Genevieve sat at her desk, going over her homework. She'd gone to her classes two days in a row, but the attacks and comments were getting to be too much. Not even the Professors could do much. So Gen had given up and decided to hide out in the room she'd found. It was easier for her to hide out and let people forget that she went there than to push through all of this. She'd started jumping into the schoolwork again, letting it occupy her time and her thoughts. It meant she hadn't seen her friends or talked to anyone, but she seemed to be happy when she was working. Doing homework and studying made her forget the world around her for a while. As the days went on, she stopped talking to everybody. Her time was spent studying, asking the House-Elves in the kitchen for food, reading, or sneaking out to the greenhouses once the halls were clear. Surprisingly, she was feeling better by herself. It was easier to pretend that nobody was judging her if she was alone. She missed her friends, her family, but it was easy to be alone when she remembered that she was putting them at risk just by being around them. More days passed and the letters she'd been getting from her friends and family had been slowing almost to a stop. Until the day she got a letter from Harry saying that he wanted her to be there to watch the third task. He'd even lend her his Invisibility Cloak if she wanted to be hidden. She sent a response back that she'd be there and she wanted the cloak. She let out a deep sigh as she watched Hedwig fly back to Harry, going to take a bath. The last week, she'd figured out that some of her deepest thoughts had happened while she was soaking in the tub. It had helped her to think things out while sitting in a tub full of warm water. She turned on the water before turning on the radio she had, listening to soft instrumental music as it echoed around the bathroom. She took off her clothes and stepped into the water, turning off the water when the tub, which was quite deep, and sliding down in the water. She closed her eyes as she laid back, relaxing a bit. It wasn't long before the deep thoughts started, the questions floating through her head as she sank further and further under the water until she was completely submerged. She kept imagining different scenarios and came to two conclusions. Either she would achieve her goals and become better than her father, or she would fail and follow in her mother's footsteps. Give or take an affair or two. Either way, her life would be difficult. She got out of the tub, draining the water before drying off and getting dressed. She was tying her hair up when Hedwig came back with a package in her talons that she assumed was the cloak, letting her grab a treat out of the treat jar on her desk as she dropped the cloak on her bed. She went over to unwrap the cloak but as soon as she touched the material, she felt herself being lifted off the ground and transported somewhere. The cloak was a Portkey. She fell to the floor when she landed, vomiting onto the ground.

"Gen? What are you doing here?"

"Are you alright?"

She coughed and looked over at Harry and Cedric, confused as hell. As she stood up, she noticed where they were. A graveyard. It was dark, but the moon provided more than enough light to show where they were. She started shivering from fear and unease. She looked at Harry and Cedric, her eyes going wide as she realized she left her wand in her room. She was completely defenseless.

"What's wrong, Genevieve?"

"I don't have my wand. It's back in the castle."

She turned around when she heard someone coming up behind them. At first, she couldn't tell who it was. But as the figure got a little closer, she could see that it was holding something in its arms. Some kind of bundle. The closer the figure got, the harder her heart thudded in her chest.

"Wormtail?"

She looked at the figure and saw that Harry was right. Peter Pettigrew was walking toward the big cauldron, that she was surprised she hadn't seen until now, seeing more figures gathering around them all. Death Eaters. She seemed to lose her breath as Harry started yelling when his scar hurt. She couldn't make words form in her head as she watched the scene in front of her.

Genevieve watched in horror as her father stepped out of the cauldron. She fell to her knees as she watched. She was still in shock from seeing Peter at all, let alone watching him cut off his hand, and now she drowning in shock and fear. She couldn't bring herself to react to Peter killing Cedric because her father was now looking directly at her. She wanted to scream. Or cry. Or something. But she couldn't bring herself to do anything other than whimper pathetically. She watched him nod to one of the Death Eaters and then she felt herself getting pulled back to her feet, letting out a scream, struggling against whoever was holding her, hearing Harry yelling for her from his position against the statue. She stilled when she heard the voice of the figure holding onto her when she accidentally elbowed him in the side, letting out a soft grunt when she fell after he dropped her. She turned around and stared at him, taking off his mask to confirm her suspicions. The betrayal that washed over her when she saw Severus standing there made her tear up. But she couldn't react much more than that. Peter had been ordered to bring her over to him, she felt herself being dragged over to her father, watching him look her over. She felt like her skin was crawling as she watched him. But there was a part of her that felt drawn to him. A part of her that wanted him to look at her as a father would look at a child he loved. But when he looked at her, she just saw a coldness that made her feel sick.

"You look like Raven. What is your name, child?"

"Genevieve."

"Full name."

"Genevieve Elizabeth Potter."

"Potter? Why Potter?"

"I was adopted by them."

"I don't remember seeing you there that night."

"I must've been hidden away somewhere. I don't know."

"I wonder how you're supposed to be my child. What traits of mine do you possess?"

Something in her head was telling her to lie. A voice telling her that he couldn't know the full truth.

"I don't know. I'm just a student."

"Impossible. Who knows you the best?"

"My parents. James and Lily Potter. Or my brother, Harry."

"Harry Potter is not your brother. He never was."

"That's a matter of opinion. I grew up with him. He's my brother and best friend."

She watched him look her over again, her heart thudding in her chest as he started circling her. She wasn't even trying to hide her fear. She couldn't even if she tried. She was frozen in place as her father watched her, her breathing labored by her anxiety.

"You look just like your mother. I have to admit, she was beautiful. She was smart, beautiful, and a Pureblood. And she was my most trusted follower. Now I know why she ran off. Getting pregnant with you made her soft. Weak. What a shame. Are you smart like her?"

"No."

"She's lying, my Lord. She's as smart as you and Raven. She's doing school work above her year."

"Is that so? Why hide that? I know how many times that's happened. You should be proud."

"I am proud. I just don't want to be like you. You're evil and horrible and cruel. I don't stand for the things you do."

"You should. Because now that I'm back, I will rise to the top and make the world into the way it should be. Muggles bowing down to us and Purebloods ruling the world."

"That's not how the world should be. You're talking about slavery and that's wrong. You can't do that to people."

"You're young and naive and you will learn your place in the world. Perhaps it will be by my side when I take over."

"There is nothing you could say or do that will ever make me join you. I might be your daughter, but I am nothing like you. And I never will be."

Genevieve rushed and hid behind a statue when Harry got free, watching her brother and her father fight in fear from her position. She looked around for something she could do to help, but there weren't even any rocks she could throw to give Harry any kind of chance. She looked over to see where the sudden light was coming from, shocked beyond all belief that she could see her parents' silhouette coming out from the light from the two males' wands. And then her mum, followed by more ghosts. She watched as the ghosts all rushed at Voldemort, rushing to grab Harry's hand when he yelled for her, taking hold of Cedric's hand. When Harry caught the Portkey, the three were transported back to the arena. She started vomiting again before passing out when she saw the Professors coming toward them, falling into Dumbledore's arms as she fell. When she came to a few hours later, she was in the hospital wing with a washcloth on her head and Ron's head next to her hand. She looked over to see him sleeping at what looked like a very awkward angle, yawning as she nudged him a bit. She watched him stir before he looked at her. When he saw her, he immediately perked up and sat up straight.

"Eve! Are you ok? Are you going to be sick again? Do you need some water? This stuff has gone stale, though. I can get you more."

"Ron, relax. I was just going to tell you that you should go to bed. The position you were in looked uncomfortable."

"I was fine. I was worried about you. You were so sick for a couple hours. You kept hurling every few minutes. We were scared that you'd have to go to St. Mungo's. Are you feeling sick still?"

"A little. But I feel a bit numb right now."

"Is there anything I can get you to help?"

"Lay down with me? Please?"

She rolled onto her side slowly as Ron took off his shoes and sweater before climbing into the bed next to her. She curled into him immediately, letting his warmth settle in. She shivered, unaware that she had even been cold, burying her head into the space between his chin and chest, feeling him pull the blanket up further.

"You're freezing. Are you alright?"

"No."

"Harry told us what happened. I can't imagine that you would be."

She felt him take her hand under the covers, starting to cry as the weight of that nights' events settled on her, causing her to break down as Ron held onto her until she cried herself to sleep.

Genevieve stormed into Dumbledore's office after finding out that Severus had headed there. She didn't care that there were other people there, or that she'd be in trouble, she just made her way over to Severus, who was sitting down next to McGonagall, and slapped him across the face, ignoring the gasping and chiding from the other two Professors.

"What is wrong with you? Why did you lie to me?"

"I didn't lie to you. And don't do that again."

"You did lie! You told me you didn't follow him anymore! That you left him after he died!"

"That's the truth."

"Then why were you there? If you don't follow him anymore, then you shouldn't have been there! There was no reason for you to be there!"

"Calm down, Genevieve. Let me explain."

"No! You promised. When I moved in, you promised me that no matter what happened, you wouldn't join him again. And you broke that promise."

"I didn't-"

"DON'T LIE TO ME! I'm not stupid! I know how dangerous he is. How easily he can manipulate people. His followers have died for him, because of him, and you're back in that mess?"

"I'm not….."

"Then why were you at that damn graveyard? Why would you be there?"

"Because I was asked to."

"And I was asked to respect my Professors and go along with everything they say, but I won't go along with nonsense or insanity just because I was asked to. You had the opportunity to say no."

"Genevieve…"

She went to slap him again but he caught her wrist, knowing what this was about. He stood up and pulled her in for a hug, holding onto her even though he struggled against her. She punched every bit of him that she could until she started crying and melting into him.

"Your mother ran from so many people for so long and she got tired and let her guard down. She was a great witch and she tried so hard for you. But in the end, she wasn't strong enough to keep running. She and I are two very different people. I know what I'm doing, but I have to do this. I'm not expecting you to understand right now, but I am asking you to trust that I will be careful and I will not leave you unless I have to lay my life down for you."

"I can't lose you too. It hurts just to think about."

"I can't promise that you won't lose me. But don't think about it as you're losing me. Think about it as your family reuniting and waiting for you. Ok?"

Genevieve sat in her secluded room, packing her clothes into her luggage, a deep sigh pushing past her lips. Throughout the end of year tests she'd had, she couldn't get her mind off of everything that had happened since the Yule Ball. There were a lot of downs that year and not many highs. She was definitely ready to leave for the summer. She wasn't expecting things to die down over the summer. Quite the opposite. She was expecting things to be worse by the time she returned to Hogwarts. If she returned at all. She'd been thinking about leaving more and more since her secret came out. Some of the magic had been lost for her when people started turning away from her. Part of the magic for her had been making friends and people getting to know her for her. Now everybody hated her and she felt very alone. She looked over when the door opened, grabbing her wand in defense. She hadn't told anybody where she was, so nobody should be coming into the room. She looked at Ron in confusion.

"What are you doing here, Ron?"

"I was looking for you. You disappeared the other day and I was worried about you. We all were."

"I'm…...I'll be alright. I had to study for the exams and I spent today packing up."

She watched him go over to sit on the bed, getting up and sitting next to him. She laced their fingers together when he took her hand, looking at their hands. She often found comfort in Ron's hand around hers. It sparked something in her, something that made her heart skip a beat. But right now it felt different. She knew she loved him, and that he really cared about her, but seeing her father face to face had made her even more scared that she was going to lose the people she loved and it would be her own fault. Or, more accurately, the fault would be her father's jealousy. But of all of the people she made her family, Ron meant the most to her. It sounded mean in her own head, but it was the truth. Severus was her godfather and she loved him for all he'd done for her. Hermione seemed to be closer to Harry than she was to Gen. But Ron? Ron saw through the fears she had and seemed to know the right things to say to make her feel better. For the most part, anyway. But right now, all she could think of was his safety.

"It's dangerous to be around me. Especially now that my father is back and knows about me. He'll try to get me to join him. He's already asked me once. I can't imagine he'll stop just because I've said no once."

"If you're gonna break it off again, I won't let you. It was hard enough the first time."

"I don't want to, Ron. It was stupid of me to do it in the first place, but I'm never going to stop being scared of losing people. He's ruthless and he won't stop until he gets what he wants. I need to know that you're prepared to lose people you love if you want to be with me. That you're prepared to say goodbye to your family."

"Why are you talking like this?"

"Because it's the truth! And it needs to be said. Voldemort is not known for showing mercy. And I'm tired of losing people because of him, but it won't stop until he's gone for good. And I love you too much to watch you get hurt the same way I've been purely because of how much you mean to me. So if you don't want to lose anyone you love, then we need to stop being around each other. I will understand and I won't hold it against you."

Genevieve walked down to the Entrance Hall to meet her friends, holding Ron's hand. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs when she spotted Cedric's parents walking inside, presumably to get Cedric's things. She stood still, not knowing what to do or how to react. Her anxiety got worse when they spotted her in return. Her hand tightened around Ron's as she stood rooted to her spot, watching them get closer and closer to her. She was sure she was going to be hexed or shouted at or something along those lines. She wasn't expecting to feel Amos put his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, watching a tear roll down his face.

"Don't blame yourself. We all have skeletons that we wish weren't there."

"What?"

"Cedric told us you were a good person. Always there to help somebody else. Even when you were busy with your own work. That's what will matter in the end. If it ever comes up, you have our support."

"Th-thank you, Mr. Diggory. Mrs. Diggory. And I'm so sorry about Cedric. He was…..He had a good heart. Even afterwards."

"We need to go, Amos."

She moved aside so Cedric's parents could continue on their way, feeling Ron hold her close, leaning into him as she closed her eyes, a single tear starting to fall. She stayed in that spot until Ron pulled her away, walking with him to the door of the Great Hall. She walked in with him and sat down at the Gryffindor table, hugging Harry back when he hugged her.

"Are you still planning on staying with Padfoot this summer?"

"Yeah. I need some time to get my head around everything."

"I get it. Did you hear about Rita?"

"No and I don't want to."

"Hermione's blackmailing her."

"What? How?"

She looked over at Hermione curiously, watching her smirk.

"She's an unregistered animagus and I told her if she didn't leave you alone, I would turn her in."

She couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head as she started eating breakfast with them, the four of them laughing as they talked. This was the first time in months that she could let loose even a little and it felt good. Hopefully things would lighten up a little for a small amount of time before she had to face reality again.