Author's Note: This world and the characters from the Harry Potter novel belong to JK Rowling, who allows us to play in her playground. I do not make money for writing this story. This is also my first fan fiction story, so I hope you enjoy it!

Beta: AlexandraO - my cheerleader, peer reviewer and bit of sanity

Chapter 1 - Relocation: A Bastard, Orphan, Daughter of a Death Eater and a Killer ...

Evangeline Carter shot up out of bed, a scream caught in her throat. Her right hand clutched her neck, slowly letting off pressure and adjusting her fingertips to feel her heart rate slow in the carotid artery. Blood beat against her fingers in a steady rhythm until it resumed a normal pace.

It had been over a year since the last night terror. Usually, they correlated to events still processing in her unbridled sleeping mind, but every now and again, the terrors came like warnings of things Evangeline was not yet involved in.

Her body turned, feet hitting the cold wooden floor as she stood and moved to her window. It had bars on it. For her protection, Aunt Helen said. In case anyone found out who she was, Aunt Helen said. Even in her = mind, Evangeline heard the mocking tone she was sick of hearing . Ever since she could remember, Evan had been told she needed to stay in line. One day, her father would come. But she had to study hard and learn to be less of a burden, Aunt Helen would say. Helen wasn't her aunt, but more like the annoying gatekeeper from everything including social events and school all the way down to monitoring inbound and outbound communication. Being a witch in a muggle community may have warranted this, but the small town of Dutton, Montana was merely disguised as an agricultural community. In reality, the facade hid nearly 400 magical beings seeking a normal existence.

Evangeline slid her feet into the slippers waiting at the edge of the bed and pulled her robe over the modest nightgown she had been wearing. Her clock read 3:37, and the lack of sunlight merely confirmed that the hour was in the early morning. But she could hear familiar voices creeping up from the floor below. Light danced its way through the crack under her door, and she could smell the comforting fireplace alight, with essences of coffee mixed in. She opened the door and made her way to the banister to peer at the scene below. Aunt Helen and Lucius Malfoy seemed to be arguing.

"I see no benefit to moving Evangeline from the United States, Lucius," Aunt Helen was saying with a dangerous acid bite to her tone. "This is her HOME. She is a person, and not involved in your affairs."

"Don't think for one moment that I care how fond of your position you have grown, Helen. Evangeline is part of my world, and the events of this week serve to prove I made a grave mistake in letting her out of my reach. This war is going to find her, and she is better protected under my watch."

"And so what are you planning? To dress her up and parade her in front of your associates, and to be treated like property?"

Lucius' response was swift, and Evangeline almost didn't see it coming. He rose his hand, and the resounding slap echoed off the walls as Helen's head rocked back. Evangeline gasped and stepped back, barely audible. But it was enough. Lucius lifted his eyes to her. She unknowingly had covered her mouth with her right hand, but he held her gaze until she let the hand drop, mouth held shut firmly and all shock gone from her face. Lucius nodded once in Evangeline's direction to acknowledge that he wanted her to be present and turned his gaze back to Helen.

"You have raised Evangeline too soft, Helen," Lucius spoke once the woman recovered enough to straighten. "I see her there in the candlelight; a pureblood princess caged far too long. I needed to make the decision to remove her from the coddled environment that crippled her abilities. It's time for her to take the mantle her bloodline forged, and step away from the shadows of this abysmal existence."

"Not as long as I am alive, Lucius. Legally, I adopted her once Bellatrix went to prison. Or does memory fail you?"

"You signed up for this role as a front. Evangeline is not your child. Not now, nor ever. She belongs in the world she was born into, with her family." Lucius' reply was cold as ice. His eyes flashed, daring Helen to test him much further.

"So just after the Dark Mark appears in the sky, you decide to be the man you should have been over a decade ago and step up to claim her? Or have you forgotten your mistakes until you have them thrust back into your face?"

"If the Dark Mark is reappearing, how do you plan to protect her? If our Lord returns, he will want her home. What have you planned then? To ... reason?" Lucius scoffed, shaking his head. "Evangeline, please go pack. We leave immediately."

"Over my dead bod-"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Lucius screamed, the green tendrils overpowering the room for a split second as Helen's body fell to the ground. Evangeline felt the sizzle of electricity, the cracking in the air after the magic had done its job. "As you wish, you miserable wretch." He stood over her just long enough to slide Helen's wand into her hand. He had taken it from a desk earlier and used her own wand to end her. Once that was done, he slipped his hand into her apron pocket to remove the confiscated wand that belonged to Evangeline that Helen kept when she was away from school.

His eyes looked up to catch Evangeline's once more. "Gather your things, please."

"Yes, father ..." Evangeline responded, turning to go into her room without a second thought and too stunned to shed even a single tear.

They apparated to the Ministry of Magic directly, Lucius holding the single suitcase that was haphazardly packed with clothing she was sure wouldn't last the week. She had taken the time to dress, choosing a sensible pair of slacks and plain colored top with a blazer over.

Lucius Malfoy led the way, and her eyes stayed glued to his feet, keeping pace behind him as they went to multiple offices within the Ministry. Even in the wee hours since her Aunt's passing, the place was alive with people moving quickly about their business in the Late English morning — time changes were strange things. First, he set an appointment that day to establish emergency custody. Second, a report that her adoptive guardian had been located deceased and the cause was under investigation. Third, he set about having a lawyer draft the proper documents to have her transferred immediately to Hogwarts as an emergency placement.

Thankfully, the Malfoy family affairs did not warrant the entire Wizengamot for the events of the day. Custody was granted in a small court, and reports of a body found during the requested well check were coming in as they signed transfer orders from Ilvermorny to Hogwarts.

"What happens now?" She finally asked, moving from walking behind to by Lucius' side.

"Hold your questions, we will discuss the future after we floo home," came the short, definitive answer. Evangeline, eyes wide now despite her lack of sleep, watched the happenings. Something was amiss. People looked a mixture of both worried and angry.

They took a fireplace back to Malfoy Manor, where a house elf was waiting. He took her case, along with Lucius' outer robe and Evangeline's coat, and was instructed to return to the states and retrieve the rest of Evangeline's effects. The house elf disappeared with a nod and a pop, and Evangeline was ushered into a sitting room where Narcissa waited. The scowl covering her lips unmatched, and morning tea tray on the coffee table untouched.

"Lucius, the next time you disappear in the wee hours of the morning after a Dark Mark appears at a sporting event you were in attendance, you tell me first," the woman all but yelled, clearly hanging onto the shreds of dignity her status offered before letting her eyes fall on Evangeline. "And bringing home strays without making the proper arrangements is also bad form."

"I don't need to explain my actions this morning, Narcissa," Lucius replied coldly, pointing at a seat off to the side by the fireplace. Evangeline sat obediently.

"How did Helen agree to give up her posting?"

"Over her dead body, naturally," Lucius retorted, letting his words sink in for Narcissa as he reached over for a small cake from the tray, taking a slow bite as he enjoyed the look of understanding and then horror washing over his wife's face.

"What have you done?"

"Miss Evangeline will now become a permanent resident of our household. I've made the proper arrangements with the Ministry, and she will also be attending Hogwarts with Draco as long as nothing impedes her acceptance. And if you dare to interfere, Narcissa, there will be consequences."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of standing in the way of the one thing that removes ... her ... from my sight for months on end," Narcissa spat coldly, barely sparing an eye roll in Evangeline's direction. Evangeline found breathing silently and moving her eyes to the floor every time her aunt spied her to be the best course of action. "Please tell me that the ONLY reason you are making these decisions is out of response to the Quidditch events, and not to replace Draco as Heir."

Lucius spat out the cake in disgust. "Come, Narcissa. Please see reason. If the Dark Mark is a sign our Lord is soon to return, that means Bellatrix will be free soon. She will want her daughter close. And how will our Lord feel if Bellatrix is displeased? Imagine the punishment for not seeking preparations in moving his chess pieces closer to home. He would want her here. Besides, Draco is both a few months older and a male. Evangeline is not fit to take full responsibility for our family's future. I still name Draco as my heir, so long as he agrees to provide for his half-sister. She is my daughter, Narcissa. That station does deserve respect within this household."

Narcissa nodded, relief unabashedly covering her face. Evangeline knew a long time ago that her presence only brought Narcissa pain. She knew very little of the prior arrangement, but before the Dark Lord fell, His servants were rewarded. Lucius was one of those servants, benefitting from the pleasure of both Black sisters. They fell pregnant together, both carrying children from Lucius. But the favor Bellatrix received from Lord Voldemort, brought out the jealousy within Narcissa wherever Evangeline was concerned. Narcissa was only too happy to assist in Evangeline's removal from the continent upon Bellatrix' arraignment within the Wizengamot.

"Very well. With these recent events, there is no choice but the girl to stay," Narcissa conceded.

Evangeline typically only made one visit to the Malfoy Manor per summer, and this cold treatment was not an unusual event. She closed her eyes tightly in relief, now that she would be allowed to remain and Narcissa was calming down from the warpath.

A stale silence followed, wherein a door opened. Three eyes turned to see Draco come in, and Evangeline was relieved to see the expression change just slightly when he saw her from a scowl to what could only be called a half smile when he saw her. "Father. Mother. Evan." His three greetings were short, but the warmest welcome Evangeline's presence had received in the past few hours. Unlike his mother, Evangeline and Draco were generally pleased to spend any length of time together. "An owl has just arrived, and it seems someone has been accepted to transfer to Hogwarts. Care to fill me in on what the hell is going on?"