Severus POV

These Occlumency lessons would be the end of Severus.

The duelling lessons had gone much more smoothly with the boy, though the Headmaster had reprimanded him for not following orders.

"This is becoming a pattern for you, Severus," the Headmaster had mused. "Do I have reason to believe perhaps your love for Lily Evans is not strong enough to continue protecting innocents?"

"I was merely trying to help the boy defend himself. If he is to be a part of this war-as he no doubt will be-he needs-"

"For now, it is far more important we be sure Voldemort cannot glean anything of our plans from Harry. That is your task, not duelling."

So, Professor Snape had grit his teeth and carried on with Occlumency lessons, threatening Potter with detention until he graduated if the boy did not stop whining about no longer getting duelling lessons. Honestly, it was just as much a headache for Severus; the physical and magical exertion helped center them both, made the lesson go smoother.

Though not pleasant, the lessons at Grimmauld Place had been much more bearable than the one Severus was currently having to suffer.

"I have been doing your bloody exercises!" Potter exclaimed before Severus could even level the accusation at him.

"Really, Potter?" Severus snarled. "Then prove it! Legilimens!"

The boy's mental walls were closer to a chain-link fence in the neighborhood where Severus had spent his unfortunate childhood. Images flipped open like a book, too many damned quidditch games to count, what could only have been the Chamber of Secrets with the Weasley girl sprawled on the floor and Evanna hissing at the great serpent. Then there was a bodiless-Potter throwing handfuls of mud at the back of Draco's head. Then a younger Ms Granger with the features of a cat in the Hospital Wing. And Evanna again, telling Harry that the Dark Lord is her father.

Severus yanked himself out of the memory violently. The idiocy of the current generation never ceased to amaze him.

"What did I just see Potter?" he hissed.

"As if you didn't already know," the boy said sullenly.

"Of course I knew, Potter, I needed to know. You, however, most certainly-"

"You know it's a sorry state of affairs when it's Voldemort's daughter-"

"Don't say his name!"

"When it's Voldemort's daughter who actually tells me a damn thing-"

"Potter, I am warning you-"

"-and who first saw the need to train me against Voldemort-"

"Potter, I swear-"

"I'm starting to wonder if Dumbledore even cares if I survive this damn war or not!"

Silence. It was rare that one of Severus' students shocked him to silence, but Potter existed to drive Severus insane. Of all the asinine, teenage angst-filled claims to make….

But why was the headmaster refusing to allow Potter to be trained? Even the mutt Black wanted Potter trained to duel.

Potter was glaring at him.

"Have you continued these… Lessons with Ms. Malfoy?"

"She's not a Malfoy," Potter said sullenly. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. He pursued a different tactic.

"Do I need to impress on you the trouble it would cause-the danger people would be in-should you see fit to proclaim this new information to all and sundry?"

"Ev-she said Dumbledore-"

"Headmaster Dumbledore-"

"-already knows. Why hasn't he done anything about it?" Harry demanded.

Severus often asked himself what had stayed the Headmaster's hand. He had not known the Headmaster to be overly merciful to Slytherins other than himself, and he was not sure that he could term the life he was living as 'merciful'. All Severus could guess was that Albus Dumbledore had his own scheme. Both of his masters were using children as their pawns in a giant game of chess and he could do little to stop it.

"Am I supposed to know the Headmaster's mind, Potter?" he said, asking himself the same question. "Get out of my office and don't come back without having actually done the exercises I set you."

With one last glare, Potter left. Severus slumped, rubbing his temples as he walked into the quarters he had opened up to Narcissa. In the time Narcissa had been well enough to move about on her own, she had given the place a woman's touch. A vase of flowers sat on his dining table, an impressionist painting on the wall. More pleasant changes had come as well, namely Narcissa's instinctual knowledge of when he needed a headache potion and some of Ogden's Finest.

"I am afraid to ask how Potter must look if this is your state after these remedial lessons," she said lightly. Severus grunted as he sat in his worn leather armchair. Both were silent for a moment as Severus threw back the potion.

"Potter knows," he growled.

Narcissa frowned. "Potter knows what?"

"He knows," Severus started, "who Evanna is."

"How?" Narcissa demanded sitting in front of him.

"Your daughter-niece-" Severus corrected himself, "saw fit to tell him. From what I can tell, it was completely unprovoked."

"Merlin and Morgana," Narcissa muttered, leaning back from him. "Has she lost all of her senses? Severus, you must speak with her."

"Yes, I knew that much, Narcissa," he growled as he knocked back the whiskey and poured himself another.

"There is no need to snap at me, Severus," Narcissa said in a way that only aristocracy could achieve.

"What am I supposed to do, Narcissa?" Severus exclaimed. "I have made certain promises that are always at war with each other!"

Narcissa looked at her hands.

"We could leave," she said quietly. "My family has property on the continent, with wards that neither of your masters could hope to ever break. We could be safe. Live long and happy lives."

Severus pictured it for a moment. Living free for the first time in his life. Spending every day with the woman he loved, no longer beholden to ghosts or walking every moment of every day with death looming over his shoulder. They could bring the children and all be safe for once. It sounded divine. But….

The Dark Lord would never stop searching for his heir. And Evanna had proven that she would not leave well enough alone when it came to Potter. And, try as he might, Severus could never abandon Lily Evans's son.

"I know," Narcissa said, reaching forward and grasping Severus' hand before he could refuse her offer. "I know. But it's nice to dream of a better life once in a while, isn't it?"

Evanna POV

The winter was not so much winter as it was wet slush. Evanna cursed every time she had to go outside for Herbology, as she always ended up covered in mud. Filch seemed to be running all over the castle with a mop and bucket in hand to constantly clean up the filth students were bringing in from outside. The outside world had seemed to bring its misery inside the castle, with the teachers assigning more homework than ever and Professor Umbridge now presiding over different classes as "High Inquisitor".

"And you are still housing Mrs. Malfoy, a married witch?" Umbridge asked Professor Snape one day as the fourth years worked silently on their antidotes. Evanna nudged Ginny beside her when the Gryffindor paused in her work to listen. At least it was a break in all the strange looks Ginny had been giving her since she had missed the previous night's DA meeting.

"A little discretion, please," Evanna muttered.

"I have been treating her for her injuries," the professor snarled in a nearly silent voice that the entire class was trying to listen in on. Evanna grit her teeth.

"Oh? Are you a Healer then, in addition to being Potions master and hopeful Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"

Several students giggled at that.

"All Potions Masters have to complete some amount of healer training."

"Enough that you can be a round-the-clock nurse to a woman living in your quarters while you are still teaching?" the woman in pink prodded.

Evanna's hand shot into the air. Ginny tried to pull it back down, but before she could, or, even, before either professor could acknowledge it, Evanna had spoken.

"Professor Umbridge, doesn't Educational Decree number twenty-six forbid teachers from discussing topics outside of class materials?"

Professor Umbridge turned an unflattering shade of purple. "That, dear, was to stop professors from speaking to students about topics which students need not-"

"You are speaking within earshot of students, so I would say that your conversation is against the spirit of the decree, if not the letter," Evanna said smoothly, daring the toad-like witch to say anything against her.

Professor Umbridge smiled with poisoned honey before turning to Professor Snape. "Why don't we set up a time to go over your evaluation later this evening, hmm?"

Professor Snape sneered more than he truly agreed to the plan, but Professor Umbridge seemed to accept it all the same and left.

"That was… impressive," Ginny muttered. "Aren't you worried she'll give you detention until the end of time?"

Evanna snorted. "I'm a Malfoy. She knows she was over the line about Mother."

Ginny studied Evanna carefully. "You-"

Before Ginny finished her statement, the bell rang. Before Evanna could get out the door, Professor Snape had placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I must speak with you, Ms. Malfoy," he said in a low voice. Evanna gestured for Ginny to go ahead.

As soon as the last fourth year left the room, Professor Snape fixed Evanna with a harsh glare. It took no effort on Evanna's part to see what he was wanting to speak about, the memory at the front of her Professor's mind.

"He saved me, Harry."

"I don't understand. Why?"

"Because, Harry, the Dark Lord is my father."

"What were you thinking?" he demanded. The memory was like a gaping wound. She shook her head, refusing to look at him. "You will answer me, Evanna!" he snapped.

"I have no desire to speak to you about Harry," she said coolly. At least, she hoped she did. It was hard to keep the wobble out of her voice.

"Then perhaps you should not have told Harry your paternal origins!" he replied.

"I thought Harry deserved to know something for once in his life," she snapped. "My father has told me to find what he knows about some prophecy, but as far as I can tell, Harry has never once been told anything that might help him survive my father! I did not want to continue that tradition."

At the word prophecy, Professor Snape had gone unnaturally pale. Evanna narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know this prophecy," she said, somehow not as surprised as she should have been.

"Of course I don't," he scoffed. But Evanna knew better. She locked her eyes on his black and barreled into his mind. There was a door, a young Snape listening at a keyhole. A voice sounded from behind the door.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him-"

Evanna was thrown out of her professor's mind with so much force that she stumbled back onto one of the tables, sending an empty cauldron crashing to the floor. It clanged along the stones, the sound deafening in the silence that lingered in the classroom. Evanna was not sure she had ever seen her mentor so angry with her. She slowly stood and smoothed her robes.

"I told you I did not want to discuss Harry with you," she said in a low voice, turning to leave. Professor Snape sent a wordless spell at her to freeze her legs. "How dare-"

"You seem to be operating under the delusion that you can play both sides and remain safe above it all," he said silkily. "Many older and wiser than you have believed the same and met grisly ends for it."

"Let me go," Evanna growled.

"Despite your best efforts, I have every intention of you living to a ripe old age and dying in your bed. You will not undermine that by meddling in matters that are well beyond you!" he snarled. "Do you understand me?"

"Why do you even care?" she spat, still trying to tug her legs into movement. "I'm just a student."

Professor Snape scoffed. "Don't be absurd, Ms. Malfoy."

Evanna swallowed. "Professor McGonagall will take points if I'm late."

"Blasted tabby is too attached to the Cup," her professor muttered, waving his wand. Evanna nearly fell over as the spell was released. "Start using your head, Ms. Malfoy. It is infinitely wiser than your teenage hormones."

Evanna could not even find it in herself to blush, not even when the fifth year potions section began making its way into the classroom as Professor Snape had unlocked the door. Of course, Harry was one of the first students to file in, followed by Granger and Ron Weasley. Evanna's eyes met his. She barely noticed as Hermione looked between them.

"Hallo, Malfoy," she said a little unevenly, obviously putting everything into trying to sound polite. "Have you… studied your Gobbledygook today?"

It took Evanna a moment and tearing her eyes from Harry's to figure out what Granger was trying to say. Gobbledygook, the goblin language. She was talking about the enchanted galleons, asking if Evanna would be joining them at the next DA meeting. She had skipped the last one.

"No," she said. "I'm not... studying Gobbledygook anymore."

Somehow, Granger seemed almost disappointed. Evanna refused to look at Harry again as she hefted her satchel and made her way quickly out of the dungeons and to Transfiguration class. Professor McGonagall did indeed take points for her tardiness, but Evanna could not quite find it in herself to care.