Dum Spiro Spero

Chapter 3

Sirius Black had always been a jealous individual. Seeing his wife, made his heart race, nearly beating out of his chest. He wanted nothing more than to run up to her and hold her in his arms. However, between being on the run and looking worse than rubbish, he stayed back and watched from a distance. It didn't matter that it was Remus that she seemed to always walk with, he felt envy take over. It should be me by her side. He scowled to himself as he picked at the rodent he caught earlier to eat.

He constantly thought about it as he made his way closer to Hogwarts to find Peter. After the rat is caught, he would make Evalyn his again. Honestly, he couldn't blame Remus for trying to fill in. Evalyn is a stunning witch. Her looks, intelligence, and personality were all qualities any man would want. However, he kept trying to convince himself that she would never do that to him.

Meanwhile, said witch was preparing for her first day of the school year. The sun was rising and she had organized the tables, hung decorations, and changed into a pleated black skirt that went down to her ankles and a light green jumper that was tucked in. Her fingers weaved the familiar braids in her hair. The hairstyle that James gave her all the time to comfort her. Putting on her daily accessories, she made her way in a rush to the Great Hall to catch breakfast. Knowing she would have to work hard to earn the students' trust, she put on her friendliest face and waved to the few that were eating.

Harry watched her from the doors. There was something about the witch that felt comforting. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt safe in her presence. He didn't recall meeting her before, and didn't recognize her face from anywhere. Ron broke him out of his train of thought, dragging the Potter boy to the Gryffindor table.

Draco Malfoy had been attacked by a hippogriff. That is what Evalyn had been told by the other staff members not even a few hours later. Supposedly this was the boy that called her out in the Great Hall the previous day. It makes sense, considering the hair and the dreadful sneer that matched his father's. She whipped up some brownies in the kitchens and trudged to the Hospital Wing with determination.

Smiling at Madam Pomfrey, she walked over to the boy who was whining loudly. His false cries faltered when he seen Evalyn by his bedside. She set the plate of brownies on the table next to him and sat down. He scowled, "What do you want? Come to finish me off? I'm sure your husband would be happy if you followed in his footsteps."

Evalyn smiled, despite the attitude he gave, and nodded towards the dessert. "I figured someone who went through something terrible, deserves a treat." His icy eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar dessert.

"What is it?" Draco's curiosity was peaked, it smelled delicious. She was also the first staff member to not give him judgmental looks or question the sincerity of his claims.

"Before you say anything, let me tell you a story about them. Afterwards, you can decide if you want to try them or not. No hard feelings if you choose not to."

The Slytherin thought about it for a minute before he nodded. Evalyn leaned back in the chair to get comfortable. "There was a boy a year younger than me when we were at Hogwarts. I was a Hufflepuff and he was a Slytherin." He opened his mouth to comment, but quickly closed it when she raised an eyebrow. "His father put an immense amount of pressure on him, and no matter how well he did in class, or the accomplishments he made, it was never enough for him. He met another Slytherin boy, who also worked hard to please his parents. Both tore themselves apart just to make their parents happy. I took care of them. I showed them what it was like to have an honest love shown towards them without having to do anything to earn it." Draco closed his eyes. "This dessert was one of their favorites after the hard days. It was new to them too, in fact, they looked at them with the same hesitation in their eyes that you did. You see, it's a muggle dessert, one my mum used to make when I was sad. One boy ate it immediately, while the other took 3 months before trying it. After that, we spent many nights sharing these while we cried together."

"What happened to them?" The boy whispered quietly.

Evalyn shifted in their seats, "One decided at the last moment to go against his parents wishes and embrace the good, while the other let the darkness consume him."

His eyes met hers and she could see the vulnerability that was probably rare for him to show. "What were their names?"

"I will tell you that another day." She stood up and patted her skirt down. "Get some rest, it will help with the healing. Have a good evening Mister Malfoy." Evalyn nodded her head and left the Hospital Wing. Draco laid there for a moment before looking around to see if anyone was watching. When he noticed the coast was clear, he took the smallest nibble of the chocolatey dessert. The warmth brought the teeniest grin to his face. Just as quick as it came, it left. Without taking another bite, he vanished it with his wand and closed his eyes to get some sleep.

On her way back to her sleeping quarters, she bumped into an invisible lump. The lump groaned at the force and Evalyn stood frozen. Her eyes lit up with mischief as she realized who it could be. "Mr. Potter, you can come out now." Slowly, the Gryffindor revealed himself. His cheeks blazed red in embarrassment. Instead of teasing him, her arm pointed in the direction of the corridor, "Care for a walk?"