BETRAYAL

Her head was throbbing, maybe that was why Eva Smith had woken up or perhaps it was the light that had started to fill the bland room making it almost impossible to keep her eyes shut.

Whatever the case was confusion began to rack at her brain, Eva shot up only to realise she was in the hospital wing. A place she had come quite accustomed to over the years.

Eva's arms were scattered with maroon bruises, she began to wince at the sudden back pain while leaning forward in the hospital bed. The injuries were clearly damaging this time.

Eva reckoned she could just leave and sleep it off in her dorm. She gritted her teeth and attempted to pull herself out of the covers. Pain began to surge through her battered body causing her eyes to water.

Madam Pomfrey who had clearly heard the girl's distress came sprinting in to Eva's partition. The older woman's eyes began to bulge upon seeing her brutally, beaten up patient crawling her way out of her bed.

"What do you think you're doing child?. You've been unconscious for 48 hours! You're not allowed to leave."

"Do I look like a child to you?" Eva remarked slyly lying back on her pillow from the intense ache in her back. "Poppy come on, we know each other a little better than that. Look you let me go and it'll be our little secret!"

Madam Pomfrey looked horrified at her suggestion. Eva frowned, that was clearly a no then.

"You quidditch players are all the same, you fall off the broom, become unconscious, are covered in lesions and bruises and want to leave as you soon as you wake but you'll be back here again in the next two weeks!"

-I need a pay raise" She began to mumble to herself, Eva couldn't help but giggle childishly at Poppy's insane rambling.

It was only then when Eva began to reflect on what Madam Pomfrey had said. She had been unconscious for two full days? Eva closed her eyes and tried to remember what had happened while drowning Poppy and her pity party out.

Eva's mind was foggy, she could hardly remember a thing and it was frustrating. From what Eva had been told she could only imagine that she had fallen off her broom.

In fact the only thing Eva could picture was a horrified look on James Potter's face as she zoomed past him on her broomstick and that's when Eva became blank.

"Did anyone visit me?" Eva asked hesitantly not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.

"Professor Lupin and Mr.Potter's family stopped by if you must know" Poppy answered her face filled with irritation.

Eva nodded in confusion, her own friends didn't even come to visit her but a kind family that Eva had been taking advantage of did. She felt guilty but they had been friends with her mother right? It was okay to feel a bit reliant on them wasn't it?

Even if she did pretend to despise them...

"I'll leave you to it then. now stay I beg or else!" Poppy warned, Eva told the woman she'd comply with her rules but obviously once the woman wasn't looking she'd do a legger.

Eva wasn't stupid she waited a while before she attempted to leave again, once Eva knew Madam Pomfrey was busy with other patients she began to search the surrounding area for her shoes and proper clothing.

Well more like Eva dragged herself around the place, her body felt so ill and heavy. Somehow Eva managed to get dressed and tie up her shoelaces but not before she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

Her hair was sticking up in multiple places, her under eyes were shadowed and multiple purple bruises were spread out across her face. Eva looked like she had quite literally been dragged through hell and back.

Brushing it off she began to peel back the dingy curtain blocking her room off from the rest and began to scan the area for an angry Madam Pomfrey, luckily the woman was nowhere in sight.

Eva began to limp toward the exit but admittedly it was at a very slow pace. As she trudged along she couldn't help but catch small glimpses of some other patients. Patients who had their worried parental figures sat by their side.

If Eva hadn't of been so battered from the accident, maybe she would of felt the dull ache that made itself known in her heart. It's not like she needed anyone, Eva had herself.

Eva had successfully removed herself from the hospital wing, now that she thought about it, Eva would never be able to climb her way to the dungeons. She felt her around her pockets for her wand, when Eva could not find it she began to panic ever so slightly.

The corridors were pretty much empty, it gave the impression perhaps it was a weekend. Eva who had been limping towards the courtyard decided to sit down almost out of breath.

The girl closed her eyes, she wasn't tired but maybe she was mentally. Pictures of her mother circled around in her mind, Eva felt guilty, she felt as if she hadn't done enough for her mother. That somehow it was her fault.

As Eva laid back she couldn't help but overhear violent whispers shared between what was likely three people. Eva began to squint in an attempt to hear it better.

"It's not safe, it's too early on for him to be executed-

-"Hermione he saw Peter on the map, he's been around Hagrid's hut"

"Why haven't you told anyone, Harry?"

"Because we'll stop him Mione, we always have. What's one more time?"

Eva's eyes widened once she realised it was the golden trio, the three younger students she had grown quite attached to and Eva hardly liked the conversation they were having.

"Harry I don't like this, it's too risky"

"Stop worrying Hermione"

"Stop it, Ronald!"

"Look you two go get your wands and meet me back here and we'll go investigate it, that's all"

Eva slowly opened her eyes, realising she could hear footsteps. Harry Potter, fucking Potter.

His eyes widened once they made eye contact. She noticed he looked agitated.

"I thought we agreed you don't play hero" Eva thought back when her opinion of Harry had been that he went looking for trouble.

"Because I really didn't like the sound of that conversation. Potter please don't do what I think you're about to do!" She told the boy pulling herself up from the bench.

Harry gulped not only was Eva awake but she was actually speaking to him, he began to panic Eva should of known James was her dad by now, she should of found out the day of the match.

She should be concerned for him as a sister not an older student...

"You woke up?" He asked quietly. "How are you feeling, in any pain?".

Eva frowned in disapproval.

"Enough about me, care to tell me about your plan?" Eva couldn't believe how stupid he was being. "Why haven't you told an adult, he was back on the premises?".

"Me and Ron can handle it" he told her not totally sounding convinced. He discreetly pulled out wad of parchment and began to scan it.

"Harry what is that?" Eva questioned. When the boy didn't answer she walked towards him.

"Harry!" She roared after the frantic boy, pain surging through her frail body as she watched his face pale and him sprint towards the courtyard.

"Buckbeak..." he managed to splutter out as he ran, multiple things falling out of his pockets, Frustrated Eva ran her pale hands through her greasy locks, why was she in so much pain?

She began to retrieve his belongings, the piece of parchment laid on the floor. Grabbing it Eva began to inspect it (Mssrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot & Prongs are proud to present the Marauder's map).

Padfoot? Prongs? wasn't that what those two mongrels called themselves. Heavy thuds caught her attention, Eva felt dazed as if she had been asleep for years.

"We need to go now!"

"Remus?..."

"He's an idiot. just like his silly dad" Remus began to mumble clearly panicked into his palms. Eva walked towards her teacher in confusion.

"Who, who is an idiot?" She questioned.

"Harry... he's going to get himself killed. We need to get James and Lily here-

-"but how did you know what he was going to do?"

"I overheard him just like you I'd assume"

The waiting game was difficult, they wanted to go after Harry but needed to wait for his other family members to show up. Remus had sent a patronus, James and Lily would be able to apparate through Dumbledore's fireplace.

The two of them sat in Dumbledore's office, as much as Eva wanted to help she wondered why she was needed but Remus had insisted she'd stay.

The fire began to crackle and three wizards began to scramble out.

"What is it, is it Eva? Is she okay? Remus what's going on, please tell me what's happened?"

Eva watched in awe, James Potter hadn't even stepped out of the fireplace for more than three seconds and already he was playing mother hen.

"I'm fine, it's not me we have to worry about" Eva spoke up. It wasn't until then Eva realised how much of a family these people really were, Remus had called and they had come at his beck and sale.

"You're poor face!" Lily cooed softly, it was littered in bruises.

"Harry is under the impression he and his friends can go after Pettigrew themselves" Eva went straight into her explanation because clearly these people were good at procrastinating.

"What?" The three newcomers spluttered out.

"I overheard him this morning, that's why I called you two but clearly Sirius came too"

James and Lily were panicking that much was obvious...

"We need to go after him, I've got the map"

"What is the map?" Eva asked. The three marauders looked amongst themselves.

"It shows where everyone on the campus is at all times" Remus half told her. James began to change the subject, his son might of been missing but he needed to break the tension between the two.

"Eva I have to tell you something!" James told the brunette in front of him.

"Look James I appreciate it, if that'll be your apology for your outburst" Eva was ready to let to forgive him.

"Eva no, please it's important!"

"James is it more important than your son's safety, can it wait? can you wait to tell me?"

Silence...

"Let's go..." he announced to the group.

As they made their way out the door, James couldn't help but feel he had made a huge mistake.