"I know about Lily." said the girl. "That you loved her." Severus froze mid-footfall. "She's my mum." her chin lifted, her eyes clear. "She wrote me that letter to tell me about you. You're the only person she really mentioned, but I guess that makes sense, since you're my father. Who else was she supposed to talk about?"

Severus returns from a rendezvous with the Dark Lord. His daughter knows this, because she's been waiting.