Innocence | Severus Snape x Reader

30 - Hello Little Cousin

"What a charismatic quarter." The woman from the Daily Prophet said after our picture had been taken. I was standing between Harry and Viktor, and frankly, the tension in the room was just downright uncomfortable. 

"Hello, I'm Rita Skeeter, I write for the Daily Prophet... but of course, you know that, don't you." She said as she shook each of our hands. "It's you we don't know. You are the juicy news. What quirks lay beneath the rosy cheeks." 

She felt Fleur's face before giving it a gentle but... hearty slap. I winced and glanced at Harry who seemed excited but confused. 

"What mysteries do those muscles mask, what courage lay beneath those curls... what makes a champion tick? Me, myself and I want to know, not t mention my avid readers." She had messed with Cedric's hair then placed her arm round him and Harry. "So who's feeling up to share? She'll start with the youngest." She said, looking at Harry. 

Rita pulled him away into a broom closet where she would interview him, and eventually all of us. 

To be honest I didn't feel entirely comfortable with anyone in the room at the present moment. I didn't know Viktor, Fleur, or Cedric, though he would be my pick to converse with between the three of them. 

"So want is a twenty-one-year-old former Hogwarts student doing in the tri-wizard Tournament. There are meant to be three of us, not five." Fleur said, standing up from the chair she was in. 

"I don't know. If I could be out I would be." I responded, honestly it was the best I had. 

"Everyone thinks you put Potter's name in along with yours," Viktor added on. 

"Why would I do that? How would I even do that?" I was starting to lean towards the defensive. 

"It's too late to do anything about it now," Cedric said, who when I looked was giving me a smile of empathy. The room fell silent after that. 

The next to be interviewed was Cedric, then Fleur, the Viktor, which left me for last. 

"So, a former student of Hogwarts invited back for the Tournament and is suddenly thrown in. Did you put your name in? Or perhaps, you were invited just to be a part of it." Rita prodded, her quill scribbling furiously. 

She reminded me too much of Lockheart. 

"Look, I'll tell you the same thing I've told everyone else... I don't know." 

"Mmm, we'll come back to that." She pursed her lips and cocked her head. 

"So about your family, father disappeared some time ago... mother shortly after, just around the same time that Potter boy started making more of a name for himself. And then exposing your relations to your extended family? My, you're just one story waiting to be told." 

"Everything to be told about me is already known." 

"Yes but to go from being such a nobody to a witch that seems to be evergrowing in popularity, what's your goal?" 

"I don't have a goal..." 

"Hmm, okay. What about your love life? Surely a pretty young thing like you has men fawning over her at every corner. Or maybe you have all this free time and are still able to support yourself because of an older man...?" 

How would she even- does she fucking know? 

"Okay this, is over with now. Good day." I stood and took my leave from the broom closet. 

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I had noticed that ever since Harry's name had been drawn from the goblet, everyone was avoiding him. Even his closest friends.

I really noticed that people didn't like Potter when the pins started going around. The pins were decorated with Cedric Diggory's face with an orange and yellow background, but if you got close enough the pin would distort to that of Harry's face and a green background, captioned with 'Potter stinks'. The pins were tempting to wear, but I wouldn't.

Especially because I was in a similar boat.

I had a very short-lived conversation with Severus. We were both concerned, however. I was worried about how my name ended up in the Goblet and why. He was concerned with my safety.

I couldn't help but feel he was holding information back. He had long pauses between sentences as if he was calculating what he would say before he did.

I was walking through the corridors and reading a book when I walked by the courtyard. As I turned the page I heard squabbling outside. I went over to one of the arches that overlooked the courtyard.

"Technically it's a ferret." Moody lifts up a white ferret once and that's when things get gross. He puts the ferret into a boy's pants. I watch, now wide-eyed and finding the situation funny as two boys freak out. I watch as the ferret crawls out of the boy's pants and scurries a bit.

Professor McGonagall turns the ferret back to a human boy and he hops up from the ground. Malfoy backs up from the mad professor quickly.

"My father will hear about this!" He says from the other side of the tree.

"Is that a threat?" Alastor starts hobbling towards Malfoy. "Is that a threat?!" Malfoy runs around the tree and towards the castle. "I can tell you stories about your father that would curl even your greasy hair boy!" Alastor tells as Malfoy starts running into the castle.

I close my book and lower it to my side I stepped away from the arch. I walked towards where Malfoy was entering from and caught him by the collar as he was about to walk past me.

"Hello, little cousin." I looked down at him with a smug smile that would challenge even his. 

"Well if it isn't Y/N L/N. Or should I say, Y/N Lestrange?" He said challengingly, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Either work." I shrugged and let go of his collar.

"You know, my father isn't exactly happy with you. It's a disgrace for the Malfoys, Blacks, and Lestranges to be related to a mudblood." He said looking at me with disgust.

"Half-blood." I spat at him and his face scrunched.

"Still dirty blood how we see it."

"I'm still related to you, Draco," I told him now without using any theatrics in my voice.

"I'd rather not let everyone know that." He glared at me as he tried walking away but I kept my grip on his collar.

"Leave Potter alone," I told him. He brushed my hand off and walked away.

I sighed and looked back outside at the students, feeling reminiscent of my time as a student. There was a small part of me that longed to be a part of Harry's world. To go on the same adventures that he did, but I wasnt made for that kind of life. I was taken in a different direction and that was with Severus.

It was scandalous when I think back on it now. We played my 6th year safe but once I was old enough that's when everything seemed to spill out. I never once had a regret or second thought. But looking out at the students now I couldn't help but feel like I missed out on the last two years of my childhood. Was it really my fault though?

I wasnt having second thoughts now, at least I didn't feel like I was.

I tore my eyes away from the students and opened my book again, resuming my walk.

"Y/N!" I heard someone shout from behind me. I turned back to see Cedric jogging towards me. 

"What's up?" I asked him, as he approached.

"Potter, er- um- Harry wanted me to let you know that the first challenge would be dragons." 

"Drag- are you sure?" I asked him.

"Yes, he just told me."