Dum Spiro Spero

Chapter 6

In the morning, Evalyn went to visit Harry. He had been sleeping so she laid some treacle tarts and pumpkin juice on his nightstand. Hermione and Ron stated those were his favorites. She started to doze off in the chair next to his bed, when she heard a soft "Mrs Evalyn?" Her eyes slowly blinked and met Harry's.

"Sorry Harry, I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay. Nasty fall you took."

"I lost the game." The boy looked dejected. He didn't know why he was so open with the older witch, but it was like he couldn't stop himself. "I lost the snitch, I lost the game, I lost my broom." He groaned and his head went back into his pillow.

Evalyn pursed her lips, "I'm sorry, you did great though, your flying is outstanding."

"Can't do much of that anymore with no broom." Evalyn rolled her eyes at his sass, she didn't realize that could be an inherited trait. "Everyone expects me to win, and to be great, and I let everyone down."

"Harry I'm going to stop you right there. You are rather daft." Harry narrowed his eyes at her blunt statement. "You didn't let me down, or Professor Lupin. Ron and Hermione still seem to be your mates yeah?" The boy nodded reluctantly. "Your mother used to crumble when the pressure became too much. She wanted to prove to everyone at this school that a muggleborn could be just as talented as someone with the purest of blood. Sometimes, she drove herself mad trying to be great. Hardly ever did she get a poor grade, but there was one time she did. 7th year, it was a simple essay due for Charms. Nothing major, but when she got it back, she cried all evening. She said she let down the other muggleborns who were looking up to her." He sat up in the bed, eager to hear about his mother. So often, it was always his father. These stories about her however, were rare. "James tried to talk sense into her, but she claimed he wouldn't understand what it was like. And in a way he didn't. So I took over, we took a walk and found some first years who were trying to perform simple spells but struggled to do so. Lily decided to go over and spent the next few hours showing them simple magic. Afterwards, I pointed out that not once did they pester her about her grades. We then went back to our friends, and sure enough, nobody even cared about it. People will expect greatness from you Harry, but the people who matter the most in your life will not be upset with you if you do not succeed every time. And if there is one thing I know about your parents, it's that they are proud of you, quidditch or no quidditch, magic or no magic. They love you regardless."

That seemed to settle his mind. He reached for the treats she brought with a smile. "Thank you Evalyn, I really needed that." She gave him a warm smile, wishing to herself that she could have raised him like they wanted. And maybe, just maybe, he would have been better mentally. It crushed her to see him so hurt by the world around him.

Due to the full moon arriving soon, Evalyn was supposed to run the DADA lesson for the day. She stood at the front of the class, her lesson plan all organized and ready as the students filed in. However, right when she was about to start, Severus Snape walked in. He barely gave her a glance as his deep voice rumbled. "Turn to Page 394."

"Where's Professor Lupin?"
"Professor Snape a word please?"

Evalyn and Harry spoke at the same time each unaware of the reasoning behind the Professor's presence. He ignored both of them as Hermione flipped open her book to the corresponding page.

"Werewolves? We aren't supposed to cover that until late on in the year Professor?"

The former Slytherin glared at the three interruptors before speaking. "Professor Lupin is -" a pause to look towards Evalyn "feeling ill at the moment and I have offered to teach this lesson. Now page 394." Evalyn gripped her quill so tightly it snapped. The sound echoed off the walls due to the silence of the classroom. Snape raised an eyebrow at her, daring her to challenge him.

Once the lesson ended and the students filed out, Evalyn flicked her wand, slamming the door shut and stared Snape down. She stood up from her desk, both hands gripping the sides in anger. "What's your play Severus? You and I both know Dumbledore didn't ask you to teach this lesson. That's the whole reason why I am here."

He looked unbothered at her tone, offering no reaction. "I'm merely doing my job as a Professor. Helping the students. Ensuring they get what they need. That's more than what you and Lupin can say for yourselves."

Evalyn snarled and walked towards the man, her finger pointing into his chest as she looked up to him. "You have no right to say we are horrid at our jobs. Students are afraid of you. You bully the Gryffindors. And why? Is it because of how you were treated in Hogwarts?"

He sneered down his nose at her, "You don't know what you are talking about."

"I have been nothing but nice to you since that night. I have done nothing to deserve the way you treat me, and I will be damned if I let you walk all over me like you tried to do when we were in school. Because let's face it, you may have been bullied by James and the boys, but you were just as bad. I did nothing to you."

"You are as guilty as the company you keep Evalyn."

"Merlin, that is hilarious coming from you. Now get out of my classroom. Don't come back until it's time for his potion." Snape turned on his heel and waltzed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Evalyn plopped into her chair and laid her head in her hands, before she let out a small sob.

The door creaked open slightly, and Evalyn rushed to wipe away the tears. She tried to hide her face behind her hands so the person wouldn't see that she was crying. A certain young blonde haired Slytherin walked up to her desk and pulled a chair in front of it. He slid a couple sugar quills to her side of the desk without saying anything. The candy that a timid Gryffindor used to always give her made her heart crack slightly.

Evalyn looked up, wiping the last of her tears away before sending him a small smile. "What's this for Mr. Malfoy?" She wouldn't turn the treat away, knowing that he probably had a hard enough time with the gesture.

He simply shrugged, "For the bad days." They sat in silence, each indulging in a sugar quill. She graded assignments while he worked on his schoolwork. A couple hours passed by, before she sent him to dinner.

As she walked him to the door, she stopped him. "Thank you, I appreciate it." Draco said nothing, he just looked at her before walking away like nothing happened.

Now that the sun was setting, she made her way down to the kitchens. The wonderful aromas of the different foods made her mouth water. In a basket, which held some charms making it bigger on the inside, were some necessities. A brush, toothbrush and toothpaste, change of clothes, 3 blankets, and a ton of food to be exact. Double checking the contents, Evalyn headed out to the Forbidden Forest. A smile grew rapidly on her face the closer she got to Sirius.