By My Side

Chapter 18.

Eve woke on the morning that she was supposed to meet Draco with a renewed kind of energy. Inside her, she knew that she would meet him, and that he would make it better. She had doubted him at first, but then she reminded herself of all the times they spent together, all the moments that they shared that had stayed secret between them. He may have chosen his family honour over her six months ago, but his heart was not lost, it couldn't be, he was more genuine than that.

By doubting him, she scolded herself, I was seeing the one dimensional character that everyone else sees. I was classing him as a lost cause, just because of one mistake. He loved me, maybe still loves me, and for some reason, I trust him with my life.

There was a fierce kind of determination bubbling up inside her now, and she sat around impatiently for the day to pass. She counted down the hours to eight o'clock, but still couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye during dinner in the Great Hall. She felt as though, if she looked at him, it would break her resolve. She didn't want to watch him with Pansy today, she didn't want to look at the badge on his robes and remind herself he was a Slytherin. Today was a day when she had to see him as Draco Malfoy, minus all the baggage that came with his name and away from all the stereotypes that his school house placed upon him. She had to trust him as an individual, she had to see him as a separate entity, and the only way she could do that was to remember him in her mind, remember the nights he had held her, how soft his kisses were, the gentle hands with which he had undressed her. She had to focus on what she knew for sure, not what she had been told or fed on. It was hard, she realised, to strip away all the preconceptions about him, the school and the crowds had built his personality up to be something beyond what he was. He had a fierce reputation and she had to strip away the layers of that before she could touch the real him. What surprised her was the way she had come to believe all the roomers and lies about him over the past six months.

Finally, she was seeing the real Draco again.

She felt impatient all day, like putting all the clocks forward while no one was looking. In lessons, she stared into space, but no one minded, they just ignored her, then smiled at her with that sad look of woe when she met their eyes.

It was near to the full moon, and when, in Divination, Eve sat down to work out the exact dates, she realised it was tomorrow, and for the next night, and the night after that. It angered her to think that Remus would be somewhere foreign, alone and vulnerable at the most difficult time in his month. Although he had probably taken some of Snape's potion with him, it was unlikely he would still have it, wherever he was, and he needed it every day for the potion to take its full effect and subdue his transformation.

Eve had seen him many times, when she was a little girl, in the few days immediately after the full moon, when he had been left alone to deal with his lycanthropy changes. Due to the lack of food or fighting, Remus would attack himself and used to be left with many cuts and bruises inflicted by his own hands. He would eat away at himself on the account that he had no one to attack - which was why, during his time at Hogwarts, James and Sirius had learnt to be animagi, so they could stay with him and bring him food or protect him from himself. Remus had told her many stories about how the great hulk of a stag James had turned into would stare him down them wrestle him into a corner, where he would cower with fear. As a little girl, Eve had dreamt of learning to be an animagi herself to keep Remus company, but when he had found out her plans at the age of 12, he made her promise to stop, to keep her safe from harm. Eve had never pressed the issue since, but she had though of it often.

It was from about seven 'clock onwards that it got hardest to wait to meet Draco. She wanted to know now, impatiently. She wanted to find out where Remus was and save him tonight, before he had to suffer his change on his own. Maybe if she got some potion to him, she could lessen the harm he committed to himself.

Harry, Ron and Hermione could see she was on pins, and while Eve knew she should probably warn Harry where she was going, in case Draco's meeting was a trap, she didn't want to risk it. He might forbid her to go, he might put pressure on her and make her guilty about going or he might follow her under the invisibility cloak and she wanted this meeting to be private.

No, she wouldn't tell him, she'd go alone, claiming she was going for a walk to her father's room or something.

She had to get her dad back any way she could, and if Draco could help, then it didn't matter who he was or how much danger she might be in.

Unable to wait any longer, Eve made her excuses at half past seven and wandered down to the greenhouses to get there early. It was dusk and most students were inside, some having a late meal and others revising in the library for the upcoming exams, probably where she should be, as she felt completely unprepared.

Draco was early too, but then, Eve reminded herself, it was never like him to be late.

It was the strangest feeling in the world, watching him walk towards her, that trademark walk, the way his hands rested in the pockets of his grey school trousers and the pounding sound on the fresh green grass of his heavy boots, made of the best Dragonhide that money could buy. Lucius Malfoy might treat his son like muck, but he always made sure he looked nice.

Eve tried to look elsewhere as Draco approached her, it was too weird and uncomfortable to realise they were meeting up again, after all this time, but for horrible reasons, with something huge at stake.

"Hello," Draco said nervously.

"Hi," Eve replied, looking at the floor. The air was suddenly thick with tension as they both stood, facing each other, completely at a loss for what to say. Eve eventually broke the air. "You know something? about my dad?"

"Yeah, yeah," Draco nodded, as though he only just remembered what he was there for. He ran a shaky hand through his hair as he continued, "father sent me a letter, he's still keeping me updated on........proceedings. You-Know-Who has your dad."

"Dumbledore told me that much," Eve stated, finally meeting Draco's eyes. It was like time stopped for a moment and she almost laughed. It felt like they were play-acting this tension, it was so unlike them! I should be in his arms, Eve thought, this should be so much easier.

"They want to use him as some kind of pawn," Draco explained, ignoring her slightly angry tone. He had suspected she would be like this, and had made allowances, she was, afterall, in a very stressful position. "It's because he's such an important member of Dumbledore's army, they think that if they have him, they can bargain......over his life."

"I know all this, Draco," Eve said shortly. "You said you know exactly where he is. Now, I'll find him without your help if I have to but - "

"Okay, okay, calm down," Draco said steadily, looking about them then gently easing Eve and himself into the shadows. They were suddenly very close and Eve wasn't sure if she could take it. She was sweating even though it wasn't hot, and every part of her seemed like it was hyper-sensative. When he touched her arm, she tingled.

"I am calm," Eve lied, refusing to look around in the worried manner that Draco was, and didn't reduce her voice to a whisper. "I want to know where my dad is, and if you try anything funny, I swear, I'll hex you before you can say 'Azkaban'."

"Try anything funny?" Draco asked, looking genuinely confused. He brought his eyes back to hers and realised that his hand was still touching the cuff of her robes. He took it away quickly, as though the touch burned. "I'm risking a lot coming here, you know, I didn't have to meet you."

"No, and you didn't have to obey your father six months ago, but you did that," Eve said bitterly, "give me one reason why I should trust you, Draco Malfoy?"

"Old time's sake?" Draco said sarcastically, angered despite himself.

"How about you cut the crap, and tell me what you know?" Eve asked, her hand slipping un-noticed to feel her fingers curl around her wand in her pocket. "Then I'll gladly leave you alone."

"You can't do it without my help," Draco informed her in a more neutral tone, which he had to keep in check because his instincts to defend her had flared up when she had suggested she was going to try saving her dad alone.

"I thought you knew me better than that," Eve said quietly, not managing to keep the sadness out of her voice.

"Anything but this, Eve. You'll get hurt."

"Oh, and you'll save me?" she laughed bitterly.

"No, that's Potter's job, remember?" Draco retorted quickly.

"And I wonder who's fault that is?" Eve stung. Silence followed while they stared each other down. Eve had never had an argument that had felt connected with sexual tension before, but she was getting that feeling now, as though this was some sick kind of foreplay.

"Just tell me, alright?" Eve eventually dropped her eyes to the floor. She sounded weary.

"He's at the Manor."

"Your Manor?" Immediately, Eve's eyes were back on his. All she saw was honesty.

"Lucius has him in the dungeons."

"But.......but.......Christ, why didn't you tell me sooner, Draco?" Eve asked, wandering out of their little alcove into the dying sunlight of the day that cast a beautiful, warm orange glow along the horizon. Draco followed her and leant against the greenhouse wall, watching her pace up and down before him. "Your father detests my father, thinks he's less than human - just imagine all the things he could be doing to him!"

"The main thing is, now that we know, we need to get him back."

"It's full moon tomorrow night," Eve explained sadly, "he doesn't have his potion, he'll probably be half alive by the time your father gets round to him anyway!"

"What time is sunset tomorrow?" Draco asked, consulting his watch.

"Around eight-ish. Why?"

"We need to find some way to get to him before then."

"You have a plan?" Eve asked hopefully, not even noticing that their earlier air of sniping had turned into tight comradeship.

"Not exactly, but I know that the protective wards around the Manor would spot you miles off. You can't approach the house from the front because the sensors scan your blood for Malfoy D.N.A."

"That's gross," Eve observed. Draco ignored it.

"Which means we have to get in some other way. We can't apparate onto the grounds because of the wards, which splinch you if you come within 3 miles. The only thing I can think of is to connect the fireplace in my room up to the floo network, but it'll be tricky."

"How tricky?"

"I've done it before, but not from Hogwarts. I don't know how to break Dumbledore's codes of protection around each fireplace and I've failed miserably a few times trying with the common room."

"Maybe we should tell someone?" Eve asked, but they met each other's eyes and made an unspoken rule that this was just the two of them, against the world.

"We could look in the library to find out how to break protection spells," Draco suggested.

"That'd take too long," Eve shook her head, "anything could have happened by then."

"We'll have to forget floo-ing there then - "

"No, hang on," Eve raised her hand gently to silence him. "My dad has a fireplace in his staff room. I remember him telling me something about the wards being weakest in the staff wing, for security reasons, like having a fire-escape, if you know what I mean."

"You think it would work?" Draco asked, looking hopeful. He was no longer leaning against the greenhouse, and somehow, they'd edged closer to each other without noticing.

"We could give it a try," Eve shrugged, "unless you have a better idea?"

"Not exactly," Draco sighed. "Once we get in though, its simple."

"Simple? how are we going to get dad from the dungeons all the way up to your room? besides, he won't be strong enough to floo."

"We won't use floo powder to get out," Draco explained. "The connection portals close up with an hour anyway, if they're only temporary. To get your dad out, we'll have to make him a portkey."

"What?" Eve said with surprise, "how are we supposed to do that?"

"I've been making them for years," Draco explained, "it's simple when you know how. I'll need something of his though, to transfer his magical energy into the portkey, that way it'll only work for him. Then, we can make one for us, to get us home."

"Why can't we just port-key in then?" Eve frowned.

"The protective wards again. You can portkey from anywhere, but you can't portkey to anywhere."

"Right," Eve nodded, suddenly feeling stupid. "So we can get dad right back here to Hogwarts?"

"Well, not technically, as you can't port-key into the Hogwarts grounds, or apparate for that manner, the protection spells here are too high."

"You sound like Hermione," Eve muttered.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," she shook her head. "So he'll end up where?"

"Hogsmeade is the nearest place, but if we get him to go to The Three Broomsticks, Madame Rosmerta is bound to help him. The whole of Hogsmeade is on the look-out for him already. Didn't you know?"

Eve shook her head slowly, feeling very tried all of a sudden.

"Of course......" Draco whispered, realising that she'd probably had other things on her mind. "How have you been?"

"Terrible," she replied candidly, "but there's no time for that now, we need to get this plan into action."

"Right, well first thing's first. The portkey will take about two days to make."

"Two?" Eve asked incredulessly.

"The magic needs time to transfer," Draco explained.

"Okay......what else?"

"I'll need something of your dad's, his robes, some jewellery, anything that is in close contact with him."

"Right, well, we can get that from his room."

"What about the fireplace? when shall I check that out?"

"Tomorrow," Eve decided, seeing how dark it was now - they seemed to have been out there for ages. "If the portkey takes two days then we'll never save him before full moon, and we can't well rescue him while he's trying to eat us so we'll have to wait until his transformation has passed. That gives us four days exactly. If you meet me tomorrow night, after my extra Charms class, we'll go to dad's room together and you can get whatever you need for the portkey whilst trying to connect up the fireplace, okay?"

"Sounds fine," Draco nodded, "what time do you finish class? is it still ten o'clock?"

Eve nodded.

"Right, I'll see you outside Flitwick's class at ten then?"

Eve had a nasty sense of deja vu. Oh, how she wished it was this time eight months ago - if she had the time over, she'd change things.

"Sure," Eve agreed. There was an uncomfortable moment as Draco decided what to do - say goodbye? goodnight kiss on the cheek? ravish her against the wall?

"Er......bye then."

"Yeah, bye."

With that, Draco turned and walked the way he had come. Eve almost ran after him. He'd filled her with so much hope about her dad! he was helping her, just like she had wished he would! he'd given her something no one else could give, and he was risking everything he knew for her......again.

Eve's emotions were all in a jumble as she waited for some time to pass then began her own walk back up to the castle. The air was getting chilly now, and she wrapped her arms around herself, thinking they were his. It felt so good to think she would see her dad again soon - only four days! it felt like Christmas. She hoped with all her heart that she could save him while he was well enough to be healed. It was unlikely that the Lucius and his army would approach Remus when they found out they had a fully grown werewolf in their dungeon, so at least he was safe from harm at their hands. It was only self-inflicted troubles that Eve had to worry about.

Suddenly she started planning, imagining how it would be when she rescued him - he was bound to be shocked to find her there. How would she explain herself? She'd have to tell him about Draco, how he'd helped and been the brains of the plan. She felt like she was strong on her own, but not strong enough. In all the places she failed, Draco was strong for her. The idea that they were a formidable team warmed her inside.

She had dreams again, hope, aims, all thanks to Draco. How could I have ever doubted him for a second? she thought, there was no need for all those angry words. I'll tell him I'm sorry tomorrow, I might even tell him that I've missed him. I'll ask him how things are with Pansy - I'll try to be the best kind of person I can be - he deserves that. We all do.

*******

So the plan was underway. Eve could think of nothing else - she couldn't sleep, found it hard to eat, and while everyone thought she was this way with grief, she wasn't, she had all those symptoms of excitement. She knew that not everything was finalised, there might still be strong problems with the floo connection, but she knew that no matter what happened, they would find a way. There must be some passage into the Manor, and she knew that even if they couldn't find a way together, Draco would go alone and meet her dad. She knew without question that he would do that, she'd seen it in his eyes the night before, and that morning after the news had broke, while she sat at the breakfast table - she knew he would help.

Harry was worried about her, she could tell, but she didn't want to explain it to him, it was hers and Draco's secret. Since the capture of her father, Eve felt as far away from Harry as was possible. They didn't touch anymore, he knew better now than to try and comfort her. They didn't kiss, when they talked, it was as friends, with a distance that Eve felt she needed. She'd break it off if she could, but people didn't think she was in her right mind at the moment. As soon as her dad came back she would sit Harry down and explain things gently. She wouldn't say that Draco still had her heart, it wouldn't be fair. She'd just tell him they weren't meant to be together - maybe she could even set him up with Ginny.

Yes, everything was coming up roses.

Of course, Eve was being very naive, and probably quite selfish. Harry was in a state of limbo, day and night. He was unsure of what Eve needed from him, and even if he knew, he wasn't sure she would except his help anyway. Ron and Hermione were clinging to each other through this hard time, and Ron seemed mature in a way Harry couldn't quite grasp - he wasn't used to seeing his friend so protective of anyone. Indeed, Harry felt like things were changing, and he didn't even have a grip on his own future anymore. He longed to talk to Sirius, but he'd been sent away again, abroad this time, to do some work and to get away for a while - Remus being captured had hit him very hard and he blamed himself.

So, Harry was alone. His Godfather was abroad, his best friends had each other and his girlfriend.......well, she was unreachable, bottling up all her emotions so that no one could get to her.

Except Draco of course, who was suddenly walking around with a smile on his face. Pansy thought he had gone mad, and remarked so, twice.

"Draco, are you planning something?"

"Whatever gives you that idea?"

"Well, you keep nodding to yourself and smiling. Either you're planning me a surprise party or you've got some terrible illness."

"Maybe I'm planning you a surprise party then," Draco lied with the biggest grin on his face. Pansy squealed, and left him to it.

It was wonderful just to be in Eve's company again, he mused. He'd forgotten how alive he could feel, planning clandestine meetings, working towards a common goal. It gave him something to thing about, something to dash out of bed for in the morning, something to daydream of in History Of Magic while Binns droned on.

Eve was everything, and in turn, her father was everything to her, so it seemed the most logical thing in the world for Draco to do to help him. Inside, Draco felt he'd grown up since that day in the classroom when he picked his father and his family over Eve. On reflection, he felt that only the knowledge of regret and pain could make you realise where you should be in life, which was the wrong and which was the right decision. Maybe that's why he'd made so many bad decisions in his life and not learnt from them - because he'd never cared this much before about the choices he made. He knew that he couldn't reverse what had gone between them, but he knew that in future, she would always come first, no matter what. Starting with now, he vowed to make Eve happy.

He succeeded in this task just by meeting her out of her extra Charms class, as planned.

"Hey!" he whispered, seeing her leaving the classroom and glance down the hall. Eve turned in the direction of the voice and her features lit up.

"You came," she simply said.

"Of course," he told her calmly, "I've thought of nothing else."

There was a little tense silence as they smiled at each other but a noise from inside the classroom Eve had just vacated broke the moment and Eve nodded down the corridor, gesturing for Draco to follow.

He'd never been to the staff wing before, and it felt strange to be finding new corners of Hogwarts. Draco followed Eve every step of the way and it wasn't long before they arrived. Eve whispered a password and the door before them opened. Eve held him back in the darkness with her arm, and seeing that the way was clear, she tugged at his shirt, letting him know it was okay to follow.

Draco was watching the way her hand was curled around the material of his thin cotton summer shirt when she pulled slightly to indicate the coast was clear. Their contact was brief but he felt it all over and the way she clumsily pulled at him made his shirt come free from this trousers. He went to tuck it back in, but decided he liked it better that way, and a voice that he quickly silenced, said : I wonder if she'll find me sexier this way?

"Through here," Eve whispered to him when she unlocked the second door. Draco found himself in a one bedded room with a small bathroom attached. He shut the door silently behind them and Eve dumped her Charms books on the bed.

Draco looked around, fascinated. Was this what their home used to look like? was this the kind of comfy atmosphere Eve grew up in? it was far flung from the neat, tidy regime of the Manor, but he liked it.

"The fireplace is over here," Eve told him, and when he looked, he found her crouched in front of the fire. Her school skirt was bunched up slightly and he tried to avoid looking at her legs. Mind on the job, Malfoy, he scolded himself.

"I'm not sure if this is going to work," he said vaguely, checking about the hearth for tell-tale signs of charms and spells. Eve cast him a worried look.

"Take your time," she said, "I'll find you something of dad's, for the portkey."

"Thanks," he smiled at her, and she left him by the fire.

At first, he was hopeful, because it didn't have the intricate carvings of the common room fires, and he knew that carvings around the mantelpiece were usually signs of charms - the more intricate the designs, the more protected the portal was.

Draco could hear Eve busying about behind him, could even hear her humming a tune, and he smiled to himself slightly. Taking his wand from his pocket, he cast a charm to see how strong the boundaries were, and found them weaker than the common room, but still strong. He tutted.

"What's wrong?" Eve asked.

"Huh? oh, nothing, don't worry."

"Can I help?" Eve asked, appearing by his side. She was eyeing the fireplace suspiciously. He thought she looked cute as hell.

"Not really, but you'll be able to help with the portkey."

This seemed to satisfy her, and she left again.

Draco tried about four spells on breaking into the fireplace. He'd done this from Crabbe's house once or twice, and countless times from Pansy's, when a group of them had wanted to go exploring as third years. It should be easy, if only he could set up a connection line, he could view all the fireplaces and pick the Malfoy Manor from the line-up. When access was denied, as it was with all protected fireplaces, he could utter the password and he'd be in.

However, the barriers were still blocking his possible methods of reaching a connection line.

Just when he thought that hope was gone, he remembered a really simple charm that his father had taught him.

"Hapalacus," he whispered, and within seconds, a connection line appeared before him. He couldn't avoid a grin. "Eve, come here!"

Eve came from the bathroom, where she'd been tidying.

"I've done it," he informed her. She had to keep herself from hugging him.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really, so you'd best get some things set up for the portkey."

"What will I need?" Eve asked, her excitement clear in her tone.

"The item you wish to transfer the magical energy from, something simple like a sickle or a galleon and a tin with a lid, or something similar."

"Right," Eve frowned, wondering what the portkey task must entail. She set about her task anyway though, hearing Draco mutter things behind her, into the fireplace. Eve felt like she was at home. Soon her dad would be back, she was safe and comfortable with Draco working away while she cleaned the bathroom sink. She almost felt like a housewife, and her dream of a few nights ago came back to her. Should I tell him? she thought, and when she had collected everything Draco had asked for, she went through to tell him, the words on her lips, but he spoke first.

"Right, now I have the fireplace connected up. It should shut within the hour, I only opened it up to test it. No one goes in my room when I'm away so we needn't worry about anyone flooing in, but we'd best stay here for a while to make sure no one comes in your dad's room and finds the fireplace connected up to the main floo system, there'd probably be loads of trouble."

"Er, okay," Eve shrugged, laying a sickle, her dad's T-shirt and a round tin down on the table.

"Great, you got the stuff," Draco stood up, away from the fireplace and started to organise the things Eve had just brought. He was totally engrossed, Eve noticed, just like her dad was when he was doing a job. It was fascinating to watch, the way he obviously took great pleasure from having a little task to do.

"How does it work, exactly?" Eve asked, sitting herself on the bed. Draco didn't answer for a moment, seemingly trying to remember a spell in his head. When he turned around and saw her sitting cross legged on the big, open bed, it took his breath away and he had to look back at the unprepared portkey for a moment.

"Erm......" he stuttered, "simple really."

Collecting the things together, he took them to the bed and sat down himself. She shifted over to make room for him and he decided eye contact probably wasn't a good thing, so he kept his eye on the items in front of him.

"We have to cast a binding charm, which takes two days to complete. Then, when it's ready, we have to convert the sickle into a portkey with a few tricky spells. Actually," Draco finally risked a look in her direction. She was staring at him attentively. "We should probably make a portkey for ourselves too, now I think about it."

"Right," Eve nodded, taking off her necklace. She figured that the ring Draco had bought her would be as good as anything, it was always close to her heart.

"You still wear that?" he asked, slightly shocked.

"Of course," Eve told him, sliding the ring of the chain and letting it fall into his open palm. "Would you rather I didn't?"

"No! of course not, it's fine, I just.......well, I thought you'd have burned everything to do with me, after what happened."

The words were softly spoken and slightly hesitant. Eve smiled warmly.

"No, I still have everything."

"Oh.....good," Draco smiled, feeling utterly stupid. Why couldn't I think of anything better to say than 'good'?

"Do you need a separate place to keep them?" Eve asked. Draco nodded a bit dumbly whilst trying to think of something of his own he could transfer his energy from. Eve ambled off the bed in search of another tin and suddenly Draco's mind became a lot clearer. Oh God! he thought, I want her so much it's painful!

"Here," Eve smiled. He snapped out of his reverie to find her holding out a little heart-shaped tin. "Sorry, it was all I could find."

"No problem," Draco returned her smile and quickly decided to use his watch. He could do without it for two days and he daresent take an item of clothing in case it gave his mind more fuel for sordid fantasies than it already had. "Right, now I need something to use as a portkey."

"Oh, right," Eve leant over and picked up a cup from her father's bedside table - it was the closest thing to hand.

"Thanks," Draco placed all three items in the heart-shaped tin (which was a squeeze, as the cup was quite big) then showed the things to Eve. "Now I have to cast a binding spell on them, shut the lid and we have to leave it somewhere safe. You mustn't open it before the allotted time, or else it won't work."

"Right," Eve nodded. He made a good teacher, and she felt like a good pupil.

"Shit," Draco blushed, "I've forgotten the spell."

Eve laughed slightly. "Are you okay? you look....ill, or something."

"Just.....well, you know," Draco blushed harder, which Eve thought was totally endearing.

"No, I don't know. What?"

There was a silence while Draco debated telling her or not. Then he decided, Well, I always used to be able to tell her anything and she'd understand me. I've missed that kind of confident, maybe she'll still listen.....

"This," he gestured between them, "it's weird, I'm not sure if I can concentrate."

"Oh," Eve looked shocked, "oh, I'm sorry, shall I....get up?"

"No, no, I don't want you to, it just feels weird being so close to you. After so long, I mean."

"Yeah," Eve said quietly, "it is kind of strange, isn't it?"

Suddenly, they both laughed, dispelling the tension.

"It's stupid," he shook his head, "there's no need for us to feel odd, we're just friends, helping each other out, right?"

"Yeah," Eve agreed with confidence in her tone and a little smile, "just friends who used to....well, be more than friends."

"Yeah," he replied fondly. "Let's get this finished, shall we?"

They worked quickly between them, then stored the tins at the bottom of Remus's wardrobe. They set the time on Eve's watch - only after 48 hours had passed could the tins be opened.

"Right, what do we do now?" Eve asked, wringing her hands. It felt like a positive thing to be doing - planning rescuing her dad, but it was also frustrating at the same time because she was so eager to just get on with it and get things done.

"We just wait," Draco explained.

Eve went to the window and observed the full moon, shining brightly in the night sky. Dad will be all alone now, she thought with a hollow feeling in her stomach, I hope he's okay.

"Eve?"

She turned around to find Draco was just behind her, she hadn't heard him come so close and she almost forgot herself and reach up for a hug.

"Hmm?"

"I'd.......well, I'd better go."

"Oh, yeah," she said, thoroughly disappointed.

"You staying here? or do you want me to walk you back to Gryffindor Tower?"

"I'm......well.......I don't think that would be such a good idea, do you, Draco?"

There was a pitiful silence as they both realised they were trying hard but things couldn't be the way they used to, no matter how much they worked together or talked like old friends.

"No, you're right. I'll.......well, I'll see you the day after tomorrow, right? same time? same place?" Draco wandered to the door and Eve felt like someone was ripping her heart out, watching him go with such a cool, detached look on his face. What she didn't know was that inside, he was burning.

"Yeah, outside the Charms classroom, two days time."

"Right," Draco managed a small smile, "bye then."

Just as he was about to shut the door behind him, Eve blurted out,

"I had a dream about you!"

Draco stopped dead, turned around and raised one eyebrow quizzically. He was wearing an endearing smile and Eve remembered what it was about him that she fell in love with.

"All the girls say that," he smirked, "I can't help it."

Eve laughed nervously and he saw that she wanted to talk so he came back inside the room, shut the door and sat down on the big oak bed. He patted the place beside him, feeling once again so much like her protector.

Eve's eyes went wide in a moment's hesitation but her weak legs got the best of her and she flopped down beside him. It seemed so unfair to them both that everything felt so natural yet.......unnatural. It was horrible to think that although they'd never felt this way about anyone else before, they couldn't show how they were feeling.

"I was pregnant," Eve smiled at him, hugging her knees to her chest.

"What?" he almost choked. Eve laughed.

"It's okay, I'm not really, it was just a dream."

"Bloody hell!" he exhaled loudly, "I think you've aged me twenty years!"

"It was strange - it was the night that you sent me that letter, about my dad."

"What did our baby look like?" Draco grinned. Eve chuckled, he looked so excited.

"I didn't see it, I........well, it died before it was born," she said in a small voice.

"Oh," Draco's face fell and he began picking at a loose thread on his trousers.

"I couldn't tell anyone," Eve continued - it was nice to have someone to share the disturbing dream with, hoping it would go away and not keep flashing in her mind as it had done since that night. "I wanted to get help for the baby but people would ask me who the father was and I couldn't tell them it was you, I'd be in bigger trouble then."

"Why didn't you come to me?" Draco frowned.

"You weren't there," Eve explained, realising the irony of how close it was to real life. "Whenever I went to tell my dad, he just vanished."

There was a little silence while they both contemplated their own thoughts on the dream.

"Tell the truth," Eve said candidly, "I was a bit disappointed when I woke up."

Draco smiled.

"Really?"

"Yeah, well, it was weird, one of those dreams that absorbs you and you feel like its still going on even when you wake up."

"You sure you're not......" Draco nodded towards her stomach. Eve laughed.

"Hell no, I think we'd all know about it by now."

"Yeah, I guess," he blushed.

"It's just weird, like no matter how hard I try, my mind won't forget about you. You know?"

There was another little silence then they smiled weakly at each other.

"Hmm, I think I have an idea what that feels like," Draco said quietly.

"My God, look at the time!" Eve exclaimed suddenly, seeing it was near midnight. Everyone would be wondering where she had got to.

"Yeah, I'd best go," Draco got up from the bed, breaking their fragile air of companionship.

"Right, well, I'll see you soon then," Eve walked him to the door.

"Yeah."

Things were uncomfortable again for a moment until Draco's heart skipped a beat and he decided it was now or never - he pulled Eve into a hug.

She did not protest, and they stood there clinging to each other for a moment, two souls that had been crying to re-unite for so long, momentarily sated while they held each other.

It felt like Eve had been pretending she was okay for so long, now that she had someone to cling to, she wasn't letting go, and although Draco tried to pull away, she just hugged him tighter. He was surprised at first, thinking she would be eager to break their bodily contact, maybe that she was humouring him for a little while, but the vice grip she held him in told him that she wanted this release as much as he did. He held her in the way he had wanted to when he had seen Potter carrying her limp form that night outside the Great Hall, and he kissed the top of her hair as he felt her snuggle her face closer into his chest.

It seemed like an age that they were standing there, and yet when they pulled away, it was as though it still hadn't lasted long enough. Eve's cheeks were coloured slightly as she brushed her hair out of her face and straightened her robes needlessly to occupy her hands, fearing that if she didn't keep them busy, they would reach out to touch him some more, might try to drag him forward for a kiss.

The couple just nodded at each other, both feeling a mixture of sadness and happiness in their hearts. How could they not be happy, having just held each other like that? breaking down high, uncomfortable walls that had been in place for so long, yet they were also so sad because now it was over, and perfect things never last forever, reality always comes along and pulls you back to the moment.

Neither spoke as Draco left, and when he had gone, Eve just leaned against the closed door, counting from one to ten in her head to try to still her racing heartbeat. It was just a cuddle, that's all, just a hold when one friend is upset and the other is comforting them, but it made me feel so much like I was at home, like I could have been anywhere in the universe, in the middle of a battlefield, on the Great Plains of North America watching the sun set or here, in a stuffy little bedroom in Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry, yet it would still have been as important, because it was with him, and its not the place, its the person you're with. I'm so scared! All I want is for my dad to be home, to get this fixed. Yes, my dad will know what to do.

With those thoughts, Eve tidied the place around a little, then left with a parting glance, wondering how things would be when she returned back there in a few days, once again in Draco's company.

*******

They met up two nights later, which was the last night of the full moon. The portkeys were ready and set up when they arrived and checked them out - all the spells had gone fine. Draco did some extra charms on them to transform them into complete portkeys, and tuned them into the surrounding area so that they would take the users to the nearest portkey area connected to Hogwarts. Eve thought it all looked terribly complicated, but Draco assured her it would work, and she trusted him, no questions asked.

Things were starting to feel nervous now, a kind of expectancy in the air. It was all very well preparing a plan, but carrying it out was a completely different thing. Until now, Eve hadn't really considered all the various ways things that could go wrong, or even how much trouble they could get themselves into if things did go badly. They could be caught and captured themselves, Draco would be exposed as deceiving his father and even if things only went slightly wrong, Eve was sure she would be at least in major trouble with Dumbledore for sneaking away from school premises when things were so risky. What if they got halfway through the plan and couldn't find her bad? what if he was already........ no, she couldn't think like that, it wouldn't do.

"Calm down," Draco smiled fondly at her, "you're such a worrier."

"I know, I just can't help thinking, 'what if.....'"

"Wee if you're going to take that line of thought," Draco told her whilst checking the fireplace one more time, "then you should apply it to everything. 'What if' I get hit by a crazy rogue bludger on the way to meet you tomorrow? 'What if' Potter turns into a cannibal overnight and decides you're his breakfast? Come on Eve, be positive!"

"I know," Eve grumbled, "but I'm just so nervous, I want everything to - "

"Go right, and it will do," Draco finished for her. "Now, everything is set up. We'll meet here tomorrow night, about ten o'clock, agreed?"

"Agreed," Eve said reluctantly, thinking about how much time they would be wasting - a whole day that Remus could be safe while they were sitting about in lessons. "Remind me why we aren't doing this first thing tomorrow morning."

"We've less chance of being caught if we do this under the cover of darkness," Draco reasoned, "and besides, do you think Lucius is going to have let your dad keep his wand handy? Of course not, which means we have to play, 'hunt the wand' before we can rescue anyone."

"Have you got any idea where it might be?" Eve asked, scolding herself for not having thought if this point before. Of course Lucius would have taken dad's wand away! How could I have not planned for that?

"The most obvious place would be in father's study, he keeps everything in there. Problem is, he's usually in there himself, so we either have to wait for him to go to bed or keep a watch on the place until he leaves."

Suddenly, it all became very real for Eve. "Draco, we're not going to pull this off, are we?"

"What do you mean?" he chuckled. "Of course we are."

"But......but there's so many things that can go wrong and - " Eve had began to pace about in a fretful manner but Draco put his hands on her shoulders to stop her. She looked up into his eyes, her face creased in a worried frown.

"If anything goes wrong, we have the portkey," Draco nodded to the table where it lay in a little box. They couldn't touch it, as it was already activated, and was only able for use once. As long as they didn't come into direct contact with it until they needed to, it would be fine. Of course, they could have shut the activation down until a certain time, but Draco didn't know quite how to do that, so they had to leave it permanently active. Remus's portkey, however, was only tuned into him, so they could handle that forever and not go anywhere.

"I tend to fall apart at the most important moments though," Eve explained.

"Well, I don't, so we'll be okay, won't we?" Draco smiled re-assuringly. "Now come on, you need to get a good night's sleep before tomorrow, or you'll be yawning and falling asleep on me at the most important moments, never mind falling apart."

Eve smiled slightly.

"I suppose you're right," she sighed, "as always."

"Yes, as always," Draco grinned, turning her around so she was facing the door. "Everything is set up for tomorrow. Meet me at ten, and try not to worry, alright?" he asked, walking her to the door.

"But what if - " she started, turning around to face him.

"Oh, here we go with the 'what ifs' again," Draco laughed slightly. "What if I wake up looking like a gargoyle tomorrow morning?" he asked in mock horror.

"Wouldn't be much difference," Eve grinned cheekily.

"Hey!" pushed her playfully, which made her laugh.

"Okay, okay, I get the point. No more 'what ifs'."

"Good," he smiled, opening the door for her and switching out the light. "Everything will go just fine."

********

Eve jangled with nerves all day. She ate hardly anything at breakfast and skipped dinner completely.

She was having daily meetings with Dumbledore, which Harry had insisted she stick to, and so when the time came to face the headmaster for the final time before the plan, Eve chickened out.

"I've told you!" she said to Harry, "I'm just not feeling good today."

"No, something's happened," Harry eyed her suspiciously. "You're extra worried about something, you haven't eaten hardly anything and you don't look like you got much sleep. Just tell me, Eve, is there anything I can do?"

Eve hated looking into those pure green eyes and lying, but she couldn't tell him, not this time. He was sure to stop her, simply because she was working with Draco and he didn't trust him. She was in a lot of danger, but she knew that, and she was walking into the plan with her eyes wide open - she didn't want anyone telling her otherwise.

"I feel sick, I've got a pounding headache and I just need to be alone. Dumbledore never has any news for me anyway!" Eve insisted.

"Well what if today is the day he has news?" Harry asked smartly.

"If dad was back, I'd get an owl immediately, and if he's not back then there's no news, is there?"

Harry couldn't deny her, but he knew something was up, and he couldn't put his finger quite on what it was.

"Alright, but you should have a lie down or something instead," he suggested, only really wanting the best for her.

"I will, I'll lie down, I promise," Eve smiled, finally feeling let off the hook. She went straight to Gryffindor Tower and skipped last lesson. It was hard to just lie there and not move, what with everything running around and around in her head, final preparations and last minute checks.

Not for the first time, she wished Draco was with her. He was always such a calming influence, such a rock to cling to when she was unsure.

However, as usual, she had to fight on alone, waiting patiently for darkness to descend over the castle, waiting for the clock to tick by each minute and eventually creep towards ten, and waiting with baited breath to see how the plan unfolded, to iron out the hitches and finally to see her father's face again, no matter how bruised or battered he was, it would be worth it.

With that image of rescuing her dad, Eve fell into a fitful sleep.

*******

Draco was late.

Bad sign, Eve thought. Someone up there is trying to tell me this isn't going to work out. Draco is never late! Although, he was, once, but somehow I don't think he'll be tidying up his room for me this time.....

"Eve!"

She jumped, her hand flying to her heart.

"God! you scared me!" she whispered as Draco emerged from the shadows. He was dressed all in black and his elegant blond hair stood out in stark contrast.

"Sorry, you seemed to be off in a dream-world or something. I called you twice."

"You did?" Eve frowned, still whispering, then realising they were wasting time. "Sorry, just nervous. Let's get going, shall we?"

Eve had told everyone in Gryffindor Tower that she was spending the night in her father's room. She felt that same old feeling of guilt for lying, but this time it was more than worth it. She was lying for a good reason, for her dad.

"I stole some floo powder from the kitchens!" Draco informed her in a whisper as they made their way noiselessly through the empty corridors.

"Damn! that's another thing I forgot to think of!" Eve smiled.

"Good job I'm here then, isn't it?" Draco asked, also smiling, and he poked Eve in the back. It tickled slightly and she brushed his hand away with a sweep of hers.

"That's my ticklish spot and you know it, you bastard!" Eve laughed, trying to steady her heartbeat, although still unsure as to why it was pounding so fast.

"Oh is it? I forgot, sorry!" Draco said sarcastically. He still knew his way around Eve's body in his mind, knew it like his own, and tonight she seemed too tense - he hated to see her like that, so he had tried to take her mind off it. It seemed to have worked.

"Yeah, you play 'Mr Innocent' then - "

Draco stopped her by holding her back in the shadows. Filch was yards away, humming to himself as he carried out his nightly patrols with Mrs Norris.

"Did you hear something, my love?" Filch asked his cat, stopping in mid-stride, his hands folded together behind his back. He cocked his ear, and his cat seemed to do the same.

Eve and Draco stayed perfectly still, knowing they were hidden by the shadows, but if Mrs Norris sensed they were there, then the plan was done for.

Hardly breathing from fear of being caught, Eve was suddenly very aware of Draco's arm that was holding her tight around her waist. He'd used it to pull her back when she was about to walk right into Filch's path, but now it felt more comforting than restraining. She let her eyes flicker closed in a moment while she enjoyed the sensation of him being so close, pressed up behind her. Still, but now with a bitter irony, they seemed to fit perfectly against each other, the warmth of his stomach flooding her lower back and rising like yeast to cover her senses.

Before she knew it, barely before she'd even exhaled, Filch and Mrs Norris were on the move again, in the opposite direction. When the tuneless humming became almost inaudible, Draco released her, then nudged her gently and their journey recommenced.

They didn't speak again until they reached Remus's room, where Eve's nerves finally reached their peak.

"What if I do it wrong?" she asked in a panicky voice when Draco handed her the dish of floo powder.

"You've floo'd before haven't you?" he frowned.

"Of course, millions of times," she said, "but I mumble when I'm nervous!"

"Take a few deep breaths," Draco advised, "and try not to think about." Eve began some over-exagerated breathing methods. "Pretend we're going shopping or something," Draco added. Eve's eyes flew open.

"Shopping?!"

"I thought it might help," Draco shrugged.

"God, you're useless!" she tutted, which made him smile a little. Eve took a handful of the grey powder in her hand then went to stand in the fireplace. She coughed nervously, took one last look at Draco then shut her eyes and said clearly,

"Malfoy Manor!" as she threw the powder down.

A burst of green flame encapsulated her, then she was gone.

Putting the little dish down on Remus's desk and making sure that he had everything securely tucked under his arm, Draco also stepped into the fireplace. Taking a pinch of floo powder for himself and mentally praying that Eve had arrived safely, he called,

"Malfoy Manor!"

Then was gone himself.

*******

Eve landed with an unceremonious bump on the floor of Draco's bedroom. Getting up quickly and dusting herself off, she took a few minutes to take in her surroundings.

The place was spotlessly clean, no sign of posters or scattered clothes, which was commonplace in most 16 year old boys rooms. Eve tried to make no noise at all as she went over to the bedside cabinet, upon which were some feather quills and a little book which was blank inside.

At this, Draco appeared as from nowhere, looking a lot less messed up from the floo journey than Eve did.

"I'll call you 'Nosy' shall I?" he asked with a smile, and Eve threw the book down quickly.

"Sorry," she mentally slapped herself for being so stupid.

"No worries," he winked, handing her Remus's portkey, "I've got no secrets from you, anyway."

"None?" she smiled, pleasantly surprised.

"Well, there's my baby photos," he grinned, "but they're under lock and key."

"Aww!" she whined quietly.

"Have you forgotten what we're here for?" he chuckled slightly, and Eve remembered the seriousness of the job.

"No, not at all," she shook her head and straightened her robes. Draco put the tiny box holding their portkey in his pocket, and in turn, Eve flipped the little sickle that was her dad's escape route in her breast pocket. "What now?"

"Now we be very, very quiet," Draco told her, leading her to the door. She wanted to pull back, she felt like she wasn't done looking around his stuff, discovering how he lived, learning new things about him. She didn't want to face the danger that was outside the door, but she knew it was the only way to get to her dad, so when Draco put his finger to his lips and opened the door a crack to peak outside, she steeled herself.

The cold, unfeeling halls of the Manor were all empty. Draco didn't speak once as they edged along walls and around corners and down stairs, so Eve respected the silence and followed his lead. They passed countless doors, all the same, stark, bare and white, then they passed down a long corridor which was carpeted in a thick, plush red velvet and had matching warm deep-red wallpaper. It looked more expensive than anything Eve had every seen, and she wondered why there was such a big contrast between this section and the little 'wing' they had just left. Her questioned was answered moments later as several paintings came into view on the walls. The place was lined with family portraits dating back from the early 1300s, prim looking gentlemen in rich suits, nostrils flared and looking decidedly arrogant all stared down at the two sneaking figures. The eyes did not follow the couple, and the people in the paintings did not move - Malfoys had more decorum than that, obviously.

None of the ornate candle holders on the wall were lit, so there was hardly any light as they passed from the portrait corridor into a more open area. There were a few doors on one side of the hallway, but the other wall was glass, thick and stained red and green at the top, the view cast out across the top of a forest. From the close reach of the tops of branches, Eve could tell they were quite high up in the house, and her mind went reeling as to how many floors there could possibly be. The place looked bigger than Hogwarts from here, and as the moon cast a glowing light into the decorative corridor, Eve saw a view of mountains in the distance. The view was so splendid, in fact, that she wanted to stop for a while and take everything in, but Draco was ploughing ahead, and she knew it wouldn't be safe enough to stop. She made a mental note to ask him about the view, ask him all about the paintings too. The whole place made her Gran's old cottage look like a shoe box.

Just then, Draco held out his hand slightly, and Eve, who was trailing him, stopped when he did. He looked right and left at the end of the passageway and Eve felt a tremble of fear run up her spine.

Lucius Malfoy, high-rank Death Eater and all-round evil guy, was probably only metres away from her. In the darkness, she grabbed for Draco's hand. It was clammy, and it made her realise that he must be nervous too, he was risking everything he knew to bring her here and help her find her dad. She wanted to hold him, hug him and tell him how much this meant to her, but when he looked back at her, he gave only a weak smile and a nod in the direction of a little set of stairs down the hall to the right.

Eve nodded, and broke their hand link as they began walking. She knew it was safer that they didn't cling to each other, it made moving in an emergency much easier, but she just wanted to be near him now, partly out of fear, partly out of the growing ball of excitement she felt in her chest at the prospect of seeing her father again, and partly because she was here with him, in his home. She had just seen the inside of his bedroom, and right now, he felt more like her boyfriend than he had ever done.

Down the flight of steps they went, then along another corridor and down a further set of stairs. Eve was beginning to wonder if Draco knew where he was going, she knew she would get lost in this huge place, when they stopped abruptly at the bottom of the final flight of stairs. Draco seemed to be squinting in the darkness, and Eve tried to see where he was looking.

"That's his study!" Draco whispered, nodding to an odd-looking old oak door. Eve surveyed the place with foreboding. "There's no light underneath the door!"

"What if he's still in there though?" Eve frowned, fear gripping her chest.

"Only one way to find out," Draco sighed heavily. He fished in his pocket for a moment, then pulled out the little box with their portkey in. He grabbed her hand and put the box in the palm before folding her fingers around it. "If you see him coming, use this."

"But what about you?" Eve whispered desperately as Draco began to move away.

"Don't worry about me," he assured her, then looked about one last time and padded softly over to the door. He tried the handle but it wouldn't budge. Eve squinted through the darkness to watch as Draco pulled out his wand, and she heard a breathless whisper. Within seconds, the door was being pushed open by the blond boy, and Eve held her breath as she watched him disappear into the room.

She was alone.

Alone in bloody Malfoy Manor, in the dead of night.

Eve hugged the box with the portkey in closer to her chest. Her breathing was rapid, almost panting from fear, and every tiny sound, simple things like the window against the window and the hoot of an owl somewhere outside, made her jumpy.

Oh, how she wished Draco wouldn't take so long! It seemed he'd been in their an age, and her eyes were hurting from keeping look-out in the pitch black. Eve's mind started playing out various horrible scenes, as it always did when she was scared and alone. First she imagined a gnarled hand to appear on her shoulder, or a voice out of the darkness, but the worst scenario of all was for Lucius Malfoy to walk down the corridor. One man, hardly scary on the face of things, yet in truth, it was the most horrible thing Eve could ever remember having imagined in her life. She counted slowly down from 100 in her head and prayed Draco would re-appear, yet no matter how much she watched the door handle, it never seemed to turn.

Then, out of the darkness, Eve heard the plod of even footsteps and her breath caught in her throat. There was someone coming this way, but her fingers wouldn't work to open the box in her hands. She stood frozen still in the darkness and just waited......

*******

Once he had shut the door of his father's study behind him, Draco cast a light spell on his wand so that the tip shined bright white. He went first to the mantelpiece and ran his hand along the top in the high darkness. His fingers came into contact with nothing and he gave an audible sigh.

Next he made quickly to his father's desk. The drawer was locked, but a simple spell opened that and he began routing through, not caring what mess he made. There wasn't time for accuracy, and when Remus Lupin disappeared from the dungeons, it was bound to be clear that someone had helped him escape, it didn't matter who, and as long as Lucius never suspected Draco, it didn't matter what kind of state the place was in.

The wand wasn't in the drawer, yet Draco gave it two thorough searches. Where else could it be?

Then Draco remembered, the safe under the floor.

He'd known the combination once, when he was much younger, and as he tugged the floor board, his mind went reeling back to his childhood. What was the configuration? 2, 8, 4, 3, 6, 6, 8? no, that's not right. 2, 8, 4, 6, 6, 6, 8. No, too many 6s. 2, 8, 4, 3, 6, 8, 8?

Yes.

The safe door fell open and Draco couldn't hold back a grin as at the back of the largely empty safe, was a wand.

He checked it over for any marks of identification, but there were none. What if its the wrong one? Ah well, only one we've got right now!

With that, Draco got up to leave, then caught a view from the corner of his eye - the room was in a state. The safe being left open was too much of a give-away, so he left his treasure on the old oak table and went to tidy the things away. He shut the door of the safe, put the loose floorboard back and then covered up the carpet. The desk was still in a mess but there was no time, so he grabbed his own wand and Remus's from the desk and went to the door cautiously.

He opened it a crack and found the corridor still empty. Thanking whoever it was that seemed to be smiling down on him tonight, he shut the door as cast the locking spell he knew his father used.

However, when Draco crossed the little hallway with a smile on his face and returned to where he had left Eve, he found the place empty and began to panic at once. Shit! where did she go?

At that, there was a noise behind him and he almost jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Turning around, he saw Eve's wide eyes. She was visibly shaking.

"God, are you alright?" he whispered, heart racing. Eve nodded dumbly.

"There......there was a house-elf, I had to hide!" she whispered back, her voice trembling. Draco took her hand and squeezed it re-assuringly.

"Well, that's the hard part over!" he smiled, trying to make her smile too. "I've got the wand!"

Eve checked it over and confirmed that it was her dad's.

"Right then," Draco said, feeling relief spread through him. "Let's get to the dungeons."