Innocence | Severus Snape x Reader

20 - Buckbeak

I walked into the currently empty Great Hall. The only other people in here were the teachers already sitting at the table at the head of the Hall. 

Trelawney, Severus, McGonagall, and even Hagrid were of the teachers I recognized. Severus was to the right if where Dumbledore sat while Hagrid was to the left. I went up and looked around, it was odd seeing the Great Hall from this angle.

"Hello, Hagrid." I greeted as I approached him. 

"So yer the one Dumbledore got to help me." He said as I sat down next to him. 

"I am, I'm looking forward to it too." I gave him a brief smile before looking away. 

Slowly, more teachers came in, and eventually the students. Along with the students was another teacher who I had never seen. He came in and sat next to Severus, which was usually the place for DADA teachers to sit. So naturally I presumed he was the replacement after Lockheart lost his credibility and his memory. 

Once all the students were inside and sorted, Dumbledore began his speech as he did every year. 

"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts," Here Dumbledore goes with another speech, "Now I'd like to say a few words before we all become too befuddled with our excellent feast. First I'd like to welcome Professor R. J. Lupin who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Good Luck professor." I looked over to the man that sat beside Severus. He stood up and did an awkward wave, bow, and head nod before sitting down. 

I looked out to the students who were all looking intently at Professor Dumbledore. I noticed the blonde kid at the Slytherin table, Draco, talking to Harry for a moment. I looked to Hary who when he looked up made eye contact with me. He looked confused and then turned to his friends and started talking. 

I turn my attention back to Dumbledore and listen in on his speech again. "Fortunately, I'm glad to announce that his place will be taken by none other than our own, Rubeus Hagrid and in his assistance welcoming back Y/N L/N to Hogwarts." Hagrid stands up and I follow after him, bowing slightly. A few people clap and then we both sit back down. "Finally, on a more describable note, at the request of the Minister of Magic, Hogwarts until further notice will play host to the dementors of Azkaban. Until such a time Sirius Black is captured. The dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. Now whilst I've been assured their presence will not disturb our day to day activities a word of caution, dementors are vicious creatures and will not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one that gets in their way. Therefore, I warn each and every one of you, give them no reason to harm you. It is not in a dementor's nature to be forgiving," Dumbledore concluded and the feast began. 

I ate a normal amount of food, for me it still felt odd to be sat up here and not down there. 

Eventually all the went to their dorms and the teachers were left to go to their own chambers. I walked with Severus as we both headed down to the dungeons. 

"I'm sorry for losing you a while ago, I should have found you first," I told him as we walked together. 

"I was worried you hadn't gotten here. I had no idea where you were or what might have happened to you." He said quietly, like he was afraid someone would hear him. 

"Well I'm alright Severus, and I can handle myself," I reassured him. We stopped outside the Potions classroom and I faced him. If I'm ever in danger you'll be the first I go to then. I grabbed his hands and rubbed the backs of them with my thumbs. 

"Okay. Goodnight, Darling." 

"Goodnight, Love." I leaned in and gave him a soft and fulfilling kiss. We parted ways and I turned in for the night. 

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The next morning I woke up bright and early, earlier than I would as a student. I went to the Great Hall to grab some breakfast before going to Hagrid's hut, eating my food along the way.

I got there and knocked on the door, quickly trying to chew and swallow the large bite of food in my mouth. The door soon opened and I saw Hagrid there looking normal as usual. 

"Oh, hello Y/N." 

"Hello Hagrid, may I come in?" 

"Actually, if you're here to ask about the lesson I have something to show ye." Hagrid stepped out of the hut and I backed away from the door so he could move. "I need to feed him anyway. Follow me." He started walking towards the forest and I followed.

"Hagrid, who exactly is 'he'?" I asked as we walked into the forest on a narrow and not very well laid out path. 

"You'll see, I think you'll quite like him too." Hagrid brought me to a small clearing where a bird-like creature was laying down sound asleep. 

"That's a... what is it?" 

"That there is Buckbeak. He's a hippogriff." He said, I started to walk up to the creature but Hagrid stopped me. "You'll want to take it easy with them. And you certainly don't want to disturb him while he's sleeping. You need to introduce yourself first." 

I nodded and Hagrid handed me two dead ferrets. He went over and pet the creature, slowly waking him up. Buckbeak stood up and stretched. He saw me and the ferrets and started walking towards me in a menacing way. 

"Bow, Y/N." I did as Hagrid said and bowed, looking at Buckbeak from my peripheral. He walked close to me and smelled me a bit, before bowing back. I stood up straight and the creature seemed much tamer around me.  

"Great, now toss him a ferret and he'll love yuh." Hagrid instructed. Again, I did as I was told and tossed Buckbeak one of the ferrets in my hands. He happily snatched it from the air and ate it. I then tossed him the second one, and he ate that too. 

I walked up to the creature and pet him, going with the down of his feathers. 

"You were right. I do quite like him." I continued to pet Buckbeak while a smile crossed my face. 

"Would you like to ride him?" I looked from Buckbeak to Hagrid curiously. 

"Am I allowed to?" 

"Well sure you are. Go ahead and mount him, but just don't pull any of his feathers." I stood still for a moment, debating if I even wanted to. Of course I did, but was it safe? 

I decided to climb on to Buckbeaks back and keep my legs on either side of him, I held on to the best place I could find that I didn't think would cause Buckbeak any discomfort. HAgrid came over and pat Buckbeaks side and he started running, soon I felt his wings move and we were up in the air. 

I was too frightened to scream so I just closed my eyes, when I opened them I saw a beautiful look of Hogwarts. Buckbeak flew around the castle, going by the lake and over the trees. As we flew I got more comfortable and even mystified by all of it. I felt free, and I felt really really good. I had been haooy the entire time but now it's like I have a purely clear conscious.