Oblivion | d.malfoy

𝟎𝟎𝟒 | 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐨

"So... McGonagall says you want to fight?" Harry Potter paced in front of Evanna, flipping and spinning his wand between his fingertips. "I would've thought that you were happy in your current position. You are rather good at Potions."

The girl watched him carefully, clutching her own wand in her right hand. "I am happy. I just... want to make a difference."

"Doesn't your job make enough of a difference? It'll be rather hard to replace someone with your talent."

"Then don't replace me," Evanna raised her head, trying to appear more confident than she had previously been. "Let me fight when you're down a man— or woman, and I'll stay here and work behind the scenes when I'm not needed, like I usually do."

Harry gave a nod, running his hand over his chin as he took in the girl's offer. "McGonagall already approved it and said she wanted me to allow it as well, but I have no problem with you learning."

A smile appeared on her face at his approval. It had taken her half an hour to convince McGonagall to allow her to step outside of her comfort zone, but in the end... the professor knew that she would never get into the girl's head and get her to change her mind.

"—but I can't be the one to teach you."

Her smile faded. Harry was probably the best out of all of the students and staff combined. Who else was capable of showing her the basics, teaching her enough charms and spells to at least help her defend herself? "W—Why not?"

He sighed and stopped pacing. "No offense, but the others are quite far ahead of you. I can't hold them back in order to pull you up."

Evanna hated that he was talking to her as if she were a small child, incapable of understanding his words. They were so close in age, having started their school year at the exact same time, yet somehow Harry seemed superior.

He noticed how she had become silent and thought that she was probably thinking it all over for herself. "You'll still be learning, just not with me."

"Then who?" The question came out more as if she was demanding him to answer her, rather than one of confusion.

"Great question. I'll let you know when one of the others have some free time and you can try and work a lesson or two into your schedule. I've heard from Pomfrey and Charlotte that you're quite busy these days..."

"Only because of the supplies that you request," She mumbled the words, but she was sure Harry had heard her because he gave a small chuckle.

"Your hard work is paying off. Thank you for that."

She gave a small nod, acknowledging the empty compliment. Harry said that to everyone nowadays, even if it was a younger student who did nothing but sit in their dorm all day, pretending that it was a normal day and that witches and wizards and muggles weren't being slaughtered across the continent.

"How long do you think it'll be before you find someone?" Evanna tried not to come off as rude, but the quicker she learned, the quicker she would be able to make a difference.

"Shouldn't be long at all... I'll come to you about it sometime soon, is that fine with you?"

She gave a small nod, pressing her lips together tightly to refrain from bombarding him with more questions. There were so many things that Lottie had been unable to answer that Harry probably could, but she wouldn't dare step out of her place and ask him.

•••

"You know that I can't protect you forever, right?"

"I— I know," The girl looked away, ashamed that he was seeing her like this. Her cheeks were tainted with a rosy blush as hour-old tears rolled down her porcelain skin.

"Then you need to let go, Mitchell. I need you out of my life... for good—"

"It doesn't have to be like that!" Evanna raised her voice slightly, looking him in the eyes for the first time that evening. "You don't have to leave me," The second part came out in a whisper, unlike her first statement.

"I know it doesn't have to... but it needs to."

•••

Almost a week passed and she hadn't heard back from Harry. She was beginning to grow impatient and felt as if she was out of time. The thought of him forgetting to find someone to teach her plagued her mind daily, but the distraction that came with working helped to keep her occupied.

It was about the middle of the day. Everyone should've been at lunch by now, but not Evanna. She skipped the meal almost every day— not that she had anything against the food, but it seemed like a waste of time to eat when she could be getting things done.

A small knock came from the door to the potions classroom, causing her to look around. She saw that no one else was around to open it, and she was far too preoccupied sorting the ingredients to open the door.

"It's open," She called behind her, not bothering to completely turn around and see who it was that had just walked in.

"Well look who it is..."

She would've recognized that voice anywhere, which is why she immediately dropped the vials that she was holding to turn around, her jaw dropping in surprise as she placed her hands on the table behind her.

The tall, dark-haired boy leaned against the doorway, one of his hands tucked into his pocket as the other twirled his wand. "Hey Mitchell..." He gave a small smirk, making eye contact with her for the first time in months.

The girl didn't hesitate to rush up to him as he wrapped his arms around her waist, picking her up off of the ground as they hugged each other.

"You're okay," She practically sobbed the words into his shoulder, cherishing the comfort that she received as he held onto her.

"Of course I am. You think Potter and Weasley would let me die out there?" The boy gave a chuckle and set her down.

Evanna gave a genuine smile— which was probably the first real one that she'd given anyone since the beginning of the war. "He told us that you wouldn't be back until it's all over, until the war was done."

"Well, I guess he can't stop me then."

Evanna took a small step back, taking in the full view of her friend that she hadn't seen in ages. He really seemed to have grown up over the 'summer' which internally felt like a cold and brutal winter. Technically all of the students had grown up, if not physically then mentally. No matter what age you were or what side you were on, you were being taught the consequences of war and about the prices paid in death.

"What have I missed, Evanna Mitchell?" The boy swung his arm around her shoulder, walking them both out of the classroom and into the dungeon corridor.

Evanna smiled, finally being able to focus on something other than the living hell going on outside of the castle.

"You've missed a lot, Roman Anderson..."

-

-

-