As quiet, introverted Evelyn Berman agrees to spend her sixth year studying at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and Wizardry, she is introduced to the school's adored Marauders.
From the moment she meets Sirius Black, there's something about the boy t...
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As the evening turned to night, the corridors at Hogwarts grew quiet, Evelyn amongst only a few straggling students not yet settled in their common rooms. She let out a long yawn, her arms wrapped around a hefty stack of healing books she had been poring over for the past few nights.
Outside the library, she passed by a Hufflepuff boy, Gregory Jansen, lounging casually on a bench, the dim light casting a shadow off him. Catching her glance, the always-friendly boy sent her a wave, to which she returned. Her eyes shifted to the slightly crinkled copy of the Daily Profit that sat on his lap; 'War Coming?' the headline read.
Quickly, she continued on her way, trying to ignore the rush of nausea that flooded through her. The word 'war' had been thrown around far too often recently, and in the last week, in particular, Evelyn's fear of what the future would bring was heightening. At some point, she had gone from viewing the Profit's war-suggesting headlines as overreaching attempts at ensuing panic among the wizarding world to promote sales to now feeling fear and panic, herself, each time she saw them.
This week alone, three unfortunate students had been pulled aside to be informed that a loved one had been murdered. Evelyn still couldn't get the sight of the second year Gryffindor girl, her face tear-stained and grief-stricken as she pushed through the halls, out of her mind.
The threat of war was real. Voldemort was real. And people were dying almost every day at his hands. Good, innocent people—
"There you are!"
Evelyn, startled out of her dreary thoughts, spun around to find Lily and Marlene behind her.
Lily's expression turned worried, "Are you feeling alright? You look a little pale, Ev..."
Evelyn swiftly shook her off, assuring the red-headed girl that she was perfectly fine—not exactly the truth, but the last thing she wanted to do was worry Lily any further with her own anxious thoughts.
"I'm telling you, it's all that time you've been spending in the library," Marlene stated, biting the end of a licorice wand she had snagged out of Lily's hand. "All that reading will rot your brain!"
"Oh, most definitely," Evelyn responded, sarcasm filling her words as she swiped the stolen candy away from the blonde, taking a bite herself. "Where's Emily?"
"She's up in her common room. James and Sirius were screaming some muggle song about a dancing queen at the top of their lungs and I'm pretty sure it gave her a headache."
Lily sighed with disappointment, "I used to love that song, and now they've gone and ruined it for me."
Just picturing the horrifying performance the boys must've put on was enough to make Evelyn giggle. "What about Holly?"
