❝︎︎We'll protect each other❞︎

3-5: Lonely

t's been about 30 minutes since I was in here just reading and it was getting incredibly boring. I went to the bathroom to get changed out of my robes. I stared at myself in the mirror hesitating at first but slowly untying my hair. I watched as it fell on my shoulders, I only had had it down while I was sleeping. Most of the students weren't in the castle so I figured wearing just a big sweater my dad had given me would be fine.

I walked out in the corridors and surely enough no one was there. Almost everyone was at Hogsmeade. I walked around exploring the castle until I saw two people standing on the bridge entrance of Hogwarts.

Harry stood there talking with Professor Lupin about something. I watched in a distance examining Harry. He was wearing a black hoodie and some black jeans. He looked so good out of his robes. Professor Lupin's eyes met mine smiling as he walked away. Harry then turned around and saw me, a smile forming on his face as he walked towards me.

"Evelyn! What are you doing here, I thought you would be at Hogsmeade?" Harry asked grinning.

"Busy parents."

"You look different, in a good way, I mean of course, your hair-" He looked me up and down, at my not so classy outfit and my untied hair.

"Does it look weird?" I pulled a strand of hair behind my ear getting nervous.

"No not at all, you look gorgeous," he said making my face heated up once again and I felt flattered.

"You're only saying that because you're lonely," I said laughing.

"Well if you're lonely then come be lonely with me," He said putting out his hand in front of me slowly walking backwards towards the castle. (

I smiled walking up towards him and placing my hands into his. He kissed it gently and lead me back in the castle and into the Gryffindor common room.

~***~

The common room was empty, it was only Harry and I. The subtle sound of the crackling fire helped set the mood really. We had just finished the second round of Wizard chess. Harry had won one and I won the other.

"Hey Harry, what was Professor Lupin talking to you about?" I asked placing all the chess pieces back onto their rightful place as it rebuilt itself.

"He wanted to giving me private lessons to protect myself."

"That's amazing, did you say yes?"

"Yes of course."

"Now you can really protect me instead of me protecting you," I giggled.

"We'll protect each other," He looked up at me pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. We looked into each other's eyes once again holding eye contact.

"Are you scared?" I asked breaking the silence.

"About what?"

"Sirius Black."

His smile started to fade away as he looked down at the floor, "I dunno."

"Well don't be, I'll hex him to oblivion if he lays a finger on you," I said watching a small smile form on his face. I placed my hand around his shoulder squeezing it lightly, "I promise."

He looked up at me, our faces inches away once again. "Evelyn do you fancy anyone by any chance?"

"That's an odd question to ask right now isn't it Harry, and-" I furrowed my eyebrows. Did I fancy someone? No way I fancied Harry Potter, no way. "No I don't think I fancy anyone right now."

He looked back down at the floor, "I see."

"Come on Harry it's almost time for Hermione and Ron to come back," I said getting up to head out of the Gryffindor common room. We walked back out onto the field and stood there in silence, not an uncomfortable silence, maybe some what awkward. From a distance we saw a group of students all filled with joy walking back followed my Professor McGonagall. Hermione came skipping towards me linking her arms with mine as she dragged me back inside the castle.

"I bought you something," She said with a huge smile.

"Aw Hermione you didn't have to," I said. She took out a small box from her pocket and handed it to me. Inside there was a silver necklace with a moon charm dangling from it.

"Hermione this is gorgeous," I said putting the necklace around my neck.

"We're matching" she said pulling out a golden necklace with a sun charm dangling from it.

"I'm never taking this off," I said looking down at the necklace. I've never received such a meaningful gift from anyone. Fleur of course gifted me many different things that were special to me but this one was a sign of friendship, something I had never received before. We laughed talking about stuff she had seen at hogsmeade, Harry and Ron followed close behind us.

"What's going on?" Harry asked as we stood on the rotating staircase right outside the Gryffindor common room. I looked back up and saw a group of students just standing outside not going in.

"Probably Neville's forgotten the password again Ron muttered from behind us.

"Hey!" Neville shouted back at Ron offended. If Neville hadn't forgotten the password, then why weren't anyone going in? Did the password suddenly change?

"Let me through please-" The annoying voice echoed though the corridor as a ginger boy made his way towards the door to the Gryffindor common room.

"Excuse me, I'm head boy" Percy Weasley said pushing other students to the side. Disgusting, I hate him. He's almost like Lockhart but less crazier.

"The fat lady, she's gone!" Ginny exclaimed as she came down from the top of the stairs. Between the students we saw the Fat lady's painting. It was ripped as if someone clawed through it and the Fat Lady was nowhere to be found.

"Weird, she was just here like 10 minutes ago" I turned to look at Harry who's eyes were widened at the sight of the ripped painting. Every other painting was going crazy and so was the students, it was chaotic in here.

"Headmaster's here, come on move" Percy shouted. From behind us, Dumbledore came up the stairs. We all parted as he made his way up looking at the terrible scene along with Filch.

"Mr. Filch, round up the ghosts. Get them to search every painting in the castle to find the fat lady," Dumbledore ordered.

"There's no need for ghosts headmaster," Filch said. "The fat lady's there" He pointed towards a painting of a pig on the third floor. Everyone quickly rushed up the stairs ignoring Percy's 'I'm head boy' bullshit.

"Fat lady who did this too you?" Dumbledore asked as the fat lady appeared from behind the pig crying.

"Eyes like the devil! And a soul dark as his name! It's him headmaster, the one they all talk about! He's here, somewhere in the castle! SIRIUS BLACK!" She yelled before crying again and hiding behind the pig.

"Secure the castle. The rest of you, to the great hall!" Dumbledore ordered as well all rushed down the stairs and into the great hall. Hogwarts was going in a lockdown.

~*** ~

We were told to spend the night inside the great hall and was given sleeping bags. Sleeping on the hard concrete floor was definitely something I wasn't used to and I struggled to fall asleep. I turned to the other side to see Harry was still awake too.

"Can't sleep?" I asked as he looked up at me before slowly nodding. I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder and rubbing it.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you," I whispered.

"I've searched the astronomy tower and the Owlery sir, there's nothing there" We both shut our eyes closed with the sounds of footsteps approaching the great hall.

"3rd floor and the dungeons are also clear headmaster nor anywhere else in the castle" I heard Professor Snape's usual cold voice.

"I didn't expect him to linger," I heard Dumbledore's voice. The footsteps came closer until stopping right above Harry's head.

"Remarkable feet don't you think? To enter the Hogwarts castle alone completely undetected," Snape's voice echoed through the silent hall.

"Quite remarkable," Dumbledore replied.

"Any theories on how he may have managed it?"

"Many, each more unlikely than the next."

"You may recall prior to the start of the term our concern about hiring Lupin-"

"Not a single person in this castle would help Sirius enter the castle," Dumbledore interrupted Snape. "I'm convinced that the castle is safe and I'm more than willing to send the students back to their houses."

"What about Potter, should be warned?"

"Perhaps, but for now let him sleep. for in dreams we enter a world that's entirely ours. Let him sleep in the deepest oceans or glide over the highest clouds."

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