By My Side

Chapter 13.

"So, now I finally know the vital stats of all the Alnwick House Goblins who took part in the Goblin rebellion of 1856," Ron said with triumph, banging down his text book on the wooden table in the common room. Harry smirked at him, then looked to Hermione, who was sat beside him, copying something down onto parchment.

They had been back from their study session for approximately an hour, and all Ron could talk about was how much he had learnt. Harry thought maybe he was taking the piss, but if he was, Hermione certainly wasn't rising to his challenges.

Eve was sat amongst them in the squashy chairs by the fire, gazing into the licking flames, considering what she had just done.

She had only just returned from the Hospital Wing, where Madame Pomfrey had given her the potion she had asked for. Somehow, now the damn thing had been drunk and out of the way, her nerves had increased. She was just considering how and when to tell Draco, when Harry placed a hand on her arm.

"Shouldn't we, Eve?" he asked.

"What?" Eve frowned, "God, sorry, I wasn't listening!"

"That's alright," Harry said sounding slightly hurt, "I was just saying that you and I should set up these private study sessions, if they're so fruitful."

"Oh, yeah," Eve waved her hand idly. Realising that everyone was now looking at her rather concerned, she smiled. "Excuse me."

With that she got up and crossed the common room, hardly noticing how rude she had been to Harry, and how he was now wondering what he had done to upset her.

Eve entered her dorm room and stared in the little mirror. She began absently playing with her ink-black hair while she considered what anyone, certainly Draco, could possibly see in her. She had always thought herself so drab and plain, but he seemed impressed, so she figured that was enough.

Although she wasn't really paying much attention to her appearance, a small part of her was wondering if she had changed in any way after that silly potion. Will people be able to tell? she wondered, flicking a hand through her hair so that it stuck up. Will people notice any difference in me? know what I've been doing? Then Eve grinned. I wonder will people be able to tell when I loose my virginity? I suppose the great stupid grin will let people know.

Realising she probably sounded very immature, Eve sat herself down on her bed and wondered how she could possibly begin to word her explanation to Draco of what made her visit the Hospital Wing and how it went. She pulled out her parchment just as there was a quiet knock on the door.

"Come in," Eve answered hesitantly, wondering who would knock on the door.

"Hiya," it was Harry.

"Oh, hiya Harry, listen, I must have sounded so rude in the common room, but - "

"No, it's okay," he smiled, a wave of his hand dispelling their previous conversation. "You seem to have a lot on your mind with these extra Charms classes, it was insensitive of me."

"No!" Eve laughed, "i'm sorry, it's me."

Just then she noticed he had a letter in his hand.

"This just came for you," Harry said, noticing her eyes on the envelope he was holding.

"Oh, thanks," Eve said with a frown as she took the parchment.

"Are you coming back down to the common room?" Harry asked.

"Oh, yeah, in a bit," Eve tried to smile sweetly.

"Okay," Harry nodded simply, concern in his eyes as he left Eve alone and trudged back down to his friends.

Tearing at the letter like a tramp who hasn't eaten in weeks, Eve's eyes scanned immediately to the signature at the end of the letter and grinned.

The letter was simple, just a 'I'm in the owlery, meet me, love Draco.'

Jumping up without a care, Eve straightened herself and her hair, then skipped back down to the common room.

"Who was the letter from?" Ron asked, now setting up a game of chess with Harry.

"Dad, he needs to see me for a second," Eve lied, "back in a bit, okay?"

"Bye!" Hermione smiled. Eve hardly heard the other replies in her haste to get to her boyfriend.

She reminded herself that this was an innocent trip - she was simply off to the owlery, but when she thought of who was waiting there for her, and what possibilities now lay ahead after her visit to Madame Pomfrey, Eve felt a warm glow flutter in her stomach and spread through her body. I'm finally happy, I finally have something to live for she thought, and I can't share it with anyone because it has to be top-secret! It's so unfair.

Reaching the owlery, Eve found the place empty, and after checking in every place she could think of, she left with a frown and a confused look. Suddenly, someone pulled the back of her school jumper and she found herself being pulled backwards into a tiny room.

"What?" she asked in a daze as Draco lit the room with the feeble light from his wand.

"The book-case spins," he grinned liked a kid, "cool or what?"

"Oh yes, terrific," Eve replied with sarcasm, straightening her jumper.

"Bad news," Draco's tone changed, and Eve's eye shot up to his.

"Oh no, please, what now?" Eve grimaced.

"I got this, this afternoon."

Draco handed Eve the letter he had received from his father concerning his attending the New Years Ball with Pansy.

"Ouch," Eve passed the letter back after reading it.

"Exactly. I wrote him a reply, that's what I'm doing here."

"Ah," Eve nodded, "and Pansy?"

"Well, I gritted my teeth and asked her to the stupid dance. You know, I hate these things, I wish Dumbledore would get rid of them altogether."

"Oh, I bet she jumped at the chance of going with you," Eve replied in clipped, bitter tones.

"I didn't want to do it," Draco pointed his finger at Eve in a serious manner, "you know I can't help it."

"Yeah, I know," Eve groaned, instinctively falling against the shoulder of the Slytherin, who wrapped two strong, protective arms around her.

"What's up?" he barely whispered.

"I have something to tell you," Eve buried her face deeper into Draco's neck, a smile playing at her lips regarding her news.

"You fancy Snape and you don't know how to tell me?"

"Not exactly," Eve openly grinned, punching Draco playfully in the stomach. ("Ouch!") "This is serious."

"Oh," Draco frowned, his hand reaching out to ruffle Eve's messy hair in a small but tender gesture.

"I went to Madame Pomfrey after my Charms lesson," Eve shut her eyes, wondering what emotion would be shown on her lovers face, had she been able to see it. "I - I got the potion."

"The potion?" Draco asked, eyes wide, and pulled Eve away from him to see the expression on her face. "You mean the..... THE potion?"

"Well, I don't mean a potion for a cough, do I?" Eve asked cheekily, her hands resting on her hips.

A slow, delicious smile spread over Draco's lips and reached his eyes, which sparkled with some kind of aroused delight, a brilliant shade of grey in the wandlight.

"Well," he said in a most strained voice unlike his own. Eve started to laugh at him as he shifted nervously, and to dispel the tension, she stepped forward and enveloped him in a huge kiss, which nearly knocked them both backwards.

"This isn't the time to get nervous," she told him with a smile.

"Oh, I know, I won't," he shook his head and tried to look important, but then gave in and settled once again in a grin. "So," he began idly, brushing invisible dirt from her shoulder with his free hand, the other tight around her waist so they were as close as they could be, "when do we get to.....try out this potion thingy?"

"Soon," Eve smiled, a strange feeling of nerves gripping her insides as she realised how very real the situation was. "But right now I have to get back to the Tower. I told everyone I was going to see dad, and they know he doesn't like me being out late."

"Hey, hang on," Draco pulled her back as she placed a kiss on his lips and went to leave.

"What?"

"Well.......I mean, don't you want to.....talk, about anything?"

"Talk?" Eve frowned. Of course, she knew what he meant, but she was suddenly very shy.

"Yeah, you know, you made that trip to the Hospital Wing that you were dreading so very much, so it must have been a pretty strong reason that made you go."

The statement hung in the air for a few seconds while Eve cast her eyes to the floor and thought. What was it that made me go? All I know was that suddenly, it was something I felt I had to do more than anything.....

"I - I guess I just.....well, it seemed....right," she stammered.

"Oh, okay," Draco frowned. He suddenly let go of her arm, feeling tension between them. He could feel she wanted to get away, but he wasn't sure why. Did I react wrongly to her news? he asked himself. Or was it the thing about my dad and Pansy? should I have even shown her that letter?

"Look, I got the potion because I wanted to, for me. No pressure on you or - "

"Hey!" Draco interrupted, "I don't feel pressured, it's you I'm worried about."

"Yeah, I know, but......I really can't afford for you to go all nervous on me Draco, I mean, it's my first time and - "

"It's my first time too," Draco shook his head as though this information was common knowledge.

"But," Eve frowned, "you said you'd done it with Pansy and - "

"Yeah, I know, and I have, but I've never done it when I've been.....emotionially attached, shall we say? When I did it with those other girls it was lust, and sometimes even less than that, just need," then when he saw the almost horrified look on Eve's face he added, "or whatever."

"And this is........?"

"Well, love," Draco shrugged. He was still pretty uncomfortable with that word, it wasn't something he was used to hearing coming from his own mouth - from anyone's actually, and he was still getting used to the feeling inside, the emotions and reactions that Eve created in him.

"I see," Eve whispered, eyes back on the floor. Taking a few deep breaths, she finally looked up and saw Draco chewing nervously on his bottom lip in a most un-Malfoy-like fashion. Reading apprehension and a little tiredness in his eyes (which were easy to read if he had his guard down), Eve smiled slightly and relaxed, her hand going out warily to his and letting their fingers brush together for a moment. At the action, Draco also relaxed.

"Shall we....start again?" he asked, squinting a little in the darkness.

"Yeah," Eve nodded, a smile curving at her lips. Their fingers clasped together and pulling Eve gently back towards him from the door, Draco placed a gentle, loving kiss on her lips.

The butterflies that had so suddenly turned to knots of nerves a few minutes ago, now showed themselves in their beautiful flying form once more in Eve's stomach, and she moistened her lips before shutting her eyes and leaning in for a more quenching, full kiss.

"I'm sorry," Draco finally whispered, smoothing Eve's hair behind her ear and catching her eyes with his. "I know how nervous you must be, but we're in this together, right?"

Eve simply nodded.

"I'll look after you, and I don't mean to seem as though I'm not excited, because I am, I just want things to be perfect, and right now I'm still trying to think of somewhere we can get privacy, you know?"

"I've been wondering about that myself," Eve admitted.

"Of course, we could find that in a few places but preferably we need privacy with a bed - I don't think you'd appreciate lying naked on the cold flagstones on the Astronomy Tower floor, would you?"

Eve grinned, and Draco smiled just to see her relax a little. "Not exactly," Eve replied.

"Right, well, leave it with me. I need to find a way to get rid of all the Slytherins from the common room and my dorm room."

"How are you going to do that?"

"Well, I've no idea, but I'm known for my resourcefulness, so I should come up with something pretty soon."

"Okay," Eve nodded thoughtfully. "I'll try to think of something as well."

"Right, but don't let yourself get all nervous," Draco tilted his head and Eve thought he looked like he was telling off a child, "there's nothing to be worried about. I'm in charge of the operation."

"Operation?" Eve spluttered.

"Okay, so maybe 'operation' wasn't such a good word to use......"

"Yeah, you bet it wasn't!" Eve laughed, hitting him gently on the arm. "You make it sound like we're going into battle!"

"Well," Draco smirked, and Eve could tell something very Slytherin was about to be said. "I could describe it in a lot of other different ways, but I think you'd blush."

"Yes, I would," Eve scolded him, placing a rueful kiss on his lips, which quickly turned into something different entirely. "I've got to go," Eve pulled away eventually.

"Okay. Don't worry, okay?"

"I won't," Eve assured him, before trying unsuccessfully to get out of their cramped dark space. Draco joined in and between them they found the brick that was slightly out of place on the wall which made the book case pop open.

On her way, alone, back down the corridor, Eve frowned to herself about why she would be so nervous. It is kind of a big step she reasoned, it means a lot of things - love, commitment, unification. I'm excited too, but I think that if Draco starts to get nervous, I'll go to pieces! Eve noticed she was smiling as she reached the Portrait Hole, and quickly wiped her face back to normal, so that no one got too suspicious.

******

As Hogwarts got more and more Christmasy, with trees and mistletoe (which Seamus somehow managed to get Harry and Eve under together, and forced them to kiss, although Harry did it in the most chaste way possible, thankfully for Eve), excitement started building about the end of term and the upcoming New Years Ball. Almost everyone had a partner for the ball now, Dean had asked Lavender, who after much giggling gave an affirmative answer. Neville asked Susan Bones, with whom he had been working on a Herbology project, and Seamus was taking Ginny. Eve suspected that Ginny really wanted to be going with Harry - she noted the longing glances and the tentative suggestions, but Eve couldn't read Harry's action at all. One moment she thought he seemed to be after one thing, and a different one the next. Hermione assured her that Harry was quite an easy person to understand, but Eve silently disagreed, and felt terribly sorry for poor Ginny.

Still though, no one had asked Eve. Roger Cleveland had tried to speak to Hermione many times, but it seemed that every time the older Ravenclaw boy appeared, so would Ron, who always needed to ask Hermione an urgent question about Potions or History or Defence. It was quite comical, actually, to watch the scene, and Eve and Harry often found themselves laughing at the pair. Hermione was too stubborn to approach Ron on the subject, and Ron was too shy to ask Hermione out. After stepping in several times to no avail, Harry and Eve decided to let fate take its course, but personally, Eve thought they would be waiting forever.

Eve wasn't too fussed that no one had asked her. She didn't have eyes for anyone but Draco, and she intended to spend most of the night with her dad, as they hadn't had a good party since before her Gran died. Eve, who loved dancing of any kind, always used to stick a record on at home and get her Gran and her dad up to dance with her. It was through this that she knew so many dance moves. Back in the forties, when such dances as the fox-trot and waltz had been all the rage, her Gran used to go to the dancing halls with her friends, so she was more than an ample teacher to show Eve the ropes. In fact, Eve quite often missed dancing, and planned to drag her dad up onto the dance floor, as it would be a half moon on the night of the ball, and her dad would be full recovered and fit as a flea.

It had been almost impossible for Draco and Eve to get any time together since their meeting in the owlery, and so they had only had a few hurried conversations via their magical parchment since then. That all changed, however, one night when Eve left her last extra Charms lesson on the term and walked straight into her boyfriend.

"Umph!" she mumbled, dropping her books.

"Merlin, sorry!" Draco laughed, picking up Ten Easy Ways To Charm The Uncharmable. "I think I might be a little over-enthusiastic tonight."

"Why?" Eve laughed, checking around her to see they were alone and taking the book from her boyfriend, who looked slightly ruffled and who had a rare glow to his cheeks.

"I've worked out a plan," Draco announced with triumph.

"Oh yeah?" Eve smirked, "go on then."

"Right, how does this sound? me, you, my cosy warm bed, a completely empty dorm room and a guarantee of no unwanted visitors?"

"Sounds lovely," Eve blushed, "but how do you intend going about that?"

"Already done. On Thursday, I have instructed all of my Quidditch team to be out, watching the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff game. Of course, they always are anyway, but I told them that we need to see tactics, and of course, the main driving force of Slytherins is......." Draco prompted Eve to finish his sentence.

"Er, evilness?" Eve chanced.

"No, ambition!" Draco rolled his eyes, "honestly.... So, they all want to win the Quidditch cup this year, so everyone is out looking for tactics, and I want some time alone with my beautiful girlfriend," as he said this, he checked around and took Eve in his arms, "we all get what we want."

"But what if someone comes back to the common room, or your dorm, even. You never know, someone else might be planning the same thing."

"Ah, well that's where Vincent comes in, I've warned him that I have some very important business to attend to during the match, so he's promised he'll keep everyone away - he's good like that."

"But what if he tells someone and - "

"He won't," Draco smiled re-assuringly. "He knows I'll give him a rather hard slap if he does, followed directly by a curse that will have him sprouting hair from his eyeballs for the next six years. He's no worry."

"Urgh," Eve shivered, "that sounds nasty. So......I get to loose my virginity in the Slytherin dungeons, do I?"

"It's where I lost mine," Draco offered with a smile. "Never did me any harm."

"Well, that's debatable," Eve teased. Draco just smiled ruefully.

"So, is that.....okay?"

"Yeah, sounds good to me," Eve let herself smile.

"Right, well the match starts at twelve o'clock so how about I meet you in the library at about quarter to? you can tell Potty and the Mud - I mean, Granger, that you're doing some extra Charms homework or something."

"Okay," Eve agreed, still slightly glaring from Draco's insult to her friend. "You sure that no one will see me, even when you sneak me up to your room?"

"I promise, I'll keep a close eye on everyone. I won't let you get caught, I promise."

"Hmm, okay," Eve viewed him through narrowed eyes. "I'll tell Harry and Hermione that I won't be at the match when I see them."

"Good," Draco smiled, pleased with himself. "I do like it when a plan comes together."

Eve had to smile at his look of self-satisfaction. "So, it's ambition that drives you Slytherins is it?"

"Yeah, people just mis-judge us all the time."

"Well, I know for a fact that people mis-judge you," Eve said before kissing his lips quickly. "You're a dragon on the outside but a big pussy-cat on the inside."

"Oi, don't let anyone else hear that," Draco grinned, "you'll ruin my reputation."

"Oh, God forbid," Eve smiled.

"You really think that about me?"

"Yeah, of course, I have first hand evidence, afterall."

"Yeah, but I'm only like that with you though," Draco reasoned.

"Well, maybe if you took the time to trust more people and let them trust you, you'd be genuine with everyone."

"Oh, Gods, you're trying to reform me," Draco groaned, which made Eve laughed. "I'm going before you have me reciting Potter's better points."

This comment was followed by a very sound kiss which made Eve believe Draco didn't care a damn if anyone caught them, and with a very suggestive wink and a squeeze of her arse, Draco was gone, off down the corridor with a sexy smile on his face. Eve watched him go with a feeling of anticipation, and a buzz of excitement in her belly which told her she was very much looking forward to Thursday. He'll make it okay, she thought, he'll make it an afternoon I won't forget. He has to, he's so damn ambitious.......

******

"Are you sure you won't come?"

"Yeah, you could stay for the first half hour, maybe?"

"No boys, I think Eve is very sensible, she has work to catch up on and she's doing it at a time when no one will disturb her," Hermione scolded Ron and Harry. "Stop pressuring her."

"Yeah, but.....this is Quidditch!" Ron said with amazement, "nothing is more important than Quidditch!"

"Ron, you have a one-track mind," Hermione told him, smiling at Eve then shoving Ron out of the door. "See you later, Eve."

"Yeah, bye, Hermione," Eve laughed. Harry simply rolled his eyes.

"I hope they don't start fighting again."

"They won't, and if they do, just threaten Ron with Roger Cleveland, that'll shut him up," Eve suggested.

"Good idea," Harry smiled. "See you later."

"Yeah, bye!" Eve watched him go and run to catch up with Ron and Hermione who were having an animated discussion about something. Sometimes Eve wondered how she'd ended up in the middle of Hogwarts famous three, but watching their retreating backs now, she didn't so much feel a part of them.

Her nerves, however, wouldn't let her dwell on this subject, so she slipped into the library, past Madam Pince, who was re-arranging the section on Gargoyles, and down to her favourite table at the back, nestled in amongst the DADA section. Glancing around, Eve saw that Draco had been right, everyone was out watching the game, and as more and more students poured past the open library doors, Eve caught the time on the clock - 11:35. So, she had ten minutes to go and her stomach was doing flip-flops, she'd never been more nervous about anything in her life. She was slightly relieved to realise that no part of her wished to get up and run outside to join her housemates in the Quidditch stands - she wouldn't rather be anywhere else but here, waiting for Draco, but still she couldn't stop her nerves.

Trembling fingers pulled her Charms tome towards her and began to flip through the pages, pausing on certain tasks she was still unable to master, but her eyes didn't seem to want to stay still on any piece of text, so she ended up skim reading most of the pages and moving on quite quickly, making her accomplished amount of work stand at a feeble zero.

Eve wrapped her cloak tighter around her - the December weather was really starting to penetrate the more draughty areas of the castle, and today most students were wearing their house scarves not only in support of their teams but also to keep out the freezing winter chills.

Checking the clock again she saw that Draco was late, it was two minutes before ten to twelve and for a horrible second she thought he had forgotten their arrangement or even decided to abandon her in a cruel joke, but then he appeared at the doorway, looking as though he had run all the way from the dungeons because he was missing his usual quality-looking cloak and was wearing simply his school shirt, tie and jumper instead. His Slytherin scarf was not missing, however, and because he had not knotted it, it was hanging down by the pockets on his trousers. Altogether, he looked rather good.

"Hey," he smiled, ignoring the sideways glance from Madam Pince and going to join Eve at her table.

"Hey," Eve replied, eyes still on the nosy library assistant, who had one eye on the pair and the other on the job she was supposed to be doing.

"Sorry I'm late, I was trying to tidy up - Greg and Vince aren't the most wonderful dorm mates, if you know what I mean."

"That's okay," Eve began to gather her books. "Shall we go? I think Pince is on to us."

"Yeah, course, give them here."

Draco took the books Eve was unsuccessfully trying to manage (her hands had stopped working through nerves) and he carried them, flashing the library assistant his most charming smile on the way past, as they got up to leave. Eve was careful to shut the door noisily behind her so that the nosy old bag on the other side would not see them turn in the direction of the dungeons instead of the main doors like everyone had done some moments before.

"So, how's you day been?" Draco asked casually as they made their way through the corridors and down to the dungeons. Eve thought he looked hysterical holding 'Charms for 10-11 year olds' but she was in no mood to laugh, her mouth had gone dry from worry.

"Er, okay," she nodded hopelessly, only partially noticing how strange the castle was when it was empty. Usually at this time people would be bustling from one place to another, on their way to classes or back to friends from dinner, but now only two pairs of footsteps fell on the stone floor and made an eiry echo as they descended into the depths of Hogwarts.

"You're nervous, aren't you?" Draco asked with a smile, breaking Eve's silent thoughts.

"Oh, just a little," she lied.

"Eve, you're shaking!" he chuckled, balancing the books on one arm and placing the other across her shoulders. "Calm down," he whispered in her ear, "it's only me."

"Yeah, I know," Eve shook her head, "I'm just being silly but I feel like I've got this knot of nerves in my stomach."

"Well don't think about things, just prepare yourself for the privilege of seeing the inside of the famous Slytherin common room."

"Oh yeah, I can't keep my excitement in," Eve rolled her eyes with sarcasm, feeling slightly better from Draco's cheery tone.

"Right, here we are."

Suddenly, they stopped, and Eve noticed she had hardly been paying attention to where they were going. Looking about, she couldn't see a Portrait Hole or a door, only a large expanse of damp, stone wall that seemed not to differ from any other wall in the castle.

"Er, Draco, how d'you get in?"

"Simple," Draco told her, before reciting a password that Eve missed and before she knew it, a stone door concealed in the wall slid open.

"Wow," Eve murmured, following Draco into the long, low underground room. Everywhere looked slightly chilling and there were greenish lamps hanging from chains coming from the ceiling.

"Home sweet home," Draco said sarcastically as the door shut behind the pair, and Eve took another minute to absorb the empty, carved chairs placed around the elaborate fireplace. "That's usually where I sit when I write to you," Draco pointed out a chair and Eve smiled, imagining the scene.

"Shall I.......show you my room?" Draco asked after a moment, breaking the silence.

"Oh, yeah," Eve shook her head, "sorry, I was just picturing you sitting there, writing to me while everyone else chatters around you."

They had started walking towards another door at the far end of the common room which had 'BOYS' carved into the thick, heavy wood. Unlatching the door and holding it open, Draco chuckled.

"I'll do a re-enactment for you later if you like."

"Thanks," Eve smiled, still nervous. She proceeded tentatively down the dimly lit passageway past doors on either side that had words in Latin written on them and names of various students.

"Keep going," Draco encouraged her from a little way behind, down the passage, "it's ages."

"Oh, right."

For some reason, Eve felt as though she was travelling as far underground as she could go. The path she was on slopped gently downwards and she felt sure that if she hit the earth's core anytime now, she wouldn't be in the least bit surprised.

"Stop!" Draco shouted as she reached a brick archway which looked just about ready to fall down. The Slytherin sleeping quarters were definitely nowhere near as nice as the Gryffindor ones, she decided.

Draco soon caught up and pushed the handle of the door. "After you," he motioned with his hand, a light smile gracing his features. Acting on impulse, Eve placed a long, lingering kiss on his lips before entering. After all, he was being really sweet, and there was something so 'Knight-in shining-armour' about him carrying her Charms books.

Inside the bedroom was much more what Eve had expected. There were no windows, as it was underground of course, but there were plenty of well burning fires in the fire-holders on the wall which illuminated the green bed hangings warmly. There was also a tiny fireplace with a roasting fire which gave the room a warm feel, and above the mantelpiece was an elaborate painting of a curled up green snake, eyes staring as though ready to attack.

"What d'you think?" Draco asked, placing her books and his scarf onto his bed and standing behind her, slipping his now free arms around Eve's slender waist, finally feeling at home. Eve jumped slightly from his touch but then relaxed into his warm embrace and thought carefully.

"It's better than I expected, although I think I would get both scared and lost if I was in that dank passageway on my own."

"Yeah, it is a bit gruesome, but we've got loads of dungeons at the Manor, which I spent most of my childhood exploring, so this place is nothing," Draco explained, hugging her closer. There was a silent second while Eve drank in all the tiny marks of her boyfriend which were scattered around here, his silk pyjamas that lay neatly on his pillow (he really did try to clean up, she thought), a glass by his bedside, a bottle which looked like it may contain aftershave of some sort and a few spare quills, all of which looked expensive, the type that if Eve owned them, they would be delicately laid somewhere in a box to avoid scratching or breaking them.

"Still nervous?" Draco asked, his breath warm and inviting on Eve's neck. She shut her eyes momentarily at the feeling and considered.

"A little bit, yeah."

"Don't be," Eve could feel the smile in her boyfriend's voice behind her as his lips brushed her neck sensually, "but you know, you really shouldn't expect this treatment every time you come in here in the future. If it hadn't been for me being late, you'd probably be tripping over Goyle's day-old socks or Vince's underwear."

"Ew!" Eve laughed, feeling much more relaxed. No matter where they were, Draco always seemed to have some way of making her feel better. She didn't know how he did it, or what it was he said, but his words spoken in that soft, almost regal voice, somehow managed to sink into her soul and calm things there. "So, I'm coming here again, am I?"

"Well, I don't know," Draco replied, admiring the mark he had just left on Eve's neck, "after this afternoon you might never want to talk to me again."

"I don't think so," Eve grinned, turning in his embrace so that she could read what was written in his eyes. She found what she had expected - slight uncertainty mixed with growing desire. "As long as you keep tidying up, I'll keep coming back."

"Sounds like a fair deal to me," Draco smirked, leaning in gently for a delicious tasting kiss whilst unclasping her cloak and throwing it onto the back of a near-by chair.

Suddenly, as though from nowhere, the passion that always ran through their late-night meetings and had led them to this place, washed back over them both, purging Eve's system of any doubt or nerves that had resided there.

The kisses became stronger and more demanding as Eve slipped her arms up, around Draco's neck. Pulling the Gryffindor closer, Draco made sure that his whole body was aligned next to her's in perfect fitting. He wanted to be able to feel every piece of her skin against him.

A liberating feeling washed over Eve - they didn't have to stop this time, they didn't have to stop ever again. All the barriers that had been up were now down and crumbling into pieces. Anything she wanted, she could have, and it made her stomach flip over to think so.

"Oh God," she whispered as Draco's tongue began trailing a tantalising journey behind her ear.

"D'you want to - I mean, are you okay?" he looked into her eyes and asked, obviously taking her tone as that of regret.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Eve blushed. "I love you, and I want you," she finally whispered.

When their lips met, Eve could feel how gentle Draco was trying to be, and she knew from their nightly meetings how much he was holding back. Usually by this time he would be on top of her, fingers deftly unbuttoning her pyjama top while she squirmed with delight underneath him, and that was the kind of reaction she wanted from him now. She needed him to be uncontrolled so that she could be too.

Using the only initiative her increasingly lust filled brain could find, Eve began to slowly work Draco's jumper up and eventually they broke their kiss to remove the offending article completely. In the moment, Eve wasn't even sure where it fell because their mouths were upon each other once again, exploring in ways that Eve felt were new, even though they had kissed a hundred times before.

Hardly even noticing that she had begun to walk backwards, Eve felt the backs of her legs come into contact with Draco's bed and she fell in the most ungraceful manner onto the four poster partly in shock and partly because she was so eager. Joining her on the soft surface in an equally ungraceful manner, Draco couldn't bite back a laugh as he broke their kiss and surveyed their bodies, a tangle of legs and arms and hands that were still running over each other, seemingly unable to let go. Eve also allowed herself a giggle at the sight.

Also joining them on the bed where her text books, which they both took a glance at, and then each other. With a mischievous grin, Eve gave the books a tap and they fell to the floor with a noisy thud.

"Miss Lupin," Draco feigned shock, "that's blatant disregard for school property."

At this, Eve grinned and couldn't help a laugh escaping her lips as Draco sat up and began to untie her shoes for her. She watched him fiddle with the laces and realised his hands were shaking slightly. Of course, she realised, he feels just like I do. He's done this before but he's still nervous, which explains the holding back.

Pulling off his own shoes in a hurry to dump them beside Eve's on the floor, Draco tried to calm himself down. At this rate, the was going to make a complete fool of himself by acting as if he didn't know anything, yet through the nerves he still couldn't hold back his strong feeling of desire, which told him the sex probably wasn't going to last that long anyway.

For a second, the pair just smiled at each other. Eve was lying down against Draco's pillow, and he couldn't help but notice the wonderful contrast of her black hair against the cream of his pillow. Eve herself was admiring how dark Draco's eyes had gone, while his cheeks were flushed red with his hair all messed up from either his own hands or hers.

"You know I want this to be perfect, right?" he finally asked, looking down at her stomach and working his hand under her shirt to rest on the soft flesh of her belly. Eve couldn't believe how candid and open he was being. She truly believed that right in that second, he had never been so 'laid bare'. He was nervous, flushed and.......strangely innocent. When he raised his eyes to meet her once more, Eve smiled softly.

"Come here," she whispered in a loving voice, and he climbed on top of her, his eyes fluttering closed as their lips met with a searing heat that Eve wasn't sure she had felt before in their kisses. Something had changed. Somewhere in those last few moments, Eve felt like she'd seen inside Draco's soul, that tiny, vulnerable piece he never showed to anyone, and overwhelmed that it was her he showed it to, she wove her fingers into his hair.

Draco began undoing Eve's tie and then unbuttoning her shirt to give himself better access to her neck, where he began feasting on her pure white flesh and gently flicking his tongue over the places he knew she found ticklish. When he heard her giggle, she couldn't suppress a smile and raised his head to catch that grin he was so fond of. Their eyes met and stayed locked while Eve imitated Draco's actions and began undoing his tie. He watched it fall to the floor beside the bed and something in him seemed to turn over. Eve's hands moved silkily from one button to the next on his shirt, his eyebrow raising as she reached the bottom one and tugged his shirt-tails out of his pants. He felt himself grow hard as their eye contact became more intense, and once his shirt was removed, their kisses came stronger and more passionate than ever.

Eve ran her hands gently down the curve of the blond boy's back and arched her hips up to him, fitting them snugly against one another and feeling his arousal clearer than ever. There was a hitch in Draco's breathing as he felt the contact and he couldn't help but grind his hips into her's, a small moan that told of his pleasure escaping his lips. Suddenly needing air, Draco broke their lip contact and removed what was left of Eve's shirt, along with her bra.

Running his hands over her increasingly naked body, Draco met Eve's eyes for a second. An unspoken question passed between them.

'Ready?' his eyes asked.

'Yes' her's answered, and before they knew it, they were tugging at the rest of their clothes and finally feeling the divine sensation of hot skin on skin. After that, nothing could hold them back.

******

The Quidditch match ended 120 - 400 for Ravenclaw. Cho Chang eventually caught the Snitch just before quarter to three, when the whole of the school was hoarse from cheering on their team.

Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way back up the castle with everyone else, talking, laughing and re-enacting all the important bits from the match.

"Did you see the way Millet beat that bludger away from Amy Denning?" Ron asked in awe, "not even Fred can blast the stupid thing that far!"

"Yeah, but the Hufflepuffs were playing pretty dirty this match," Harry pointed out, "I think they're really eager to get in the top two this season."

"Their team's just not strong enough," Ron reasoned, "if you ask me, they need more support up front, they're just not scoring enough points."

"Cho's a really excellent seeker, isn't she?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, she was playing some pretty fierce moves up there," Harry nodded. "If it hadn't have been for Hufflepuff having a strong seeker too, the match would have been over in minutes."

At this, they reached the Great Hall, which was ready set out for dinner. There were a few scattered students already seated. There were many dejected Hufflepuffs pushing food idly around their plates, and next to them there were some jubilant Ravenclaws laughing and embracing. The Slytherins were all bunched together at one end of the table, huddled in secret talks, and while there were only a few Gryffindors, Hermione spotted Eve, head bent over an open book, a half-eaten sandwich in her hand.

"Still working?" Hermione asked brightly, sitting next to her friend.

"What? oh, yeah!" Eve grinned.

"Get much done?" Harry asked, sitting down opposite her, next to Ron. Eve tried to stifle a laugh and settled for a blush.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"The match was ace, you should have been there!" Ron enthused, "you could just feel the tension in the air."

"Who won?" Eve asked, taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"Ravenclaw."

"It went on for hours," Eve observed. "I really didn't think you'd have taken that long."

"Turns out Hufflepuff were more of a threat to Ravenclaw than we thought." Harry informed her. Eve cast a look to Ron, who seemed to be glaring at something and she turned round to see it was the Slytherin table he had his eyes on.

"Look at them, all huddled together, probably discussing tactics."

"Yeah, I heard that Crabbe was copying down all the fancy moves Ravenclaw were showing off," Harry nodded, picking up a sandwich of his own.

"Huh, how low down and sneaky can you get?" Ron fumed, "Malfoy can't train his team well enough to win on their own, so he has to spy on the other teams and try to outmanoeuvre them!"

It was right, of course. The Slytherins were all huddled together, talking animatedly about something, and two of the boys Eve recognised from the night she had waited for Draco out of Quidditch practise were acting out moves with their hands. In the middle of it all sat Draco, eyes down studying some piece of parchment that Crabbe (who was sat next to him) kept pointing at.

Although it looked to everyone in the Great Hall that Draco was deep in thought about the conversations going on around him and the Wronski Feints he was being told about, Eve could tell he wasn't thinking about any of that because his eyes kept glancing up towards where she was sitting, and she smiled to herself. Draco was wearing his moody and sullen face as he spoke to one of his team Beaters, but if you knew, as Eve did, how Draco looked when he was calm and poised and oh so happy, then you would be able to tell he wasn't moody or sullen at all.

Eve had to look away to stop herself from grinning. She felt like previously they had had this little secret, their relationship and their love, but now they were more than just that - they were a team, a partnership and as she remembered all the delicious, wonderful feelings of this afternoon, she wondered how she would possibly survive Christmas without Draco. She had said to him 'You can't do that to me and then leave me for two weeks!' he had just laughed, of course, and promised her that there would be a lot more afternoons and evenings like this one when he got back. Okay, so it would be difficult to get time alone, but now Eve knew just how worth it it was.

Later that night in the Gryffindor common room, everyone was sat around the fireplace in the squishy armchairs. Ruth and Ginny were laughing at a trick Seamus and Dean were showing them, Neville was reading 'Herbology : What The Text Books Don't Tell You' and Harry and Ron were still talking Quidditch. Hermione and Eve simply sat listening. Eve was still lost in thoughts of Draco, but kept one ear on the conversation and she suspected that Hermione was thinking about the New Years Ball, because after dinner they had shared a conversation in which Hermione admitted she was worried she would have to go alone. Eve had assured her that Ron would ask soon, afterall, tomorrow was the last day of term and then they would be going their separate ways until the day of the Ball, but Hermione wasn't so sure, and Eve comforted her with the knowledge that if all else failed, they could at least go together.

"What time is it?" Hermione asked through a yawn, breaking Eve's trail into sleep herself.

"Oh, Merlin, it's nearly half eight."

"I think I'll get a book I need for Ancient Runes. The library doesn't shut until nine."

"Okay, you want me to come with you?"

"No, you stay there," Hermione smiled kindly, "you look like you're falling asleep."

"Oh, I am," Eve chuckled, snuggling further into the chair. Hermione made her way to the Portrait Hole and suddenly, all conversation around Eve ceased. She opened her eyes to find Ron sitting half off his seat, trying to see where Hermione had gone, and Harry shaking his head, silently laughing.

"What are you two up to?" Eve asked suspiciously.

"Where's Hermione gone?" Ron asked as though they were in the MI5, planning a mission.

"The library, why?" Eve frowned.

"Right, I'm doing it, Harry," Ron slapped his friend on the leg, standing up. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck, mate!" Harry called, still laughing as Ron treaded Hermione's path and vanished through the Portrait Hole.

Seeing the frown of confusion on Eve's face, Harry explained.

"He's going to ask her."

"Oh!" Eve cottoned on, "God, he's slow, isn't he?" she yawned and shut her eyes, resting her head on the back of the comfy chair.

"I guess so," Harry replied after a moment. "So, are you going with anyone?"

"No," Eve answered, eyes still shut.

"Me neither," Harry nodded in a mock-casual tone which was wasted on the nearly sleeping girl beside him. "Listen, I don't suppose......."

"What?" Eve asked, opening one eye and catching the nervous look on his face. She thought she knew what might be coming.

"Why don't we just....go together, if Ron and Hermione are then, it's sort of logical, don't you think?"

"I'd love to," Eve smiled, shutting both her eyes again and resting back against the warm fabric of the chair.

"Really?" Harry asked incredulously, and the tone of his voice made Eve grin.

"Yeah, sure, why not?"

"Okay, yeah, great," Harry smirked, putting his feet up on the coffee table in front of him. That was easy, he thought, I should have done it ages ago.

Meanwhile, out in the corridor, Hermione was just passing the old statue of St.Winifred when Ron came skidding to a halt beside her.

"Hermione," he said in a very deep, determined voice. "Do you - " he panted, out of breath from running, "do you want to go to the ball with me?"

Hermione smiled triumphantly and left a silence for a few minutes, just to tease the youngest Weasley boy. "Yes Ron, thanks for asking," with that she carried on her journey down the corridor, head held high, clearly aware that behind her stood a very shocked and surprised Ron.

"Great!" he eventually shouted as she was about to turn the corner, "see you there then!"

Hermione just laughed.

******

The last day of term was as fun and relaxed as everyone had told Eve it would be. Most of the teachers realised that attention spans were short, and so accommodated for this by giving out quizzes and games to play.

I started snowing at around 11:30, which was just in time for dinner, where most people abandoned the excellent food laid out in the Great Hall and went out to have snowball fights and build snow-teachers. Fred and George Weasley created an uncanny Snape just under the great Oak Tree, finished off with a hair-charm that was suitably black, lank and greasy, while Ron, Seamus, Dean and Harry took it in turns to fly Harry's Firebolt slightly above the ground and try to stay on the broomstick whilst being pelted by snowballs created by the other three.

Hermione had opted to stay back and talk to Professor Sinstra about some essay or other, which left Eve quite alone. Harry and Ron had invited her to join in their game of course, but as she pointed out to them, she couldn't even manage to stay on a broomstick when she wasn't being pelted by snowballs.

Skirting around by the great oak entrance doors, Eve spotted Draco in the distance with Crabbe, Goyle and a few other Slytherins. They seemed to be casting spells which made the snow slippy and watching whilst unsuspecting first years went flying and landed on the ground with a very hard bump a few yards away. Watching Draco creased over in laughter was usually an appealing sight to Eve, but she couldn't help feel sorry for one girl who went away crying, so she decided to do something about it. She needed to talk to her boyfriend anyway.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Malfoy?" she asked, approaching him and his friends. She inwardly flinched at how much she sounded like Harry and Ron.

"Get lost, wolf-girl," Goyle spat, eyeing her with such pure hatred that Eve's blood started to boil.

"I wasn't speaking to you, you worthless piece of shit."

"Oh, I'm so scared," Goyle said in a sarcastic, girly voice, "please don't hex me, you scary Gryffindor!"

Everyone about him laughed, except Draco, who didn't seem to know what to do. He looked torn between punching the big burly boy beside him and grinning at Eve.

"What did you want exactly, Lupin?" Draco asked, addressing her and stopping the laughter dead. His voice held a hint of the malice that he usually saved for Gryffindors, but Eve could tell by the look in his eye that he wasn't too happy with this conversation.

"A word with you, Malfoy if you don't mind."

"Certainly not," Draco stood up from his place amongst his friends.

"What the hell are you doing, Malfoy?" Goyle asked as though Draco was kissing Eve right there in front of them. Wonder what he'd say if I actually did? Draco pondered.

"I'm finding out what the lady wants, Greg, it's only polite," Eve caught a look of the death-glare Draco sent to his fellow housemate, and she decided she never wanted to be on the receiving end of one of those looks.

Silently, Draco then followed Eve through the snow, two figures cutting a path through the blanket of white, their night-black robes in stark contrast with the gleam of sun against freshly fallen snow. Just simply walking beside Draco these days made Eve feel warm. It was as though her whole being knew it felt right.

As they reached the castle and mounted the steps, Eve chanced a look sideways and found her boyfriend grinning at her.

"Oh, I loved it, it was a classic!" Draco laughed when they were safely out of anyone's earshot.

"What?" Eve asked, confused.

"That 'worthless piece of shit' line, oh, Merlin, I swear!" Draco wiped his eyes.

"Well, I didn't think it was that funny," Eve considered. "You really shouldn't have been so mean to those first years though."

"Yeah, I know," Draco said, still laughing slightly, "but it was kind of funny, you have to admit."

"Well, I suppose when that tall lad tried to steady himself on his girlfriend, that was quite good," Eve smirked, holding back a laugh.

"So, is that all you really wanted to say to me, that you thought I was being a naughty boy? Because I think you're very sexy when you get all feisty."

"No, that's not all," Eve told him, shoving away his hands as he reached out for her. They were in the corridors afterall. "I've got a date for the Ball, and I thought I'd better tell you in advance, in case you get back and start getting all angry and possessive."

"Angry and possessive? me?" Draco feigned shock.

"It's Harry," Eve said quite bluntly. This certainly stopped Draco in his jovial tracks.

"Potter?"

"I don't know any other Harrys, do you?"

"Eve! but - "

"Yeah, and you're going with Pansy bloody Parkinson, so you can't say anything to me, Draco Lucius Malfoy!" Eve pointed her finger at him, her eyes warning him to keep his voice down. She could see he was upset and jealous, but he couldn't keep being like this, otherwise he would get into more than one fight at the Ball.

"That's different!" Draco hissed.

"It's no different, now listen to me, I love you," Eve dropped her voice to a whisper, "and I think what we did yesterday is a pretty good example of that, don't you?"

Draco was just silent, eyes downcast.

"Harry asked me and I said yes rather than go alone, got me?"

"So it's not....a date?"

"How could it be a date, I'm going out with you!" Eve looked around and upon seeing no one, she stepped closer to her boyfriend and brushed her hand against his. "I'm having sex with you, not Harry, not anyone else - you."

Taking a deep breath, Draco met her eyes. "I just - " Draco sighed. "I'm just a prat, alright?"

"Yeah, I know," Eve smiled warmly. She locked her fingers with his and for a second, he shut his eyes as though even that slightest contact was pleasure.

"I actually wanted to speak to you myself," Draco said, checking around them both, and making sure the coast was clear. "I got another letter from my father this morning - he's going to be at the Ball himself."

"What?"

"Yeah, I know, I wasn't too thrilled either, but he said something about all Governors attending. I have to wonder how much of an eye he's trying to keep on me though."

"Hmmm," Eve sighed, "I guess you'll find out what's going on at Christmas."

"Hopefully," Draco nodded. "You know, this is probably the last time I'll be able to speak to you before I leave," he said, his tone sombre.

"I know, but you'll write to me won't you?"

"Of course, I'll sit in my bedroom all day with my piece of parchment waiting for you to tear yourself away from Potter and spare me a second."

"I'll be with my dad most of the time!" Eve defended herself, "besides, he's no where near as good looking as you."

"Or as good in bed," Draco added with a smirk.

"Well after Christmas I'll be able to tell you that, won't I?" Eve teased, and Draco tickled her silly for it. "Get off!" she laughed, trying to be as quiet as possible, eventually holding him at arms length so he couldn't get her.

"I need a kiss before I go," Draco pulled a sad face, "as I'm going to be deprived of them."

"I'll have to meet you later when there's less chance of us getting caught," Eve said suspiciously. "You can have this for now," she pecked him on the cheek, "and some more later."

"How much more?" Draco pulled her into his arms and began nuzzling her neck as Eve fought good-naturedly to get away.

"Don't be so cheeky, Malfoy."

"When, later?"

"Don't know, I'll keep in touch," Eve started to walk backwards towards the doors now, watching Draco pull a sad face. "Go back to terrorising first years," she winked and as soon as she saw him smile at that, she went back out into the snow and round the castle walls to where the game between her housemates was still going on.

"Where've you been?" Harry asked, taking his attention from the snowballs and his friends for a second.

"Oh, just being trying to stop Malfoy being nasty with first years."

"Any luck?"

"Not really."

At this, a snowball, thrown by Seamus, hit Harry on the back of the head, and another landed on Eve's robes, thrown by Ron.

"Let's get them!" Harry grinned at Eve, and so they did.

******

Saying goodbye to Draco that night seemed like the hardest task Eve had ever faced. At one stage he looked so unhappy, she seriously thought about accompanying him to the Manor - sod Lucius and Narcissia.

However, what was to come was probably a bigger task - spending Christmas with Harry, alone. It's not that they didn't get on, but Eve felt uncomfortable around him, knowing what she knew about Draco, and knowing how strong the hatred was between the two boys.

It was on the back from Hogsmeade Station that Eve and Harry were first alone. They waved goodbye to Hermione and Ron, both hanging out of the carriage window - Ron still animated from Hermione's answer to his invitation to the Ball. Eve didn't see Draco, although her eyes kept darting away from her friends to find his familiar, shocking blond hair and pale skin. There seemed to be Slytherins everywhere, but no Draco.

This was why Eve was lost in her own world when Harry informed her he was going to speak to Justin Finch Fletchley for a moment, and why she was so surprised to be yanked roughly backwards minutes later in a lonely clearing on her walk back up to the castle.

Eve found herself being pushed roughly up against an old, stone, ivy-covered wall, and a knobbly finger pointed in her face.

"Message from Parvati Patil," a rough voice said from beside her. "Watch your back, or you might find yourself in some serious trouble." The face of the person issuing the treats was cloaked, but Eve could make out it was definitely a girl, before being pushed back onto her previously chosen path. It all happened so quick, Eve found herself flustered, no time to feel nervous or get angry.

"Happy Christmas," the voice said in a sarcastic tone, before Eve turned around and the person was gone.

Shocked, and slightly startled, Eve's legs started do to their own thing, and she found herself walking back up to the castle as though on auto-pilot. Her mind was reeling, when Harry re-joined her.

"Hey, what's wrong, you look pale," he frowned.

In a second, an impulse told her to lie. Telling Harry would only make him worry and there really wasn't anything he could do.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. How was Justin?"

"Okay, I just arranged a game of Quidditch with him for tonight. You can come and watch if you like, as you missed out on the game the other day."

"Yeah, I'd like that," Eve lied, feeling sick that her only ally, Draco, was on a train speeding away in the opposite direction.

******

And so, Christmas arrived. Remus joined his daughter and Harry in his old common room on Christmas morning for the unwrapping of the presents left by Ron and Hermione, along with the parcels that arrived from the Weasleys and a package from Mr and Mrs Granger addressed to Eve. Having spent the summer together, Mrs Granger knew Eve's favourite sugar-free sweets and so had made up a small selection. There was also a note reminding her to brush regularly and floss weekly. Remus laughed, but thought that maybe Mr and Mrs Granger were taking their job as dentists slightly too far.

Remus couldn't help but note the friendship between his daughter and Harry as they all sat around the fire tearing wrapping paper from gifts and reading cards that had been sent. For a while, the DADA Professor had been concerned that Eve seemed to distancing herself from her new friends, spending much more time alone, or with him. He knew that Christmas was a painful time for Eve, as it reminded her of her Gran's absence, and that recently her failings in Charms class were upsetting her but still there was something holding her back from him, and he worried she was adjusting badly to life at Hogwarts.

A little later, as the three were discussing Dumbledore's plans for Christmas dinner, Dobby appeared, and startled all of them.

"Happy Christmas, Harry Potter!" Dobby jumped up and down excitedly, whilst tugging on Harry's hand. Harry smiled at Eve, who returned the gesture. "Harry Potter come with Dobby, Dobby has surprise!"

"Okay!" Harry laughed, and excused himself, exiting through the Portrait Hole, practically dragged by Dobby.

When they were alone, Remus turned his eyes to his daughter.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"I'm okay, dad."

"You and Harry seem to be getting on better."

"Better? when were we fighting?" Eve chuckled, fingering the tag attached to the teddy bear she was holding, a gift from the man beside her.

"Oh, you weren't, I was just worried for a while that the two of you weren't getting on, that's all."

"I guess we've got closer," Eve told him in a small voice. "Apart from when I've been visiting you this week, I've been with him."

"Did I see you flying yesterday afternoon?" Remus grinned.

"Oh, yeah," Eve laughed, "Harry was trying to cure my fear of it, but I don't think he will, I'm too scared to fall now. I only got about four metres from the floor, did you see?"

"I did, and I was very impressed. Sound's like Harry is a good influence on you."

"Aw, dad!" Eve blushed.

"I'm just saying that, if there's anything you need to tell me - "

"No, there isn't," Eve cut him off. She wore a slight smile to let him know that she wasn't angry, but inside she was squirming with guilt that there really was something she should be telling him - Draco. "We're just friends, that's all."

"Yes, I suppose, you're two young for all that, anyway, aren't you?" Remus asked. Eve blushed beside herself.

"You think?"

"Yes, well, I'm not sure if you can feel true love at such a young age."

"I think you can," Eve shrugged, fiddling with her Teddy bear's ear. "I mean, you weren't much older than me when you started going out with my mum."

"Ah, that was different," Remus explained.

"Different? how? didn't you love her?"

"Your mother and I were so different, Eve...." Remus's voice trailed away, and when Eve looked up, she saw him gazing into the fire.

"What, dad?" Eve frowned.

"Oh, I don't know," Remus sighed, rubbing his brow and suddenly seeming much older than his years.

"What? go on."

"There's something that.......well, there's something I never told you - about your mum, I mean."

"Oh?" Eve felt slightly sick, but in a way, she knew that no information about her mother would surprise her. She felt so indifferent from her after all these years, that not much could change her dark opinion on the woman.

"Your mum was in Slytherin."

"I see....." Eve managed to mumble whilst tasting the bitter irony that accompanied the news, and thinking of Draco.

"We got together after Graduation, so we didn't have to handle the stigma of a Slytherin and Gryffindor relationship, but you can imagine how concerned Sirius and James were for me. Lily was the only one, the only one who supported my decision, and eventually she made everyone trust my judgement. At first, James, Sirius and your Gran were dead against the relationship, and now, looking back, I wonder if I should have taken heed of their warnings but......."

"But what?" Eve asked. She wasn't so much interested in the fact they were talking about her mum, but more the difficulties and possibilities of a Slytherin and Gryffindor love match.

Remus sighed, "but sometimes feelings just sweep over you, and you can't change them. I'm a true believer that love knows no sex, or race, or colour, or even Hogwarts house," Remus smiled resignedly. "There was nothing I could do. My base instincts told me she was Slytherin - bare in mind that meant a lot more then than it does now. Voldemort was at his highest power, everyone was a suspected Death Eater, Slytherin's especially. It was averaged that at the time, 90% of Slytherin house at Hogwarts was either a Death Eater or related to one."

"Lucius Malfoy was the year above you, wasn't he?" Eve couldn't stop herself from asking.

"Malfoy? yes, he was responsible for lots of recruitments," Remus nodded solemnly. "The Slytherins in our year looked up to him - especially Severus Snape."

"So that's why......?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Remus nodded. "Anyway, why are we discussing such a sombre topic on Christmas morning?"

"I don't know," Eve shrugged, "but can I ask you another question before we finish the conversation, dad?"

"Yes, of course love, ask me anything," when Remus smiled, his eyes did too.

"What do you think would have happened? if you hadn't gone out with my mum just because she was a Slytherin, I mean. Do you think you'd have regretted it?"

"I'm almost positive," Remus nodded firmly. "It's a much cleverer man who regrets what he has done than a man who regrets what he has not done. I won't call it love, because I don't believe that's what it was at first between you mother and I - she was a hard woman to love, but I think denying that feeling, that spark between two people, is a very serious game to play. You don't mess around with your heart, Eve, and if I've learned anything in life, it's that second chances can't be relied on."

"So, although the relationship didn't work out, you wouldn't have it any other way?"

"No, not at all," Remus smiled fondly, "I was true to my feelings, and that's all you ever can be in life. You must do the best you can, when you can. So maybe I got a little stick from my friends for it, but they were only worried for me. They had my best interests at heart. In fact, Sirius and I were only talking about this a few nights ago - and I think he finally understands why I did what I did, but that's only after years of reflection and a heavy injection of wisdom."

When Eve was silent, contemplating all that her father had said, Remus mistook her evaluation for sadness.

"You are okay with this, aren't you?"

"Oh, yes dad, I'm fine!" Eve smiled, wanting to relieve the look of horror on Remus's face. She got up and went to him, then embraced him in a strong hug.

"Just think," Remus chuckled, tucking a stray hair behind Eve's ear, "if I had never married your mother, I would never have you, and you are the most precious thing in my life. Now if that's not a dose of poison for regret, I don't know what is."

"Thanks dad," Eve grinned.

This was how Harry found the father and daughter when he re-entered the common room - holding on tight to each other in a hug. He got a pang of jealousy at first when he saw it, missing the parents he never knew, but pushed it to the back of his mind when Eve pulled away from her dad with a blush.

"Hey, Harry, what did Dobby want?"

"Oh, presents......" Harry indicated, holding out a few pairs of elaborately decorated socks.

"How are they getting on with the feast, Harry?" Remus asked.

"Oh, nearly done, by the looks of it," Harry answered, taking his seat once again around the fire.

"Well, I suppose I'd better go and show my face in the staff room before dinner then," Remus smiled. "Don't want people thinking I'm being rude, now do we?" Standing up, the Professor dusted down his robes. "I'll see you both later at the feast, okay?"

"Okay, bye dad," Eve smiled, leaned up for a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks again for the present."

"No trouble, dear," Remus smiled. He waved to Harry before disappearing through the Portrait Hole.

"So, what do you want to do until lunch?" Eve asked, feeling somehow inspired by what her father had said. It seemed as though the reaction Eve had been expecting from her father concerning herself and Draco may not be as much of a grim reality as first though. She wasn't thinking about when she would tell him, or how, but she felt slightly more calm about the eventual incident now.

"How about we go get dressed and have a walk around the grounds?" Harry asked, offering an open packet of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans to Eve.

"Sounds good," Eve answered through a mouthful of sweets, one of which she was sure was grass flavoured.

"Right, see you in fifteen minutes then," Harry grinned, and as he jogged off to the boys dormitories, Eve couldn't help thinking how much like an excited kid he seemed. He usually had so much on his mind, but the Christmas spirit must have really ceased him.

Ambling up to her own room, Eve was still holding a pile of sweets in her hand, a few of which she occasionally put into her mouth, her taste buds alive at the varying flavours and textures. Reaching her room and opening the door, she found a tiny owl sitting patiently on her bed, although it looked slightly sleepy, which Eve imagined was from the small package attached to its leg.

"Hello," she whispered to it, leaving her remaining sweets on her bedside table and sitting down next to the bird. As she began to stroke it's neck gently, the owl offered out its leg. "Oh, thanks," Eve continued, unaware how silly she looked, chatting with an owl.

She untied the package gently, and with a tiny nip of her finger, the owl spread its wings and flew out of the open window.

Frowning at the speedy exit, Eve unfolded the note which accompanied the parcel, and her heart leapt at the familiar writing :-

Dear Eve,

Merry Christmas! How are you? not missing me too much I hope. Even though it was only last night I was talking to you, it seems like weeks.

I have been wondering what present I could get for you that would be special enough, to show you how much I care about you, but I realised that nothing material could say what I want to say, so I'll just leave you with 'I love you' and I look forward to speaking to you tonight.

Always yours,

Draco.

xx

Highly intrigued to know what Draco could have finally picked as a present, and slightly worried she hadn't got anything for him, Eve laid down the letter and tore at the carefully wrapped golden paper on the package and opened the box that she discovered inside with trembling fingers.

It was a tiny ring, only big enough to fit her little finger with a little difficulty, but it was the green glow of the ring which really enchanted Eve as she took it carefully from its bed of soft fabric and held it up to the light.

The ring was pure, shiny, sparkly gold and looked new, but the tiny stone in the centre that was giving off such a bright green colour looked slightly chipped at the edges and much used.

Although the ring was undeniably pretty, Eve frowned as she wondered what its use must be. She knew these things often had a use - there wasn't much in the Wizarding world that didn't and she doubted Draco would have popped into the nearest Muggle town and visited a jewellers there. Just as she was about to write to Draco on her parchment and ask the ring's use, she spotted a tiny piece of paper in the ring box. When she extracted it, she read the words there that were in French and underneath, translated into English :

un enchantement de protection

A Protection Charm.

Eve smiled. She figured Draco must have chosen this particular gift because she told him about the masked warning on the day that everyone left Hogwarts for Christmas. He had flown off the handle and threatened to return to Hogwarts immediately. In fact, his own words were, 'Fuck Lucius', but Eve had assured him that she wouldn't go anywhere alone, and while Draco hated the boy with a passion, he felt that Harry would look after Eve sufficiently until he returned.

Eve slipped the ring onto her finger, where it seemed to shine momentarily even brighter. She knew it couldn't be a permanent fixture there, as people would ask where she got it, but as she was going out for a walk and would be wearing her gloves, she figured it would be okay for now.

Before getting dressed and joining Harry in the common room, Eve wrote a lengthy 'thank you' note to Draco on her piece of magical parchment, telling that she missed him achingly, she loved him very much and couldn't wait to see him again soon.

******

"So, are you looking forward to the Ball next week?" Harry asked, trying with great effort to skim stones over the lake the way Eve had shown him.

"Yeah, it should be good," Eve nodded, grinning as her stone made five jumps. Her father was a near expert at this, and had taught her when she was little.

"If I'm being honest," Harry said, blushing nearly as scarlet as his scarf, "I wanted to ask you for ages and didn't have the courage."

"Like Ron with Hermione?" Eve smiled. Harry simply caught her eye and smiled too.

"I just - well, I know you better now."

"Yeah, I've enjoyed our chats," Eve agreed. Every night since the school had gone deathly quiet and the common room was almost empty, the two of them had sat in the two cosiest chairs by the fire and talked about anything and everything.

Eve was slowly finding Harry to be a confident, and regretted saying to Hermione that Harry was a difficult person to understand. On the first night, Eve had gone to bed early simply to avoid Harry, and to talk to Draco, but the second night Harry had asked her to stay up, and tell him stories of the Marauders during their time at Hogwarts. She hadn't missed out on talking to Draco as a consequence of this - they had talked after dinner instead, and then from about midnight until early morning so that often, Eve slept until midday.

Slowly, their talk had moved from their father's adventures in school to other things, Ron and Hermione, Charms, Quidditch, and eventually, around to Voldemort.

They found that it was here they were most alike.

Both knew all there was to know about the situation with the Dark Lord in the country right now, and they began to speak with careful words about such events as war, and capture, and where they hoped things would go in the end.

It was different to talking to Draco. He knew just as much about Voldemort, probably more about the Death Eaters, but their views weren't the same, and they never could be. Although Eve had spoken to each boy about their face-to-face meetings with the snake-like creature, their experiences were very different. Harry feared Voldemort in a different way than Draco did. Draco spoke of the Dark Lord like a man sentenced to death, whereas Harry spoke of him like a man simply facing a rock in his path, and although Eve hated to admit it, she found that talking to Harry about the subject was much more......reassuring, than discussing it with Draco.

Eve hadn't met the guy, and so couldn't feel the fear of him as strong as the others, but she knew that she was frightened, very frightened, and Harry seemed to quell that fear. He spoke of defeating the Dark Lord, the power that Dumbledore held and the Order Of The Phoenix. Draco, however, spoke in a resigned tone about how he knew what was coming.

In the end, Eve appreciated that one of them would probably walk away with the Dark Mark, and it wasn't likely to be Harry. In some ways, through talking to Harry about what was almost certain to come, Eve saw the chink of bravery in the fact Draco was accepting his initiation. Okay, so supporting the Dark Lord could never be a good thing, and would never make Draco a good person, Eve knew that if she was in Draco's position, she would run into the nearest forest and bury herself alive there.

In a way, Eve felt they were both standing up to their duties, even though the were so very, very different.

Of course, Draco's 'duties' would lead him away from her.

"Do you fancy going to the library tomorrow, to finish off our Divination charts?" Eve asked as Harry brushed snow from a near-by bench so they could both sit down.

"Yeah, why not?" Harry groaned, "I guess it has to get done sometime."

"I still feel utterly useless at everything," Eve complained, sitting down next to Harry and picking at the fallen leaves covered in snow that lay beside her.

"So, you don't feel like you've settled in, then?"

"Well, in a way, yes," Eve shrugged, "I've settled in to school, but I'm still getting used to this castle being my only home for the next two and a half years."

"Why do you plan to do eventually?" Harry asked.

"I'm going to have to get a place of my own some day, if I'm going to train to be a Professor, but that's a long way off and who knows what might happen before then."

"Hmm, nothing's ever certain around Hogwarts, is it?"

"I guess not," Eve laughed. There was a comfortable silence before Harry turned to Eve with a very serious look on his face.

"Have you thought any more about that prediction Trelawney made last week?"

"What? oh, that!" Eve remembered, "no, if I'm being honest, I plain forgot about it."

"Hmm, I've been trying to figure it out ever since," Harry frowned.

"There's no point in knowing the future," Eve shrugged, "you can't change it."

"No, I know, but she was going on about secrets and I don't think I know anyone with any secrets."

"Yeah well," Eve waved her hand nonchalantly, "just forget it Harry. You'll be sitting here until next Autumn if you try to decipher everything that mad old bat says."

"I suppose," Harry said in a very unconvinced tone.

Eve felt suddenly very uncomfortable under the raven haired boy's stare, so she gave a tiny smile and looked away, over the snow covered tree tops and into the distance at the white sky that looked full and heavy with snow once more. There were a spattering of other students walking here and there, breath forming in mist before them, but there was no one in hearing distance and for a odd moment, Eve considered confessing all to Harry about Draco. Sometimes it got slightly too much, and she just wanted to confess because spending so much time around the Gryffindors and her father, she felt like a criminal, fraternising with the enemy.

Whilst Eve's thoughts drifted back to that final afternoon she had spent with Draco, Harry was also lost in thought. He had had a conversation with Ron before he left, in which Ron expressed his great exasperation concerning girls, how difficult they were to work out. Until now, Harry had never sympathised with Ron on this topic, never really understood what he meant, but after this Christmas, he finally knew. One minute, he and Eve were chatting fine, and they got on well, then the next she seemed to close down. He also felt that she was never really fully there with him, like there was some part of her he could not penetrate and he wondered what secrets she obviously held that she wouldn't say - she seemed so open about everything else.

As the school bell rang to signal dinner Harry decided that like all over secrets, they would be revealed eventually one day, probably when he was least expecting it.

*******

Just after the house elves in Malfoy Manor had cleaned away the final Christmas dinner dishes and dried the last goblets so they were all sparkling clean, Draco heard a knock at his door. He was in the middle of a reply to Eve, and so was annoyed at the interruption.

"Come in!" he shouted testily.

"Errr, Master Malfoy, sir," a house elf whimpered once the door was open a crack.

"Yes, what?" Draco glared.

"Mister Lucius requests your company in his study, Master Draco."

"Right, okay," Draco gestured for the house elf to leave, which he did with a soft click of the fine oak door.

Draco sighed and shut his eyes for a moment, leaning over his desk. He had to keep some sort of reign on his anger, but it just seemed so difficult. Dinner had been a great test of strength - it seemed that Lucius had something he wanted to say, and Draco had half been expecting the call to his father's study.

In fact, ever since he had arrived home a few days ago, the air in the Manor was so thick with tension it could have been cut with a knife. There were no father/son private dark arts lessons on this trip home, and Draco felt not only had he changed, but people could somehow feel it.

Narcissia had come up to his bedroom on his first night home to kiss him goodnight, as she always did with her only child. She worshipped him, but feelings were never shown easily in the Malfoy household and so shows of affection were kept to a minimum. However, on that night, Draco had felt so upset at being away from Eve and so worried when his girlfriend had told him what happened with Parvati Patil's friend that when his mother came in to give him a kiss, he embraced her first.

Narcissia had been shocked, but not displeased. Draco had always been a very loving child, until he got to around eight years old, when his father had taken him in hand and told him in no uncertain terms that boys did not give out hugs, they did not kiss their parents goodnight, and they certainly did not express their feelings to all and sundry. It was, Lucius had told him, a weakness, and Narcissia had hated her husband even more since that day, if it were possible.

"Sorry," Draco had mumbled as he had pulled away from his mother, and in her fifteen year old boy's eyes, Narcissia had seen hurt, very clearly. There was something worrying Draco, and Draco knew that each time he spoke to his father, Lucius could tell Draco wasn't completely there. He seemed to have left some great part of him back in that stupid school, and what part of him it was, Lucius intended to find out.

On the walk down to his father's study, Draco tried to think of calming things, like Eve and like finally returning to Hogwarts after what seemed to be an eternity. He certainly did not contemplate the fact that his mother had invited the Parkinsons over for Boxing Day dinner tomorrow and that the day after that, many of the Death Eaters were convening for a meeting in his father's private wing of the house.

Knocking on the door, Draco heard a curt, "Come!" from the other side and rolled his eyes before plastering his face with his trademark haughty air and entering his father's dimly lit study.

It was an eiry room, and said to be the most haunted in the house. Infact, Draco used to hide out there when he was younger in hope of glimpsing a ghost. That was, until his father one morning discovered him, curled up asleep under the huge wood desk - Lucius made sure his son never forgot that morning.

"Good afternoon, father."

"Don't sit down!" Lucius said in an acid tone as Draco went for the dark green, leather chair. Recoiling immediately at not only the tone but the words, Draco stood neatly behind the chair, his hands clenched in fists behind his back.

"You called for me," Draco's eyes bored into the crown of his father's head, which was bent over some papers, his hand still writing fervishly away.

"Yes, indeed I did."

When Lucius Malfoy eventually raised his eyes to his son, Draco held his stone-cold gaze. There was no warmth in the Death Eater - often he was so pale he looked dead, but his eyes always held a glimmer of the power beneath them to crush those below him into grains of dust, yet able to beg and plead before the Dark Lord when the time was called upon.

"I have been wishing to speak to you for some time, Draco," when the name dripped off Lucius' tongue there was clear displeasure. "However, I have waited until today so that I could try to find out what is so very wrong with you. You have been acting most unlike yourself. Are you unwell, Draco?" Lucius mocked.

Yes, lovesick, what about you, you fat headed git? Draco thought, but decided that retort might end in a healthy dose of the Cruciatus curse.

"No father, I feel fine."

"Why then," Lucius laid down his quill and steepled his fingers infront of him, elbows resting on the edge of the polished, mahogany desk. He never broke the eyes contact with his son, knowing that the first to do so was always the loser of the argument, "have I been receiving reports of your odd behaviour in school and witnessing the same phenomena before my very eyes in the past few days?"

Draco was lost for words. He could either tell the truth, or lie, and seen as the truth was really out of the question, he fell back on his Slytherin resources for a suitable fabrication.

"I have a lot on my mind, father. The O.W.L.s are coming up and I have all the extra dark arts experiments you showed me to keep up with."

"Are you saying my teaching is too much for you?" Lucius' features contorted into a very un-nerving, sickly smirk.

"No father, certainly not," Draco said through gritted teeth.

"Well then," at this, the eldest Malfoy began shuffling papers and pushing them to one side on his already piled-high desk. "Maybe a demonstration is in order?"

Draco panicked. He hadn't, of course, been practising anything. He'd been spending all his free time lately with Eve, and so the work his father had set him over the summer had been buried at the bottom of his trunk since a few days work at the beginning of September.

Through the panic and serious raising of heart-rate, Draco retained a cool-as-ice composure.

"I don't have my wand," he lied.

"Fine, I can get the house elf to bring it - "

"No!" Draco stepped forward, and Lucius's eyes opened wide.

"No?" he said disbelivingly.

"I mean - " Draco faltered, "I'll get it, it's no trouble."

"Fine," Lucius said warily after a moment scrutinising his son, "but be quick."

"Yes father," Draco nodded before hurrying from the room.

Since he had been old enough to walk, he had been taught not to run through Malfoy Manor, it was not dignified, apparently, but throwing caution to the wind, Draco raced through the lengthy corridors and eventually reached his room panting and red-faced. He scrambled to his trunk, and falling on his knees, began pulling out everything he could find to reach the bottom where he knew the papers must be. Finding them, his eyes scanned every spell quickly, and realising that there was no way he could learn all three pages of such difficult spells in seconds, he chose to memorise a few certain ones and hope that he got to perform a spell of his choice.

Before leaving his room a mess, he checked the mirror to make sure he didn't look flustered, and made his way quickly and quietly back to his father's study. Outside, he gave a little cough then knocked before entering.

"What took you so long?" Lucius asked in an icy tone before his son had even shut the door. Knowing that lies were easy to detect, Draco made sure his face was turned away from the man who now stood by the grand, ornate fireplace before replying,

"I couldn't find my wand."

"You should keep a better eye on things then, Draco," Lucius said, eyes on the fire. "Very well then," he said impatiently when Draco didn't move.

Not quite sure what to do, and realising the full extent of his loss of composure, Draco turned to a paper-weight that was lying on his father's desk and performed a spell he was vaguely familiar with.

Unsure quite as to what would happen, Draco watched with relief as the paper-weight transfigured itself into a shiny, ripe, green, innocent looking apple. For a second, both occupants of the room were still, before Lucius looked away from the fire and made his way slowly to the desk. Producing a cut-throat sharp knife from his pocket that glinted orange in the light of the fire, Lucius sliced the apple down the centre with ease, and upon seeing the contents, Draco tried to hide his shock.

The smell was putrid, and as some kind of shimmering blue poison leaked out onto the desk top, maggots wriggled and squirmed to get free. All kinds of insects that had been nestling beneath the skin of the apple suddenly ran free, and those that made contact with the blue liquid immediately dissolved and fizzed in the substance that Draco realised must be some distant relative of acid.

Wrinkling his nose up from the smell, Draco looked up to see his father with a smile on his face, admiring the handiwork.

"Yes, indeed you do seem to have been working on the spells I set you," Lucius said as a flick of his wand cleared up the mess and the tainted apple returned once again to a glass paper-weight. "I shall set you some more."

Draco groaned inwardly as he pocketed his wand. Lucius returned to his place at the desk, and Draco re-positioned himself when he had been before the test.

"Thank you, father, I - "

"However," Lucius interrupted, the coldness returning to his eyes, his gaze on his only son once more. "That does not explain your odd behaviour at Hogwarts. My informant tells me you seem to be keeping secrets," after a pregnant pause, Lucius spoke in a threatening tone, "is there anything you would like to tell me, Draco?"

Meeting his father's eyes, Draco summoned all his strength. "No, father, nothing."

"I will not have you acting insolent or suspicious at that damned school of yours!" Lucius suddenly boomed, and it took everything Draco had not to step back from the desk. Instead, he fixed his eyes on the ground. "People are writing to me about your behaviour, boy, and I will not have that! It will not do for my peers to think I cannot control my son! I suggest you go away and think hard about your position in this family and the effect your actions have on the Malfoy name!"

There was an angry silence as Draco took deep breaths and urged himself not to loose his temper.

"Yes father," he finally replied in clipped tones.

"Just you remember the agreement we made, Draco," Lucius said with a note of finality, and went back to his work, inking his quill once more and pouring over the parchment in front of him. Draco simply stood there wondering if there was another angry tirade coming or not. Finally, he turned to go, and as his hand went for the doorhandle, his father's voice cut the air once more.

"Oh, and Draco?"

"Yes, father?" Draco ground his teeth together.

"Fix your hair, will you? you look like a muggle."

Lucius did not raise his head from his work when he spoke, so he did not catch the look of death Draco passed to him. Deciding not to retort, Draco opened the door and proceeded outside, slamming the door so hard that it rattled on its hinges and the bang echoed down the cold, empty hallways that spread off to the left and to the right. He didn't care right then if Lucius called him back, and although he had heeded his father's 'subtle' warning about the fragility of their agreement regarding his initiation with the Dark Lord, anger raced through him and he had to exercise strong restraint not to kick something very hard.

Slowly mustering the energy to return to his room, Draco began the journey with heavy footsteps. As much as he would like to tell himself that his father's anger didn't matter, he knew it did, and knew that this little 'informant' he seemed to have (which Draco seriously suspected was Pansy) was clearly keeping a very careful eye on him.

He had let things slip - he was the first to admit that, but Eve meant more to him now than ever and it seemed that the change in him, which he could only assume stemmed from the love, was visible for all to see.

Draco sighed. He couldn't keep this facade up much longer. He nearly lost it in there, and that wasn't good enough.

As soon as he reached his room, he surveyed his trunk that lay in disarray, his open school books on his desk who's words had simply blurred before his eyes and turned into pictures of Eve, and the scattered pages of Dark Arts spells his father had given him to learn, and with a lock of the door, Draco flopped down onto his bed and shut his eyes tight, blinking away hot, stinging tears that slithered like acid down his pale cheeks.

He fell asleep soon after.

******

A few days later, back at Hogwarts, Harry was showing Eve the complicated method of lying in order to fill a Divination chart.

"See, here you write that you'll get trampled by a run-away killer floberworm, and then for next Saturday, you accidentally get caught in the middle of a dangerous head-shrinking hex."

"But I did that last month," Eve frowned.

"That's okay," Harry nodded with a grin, "you're just unlucky."

"Damn right I am," Eve chuckled. "Look, on the fourth I'm going to be disembowelled by a potion gone wrong!"

"Well personally I think you're brave for facing up to your future," Harry shrugged.

"I guess I am," Eve said in a mock earnest tone, "it's just such a good job the crystal ball never lies."

"God, you're starting to sound like Lavender!" Harry squirmed.

"Oi!" Eve laughed, pushing him.

At this, there was a loud tapping sound at the high window in the common room, and both Gryffindors looked up at the same time to find Pidwidgeon fluttering excitedly outside, braving even the fresh snow fall with a friendly hoot.

"I'll get it," Harry told Eve, rising from his chair while Eve went back to studying the charts and plotting her untimely demise.

"It's from Ron," Harry read after sending Pig away with a piece of a mince pie that was on a table near the window.

"No? really?" Eve grinned sarcastically. Harry pulled a tongue at her before sitting back down in his chair and handing the letter over to the dark haired girl beside him.

"He says Ruth visited."

Eve began reading the letter for herself, and it did, indeed say that Ginny's friend Ruth had visited for a day, but Ron had hurriedly wrote underneath that,

I spent most of the day trying to hide from her - she still expects me to ask her to the dance, but there's no way I'm jeopardising Hermione's acceptance!

Eve laughed.

"Sound's quite sold on the girl, doesn't he?"

"Oh, he is," Harry moaned, "I just hope he does something about it really soon so he stops going on about it."

"I get the feeling he will," Eve smiled, folding up the letter that had been addressed to the both of them and handing it back to Harry.

"That reminds me - what are you wearing?"

"Please don't tell me you want to borrow a dress," Eve frowned.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Harry smiled.

"Okay. Well, my dress is blue, pale blue in fact. I've had it for two years, my dad bought me it from his wages teaching Hogwarts in your third year. It's a bit old and tatty, but I'll do something with it before the Ball. I'm quite good with a sewing spell."

"Light blue, right," Harry nodded as though making a mental note.

"Why?" Eve asked, passing her now finished chart to Harry. His eyes lingered on it for a second before replying,

"Ron said something about us having to wear a flower the colour of our partner's dress. I just hoped you weren't wearing vivid yellow."

"Oh no," Eve laughed, "not vivid yellow. That's next week, can't you see, here on the chart."

Eve leaned forward and indicated some time in early February before dissolving into laughter. Watching her, Harry couldn't help but feel impatient about the day of the Ball - somehow he didn't think he'd mind dancing so much this year.

******

On the morning of the 31st, Eve finally finished the reparations of her dress. After a wash and dry, it had come up as good as new. She knew that most girls were going in wonderful elaborate dresses, recently purchased, but the hard fact was her father just couldn't afford a dress, and she wasn't willing to ask him because she knew the answer and wanted to save his embarrassment.

Although she had grown slightly since the dress was first bought, she had let down the hems and added extra frills around the edges so that the pale blue ball gown which went in sharply at the waist then fanned out in a puffy skirt, looked probably better than new. Eve was pleased with herself, and was just admiring her handiwork when there was a knock at the bedroom door.

Surveying the dress one last time, now hook up by a coat-hanger above the window, Eve went with the dress-pins still in her mouth to open the door.

"Oh, hiya Harry!" she smiled, laying the pins carefully back in her little sewing box. "That's the dress, what d'you think?"

"Wow, it's lovely!" Harry observed the way the silk caught the light and watched Eve as she pottered around her room.

"I only just got it finished," she informed him, tucking the edges of her sheets back under her bed and finishing her room.

"I thought we could take a walk down to the grounds to wait for the others to get back from the train," Harry told her, keeping his place by the door. After all, it was the girl's dormitory.

"Yeah, that's a nice idea," Eve fixed her hair in the mirror then turned and smiled once more at the dress. "Right! let's go!" she nodded.

They made their way slowly through the castle, chatting about the dance and how nice it would be to have Ron and Hermione back.

"I had a good Christmas though," Harry smiled.

"Yeah, me too," Eve agreed, although she had missed Draco with an ache in her chest.

Eventually, they reached the edge of the Hogwarts grounds, where the snow was beginning to thaw in the warm December sunlight.

"What do you say we pelt the Slytherins with snowballs as they pass?" Harry laughed.

"Yeah, and we can hide a blame it on Peeves," Eve suggested. Wary that this was where the girl had grabbed her a little over a week before, she kept near Harry as they treaded through the snow. Just as Harry began telling Eve a story about an afternoon in Hogsmeade on Saturday outside the Shrieking Shack back in third year, where he had invisibly pelted Draco with mud, the carriages began rolling back up the driveway to the castle. Eve didn't mind too much, Draco had already told her the story, complete with some creative language to describe Harry. Holding back a smile, Eve watched as the carriages stopped and their school mates began to pour out. Of course, Eve was keeping an eye open for her boyfriend, but in the mass of over a thousand students, all chattering at once, she could neither see nor hear him.

Ron and Hermione appeared fairly quickly, laughing over something or other Neville had said on the train.

"Hello, you two!" Hermione waved, and gave Eve a hug when they came level.

"Alright, mate?" Ron asked of Harry.

"Yeah, good, you? have a nice Christmas?"

"Yeah, but I've got another knitted Weasley speciality in my bag for Dobby," Ron groaned.

"Well, it's been really quite without you," Eve smiled as she linked Hermione and they made their way back up to the castle, where the smell of a delicious feast was now appearing from.

"The dormitory's been great without Seamus's snores," Harry rolled his eyes.

"Did you hear the result of the Cannons game on Boxing Day?" Ron asked.

"No, what was it?" Harry frowned.

"So," Hermione said to Eve, diverting their attentions away from the boys. "Good Christmas?"

"Yeah, it was really peaceful and relaxing," Eve nodded earnestly.

"And did anything happen with you and Harry?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"No!" Eve laughed, eyes making one last sweeping look for Draco in the crowd.

"We'll have to see what happens tonight then won't we?" Hermione asked with an air suggesting she knew something Eve didn't.

"I don't know Mrs Weasley, will we?" Eve teased. Hermione simply laughed.

Eve felt slightly dejected at not having seen Draco, even though she had a smile on her face when she climbed the Hogwarts castle steps.

She consoled herself that at least she would see him at dinner, then maybe get to speak to him face to face before she was sentenced to another night of facades at the Ball.

When she had told Hermione that Christmas was peaceful and relaxing, she was being honest. She had been having a break from leading this strange double life she seemed to have got herself into since September, and as they filled into the Great Hall for dinner, she caught a glimpse of Draco talking quietly to Blaise Zabini.

She was back to leading the double life, but when she saw Draco scan the Gryffindor table and finally rest his eyes on her, she knew it was all worth it anyway. It seemed as though as she had been inhaling, and finally knowing Draco was back in the school, that he wasn't much more than a walk away, Eve finally felt she was able to exhale. A strange kind of relief washed over her, knowing she was back to those big, strong cuddles and soft, whispered kisses. Her mind reeled when she thought of all the other things Draco returning meant.

Yes, it was definitely better when he was around, even thought their relationship did cause some problems. For Eve, the good points outweighed the bad by miles.