Evy hurried behind the Marauders with Lily and Maureen coming up behind her. The seven Gryffindors rushed down a hallway towards the basement. "Come on," James said, bouncing excitedly. "Hurry it up, will you?"

"We're practically running, James," Lily huffed. "We can't run any faster."

"Where are we going?" Evy asked as she jogged along, catching up with Remus.

"Knowing James, probably the Quidditch pitch," Remus murmured, walking briskly. Evy hadn't realized just how much taller Remus had grown over the summer, but he towered over the rest of them, his long legs keeping pace with the others at a brisk walk.

"When did you get so tall?" Evy blurted out without thinking. Her stomach knotted, knowing what she said was very, very rude. "Sorry, I—"

Remus laughed, the warm sound bouncing off the stone walls as they rushed down another flight of steps. "God, I missed you over the summer, Evy."

"Hurry up," Sirius barked at them as he ran faster, rushing past James and racing towards the end of the hallway. "We're here." Sirius stopped, waiting for the rest of them to catch up.

James thumped Sirius on the back as the two of them watched the other Gryffindors come to a sudden halt in front of a portrait. "Brilliant idea, Sirius!" James' voice echoed down the hall, bouncing off the centuries old stone and warping into some weird sound.

"Where are we?" Evy asked, staring at the large picture of a bowl of fruit towering behind the boys.

"Evy, dearest, since you're in need of some bucking up," James began.

"And you certainly need some cheering up,"' Peter agreed with a smile.

"Sirius here has decided to let you, and the other girls, in on a little secret?"

"Is that what he calls it?" Maureen whispered to Lily.

"Calls what?" Remus asked.

Lily and Maureen giggled while Sirius shushed them.

"Boys," Evy rolled her eyes with a smile. Already her chest felt lighter, like a weight had lifted from her shoulders.

"We have decided to show you one of the best rooms in Hogwarts!" James tossed his hands up in the air, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He nearly vibrated with a hum of excited energy.

"Well, where are we?" Evy asked, crossing her arms and staring between James and Sirius.

"Come here and we'll show you." Sirius grabbed Evy's wrist and yanked her closer to the portrait. "See the apple? Slap it. Like you're giving it a high five"

"You want me to high five the apple?" Evy's eyebrow rose with a bit of skepticism.

Peter's brows scrunched close together. "But I thought"

"Shhh." Remus nudged Peter in the ribs and smiled at Evy. "Go on."

Evy glanced over her shoulder. Lily and Maureen watched her with curious gazes. The boys bobbed up and down in excitement.

Slap!

Evy's palm stung a tiny bit as her hand pulled away. "Well, that was rather rude!" A knight bouncing on a fat pony clopped into the edge of the portrait. "I daresay madam, you owe that poor piece of fruit an apology."

"Excuse me?" she asked.

The boys began to laugh, the sound echoing around the walls as they watched the knight face off with Evy, who stood two feet shorter than him. "I had a feeling he was going to show up," James said, clutching his ribs.

"Whenever a fight is about to begin, always call on Sir Cadogan," Sirius laughed with a tear streaming down his face.

"This isn't funny," Evy said, turning around to face them. "What did we come here for?"

"I say, you dare turn your back during a fight! Coward! You rogues!" Sir Cadogan side stepped, yanking his sword from its scabbard, which slipped from his grip and fell to his side with a muffled thump. He bent over, his armor clanging nosily as he reached for his weapon. "Have at thee!"

"And you would fight a lady?" Lily asked, stepping beside Evy.

"Why…" Sir Caodgan froze for a moment, glancing from slot in his helmet.

"No noble knight, particularly a knight of the round table, would dare to fight a lady, right?" Lily crossed her arms and stared at Sir Cadogan. She began tapping her foot impatiently, to which the boys began to howl with laughter.

"She's going to fight him," Peter chuckled.

"She looks like McGonagall about to give him detention," Sirius cracked.

"I'll save you, damsels in distress!" James laughed as he jumped to his feet, going toe-to-toe with Sir Cadogan. "How dare you challenge my lady?"

"I'm not your lady," Lily winced.

"We have this under control," Evy rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her hip as she watched James stare up at the large portrait.

"Draw your sword, you dog," Sir Cadogan howled. He parried with his sword before falling over, crashing onto the bottom of the portrait with a clumsy thunk.

"Let's get going now. I've worked up an appetite." James stepped forward and tickled the pear in the portrait, which swung open into a large room.

"Really? All I had to do was tickle the pear?" Evy crossed her arms, glaring at Sirius.

"Well you really gave that apple a hard slap. I'm sure it will be bruised tomorrow," he smirked.

"Oh, please no bad fruit puns," Maureen grimaced as the Gryffindors entered the room, the portrait swinging shut behind them.

"Orange you glad he didn't say to slap the banana?" Remus shook his head as he ducked below some of the stone ceiling. The room was damp, dimy lit, with low walls and bits of light coming from torches.

"It's like a hallway in Alice in Wonderland," Lily said.

"Or Willy Wonka," Remus added.

"What are you two talking about?" James asked, turning and glaring at the two of them. "We don't understand that sort of muggle stuff."

"We could so speak in code and they wouldn't get it," Remus said, nudging Lily in the ribs with a smile.

"Oh we should try it," Lily said.

"Quit flirting with my girlfriend," James huffed.

"She's not your girlfriend," Evy and Maureen chimed in unison.

"Will all of you shut up," Sirius snapped. "I'm starving. Hello? House elves?"

"Students" A small squeak of a voice chimed in somewhere ahead of them. "Everyone up! We have students. Hungry students who need food!" Evy glanced over James's shoulder. He'd gotten taller too. She saw the scuffle of little bodies.

"House elves!" she gasped.

"Aren't we supposed to ignore them?" Lily asked. "That's what my books said. You have to ignore house elves or else they won't come back. And thanking them is an insult."

"Who on earth wrote that nonsense?" James said. "It's rude not to thank house elves. They work hard."

"Some of them do anyway," Sirius grumbled. "Can we get some food please? Something sweet."

"And chocolate," Evy chimed in. She shrugged at Sirius as he glanced over his shoulder, strands of his ebony hair glinting in the torch light. Evy's mouth went dry as she watched his grey eyes glittering like precious stones in a cave. "I like chocolate," she said lamely.

Her stomach fluttered as he smiled at her. "And someone with chocolate," he added.

"Yes Master!" the squeaky voice answered.

"So, how's this for bucking up Sunshine?" Sirius turned to Evy, that smile still glued to his face as he stared down at her. When did everyone get so tall?

"This is great. Thanks for brining me here," she blushed, glad the light was dim enough he wouldn't see her face heating pink.

"Yeah, thanks for brining us," Lily added with a cough beside them. She smirked as she stepped aside and sat on a flat rock like a chair.

"Something with chocolate Miss?" A small house elf, dressed in a burlap sack gazed up at Evy with watery eyes and a self-satisfied smile. His ears flopped from side to side as he stared up at her.

"Thank you," Evy said, taking the small plate he offered her. A slice of cake, truffles, pieces of chocolate bark, a small bowl of chocolate ice cream and a miniature chocolate cupcake lined the plate in a pretty pattern like the sun.

"Say, what about the rest of us?" Peter sat down beside Lily. "We're hungry too."

"Yes, yes. What can we get the Masters and Misses?" Half a dozen house elves rushed up in excitement to take orders. Soon the gang was sitting around with the house elves, chatting and laughing.

Evy's stomach relaxed, her chest expanding as a bubble of happiness grew larger inside her. She needed cheering up more than she realized. Maureen laughed while Remus and James poked one another with the edges of their dull forks. Peter and Lily chatted about the new term of potions class.

"Feeling better?" Sirius asked softly, his voice barely a whisper beside her.

"Yes, thank you," she said, turning to face him. His eyes glittered with something more than his usual mischief. Kindness. Friendship. Something she didn't understand. "Chocolate helps," she teased, holding up her nearly empty plate.

He chuckled, the warm sound coating her insides like hot fudge and warming her from head to toe. "You're welcome." He reached down, his pinky finger brushing against hers for the briefest moment.

Evy's skin tickled, small sparks warming her skin where they touched, like sitting by a camp fire.

"We should get back," Lily said to the group.

Sirius pulled his hand away and gripped his plate tight with both hands, his smile gone. "Right," he said, jumping to his feet.

The balloon in Evy's chest deflated. Had she done something wrong? With mumbled protests and a chorus of thanks to the house elves, the Gryffindors shuffled out of the portrait.

"Damn, it's after curfew," James said.

"Language," Remus snapped.

"We need to—" Peter paused as he looked down. A cat stared up at him and hissed. "Mrs. Norris!"

"Who thought it was a good idea to get Filch a bloody cat?" Sirius growled.

Mrs. Norris hissed at Sirius and rushed off.

"We need to get out of here," Maureen said.

"Right, we should get back to the common room and—" Remus began

"Students out of bed!" Filch's voice hollered from down the hallway.

"We need to go," Lily said, gripping James' arm and pulling him down another hallway.

"Let's go back to the kitchens," Remus suggested.

"Every man for himself!" Peter shouted as he ran down a hallway.

"Peter, the common room is the other way!" Remus and Maureen ran after him, but Peter was quick, rounding a corner and fled out of view. Maureen and Remus followed.

"We need to get back to the common room," Lily panicked.

"Come on!" The four of them fled down a hallway as Filch's lamplight turned into view.

"The tyrants fled! This way, good sir!" Sir Cadougan shouted from the portrait behind them.

"Tattle tale!" Evy shouted at the knight.

"Miscreant fruit slapper!" he shouted back.

The four of them ran to the stairwell where two sets of stairs split into two odd hallways, neither of which led to the common room.

"James, go right," Sirius shouted. He grabbed Evy's arm and pulled her to the left stairwell. They ran up the steps two at a time and turned into another hallway.

"I've got you!" Filch's voice echoed behind them as he hurried up the stairs.

"Quick, in here." Sirius tugged Evy's arm ahrder, pulling her into a closet and quietly closing the door.

"Where are those little brats?" Filch shouted as he reached the top of the steps. The light of his lantern shove through the crack at the bottom of the door.

They froze, watching the light fade further down the hallway as Filch hurried past them. The squeak of his lantern and his muffled footsteps died away. A minute later, they finally let out a collected sigh.

"That was close," Sirius whispered.

"He could still be out there," Evy said, sitting up against the wall.

"You think so?" Sirius asked. "I don't hear anything."

"There's also bloody Mrs. Norris," Evy scowled.

"Maybe we should just wait them out?" Sirius suggested.

Evy yawned. "Good idea."

They sat in silence, the closet getting darker and darker as the summer sunset faded and the castle grew dark.

Evy's eyelids fluttered closed, the world going dark around her. Somewhere above her, she heard Sirius' voice crooning. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…"