ATTENTION: The story is for all audiences, but this chapter mentions forced pregnancy and trauma.

......

August 7, 1980

The rain fell heavily on the stony ground, forming large puddles. Severus Snape made his way, hood pulled down to his eyebrows, not caring about the violence of the storm around him.

Normally, he wouldn't have bothered to arrive so soon, but Lucius Malfoy's message seemed really desperate.

Severus suspected he knew what the distressed call was about, and he hoped with all his might that he was wrong.

Lucius himself opened the door of the Manor, completely contrary to what would be his custom, and before Severus could say anything, he dragged him into the hall.

"Severus! Thanks to Merlin. Hurry up, follow me."

"What happened, Lucius?"

"It's Narcissa. She has..." Lucius couldn't continue and had to close his eyes and clear his throat to find his voice. "She is back. He took her away. She is still unconscious-"

"Do you mean that she has been returned?"

"She showed up a few minutes before I called you. She doesn't wake up, Severus, you must do something. I don't know what he did to her."

Severus did not insist any further, and bracing himself for the worst, he followed his friend in a hurry to the master bedroom. There, on the gigantic white and gold bed, Narcissa lay, pale and motionless. When he touched her, Severus found that her skin was burning, and she was covered in sticky sweat.

"Does she have any injuries? Wounds?"

"No."

"Have you looked well at her? Did you check... down?"

"Merlin, Severus!"

But Severus faced his friend, boring into him with his dark eyes.

"You know very well why the Dark Lord has taken her. For the same reason for which we were summoned. It should not be ruled out that–"

"Do not say it. Please don't say it," Lucius closed his eyes tightly, his face wrinkled in a gesture of anguish. When he opened them, his glassy gaze fixed on his friend, pleadingly. "Can you...? Can you run a checkup? Please..."

Severus sighed, but took out his wand, and set about checking Narcissa's condition. He muttered several incantations as he waved his wand over the woman. After several minutes, he lowered his arm.

"She is intact, she has not been hurt. That doesn't matter though," he added.

"Do you mean that–?"

"She is pregnant."

"But how?"

"Through a spell. It is an extreme method to ensure conception, but very effective."

"But she... Severus, it can't be true," Lucius rubbed his hands. "She just gave birth. The healers forbade us from trying to have more children before a year had passed. She can't... she shouln't get pregnant so soon."

"My spell does not lie, conception has taken place."

Lucius walked over to the bed and took his wife's hand. Narcissa still hadn't woken up, and the color of her skin was withered and lifeless.

"What can we do? Is there any way to stop it?"

"The Dark Lord will not like that."

"Narcissa could die, Severus! To hell with what the Dark Lord says–!" but Lucius was not able to continue. He bit his lips angrily, without taking his tear-filled eyes away from his wife's figure. After several seconds, he looked back at Severus. "I beg you, help her. Don't let it go ahead."

ooo

Severus granted his friend's desperate request, if only out of pity.

It was true that Narcissa had been very weakened after Draco's birth, and he had taken it upon himself to prepare restorative potions for her to speed up her recovery. But a second pregnancy, so soon, could end her health, or her life.

He prepared an abortive potion, and administered it to Narcissa. The woman was still consumed by fever, and was delirious, but she managed to drink the concoction. However, minutes later, she vomited loudly.

Severus tried again, changing the recipe, but Narcissa's body rejected it again. The same thing happened with a third potion, purchased in Knocturn Alley.

Incredulous, Severus decided to resort to a remedy he had decided not to use. A forbidden spell, totally persecuted by the Ministry, but that should get rid of that annoying problem.

And yet, the spell rebounded, leaving the dazed wizard speechless.

"I don't understand, why is not working?" Lucius asked, as Severus inspected Narcissa again.

"The Dark Lord's spell prevents it. It is very powerful magic, intended to prevent the pregnancy from being interrupted."

"Can't you do anything?"

"If I break the spell, Narcissa will die. The only remedy is to let her carry it to term."

Lucius fell to his knees next to the bed, squeezing Narcissa's hand in his.

"Why? Why she? Why did he have to take her?"

"You already know, because of her blood purity," Severus shuddered, looking at the woman's worn face. The Dark Lord was determined to improve the magic race, but at what cost?

ooo

November 1, 1980

Albus Dumbledore paced around his office, with his hands behind his back, listening attentively to what his newest spy was telling him. Severus had been as honest as possible, despite the discomfort the matter caused him, and fortunately, the headmaster had believed him.

"If I understand you correctly, this is an experiment carried by Lord Voldemort, to improve the magical lineage."

"That is correct. He thinks that purebloods should produce more children, and not limit themselves to their current partners. Arranged marriages between relatives usually result in a decline in birth rates."

"How many women did he use?"

"All the wives of his current Death Eaters, and also the adult daughters. I estimate at least thirty-five, but there may be more."

"And how many have been...? How many are pregnant?"

"For now, only Narcissa."

"It doesn't seem like his experiment is very successful."

"I have already told you that it is not a normal conception, there is dark magic involved. I don't know why it worked on Narcissa, but it's possible that being weaker made it harder for her body to resist the spell."

"We will have to watch the children born next year," Dumbledore stroked his beard. "Although of course we cannot rule out that they were conceived in the... traditional way."

"It's difficult to know. As I've already told you, this is not a matter that Death Eaters talk about openly. Some are afraid and ashamed, and the others are so proud to participate in this project that they will never reveal if the babies are not theirs."

"What protocol has Voldemort followed to carry out his... experiment? Because I imagine it will need male participation."

At that question, Severus looked at the ground, embarrassed. He had been afraid that the time would come to explain that part.

"The Dark Lord called us a few weeks ago, just the men. We had... a ceremony."

"What kind of ceremony?"

"I... I don't know..." Severus clenched his fists, gripping the fabric of his robe tightly. "I don't remember."

Dumbledore drilled him mercilessly with his blue eyes.

"You do not remember?"

"I got rid of that memory... I didn't want to remember," Severus shook his head, distressed. It was true that he had erased his memory, and Lucius's too, but he had not been able to get rid of the shame, nor the disgust, or the feeling of helplessness and the desire to shrink in on himself and disappear.

Dumbledore continued to stare at him, as if searching his mind, but after several minutes, his gaze softened.

"I understand," he whispered, taking a seat behind the desk. "How is Narcissa?" he asked softly, making Severus react and stop staring into space.

"Very sick. Her body has not assimilated the new pregnancy well, but the Dark Lord's spell does not allow her to terminate it. She can barely eat or move, and hasn't gotten out of bed."

"Can you help her?"

"I will do what I can, but I don't know if my skills will be enough. I'm afraid that... She won't be able to have more children."

"It would be a tragic irony," Dumbledore sighed, and Severus scrunched his face into a grimace of rage.

"It's not her fault. Narcissa never wanted to enter the Dark Lord's close circle. If she is there it's because of Lucius."

"Yes, and how he must be regretting it now. We must all pay for the choices we make."

"Would you say the same if this happens to the witches of the Order of the Phoenix?"

"Let's hope that is never the case."

"If this experiment works, don't doubt that the Dark Lord will use other witches. He is already planning to conceive a second generation; he is just waiting for these children to be born. And don't rule out that, if the spell doesn't work, he simply decides to... reward his followers with new women to have fun with."

Dumbledore frowned, angry and thoughtful.

"We will put measures in place to prevent that from happening. Please stay alert to see if Voldemort changes his mind and decides to move forward with his plans.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you informed."

Severus stood up, sensing that their interview was over.

"By the way, Severus, you should know that Lily Potter has been taken to safety. She and James are protected by the Fidelio Charm. Their location is impossible to find."

Severus stood still, his hand placed on the doorknob. His shoulders slumped slightly, and the man lowered his head in relief.

"Thank you," he whispered.

ooo

May 2, 1981

Severus looked at the little creature squirming in the crib. Her skin was still red, and her small hands were clenched tightly. A house-elf gently rocked the cradle, attentive to any movement.

Shaking his head regretfully, Severus passed into the next room, where Narcissa lay in bed, disheveled and looking exhausted, but alive. Beside her, an emaciated Lucius did not let go of her hand.

"Severus..." the woman extended a hand in greeting, and he squeezed it gently.

"How do you feel?"

"My whole body hurts," she whispered.

"It has been a difficult birth, but Cissa is strong as steel," Lucius kissed her wife's hand. She, however, looked at the newcomer, with tears in her eyes.

"The midwife said I cannot have any more children."

"It's still too early to tell," Severus avoided her gaze, and placed a bag on the table. "I have brought you several potions, so that you recover faster. Let me know when you need more."

"Thank you, Severus."

"Severus, do you have a minute?" Lucius pointed to the next room, and closed the door so that Narcissa wouldn't hear them talking.

"It's more serious than it seems, am I wrong?" Severus asked, looking at his friend's face.

"She almost died, Severus. The midwife had to resuscitate her several times. It was horrible. I thought–" Lucius blinked, to avoid crying right there. "And that's not the worst. Cissa hasn't been able to look at Draco. She can't stand touching him or hearing his voice. And the boy misses her, he doesn't stop crying for her."

"It's normal, Lucius, after what has happened... Narcissa needs time to recover."

"And this... this creature..." Lucius glared at the baby, who was sleeping peacefully. "It's a girl, why did she had to be a girl? We wanted to have our daughter, not... this."

Severus did not respond, knowing that the baby's gender was not relevant, Lucius would have shown the same rejection for a boy.

"What are you going to do with her?"

"The Dark Lord wants her to be in our care, and for us to raise her as if she were our own. He wants her to receive the education of a pureblood."

Severus looked at the girl again, and for a second, he felt pity for her. It was very unfortunate to come into this world being the focus of the anger and hatred of those around her.

"Severus, I wonder if... perhaps it is possible to know who her biological father is?" Lucius did not dare to look at him, but he held onto the crib tightly. "Perhaps the Dark Lord will agree to give her to her father's family."

"It could be anyone, Lucius."

"You don't remember... who was there?"

"No, I remember exactly the same thing as you," Severus growled with a shudder. He still had not been able to get rid of that feeling of shame.

"Please, Severus, you have to find him."

"You don't know what you are talking about. I would practically have to do the paternity test on all the Death Eaters. And you don't even know if the Dark Lord will agree to her relocation."

"I don't care, do it."

Severus nodded, reluctantly agreeing to take on the task. Maybe with a little luck he could give Dumbledore that information in exchange for knowing what was happening with Lily.

ooo

October 31, 1981

Severus looked at the vials in front of him. Each and every one of them showed a transparent liquid.

Negative.

After weeks of intense work gathering biological samples from his fellow Death Eaters, Severus had reached a stalemate. He had even tried Lucius' hair, just in case the baby turned out to be his daughter, but without success.

The potions master crossed his arms, hissing under his breath. He didn't understand, the Dark Lord had been very clear. The Death Eaters would be the fathers of the new generation of purebloods, but then, why hadn't he found the father? Was he mistaken? Was there something wrong with the potion? Or maybe it was a Death Eater whom he didn't know?

Dumbledore believed that a member of the Order could be leaking information to the dark side. Could that spy be the man he was looking for?

No, Severus shook his head, if that spy existed, he would have received the Mark after the ceremony. It couldn't be him.

Desperately, he ran a hand through his hair, trying to think. Who else had been at the ceremony? He had checked the names of his fellow Death Eaters several times: Avery, Mcnair, Mulciber, Malfoy, Dolohov, Lestrange... all of them had been present, there had been no exceptions. But each and every one of them had tested negative.

Severus stared at the vials without blinking.

He was missing.

With trembling hands, Severus brought a knife to his hand. It couldn't be, he was a half-blood, the Dark Lord would never consider him suitable to father a new generation.

The blade of the knife cut a crimson trail on his finger, and the drops fell into the bottle. Instantly, the liquid turned bright blue.

Positive.

ooo

November 3, 1981

"You? What do you mean it's you?" Lucius screamed with his eyes wide with surprise and anger.

Severus was barely able to look at his face, embarrassed and tired. The last few days had been a torture for him, and his mind could barely comprehend what was happening.

Wordlessly, he raised a hand, showing a bright blue vial.

"I have checked it five times. There is no room for doubt. The creature... comes from me."

Lucius screamed, throwing his hands over his head. His desperation and rage were latent. It was impossible to know if this was a cruel coincidence or a macabre decision on the part of the Dark Lord, but there was no doubt that it was causing him unspeakable pain.

"It just can't be. It can not be true. Narcissa... Narcissa can't know," Lucius looked at his friend with an angry look. "She must never know the truth."

"You can't hide it from her."

"Yes, I can! And I'll do it! Knowing the truth would destroy her, I can't do something like that to her."

"And what do you suggest, Lucius? Narcissa is not an idiot, sooner or later she will realize it."

Lucius leaned against a table and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"You will take her."

"What did you say?"

"You are the father. You will take care of her."

"Lucius, I can't–"

"Do you think I care? It's none of my business! Take her away! Throw her into the bloody Thames if you want! But get her out of my sight."

"And what will happen to Narcissa? Don't you think she deserves an explanation?"

"I will erase her memory," Lucius ruled. "And then I'll delete mine too. We will not remember anything that has happened."

"Are you sure about that?"

"This should never have happened. My wife should have never been tortured this way. Her body has been destroyed, Severus, and her mind–"

"Lucius–"

"She can't even hug Draco! Her own son, Severus! Why should I allow her to continue suffering like this? It doesn't matter anymore; the Dark Lord is gone. Why should we be burdened with that... that creature?"

ooo

Severus felt like he couldn't take it anymore. Fate had played a horrible trick on him. In a single day his life had changed completely.

He had lost Lily, the woman he loved, and only her son, James Potter's son, had survived.

And now, he had to take care of that girl he had never wanted to create, conceived with the worst dark arts, the result of shame, humiliation and pain.

The Malfoys would forget what had happened and continue with their lives as if nothing had happened, but what about him?

"What should I do, Dumbledore?" he asked, distressed, looking at the headmaster, imploring his help. On the table, wrapped in a blanket, the baby was sleeping, under the influence of a spell. Severus had not been able to bear her crying.

"It is a complicated situation, Severus, I dare to say," the old wizard stroked his beard, thoughtfully. "Don't you want to keep her?"

"Me? Never! I can't, I can't–" Severus clenched his fists tightly and lowered his head, breathing heavily. Forgotten memories of the night of the ceremony threatened to flood his mind. Just the burning feeling of shame did it, but it was more than enough to bring tears to his eyes. "I cannot do it. Dumbledore, I beg you, don't make me do this–"

Dumbledore stared at him, and for the first time a shadow of compassion reflected in his eyes. He could not deny the anguish that emanated from the defeated man who cowered before him, and he realized that he could not bend his shoulders with this heavy burden.

"Don't worry, Severus, I won't force you to take care of her. I will see to it that she gets the attention she deserves."

"Really?" Severus raised his head and looked at the headmaster in disbelief and relief. Dumbledore nodded.

"You won't have to worry about anything, although I warn you that you will meet her again when she starts studying at Hogwarts."

"That... there is still a lot of time for that."

"Not as much as it seems."

"I won't even know who she is. She's not like–" Harry Potter, he was about to say, but the name made bile rise in his throat.

"What is her name?" the question made Severus blink in bewilderment.

"She doesn't have a name."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The Malfoys never gave her a name. They were hoping to get rid of her."

Dumbledore sighed, massaging his nose.

"Do you have any preference?"

"No. I don't want her to be associated with me," Severus growled. "Don't even think about giving her my last name, or my mother's," he warned.

"All right, Severus, it will be as you wish. You will never know who she is."

...

Here it is the beginning of our story. As you can see, the relationship between our protagonists does not start on the right foot.

What name do you think Dumbledore will choose for the girl? Bets are open.

Don't forget to vote and comment!