That week, Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson were rarely separated. Evanna did her best to ignore it, though whispers followed her throughout Slytherin. Draco and her dormmates had taken to positioning themselves between her and Theo whenever possible. If she had been raised to be kind and compassionate, she might have appreciated the gesture, but as it was it irritated her to no end.
That Monday, there had been an announcement made that all student organizations were to be disbanded. The boys, of course, lost their minds over the thought of a second year of quidditch being disrupted, but Evanna's mind had immediately went to the group Harry Potter had only just begun forming.
"Are you still up for this?" she asked when they had trained in the Chamber that evening.
He had shrugged. "We already kinda knew that Umbridge wouldn't exactly sponsor us. I'm more worried about Quidditch."
Evanna snorted. "Of course you are. That's all you boys think about."
"Not everything," he replied, a strange look in his green eyes. Evanna dared not look at his mind.
"What do you know about elemental magicks?" she said, a little flustered.
"Not a thing," he admitted.
"Good."
She then began taking him through the basics of being able to use the earth and the air around oneself as weapons. They worked hard, and at the end of the lesson, neither were quite ready to make the long trek out of the Chamber. So instead Harry conjured a somewhat threadbare rug and Evanna pulled him into the library that her ancestor must have kept secret from the other Founders.
"I never realized this place was more than a pen for a monster," Harry said as they sat on the floor in front of the small fire Evanna had cast.
"You of all people should know there's more to Slytherin than hissing by now," Evanna teased.
"I do," he said, scooting closer to the fire. And closer to her. Their shoulders were nearly touching. Her heart was racing somewhere near her throat as he turned to look at her, that unreadable, dangerous thing in his green eyes.
"What happened with you and Nott?"
Evanna winced. "I left him at Puddifoot's in Hogsmeade last weekend. It… I think it was sort of the last straw for him."
"Oh. Good."
Evanna blinked. "Good?"
Harry flushed scarlet. "Just that… I dunno. You never looked very happy with him. I didn't ever really understand why you stayed with him."
"It was expected, I suppose," she said. "And for all that he annoys me with Parkinson, Theo isn't a bad guy, exactly."
"You deserve better than not exactly a bad guy," Harry said, the intense look on his face belying the awkward phrasing. Evanna felt almost drawn to him, the scant space between them closing.
It was at that moment the alarm on her wristwatch went off, reminding her that if she did not return the the Common Room by curfew for the second time that week, the questions she would be facing would be far more dangerous than any detention Professor Snape might set her.
"I better get going, Harry," she said softly.
"Yeah, me too," he said just as soft. They stared at each other a moment more before Harry stood and held out a hand to help Evanna to her feet.
"You go on first," she told him. "You have a longer way to go."
"Yeah, alright," he said and then gave her that same intense look again, making her almost think he was going to kiss her, no matter how foolish that may be. "I'll let you know when the first meeting is, yeah?"
"Yeah, alright."
Evanna did not hardly sleep that night for seeing intense green eyes.
The next morning, Evanna deliberately sat with Blaise Zabini, wishing to stay away from her brother and ex-boyfriend alike. She noticed as Harry walked in, looked over at the Slytherin table, and raised his eyebrows at her breakfast companion. She felt herself blush and then scowled at her own stupidity.
"You know I don't mind sitting with the loveliest girl in Slytherin," Blaise said slowly, "but when you have that expression on your face, it is rather unsettling."
"My apologies. It had nothing to do with your company."
"Well, that's something at least," he replied with a smirk. "I've a reputation to keep up as a bonafide witch's man."
Evanna snorted into her tea. "Of course, wouldn't dream of ruining your reputation."
Blaise laughed just as the owl post began to arrive. Evanna was surprised as a jet black owl dropped off an official looking letter first to her, and then another to Nott. She flipped it over to the back where there was a green seal, the serpent of Slytherin upon it with the words "vic magicum" above it. Evanna frowned. Her father was sending her a letter? She glanced at Nott, who had gone abnormally pale at the piece of mail in his hands. So the Dark Lord had also contacted him.
Nott looked up, catching Evanna's eye. He looked angry and Evanna knew that he assumed she had turned him into her father. She shook her head, then gestured to the hall. Still frowning, Nott followed her.
"What the hell have you told him?" Evanna hissed as soon as they left the Great Hall.
"I've told him nothing!" Theo hissed. "And I'm beginning to regret that! Merlin knows what he'll do to me or my family!"
Evanna swallowed, shaking her head. "Nothing left for it but to see what he has to say."
Theo was shaking like a leaf. Evanna couldn't help but feel guilty over it, even though she told herself that if he indeed wished to tell the Dark Lord that she was hanging out with Harry Potter that he maybe did deserve whatever was coming to him. She nearly reached out to hold his hand, but dropped it just before she reached him.
"Shall we open it together?" Evanna asked.
Nott shrugged.
"On my count," she said, taking his non-answer for a yes. "One…. two…. Three."
Both of them broke open the seal at the same time. Immediately, there was a searing pain around Evanna's left ring finger, and judging by his loud cursing, Nott experienced the same. When the pain was over, Evanna gasped as she looked at her fourth finger. There was a thin, black circle running around the base of her finger. She did not even need to look to see that Theo's finger bore the same mark.
"Shite," Theo mumbled. Evanna scrabbled for the envelope, shaking her head as she read over it.
The below contract signifies that Theodore Brutus Nott, father of one Theodore Caradoc (henceforth known as "Betrothed") has entered into a betrothal agreement with Lord Voldemort of Slytherin, father of one Evanna Belinda (henceforth known as "Bride").
The contract stipulates the Betrothed to defer to the Bride's father in all matters. The Bride will remain a part of her father's household, the Betrothed becoming her consort. In exchange, the Betrothed's father shall receive a sum of one thousand ($1,000) galleons upon the consummation of the marriage when the Bride comes of age. The Betrothed will also be given a position of honor in the Bride's father's house.
The Bride shall retain the name of "Slytherin" and that name shall be passed onto her firstborn child. Should the first born child meet an untimely end before….
Evanna dropped the heavy parchment as though it had burned her. Her head was spinning. A betrothal contract. She had been set into a betrothal contract with the boy she had publicly broken up with in the Common Room. She was supposed to be the Dark Lord's right hand one day, rule the world with him, and yet she had been sold off to the son of one of her father's followers without warning.
Without a word to her 'betrothed', Evanna snatched the parchment up and turned on her heel just as Draco had rushed out of the Great Hall.
"Don't even start, Draco Lucius!" she hissed.
"No, you need to see this," he insisted, shoving a copy of the Quibbler in her face. The headline screamed CRUMPLE HORNED-SNORKACK SIGHTING. Evanna rolled her eyes.
"I get enough of this from Luna, Merlin," she snarled. "Now, I need to speak with my-"
"Not that," Draco said, flipping the magazine open to a page that showed the Dark Mark, partly obscured by a stork.
You-Know-Who's Heir at Hogwarts?
Evanna's jaw dropped and she saw her own fear reflected in Draco's eyes. Theo came up behind them and looked over her shoulder, before cursing spectacularly.
"You have been around Goyle far too much," Draco mumbled, the only bit of normalcy in that moment.
"You really want to test me right now, Malfoy?" he hissed, holding up his ring finger. Draco's eyes widened comically before he scowled.
"Don't act like it's such a terrible thing-"
"I don't think she's any happier about than I am-"
"I wouldn't expect her to be with you parading Pansy around in front-"
Evanna dropped the magazine to step in between the two boys just as wands were drawn.
"Don't you bloody dare-"
"What is going on here?"
Evanna grit her teeth as she spotted Granger, Harry, and Ginny's brother following close behind. This was exactly what she did not need.
"Malfoy, you know better, you are supposed to be a Prefect!" Granger said, crossing her arms. Ron Weasley looked positively gleeful.
"Get out of here, Granger, this is a family matter," Draco growled.
"Nott isn't exactly your family, Malfoy," Weasley said. "So I'd say that at least fifteen points from-"
"He's my sister's betrothed, so get lost," Draco hissed. Harry looked at Evanna in surprise, and no small amount of annoyance. Evanna stomped her brother's foot, but before he could say much more than "Ow!", Professor Snape had walked out of the Great Hall.
"Quit loitering in the hall, Potter-Granger-Weasley, you have class," he snapped. "Leave before I take points."
"But sir-" Granger was silenced with a glare.
"You and Nott go on, Draco," he said. "Miss Malfoy, come with me."
There was something in the Potions Master's voice that the Slytherins did not dare disobey. Evanna followed the professor closely, her mind whirring. The same day she received word from her father that he had betrothed her, there was an article in the Quibbler about his having an heir. Though she counted Luna as one of her closest friends, she knew most people did not put much stock in the Quibbler. Yet, Evanna did not believe in coincidences. Her life thus far had been too strange with too many secrets for her not to be worried.
"In," Professor Snape said, gesturing to his office. She waited until he placed the proper wards to speak.
"I want to speak to my father," she demanded immediately, taking on that tone she had learned over the summer; she was the Heir of Slytherin, the Dark Lady, and she would be obeyed.
Professor Snape sneered at her.
"Do you really?"
"You can't talk-"
"You were seen," he snarled. Evanna froze, wondering if she had been seen training Harry, but no, they had been too careful. It wasn't as if there was another Parselmouth. She highly doubted that the Dark Lord would be traipsing around Hogwarts.
"Excuse me?"
"Do you not realize your father has spies everywhere? Even in the Hog's Head?" Professor Snape pressed.
Evanna's eyes widened as she realized what was the issue. "Ginny had said that Luna was in trouble and I went with-"
"That, of course, prompted your father to look into your past, particularly that article that came out after the Yule Ball," he continued. Icy fear coated Evanna
"He saw-"
"Yes, he saw," Professor Snape sneered. "You ought to thank Lucius that he paid off the Daily Prophet to keep any pictures of you out of the paper after the third task."
"Thank Lucius!" Evanna exclaimed, aghast.
"Yes, thank Lucius!" her mentor snarled. "It was only because the Dark Lord asked for me to explain that he did not punish you in ways that Lucius could not imagine! Do you not think he earned his title, girl?"
"But, I am his heir! He wants me to carry on his legacy-"
"Not if he cannot guarantee you are loyal to him and him only! And cozying up to Potter in the Hog's Head will not achieve that!"
Evanna was silent, knowing that her mentor was right but not quite willing to admit it.
"And what does he have to say about the Quibbler article?" Evanna said testily.
Professor Snape snorted. "I highly doubt the Dark Lord troubles himself with tabloids."
"Even when said tabloids publish articles about his supposedly secret heir?" Evanna pushed. Professor Snape's eyes snapped to her, and she thought she saw fear in those fathomless black orbs.
"Let me see it. Now."
It was not until that moment that Evanna realized she had dropped the magazine in front of the Great Hall and not ever retrieved it. Professor Snape must have realized that she did not have it either for he stood abruptly and opened the door to his private chambers.
"Narcissa!" he called. "Send a note to Dumbledore that I will need my classes covered for the rest of today!"
"Profess-"
"Do not speak a word of this to anyone. Do not speak to anyone but your brother or your," he snarled his lip spectacularly at the next word, "betrothed. And for the love of Merlin, stay away from Harry bloody Potter."
"Professor-"
"I am going to meet with your father now to see what must be done about this. You are to keep your head low and out of the way of anyone you know to be on the opposite side," he warned. "I have worked too hard to keep you off of Dumbeldore and the Ministry's radar, Evanna. We cannot risk you. I cannot risk you."
Swallowing hard, Evanna nodded. For better or for worse, she trusted Severus Snape to do whatever it took to keep her safe.
"Thank you, sir," she said softly.
"Don't thank me yet," he said coldly as he stepped into the fireplace. And in a flash of green, he was gone.