A/N Here is another chapter...It's one of the last truly downer chapters. I don't want anyone thinking that this story is dark and angsty. There's a fair amount of those things, but there are other things too. I have big plans for this story. First I want to thank my reviewers:

lucinda-here's another chapter for you!

GoodGirlzDead-don't worry, I wholly appreciate your comments, good or bad. I know that I'm not perfect so it's always helpful to have reviews with ideas and thoughts to rely on. I assure you that this story will be anything but predictable. You'll see in this chapter. Sirius doesn't automatically love Eva now that she's hurt, in fact he has a lot of anger towards her. Eventually he will get past it, but I'm not writing one dimensional stereotypical characters. When I think of Sirius, I think of him struggling with his own issues of good vs. evil and the duality of him vs. his family and toll that it takes. I'm glad that you appreciate the difference in my characters, keep up the nitpicking! I love it.

Riley Baragon-Similar to GoodGirlzDead review, I am SO glad that you like my original OC. I tried to really think hard about all of the things that would have been going on around them, distance from their families (Eva and Sirius) and the building war and school and friends and blah blah blah. I don't like to read obvious stories with obvious characters, so I don't write them. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Not much Eva, but some dark Sirius and some background.

Haruka Shinigami-thanks for the review! Good catch on the apparation! I changed it as soon as I read your review, I guess I got too caught up in the chapter. THANKS

Thanks again for the reviews, Keep them up! They're helpful and interesting, and they make me want to write and update more.

This is kind of an intermediate chapter. As I addressed to my reviewers, Eva and Sirius are not going to magically fall in love, but the story will get more interesting and you will see more of the layers of Sirius (there are a lot) while he comes to terms with what it means to be pureblooded, what it means to be pureblooded but believe in equality and how all of those things effect him. He can't accept Eva until he accepts himself and he will struggle with that a bit until he can understand that he's not wholly evil even though he comes from a "bad" family and neither is she. Enough of my ramblings, it all makes sense in my head and is laid out to be an exciting, dynamic, wonderful (if I do say so myself) story with a lof of exciting twists and turns along the way. I promise not to disappoint. Enjoy!

Chapter 5

Time had stopped, James was sure of it. He felt like his movements were in slow motion. He heard nothing but his own ragged breathing and heavy footsteps. By the time they had reached the hospital wing, a small group was waiting for them. Lily gasped audibly when she saw Eva and Remus reached quickly to comfort her. The normally cheery headmaster looked grave and Madam Pomfrey spoke hurriedly with two other people that James denoted as healers based on their trademark robes.

He and Sirius placed her down as gently as possible, which still felt rough to James. Her normally vibrant blue gray eyes lay half open, fixed. Her skin, always relatively pale, was almost transparent and her hair was matted with blood. James and Sirius were swept out of the room and the door shut swiftly behind them. They joined Lily and Remus in the corridor.

-

The group waited silently for hours, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Remus was concerned for Eva, but also for the unrest of the pureblooded community. His differences from pureblooded wizards were seen as even more despicable than muggle borns and he knew that it didn't bode well for him.

Lily was overwhelmed with guilt. Had she not left Eva alone she wouldn't have encountered the Slytherins in the alley. What had Eva even been doing? Lily was also beside herself that she had uttered an unforgivable curse. Even if it hadn't worked, she'd intended to use it, hadn't she? On another student? She hadn't really meant it according to Bellatrix, but somehow she didn't feel that that was true. On some level, she wished that she had hurt, even killed Bellatrix for her unacceptable abuse. Lily looked at James next to her. His head was buried in his hands and he was shaking slightly. She watched his shoulders twitch under the heavy responsibility that he must be feeling. Delicately, she pulled a hand away from his face and grasped it in hers. He looked at her slowly before rubbing his face with his other hand and returning her firm grip.

His mind was all over the place. A part of him wanted to be angry with Lily, even with Eva. What were they thinking? But Lily hadn't known about Eva's history and Eva hadn't ever paid much mind to it. When Eva had faced off with Slytherins the last time, and lost miserably, she had gone to the hospital wing but refused to admit what had happened. James wondered if she would refuse to tell again this time. He suspected that Dumbledore knew regardless, but knew that the Headmaster couldn't reprimand those responsible without Eva's accusation.

Even if she didn't want to tell, James would. He was sure of it. He clenched his jaw in resignation. After all, he had seen what had happened. He had watched her torment first hand. His thoughts stopped dead. If Eva didn't live through this, she wouldn't be able to tell and the others would be left to avenge her. He buried his face in his free hand again.

Sirius watched all of his friends curiously. While he understood the gravity of the situation, he felt no particular concern for the girl who lay on the other side of the doors. He had to admit that he'd been surprised by James's comment as they had carried her to the castle. He was very interested in what had happened to her years before and how it pertained to him, as James had indicated. He was also violently angry with his cousin Bellatrix. She was evil, Sirius was sure of that. He knew that the Dark Lord, as they called him, was gaining power and following in the wizarding world. He knew that most pure blooded wizards felt allegiance to him and that the Black family was one of his biggest supporters. He looked across the room at his friend James and anger bubbled within him. They had hurt Eva which had hurt James, and that was not acceptable. Sirius knew that he would help defeat the Dark Lord, or die trying.

Time continued to pass with little interruption. The students had agreed at one point that the lack of news must mean that Eva was hanging on, even if barely, because it would have been cruel to prolong telling them of her death.

Sirius was bored to tears. He should have been relaxing in the common room, playing wizards chess or exploding snap with Peter. Where was Peter come to think of it? Sirius figured he was probably wondering where all of them were. Hogsmeade was deserted by the time they had fled with Eva. Other students were probably blissfully unaware that anything had happened. He shifted briefly, meaning to get up before James had looked at him with dramatically hurt eyes and he pretended just to be stretching.

Once, they all looked up hopefully as the doors opened slightly. The healers moved past them without offering any comfort of intuition. That seemed to be a dangerous omen and cast an even darker cloud over the hallway.

Finally as morning seemed to be beginning to edge through the tall stained glass windows lining the halls, Dumbledore emerged. He closed the door quickly behind him and motioned for the students to gather round.

"Miss. Malise has made it through the worst of it," he announced quickly. The students around him looked relieved. "However, we are not through the worst of it yet. She has suffered gravely, and I fear will be permanently damaged and scarred both mentally and physically. She will need all of you and your constant support and vigilance." He trailed off and studied the faces around him.

"Professor-" Lily began.

"Miss. Evans, I have viewed Miss. Malise's memory of the events that transpired today. You have been a valiant friend to her and your efforts to defend her were most admirable. Necessary action will be taken against those that have done harm today. It has been a long evening. I urge you to get some rest and perhaps, come visit in the evening." The headmaster finished speaking and whisked past the group and down the staircase.

Without saying much, they followed. Lily still grasped James's hand tightly, neither were sure which needed the stability more. They reached the common room and entered. The room was silent except for the occasional crackle of the ill tended to fire. Sirius and Remus mounted the stairs to the boys dorm. Once the door was firmly shut behind them, James enveloped Lily in a tight embrace, not bothering to wipe away either of their tears. He had never felt so emotionally close to someone in his life. They stayed that way for another long minute before parting.

Lily turned away briefly, her cheeks bright with an embarrassed crimson. She wiped the wetness from her face and took a deep breath before facing James. They both looked rough, that she was sure. It was still early, but she knew that the elves would soon be finished preparing breakfast.

"I don't think that I can go up into that room," she pointed towards the dorms. "I know that I won't be able to sleep, especially not looking at Eva's empty bed. I am going to try and eat something. Come with me?"

James nodded slowly and they headed down to the great hall.

-

Throughout the day as word spread, students began asking Lily, Remus, James and Sirius what had happened. Not even Sirius felt it appropriate to talk about. To escape the questions, they huddled together near the fireplace in the common room. James and Lily had split briefly in the late morning for a long nap and both were looking slightly more refreshed than they had earlier. Sirius and Remus had slept much of the day and all four had still been excused from classes the following day.

Sirius thought that it was a godsend. Instead, his friends and Lily decided that they would rather be in classes and he begrudgingly agreed. If they were all going to classes, he should too. He didn't, however, agree to visit Eva in the hospital wing.

Waiting until many students had settled into their beds in the evening to avoid questioning, Lily, Remus and James headed up to visit Eva. She wasn't awake and didn't stir during their visit. Madam Pomfrey had informed them that she was in a deep sleep while her internal injuries painfully healed. Even after being healed, Lily was overwhelmed by how Eva looked. Her face held a few bruises and a deep cut that appeared as a scar below her right eye. The scar was only about an inch long, but was highly visible on her pale skin. While Lily studied Eva's face, James looked at the rest of her body peaking out from under her blankets. He could see her left hand, which although swollen, appeared fine and through her hospital gown, he could see a long scar that stretched from the back of her right shoulder diagonally across her décolletage and disappearing into her breasts. His cheeks flushed slightly and he focused on her face. The scar was likely where the curse first struck her, and like all dark magic would leave a mark on her body permanently.

Her breathing remained shallow though audible and her eyelashes fluttered as though she was dreaming. James hoped that she was having good dreams. He bend and kissed her lightly on the cheek as they were leaving.

-

"That wasn't really what I expected," Remus confessed when they entered the common room. A few students dotted the various tables and chairs. Sirius and Peter came to join them.

"How is Eva?" Peter asked. They had found out earlier in the afternoon that Peter hadn't seen them and returned from Hogsmeade early.

James shrugged. "Madam Pomfrey said that they think she'll pull through. But honestly, she looks awful."

"That's what I thought," Lily agreed. "I mean, I guess I thought that magic could heal you."

Remus, who was more than familiar with magical healing answered, "it can only heal so much. Eva's injuries were severe from what I understand. They don't know how she'll be when she wakes up."

"Right," Lily said. "I just wasn't expecting the scars."

"Scars?" Sirius piped up for the first time.

"Yeah, Padfoot, she has a scar on her face and all the way across her chest and who knows what else. They're likely permanent," James answered. "She has one on her stomach from…" he trailed off.

"From the last time?" Lily offered. James nodded. "I read once that what an unforgivable curse enters your body, if you survive, you wear a mark where it entered your body forever. James, if you don't feel comfortable enough to, that's fine, but would you please tell us what happened to Eva last time. It's just…I think it would help us understand this situation better…"

James looked hesitant, "I just don't think it's anyone's business!" He was angry.

Lily, who normally recoiled at this type of behavior narrowed her eyes at him. "James, I think it's our business. We could have been killed yesterday! I used a bloody unforgivable curse!" Her eyes were now wild and Peter looked started, apparently he hadn't heard the entirety of the confrontation.

James nodded slowly. "Alright, but this stays between us. This isn't for anyone else to know anything about. Eva wanted it that way and I've kept it that way and now I will expect YOU to keep it that way." He sounded determined and nobody challenged him. They moved and sat at their usual place by the fire.

"Well," he began slowly making eye contact with each person in the group. "Second year, I was out with my invisibility cloak-yes Lily, I have an invisibility cloak, now is not the time. I couldn't sleep. I was wondering around the castle, trying to discover any new secret passageways-"

"Did you?" Peter interrupted. Lily shot him a nasty look.

"Actually, I was in the dungeons and that's when I found the entrance to the kitchens," he answered thoughtfully. "Anyway, I heard voices and I stood close to the wall and listened. At first I thought it must be professors, out so late at night. But as I got closer, I realized that they were students. I heard three voices, but didn't recognize any of them, so I rounded the corner into the corridor they were in. The hallway was cast in shadows and I could only see the backs of two of them. They were wearing Slytherin robes. The third was obstructed behind them and I almost turned and left. I figured it was three Slytherins up to no good and I didn't want to get caught up in it. Especially when there were three of them and only one of me."

James stopped briefly to clear his throat. "I was moving backwards slowly, trying to be quiet when I heard one of them mention Sirius. While I wasn't about to pull the cloak off and reveal myself, I certainly was interested. I moved so that I could see all of them. I was surprised to realize that two of them were girls. The Slytherins were Bellatrix and Malfoy and the other girl, a small Gryffindor who I didn't know, Eva. That's when I realized that Bellatrix and Malfoy had their wands drawn. I pulled mine out of my pocket. The girl, Eva, looked terrified and confused. Before I knew what had happened, Malfoy had performed the Cruciatus curse, and the girl was dancing in the air, a look of pain and fear frozen on her face."

James stopped and looked at the group. All were waiting quietly and Lily nodded softly, urging him to continue.

"I panicked for a moment, and just stood there. I bloody stood there and watched it happen! When I realized what I was doing, I stunned them both. I grabbed the cloak, not bothering to put it over us, and I picked up the girl. She was so tiny. I took her to the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey let me wait with her all night. We talked a little in the morning when she was feeling better. Luckily her injuries weren't terribly bad. She had a lot of bruises and a big cut that she hesitantly showed me on her stomach. The scar is still there." He finished and looked at his friends.

"I don't understand why that had anything to do with me," Sirius said casually a minute later. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, replaying the story in their head. They focused on James once again, awaiting his answer.

"I didn't find out until sometime later. You guys know that I started to hang out with Eva a lot, follow her around-"

"We just thought you liked her," Peter smirked. Sirius chuckled and Remus hit him lightly on the shoulder.

"Ha, ha. One day we were talking and she brought it up out of nowhere. I didn't even know she was pureblooded. In fact, I figured it had been the opposite-would have explained why she was being targeted by the Slytherins. She told me that she'd known both Bellatrix and Lucius when they were children, that their families were close. They had invited her to the dungeons. Told her that they had a message from her parents and she went to meet them. Instead they started to accuse her of being less than pure, loving muggles and being just like the blood traitor Sirius Black. That's when I turned back. I heard the rest of it, though it didn't make sense until she told me that part…she said that all wizards were the same and that Sirius Black wasn't a blood traitor, he was right. That's when they cursed her."

He looked at the people around him. Lily looked thrilled at Eva's declaration of equality. Remus looked pensive and Sirius looked startled.

"I didn't even know her," he said softly. Though it sounded like a realization and a softening towards Eva, Sirius felt annoyed. He could fight his own fights. He didn't need some little girl trying to be a martyr and defend him. Did she think that he was weak? Did she think that her words would be enough to convince the Slytherins and they all could live happily ever after? It was a ridiculous series of thoughts. He didn't need her and he didn't want her to ever speak his name again. Disgusted he stood and headed to the dorms, not caring what anyone else had to say.

There it is! I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks. I'm working on the next chapter and it's a good one! Please REVIEW! -Ashley