Innocence | Severus Snape x Reader

38 - The Maze

I walked out behind Dumbledore and Harry with Severus at my side. 

It wasn't even myself who asked him to, it was Dumbledore. 

Karkaroff walked with Viktor, the Headmistress of Beabaxtons walked with Fleur, and Cedric's father walked with him. Seeing that I had no one, Dumbledore asked Severus if he would walk with me, and I was surprised that he agreed. 

As I walked out I waved to the crowd with a charismatic smile. I'd be lying if I said the attention and the idea of someone cheering for me weren't thrilling to me. The prospect of being important, whether I won or not, was going to be short-lived, so I might as well bask in it while I had it. 

The band died out as Dumbledore stood before the crowd. "Earlier today, Professor Moody placed the Tr-Wizard Cup deep within the maze. Only he knows the exact position. Now as Miss Lestrange," Everyone cheered at my name " has come in first and Mister Potter and Mister Diggory are tied for second position the three of them will be the first to enter the maze, followed by Mister Krum and Miss Delacour. First person to touch the cup will be the winner." 

After everyone's names were said, different parts of the crowd cheered. It made me so happy. 

I wish I could look at Severus, smile at him, do anything to let him know that I wanted to share my happiness with him. If only he wasn't so respectful to not read my mind anymore. 

"I've asserted staff to patrol the perimeter if at any point a contestant wish to withdraw from the task, he or she need only send up red sparks with their wand. Contestants, gather round." Dumbledore turned and approached us. The five of us huddled in a circle.

"In the maze, you'll find no dragons or creatures of the deep. Instead, you'll face something even more challenging. You see, people change in the maze. Oh, find the cup if you can, but be very wary, you may just lose yourselves along the way." Dumbledore said to us. I glanced around the circle and saw similar reactions. 

Dumbledore turned around again and everyone could hear. 

"Champions, prepare yourselves." He waited a few seconds and nobody seemed to do anything to prepare further. "On the count of three-" Before he could even say a number the cannon fired off. 

I turned, looking to Severus fearfully before stepping into the maze. I made a slow entrance and when I looked back, the hedges had closed behind me. 

I had an overwhelming sense of fear and danger and I did not know what to do.  For quite a while I just stood still, trying to regulate myself before I even moved. 

Once I did, I just started going. I decided that keeping track of lefts and rights, where I had and hadn't been, would be pointless. My best bet was to just keep going. 

It was hard to keep track of time. I didn't know where I was going, or how long I had been in there. My only indicator of time was the changing sky. 

I heard a scream, somewhere far off. I didn't know what happened. It sounded like Fleur if I had to guess. 

I kept wandering. Nothing had happened of importance to me. But I thought that too soon. 

An unnatural gust of wind pushed through, and the hedges started closing up behind me, so I ran. I kept running until the threat was gone. And then I could see a blue glow and the hum of something. It had to be the cup. 

As I went to walk towards it I noticed three things and had little time to react. To my right, Harry had also exited a parallel path to mine. To my left, was Krum, who was firing a spell at Diggory, who was on the far right, past Harry.