Where Your Loyalties Lie - {Severus Snape x Reader}

-8-

The whole Saturday I did pretty much nothing, but lay in my bed and read the Half Blood Prince's notes. There are all kinds of spells I've never even heard of! Talk about how beautiful the handwriting is. On Sunday, I got out and head to Hagrid's Hut to get my niffler. It's very gloomy and rainy day. The castle seems so empty since most of the students likes to spend their weekends somewhere else or in their Common Rooms. Finally, I got to Hagrid's and knock on the door. Didn't take long before the big man opens the door and smiles:"Mornin', (Y/N)! Came to pick up your friend?". Looking up to see his face:"Thank you so much for taking care of him. Hope he wasn't trouble..-", "No. Not at all, he's a quite sociable one. Come on in. I'll make us some tea!" Hagrid waved his hand and opens the door more for me to come in. Guess a cup of warm tea would be great in a gloomy day like this. "Thank you." I smile and stepped in.

As I walk in, I start look around. Hagrid's house has always intrigued me. All of the furnitures and dishes are made for his size. I feel like some sort of a doll in a playhouse. Sniffy notices me across the room right away and rushes into my arms. "Hi, did you miss me?" I giggle and give him a big hug. He has definitely had more treats. "Take a pew!" Hagrid says cheerfully as he starts preparing the tea. Climbing on one of the chairs that is surrounding the round table in middle of the house. Hagrid's dog - Fang, comes to greet me as well. "Hello there." I smile and pet him. Side of my thigh gets all over his drool as he rests his big head on it. Sniffy makes himself a cozy little nest on my lap and starts sleeping. "It was a quite of a night! We didn't even realize when you head back to the castle." he chuckles. He doesn't know what happened? Hagrid turns around and serves the tea:"Here ya go.". The teacup is massive compared the ones we have back in the castle - well, compared what the rest of us people have.

My eyes follows as he sits across the table with me:"So... Professor Snape didn't tell you what happened?". "Snape?" he looks confused. Then he shook his head:"No, he said nothing. Except brought the niffler in here and told me to take care of him. 'Feed it, eat it. Doesn't concern me.' he said. Thought it was because ya were having a bit of a hungover, that's all.". "Oh." I reply and lower the gaze to the cup in front of me. The image of Snape catching Sniffy - whenever he used magic or not, makes me smile. Knowing it's not an easy task. "Did something then happen?" Hagrid finally ask. Lift my eyes up from the tea back to his eyes. For a quick moment I thought if I should tell him or not, but then I opened my mouth:"Well, remember when we met Malfoy? Lu-Lucius Malfoy..-", "Hah! How could I forget? The scumbag flinched like a Muggle after seeing a ghost. Minerva and I were still giggling about it after ya had left." Hagrid laughs. "Mm... After he left and we continued the night, I think... I think I got poisoned." I tell him. His smile quickly drops and his dark brown eyes widens out of shock:"What?! Poisoned?".

Eventually, I told him everything I know. He listened every word I said and tried to pick up the pieces from his perspective. The flame in the fireplace is getting smaller and the raining outside started to die little by little. "...Do you think Lucius did it?" Hagrid finally asked the question I have been thinking since yesterday. Slowly, I shook my head and shrug:"Maybe? But how? He left..-", "This is Wizarding World, (Y/N). Anything is possible." he remind me. Right. Perhaps I've spend enough time in the Muggle World, I have forgot what kinds of things people are capable of. Even though I am Pure Blood. Letting out a sigh:"Guess it was a good thing I was found by Snape, and not like by a Dark Wizard or something.". "Like by a Death Eater?" Hagrid jokes. I chuckle:"Then you guys should've find a new Herbology teacher.". Then we both laugh. Apparently, we share the same level of dark humor.

After settling down from our laugh, I ask:"Speaking of evil wizards, what did Lucius meant by 'Creatures like that should be put behind bars, or on a silver plate'?". Hagrid adjusts a little bit in his seat, looking little bit pensive:"My hippogriff - Buckbeak, he attacked Lucius's precious son during one of my classes. N-not on purpose, of course! And it was only a scratch!". He seemed to get worked up by this. So I lift my hands up as defense:"I believe you. Knowing Draco and his family, I didn't expect them to treat beasts respectfully.". That made him little bit calm, and he continue:"That boy had no respect towards Buckbeak in the first place. Just walked in front of him like he owns him.". Then Hagrid starts telling me all about hippogriffs, how they need to be bowed before the person can even touch them and such.

I do remember learning about hippogriffs back in the day when I went this school. I just never got to see them. The professor we had back then - Kettleburn, wasn't really the teacher you'd trust to get near the beasts. He after all was missing parts of limb... Which is awfully pity. Who knows if my passion would have been taking care of the creatures. "Anyhow, Lucius complained about the incident to the Ministry and..- Well..." Hagrid's voice goes small towards the end. Leaning forward, curious what happened:"What?". For my surprise, his eyes got glossy. Never seen him like this. "They sentenced Buckbeak to be executed." he let out. What?! "Wh..- No!" I gasp worried. "The day of his execution, he had escaped. Almost as if he knew what was coming for him." he explain. Woah..! Hagrid continue:"He was tied up in a chain, around his neck and everything. Still managed to run away somehow...".

Can see how relieved he is about the end result, but still sad how he hasn't seen Buckbeak ever since. I reach to touch his hand that is resting on the table:"I'm sorry about your friend.". Couldn't help but notice how my hand is so much smaller compared to his. Hagrid forces a smile on his face and wipes the tears that had formed in his eyes:"Thank you.". Sniffy wakes up from his nap in my lap, and I become aware how long we've been in here. Thought I was going to be here just a minute or two. We talked for a little while before I left. Both of us agreed not to tell anyone else about the incident at Hog's Head Inn. Since we aren't fully sure if it was Malfoy who poisoned me, but it isn't completely impossible thing to think about. After all, his own son doesn't particularly like me.

"Professor (Y/L)." familiar voice calls. "Huh?" I turn around under the huge clock that swings smoothly from the other side to another. It's the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. What is he doing here? Well, of course he can wander around the castle as he pleases. This is his school after all! Somehow I've always imagined him just sitting behind the desk all day, no matter if it's Sunday or not. Dumbledore approaches me, hands behind his back:"I see you came from Hagrid's Hut.". "Ah, yes. Needed to get my niffler - Sniffy, he was staying there for a day." I tell. Dumbledore glances down to see the niffler beside my leg, who's in a leash. "Curious name." he point out. When I start to tell him the story how he got his name, Sniffy's eyes starts to sparkle as he stares Headmaster's shiny accessories.

The leash in my hand keeps on yanking as I try my best calmly tell the story, and keep Sniffy away from my boss's belongings. "...and that's how he got his name." I chuckle at the end of the story. "What a lovely little story." he smiles sweetly. He is such a caring person. Makes always time to listen others, and actually remembers the things you've told. I feel a lot more comfortable around him than years back. "So tell me, how was the night in Hogsmeade?" he suddenly ask. "Huh?" somehow that got me off guard. For a quick moment I thought if I should tell him what really happened or not. My grip tightens around the leash as I struggle what to say. Then I give him a gentle smile:"Great! It was wonderful to get spend sometime with all the professors outside of the school.". He smiles back:"Glad to hear. Perhaps I'll be able to join you next time.". A night out with Albus Dumbledore? That's surely something to look forward to.

After we walked separated ways, and I got to the chamber, I close the door behind me. "Phew..!" I let out and relax my shoulders. To think it has only been a month and this kinds of things has happened. Wonder what's more to come? Right after I release Sniffy from the leash, he pulls out something from his pouch. "Hm?" I glance down to see what it is. He's holding Headmaster's jewelry that supposed to be around his beard. You got to be kidding me! Then Sniffy turns to look at me with those sparkly eyes. "WHEN DID YOU GET THAT?!" I exclaim. As expected, Sniffy starts running around the chamber when I try to catch him. "Come back here!!! What have we talked about taking other people's belongings?!" I yell. Some furnitures gets wrecked and tossed around the chamber. No matter how much you try to train a niffler, it's always going to be a niffler.