A/N: This is the second of two updates-be sure that you've read chapter 71! :)

Lord Voldemort tossed the letter onto the table when he finished reading it.

The child had done the job well-well enough that he now knew what he did not wish to and too well for him to consider rewarding the brat with more than it's life. He had expected to receive a letter reporting that his heir had drawn attention to herself badmouthing the Ministry plant or that perhaps Evanna was in need of redirection from the blood traitor she kept company with.

But, no, it was worse. Far worse. Bad enough, in fact, that the Dark Lord found himself looking over back issues of the Daily Prophet in a way that he had not since he was a student at Hogwarts, trying desperately to connect himself to some grand family. He had that now. But, his legacy-the legacy of his great ancestor Salazar Slytherin-was teetering on a precipice. And he could not have that.

When he had first met his daughter that summer, he was struck by the hunger in her violet eyes. For having been raised in the great house of Malfoy, she had the same neglected air about her that the orphans who surrounded him growing up had. Lucius Malfoy, he knew, was far from the paternal sort, but then, neither was the Dark Lord. Yet, it was obvious whatever the aristocrat had done had not cultivated the confidence that the Heir of Slytherin should have. Yet, Voldemort had sensed great power untapped in his child. Ever so gently, he had tested the child's strengths, had played the doting father. She was powerful, a credit to her line, so it was hard not to feel a certain level of pride, even when hearing of some of her faults at Hogwarts. He had done his best to make sure she had every reason to be loyal to him.

He had not counted on this.

Finally finding the edition of the paper Wormtail had once pointed out to him, gloating over the misbehavior of Malfoy's daughter, Voldemort frowned. There was Evanna on the front page with the so-called Boy-Who-Lived, an utterly besotted look on her face. The headline read Forbidden Romance, though none, including the photo's subjects, had truly understood just how forbidden.

"You called me, milord?"

The Dark Lord looked up to see his Potions Master enter the room. Severus Snape lacked the cruelty that Lucius did, but none of the unpredictability. Still, he was undeniably loyal to his heir. The only question was his loyalty to Voldemort himself.

"Severus," he said consideringly. "Could you explain this headline to me?"

Severus' eyes darted to the paper and a sneer curled his lip. Yes, Severus had always had a certain grudge against Potter, hadn't he?

"The usual Prophet drivel, constantly lapping at Potter's feet-"

"I care less about Harry Potter and more about my daughter's involvement with him," he said softly.

Severus hesitated. "They were-friendly, in the past, it is true milord. But I've not seen them exchange a friendly word since your return, my lord," he said.

"According to another of my sources, they spoke more than one friendly word at Hogsmeade this weekend," he returned coolly.

There was a brief flash of anger in Severus' eyes, but he shuttered them.

"I-was unaware, milord. I know milady has an interest in finding allies amongst all the Houses, so I am sure this was a misgui-"

"I cannot have my heir acting on such misguided notions," the Dark Lord hissed. "She will not spend any more time around Potter. I do not understand how Lucius or yourself allowed any such relationship to continue!"

"Before this summer, milord, I had no idea who her father was," he said quickly.

"I wonder if she remembers who her father is," he hissed. "Or shall I have to remind her?"

"Milord, you can't!" A sudden surge of anger in his Potions Master's eyes. Oh, this night was interesting indeed. "What I mean-Lucius spent many years mistreating the girl, sending her running into the arms of anyone who treated her kindly. Potter-loathsome he may be-was one of those."

"Mistreated her?" the Dark Lord said lowly.

Severus' jaw clenched. "I have reason to believe that it is because of Lucius' treatment of her that she is handicapped in the Lighter magicks. There are theories that some Dark Magicks so warp a child's core that it makes it all but impossible to create light-I believe this to be the case with Evanna. Besides that, I found her wandering the halls as a first year on the verge of collapse after one of his training sessions where she had not even been allowed a wand."

The Dark Lord took all this in silently. He had suspected his heir had not had a happy upbringing…. But that his servant had caused such damage to his heir? There would be hell to pay.

"What has this to do with Potter, Severus?"

"Potter has a habit of being a hero, collecting misfits and-"

"Are you calling my daughter a misfit, Severus?"

"No, milord, no, of course not," his servant said quickly. "I am merely saying that Lucius caused your daughter a lot of harm, and then Potter helped her. None of Lucius' punishments were ever enough to completely dissuade her from Potter's friendship. I fear sending her into his arms should you choose to act as Lucius always did. As it stands now, milord, she has a childhood infatuation with the boy, but is loyal to you."

"You would know about childhood infatuations, Severus," the Dark Lord drawled.

His servant flinched.

"So you would not have me punish my heir," the Dark Lord mused. "Yet, I cannot allow this to stand, Severus. You see my problem?"

Severus looked down. "Perhaps… perhaps, milord, you could approach the problem from the opposite side. I know that your daughter's relationship with Mr. Nott has been no small point of contention for Potter."

The Dark Lord mulled over the suggestion. His heir was of the age where Pureblooded society expected its daughters to be seeking out betrothals or arranged marriages, a tradition the Dark Lord had found rather loathsome when he was attending Hogwarts. It was not necessarily something he had intended his heir to endure; she was meant to be on a higher level than his Death Eaters, more like him, unconcerned with the mores of proper society. But, if he needed to extricate her from the grips of Potter and Dumbledore and the like….

"I will be in contact, Severus," he finally said. His slippery servant bowed again and stood to leave. "And Severus?"

His servant froze. "Yes, milord."

"I will take your advice into consideration, but be warned," he said, tilting his head to regard his servant. "Should this situation not be resolved to my satisfaction, it will be on your head."

His servant visibly stiffened and the Dark Lord smirked.

"Of course, milord."

"You are dismissed."

The Dark Lord turned it all over in his mind. A large part of him still wished to punish the girl within an inch of her life and yet…. She was a part of him, a part of his legacy. He had not expected for an heir to have such an effect on him when his most loyal had informed him she was with child.

Severus POV

Severus slumped against the door of his quarters when he returned to Hogwarts, all strength sapped from him. Two women. Two women in his life he had loved with all his heart. Two women who had attached themselves to men who had sought to make Severus' life a living hell. Two masters who kept him on a tightrope, trying to honor those women. And two children who had actually achieved that, neither of which were his own. It was enough to make him question just what he had done in a past life to deserve the shit show he was currently living.

"Severus? Severus, darling, what happened? Did the Dark Lord hurt you?"

Soft, warm hands floated across his face. Not everything in his life was awful, he supposed, as the woman tutted over him and pulled him to his couch.

"I am unharmed, Narcissa," he said. She pursed her lips, understanding exactly what went unsaid. Without his asking her to, Narcissa waved her wand and two wine glasses floated their way to them. Though he had loved Lily dearly, there was no denying that it was Narcissa who saw and loved him for everything he was.

"What happened?" she asked, settling beside him. "What did the Dark Lord want?"

"Evidently, your daughter was seen with the Potter brat in Hogsmeade this weekend," the professor said warily. Narcissa tensed in his arms. "I believe I managed to dissuade him from…. Expressing his displeasure to her. But only just."

Narcissa swallowed. "And how did you accomplish that?"

"Evanna may soon find herself betrothed," he explained. "Those children and their hormones may well be the death of me. "

Narcissa did not say anything, but stood instead.

"And again the pureblood aristocrat is torn from the arms of the half-blood peasant," she murmured as she crossed the room in a voice that Severus was not sure she had meant for him to hear.

"Nott is not Lucius, you need not worry," Severus said, crossing the room after her. "And Potter is far from me. He is a reckless brat with a savior complex."

"How can you be sure, Severus?" Narcissa demanded. "She spent far too long being abused by my husband, I could not stand-"

"What did you wish me to do, Narcissa?" Severus said. "Few options were open to me. I could not let the child come to harm."

"But what if the boy harms her? What if she too is forced into a life she did not want?" Narcissa demanded, blue eyes glistening.

"Then I will kill him myself," Severus growled.

Narcissa shook her head, burying her face in his chest. She was shaking. He stroked her back.

"My love," he murmured. "Please, don't-"

He tilted her face upward and was surprised to find she was not crying-she was laughing.

"Oh my love. I do not believe Harry Potter is the only sad half-blood boy with a savior complex," she said teasingly. Severus scowled at her, and she laughed more, pressing her lips soundly to his, hands drifting all over his body.

Oh, yes. The pureblood aristocrat knew him far better than the Gryffindor angel ever could.