Hope And Fear (Everard Flint)

[Lily "Lils" Prewett]

Lily had preferred to meet with Everard away from Hogwarts. Not just because it would be easier for him to get to this place now that he had graduated, but because her father and her siblings didn't know that she was still seeing the former Slytherin and former future Death Eater supporter.

She did believe wholeheartedly that Everard had decided to change his ways, if for her or for himself it made no difference to Lily. He had changed. That was all she needed to know to keep wanting to see him. He had applied to be an Auror for the Ministry, even though the Ministry, they knew, was about to be taken over by Voldemort, fact which had happened by now. She was afraid for her boyfriend and needed to talk to him.

The chosen place was a smaller coffee shop in Hogsmeade. It was a Sunday and many Hogwarts students were walking down the village's streets to find other people, to drink firewhiskey, to talk and generally to have fun, while they could. Most of those youngsters were afraid for the future, but just a handful of them, Everard and herself included, knew exactly what was coming their way right now.

Lily took a sit at one of the tables and asked for a cup of water. Then there was nothing left to do but wait for her date and hope her dad or siblings didn't discover her here, especially after Flint's arrival.

[Everard Cole Flint]

Lily-Bear had asked for his audience, and Everard was much obliged to take the offer. He was so very happy to do so as well. The two had chosen a small coffee shop in Hogsmeade, and Everard didn't want to be late. However, his Auror trainers were insistent on torturing him with paperwork. He wanted to leave early, but he couldn't. Yaxley insisted that he finish most of his paperwork before his break, and he didn't want to make Yaxley mad. He didn't want to see Yaxley when he was angry, even though Everard wouldn't be scared perse for himself, but for his job really.

For Lily, Everard knew he was changing. He wasn't very happy when he realized it. He had been on one side of the whole dilemma for years, and yet he found himself questioning his beliefs. He wanted to believe he was just using his precious Lily for information, but the more he thought about her, the more he felt he was lying to himself and that he really truly had feelings for her. Maybe he could be like his father, and hide his beliefs, if he believed those beliefs he would have to hide.

"Lily," Everard greeted the young red head soon after arriving at the coffee shop, "I'm sorry for being late, the Aurors really are trying to break me down with all the paperwork."

[Lily "Lils" Prewett]

Lily beamed a shinning smile at hearing her name. No. She wasn't one of those girls obsessed with anything to do with herself. It was the voice saying her name that made her happy. Her date had arrived. "Everard." She said his name slowly with that sweet voice of hers and then hugged him as discreetly as she managed to do. "Ha. It's OK. I'm glad you could make it." She added in a happy tone of voice as she let him go of her embrace.

"How are things going around the Ministry? Bad, I suppose. Too much work… You look tired, really." She said, trying to be discreet and nonchalant. Voldemort was known to have eyes and ears everywhere at this point in time as he was avidly searching for her teenage father. So, she knew they had to be careful with what they were saying and still get to say what they wanted each other to know.

"I hope they are not being too unkind to you…" She said with a smile, pretending to be joking, but actually worried about Everard's well-being. Lily wasn't sure how well she would be able to play this game before she let her true worries scape her mouth to be heard by possibly unkind ears around them.

Lily also knew she could just be with her boyfriend for a while and not have to pretend anything safely. They only had to stay away from certain subjects and names. She planned to do just that, after she was sure that he was fine and not falling back to the Dark Side due to the bad influences at the Ministry now. She took one of his hands in hers as if desperately trying to call a premonition, but nothing happened. Why did her gift had to be so temperamental in comparison to her brothers'? It never worked when she needed it...

[Everard Cole Flint]

Everard couldn't help but smile as she hugged him. He hugged her back, feeling a bit silly for thinking of how great it felt to hear her sweet voice. His friends always teased him about how he was so in love with a blood traitor. Everard convinced himself that they were wrong, and how it was just a strategic move to stay with Lily. However, no matter what he did to convince himself, there were always those little things that made him forget about it. He had always known the other side to the war, before he met Lily. It was always about Voldemort being the best ruler and visionary for the world. Other than Everard's mum, but she was just about the only one other than Lils. "I'm glad I could make it too," Everard replied a little bit after the hug ended.

"I'm fine. I've lived off of less sleep," Everard laughed softly before rolling his neck, which felt fairly good, "But anyways, there's a lot of work. It's getting bad, but it could be worse. They say that in a couple of weeks, I'll start field work. I'll get to go with one of the senior Aurors hunting down the Undesirables." Everard wasn't particularly excited for this, because it also meant hunting down muggleborns, and perhaps even arresting some people that hadn't been in their history. Everard didn't want to hurt the muggleborns, even if they were... well, actually, Everard didn't truly believe muggleborns were that bad anymore, and even wished he could get the chance to help them. They were still magical, unlike muggles. His hate for muggles wasn't fading for awhile at least.

"But really, other than giving me all the paperwork, they're being extremely nice. Even Thicknesse approached me the other day and commented on how promising I was," Everard proclaimed with a smile, feeling her warm hand in his. The meeting was worrying for Everard, since the Minister had asked about what his stance on the Dark Lord was. Given all of his doubting lately, he was worried he had slipped up. He even thought at one point Thicknesse would sense that he was lying on some points, but it had turned out well, at least Everard believed so. He really didn't want to be targeted by the ministry and have to go on the run. At least Lily had her father, that Harry Potter, to protect her. He hadn't seen any of his family. Everard bet his dad was trying to get to the Dark Lord and help his out and his mother was probably trying not to change anything. Everard didn't want to hide in the shadows, because he couldn't waste this time. He was young, he was getting to the part of his life where his actions were vital, and he needed experience.

[Lily "Lils" Prewett]

Lily's hazel eyes were shinning. A sign of her inner happiness. "So let's take a seat and enjoy this time we have together." She offered with a kind smile as she took a few steps, away from him, to reapproach the chair she was previously occupying. Deep down she was still a bit nervous. Sure, this place had been chosen because it was quieter in attendance and there was little chance her family would find them here together or get to know through some gossip. She knew for sure that Harry and James wouldn't understand her choice to go out with Everard after discovering who he was, that is, until he worked hard to convince them of his true feelings for her, which she believed in. Albus might support her more easily now. Last year they were both Slytherins after all and got to know each other a little better. Anyway it would be a problem and she didn't want to have to cross that bridge anytime soon if it could be avoided.

"Hey! That's not good, Everard. You need to rest well or some bad guy might just get you in a duel…" She warned him in a worried tone of voice, forgetting for a second that the bad guys now were actually the good ones with all the inversion of principles going on with the Ministry being taken over by Voldemort. She grew up knowing that the key to survive was to be ready and be attentive to your surroundings. Being as rested as possible was also the way to achieve that. Sure, she'd always had her brothers to watch over her as she slept and make sure she had enough hours of rest too. They took turns during the night and morning to protect each other, especially when Harry was not at home.

"Hunting down Undesirables, you said?" She asked dejectedly. That probably meant now chasing after her father, his friends, muggleborns and members of the Order. Lily knew most of them were good wizards and witches who would defend themselves if attacked or chased. She was afraid for him now, wishing in her heart for him to leave the Ministry and come join them by her side once and for all. They would protect him if he proved his change of heart was true. It was the same situation as the Malfoys and today Draco was someone her father trusted a lot and would defend against others trying to harm him. Why not Everard too? Her mind raced through possibilities, but it wasn't safe to say anything that she was thinking about right now.

For a moment Lily forgot about the situation and smiled proudly when Everard said that Thicknesse considered him a promising Auror. She was truly happy for his accomplishments. If only everything else wasn't so wrong and she could continue to just feel that good feeling that was within her now. No. She was a Potter and thanks to Voldemort they were not allowed any kind of lasting happiness. As that thought crossed her mind Lily released Everard's hand, taking her previous seat and gulping from her water nearly ending the contents of her glass.

[Everard Cole Flint]

Everard couldn't help but smile at the way she was looking at him. "Of course. I really hope that we can have more time like this later..." Everard stated, taking a seat across from her. True, he was worried about her family finding out, because they wouldn't trust him, especially with his previous and now shaky alliance with the Death Eaters. Just because he was with Lily made him question his alliance, no matter how much he wouldn't admit it to his friends and such, and he really wanted to have her to help him through all of this, whether she meant his ultimate fall in the end, or his salvation.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I just want to make sure that you will be kept safe," Everard replied, not liking it when people worried about him. Though, he did like the fact that she cared enough about him that she was worried about his well-being. It meant his plan was working, if his feelings wouldn't get in the way. Just because he was a pureblood, Death Eater, and friends with those who were either Death Eaters or wanted to be Death Eaters, didn't mean he couldn't change his side, nor his stance. He just needed a slap from one of his friends to make him see sense. That had to be all he needed. It couldn't be because he really was falling for Lily, or could it?

"Yeah, they need a person like me to help them out," Everard replied in general terms, meaning that the Undesirables needed someone like him, to her, while any listener would just think it was the Ministry that needed him. Everard really was planning on helping the Undesirables out, hunting them, but letting them go when he could get away with it. It was all part of his plan, right? To win Lily over, and give her complete proof that he had changed, and have her give him secrets, or just something that no one else really could get easily to help change the war.

"Have you heard from your father, or any of your friends from home?" Everard wondered, wanting to know how she was doing with understanding everything, and things such as that. He also wanted to know where her father was, so that he would at least be able to keep tabs on the guy and try to prevent him from changing something. Sure, Everard felt bad for Lily and the Weasleys loosing Ginny, Ron and Hermione to the war, but if anything were to change too drastically, his father or mother could die, and he wouldn't ever exist.

[Lily "Lils" Prewett]

Everard's smile brought Lily another one of her own. At that moment she wanted to be just a normal girl, having a good time with her boyfriend and try to forget a little about everything else. "Me too…" She said, trying to keep the high mood. "I mean… we both know where this is going… We may not…" She couldn't force herself to say the words out loud. She didn't want to die in this war and above all she didn't want Everard to die because of this war. It's possible she might be able to do something to save him. But could she save herself? Lily was unable to predict her own future and thus it was easier for her to save everyone else other than herself.

"I really hope so, Evie." Lily replied to Everard's comment on the fact he'd be fine, feeling safe enough to use the pet name she had come up for him. It was a bit silly, but silly is the mind of a youth in love anyway. "Just watch your back, OK? And do try to rest. High awareness is one of the keys to survival. You can't be aware enough on a tired mind. Dad always taught us this. He knows what he is saying…" She advised him. "Well… newsflash for you, Auror in training." She said in a good humored way with a smile. "I can keep myself safe. Besides I have my brothers to watch over me when my eyes are closed." She said, trying to sound a bit indignant with the fact that he might think that she can't hold her own in a fight. She was a Potter, being a fighter was practically in her blood.

"Sure they do." Lily replied with a supportive smile. "Who is the Auror currently training you? Do I know him or her?" She asked in order to know which influence Everard was getting from the Ministry. She'd be infinitely more at peace if he was being trained by someone like Tonks, though she was on maternity leave now, Teddy Lupin or Kingsley Shacklebolt, all of whom would reinforce good ideals on him, instead of the nonsense pureblood mania spreading around nowadays. The last thing she wanted was to see him revert into that again. Lily was determined to save her beloved from the web of demented and deceitful promises weaved by Voldemort.

"Dad has got a job this year as a professor at Hogwarts. It makes things easier for us since we can't count on Aldumble to help us out anymore. Income is always good for a family." Lily replied without thinking much, even because it was an easily discovered piece of information. One just needed to see the new Hogwarts teaching roster for this year to know that. She was also skillful and mentally present to use a play on Dumbledore's name rather than spelling it fully. Even saying the late wizard's name could be seen as a sign of betrayal to the regime now since he was the leader of the opposition to Voldemort during a long time. "As for my friends… I've seen a couple of them around. I think I shouldn't complain about lack of known and reliable company." She replied with a happy smile. At least not all was terrible.