Drabble 4/100! Prompts were the word haunted and the quotes "You only live one, but if you do it right, once is enough." and "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."

Evan sat in a secluded corner of the Slytherin common room, contemplating Emmeline's words. He knew what she thought of him, and try as he might to be optimistic, he just didn't think he would ever be able to change her mind. But for the first time in his life, he was beginning to question things that he had always thought to be facts.

Was he really better than everyone else? Simply because of the family he had been born into? He couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt. The same thoughts had been haunting him ever since he first took notice of Emmeline for the beauty that she truly was. If grades were anything to go by, he knew that he was no better than she, or a number of halfblood and muggleborn students for that matter.

No, that couldn't be true. How could a person who didn't even know they had magic be better than he? Worth more than he? Grades were meaningless. The mudbloods and halfbloods who did better in their classes surely only did so because they put so much effort in, where as Evan knew his A's and E's would all be O's if he didn't float by gracefully, never truly pushing himself.

Emmeline though, was the exception. He'd watched her closely and witnessed her magic and he knew her to be a powerful witch, worthy of his affections. Perhaps they could keep their relationship secret, and then they wouldn't have to fear the retributions. That is, if he could convince her that he wasn't the horrible person she thought him to be.

How could he convince her that he didn't think she was beneath him, when he thought that so many others who were of the same background as she were? He couldn't lie to himself and say that he thought the rest of the mudbloods were his equals, because they weren't, but Emmeline... Emmeline was different. Perhaps he could convince her that he believed blood didn't matter, it would just take practice. He could train himself to leave the word mudblood out of his vocabulary. What would the difference be if he didn't truly believe it? Emmeline would never know.

He would just have to remember to act the correct part. He could hold his tongue for her sake. His own thoughts were private, and he would always have the knowledge that he truly was superior. Knowing his place was the important part after all. Yes, that would have to do.

He could have the best of both worlds. What would it matter if he kept his silence? Who said he had to befriend her gang of paupers? He could fiegn indifference, that should keep her happy. And as for her own blood status? Well, she could be his dirty little secret. Emmeline was what he wanted, and he'd be damned if he didn't have her. You only live once after all.

R&R