xXMizz Alec VolturiXx- Here is the next chapter! (I don't know if I am satisfied with it though . . .)

wisegirl2772- I totally understand that Ron didn't seem like Ron. I just don't know how to write him! He's such a hard character for me, I can't figure out why. But yeah, he does not like Ev, at all.

Sassasaurus- Yep, Ron. I don't know, he's just hard to write, like I said above! :) But when they were in the woods he just seemed so . . . mean and moody and to me that carried over into the story. So yeah, he was OOC, and a villian, but I guess that's what happened! :P

Frostwyrm Queen- thank ya!

As always, read and enjoy!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: In Godric's Hollow

The next morning Evangeline stood in a daze, having taken watch that night. She entered the tent, sitting at the table and staring at her folded hands. The chipped paint of her red nails still bright as the day she had painted them. She picked at her nails.

Awhile later Harry came, and joined her. They didn't speak as she picked at her nails. Aside from it being the worst birthday she'd ever had, last night had been a nightmare. Her eyes traveled to were the locket still lay on the ground. Ron would never have hit her had he not been wearing it, right? Her hands balled up into tight fists.

Didn't mean she couldn't be mad at him for it though.

"Ev, let me look at it," said Harry. Evangeline looked at him, and realized what he meant. Her face. Scowling, she looked away.

"I've had worse," she reminded him. "Do you want to see my neck too?"

"Ev," he said with a sigh, "just let me take a look."

"No."

Harry blew out an irritated breath, puffing up his chest. He leaned forward, across the table, with a determined look. Evangeline hid her face behind her hair, refusing to look at him.

"C'mon, I promise it won't hurt," Harry said. Evangeline rolled her eyes.

"Harry, just leave me alone."

"I'm trying to help!"

"Well maybe I don-" Evangeline stopped. Before her sat a small little brown package. Tied with a purple ribbon. Hermione smiled down at her shocked expression. It was a half-hearted attempt. Her eyes were still red rimmed from crying.

"Happy late Birthday, Ev," said Hermione.

"I- never told . . . anyone?"

Hermione smiled, taking a seat next to Harry.

"I found out. Besides we missed your birthday last year."

"Your Birthday?" asked Harry confused. "Why did you not tell us?"

"I turned sixteen, so what?" she told them with a shrug. "I didn't say anything this year because of what was going on . . ."

Harry looked away, shamefaced. Hermione gulped hard and looked down at her hands. Evangeline mentally berated herself for her choice of words. Slowly she reached forward and opened the small brown package. She pulled out a small box containing several different colored powders. Her eyes widened.

"This . . . this."

"Ginny and I picked it out. We figured that you might like some more color choices for your potions, when you get the chance to make more, that is," said Hermione. Evangeline smiled.

"Thank you, it means a lot to me."

"Can I please look at your face?" Harry asked again. Evangeline scowled at him. He stared straight at her, a pleading look on his face. His green eyes literally making her melt. Grumbling she leaned forward.

"Happy?"

He didn't say anything as he took her chin in his hand and tilted her head to look at her bruise better. Hermione whimpered. Harry reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a small tin. With both hands he opened the tin and dipped a finger into the yellow paste.

Evangeline leaned away, frowning at him.

"What is that?"

"Merlin, Ev, it's just a bruise ointment," Harry said.

"Like the one Fred gave to me!" Hermione said, "when I had that black eye."

"I remember," Evangeline grumbled and leaned forward. She winced as he dabbed on the ointment.

"I don't think he hit you too hard," he commented. Evangeline rolled her eyes.

"Really?" she said sarcastically.

"Have you looked in the mirror?" he asked. Evangeline settled her gaze on him with a serious look. The corners of her mouth twitched.

"You realize that you just told me I'm ugly?"

Harry paused, smirked, and nodded slowly. Evangeline smiled, leaning away from him once he was done. They sat in silence for a few moments before Harry stood, stretching his arms in a casual manner. Evangeline knew he was really trying to hide what he was feeling. She couldn't blame him.

Ron was gone.

He was their best friend. Granted, he was sometimes fun to be around. Hermione purposefully looked anywhere but at them. Finally Harry said what they were dreading of doing.

"We gotta move."

Hermione choked back a sob, holding her hand tightly against her chest. Evangeline hung her head. If they moved, Ron would not be able to find them again. Harry walked over to the locket, staring down at it with his hands in his pockets. His shoulders sagged as he sighed. Bending down he picked it up, and put it around his neck.

"Harry, do you think we should . . . be wearing that? After . . ?" asked Evangeline hesitantly.

"What choice have we got, Ev?" Harry said. "It's not like we can leave it somewhere and come back."

"We could-"

"No. We need to pack up and move," Harry told her with an air of finality. "We've already lingered here too long."

Evangeline stood, fury bubbling inside her; she stalked over to her punk and pulled out her charmed bag. After putting her birthday present inside she helped Hermione to pack up the tent. They lingered then, in the woods, waiting for Ron. Only to see if he might come back. They watched, half expecting to see the redhead appear between the trees. Hermione's eyes were full of silent tears that ran down the side of her face, as they came together.

Harry held out a hand to each of the girls. Slowly Evangeline took his outstretched hand, being suddenly reminded how very different it was from Draco's. She wondered where he was and what he was doing. Was he safe? Panic rose in her chest, so she held her breath and counted to ten.

But by the time she opened her eyes she was not standing in the middle of a forest any more. She was standing on a windswept heather-covered hillside. Hermione had dropped his hand, going to sit on the rocks and sob into her knees. Evangeline gave Harry a worried look. But he wasn't looking at her.

He dropped her hand, stalking away and drawing out his wand. He began the protective enchantments without a word to either of them. He seemed too upset to even speak. Even when he looked at her, it was a look of contempt. Evangeline shuddered, as a gust of cold wind took the rocks, pulling her coat tighter around her body. Vaguely she wondered why she was the cause of all the problems.

It didn't matter who she was with or where. It always seemed to happen when she was around. At home she had taken their mother. Here she had finally driven away their best friend. Her brothers never got along, always fighting. Ron never liked her. But she had never liked him either. Evangeline sighed. Couldn't she do something right for once?

Pushing her thoughts back deeper into her mind she got the tent out and set it up with a flick of her wand. She ushered Hermione into the dark tent, lighting her wand with, "lumos". Evangeline led Hermione to a bunk, and helped her lay down. Harry stomped in, glancing at her before collapsing into an armchair and pulling the locket over his head. He studied it, in his hand in silence. Evangeline sank into the other armchair.

"You want me to take it?" she asked sullenly. Harry glanced at her.

"You sure? The full moons not far off . . ."

"I don't think Hermione can take it now, and you don't look like you can handle it for much longer, so yeah. I can take it," she told him. She held out her hand, as he raised his brows.

"You and I both know, you hate getting it. You alright?"

"Never better, Harry. Just let me take it, and you go get some rest."

Harry sighed, she couldn't tell if it was fatigue or frustration. He dropped the locket into her outstretched hand; standing he went to his bunk.

"Thanks, Ev," he murmured, before crawling into bed.

"No, problem," she whispered, putting the gold chain around her neck. She knew none of them were really sleeping.

They did not talk about Ron. Harry seemed determined not to say his name. Not that they didn't mind. But it didn't stop Hermione from crying herself to sleep every night, or Harry sitting on his own in brooding silence. Evangeline tried her best to keep things together.

She took to getting the majority of the meals, infinitely grateful to Hermione who had done it for so long. Now she understood her frustration. Of course, Hermione cooked it, since she did not trust herself not to poison them all. Her wilderness cooking skills were rubbish.

By day they tried to determine where the Gryffindor sword was hidden. The more they talked, discussed, and planned, the more far-fetched their ideas became. Evangeline even suggested that unicorns had taken the sword to the land of candy. In which, she had been sent to bed early like a four year old without supper. Evangeline couldn't help but think that Ron had been right.

Harry didn't know what he was doing.

Their evenings where spent in near silence. Occasionally, she would speak up. but only to ask a question or two about a book she was reading, or to try and make her potions. So far she had only made three working batches. Slowly she was going insane with the mood of every day.

During one of these days, Hermione had realized that she had been wearing the locket for more than a day. Promptly, Evangeline had the locket removed and Hermione poke and prod her to make sure she wasn't possessed. It was maddening.

Every night, she wondered where Draco was, if he was safe. Hoping that he was not in trouble or being hurt. Harry, though, enjoyed telling her about his school days with Draco. At first she was glad that he was speaking. But it soon turned to annoyance as he went on and on about his confrontations with him.

She knew he wasn't the type to be brave like a Gryffindor. But that didn't mean he couldn't change. He was ambitious, yes. But he was a Slytherin. So were her brothers and father. She understood how they thought. Draco was a bully. But not with her, and not when she went to school. He could change.

The weather got colder and colder as they continued to move. They braved the mountains, were sleet pounded the tent. They went all over the countryside, out of fear of being caught. They were constantly getting up and moving. Even if it snowed, and the tent was nearly buried.

One night, after Hermione had snuck to a local grocery store under the Invisibility Cloak, they were able to eat a very good meal. If you could call it that. Evangeline was hungry enough anything sounded good.

Spaghetti Bolognese and tinned pears. Harry suggested that they all not wear the locket too. So they were in higher spirits. Evangeline was glad for that. The gold locket was hung over the end of a bunk.

"Hermione?" asked Harry as they finished their meal.

"Hmm?" was her response, as she was curled up in one of the armchairs with The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and Spellman's Syllabry. Evangeline lay on her bunk reading a potioneer book, provided by Hermione. She looked up at them when Harry cleared his throat.

"Hermione, I've been think, and-"

"Harry, could you help me with something?"

Evangeline grinned as Harry realized that she was not listening to him. She leaned towards him and held out The Tales of Beedle the Bard to him. Harry whipped the scowl off his face as he looked over what she was trying to show him.

"That symbol," she said pointing to something on the page.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she hurried over to the two, leaning over Harry's shoulder to get a look at the page. Hermione's finger was pointing to something that looked like a triangular eye, its pupil crossed with a vertical line.

"I never took Ancient Runes, Hermione."

"That's not a Rune," murmured Evangeline staring at the strange symbol. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"It's true. It's not in the Syllabry, but it looks like somebody inked it in here. It's not part of the book. Think, have you ever seen it before?"

"No . . ." Harry said slowly, "no, wait a moment." He looked closer. "Isn't that the same symbol Luna's dad was wearing around his neck?"

"It is!" gasped Hermione.

"Then it's Grindelwald's mark."

Hermione stared at Harry open mouthed.

"What?"

"Krum told me . . ."

Harry told them about the story Viktor Krum had told him at the wedding. Apparently Grindelwald killed many people, even Krum's grandfather. He was not a good man. Even carved the symbol into Durmstrang's wall. It was a symbol for dark magic. Hermione was shocked.

"Grindelwald'smark? I've never heard that Grindelwald had a mark. There's no mention of it in anything I've ever read about him."

"Well, Krum did say that he carved the symbol into Durmstrang's wall," Evangeline said. Hermione sat back in the armchair, frowning.

"It's very odd. If it's a symbol of Dark Magic, what's it doing in a book of children's stories?"

"Yeah, it is weird," Harry agreed. "And you'd think Scrimgeour would have recognized it. He was the Minister, he ought to have been an expert on Dark stuff."

"True," Evangeline mused, "but he must've thought it was an eye, just like we did."

They fell into silence again, as Hermione returned to the book to look at the strange mark.

"Hermione?" asked Harry.

"Hmm?"

"I've been thinking. I - I want to go to Godric's Hollow." Evangeline shot up into the air, her mind screaming "no!" But Hermione looked at him with an unfocused look, clearly not listening to him again.

"Yes," she said. "Yes, I've been wondering that too. I really think we'll have to go."

"Absolutely not!" cried Evangeline.

"We should," said Hermione, her gaze focusing. "That's the only place the sword could be. It'll be dangerous, yeah. But Godric's Hollow is Godric Gryffindor's birthplace -"

"Really? Gryffindor came from Godric's Hollow?" asked Harry.

"Harry, did you even open A History of Magic?"

"Erm," Harry said smiling, "I might've opened it . . ."

"Honestly, Harry . . ." said Hermione.

"Aren't you listening?" asked Evangeline. "No. We shouldn't go there!"

"Where else then?" Hermione said. "It's our only choice."

"We can't all go!"

"We have to, though, or we'll be separated. Do you want to destroy the locket or not?"

Evangeline crossed her arms with a huff, staring at her feet and grudgingly nodded. Every part of her screamed that it was a bad idea. There must be someone that would figure they might go there. What if they got caught?

"Good, then," Hermione pulled a copy of A History of Magic out. Evangeline settled herself on the floor, yanking Harry's blanket out of his lap, much to his annoyance. She wrapped it around herself and readied herself for a lesson.

But what she expected did not happen. Instead Hermione gasped so dramatically that Harry sprung to his feet, wand drawn. When he saw no one there he groaned.
"What?" he said half angry, half relieved. "What did you do that for? I thought-"

"Bathilda Bagshot!" Hermione said excitedly. "She wrote A History of Magic, and she lives in Godric's Hollow! Harry, what if she has the sword? What if Dumbledore entrusted it to her?"

Harry thought it over, slowly sinking back into his chair. He stared intensely at the book. Evangeline thought too. It made sense in a funny sort of crazy way. Bathilda Bagshot was incredibly old, not that it mattered, and lived in Gryffindor's birthplace. A place where hiding the sword would be almost ideal. Bathilda just lived there and possibly could have the sword that could destroy the locket.

"Yeah, he might have done! So, are we going to go to Godric's Hollow?" Harry said finally.

"Yes, but we need to be careful and think this through, Harry," said Hermione. "We'll need to practice Disapparating together and under the Invisibility Cloak first, then Disillusionment Charms. Might as well do Polyjuice potions."

Harry nodded, adding a comment or two on things he thought would work.

oOo

Evangeline had to be patient. Very patient. It turned out that they would not be going to Godric's Hollow as soon as they wanted, for Hermione had other plans. They constantly practiced disapparating, and even roped her into making the Polyjuice potion.

Since Evangeline had already been apparating for years it did matter really, that she practiced. Harry was green with envy. But finally Hermione said they were ready.
Evangeline dished out three small cups of the thick potion, hairs already mixed into their portions. Hermione regarded hers with a wary look, until Harry elbowed her.
"There's no cat hair in this batch, we made sure of it," said Harry. Hermione shot him a withering look.

"Cat?" asked Evangeline. Harry looked over at her with a small smirk on his lips.

"Our second year, we wanted to see if Draco was the Heir of Slytherin, no offense," he said.

"None taken, continue."

"Well, Hermione brewed us some Polyjuice potion. But when we added the hairs, turns out she got Mrs. Noris's hair instead of who we intended."

Evangeline shot Hermione a wide eyed look, trying to keep a straight face as her lips twitched.

"Mrs. Noris?" laughter filled her voice. Hermione scowled at them, downing her cup with one gulp and a small burp. Harry rose his brows and said nothing.

"It was a mistake, that's all," said Hermione indifferently.

"Right," Evangeline said, drawing out each syllable. Harry drank his Polyjuice, and Evangeline followed suit. As their bodies changed, Evangeline couldn't help but cringe every time her joints popped or when an odd sensation filled her body. When it passed she help up a small hand mirror and looked at her new reflection.

Harry was a now, balding, middle-aged Muggle man. Hermione into a small mousy woman, who was the "wife" of the balding man. Evangeline herself was also middle-aged, with wispy white hair floating around her face. Slightly hunched, she rolled her shoulders with a frown.

"I still think I should've gotten the daughter," she mumbled.

Hermione and Harry rolled their eyes and the trio set to work cleaning up the tent. When they apparated, under the cover of the Invisibility Cloak, they arrived in a small snowy lane under a dark blue sky. The cottages lining the lane were decorated with Christmas lights twinkling in each of the windows. Evangeline stood awed by the serene feel of it all. The small white snow falling from the sky like rain, covering everything and turning it into a winter wonderland.

"Harry, Ev, I think it's Christmas Eve!" said Hermione at last.

"Is it?"

"I'm sure of it," said Hermione. Harry pulled the cloak off them. When Hermione shot him a terrified look he quickly explained.

"Snow, we'll be seen anyway. Besides we have the Polyjuice."

"Yeah, until it runs out," muttered Evangeline, her eyes upon the church. When was the last time she had stepped foot in a church? She wracked her memory, dimly recalling sitting during mass, with her family. Then her mother died and her father vowed never to set foot in one again. "Your parents . . ." she said softly, "they'll be in there won't they? There is a graveyard behind it. . ."

Harry looked past her at the church, emotions flickering across his face quicker than they could be deciphered. Hermione saw this and silently took his hand, leading him forward. Evangeline followed hesitantly.

Then Hermione froze.

"Harry, look!"

Her gloved hand was pointing towards a memorial. As they passed it the obelisk covered in names transformed into three people: a man with untidy hair and glasses, a woman with long hair and a kind, pretty face, and a baby boy sitting on his mother's arms. Harry approached the statues, pausing to look at his parents, until finally he turned away.

"C'mon."

They walked past the church, where singing could be heard from, filling the air with an almost haunting melody in the cold snowy air. Memories of her mother came to mind, old and faint with age. She could remember her voice most clearly, singing. Evangeline swallowed thickly and followed Harry and Hermione to the gate. She followed them through the snow and around the church to the graveyard.

Evangeline froze at the sight of rows upon rows of snowy tombstones, protruding from the blanket of snow. In her minds eye she could see rows upon rows of flower laden headstones, as her fathers heavy hand rested on her shoulder. He led her deeper into the graveyard, and finally to the spot where her mother's coffin lay, ready to be put into the earth. Evangeline blinked away her tears as Hermione's voice filled the air.

"Harry! Come here!"

Evangeline hurried over to the two, who were looking down at a tombstone. It was extremely old and weathered. She could not see the name, but Hermione was pointing to a symbol on it.

"Harry, that's the mark from the book!"

It was hard to see, but there was a triangle with a circle and a line in it. Hermione pointed her wand at the name of the headstone, illuminating it.

"It says Ig - Ignotus, I think . . ."

Harry looked away with disinterest, as the two girls peered closer at the writing. "I'm going to look for my parents, okay?" he said, as Hermione and Evangeline waved him away. Evangeline straightened up stretching out her back.

"Who do you think he is?" she asked. Hermione shrugged.

"It's hard to tell, I've never heard of the name in any of the books I've read," said Hermione. Evangeline nodded and walked with Hermione as they looked at each of the headstones. Evangeline drew closer to a newer tombstone, made of white marble, the names seeming to shine in the dark of the night.

"Hermione?" she called.

"Hmm?"

"Isn't Harry's parents, Lily and James Potter?"

"Yes- yes it is. What have you foun- Harry! They're here . . . right here," she called. Harry approached slowly, his eyes needing no light to read the marble tombstone:

JAMES POTTER LILY POTTER

Born 27 March 1960 Born 30 January 1960

Died 31 October 1981 Died 31 October 1981

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Harry read the last phrase out-loud, his voice breaking halfway through it. He sniffed, as if crying. Evangeline touched his shoulder gently, finding that he was indeed crying. The slow tears falling to his cheeks. He made no move to hide them.

Hermione took his hand and gave him a comforting squeeze, her eyes also filling with tears. Harry took great gulps of air, trying to regain his composure, to steady himself. Slowly Hermione pulled out her wand and raised it, moving it in a circle through the air, and a wreath of Christmas roses blossomed on the grave.

Harry looked down at the grave for a moment longer, before taking both their hands and leading them back towards the church and out into the sparkling snow covered lane.

There was supposed to be a space inbetween Harry's parents names, but the computer won't let me put it in! :( So that's why it was weird. Anyways, next week I will post another chapter and . . . wait for it . . . are you ready for Ron to be back?

~CHAO