Eva?!" he cried, and she whirled around to look up at him.

"William?! You're wearing pajamas with your robe... What time is it?!" she said, jolting awake at the realization it was far after closing hours.

"Uhh..." he said, shining his light in the direction he came from where a grandfather clock stood.

"It's 2:27 in the morning," he said, and she let out a humiliated, "oh no!"

"Have you been here all night?" he asked, and she nodded.

"I went to take a short nap at 7:15- and I guess I just slept through the entire night until now!" she cried, shaking her head as she reddened with embarrassment. William went to offer her his hand, then realized he was holding the hedgehog in it, and hurriedly bit down on his wand to free his other hand. She took it, and he helped her stand, then he grasped the wand again as she straightened out her robes.

"I can't believe how tired I was-" she began, then stopped once she saw Pokey.

"Is that a hedgehog?" she asked, and William replied, "yes- it's kept here and I-"

She looked at him almost skeptically, and he said, "I um- it's a long story."

"Can I hold him?" she asked quietly, and William nodded vigorously. Eva cupped her hands, and he gently helped Pokey into them. Eva smiled, saying, "he's adorable, William!"

"You think so?" William asked with a laugh as she grinned down to Pokey. He seemed to enjoy her stroking him, and William felt his heart warm a little seeing Eva's genuine smile up close.

"What's his name?" she asked, and William answered, "Pokey."

"Pokey? That's cute," she replied, and he said, "well- there's a reason for that name."

He reached into her hands, pulling strips of shredded paper off of his small feet.

"He pokes his snout everywhere, so I thought it'd be appropriate-"

Eva smirked, then said, "you named him?"

William froze for a second, answering, "y-yeah, I found him a few months ago and-"

He looked around, then said, "let's sit down, it'll be a while."

She followed him to the seats behind the librarian's desk, putting Pokey back into the cage where he began to occupy himself with his shreds of paper. He scurried around, playing with a tiny stuffed banana he seemed to be quite fond of. Eva grinned, finding his little movements adorable as he repeatedly adjusted the banana in his little arms.

"I found him outside, randomly. It was storming outside, and he was alone, so I couldn't help but bring him with. I would've kept him in the house, but one of my roommates has a crazed cat and I wouldn't trust it around Pokey."

"So you come visit him at night?"

"Well, hedgehogs are nocturnal," he said with a half-grin. Eva smiled, putting her finger up to the cage and watching Pokey come over to sniff it.

"You have insomnia, don't you?" she said, surprising William.

"How do you know?" he asked, and she looked over to him with a sad smile.

"You're always falling asleep during the day, and you just look tired sometimes. It sounds like Pokey is something to look forward to when you're having a rough night."

William nodded with a smile, then Eva said, "how bad is it, Will?"

He glanced over to her, seeing her hugging her knees with her chin resting on top of them. She was frowning ever so slightly, clearly concerned about him. He felt his heart bounding against his chest, reddening a little with gratitude for her. Her genuine kindness was something that changed how he felt about her. And it didn't matter who she was talking to, even if she barely knew someone, her heart was one hundred percent in.

He smiled sadly, reaching his hand in the cage trying to decide how much to tell her. He didn't want her to worry, but also knew she was highly perceptive and could instantly see through a lie. He was finding it especially difficult to keep up his facade after the horrific dream he had. It was constantly hanging over his head, and he feared she would see it bothering him.

"It's not just insomnia. I get sleep paralysis," he admitted, pulling the hedgehog out to his lap. He heard Eva inhale sharply, refusing to look at her as he pet Pokey's quills. Eva was silent, and he felt his heart sinking with each passing second knowing how affected she was feeling. He was reluctant to admit anything to the most sympathetic person he knew, but couldn't say no to her.

"I'm alright, Eva," he said with a weak smile. She looked at him, his hands gently holding the hedgehog as he plastered a smile on his face. She frowned, realizing she never would've guessed someone like him suffered like this. He was always smiling, and would happily embarrass himself if it meant his friends would laugh. And the gentleness he had with Pokey warmed her heart, only making her pity for him stronger.

He sat quietly, seeing Pokey's snout twitching as he scurried across William's hands. They could hear the seconds hand of the grandfather clock, only making the silence feel longer. William got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, knowing where Eva's mind was going.

Sure enough, he was right. She said the very thing he dreaded her saying.

"You're lying to me, Will."


A/N: Thanks for reading, and being patient with my weird update schedule! I can't believe how busy I've been in the past two months- I've been sporadically writing and so behind on reading. I can't believe I got two updates in December!

Obviously, the library bit with Eva and William continues- and it's already written. I would've posted the whole thing at once but it was just way too long for one chapter, in my opinion. So, I'll be posting that part in the next few days then will keep working when I have the time.

Anyway, please enjoy! Merry Christmas- and happy (belated) holidays!