Harry Potter and the Last Goodnight

Chapter 36: Cause for Celebration

"I'll tell you what you're going to do!"

Harry had forgotten that everyone was outside - and that they had probably heard Eva's screaming and crying. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were standing in the doorway. Mrs. Weasley had her arms folded across her chest. She was the one who had interrupted them. "You're going to stop living in that rat hole at the Hog's Head and stay with us. And you're only going to work at the Ministry. I've heard about all of your jobs and how hard you work and how you never have any time for yourself. Frankly, you need somebody to take care of you - at least for a little while..."

"But Mrs. Weasley..."

"No. No objections. And it's Molly, dear," she interrupted. "Welcome to the family."

Harry grinned. Eva managed a weak smile.

Ron pushed his way between his parents and stood in the door frame, holding Eva's package. "Here, Harry. Open your gift." He tossed it to Harry.

"I got your letter," Harry replied, feeling his face flush. His smile grew even wider. "And I think... I think you know how I feel about you," he whispered. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "You are not some common, ordinary Muggle."

It was Eva's turn to blush. Harry quickly ripped the packaging covering Eva's gift. Inside was a small jewelry box. He opened it up and inside was a watch. "Wow. It's amazing," Harry breathed. He quickly took it out of the box and began taking off his old watch.

"Wait," Eva said. "It's for your other wrist, actually. It doesn't tell time. It's a Timepiece Watch."

As he studied the silver wristwatch more closely, he realized that it did have a certain magic sparkle to it. The face had only one hand, and instead of being numbered one through twelve, there were ten gray circles spaced evenly where the numbers would have been. "What does it do?"

"It records memories," Eva replied. "Not just the thought, but the smells, sights, sounds, feelings - everything about the time." She sat up further on the bed, then exhaled sharply from the pain. "When you want to record something, all you have to do is press this button," she pointed to one on the side of the watch, "and say the incantation."

"What's the incantation?"

"It's engraved on the inside."

Harry glanced at the silver band. Inside was written "In memoria redire sensusus."

"The clerk said that it means to recollect senses or something."

"Wow, Eva... Thank you so much," Harry said, putting the watch on. "I... I don't know what to say." She was still blushing, and Harry liked to see the color in her face. He leaned over, and this time kissed her on the lips. He could feel her soft, cool skin against his. It was a gentle, sweet kiss.

Mr. Weasley cleared his throat from the doorway. "I think Eva still needs her rest. And Harry, you ought to get some yourself."

"Yeah, I don't think he slept at all last night," Ron said. "You can go up to my room, if you want."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not leaving." He stood up from the bed and gestured to an empty chair near the window. "I'll rest here." There was no way he was going to let Eva out of his sight. What ifer injuries got worse while she slept?

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Suit yourself."

"What about Nora?" Eva questioned. "Where is she? Can I see her?"

"We gave her a sleeping potion," Mrs. Weasley replied. "It lasts twenty-four hours. I'm afraid she won't be awake until this evening."

"Is she all right?" Eva looked a little worried. "Are there side effects?"

Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "She'll be perfectly fine and well-rested. Now, if you'll just get some sleep, when you wake up I'll send her in to see you."

Eva didn't have the strength to protest. She leaned back on the pillows and carefully scooted beneath the blanket until she was lying down. She winced, almost as though the blanket even felt heavy against her skin. She was still shivering. Harry pulled up another blanket from the foot of the bed and carefully pulled it up over her. She smiled, but her eyes were already closed. She was exhausted.

Mrs. Weasley pulled an extra blanket out of a nearby cedar chest and handed it to Harry. "Sleep tight," she whispered. She hesitated for a moment, then ruffled his hair and trailed her hand down his cheek in a very motherly fashion.

Harry grinned. The Weasleys disappeared into the living room and closed the door behind them. He pulled the curtains shut so that the room would be in darkness, except for the dim light of the lantern burning on the nightstand. Harry plopped into the oversized chair and quietly shook the blanket open and pulled it up to his neck. He tried his best to stay awake, but finally, the endless night took its toll on him and he drifted off to sleep.

When he woke from his dreamless rest, he could tell that it was past sunset. The lantern light had disappeared and the room was in complete darkness. Harry yawned, then stood up, stretched, and quietly folded the blanket.

"Harry?" Eva whispered. "Are you awake?" The room was immersed in a soft glow as Eva turned the lantern on.

Harry yawned. "I'm awake. How did you sleep?"

Eva shrugged. However, she did look better. There was still color in her face, and Harry could barely see her black eye. "All right. But I'm starving," she added with a grin.

"I'm glad," Harry replied. His own stomach felt empty. "I'll go find something to eat."

Harry made his way out of the bedroom and back into the living room. When the door opened, he was bombarded by Nora, who was dancing around at his feet. "Is she awake? Can I see her? Please?" she questioned.

He hesitated, but Eva called her in from the bedroom. "Go ahead," Harry replied. However, Nora needed no encouragement and pushed past him through the door.

The living room was empty but he could hear voices from the kitchen. He paused, listening to the conversation.

"We've got to," he heard Tonks say. "Dumbledore said..."

"He didn't say we had to register her," Remus interrupted. "He said we just needed to take care of her."

"But it's the law," she protested. "If Eva's caught, she'll be branded a renegade."

"Why would she be caught?" Remus questioned.

"There's no reason why we can't hold off on it for a bit," Mr. Weasley said. "At least until she's done with her project at the Ministry. If Fudge found out now, he might cancel the whole thing. All of her work would be gone - for nothing."

"Perhaps it's best that way," Mrs. Weasley said. "Honestly, what that girl is up to..."

"We should wait," Remus said. "You don't realize what it's like - how terrible it would be for her. The Werewolf Registry is a terrible place. Once you get your name on that list, your life is never the same again. And we can't tell them the truth about what happened. I'll end up dead. Or worse - in Azkaban."

"But they'll know," Tonks said. "People - especially Fudge - are bound to get suspicious when she starts becoming ill around the full moon. It will only be a matter of time before someone figures it out."

"But until then," Remus interjected, "I believe it's best if we just keep it quiet. After all, she is a Muggle. The Ministry would not punish her for not coming forward immediately. She is not used to our ways."

"Remus is right," Mr. Weasley agreed. "We should wait and..."

"Shh..." Mrs. Weasley hushed. Harry saw her point to the doorway. Caught, he walked into the kitchen.

"How's Eva?" Remus asked at once.

"Better," Harry replied. "Starving."

"Oh dear, I can imagine." Mrs. Weasley quickly got up from her seat and started bustling around the kitchen. "Both of you must be absolutely famished. And Nora too."

"She's in with Eva right now." Harry sat down in the empty seat at the table. "What were you talking about?"

The adults exchanged glances. "Here, let me help you, Molly," Tonks said, joining Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen. Remus and Mr. Weasley were left on either side of Harry, both looking grave.

Mr. Weasley sighed. "Eva's, er, condition is quite a predicament. All werewolves need to be registered with the Ministry. However, due to Eva's status and the nature of her research..." He cleared his throat. "Well, we aren't quite sure what to do with her."

"What is the nature of her research?" Harry questioned.

"To tell you the truth, I only know bits and pieces," Mr. Weasley said. "But even those pieces are things I cannot tell you, Harry. Right now, if her condition was known to the public, the results could be disastrous. She would certainly lose her job."

"But that's prejudice!" Harry cried.

Remus's hands coiled into fists. "That's the way it is when you're a werewolf, Harry. No second chances. No special treatment. There is no forgiveness for a monster." His eyes were grave. "It's only a matter of time before Eva finds out who her true allies are. And I guarantee she will have many more enemies."

Mrs. Weasley brought over a tray filled with leftovers and handed it to Harry. "Here you go, dear." She picked up a flask filled with some peach-colored liquid. "Make sure Eva drinks this entire potion before she eats anything. Strict orders from Madam Pomfrey."

Harry thanked her and carried the tray back over to the bedroom. He hesitated by the doorway. When he peeked inside, Nora was clutching her older sister tightly. Harry could see the pain in Eva's eyes from where Nora was holding her.

"I thought... I thought you were going to leave me," Nora cried softly. Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. "Just like mum... just like that Christmas Eve..."

"Shh..." Eva whispered. "Everything's all right. I'm all right. You don't have to worry."

"It should have been me," Nora continued, babbling. "He was after me. Not you. Why did you go into the woods?"

"Aye, it was better me than you." She stroked Nora's curly hair. "You've got all these people to take care of you. The Weasleys. Harry. Professor Dumbledore. And you've got a bright future as well. You'll be a star wizard one day." She grinned, but there was still pain in her eyes.

Harry cleared his throat and walked inside the bedroom. "Ready for dinner?"

Nora pulled away from Eva and wiped her eyes. Harry set the tray on the bed and handed the flask to Eva. "You're supposed to drink this."

She took the flask, sniffed it, and then took a sip. She coughed and sputtered. She glanced at Harry, then took a deep breath, and downed the flask. Nora grabbed a sandwich from the tray and ate it hungrily. Harry grabbed one for himself. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until the food was actually in front of him.

Eva took a sandwich, ripped it in half, and ate it carefully. Harry tried not to seem overly concerned, especially in front of Nora. The conversation was light and everyone seemed to be dancing around what happened the night before. Harry could see that, after only eating a few bites but drinking a lot of water, Eva was tiring quickly. Her eyelids would drop every once in a while, and he had to wonder what was in that potion Mrs. Weasley had instructed her to drink.

"I think we ought to let Eva get some rest," Harry said quietly to Nora. "And you should probably get settled in for the night as well."

Nora shook her head. "I'm not tired. I've been sleeping all day. And I don't want to leave her."

Harry found that he felt the same way. "I'll stay and take care of her," he announced. She was about to protest again, but he gave her a stern glance. She sighed and stood up. Harry picked up the tray of food. "Will you take this back to the kitchen?"

Nora nodded reluctantly. She gave Eva a gentle hug, then took the tray from him and left the room. Harry shut the door behind her and sighed. How long was Eva going to be like this? She was so weak and frail. How much of her sister's condition would Nora be able to handle? Even in the dim light, Harry could see more cuts and bruises that he hadn't seen earlier. How long would it take for them to heal? How much pain was Eva going to be in?

"Harry..." Eva whispered suddenly. "What's the matter?"

Startled, Harry realized that she was still awake. Her blue eyes were open but cloudy. He wanted to lie to her and say that nothing was the matter, and that she should just go to sleep because everything would be fine. But a part of him couldn't lie about his emotions when he was around her, and because he was afraid to hold anything inside again, he let it out.

"I... I was just thinking..." He swiftly made his way over to the bed and sat down, his back turned away, so she couldn't see his face or the tears welled in his eyes.

"What?" she questioned when he didn't continue.

"I just found you," he whispered. "And I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

He didn't think he was making any sense. He was about to just stand up and settle into his chair for the night when he felt two arms wrap around his shoulders and Eva's warm breath on the back of his neck.

"Stay with me," she said huskily. "Please."

Her voice was enough to send shivers down his spine. "Of course," he said. He tried to stand up from the bed, but her fingers tugged tightly on the fabric of his shirt.

"Don't go," she begged.

"I was just going to blow out the candles."

"Leave them burning," she whispered.

When she finally loosened her grip on his shirt so that Harry turned around, he saw that there was terror in her eyes. He gently took her by the shoulders and laid her back on the pillows. She was growing sleepier by the second. Carefully, he climbed beneath the covers on the bed and lay on his side so that he could keep one arm around her waist. At first, she cringed from the pain of his touch, but when he tried to pull away, she kept his arm there, so that she could get used to the feeling.

And because he couldn't help himself, he leaned over gave her a kiss, and some of the fear seemed to disappear from her eyes as they fluttered shut. Within minutes, Eva's chest was rising and falling in equal breaths. Harry lay next to her, holding her, wide awake, wondering how he could have fallen so fast.

* * *

Eva spent the next few days resting. She woke only to eat and drink more of Madam Pomfrey's concoction. As she grew stronger, she would sometimes read her gift, Hogwarts: A History, but after a while the book was too heavy on her lap and she would fall asleep beneath it.

But there were times when she was awake and she did nothing at all. She didn't speak to anyone or do anything; she sat up in her bed, staring straight ahead. She was lost in her thoughts. Harry could only imagine what she was thinking. She always looked so sad.

Harry spent many afternoons playing Gobstones with Nora and helping the Weasleys around the house. The twins spent long hours at their shop and Mr. Weasley and Percy returned to the Ministry. Charlie helped Mrs. Weasley. Hermione went back to her Muggle existence with her parents until the end of winter break. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Nora found themselves with long, empty afternoons.

Harry didn't spend another night in Eva's room. He was ushered out every evening by Mrs. Weasley, who had once again tried to give him The Talk. When she was finished with what she had to say, Harry ran up to Ron's room, mortified, and found his best friend howling with laughter.

"Percy's talk was much worse," Ron said, rubbing his aching side. "He didn't know what she was talking about until it was over. He wouldn't come out of his room for two days."

That fact made Harry feel little better, but he couldn't help thinking that Mrs. Weasley didn't trust him. If he had learned anything from Occlumency, it was self-control - especially over passion. Though he had never experienced the passion that the love of a woman created, he knew of the passionate hate that exists inside the heart of every man. And that he knew how to control.

On the day before New Year's Eve, Eva was finally able to move around. Just before lunch, she emerged from the bedroom with her wet hair pulled up on her head and wearing fresh clothes.

"Have a seat, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, pulling out a chair next to Harry at the kitchen table for her. "Lunch will be ready in a moment."

She thanked Mrs. Weasley and grinned meekly at Harry. Her face flushed, but Harry thought it was because everyone was starting at her, not because she was ill.

"You look good," Ron said.

"Thank you," she replied. "I feel good."

Suddenly, the back door opened and Remus and Tonks walked through. They had been attending to some business for the Order outside and out of earshot of everyone else. Harry, personally, wondered if they went outside to have some alone time. They both came back grinning.

However, as soon as Remus saw Eva, his smile vanished. There was one silent moment where their eyes met that seemed to last for hours. Finally, Remus walked swiftly over to Eva's side, his head down, his eyes on the floor. He got down on one knee, like a knight bowing at the throne of a monarch or a begging dog at his mistress's side. He was at the lowest position of a human being. "I am," he whispered, "so terribly sorry."

Eva looked shocked at his position, but she did not smile. And she couldn't say it was all right, because it wasn't. Remus had changed her life forever. He changed who she was - what she was. She leaned over and gestured for him to get up off the floor. There were tears in his eyes when he looked up.

"I'm all right," she whispered back. "I'll be okay." It was reassurance for herself more than anyone else.

"I'll make sure of it," Remus said. "I'm so sorry, Eva."

"Apology accepted," she replied with a short nod.

"Lunch is ready!" Mrs. Weasley called. She brought out a plate of sandwiches and a pot of soup and set them on the table.

Remus looked slightly embarrassed. He slipped off his coat and handed it to Tonks. "I'd better go wash up." He turned and hurried up the stairs.

Mrs. Weasley took a seat at the table and Tonks returned after hanging up Remus's coat. Everyone ate hungrily, now that things were almost back to normal. Harry felt like he could finally stop worrying and get back to his relaxing vacation.

Nora was chatting away about one of the gifts the twins had brought home for her when Eva gasped. "Oh no! I forgot!"

"Forgot what?" Harry questioned.

"Everything that's in London," she explained. "All of Nora's Christmas gifts are there still. I didn't even get to give her a proper Christmas yet. Plus, the Aldersons will be returning home soon, and I've got to make sure that we're moved out. And that poor cat!" Eva cried. "She hasn't been fed in days."

"I've got to bring the car back to the Ministry tomorrow," Charlie said. "I could give you a lift to London."

"An excellent idea," Tonks agreed. "Remus and I can take you to the flat and pick up your things. Harry can come with." She winked across the table at him and sipped her soup.

"That's a good idea," Ginny said. "We can all meet at Diagon Alley for the New Years celebration. Fred and George are in charge of the fireworks display at midnight."

"I don't know." Mrs. Weasley made a clicking noise in the back of her throat. "Eva needs to build up her strength."

"I'm fine," Eva replied. "I'm getting a little... anxious being cooped up here. No offense." She nodded to Mrs. Weasley. "And I've never been to Diagon Alley before."

"I think it's a brilliant idea," Remus said, joining everyone at the table.

"And don't worry about that cat," Tonks interrupted. "She's not starving to death."

"What do you mean?" Nora asked.

"That cat reeks of ancient magic." She shrugged and went back to her meal, but Harry pressed on.

"What do you mean it's got magic?"

Tonks glanced up. "There are cats out there who truly have nine lives." When everyone still looked confused, she continued. "Some cats have their own special magic. They're smarter - more clever. More curious. They even have their own very distinct personalities. You know, I was thinking of doing a lesson on domesticated magical creatures next term..."

Harry glanced across the table and saw Ron smiling smugly. "I knew that Crookshanks was no ordinary feline." He grinned and went back to his lunch.