Chapter 7

The children had been gone for quite some time when Narcissa had pointed it out. They had yet to run in with any injuries, surely that meant they were getting along better.

"Or Evangeline's killed Tywin and is trying to hide the body," Draco muttered, causing Blaise to snicker at him.

Pansy was the only one who seemed to take that comment seriously. She didn't truly believe Evangeline would kill him, but the girl was obviously violent and had a temper, just like her mother had back when they were in school. At her insistence they resolved to go and find the children. With the locks and wards around the manor, there were few places the children could go.

Severus suggested the library first, pointing out Evangeline's fondness for books. He was relieved to find it empty and that Evangeline had not been disregarding Lucius' rules, even though they hadn't been explicitly pointed out to her, Tywin knew better.

It was in the drawing room that they found them, lying on the floor and staring up at the chandelier murmuring quietly to each other. Severus heard Narcissa let out a hissing breath and shot her a curious look before turning back to the children.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

Both children quickly scrambled to their feet and looked at the adults, not having noticed their entrance before. Tywin's expression was blank, but Eve appeared guilty, maybe even a little worried.

"Nothing," she told him.

Severus didn't believe her for a second. "Evangeline," his tone was low, laced with warning.

She bit at her lip, clearly debating with herself whether or not to tell him.

"This is where it happened," she finally said, her voice soft.

"Where what happened?"

She gestured for him to come closer, and when he reached her, she pulled him closer still by his collar, rising to her tip toes to get to his ear. He felt like a little girl whispering secrets in class.

"Where mum was tortured," she told him, barely audible despite their proximity.

Severus had heard about the event, though never in detail. Draco had spoken to him about it during his last year of Hogwarts, it was one of the many things that had haunted him. He may not have liked Hermione, but he had taken no pleasure in seeing her tortured like that either.

"Did your mother tell you?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I saw it in her mind. It was...awful."

The Legilimency she had been using on her mother...How many other horrible memories had she witnessed?

"We will talk about this when we get home."

Evangeline nodded, her gaze slipping down to the floor and she shifted awkwardly. Severus straightened, looking to Narcissa for some kind of lead on what to do next.

"How about a walk in the gardens?" She suggested. "It's a lovely evening and it appears you two never got that far."

Tywin nodded and grabbed Evangeline by the wrist, dragging her along behind him, nattering on about something he wanted to show her in the gardens.

"What was that about Severus?" Narcissa asked as the man fell into step with the Malfoy couple.

"Evangeline is somewhat of a natural Legilimens," Severus sighed, explaining how she had been perusing her mothers mind and how she was unable to keep out of peoples thoughts until he had started teaching her.

"Well," Lucius said, the slightest trace of esteem in his voice. "Legilimency was always a talent of yours."

Severus only nodded absently before broaching the topic of what to do with Evangeline to help her. Narcissa appeared to consider it a few moments before speaking.

"Have her ready early tomorrow morning and I will pick her up. We'll have a girls day."

Severus knew Narcissa had always wanted a daughter after Draco, unfortunately it had never happened. Once Evangeline spent more time with Narcissa, she would probably come to bear the brunt of that unfulfilled desire. Still, he agreed to Narcissa's plan if only for the chance it provided to have some time alone.

xXx

Once back at Spinner's End, Severus told her about the time she would be spending with Narcissa tomorrow. Evangeline didn't seem too keen on the idea, he could see that by the irritated frown she was directing at him. A light brush against her thoughts revealed her reservations about the situation. Narcissa was a stranger, a stranger who had hated her mother and everything she was and stood for. Severus gestured for her to sit and he sat opposite her.

"The Malfoy's are not the kind of people they used to be Evangeline," he told her. "They care no more for blood purity than I do. The war changed many people, the Malfoy's included. Narcissa has taken a liking to you and seems keen to get to know you."

"What about visiting mum?" She asked.

"I will meet the pair of you outside St Mungo's for the visiting hours."

Evangeline just nodded and headed for the stairs. "I hope you don't plan to pawn me off to each of your friends at some point during my stay."

He smirked at her. "That really all depends on how tolerable you are, doesn't it."

"Have I not been tolerable enough?" She asked, and he saw the trace of sadness and disappointment and he felt guilty for his comment.

"You have been fine Evangeline, for the most part," he said awkwardly. "I am sorry if I made you feel otherwise. I did not expect this arrangement to be...easy, but I think we have managed rather well so far."

She nodded, feeling a little better actually. "Are we still going to talk about mums memories?"

"We are. Get changed and ready for bed, I will be up in a moment."

She nodded and disappeared up the stairs.

Severus leaned back in his chair, thinking about the memories and what to do with them. Hermione had experienced and witnessed horrible things during the war, things Eve should not be exposed to. The best thing to do would be to get rid of those memories. He would go through her mind and take all those that didn't belong there.

He gave her time to get dressed and deciding to take on board one of Narcissa's suggestions, he headed into the kitchen and heated up a glass of milk. With a spell, it would stay warm until he needed it.

When he got up to her room, she was sitting on her bed in a singlet and pants with dancing cats on them. Her eyes immediately darted to the milk he was holding and they narrowed suspiciously. Severus rolled his eyes.

"It's clean," he told her, setting it down on her bedside table.

He removed his wand and cast a detection charm over it, the little lights indicating its lack of foreign substances.

"I don't know that spell, I don't know what those lights mean."

"It means it's clean."

"So you say, you could be lying about what they mean."

He simultaneously approved and disapproved of her suspicion. It was an odd feeling. It was good to have a healthy dose of suspicion, but it was irritating as this was dragging things out. He accio'd a book, a charms book and opened it to a specific page, holding it out for her to see.

"How do I know you didn't wandlessly cast a different spell while faking this one?"

Severus rolled his eyes. Honestly... This paranoia was hardly fitting of an eight year old.

"What must I do to alleviate your suspicions?"

"Drink half of it," she replied.

"Very well, but first we will address these memories, I need you awake for that."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to take the memories that aren't yours and destroy them."

Tears instantly welled in her eyes. "Please don't. The memories are all I'll have when she's..."

Severus nodded his understanding. "Very well. I'm going to take any traumatic ones you have then."

"But you'll keep them right? So I can watch them in a Penseive?" She didn't want to lose any part of her mother, even if she would probably never watch them again.

He was surprised to see she knew of such things, they weren't exactly common.

"All right, but I will separate the appropriate ones from the others."

Evangeline nodded. Severus conjured a row of vials then entered her mind, diving through eyes identical to his own. He saw some of her memories, snippets of her life, some good, some not, some of her time bullied, plenty with her mother and Potter. Black reading to her before bed. Having dinner with the Lupins and getting into trouble with Teddy. Finally he found the memories of her watching Hermione's memories and he began to separate them, pulling them out and trapping them in the conjured vials.

It took a few hours to gather everything and when he was finally done, both of them looked shattered. Severus vanished the vials to his lab and picked up the still warm glass of milk, downing half of it before handing it to her. He sat with her as she drank the rest and then wordlessly lay down in her bed. He pulled the covers up over her.

"Goodnight Severus," she mumbled softly.

"Goodnight Eve."

He left her room, flicking off the light as he passed. With a tired sigh he made his way to his own room.

xXx

A noise downstairs awoke Severus from his slumber and he silently leaped from the bed, wand in hand. He opened the door and peered down the short hall to see a sleep befuddled Evangeline poking her head through her bedroom door. She was aware Severus was never up this early and was curious about the disturbance downstairs. She looked at him, her brow furrowed. He put a finger to his lips, asking for her silence. He made his way down the stairs. Halfway down, he heard Narcissa call his name. He sighed and relaxed, gesturing for Eve to follow as they entered the living room.

Narcissa looked at them both, tired and still in their pyjama's, and her amusement was clear.

"Good morning Mrs Malfoy," Eve greeted, trying to stifle a yawn.

"You're early," Severus said flatly.

"I said I would be."

"I didn't realise your definition of early would be this ungodly hour."

Eve smiled at the way her father was behaving, almost petulant.

"Honestly Severus, you get up earlier than this to each your little classes," she pointed out.

"Not over the summer."

Eve was openly grinning now. Severus scrubbed his hand down his face. It was too early for this.

"I'm going back to bed. Eve, see me before you leave."

"Ok Severus," she said quietly, watching him trudge back up the stairs before turning to Mrs Malfoy, who did not look impressed.

"Come child, let's get you dressed and ready to go."

They went up to Eve's room and Narcissa was horrified at the surroundings.

"What are your favourite colours?" She asked the little girl.

"Purple, most blues, silver," Eve shrugged.

With a few successive spells, Narcissa had changed the whole room. The furniture became less shabby and was nicely painted, her bed spread became an ocean scene with dolphins leaping over the waves, the walls became a light blue. It changed the whole aesthetic of the room.

"What if Severus doesn't agree to this?" Eve asked quietly.

"Then too bad for Severus," Narcissa replied. "Do you like it?"

"I love it, thank you Mrs Malfoy."

"Now, let's get you dressed," she said, opening the wardrobe and going through her things. She came out with a light pink ruffle skirt and a black bolero knit top and her black boots. Once Eve was changed Narcissa sat her down and began brushing her hair. Her mother used to brush her hair this gently too. Narcissa tied her hair into two french braids with pink ribbons that matched her skirt braided through them.

"There," Narcissa said, smiling at her handy work. "Very nice. Now, I believe Severus wanted to see you before we left."

They both headed down the hall to Severus' room. It was the first time Eve had been in there, it was very...manly. It sort of reminded her of Uncle Sirius' room. Severus was lying on his bed and she went to him.

Narcissa stood near the dressing table where a photo caught her eye, a pretty one of Eve on a swing. It was lying down rather than up on display. She wondered where Severus got it.

Eve shook Severus' shoulder. "Severus?"

He looked at her, a brow raised. "You look nice."

She smiled at him. He leaned forward and grabbed something from the bedside drawer and handed her a small pouch of galleons.

"Just in case," he said. "Be good today."

She nodded and left the room. Narcissa came to stand beside him once Eve was gone and she set the photo down on his bedside table. She gave Severus a smile and left.

Severus lay there long after they'd gone watching the looping photo. Would Eve be mad he had taken it? He wondered what the story was behind the photo. Where were they? What had put her in such a good mood? Should he leave it where Narcissa put it?

With a groan he got out of bed and took a shower. He spent his morning reading in the living room but hadn't really gotten much done. He had grown used to the presence of the little girl, the quiet turning of her pages as she read in the chair opposite him, the gentle thrum of her magic.

He had even tried to brew in the lab and found it to be...emptier than it used to be. He even missed her questions, they weren't incessant so that was a bonus.

The floo in front of him activated and he saw the face of Bill Weasley.

"Good morning Professor Snape," he greeted.

"Mr Weasley," Severus returned.

"May I come through?"

Severus nodded and a moment later Bill stepped through, dusting himself off.

"What can I do for you Mr Weasley?"

The red headed man was glancing around. "Is Eve here?"

"Not at this time, she is out with Narcissa Malfoy."

Bill appeared to be curious but just shrugged it off. "Well, I just wanted to let you know I'm back now. Harry said you might need someone to take Eve off your hands and I can do that now if you need."

"That won't be necessary," Severus said stiffly. "Evangeline and I are doing fine."

Bill looked as if he was fighting a smile and Severus could not understand why. But Severus didn't want Evangeline to go yet. He would almost say he liked having her around. Bill seemed to nod in approval.

"Then I would like to invite you and Eve to dinner tomorrow. The Lupins will be there and Victoire and Teddy would like to see her."

"If Evangeline is amenable, we will be there." Bill actually seemed surprised at his easy acquiescence. "What time?"

"Eve knows the drill," Bill said, taking a seat and leaning forward. "How has she been?"

"As well as can be expected I imagine. It is...not easy for her."

Bill nodded, he looked as if he wanted to ask something and Severus didn't want to encourage him. They made no small talk, both figuring they would probably need it at dinner tomorrow night.

Once he left, Severus tried to read again before finally just giving up and deciding to go and wait for Eve and Narcissa at St. Mungo's.

xXx

A/N: Thanks for reading :)