"So merpeople are taking something from you and you've got to get it back?" Hermione summed up Harry's long winded explanation of what had happened the following night.

"Yes, but that's not what's important."

"You don't exactly have much time to figure out how to breathe underwater for an hour." Evie paused and ran her teeth over her bottom lip. "But, Crouch being in Snape's office is weird."

"Didn't Percy say Mr. Crouch was sick? Why would he lie about that?" Hermione turned to Harry.

Something stirred in the back of Evie's mind. She reached for it, furrowing her brow as she realized it was just beyond her grasp. "Something feels off about this."

"Crouch was snooping around in Snape's office. Snape has been having secret conversations with a Death Eater and Harry might drown. This is basically every year for us."

Evie rolled her eyes at the ginger boy across from her, but she couldn't dispute him. "What arm was Snape holding?"

"His left."

"Why is that…" The crease between her eyebrows deepened. "Why does that feel significant?"

"What're you looking at me for? Hermione's the one who knows everything." Ron's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.

"No. I don't think she would know this. It feels like something we should know." Her finger danced between them.

"Where did you hear about it?" Harry asked.

Evie scoffed. "If I knew that I wouldn't be having so much trouble remembering." The girl sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Sorry, I'm just frustrated. I know I know this. I just can't think."

"We don't need to figure this out tonight." Hermione offered a calming smile. "The more immediate issue is how Harry's going to breathe underwater for an hour. We aren't advanced enough to do human transfiguration."

"I don't know any spells that could help either."

"We're going to have to go to the library aren't we?" Ron groaned.

Evie and Hermione smiled.

Dear Eris,

I need your help. I think something dangerous is going on and I think you might have information that could help me figure at least part of it out. This is a great chance for you to prove that you're willing to share information that might help Harry. It will also make me more willing to vouch for you. Please meet me by the lake immediately after dinner. I'll make sure we aren't seen talking.

Evie

When she finished the letter even breathing and Parvati's light snoring were once again the only sounds in the room. Evie had waited until she was sure Hermione was sleeping to quietly get out of bed and quill the letter. She'd decided to write it after the stirring in her brain had become too much. She knew she was forgetting something important, and had begrudgingly admitted to herself who might be the only person that could help her figure it out.

Evie crept from the dorm down to the common room. The fire was nothing but embers by then and she stubbed her toe on a chair trying to make her way across the space. Grunting, but forcing herself not to let out any of the imaginative words flying through her mind, Evie kept going.

At the bottom of the opposite spiral staircase, she hesitated. A silent argument raged inside of her. She ended it by reminding herself that what she was doing might seem wrong, but could ultimately help her friends more than it would hurt them.

Breathing deeply, she continued to the very top of the stairs. Pausing, she pulled out her wand. "Silencio," she whispered at the creaky door.

It opened, at her behest, without a sound. Evie peeked and waited for something or someone to react. When she heard nothing after a minute, she entered completely. Though the room was dark, it was set up exactly like her own so she had no trouble moving around. Knowing Harry's bed was next to Ron's she knew exactly where to go.

The third trunk on the right was thankfully clear of any clutter. Opening it as quietly as she could manage, Evie pulled out her wand once more. "Accio, Invisibility Cloak." She practically breathed the words instead of speaking them. Guilt crashed over her in waves, nearly drowning her, but her concentration was steady and the cloak lifted up to her easily.

Evie quickly wrapped the pilfered item around her, closed the trunk and stood. She paused just long enough to glance at the bed in front of her and mouth an apology before she rushed out of the room, making sure to reverse her spell on the door before she descended the stairs.

Oddly enough, the late night trek to the Owlery was the easiest part of the night. The Invisibility Cloak ensured she wasn't seen, and she'd run the corridors enough times, both at night and during the day, to remember her way without much thought. Only twice did she nearly run into Filch or Mrs. Norris. The first time she simply slowed her pace and sidestepped Filch. The second time she had to jump into a particularly dusty alcove to throw off Mrs. Norris.

That night she stared at her canopy until her eyes burned with sleep and she couldn't keep them open any longer. Her dreams were twisted and uncomfortable.

Evie's betrayal sat heavy at the bottom of her bag. It almost felt like it was burning a hole through the cloth. Every few minutes she shifted and glanced up toward the Slytherin table. Post took longer than usual that day, or maybe it didn't, Evie couldn't tell.

The screech on Malfoy's eagle owl signified the moment of truth. Glancing up every so often, Evie watched a small brown owl drop her letter in front of Zabini. He opened it in the same manner he did everything, an air of boredom that suggested that life itself was tedious to him. His eyes traced the page twice. An inky eyebrow raised. Browns eyes met hers over parchment. When he was sure she was watching he looked back down, nodded at the letter with raised eyebrows, and folded the paper again.

All of this took only a minute. Evie had glanced up and surveyed the Great Hall as nonchalantly as she could manage. Unfortunately, the last pair of eyes she found were not the deep brown of Zabini's but the ice grey of Malfoy's. He'd narrowed them into sickles which he swung between Evie and Zabini.

Turning back to her food, Evie wondered how much Zabini was telling Malfoy about their arrangement. He certainly knew more than her friends. What he didn't know he was suspicious about. Evie had to tighten her grip on her silverware to keep it from slipping from her slick palms.

"D'you think he'd help?"

Becoming aware that the conversation her friends were having beside her had stopped, Evie turned to them. Their eyes were trained on her. "Hmm?"

"I asked if you thought Cedric might help us? Loan us an Advanced Charms book or something?" Hermione scanned her face, a crease forming between her eyebrows. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yes, of course. I was actually just thinking of asking him. He might not be eager to offer more assistance, but I'm sure I could at least get a book. I'm going to catch up with him after dinner while you head off to the library."

"Why don't you just ask him now?" Ron spooned the last of the food on his plate into his mouth.

"It's almost time for class and I need time to persuade him."

"So ask him at lunch."

"I can't. I just told you I needed time to persuade him. Plus, with other Hufflepuff's around he's less likely to cave. Especially since he won't be sure it's not offering you an unfair advantage to help more than he already has."

"That's ridiculous."

"Hi, have you met my brother? Tall, brown hair, Hufflepuff. All about fairness, justice, loyalty and family. He almost gave up a win over Gryffindor last year because Harry was attacked by a Dementor. Ringing any bells?"

The three Gryffindors around her started smiling. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Starting to sound a bit familiar."

"That's who I'm going up against."

The bell rang and the quartet gathered their bags. Evie's felt heavier than usual. She had to work to keep it from weighing her down as they made their way to the greenhouses. She should have known then how rough the day would be.

She spent twice as long taking her books out every class. She spent half of every class readjusting how it sat at her feet. Everytime she touched it her fingertips burned. If none of this was bad enough, she couldn't help but notice Harry also seemed uncomfortable.

He knows. Evie thought as she watched her bespectacled friend shift uncomfortably in his seat again. She hadn't been able to stop herself from noting he always did it after she fidgeted with her bag. He knows and he's angry.

The rest of her day was spent this way.

Of course he doesn't know.

Then why is he fidgeting?

If he knew he'd have said something.

He's hoping I'll return it. Or I'll at least ask.

No, he's torturing me. The fidgeting is punishment.

Stop being stupid, Evie. If you don't calm down he really will know.

"Evie?"

"Hmm?" Glancing from Hermione's knitted brow to Harry and Ron just behind her and the nearly empty classroom, Evie stood up.

"Are you alright?"

"What? Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" The freckled girl quickly packed up her books and slung her bag over her shoulder. She shifted it to redistribute the weight.

"You've been off all day."

"Hermione, I'm fine." She shift the bag's position on her shoulders. "I've just been thinking about Harry's problem. I can't believe I don't know a spell for this."

"We have time still."

"Hermione's right. You shouldn't be feeling guilty. This isn't all on you."

Evie's eyes connected to Harry's with so much speed that she felt a muscle in her neck protest. "I never said I felt guilty."

"Yeah you did, just now." Ron had turned to stare at Harry as well. Hermione's eyes darted between two of her friends. "Didn't you?"

"No. I mean I do feel bad, but I never said I felt guilty."

Evie searched hard, but she couldn't find any malice in his eyes. She also couldn't honestly say that she felt as though Harry knew what she had done.

"It must've been your face, then. Hermione saw it too." Harry disconnected their eyes and shrugged.

Evie turned to Hermione. For a moment her friend's face was torn, then Hermione shrugged. "You have looked upset."

"Yeah." Evie nodded and rubbed the side of her neck with the angry muscle. "Of course I have. Let's get dinner."

She started forward, not making eye contact with any of her friends. They fell into step around her and she felt Hermione glance between her and Harry once more. Evie pretended she didn't notice.

They got to dinner and as soon as food was on their plates, Hermione began strategizing how they would tackle the library. Harry and Ron listened and groaned. Evie tuned it all out, preferring to try to decipher Harry's earlier statement. It wasn't the first time he'd seemed to have a better understanding of her emotions then Hermione.

Evie wondered what was happening to Harry, and her for that matter. The dreams, the pain in their marks, though hers was different, and his sudden intuitiveness when it came to her emotions...that might have been the weirdest thing of all.

Harry was terrible with girls. He was terrible with emotions in general. He always had too many or not enough. She was constantly reining him in, reminding him to stay level headed. So why was he able to deem with such ease what she was feeling?

"Aren't you going to eat?" Evie glanced up at Ron, who was watching her push her food around her plate.

"I'm not very hungry."

"Are you nervous about talking to your brother?"

"Maybe, why?" Evie stared hard at Harry again.

"Well, I just guessed. I mean, I can't eat when I'm nervous." He looked uncomfortable.

"Cedric seems to be in a good mood." Hermione pointed her fork towards the Hufflepuff table.

Cedric was laughing at something Maxine, the Hufflepuff Beater, was saying. Cho was seated beside him. She was laughing too, but not as fully as Cedric. Nobody laughed as fully as Cedric.

"Maybe this'll be easier than you thought." Ron took a piece of bread off her plate.

"There were rolls left."

"I know," he answered with a mouth full of her food.

"How does Ginny put up with brothers like you and the twins?"

"I don't," the younger redhead called as Ron opened his mouth to protest.

Hermione and Harry burst out laughing. Evie just smiled. Ron tried to look as insulted as he could muster with cheeks the size of a chipmunk's.

The plates cleared themselves soon after that and students started leaving the Great Hall. Evie saw her friends to the stairs and waved them off, before turning like she was heading to the Hufflepuff common room. Instead she slipped into an alcove just before the hallway leading to the kitchen.

Pulling Harry's Invisibility cloak out of her bag, Evie wrapped herself in it and stepped out of the alcove, watching the crowd thin out as students drifted to their destinations. When she could slip through them without fear of bumping into anyone Evie set off to the giant front doors of the castle.

Hardly anyone was outside. It was cold and snow was still falling heavily. Evie passed a couple giggling just out of the light of the entrance hall. When she glance at them she had to quickly look away. They were tangled together, snogging like they were never going to see each other again. Picking up the pace, Evie glanced towards the lake where a single silhouette was gliding from side to side.

"Zabini?" Evie whispered when she was close enough for him to hear her.

The Slytherin turned quickly, his eyes darting left and right. "Diggory?"

"No, it's the other person you snuck out here to meet." Evie rolled her eyes, then wished he could see her roll her eyes.

"You brought me out here to freeze while you snipe at me then?" He raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow, then began pacing again.

Evie fell into step beside him. "No, of course not."

"Then let's get this over with, shall we? What did you want?"

"Harry saw something...confusing the night before last."

"Potter was out and about after hours again, was he? I should die from the surprise."

"Now who's sniping?"

"What spell did you use?"

"I didn't. It's an invisibility cloak."

"You have an invisibility cloak?"

"Well...no…"

"You stole an invisibility cloak?" He was smirking.

"I only borrowed it. I'm giving it back tonight."

"Who did you steal it from?"

"Borrowed! And, none of your business. Focus, I didn't call you out here so you could be insufferable. You could do that anywhere."

"Fine, thief. What did you want?"

"Where do Death Eaters get their Dark Marks?"

He stopped moving then, glancing in the direction of her voice. He looked at the top of her head. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"I did. Why do you want to know?"

"I told you, Harry saw something."

"What did he see?"

"That wasn't part of this deal."

"So I'm supposed to give you all the information I have but you'll give me nothing in return?"

"I'm not the one who needs to earn trust here." Evie glared hard, once again wishing he could get the full effect of her face.

He scoffed, his breath leaving in a large white puff of frustration. Shaking his head, Zabini ran a hand across his hat. Evie wondered if he'd had hair once since the gesture seemed pointless without it.

Zabini started pacing again. "Fine."

"Where, Zabini?"

"What if I don't know?"

"You've grown up around them your whole life. Do you really not know? Can it be hidden? Is it somewhere it wouldn't normally be seen?"

"It can be hidden. It's not like it's on their foreheads." Zabini stopped again, stuffed his hands into his pockets and kicked the snow. He started moving once more. "Left forearm."

This time Evie stopped. Zabini didn't notice. She didn't care that he didn't.

Had Harry even said that's where Snape had grabbed his arm? He must've because she knew that's where it was. She couldn't recall the moment he'd said it, maybe it was more of a gesture. Harry did move a lot when he talked, didn't he? He must've said, or showed her. But that couldn't have been right.

Dumbledore wouldn't….he couldn't...not after what they did. Surely he'd have told Harry. Surely he wouldn't let one teach. But then, Karkaroff is a Headmaster. But Durmstrang is different. Dumbledore wasn't like that. But Harry had definitely told her, in one way or another...

"Draco?"

The name snapped Evie back to solid ground. She looked up just in time to watch Malfoy finish his march straight to Zabini. She slowed her breathing.

"What in Merlin's name is going on with you, Blaise?"

"I don't know what you mean, mate." Zabini lied like he was telling the absolute truth. Evie had to suppress a shiver.

"Don't treat me like an idiot. You and Diggory stealing bloody glances during meals, the letters, pacing out here alone in the middle of winter?" His voice sounded disbelieving about Zabini being alone. Evie was both impressed and terrified. "What did you do?"

"Mate…" Evie realized in that second what Zabini was going to do. "I told you I was jumping ship before something real happened."

Malfoy's eyebrows turned into a unibrow for a split second before they separated and found his hairline. His eyes were overtaking the rest of his features. "You didn't?"

"I did."

"When?"

"The Yule Ball. Saved her from her handsy date."

"Did she actually listen?"

"A bit. She's hesitant, but I think...I think it could work."

"She's hesitant?" Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "What did she want from you?"

"How do you know she wanted something?"

"It's Diggory. She's not stupid, she'd want some sort of assurances."

"Information, conversation, commitment and chivalry."

"So the letters?"

"Conversation and commitment. Also, the only way we know how to get in touch if we, meaning she, needs something."

"Like information? About Him? About our parents and friends?"

"Were they ever really our friends?" Zabini smirked.

"No. Our parents?"

"Him. She mostly just wants information on Him, a little warning if another World Cup is going to happen, and sometimes she asks about things to help Potter."

"My father was apart of the World Cup thing."

"So was mine...you know what I mean," the darker Slytherin amended when Malfoy shot him a look.

They were an amazing contrast side by side. Evie rarely got the chance to notice since she was always yelling at one or the other. Zabini was dark everywhere, his eyes, what little hair he had, his lips, even his voice was somehow darker. Perhaps fuller was a better word. Malfoy was just the opposite. He was so pale. Pale eyes, pale hair, pale lips, and even though his voice was deep as well, it was still lighter.

"Look, I'm sure if you asked her, she'd make sure not to hurt your family. She might even try to help them. Don't you want to save your mum?"

"What about Potter? Is he going to save my mum too? Is he going to promise not to kill my father if he gets the chance?"

"With her on your side, maybe." Zabini shrugged. "It's a better shot than having no one, isn't it?"

"Do you trust her?"

"No, but we're Slytherins. We don't trust anyone." Zabini smirked again.

"She wouldn't listen to me." Malfoy shook his head. "I don't even know if I want her to. She's annoying, self righteous, proud, smug...she never knows when to shut up, never knows how to stop arguing."

"Are you sure you're describing me? That sounds an awful lot like you," Evie snapped before she could think better of it.

Everyone froze. Malfoy whipped his head first to the source of the noise then to Zabini.

"Great job, Diggory."

Sighing, Evie shifted the Invisibility Cloak so she was wearing it like a cloak. She kept the back of her head covered and facing the castle so onlookers would just think Malfoy and Zabini were alone.

"Malfoy." Evie gave the faintest nod.

"You've been there this whole time then?"

"...yeah."

She watched his pale jaw clench, relax, clench again. His fists flexed at his side. She couldn't tell who, or maybe what, he was most angry with.

They stood, staring at each other, for a few minutes. Evie realized her toes were freezing. Her fingers felt like ice. Zabini watched them watch each other in her peripheral.

"Malfoy?" He just raised an eyebrow. It was hard to differentiate it from his skin in the dark, but she knew the expression well. "I sort of lied to be here so I don't have all night. You don't have to do this, and I won't be surprised if you don't, but I need to know where we stand. I need to know if I can trust you to at least keep your mouth shut."

He huffed out the same frustrated puff of white Zabini had earlier. He made her wait a minute longer.

"I want out, Diggory."

"I have stipulations."

"Of course you do."

"Letters about you, about your life. The truth, Malfoy, not whatever nonsense you tell people to seem happy or interesting."

"I am interesting."

"For the rest of the year. Cut down the insults to Harry, Ron and especially Hermione."

"I'll cut down the insults to Granger."

Evie rolled her eyes. This time someone saw. "I want information, if you get any."

"About?"

"You know what about."

"Fine. I have stipulations as well."

"You're the one asking for help."

"Just one, actually. Save my mother too."

"Done."

Another pause. It was the longest she'd ever looked into his eyes without glaring. Maybe it was the only time she'd ever done so.

He looked down. "Fine, Diggory. You save my mum and I'll give you information."

"And…?"

"Write the bloody letters and stop making Granger cry." Malfoy's face twisted in disgust.

"Glad you're making this so easy, Malfoy." Evie tasted the sarcasm on her lips. "Fine. You've got yourself a deal."

"Fine."

"Fine," Evie snapped before covering herself fully with the cloak and rushing off towards the castle.

Her heart was pounding in her chest. This secret was getting too big, and she needed to talk to Professor Dumbledore.