A/N- Here it is...the chapter I've been waiting to right. This will begin the excitment. Please read and review. I would love to know what you think. I want to thank those that have me on alert...please feel free to share any critiques or praise and I would also like to thank Miss Heather for her reviews and GoodGirlzDead for her review. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

The weekend came quickly, despite busy schedules and studying. Eva was excited. Her friendship with Lily had grown tremendously throughout the week and she was thrilled to have a female friend. Lily was different from Eva in many ways, although her bossiness was offset by Eva's passiveness and Eva's who-cares demeanor counteracted her modest hesitancy. Together, they seemed like two halves of a hole. James seemed continually dismayed by the progression of their friendship as it detracted from his time with Eva. Although he certainly could appreciate a trade-off, because although Eva was spending less time with him, her influence on Lily's feelings about him was clear. She hadn't exactly jumped in his lap, but she had refrained from calling him names, mostly, and even referred to him as James occasionally in passing. In fact, earlier in the week, while both studied in the common room, Lily approached James, briefly telling him that she thought that his friendship with Eva was very admirable. After that he couldn't go back to studying.

As autumn was descending on the castle, the grounds were littered with gold, burnt amber and ruby colored leaves. The smell of winter hung lightly in the air. It was Eva's favorite weather. Not that she didn't appreciate a good snowfall or a beautiful summer's day, instead she reveled in the change in seasons and vibrant colors. In the past, she had always appreciated the changes at Hogwarts quietly, however this year, her and Lily were entrenched in a group of other students heading towards Hogsmeade. Lily commented on the same colors that Eva had always enjoyed as the dried foliage crunched under their shoes.

Both girls were dressed modestly, wearing jeans and sneakers, paired with long sleeved t-shirts and light jackets. The overall effect was comfortable and put-together. Unbeknownst to the girls, four familiar faces weren't far behind.

-

"Prongsie, don't you think it's a bit ridiculous following Evans around?" Sirius complained, throwing his Gryffindor scarf haphazardly around his shoulders. "You said yourself she's starting to come around. No sense in scaring her like you always have."

James glared at Sirius before soundlessly continuing on. Remus looked at Sirius and rolled his eyes, but didn't protest.

Although the boys were following Lily Evans, per James's request, they all had different things that interested them in Hogsmeade. Remus was fond of browsing a small bookstore, filled with secondhand, often rare magically themed books. Though he hadn't purchased anything recently, the musty smell of worn pages and cracked leather calmed him. Peter delighted in the wonderful smells of the small delicatessen, to which he often disappeared for the entirety of the Hogsmeade trip. James enjoyed the sight of Lily Evans, her face slightly flushed from the brisk walk and light wind and Sirius had heard that Madam Rosmerta's daughter had just returned from Paris, to help her run the small family pub, The Three Broomsticks. He had been told she was quite a beauty and he wanted to look for himself.

As the students reached the small village, they dispersed quickly. In the bustle, James had lost track of Lily and Eva, and instead joined Sirius on a foray into Zonkos.

-

"You must buy that!" Eva proclaimed matter-of-factly upon seeing the emerald studded brooch Lily had placed softly in the waves of her hair. Although Eva had had very limited female interaction, she was very fashionable. Pureblooded wizards often held grand galas requiring formal attire, and Eva had always enjoyed dressing up for them.

Lily looked thoughtfully at herself in the mirror before removing the piece. She glanced at the price and immediately replaced it in its velvet-covered box. Eva noticed this and didn't comment. Eva had heard her parents speak poorly of non-pureblooded wizards, often laughing at their lower status. Though Eva didn't share these views, she did understand that muggle-born witches and wizards often didn't have much money. As such, she certainly wasn't going to embarrass Lily and instead, felt bad for suggesting the boutique in the first place.

"Shall we?" Eva asked pointing towards the door. Lily appeared to be growing increasingly uncomfortable.

"Sure," she replied coolly, heading back out into the sunny fall day. Lily suggested another shop, before quickly recoiling and telling Eva that she probably wouldn't like it.

"Why not? I've only ever been in a Zonkos and The Three Broomsticks. I am more than happy to go anywhere else!" Eva answered, confused.

Lily wouldn't meet her eye. "It's a secondhand clothing shop…but everything in there is mostly really nice, I even found this jacket there," Lily perked up slightly, pulling at the hem of her jacket.

"I would love to go in there," Eva replied simply, pulling her friend towards the turquoise painted door. Lily cheered considerably and the girls headed into the shop. It smelled like warm cinnamon cookies and was brightly lit. Eva had never seen anything like it. Racks of all sorts of muggle and wizard clothing hung throughout the store. Though many of them seemed jumbled, it didn't take Eva long at all to find a gorgeous black satin dress in her size. She headed to the fitting room with Lily right behind her. Lily had selected a simple ivory dress, made of soft taffeta. It had wide straps and a scooping neckline and fell in an a-line skirt just below her knees. While the girls tried the dresses on, the shopkeeper, a friendly middle-aged witch named Aurora brought them other things she thought would compliment them.

By the time they were finished, each girl was purchasing the dress that she had found and a few other items. Eva was amazed. She probably never would have come into a store like that on her own, and yet she felt so satisfied, especially when she only had to pay a few sickles for her clothing. The girls were on a high and bustled back onto the main street, swinging their bags along side them.

As they approached Honeydukes, Eva's excitement mounted. She had heard so many things from other students, returning from Hogsmeade trips, with bags full of the sweet confections the store was famous for. Her mouth practically watered. As Lily pulled the door open, Eva was greeted with the sight of most of the Marauders and decided it best to stay outside. Lily seemed doubtful but offered to pick Eva up some sweets. Eva had planned to sit outside of the shop, waiting for Lily to emerge, but her thoughts flickered back to the gorgeous emerald brooch in the first store they'd gone to. Eva knew that though she would never be able to afford it, Lily needed to have it. She smiled to herself, determined, and headed back towards the shop. She intended to purchase the item, tuck is safely inside her parcels and return before she was noticed missing. Eva was excited to be able to do something so nice for Lily, who had been so nice to her.

-

James saw Lily enter Honeydukes and gaze at the various jars of sweets that littered the shops. He paused for a brief moment and focused on her. Her eyes sparkled and her auburn hair was windblown. He liked when she looked relatively undone. She seemed to feel his gaze before meeting his eyes briefly and then looking away. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards slightly, making James grin from ear to ear. He reveled in that feeling for a few moments before a thought of dread flashed through his mind.

"Lily," he approached her quickly. She looked up at him wide-eyed by his determination and forceful tone. "Where's Eva?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Back off Potter, she saw you lot in here and wanted to wait outside." Lily went back to browsing a bin of sugar quills.

"You left her outside? By herself?" James demanded incredulously.

Lily's annoyance turned to anger instantly. "What is your deal, Potter? She is not a child. She's a capable woman who doesn't need anyone to baby her. I thought that your concern for her was charming, but this is sick." Her eyes had narrowed and the now had the attention of most of the students in the candy shop.

"Hey! What's going on over here?" Remus questioned roughly, coming up behind James with Sirius in tow.

James didn't take his eyes off of Lily. "She's supposed to be with Eva today and clearly," he paused for emphasis, "she's not."

Though he'd taken an Eva "vow-of-silence" earlier in the week, Sirius struggled to hold his tongue. "Sod it James," he finally said, causing his friend to round and face him, offering Lily a reprieve from his menacing stare. "We're not doing this again. We chased after her last week when you were worried and she was bloody fine, sleeping under a tree as I recall it."

James looked from Sirius to Remus, who's face clearly showed agreement with Sirius and back to Lily. "Where is she waiting for you?"

"On the bench out front," Lily replied meekly, looking past James as she answered. He moved towards the doorway and looked out the large shop window. The bench was empty. He didn't bother saying anything else as he swooped through the door quickly, leaving Remus, Sirius and Lily in his wake.

-

Getting to the store where the brooch had been had taken slightly longer than Eva had thought it would. The streets and shops were cluttered with students and she had to work to remember which shop the jeweled pin had come from. Finally discovering the faded red lettering of the sign at the opposite end of High Street, Eva slipped into the shop. She quickly purchased the brooch and placed it into the pocket of her jacket securely before sliding out into the street.

It was getting later in the day, Eva noticed, and chillier, as the sun hovered near the trees surrounding Hogsmeade. She knew that Lily wouldn't be much longer and wanted to be waiting for her when she exited the shop. Eva wanted Lily to be truly surprised with the brooch, and knew that if she wasn't there when Lily had made her purchases, the redhead might get suspicious. She decided that if she moved between and behind the small shops, she could avoid the masses of students and get back to the shop much quicker. Eva pulled her jacket slightly tighter and wove through the alley.

She had reached what she recognized as the back of Dervish &Banges and knew that she was only a few shops away. She stopped briefly when she thought that she heard a noise behind her, only to see nothing. When she turned back forward, however, she discovered the unpleasant source. Bellatrix Black, Lucius Malfoy and two other Slytherin students that she recognized were standing in front of her, blocking her path.

Bellatrix smiled coldly before purring, "hello Eva."

-

James pushed students out of his way as he searched for Eva. He tried to calm himself. Was it possible, as Lily had suggested, that she went and looked in another shop? Of course it was, and James knew that. It was the possibility that something else entirely had transpired that had him worried. He moved towards one end of High Street, then the other, circling in place as he searched the faces around him for recognition. He'd been looking for a few moments, when Sirius, Remus and Lily caught up with him. The other boys didn't seem phased, but Lily looked slightly worried.

"James-" she began quietly reaching out and resting her fingertips on his forearm. He looked at her, eyes wild, and worried.

"James, we'll help you look." Lily said encouragingly nodding for Sirius and Remus to follow them. Sirius looked less than pleased. Hadn't he just done this very same thing earlier in the week?

They decided to stay together as they moved through students. A considerable amount of time had passed since James had noticed Eva missing and students were beginning to head back to the castle. Hogsmeade was growing quieter and even Sirius had begun to grow uneasy as many of the nearby shops had begun to close. Where was she?

-

Eva stood silently at first. She had learned long before not to provoke, if she didn't have to. She wasn't terribly aggressive, though she would fight if she needed to, she wholly preferred to avoid it. She tried to move past the group, hoping they were just trying to intimidate her. Lucius grabbed her arm and pulled her back to face the group.

"Where do you think you're headed?" he asked. If Eva didn't know better, it almost sounded like a friendly question instead of a menacing statement.

"Back to my friends," Eva replied softly. It became clear quickly that this had been the wrong answer. She was shoved roughly to the ground. She fumbled for her wand, realizing that the heavy brooch prevented her from quickly removing it from her pocket. Before she could chart another course of action, four wands were upon her.

"Friends?" Bellatrix sneered. "Blood-traitors and filthy mudbloods. Didn't know your family was so…sympathetic to the miscreants of the world."

Eva felt her face get hot and she wanted to protest. She thought better of encouraging her attackers, but she felt grateful for the care that Lily and James had given her and knew that they deserved to be defended.

"I would rather be friends with them, than any of you," she spat back, scrambling to her feet. Her left ankle felt sensitive and weak, but she forced herself to stand anyway. She was not below them, and wouldn't allow them to think that she was.

"Your poor parents," Bellatrix cooed mockingly, her voice almost singsong. "I'll be sure to pass on to my family, and the Dark Lord…" she was almost whispering now, "how ungrateful and undeserving your family are of their pureblood status."

Eva surged forward, disregarding the wand being thrust in her face, "you will leave my friends and my family out of this." Eva challenged Bellatrix with her eyes.

Bellatrix considered Eva thoughtfully for a moment before prodding her backwards with her wand. Eva stepped back quickly, rolling her ankle again in the process. She fell backwards and landed hard on her back. Throwing caution to the wind, Eva plunged her hand into her pocket searching for the familiar smooth wood of her wand. Before she could pull it our, she saw Bellatrix pull her wand back and knew she was out of time. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for the pain she knew that she was about to endure.

"CRUCIO!"

-

Hogsmeade was practically empty and many shop keepers had turned on their outside lights casting dim shadows over everything. They were all frantic now, something had gone terribly wrong.

"CRUCIO!" They heard it before they saw anything. An unforgivable curse. Sparks of green dotted the air in an alley a few shops from where they stood and none of them hesitated to pull their wands and hurry towards them.

None of them were prepared for what they saw. Four Slytherins, Bellatrix Black the only one discernable in the light, crowded behind a small shop. Bellatrix laughed gleefully as her wand danced through the air. Quickly and with horror, James, Remus, Lily and Sirius realized that Eva's body, possibly unconscious, was responding to the flicks of Bellatrix's wand. Eva moved up and down with sickly motion, her eyes unmoving as she struck the ground roughly.

Lily hadn't meant to, but she screamed.

-

As the curse hit her, Eva felt scorching pain seer through her body. Her bones seemed to splinter and pull in opposite directions. She was slipping in and out of unconsciousness. She felt her head hit the ground once and twice and then she lost count. She knew that she was badly injured and that she was probably going to die here. The pain became unbearable and Eva was unconscious again.

-

Hearing the scream, Bellatrix rounded on Lily and the Marauders, breaking her spell. Eva's body hit the ground like a discarded doll with a sickening smack. Her body lay at unnatural angles.

Lily sobbed slowly, her wand shaking in her hand. She drew it and pointed it at Bellatrix.

"Crucio!"

Bellatrix laughed slowly and deliberately. "Sorry mudblood, in order for that to work, you have to mean it."

Though stunned that their head girl had tried to use an unforgivable curse so no avail, the other three did not hesitate. They moved in on the Slytherins, wands drawn. James was hesitant to draw the first blow. Though he was feeling hate like he never had before, he knew that Eva lay near him dying and she needed medical attention.

He knew that his friends had their wands drawn and dropped to his knees beside the crumpled figure. He couldn't tell if she was breathing. He heard footsteps fast approaching and looked up to see Lily, Sirius and Remus.

"They disapparated," Remus answered. James nodded quickly before delegating tasks.

"Remus and Lily take the Honeydukes passage to the castle. Remus go to the hospital wing and tell them that we're coming. Lily go straight to Dumbledore. She can't even side along apparate to the castle grounds like this. Sirius and I will have to carry her. Go." He commanded. Lily and Remus disappeared immediately and Sirius moved with him to pick up the fragile body at their feet.

Moments later, as they hurried towards the castle, trying not to jostle Eva's body, James realized that tears ran down his cheeks. He didn't try to hide them. Instead he bent closer to Eva. She smelled like cinnamon sugar cookies. He didn't know if she could hear him, or even if she was alive, but he knew he had to say it.

"I'm so sorry," he sobbed audibly. "I promised you that I would protect you. That this would never happen again. I should have been there sooner…Eva…please, please be okay."

Sirius looked on silently, tears stinging his eyes for his friend's grief and for the life that lay dying in his arms. He had never experienced death and he had never felt so helpless.

So you will get the full breakout of what happened to Eva in year two in the next chapter. I felt that this was a really good place to end it. Please review, I would love to know what you think! Thanks -Ashley