By My Side

The next morning at breakfast, Eve was startled when a gorgeous tawny owl dropped some mail in her porridge

"Oh look!" She exclaimed.

"You never get mail." Ron frowned.

"Hmm, odd." Eve began to open the mail, all her three friends stopped their meals for a moment,

eyes upon the letter. "At least it's not a howler."

"What is it then?" Hermione asked, being uncharacteristically nosy and leaning over Eve's shoulder to read. "Oh dear!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What is it?" Harry asked, and Eve passed the letter to him quietly. Her face had fallen and Hermione touched her arm.

Ron and Harry read the letter. In letters cut from the Daily Prophet, the note said :-

Werewolf scum, get out of our school

"Who would do something as nasty as that?" Ron asked, feeling hurt for his friend.

"Malfoy." Harry answered without missing a beat. He turned and glared at the Slytherin table but couldn't see his nemesis anywhere.

"Can't even show his face!" Hermione spat. "Well, I'll tell him what I think of him when I see him."

"Don't jump to conclusions, Herm." Eve said in a still shocked almost whisper. "We don't know it was him."

"Don't know it was him!" Ron fumed. "Of course it was him!"

"Speak of the devil....." Hermione glared at the doors to the Great Hall where Malfoy had just

walked in.

"Bastard." Ron and Harry muttered together, before both standing up at the same time and

storming over to Malfoy regardless of all eyes on them.

"Lads, please!" Eve said, getting up herself and following her new friends. By now, they had

reached Malfoy.

"You!" Harry shouted, and Malfoy turned his head. Harry noticed for a second that he looked tired, like he hadn't slept all night, but Harry was past caring, and he grabbed Malfoy by the collar, pushing him up against the wall.

"What d'you think you're doing Potter?" Malfoy asked, completely shocked. He had been awake

all night, frustrated and restless. The reason for his restlessness was now appearing behind Potty

and Weasel.

"Harry, please, leave him!" Eve reached out her hand and touched Harry's arm. Malfoy turned his eyes back to his arch rival's. He was so close he could feel Potter's ragged breathing, and felt him practically on fire with rage. Ron was stood beside Harry the whole time with his wand out, aimed at Malfoy.

"Malfoy! Potter!" Professor McGonagall was now screeching, walking quickly up the Great Hall to the boys.

"I know it was you." Harry hissed at Draco so no one else could hear. "And I swear I'll pay you

back."

At this, Harry let go of Malfoy's robes and Draco slumped slightly back onto his feet. He began to re-arrange his robes, acutely aware that Eve was standing nearby, her eyes on him, then shooting concerned glances at Harry.

"Harry....." Eve soothed, but was interrupted by Professor McGonagall's arrival.

"I will not have this kind of aggression at the breakfast table!" Minerva McGonagall hissed angrily.

Draco was confused. Obviously Potter was accusing him of something, but he genuinely had no idea what. Draco's eyes fell upon Eve, who was staring him in the eye with some kind of question in her gaze. In a second, their eyes locked and Draco tried telepathy, tried to plead with her he was innocent of whatever Potter was accusing him of, but suddenly Eve looked away, and he realised she had begun to cry.

"I don't know what this incident was about but - "Professor McGonagall started again, but Draco

spoke over her voice. In fact, he hardly seemed to notice she was there.

"Eve, why are you crying?" He asked. His voice was strange, strained, unlike his usual drawl. It

seemed to shock everyone, as he saw Ron glare at him. Harry looked at him astonished for a

moment then said,

"You know why."

"Come here Eve." Hermione said, taking her now sobbing friend into her arms.

"Take Evelyn back to Gryffindor Tower please Miss Granger." Minerva instructed. Hermione led Eve away immediately.

"Mr Potter, Mr Malfoy, and Mr Weasley, please accompany me to my office.

Draco wasn't sure if it was his lack of sleep or the downright madness that he felt had now seeped

into his skin at the sight of Eve crying but he shouted.

"Eve, what's wrong?"

He received death glares from Ron and Harry but hardly caught them, his eyes fixed on Eve as though looking away from her fragile form would sign his own death warrant.

Eve walked on, she hardly heard him, as Hermione was whispering soothing words to her.

*******

"Hagrid should go pretty easy on us." Ron assured himself as he walked to Care Of Magical

Creatures. Eve was walking with them, but seemed somewhat subdued.

Harry had urges to fling his arms around her and hold her, or even lightly touch her hand as

reassurance, but he didn't dare, for fear of rejection. Eve had been bundled up in herself, most unlike the happy go lucky girl he had met on Platform Nine and Three Quarters only a month ago.

Eve was worried deeply about her father. This was the first full moon at Hogwarts, and previously she had always had someone close, an adult, to be with her, to hold her up, like her Gran, or more recently, even if only in his animagi form, her Uncle Sirius.

The note had shocked her, it was all too real for her at the moment, to know someone hated her that deeply. Also, the whole thing with Draco was adding to her confusion. She was almost 100% sure he didn't send the note, it was something she had seen in his eyes, a kind of pleading. She told herself that she was just being silly, she just wanted to think the best of the school bully, the bully whose father was a known Death Eater. She told herself she was trying to see more in Draco because she fancied him. But then, she reasoned, there was no guarantee someone was a good person just because their arse looked tight in a pair of stonewash jeans. Eve sighed, she was tired and confused.

Harry had stepped up for her, defended her in front of the whole school. Ron too, and they had both suffered harsh punishments from Professor McGonagall. Detentions were given to both boys every night for the next two weeks, and Eve felt horribly guilty. While her mind told her she should be leaning on Harry at a time like this, and joining in the snide comment making about Draco, her heart was saying (albeit in a whisper) 'It wasn't Draco who sent the note - how must he be feeling?' Eve shook herself mentally. She must stop thinking about Draco, it was too huge a task to take on to figure out the mind of a Slytherin, nevermind try to win him around. No, she told herself, you just have a tiny crush on him, it's hormones, it'll pass, and soon you won't be able to get Harry off your mind, just like your first two weeks here.

"Eve?" Hermione said in a concerned voice, waving her hand infront of her friend's face. "You were miles away."

"Sorry." Eve frowned. "I'm still feeling a bit........"

"Maybe you should go back to the common room." Harry suggested, coming to stand closely

beside her and touching her elbow. As though through instinct, Eve turned towards his touch and

before she knew it she was in his arms, wrapped in his cloak.

"You'd best tell Hagrid she's not up to it." Eve heard Harry tell Hermione. "I'll take her up to

Gryffindor Tower."

Eve however, didn't wish to move an inch from the dark folds of Harry's cloak. She could hear the Slytherin's approaching, and knew if she looked up, she would see Draco, so she kept herself

buried in Harry, savouring his smell, which was slightly shampoo but also a manly kind of smell. It was the way she had imagined he would smell, and she could feel his chest pressed so protectively against her. He was quickly becoming a man, she knew that, and wanted to savour this close contact. She hadn't been held this tightly in years by someone other than her father.

"Do you want me to take her?" Eve heard Hermione ask.

"No." Harry said firmly, and she heard the word through the vibration in his chest. "I'll look after her."

Oh Merlin! she thought. That's what I want.....but in a way, it's not what I want. Oh dear, I do

wish dad was here, he'd tell me what to do.

"Come on Eve." Harry said softly into her hair. She nodded faintly, but still didn't wish to come out from her hiding place tucked in Harry's shoulder.

Eventually, she rose her head and saw it. She knew she would. Maybe she felt it first, his gaze, on her like some kind of hex. Eve didn't look his way. She wasn't sure why, but if she'd have known how gutted she'd made Draco Malfoy feel in that second, watching her with Potter, maybe she would have looked.

******

"Can I have a rasher of your bacon, Seamus?" Eve grinned good-naturedly.

"Eye, but only because you're so pretty." Seamus laughed, passing her some bacon.

Breakfast was a noisy affair as usual. Harry kept his eye on the girl he had comforted yesterday

afternoon. They had gone straight to Eve's dorm from Care Of Magical Creatures. He had felt odd at first, being in the girls dorms, especially alone, with someone he had such depth of feeling for. At first he had felt aroused, holding her so deeply in his arms, but fought it off, afraid she would be able to tell and think him some kind of pervert. Being alone in her bedroom didn't help much, but he sat on Hermione's bed, which was next to Eve's, and they had talked.

Harry really felt like he got to know Eve in those few hours they were alone. Although Care Of

Magical Creatures had been their last lesson, no girls came up to the room Eve shared with Hermione, Parvati, Lavender and Mary Quickelwell. They had talked about everything, she had told him stories of how they used to play together when they were small, and they had swapped stories about their lives. Harry told Eve some tales of the Dursleys, and she had been shocked. One thing he was glad of though, when they went down to the common room hours later, Eve was more cheery. Harry could tell she still missed her dad, but there was really nothing much he could do for her there, except be by her side as much as possible.

Eve herself, felt more attached to Harry now, like he was not only a much better friend, but also a strong confident. She could talk to Hermione about things, of course, and knew that she could even talk to Ron if need-be, but after yesterday afternoon things had been strengthened. She had decided to place a certain sexy Slytherin out of her mind, reassuring herself that he was evil enough to send that letter. All Eve could do for now was wait, wait until the full moon moved off, and she could see her dad again, knowing that he would make things better in a few words, he usually did.

Then it happened.

Mail.

Another letter dropped infront of her and she picked it up looking grim.

"I never get mail Eve." Harry said, snatching it from her hands with a smile, "So how about we share?"

She knew he was trying to keep her from seeing what was inside, and part of her was glad.

"Harry, you don't have to - " She started.

"Now,now Eve," Ron scolded, "Don't hog the mail." He wagged his finger at her and she had to

laugh.

"Sorry Mr Weasley."

Eve noticed Harry had opened the letter and was now reading it.

"Circular." He said tonelessly and began to screw it up.

"Accio parchment!" Eve said, pointing her wand at Harry, and it flew into her hands.

"Oi!" Harry exclaimed, leaning over the table to snatch it back, but Eve had read it before he could.

you're a sick and twisted rotten slag,

the eyes of a wolf and face of a hag,

If you stay here, trouble there'll be,

So go elsewhere or you'll be sorry.

"Give it back here." Harry said lamely, with more than a hint of defeat in his voice.

"Just someone playing a sick joke." Hermione consoled, touching Eve's hand. For some reason,

Eve did pass the parchment back to Harry, and he tapped his wand with it, making it burst into flames then lie as ashes on the table.

"You don't have to hide them from me." Eve said with a little determination. "Yesterday it just

freaked me out, I was feeling weak because it was my dad's first......change," She said uneasily,

"Since I got here, and it was weird. I can however," She sat up straight and pushed her shoulders

back, "Deal with it now. Like Herm said, it's just some wierdo, and if that's how they get their rocks off then........well, fine by me." Eve managed to force a smile and resume her breakfast.

"Did you get another nasty letter?" George Weasley asked, leaning over when he saw silence fall

on his youngest brother and his friends.

"Yeah." Eve replied quietly.

" I think it's Harry." He explained, and caught all their stunned faces, "He keeps meaning to send a love letter but chickening out. Don't you Harry?" This made everyone laugh, and Harry blush deeply.

"Yeah, that's it George." He smiled, when he saw Eve with her first genuine smile of the past few

days. He didn't know quite why, but he felt he would do anything to keep that pretty smile on her

face.

*******

Harry was made captain of the Quiddtich team that night, and of course, Fred and George saw this as a huge excuse for a party. It was Eve's first party as a Gryffindor, and while she enjoyed it

immensely at first, she was dropping off in a comfy chair by the fire at around half past midnight.

The noise was loud, but she was at that sweet, warm place in-between sleep and awake, so when

Harry came to sit next to her, she simply curled up against him and hardly felt his arm go around

his shoulder. She also didn't hear Ron tease him, 'That's it Harry, take advantage while the poor

girl's asleep!'.

Eve had no idea how much confidence it took for Harry to make this move. He felt as though he

plucked every fibre of himself up just to snake his arm around her shoulders and lightly draw her

towards him. She complied of course, nestling her head on his chest. He could feel her hand rest

sleepily on his stomach and got tingles right through his body from the contact. Granted, most of the tingles ended up in his groin area, but he hitched up his legs a little so no one would see.

Eve wasn't snoring, but her breathing pattern felt into that which can only be described as sleep. Harry enjoyed listening to her even breathing, while he felt all around him was chaos. He was happy, he had just been made Quidditch captain, and the girl he was growing more and more fond of by the second was curled up in his arms. Just because she's sleeping with her head on my chest, doesn't mean she wouldn't the same if she was awake. He reassured himself, lightly rubbing her arm in an almost absent minded fashion.

"Aw! sweet, isn't it?" Hermione asked Ron, gazing at her friends from her place a little way

across the room.

"Hmmm." Ron muttered, not wanting to seem affected by the display of affection. He was increasingly trying to be manly in front of Hermione, but wasn't sure she was noticing.

"Poor Eve, those letters are really upsetting her." Now Hermione turned to face Ron and looked him in the eye. He had grown quite a bit, she noticed, and she now had to look up slightly. Kind of nice, she thought, the way his hair glows in the fire light like that. And those freckles......how cute? why haven't I noticed these things before?

Hermione was now staring at Ron, and he was staring back.

Kiss her! Part of his head shouted. What if she pushes me away, and everyone sees? the other

part of his brain reasoned.

"Yeah." He muttered, still gazing at Hermione, "Poor Eve."

"Well, I think it's a dreadful thing!" Hermione announced, turning her gaze away quickly, in case Ron got the wrong idea. But what is the wrong idea Hermione? Her brain questioned. Oh shut up!. "Hormones." She murmured under her breath, shaking her head.

"What sorry?" Ron asked, bending down a little to hear her.

"Oh nothing!" Hermione smiled. "I'd best get Eve to bed."

The evening ended with a bang, when Fred set off a Filbuster Firework. Hermione was partly glad because it woke Eve up.

"Hmmm, what's happening?" Eve murmured, shifting on Harry's chest. Oh no, please let her stay. He thought.

"Time for bed Evie." Hermione chuckled to her best girlfriend.

"Oh, right, yeah." Eve stirred. "Oh! Merlin! sorry Harry, was I crushing you?"

Yes! please crush me some more! Harry thought of screaming, but just smiled politely instead.

"No, course not."

"Imagine if I damaged the best Seeker Gryffindor ever had, the night he was made captain. I think the whole of Gryffindor house would lynch me!" Eve let out her hearty trademark laugh, now fully awake.

I wish she would bloody damage me.......... Harry thought, then smiled to himself.

"Well, thanks." Eve grinned, and gave let her lips lightly brush his cheek. "For being by pillow."

With that, she got up nervously, and pulled Hermione away from the scene, not wanting anyone

to see her blush. Everyone however, did catch Harry's blush.

"Shut up!" He pointed at Ron as Ron opened his mouth to make a comment, but before any words came out. Ron laughed.

"Didn't say anything mate!"

*****

Hermione was woken by a noise to her left the first morning after the end of the full moon cycle. It was Eve, dressing.

"You're up early." Hermione muttered, checking the clock.

"Going to see dad. I'll see you at breakfast." Eve called, running for the door.

She passed through the Portrait Hole and ran all the way to the staff wing. It was the only route

through Hogwarts Eve knew well enough to undertake on her own, and when she reached the door that said 'Private : Staff Quarters.' She put her hands on her knees, panting. She was about to speak the password when the door opened and Professor Sprout appeared before her.

"Good morning Evelyn."

"Hi Professor, I'm just going to see my dad."

"Okay." Professor Sprout smiled warmly. "I'll be off to tend to the vegetable garden then."

Eve nodded to the smiling Professor and walked quickly past the doors labelled 'Severus Snape',

'Minerva McGonagall' and 'Sybill Trelawny.'

Reaching the door which read 'Remus Lupin', she smiled, happy to know she would be seeing her dad again.

"Pumpkins." She whispered, and the door clicked open.

"Daddy!" She called, looking around the door. When she got no answer, she went in anyway,

closing the door. "Dad?"

"In here!" Her father's familiar voice called. She rushed through to the bathroom to find her dad

cleaning his teeth, smiling into the mirror at her reflection.

"Oh dad!" Eve hugged him about the waist and heard him chuckle.

"Missed me I take it?"

"Oh yes! dad, it's been awful!"

"What has?" Her father asked, finishing his teeth and turning to her with concern in his eyes. He wiped his face with a nearby towel then led her through into the bedroom and sat her down on the big chair. He knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in his.

"I got.......some hatemail." Eve said, her eyes downcast as not to see her father's expression.

"Saying what?"

"Saying I was wolf scum, and that I should get out of the school............ or else."

"Did you tell Albus?"

"No, only a few Gryffindors know. Oh, and Draco Malfoy." She added as an after-thought. She

looked up now, to face her dad.

"Malfoy.......how did he find out?"

"Harry accused him of sending them, slammed him up against a wall at breakfast and then

McGonagall came to - "

"Professor McGonagall, Eve." Remus interrupted.

"Yeah, her, she came and shouted at Harry and Ron."

"Ron? what was he doing?"

"Going to hex Draco." Eve explained calmly.

"Oh." Was all Remus could say. He was angry, and feeling protective of Eve, but knew storming

around demanding to know who sent the letter would do no good. "Was there just one letter?"

"No." Eve said, looking away, "Two. One yesterday, and one the morning before."

Remus was silent for a while.

"Oh dad, how are you? how was it? are you okay?" Eve touched her father's cheek tenderly.

"I'm fine sweetheart." He assured her. "The potion is helping a lot. I slept most of the time." He smiled. "It's you I'm worried about. Are you very upset?"

"I was at first, but I'm okay now."

"I'll have to tell Albus, you know that, don't you?" Eve nodded reluctantly.

"I don't want everyone knowing dad."

"Well if Malfoy knows, then I'm sure the rest of the Slytherin's will have been told."

"No one has mentioned it." Eve said curiously, only just realising. "Draco must have kept his mouth shut."

"Unlikely." Remus said, getting up and going over to the bed, preparing to make it.

"I'll do it dad!" Eve rushed over, "You sit down."

"I've been sitting down for the past three days!" He laughed.

"Sit!" She ordered, pushing him to the chair and making his bed for him.

"Eve.......have you any idea who did this?"

"No." Eve sighed, sitting herself on the now made bed. "If I did, I would have sorted it out myself. I could have given them a good left hook and - "

"Eve!" Remus scolded. "Violence is no way to sort out problems, you know that."

"Yeah, yeah." Eve smiled. "Whatever dad."

"Now listen - " Remus started to say, but was interrupted by an owl tapping at the window. Eve

looked grim for a moment, but her father rose quietly and retrieved the letter from the bird. "It's

from Sirius." He said after a moment.

Eve rushed over to read the letter but her father held her away.

"What?" She asked.

"Top secret business." Remus replied, handing her a piece of parchment. "He sent you your own

letter."

"Top secret?" Eve laughed. "You two carry on like a couple of love-sick teenagers!"

"Evelyn!" Remus scolded, and she sat down grumpily, unfolding the letter.

Dear Evie,

How's Hogwarts? if you've failed to find even one secret passageway, I warn you I may never speak to you again. :)

Hope you're looking after that father of yours, keeping him on the straight and narrow, you

and I both know how much of a handful he can be.

Remus tells me you made it into Gryffindor. Always thought you were a bit of an evil

Slytherin myself :) I guess the Sorting Hat knows better than me.

I sent Harry a letter too, hope you are making good friends with him and Ron and Hermione,

they are all good people whom I know will look after you whenever me and your dad aren't

around. Try to listen to what Hermione says, Harry tells me she is always reciting Hogwarts :

A History. Could be very useful one day, and I find having clever people as friends is always

a good way to avoid doing your own homework. (The only reason I ever made friends with

Remus and James of course) :)

Take care of yourself,

love

Uncle Sirius.

"Dad?" Eve said, seeing her father's grin. "What's so funny?"

"Just Sirius being Sirius." Remus laughed, folding away his letter and slotting it into a drawer. "Come on, we'll go down for breakfast together."

"Okay." Eve jumped off the bed and scanned her father's room. Like all the staff quarters, there

were wood panels halfway up the wall, and on top some kind of cream wallpaper. Candles were

everywhere, and her father's big, untidy bed in the far corner, a tartan blanket thrown over the top as the winter months drew near. It was just one large bedroom, with a bathroom off to the left, but it was enough. There was a huge oak desk in the corner, on which Remus kept a picture of Eve, himself and Sirius on a summer day out. He also had a picture of his mother (Eve's gran) and him at his Hogwarts Graduation. James and Sirius were lurking in the background, often waving frantically as the magical photo moved.

Papers were scattered all over the desk, as though they had just been read through, and Eve made a mental note to come up here some time when her dad was busy and secretly tidy everything for him.

They made their way down to the Great Hall chattering about Sirius's letters, and when they reached the door, Eve stood on tip-toe and kissed her father. He proceeded up the middle of the hall to the staff table and Eve went to join her friends.

"How's your dad?" Ron asked when she sat down.

"He's great, fine actually."

"Is he still taking the Wolfsbane potion?" Harry asked, tucking into some porridge.

"Yeah, it's really helping." Eve smiled, and began to help herself to food. "Oh Harry, I got a letter from Uncle Sirius this morning, so did dad, and he said he sent one to you, so you might be in luck when the owls arrive."

"If you get any, can I open it though?" Harry asked, looking concerned.

"No." Eve said, looking her friend in the eye. "I'm a big girl now, I can stand a bit of cheap insults."

Harry sighed.

"I hope you told your dad!" Hermione said in a warning tone.

"I did, and he said he would tell Professor Dumbledore." At this, Eve looked up and found her dad talking to the Headmaster. The old man (with whom she had only really met once in the summer) was nodding gravely and listening intently as Remus went on.

"Wonder what they're saying....." Ron muttered, also noticing the men chatting at the staff table.

Breakfast continued quietly for the four until the post owls swooped in and began dropping letters. As promised, Harry received some post, and grinned. He hadn't heard from Sirius since the summer and was eager to hear what his Godfather had to say.

Eve also received mail, and ripped it open immediately.

"What does it say?" Hermione asked from across the table. Eve didn't say a word, instead she just turned the parchment around for her friends to see.

Time is ticking by Lupin............

get out while you can.............

unless you want to leave Hogwarts......

in a coffin.

From the top table, Remus saw his daughter receive mail, and noted it was a school owl which

brought the note. He saw her friends reaction when she showed them the note and was sure it was

the same sort of thing that had arrived the two mornings previous. He informed Albus Dumbledore of the situation then nodded to his daughter when they made eye contact.

Eve knew what her father's nod meant. She was to stay behind after breakfast, he wanted to speak to her. So that is what she did, sending Hermione, Harry and Ron away to their lessons. She explained she didn't want them missing out, and to tell Professor Binns where she was.

As everyone was leaving, Eve made her way up to the high table which was now deserted except for her father and the school's wise old Headmaster. On the walk up to the table, Eve passed Draco Malfoy, who nodded at her. She nodded back, but was unsure of what this nod meant.

She put it out of her mind as Professor Dumbledore suggested they all go to his office.

******

The meeting involved Eve explaining all three notes, and showing the most recent one. Professor

Dumbledore was extremely concerned and warned that she should never be left alone. She was to always be accompanied by either Harry, Ron, Hermione or her father. Other select Gryffindors could also escort her, such as Fred and George Weasley, but Eve explained there was no need for this, she was always with her friends anyway. Albus informed them both that he would do his best to find the culprit, and assured a harsh punishment.

The rest of the week passed by quickly, a letter arriving each morning, every time a different, but

always as serious, threat to Eve. She was becoming used to them now, and began to wonder what

it would be like not to see an owl fly towards her, parchment attached to it's leg.

Time made its way around to Eve's first flying lesson, on the Tuesday, and as it was just after the final lesson of the day finished, Harry, Ron and Hermione accompanied her down to the Quidditch pitch for emotional support. Madame Hooch arrived a few moments after they did. She looked fierce, with her grey pointy hair, but Eve soon realised her bark was worse than her bite.

Things began well, Eve stood beside the broom, right hand out and shouted, 'Up!' The broom

did so immediately and she clasped it in her hand, passing a grin to Harry.

"Don't suppose you need a new Seeker do you?" She laughed deeply. All three of her friends

laughed too, then she turned her mind back to the job in hand.

"Right, mount the broom Miss Lupin, and keep a firm grip, we don't want you sliding off the end."

Eve followed each of Madame Hooch's instructions, and was soon in the air. She was a little wary, but the fact her friends and teacher look like ants they were so far away was kind of fun.

As she began to get a little more adventurous, something seemed to yank the end of the broom fromher grasp. Before she knew it, the broom was spinning out of control and she was holding on with a death grip as not to fall off. She could barely make out the screams of Hermione from the ground, but suddenly the broom was nose-diving, and as her body made violent contact with the hard earth, everything went black.