Chapter Six: The Meeting of the Enemies

Evelyn ...

   I was checking myself for the last time in the mirror before I would leave for the Black Lake. My dark, puffy, wavy-straight hair was one thing my child self was often mocked for: the ebony strands were always messily in the air, looking as though a cozy wind was always passing through them. It took me long enough to find it confidently my favorite feature.

   I could see a glimpse of my father's dear cousin in myself, which I did not quite appreciate. But by all means, I was fairly confident about my appearance; my pale skin, my wide lips, and my always-dark clothes.

   My eyes, though, were inherited from my father, and quite the opposite at the same time. They were gray, fading into blue and green in some fractions, but the coldness in them was something Sirius had never had. Even in the middle of pure hatred, my father's eyes had passion in them. But my gaze, on the other hand, would burn into with the coldness of ice.

   After contemplating in the mirror for a long, I shoved my wand in my pocket and left for the Black Lake.

   To my luckiness, Pansy was already gone to the Great Hall for dinner; I did not want to be questioned about my deeds.

   "You are going on a date with Mattheo?! Your enemy?!" I imagined her shouting if I had told her.

   However, my plan was to tell her, and Theo, eventually. After all, they were my closest friends, and I did not want that to be ruined. But for the day, I made a decision to keep the peace as long as possible, so I did not tell them anything. I told them I was not hungry, which wasn't a lie either.

   But when I left them on their way to the Great Hall, a look on Theo's face told me he might have had already known about the imminent event. Which was not surprising at all: he was "bros" with Mattheo, so he might've had most likely told him.

   On my way, I wondered if Mattheo had asked Theo, because the Black Lake was one of my favorite places in Hogwarts, and the possibility that Mattheo chose the place for our first date on accident was a little low.

   My mind wandering around the world, after a few minutes of walking in the heavenly weather, finally the Black Lake came to the sight; the moonlight was reflecting on the lake, the water shivering in the gentle, autumn wind, and the trees were dancing with the whispers of nature.

   "You look beautiful."

   Mattheo was sitting on a blanket laid on the grass, leaning his back against a tree with one of his knees bent to his chest. He was wearing jeans, a long-sleeved black shirt, with a grey t-shirt on top of it; the Dark Mark was probably hidden under his long sleeves.

   I crossed over to him, ignoring his compliment. Then, holding my black mini-skirt in place, I sat down on the blanket, unpleasantly facing him.

   "This is an impossibility come true," he started. His face squinched merely, before his eyes darkening took the place instead. "Have you ever thought why we were even enemies?"

   My eyes squinted. "That is not my concern right now."

   His eyes pinned me with an intent, questioning look.

   Patiently, I continued then, "Why you came to decide that we are not, is what I should be thinking about."

   His jaw twitched. Now that was the usual Mattheo. "Don't worry about that one," he said. I probably should not have confronted him about that. "I kept hating you since I recognized you as my enemy, then I realized I didn't even know you."

   I did not want him to know me. That was why I did not show any reaction to his pathetic confession.

   Then, when his intent expression blossomed into a wide smirk, I found myself stunned.

   "But here's my reputation: I can't oversee smart girlies. And you're hella smart. And very impressive." His grin pierced me in place. "I want to know you. So let me, Princess."

   This was far beyond my expectations. His actions were not something I could analyze, nor could I take in. He was like a storm in the sun; he did not make any sense.

   But he was walking right into my grip; he was inviting me in. He was offering me the door, and I needed to rush in.

   His caprice was still out of my mind, though. "You just pointed out: I am smart. I cannot be fooled." I raised my eyebrows.

   He rolled his jaw, exhaling a breath. "I'm not trying to fool you, Princess. I'm just tired of pretending that I hate you because my mother does."

   My eyelids droop.

   He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and put it between his lips, lighting it on with the lighter that came after.

   Now he did not hate me? And he also expected me to feel the same?

   It wasn't a possibility for me.

   Then he blew thick, disgusting smoke right into my face.

   The grimace washing over my face was instant when the smoke passed before me, but holding my breath back in, I succeeded not to cough. But the look of indignation on my face was something I was not capable of hiding.

   "You don't like smoke, right?" Insouciantly, he took the second drag of his cigarette.

   This is not real.

   I pierced him with a blank yet dangerous look, which he found amusing. Because he smirked. "Theo and Pansy both smoke. You should be used to it," he said.

   I parted my lips and pressed them together again, feeling a muscle in my jaw tense. "Theo and Pansy seem to be different."

   He freed the smoke again, but this time it didn't reach my face. "You mean they're your friends while you hate me."

   I exhaled a snort to keep my peace. "I am on a date with you at the moment. But yes. They are the expectations."

   He smirked. Again. "Lucky them."

   With his insouciant, serious expression, he took another drag or so, blowing it carelessly.

   Then his deep chuckle scratched my ears. "Seriously, are you always like... this?"

   "'Like'?" I narrowed my eyes. It was supposed to sound like a question, but, unwantedly, a bit of a daring tone was mixed up with it.

   "Cold, dry, stern..." he said with a teaseful tone I wanted tear from his throat.

   Something boiled in me. "How bad I don't meet your expectations."

   And his hideous smirk was back against. "You do. Only if you try to be a little more... yourself."

   I raised my eyebrows at him mockingly. "And, how are you expecting 'myself' to be?"

   "A bit more warmed up? Maybe?" The pathetic, teaseful, flirtatious smirk returned to his face.

   "I am not an ice to warm up in a minute." I really tried to hide the coldness.

   "Then guess I'll have to try my best to melt down at least a little bit of you."

   Waste your time.

...

   In fact, he did not succeed in melting down at least a little bit of me.

   After wasteful minutes of dry talk, before the curfew, I left the lake, and he knew better to stop me.

   No, I was not getting melted down, but I had a feeling he was getting close to that. And it was a success itself, which made me proud. But at the same time, I could not feel any more pathetic than this; I could not feel any more annoyed by anything other than going on a date with my enemy.

   When I entered the Slytherin common room, Pansy was sitting on a couch, talking with Daphne Greengrass.

   "Where the hell have you been?!" she bellowed the moment her eyes lay on me.

   Greengrass turned her attention on fixing her robes, pretending I did not exist like I did to her.

   "Black Lake," I told Pansy. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight." Then I made my way to the girls' dormitory before she could say anything further.

   After I got changed and climbed under the covers in my bed, my mind started racing.

   Why was it going so easily? It was just a week since I was up to getting close to Mattheo, which I hardly even put any efforts in, and then he suddenly asked me out on a date, and he himself gave me the first opportunity? Something was off. It was suspicious. But how could it be?

   I wished I could go through people's minds like Dumbledore; being a Legilimens would be a bliss in this.

   Evelyn, just don't get fooled. For Merlin's sake.

   After minutes of thinking deep and far, I remembered Dumbledore had told me to empty my mind before I went to sleep. I took a deep breath and forced the thoughts out of my head; I let the emotions and thoughts out with each breath I released, and I focused. Focused on the empty space in my mind; the endless darkness.