The Welcome Back Feast was interesting. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was a piece of work, Evanna could tell, but it would be entertaining to watch Dumbledore have to finally be answerable to someone else. But also interesting were the number of students who inclined their heads to her. Of course, many of those students were in Slytherin, but there were also a handful of Ravenclaws, a couple of Hufflepuffs and one solitary Gryffindor a few years under her.

"Everyone wants to show their new Dark Lady respect. They hope it will gain them favor," Theodore had muttered beside her, noticing how tense she seemed about the attention.

"They need to stop it," she said. "No one is supposed to know yet."

Evanna spent most of the feast hunched behind Theodore, trying to avoid the eyes and the thoughts swirling around her. Of course, that was much harder when there were a great number of thoughts that were about her. She was relieved when the Headmaster finally sent them to bed, though she still felt so many eyes on her.

When they arrived in the Slytherin Common Room, most of her Housemates were already there. When Evanna walked in on Theodore's arm, nearly half the common room turned to face them, bowing low before Evanna. Those who didn't immediately, though confused, quickly followed suit.

What is going on?

Isn't that Malfoy's little sister?

She never seemed like a Dark Lord's daughter.

How could the Dark Lord have such a sickly-looking child?

I don't want to be kissing arse to her all year long.

Evanna was rescued from having to do or say anything by Professor Snape emerging from the shadows, as was his custom. One of the first years shrieked.

"It's a vampire!"

Evanna bit her lip not to laugh. Professor Snape's eyes snapped to her and she straightened. He frowned, gave her a small nod, and then carried on.

"Welcome to Slytherin House," Professor Snape began, "you all will refer to me as Professor Snape or sir. I shall have the overrated privilege of trying to make you each into competent potion brewers in addition to being your Head of House."

Professor Snape had given much the same speech for the past four years before giving each of the new first years-it was a large class of fifteen this year, some of what had been regarded as the post-war baby boom-but this year, he ended on a different note.

"We must be careful of our appearance outside of this Common Room," he said. "No matter what you believe about what is going on outside of the walls of Hogwarts, we will carry on as we always have in years past."

Professor Snape seemed to glare at each of the students who had bowed before Evanna. They shifted nervously.

"Guess Snape just put an end to your Imperial Cult," Theodore muttered dryly.

"Good. The last thing I need is for Dumbledore to get suspicious. The old man already hates me," she said.

The students had begun to disperse to their respective dorms.

"Ms. Malfoy-a word in my office," Professor Snape called. Evanna placed a swift kiss on Theo's jaw and followed her Head of House dutifully.

"Take a seat," the professor said as soon as he closed the door behind her. He circled around and took a seat at his own chair and studied her as though she was a rare potions ingredient to dissect. She felt a brush against her mind and narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, Professor?" she finally said. He startled, as though she had jarred him from some deep thought.

"Your father wished me to check up on you when you arrived," Professor Snape said, black eyes studying her. She squashed down the immediate feeling of panic that those words brought, remembering things were different now. Professor Snape frowned.

"Oh. Well, I'm quite alright, if a bit tired, so if I may-"

"You know things have changed," Professor Snape said. "Laws that restricted us are different."

Evanna furrowed her eyebrows. "Sir?"

"In years past you were… concerned about any attempts to remove you from your living situation. If you wish that now-"

Evanna stood, fear and anger rushing through her. "What you're suggesting is treason, Professor Snape. I thought you were my father's man?"

Professor Snape's face tightened and he looked her directly in the eyes.

I do not wish you to be mistreated the way Lucius mistreated you.

Evanna furrowed her eyebrows at that. "He would kill you for trying to take his heir away."

"Even so, if you wish it-"

"And Dumbledore hates me-"

"I would get the old man in line-"

"And it's not as if Lucius caused me any lasting damage like Mother-"

Professor Snape stood at that, black eyes flashing in anger. "Do not lie. To me. I may not know everything that has gone on in Malfoy Manor, but thanks to your mot-Narcissa-I can guess. Now, no more games, I will ask you plainly-has the Dark Lord mistreated you in any way?"

Evanna felt warmth and offense warring with her. On the one hand, here was her professor, who had been her confidante and mentor since she started Hogwarts, putting his very life on the line to help her. On the other hand, she did not need that help. She was her father's heir and she would rule the world with him. The Dark Lord had done all that he could over the summer to train her in every aspect of her future from magic to politics; beyond that, he had done his best to make her happy. He had allowed her to send Narcissa far out of Lucius' reach, he had proclaimed her as his heir in a most glorious ball-the man had even sent her out on dates with her boyfriend, for Merlin's sake! The Dark Lord was not Lucius.

"My father wishes to see me as his heir. If not his equal, then as close as anyone may come to it. He has trained me and made sure that I have what I want and need. He is not Lucius, and if you ever insinuate as much again, I will make sure he knows," Evanna said, adopting the persona she had begun to think of as the Dark Lady.

Professor Snape looked wary, but when Evanna reached out her mind to figure out what he was thinking, she was met with a wall. The only thing she could sense was a feeling of deep sadness.

"Very well, milady," he said, bowing before her as the Slytherins had done in the Common Room. "It would be best you get to bed. You have class in the morning."

Evanna opened her mouth to say something but then thought better of it and simply left.

~Ginny~

Ginny watched over the top of the copy of the Quibbler that Luna had given her. The twins were aggravating Hermione with some of their newest inventions. Ron was engaged in a football versus quidditch debate with Seamus and Harry…. Harry was off in a corner by himself, a brooding expression on his face. Ginny had grown up with brothers and knew exactly how moody a teenaged boy could get, but over the summer it seemed Harry had made it into an Olympic sport. Ginny frowned. Normally, Harry was always happy to get back to Hogwarts.

Standing, Ginny slipped her magazine into her bookbag and made her way across the common room to her brother's friend. Her childhood hero, and, if she was being truly honest with herself, still her childhood crush. Though, perhaps with Evanna dating Theodore Nott, Ginny finally stood a chance…

Steeling her nerves, Ginny stood beside Harry and cleared her throat. He continued glaring into the fireplace moodily and Ginny rolled her eyes and made a bold moved, plopping herself decisively onto the arm of his chair. Startled, Harry looked up at her.

"Oh, hey Ginny," he said tonelessly.

"You alright?" she asked, settling against the back of the chair.

"Fine," he grunted.

"C'mon," she nudged his shoulder. "We're back at Hogwarts. You're supposed to be happy now."

"Yeah, over half the school thinks I'm crazy and that slimy Slytherin is-"

He cut himself off. Ginny squinted at him.

"What slimy Slytherin?"

"No one. It's nothing," he said.

"Is not."

"Is to."

"Is not."

"I grew up with the twins, Potter. I can put up with this forever," Ginny said wryly. "Does this have something to do with Evanna?"

Harry was back to glaring into the fire. Hermione, unfortunately, seemed to have been keeping an ear out for just that word, for she turned towards them.

"Please tell me that with everything that's going on you aren't still nursing that ridiculous crush, Harry," Hermione said. Ginny bristled, unsure if it was the tone Hermione had used in talking about Evanna that rankled her so much or if it was the reference to Ginny's friend as Harry's crush.

Harry had flushed. "I don't have a crush-"

"I should hope not! She is the child of a Death Eater," Hermione hissed.

It was definitely Hermione's tone. "Who also has saved Harry's life. And mine!"

"It doesn't negate who she is. And I saw her holding hands with Nott earlier-and Harry said he saw Nott's father at the graveyard," Hermione said, lowering her voice at the end.

"Where Evanna saved his life," Ginny shot back. "Merlin, but who would've pegged Hermione Granger, House-Elf activist, as so bloody prejudiced!"

"I beg your pardon?" Hermione said. "Draco has always been horrible to us-he's called me 'mudblood' on multiple occasions-"

"That's Draco, not Ev," Ginny defended.

"She's just as bad! Masquerading as some sort of ice princess-I saw some Slytherins bowing at her at the feast!"

"Harry, you want to jump in here and defend your friend?" Ginny said, still glaring at Hermione.

Harry was silent.

Ginny turned her glare on him and Hermione did the same. Harry seemed to squirm under the combined weight of them.

"She did save my life, 'Mione," he finally said. Ginny smirked at her triumphantly. "But, she's been acting weird since, Ginny. On the train, she was…"

He trailed off and Ginny stood, shaking her head at him. "I'm disappointed in you Harry. I'm starting to believe the papers-you are insane if you think you can beat You-Know-Who while you're discounting a loyal friend just because she's a Slytherin. I can't believe I ever liked you!"

Harry flushed. "It's not just that-"

"I don't even care any more," Ginny said, tossing up her hands. "Continue on with your teenaged boy broodiness."

Ginny stormed out the Gryffindor Common Room and down to the quidditch pitch, determined to hit something. She made quick work of the lock on the broom shed (growing up with Fred and George had it's advantages) and retrieved a bludger and bat, as well as one of the school's terrible Cleansweeps.

Though Ginny did fairly well as a Chaser, and even had some Seeking ability, Beater was not her position. She cursed as she missed the bludger over and over, ducking it more often than she managed to hit it.

"You know that bat is to hit it, Weasley?" a familiar voice called from the ground. Ginny narrowed her eyes to see Draco Malfoy leaning against the base of one of the hoops. He wore a cocky grin and a fitted blue-grey shirt.

"Why don't you come up here and I'll hit your face instead?"

He chuckled. "Are your brothers as mad-making as my-my sister?"

"Worse, I assure you," Ginny said. "I've got six of-"

"Watch out!"

Ginny looked up in time to see the bludger coming straight at her. She lifted the bat and swung it, hard.

Thwack!

The Bludger went spiralling off toward the magical boundary of the pitch. Ginny turned to the boy with a grin. He was gaping at her.

"I'd like to see you do better, Malfoy," she said triumphantly.

"Oh, you're on, Weasley," he said, jumping on his broom. Ginny laughed again as the blonde zoomed into the air, chasing her from one end of the pitch to the other.

A/N: Officially back at school, and, man this semester is gonna be a doozy, I swear! So, right now, I'mma say I will do a chapter/month. So, if it is beyond 2/14/2020 and there isn't another chapter, feel free to yell at me. ;)