TEN pages. TEN! I think my hands died, from all that typing. And I am really sorry that it had been nearly a full week since I've updated. School started, and I've been rather busy with all that's going on. But I hope you enjoy! I wanted to get a LOT in this chapter. And I didn't even get all that I wanted in!
wisegirl2772- She was freaked out about all those things, plus her throat is still recovering from Greyback trying to literally eat it out of her. . . gross, forget I said that.
The Mysterious E- I know! He's too short! Rupirt should never grow a beard. I always imagined them taller, with nicer hair, and good looks. . . hehe.
xXMizz Alec VolturiXx- thank you, I work super hard!
Nizuna Fujieda- I'm glad you liked the chapter! Writing other peoples view points is somewhat more difficult than I thought.
SolitaryNyght- I know, I feel bad about separating them. . . Jason is most likely in for it. Ev's dad is scary to me, really scary. I don't know why?
Bookworm6193- . . . Lord Voldemort! Run and hide Ev! He's coming for you! My mom is great. It's nice to have her input sometimes. . .
Erugalatha Fael-ionath- I am glad you like the story! I will go do a happy dance!
indigofrisbee- I hope you get better! Being sick, sucks. Apparating to bed sounds awesome. I wish I could apparate :( Hope the chapter is okay, not nearly enough action for me. . . oh well!
ember505- thank you!
CHAPTER SEVEN: Secrets Revealed
Evangeline groaned and rolled over, pulling the blanket over her head more. Someone was prodding her shoulder sharply. She didn't want to wake up, nor did she want to move. It felt so nice just to relax and sleep after the events of the past two days.
The prodding increased, and Evangeline rolled over, fixing her prodder with an icy glare, albeit, a tired one.
"What?" she hissed. Hermione stared down at her.
"Harry's gone."
Evangeline sat up, instantly awake, looking around. Indeed, Harry's sleeping bag was empty. But then again, it was when she passed out last night too. He had been in the bathroom. Evangeline got out of the fluffy warmth, hoping that she could smack Harry for interrupting her sleep. Hermione shook Ron awake too.
Ron also shot up, when she mentioned Harry was gone. Evangeline stretched, rubbing her sore throat, her hand brushing up against her scars painfully. Yesterday had been bad. The gripping fear as they entered the dank house, the creepy house-elf heads mounted to the wall like trophies. Then the decayed image of Dumbledore, rushing at them.
That had scared her to death. Well, nearly.
Hermione rushed past her and up the stairs.
"Harry? Harry! Harry!"
"I'm here!" came his slightly muffled voice, carrying down from the upper floors. "What's happened?" Evangeline trudged up to the room he was in just as Hermione turned and shouted over her shoulder down the stairs to Ron, still sitting on the sofa.
"Ron! I've found him!"
Evangeline flinched at the loudness of her voice. Ron's voice echoed up distantly, annoyed.
"Good! Tell him from me he's a git!"
Evangeline snorted and entered the room. It looked liked it'd been ransacked. Robbed.
"Harry, don't just disappear, please, we were terrified! Why did you come up here anyway?" Hermione said gazing around the room. "What have you been doing?"
"Playing Cops and Robbers," Evangeline offered sarcastically. Hermione shot her a non-plussed look. Evangeline shrugged and went over to investigate a small mobile made from the bones of bats. The weights at the bottom, pushing the delicate arms up and down. Weird. Like the rest of this creepy house.
Harry handed Hermione a picture, torn in half. They conversed with each other as Evangeline drifted around the room. Looking at the carved wooden headboard, passing the tall window covered by thick heavy velvet curtains. The chandelier above was thickly coated in dust with candle stubs still resting in its sockets, solid wax hanging from it like icicles. Dust covered every surface; spiders webs stretched between the chandelier and the top of a large wooden wardrobe. Several old Gryffindor banners hung around the room, faded scarlet and gold, many pictures of motorcycles, and also posters of bikini-clad muggle girls.
Evangeline smirked passing each one, Harry's god-father was certainly a character. Too bad she never had the chance to meet him. She stopped at the only moving picture hung in the room. Four teenage boys standing arm in arm, laughing at the camera.
A boy with untidy hair, that stuck up in the back, just like Harry's; he also wore glasses. Evangeline could only conclude that this was Harry's father. Next was a boy, immensely handsome in looks, his slightly arrogant face looking very happy. Next to the handsome boy stood a boy, a head shorter, plump and watery-eyed, looking flushed. On Harry's fathers left was another boy, shabby-looking, and tired but none the less looking pleased.
The sound of bickering drew her attention away from her study of the old picture.
"I'm not upset," Harry said irritably. "I'd just like to know whether or not it's true or-"
"Harry, do you really think you'll get the truth from a malicious old woman like Muriel, or from Rita Skeeter? How can you believe them? You knew Dumbledore!"
Evangeline flinched at the name, remembering the headmaster flying over the battlements, and down to the ground. She would rather forget that whole night altogether.
"I thought I did," Harry muttered.
"But you know how much truth there was in everything Rita wrote about you! Doge is right, how can you let these people tarnish your memories of Dumbledore?"
Harry looked away from her, his face looking resentful, as he locked eyes with Evangeline, who was silently watching them. His eyes seemed to burn holes in her, like he was trying to understand something. Hermione sighed.
"Shall we go eat something then?" she suggested after a pause. Harry agreed grudgingly, and followed her out onto the landing. Evangeline trailed after them shutting the door. They were passing another door when Harry stopped to look at something on the door leading to the stairs. Evangeline peered over his shoulder reading a little sign written by hand on the black wood.
Do Not Enter
Without Express Permission of
Regulus Arcturus Black
"Hermione," called Harry to Hermione already a flight behind them. "Come back up here."
"What's the matter?" she asked her voice getting louder as she came back up.
"R.A.B. I think I found him."
Evangeline heard a gasp as Hermione finished the last of the steps and rushed to Harry's side. She read the sign over his shoulder next to her.
"Sirius's brother?"
"He was a Death Eater," said Harry. "Sirius told me about him, he joined when he was really young and then tried to leave - so they killed him."
"That fits! If he was a Death Eater he had access to Voldemort, and when he left he wanted to bring Voldemort down!" She ran to the banister and screamed, "Ron! RON! Get up here, quick!"
"Whose R.A.B.?" asked Evangeline puzzled. Harry turned to her as they heard Ron sprinting up the stairs.
"Sirius's brother, he took the real Horcrux and replaced it with another. We have the fake, because he hid it."
"What's up? If it's massive spiders again I want breakfast before I-" Ron said panting at the top of the stairs. He paused reading the sign on the door, to which Hermione was silently pointing.
"What? That's Sirius's brother, wasn't it? Regulus Arcturus. . . .Regulus . . . R.A.B.! The locket - you don't think -?"
"Let's find out," said Harry pushing open the door after muttering, "Alohomora," under his breath. They entered the room and Evangeline moved to the threshold with her hands on her hips, her stomach grumbling.
"Am I the only one that doesn't know what's going on?" she snapped. Watching as they looked around and Ron began looking through things. Hermione was at the bedside reading clippings from newspapers, the room much smaller than Sirius's, and green and silver: Slytherin colors.
"Like I said," Harry told her. "Horcrux's. Dumbledore and I went looking for them last year. That's why. . . Dumbledore was up in the-" Harry paused, glancing at her. Evangeline felt her throat tighten at the unbidden memory. "-Astonomy tower. We went that night to get this locket."
Harry handed Evangeline a locket. It was heavy, gold gilded, with a yellow stone inlaid at its center. A snake coiled within the stone, hissing noiselessly at her. Evangeline swallowed. Slowly she opened the gold locket, a small piece of aged yellow paper tumbling into her hands. She was very aware of Harry watching.
Thin, neat black handwriting was scrawled across the parchment.
To the Dark Lord
I know I will be dead long before you read this
but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret.
I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can.
I face death in the hope that when you meet your match,
you will be mortal once more.
R.A.B.
Evangeline drew in a long slow breath. This was getting more and more over her reasoning. Her world was slowly being torn in two, and this was not a real Horcrux? She turned her gaze on Harry, still watching her, and gave him a long look.
"Voldemort isn't mortal?" she asked, her voice harsh on her own ears.
"Not with the Horcrux's he's made."
Her stomach dropped as she finally realized what they were dealing with. Here she was hoping that all Harry had to do was duel the mad man, and be done with it. Never in her wildest dreams did she fathom that Voldemort was immortal. Unable to die.
"How many?" she asked once more. Her voice strained.
"Six."
"Six?"
Harry nodded as Hermione came back over to them, the yellowed newspaper clippings in her hand.
"They're all about Voldemort," she said. "Regulus seems to have been a fan for a few years before he joined the Death Eaters. . . ." She sat on the bed reading out the titles, a large puff of dust rising from the bed covers. Harry went over to a picture, Evangeline following at his heels.
She saw a Hogwarts Quidditch team smiling and waving up at them. Snakes were emblazoned on their chests proudly: Slytherins. In the front row, right in the center was a boy who looked exactly like the handsome one in the picture in Sirius's room. Except he was not as handsome, but he had the same dark hair, and slightly haughty look. He was decidedly more slighter than the other.
"He played Seeker," Evangeline breathed.
"What?" asked Hermione vaguely from the bed.
"He's sitting in the front row, that's where the Seeker . . . Never mind," said Harry, realizing that she wasn't really paying them any attention. Evangeline made a small noise and looked around at the room again. Noticing that it looked much like Sirius's, ransacked.
"Played in here too, Harry?" she asked humorously. Harry shot her a dark look as he began ruffling around in Regulus's things. Evangeline smirked and went to the wardrobe, that Ron was currently looking under. After a long period of time Harry finally stood, covered in dust. He gave the curtains a frustrated tug before running his hands through his untidy hair.
"How are we supposed to find it if we can't summon it?" he asked himself frustrated.
"We search manually," said Hermione, her tone of voice reaching a 'know-it-all' sound.
"That's a good idea," muttered Ron rolling his eyes.
They looked everywhere. For more than an hour, Evangeline was on her hands and knees in dust and dirt; she was pretty sure she touched something that resembled boxers. Of course she had whipped her wand out and promptly set it on fire.
When the sun had sufficiently risen; it's light dazzled them even through the moth eaten curtains and grimy windows. As they headed downstairs Hermione stopped suddenly, with one foot still in the air, a dumbstruck look on her face as if she had just been Obliviated; her eyes even drifted out of focus.
"Of course!" she said just as suddenly as she had stopped.
"Something wrong?" asked Ron.
"There was a locket here."
"What?" said Harry and Ron together. Evangeline crossed her arms indignantly.
"You couldn't have said this sooner?" she snapped.
"I hadn't remembered at the time," Hermione said in a faint voice. "But. . . . in the cabinet in the drawing room. Nobody could open it and we. . . we. . ."
Harry's face became pale and ashen, while Evangeline felt a surge of annoyance. Not only at not being told things, but also for not knowing what was going on. She was sorely put out that she had not come to Hogwarts a year sooner. Despite what Ron told her his fifth year was like, "A bloody awful year."
"Kreacher nicked loads of things from us," said Harry. "He had a whole stash of stuff in his cupboard in the kitchen. C'mon."
Harry ran down the stairs taking two steps at a time, while Evangeline followed more slowly. She did not trust her lungs at the moment, not after yesterday at the door. And with Old Dusty. She felt like Greyback was ripping her throat out again, her airway crushed with blood and flesh. Her hand found its way to her neck, her fingers tracing the scars as she descended.
As she passed through the hall she saw a portrait screaming in Harry, Ron and Hermione's wake.
"Filth! Mudbloods! Scum!" she screamed, her features contorted into pure rage. Evangeline would have thought her beautiful at one time, were it not for her screaming.
"Stains of dishonor-" the portrait suddenly went silent when she saw Evangeline. Her wide eyes, widening even more until Evangeline thought that they would burst. They stared at each other as she passed. "What are you doing with them?" she spat finally, halting Evangeline as she made her way to the basement.
"Making sure they don't blow this dump up," Evangeline told her in annoyance. The portrait grew angry at her words and opened her mouth, but before she could do that, Evangeline raised her wand and pointed it at the picture. The curtains slammed shut with a bang and red sparks before Evangeline went down into the kitchen.
She was hungry, and she would be fed. Now.
Evangeline found Harry, Ron and Hermione huddled around a door at the end of the long kitchen going through the contents of a cupboard. A nest of dirty old blankets and a book. Ratty and tattered, Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. Ron turned away and sat in a chair; Hermione shut her eyes as Harry threw down the rags of blankets with a frustrated sigh.
"It's not over yet," he said, and raised his voice calling, "Kreacher!"
A loud crack was heard, causing Evangeline to scream as a house-elf appeared out of nowhere in front of the cold and empty fireplace: tiny, half human-sized, it's pale skin hanging off it's body in folds, white hair sprouting like over-sized cotton balls from it's large ears. The house-elf was wearing a filthy rag, with a contemptuous look directed at Harry. This must be Kreacher, she thought as he bowed to Harry.
"Master," he croaked in a grating low and scratching voice, muttering into his knees, "back in my Mistress's old house with the blood-traitor Weasley and the Mudblood -"
"I forbid you to call anyone 'blood traitor' or 'Mudblood.'" growled Harry. Evangeline went to stand by Hermione, suddenly wary of Harry at the moment. Kreacher's small eyes followed her to Hermione's side as Harry spoke once more.
"I have a question for you, and I order you to tell the truth, you understand?"
"Yes, Master," Kreacher said in low bow, muttering under his breath.
"Two years ago, there was a big gold locket in the drawing room upstairs. We threw it out. Did you steal it back?" asked Harry in a dangerously serious voice. There was moment of silence before Kreacher looked up at Harry and said, "Yes."
Harry seemed to rapidly uncoil. His shoulders sagging with a relieved sigh as Ron and Hermione exchanged gleeful looks. Evangeline remained unmoving, trying to garner as much of the past events as possible.
"Where is it now?" asked Harry jubilantly. Kreacher closed his eyes with an almost sorrowful look.
"Gone."
"Gone?" echoed Harry, instantly losing his cheerful demeanor. "What do you mean it's gone?" Kreacher shuddered and looked away, battling with himself, in some sort of inner turmoil.
"Mundungus," he growled, eyes still painfully shut. "He stole it all and - and" he gulped for air, his chest beginning to rise and fall rapidly until his eyes flew open and he screamed rushing for the poker next to the fireplace, his voice ringing in the air.
" - and the locket! Master Regulus's locket, Kreacher did wrong, wrong! FAILED!"
Harry launched himself at the distraught elf, holding his small body away from the potentially fatal poker. Nothing like House-elf suicide.
"Kreacher! Kreacher!" Harry yelled trying to still the flailing house-elf. "How did he take it?"
Kreacher paused, his body shuddering before he fell limp in Harry's arms, tears streaming down his skin; into his mouth. "Kreacher saw him. Kreacher told the sneak thief to stop but he laughed and r-ran. . ."
"You called the locket, 'Master Regulus's,'" said Harry in a calm voice. "Why?"
Harry set Kreacher down, where he curled into a rocking ball, putting his face between his knees and making pitiful sounds, muffled as he finally spoke.
"Master Sirius ran away, good riddance, he was a bad boy, he broke my Mistress's heart with his lawless ways. Master Regulus had proper pride; he knew what was due to the name of Black and his dignity of his pure blood." Evangeline snorted, not quite believing in pure blood, even if her father was a Slytherin. Blood was blood. Harry gave her a sharp look and she shut up.
"Year and years Master Regulus talked of the Dark Lord, who was bringing wizards out of hiding to rule the Muggles and Muggle-borns. . . and when he was sixteen, Master Regulus joined the Dark Lord. So proud, so proud, so happy to serve. . .
"And one day, a year after he joined, Master Regulus came down to the kitchen to see Kreacher. Master Regulus always liked Kreacher. And Master Regulus said. . . he said. . .he said that the Dark Lord required an elf."
"Voldemort need an elf?" Harry repeated looking puzzled. They all were.
"Oh yes," moaned Kreacher. "And Master Regulus volunteered Kreacher. It was an honor, said Master Regulus, and honor for him and Kreacher, who must do whatever the Dark Lord ordered. . . and then c-come home." His sobs filled the still and silent kitchen.
Evangeline felt pity for this small creature. He surely only did what his master wanted and yet it had caused Kreacher so much pain. Despite his revolting appearance she felt her heart go out to him.
"So Kreacher went to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord took Kreacher with him to a cave beside the sea and beyond to a cavern where there was a black lake. . . there was a boat. T-There was a basin full of p-potion in the island. The D-Dark Lord made Kreacher drink it. . ."
Harry visibly paled, the pieces of the puzzle were slowly forming in her mind. Harry had been there too. Her mind worked frantically as Kreacher spoke.
"Kreacher drank, and as he drank, he saw terrible things. . . Kreachers insides burned and Kreacher cried for Master Regulus, but the Dark Lord made Kreacher. . . and then he was sailing away, leaving Kreacher in the island. Kreacher needed water, he crawled down to the water and drank from the lake. . . and hands, dead hands came out and dragged Kreacher under the surface. . ."
Evangeline could see it in her mind. The cold, knarled flesh dragging the small house-elf under. It was like some sick joke that turned wrong, some terrible horror story that only got worse.
"How did you get away?" asked Harry in a whisper.
"It's obvious," said Evangeline, her voice cracking. "He Disapparated. He's a house-elf, his magic made him able to. ." They were silent as they thought over her words, until Hermione spoke, her voice icy.
"Of course, Voldemort would have considered house-elves far beneath his notice, just like all the pure bloods who treat them like animals. . . It would have never occurred to him that they might have magic he didn't."
"Kreacher did what Master Regulus's bidding. Kreacher was told to come home, so Kreacher came home. . ." He shook his head, fat tears still falling down his face. Hermione frowned.
"He did what he was told. Kreacher you've done nothing wrong!"
"What happened?" asked Harry softly. "When you came back."
"Master Regulus was worried, very worried. Master told Kreacher to stay hidden and then a little while later Master Regulus came to find Kreacher in his cupboard one night, and Master was strange, not as he usually was, disturbed in his mind, Kreacher could tell. . . . he asked Kreacher to take him to the cave, so Kreacher took Master Regulus."
"And he made you drink the potion?" said Harry, disgusted.
Kreacher shook his head and cried even harder. Hermione's hands leapt to her mouth: she had just understood something. Evangeline stared off into space, already guessing what had happened. Her musings were proved correct as Kreacher continued his tale.
"M-Master Regulus gave Kreacher a locket like the one the Dark Lord had, and told Kreacher to take it and put it into the basin, to switch lockets. . ." His sobs became rasps now.
"He ordered - Kreacher to leave - without him. And told Kreacher - to go home - and never tell - and destroy the first locket. And he - d-drank the potion - and Kreacher swapped lockets and w-watched. . . as Master Regulus . . . was dragged beneath the water."
Hermione had tears running down her face, Evangeline looked with a pity filled gaze at the house-elf. The tale was not over yet.
"So you brought the locket back," Harry went on relentlessly. "And you tried to destroy it?"
"Kreacher tried, and tried. Nothing worked, every powerful spell, anything, everything. . . Nothing worked, Kreacher punished himself, and tried again, failed and tried again. Kreacher failed to obey orders!" Kreacher sobbed harder now. Evangeline bent down and placed a hand on his knobby shoulders.
"Kreacher?" she asked. "Kreacher, when you feel up to it, please sit up. Everything is alright." She glanced over her shoulder at Harry, who seemed to be collecting his thoughts. Once Kreacher had hiccuped himself into silence he sat up, looking at Harry.
"Kreacher," Harry began slowly. "I am going to ask you to do something. Kreacher, I want you, please, to go find Mundungus Fletcher. We need to find out where the locket - where Master Regulus's locket is. It's very important, that we finish the work Regulus started, we don't - er - want him to have died in vain."
Kreacher looked at Harry with a determined look.
"Mundungus Fletcher?" he croaked.
"Yes, bring him here to Grimmauld Place, can you do that?"
Kreacher nodded and got to his feet. Harry paused and pulled out the locket, the fake Horcrux and pressed it into the elf's hand.
"This was Regulus's, he would've wanted you to have it," Harry told him.
Evangeline flinched as Kreacher howled and threw himself on the ground. It took an hour to calm the house-elf, but only then did Kreacher take the locket and place it in his cupboard, under the dirty blankets. With low bows to Harry, Ron, and Evangeline, and a funny spasm in Hermione's direction did he Disapparate with a loud crack.
It was many days before they saw Kreacher again. Two days later the house-elf had still not shown up. However, two cloaked men had appeared in the square outside, and remained there until night, gazing in the general direction of the house.
They figured they were Death Eaters.
Over the time spent in the dark and overbearing house, Ron developed a rather annoying habit. He played with his Deluminator in his pocket: annoying Hermione and Evangeline. When the lights kept flashing on and off, Evangeline rose from the couch, throwing Ron a dirty look before stalking out of the room and down the hall. She entered the kitchen and set the kettle on the stove, lighting the fire. Upstairs she could hear Hermione bickering with Ron. Another sigh, she pulled out a cracked mug and prepared some tea.
Suddenly the portrait of Mrs. Black began screaming. Dropping the tin of tea, Evangeline rushed up the stairs, her wand in her hand, heart beating wildly.
"Mudbloods and filth dishonoring my house -"
Evangeline crashed in the long hallway, just as Ron and Hermione did so from the drawing room. The spell died on her lips when a familiar voice filled the air.
"Hold your fire, it's me, Remus!"
"Oh, thank goodness," said Hermione weakly, pointing her wand at Mrs. Black; with a bang, the curtains swished shut and silence fell. Ron lowered his wand, but Evangeline stood frozen with her wand still in the air. Her heart still beating rapidly.
"Show yourself!" Harry called into the gloom by the door.
Remus moved forward into the lamp light, hands held up in a gesture of surrender.
"I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Mooney, one of the four creators of the Maurader's Map, married to Nymphadora, usually known as Tonks, and I taught you how to produce a Patronus, Harry, which takes the form of a stag."
"Oh, all right," Harry said lowering his wand. "I had to make sure."
They descended into the kitchen, the kettle whistling loudly. Evangeline rushed to it, pulling it off the heat. Hermione pointed her wand at the fireplace, a fire sprang up instantly. Remus pulled a few butterbeers from beneath his traveling cloak and sat down.
"I'd have come sooner, but I had to get ride of the Death Eaters trailing me," he explained. "What are you four?"
So, Harry told him about their run in with Death Eaters at Tottenham Road. Remus paled. As Harry continued, he shot down the idea that Harry still had a Trace on him. Evidently it was impossible. Remus then told them about what happened after they'd left at the wedding. No one died, save for the Minister of Magic. Ron's decoy Goul had fooled them into thinking he was still there. Death Eaters had taken to torturing people though to find out where Harry was. The Ministry was no longer safe.
Remus handed them a folded copy of the Daily Prophet at the end of his explanation. Harry's picture was on the front page the headline read:
WANTED FOR QUESTIONING ABOUT
THE DEATH OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
They read it in silence, shocked.
"The coup went smoothly and has been virtually silent," said Lupin. They were silent as Hermione took the copy and flipped through its pages. "Look at page two."
Hermione turned to the page he suggested with an expression of distaste.
" 'Muggle-born Register,'" she read aloud. " 'The Ministry of Magic is undertaking a survey of so called "Muggle-borns," the better to understand how they came to possess magical secrets.
" 'Recent research undertaken by the Department of Mysteries reveals that magic can only be passed from person to person when Wizards reproduce. Where no proven Wizarding ancestry exists, therefore, the so-called Muggle-born is likely to have obtained magical power by theft or force.
" 'The Ministry is determined to root out such usurpers of magical power, and to this end has issued an invitation to every so-called Muggle-born to present themselves for interview by the newly appointed Muggle-born Registration Commission.'"
"That's wrong, people must realize that, right?" asked Evangeline. Unable to believe what Hermione had read. "Aren't there people fighting this?"
Remus shook his head. "It's happening as we speak, Muggle-borns are being rounded up."
"There's no way," growled Ron. "I'll tell them that Hermione's my cousin."
Hermione covered Ron's hand with her own and squeezed it.
"Thank you, Ron, but I couldn't let-"
"You won't have a choice," Ron told her fiercely, gripping her hand. Hermione gave him a shaky laugh.
They sat in silence, digesting the news. Evangeline wondered faintly, how all this had happened. Everything seemed to be fine in the states, no 'Lord Voldemort' out to get your neighbor, or having to hid from the Ministry. It all seemed surreal. . .
"I'll understand if you can't confirm this, Harry, but the Order is under the impression that Dumbledore left you a mission," said Remus, breaking the long silence.
"He did," replied Harry, "Ron, Hermione and Ev, are coming with me."
"Can you confide in me what the mission is?"
"I can't."
"I understand. But I'd still be willing to come with you as protection, you know what I am and what I can do."
Evangeline frowned.
"What about Tonks?" asked Hermione.
"What about her?"
"Well, you're married! How does she feel about you going away with us?" asked Hermione, confused.
"Tonks will be safe, at her parents house."
"Remus," said Hermione tentatively, 'is everything alright between you. . . and-"
"Everything is fine, thank you," said Remus pointedly.
Hermione turned pink, and awkwardness filled the air. If Evangeline remembered correctly, Tonks, was the woman she had met in the hallway at Hogwarts all those many nights ago. This was the man she loved, but wouldn't have her? She stared at Remus, his lined face and graying thick hair.
"Tonks is going to have a baby." He did not look happy about it.
"Oh, how wonderful!" squealed Hermione.
"Excellent!" said Ron enthusiastically.
"Congratulations," Harry said with a smile.
Evangeline did not say anything, only stared at Remus with a look of growing confusion. Remus re-asked his earlier question, still wanting to go. Harry glanced at them, a disturbed look in his eyes.
"To be clear, you want to leave Tonks and come with us?" asked Harry.
"She'll be perfectly safe," said Remus with finality and a tone of indifference. "Harry, I'm sure James would have wanted me to stick with you."
"Well," said Harry slowly, "I'm not. I'm pretty sure he would want to know why you're not sticking with your own kid, actually."
Remus's face drained of color, another awkward silence falling over them. Hermione glanced nervously at them, Evangeline completely puzzled.
"You don't understand," he said.
"Explain then," said Harry.
"I - I made a mistake in marrying Tonks. I did it against my better judgment and I have regretted it very much ever since." Evanngelines stomach dropped, Tonks must be heartbroken. Slow building anger worked its way up her spine, how dare he! Leave her alone, and pregnant? She opened her mouth to say something smart, Harry beat her to it.
"I see, so you're just going to dump her and the kid and run off with us?"
Remus jumped to his feet: His chair toppling over and glared fiercely at Harry, looking very much like the shadow of a werewolf. Evangeline slowly rose to her feet, pulling out her wand and leaving it by her side: She backed up near the door, tense as Remus ranted over his mistake. How he had ruined his wifes life, making her an outcast and that she would be better off. He grabbed fistfuls of his hair, looking deranged. He actually believed that werewolves were all bad and that it would be shameful to his child.
"Remus!" whispered Hermione, tears in her eyes. "Don't say that - how could any child be ashamed of you?"
"Oh, I don't know Hermione," said Harry angrily. "I'd be pretty ashamed oh him. Trying to ditch his family and run off with us, I'd never believe this. The man who taught me to fight dementors - a coward."
Remus drew his wand so fast Harry didn't have a chance to draw his; with a loud bang Harry went flying through the air; he slammed into the kitchen wall and slid to the floor, Remus rushed past Evangeline and she followed him out. Running to catch up to his retreating back. Evangeline could hear Hermione's pleas for him to stop.
"Remus, Remus, come back!"
There was a moment where Evangeline slipped through the front door, grabbing his cloak, when she felt the all to familiar feel of Apparition. Her lungs took in a deep gulp of air when their feet landed on solid ground once more and Evangeline stumbled slightly. Remus stood with his back to her.
"Leave."
"Remus, he-"
He began walking away, down the darkened little alley that they were in. Evangeline had no idea where it was. He was under the light of a street lamp when she called out to him. Her voice annoyed and demanding.
"Remus, stop right where you are, or so help me Merlin, I will make you," she snarled. A bubbling feeling filled her chest, an unknown anger rising like never before. When Remus turned to look at her, his retort died on his lips at the expression she held.
In that moment, he could see the small part of werewolf that Greyback had left her with. They stared at each other in silence, Evangeline glaring fiercely at him, Remus betraying no emotion what-so-ever.
"You will listen to what I have to say," she told him. "He didn't mean it, Harry is just stressed, that's all."
"You don't know anything, Evangeline," Remus told her.
"You don't know that."
"I am a coward," said Remus, raising his voice. "Harry said what you all thought. I've ruined the lives of everyone I've ever met."
"Tonks."
"What?"
"Tonks, her life is not ruined."
"Merlin, Evangeline. Are you really that dim?" snapped Remus. "I've made her an outcast. I knew that what I did was wrong-"
"She loves you!" Evangeline said. "More than anything, and you're just throwing her feelings aside, because you feel like you're not good enough?" Evangeline threw her hands in the air. "She thought that you didn't love her. That you would never love her! Tonks felt like she wasn't good enough for you!"
Remus paled at her words, turning to look away.
"It was killing her."
Remus gave her a sharp look, as if wanting to reject her words. Evangeline raised her chin defiantly.
"What would you know of love?" he sneered.
"I know that it hurts, you constantly worry about the one you love. I know I'm not as old as you, Remus, but I know well enough what love is."
Remus came towards her, walking slowly until he stopped a few feet away from where she stood.
"I love Tonks," he stated sadly.
"She loves you, go back, stay with her."
"I can't."
"It will kill her, in the end, if you're not there," Evangeline told him. "Don't leave her alone." Remus hung his head, his shoulders slumping. Evangeline reached out and squeezed his arm in a hopefully comforting manner.
"Go home, Remus, go home."
"Your father always told me you were smart," said Remus sadly. "That you had a heart that everyone loved. I can see the truth there. Go back."
"Goodbye, Remus," Evangeline said sadly. "Tell Tonks Congrats for me."
With a turn, Evangeline vanished with a POP!
She landed on the top step back at Grimmauld Place, entering the house. When the door had shut, the voice in the hall rose up again.
"Severus Snape?"
"I didn't kill you," she said loudly before 'Old Dusty' could rise up out of the floor. She could hear raised voices down the hall, leading to the kitchen. Evangeline ran down the stairs and stopped as she entered the kitchen. Kreacher was back.
Harry stood over a man with matted hair, and stained robes. He smelled something terrible, even from across the room. They all looked up at her arrival. Harry gave her a nod which she returned, before he turned back to the man.
"Who was this woman?"
"I dunno, some Ministry hag," said the man. "Little woman. Bow on top of'er head."
At his words Harry dropped his wand like he'd been punched in the gut. As a result the wand shot at the mans nose and set red sparks into his eyebrows, which ignited.
"Aguamenti!" screamed Hermione. The water hit the man and out him out. Harry, Ron and Hermione shared looks of shock. Evangeline entered the room.
"Well, who is it?"
Harry turned to her, his response a whisper, as if the persons name was altogether evil. Little did she know, how right those thoughts were. . .
"Dolores Umbridge."
I have a hard time trying to think about all that I did. . . . holy crap, I wrote all that. Sorry that it took a week. That wasn't my plan, but I bet you all were glad for the short break, seemed like ages to me.
Hoped you liked the chapter, even if it is long! Thank you to everyone who favorited and alerted!
~CHAO