Chapter 41
Hogwarts, September 10
She couldn't believe what she saw. On the one hand, she was nervous, but on the other… She was grateful that the intervention of the Ice Wizard hadn't caused her daughter to show up at Hogwarts during sexual intercourse.
"Severus." - Jean hissed through clenched teeth, ignoring the unpleasant atmosphere. - "What's going on?"
The boy smiled and wrapped her in his arms. As he approached, he whispered into her ear. - "I don't know what happened. I didn't pressure Helen. Right after I took off my shirt, I heard Dumbledore's voice. I prefer not to show that I was unnerved by this."
She didn't answer him. She simply nodded her head to confirm that she understood the situation. She will have to find the culprit of such an awkward situation. And she knew that if she found the culprit, she would castrate him.
After a while, the young wizard moved away from her, grabbed her daughter's hand and walked over to where they sat down. Helen gave them an embarrassed smile. Lucius slapped his friend on the back. Lately, she'd seen the Malfoy heir relaxed more and more, but today was the first time she'd seen him truly amused.
She was furious. However, she thought that this day wouldn't be as bad as she had previously assumed.
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High. Slim. Athletic. Scarred. Scars that added to his charm. As she watched him run his long fingers through his silky black hair, she couldn't believe that this was what her childhood friend looked like. He walked as if the whole world belonged to him. Not long ago, he would have been embarrassed if anyone had seen even a fragment of his bare skin. And now? He was half naked and behaved as if it was everyday for him.
"Damn it. This is what Snape was hiding under his oversized robes?" - Lily wasn't sure how she felt about Marlene McKinnon being clearly delighted with what she saw. - "And you haven't noticed these possibilities? After all, he has a better body than Sirius Black. Those abdominal muscles. Shoulders. Forearms… What I would give to be in his bed. From what I can see, I'm not the only one."
Lily Evans clenched her jaw as soon as she heard her roommate's words. She looked where she thought Marlene had looked. James Potter. He was so pale that he looked ill. She wasn't sure if she had read what she saw in his gaze correctly. Pain? Surprise? Sadness? Longing? Or maybe all at once?
At that moment, she thought of one thing. How would things have turned out if James Potter reacted differently to Severus on their first Hogwarts Express trip? Would she still have a friend? Or maybe Sev wouldn't be harassed by the Marauders? Unfortunately, she will never know that now. Now she will have to watch other girls try to separate her friend from the cute brunette sitting by his side.
"Just who is she?" - she whispered. She hoped no one heard her. - "And has she completely replaced me?"
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He swallowed when he saw him. He expected many things, but he didn't expect this. He wasn't the boy they were stalking. He wasn't gloomy, anxious, and unsure of himself. He walked confidently. He quickly looked around him. He smiled as soon as he saw his uncle.
"Why has he never smiled like that in front of me?" - he said loud enough to be heard by Remus, Sirius and Peter sitting nearby.
"Perhaps because you treated him as a cross between a punching bag and a footstool?" - Peter Petigrew's voice clearly conveyed what he thought of their mindless behavior. James wanted to accuse him of being an accomplice, but he was the first to see the injustice of their actions. - "Or maybe because we took his friend away from him. A friend we threw away like a hot potato."
James almost immediately heard the snort that escaped from Sirius Black's mouth. - "Seriously? I think there is a completely different reason. Easier one. We weren't friends."
"If only it were that simple..." - he whispered embarrassed. He loved the boys with whom he formed a group called the Marauders, but more and more often he found out that their friendship wasn't as perfect as he thought in the past.
He learned not to jugde others off because of their shortcomings. Only sometimes he was uncomfortable with how he perceived the world around him until recently. After a moment's thought, he looked back at Severus Snape. When he saw how his strong arm pulls the petite brunette to his body and places a kiss on her temple, he couldn't help but imagine himself in the same situation. After all, it could be him. Petunia was in his heart, but he still felt something when he saw the boy with silky black hair. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about this.
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He was completely surprised by the way Severus had appeared on the Hogwarts grounds. However, what really surprised him was that the Goblet of Fire didn't show another participant in the Triwizard Tournament. The appearance of the former Slytherin caused such a commotion that no one noticed what hadn't happened.
"Professor Potter…" - Lucius leaned towards the wizard sitting at the table across from him. - "Do you know what's going on? The Goblet of Fire drew only one representative."
"Ask Iskrem." - Evan hissed clearly dissatisfied with the situation - "He was tinkering with the Goblet. It was through him that we witnessed the immediate arrival of Mr. Snape."
"Don't exaggerate, boy. The fact that no other participant was drawn means only one thing. Among the people who put their name in the Goblet, there isn't a person who would be worth participating in the Triwizard Tournament. They will have to wait for other candidates to come forward. There's no other way."
"I think you like this situation."
The wizard, who was still an enigma to him, turned so much towards Evan Potter that he could easily make eye contact. - "Do you like it? It amuses me greatly. The horny eyes of many girls and boys following the movements of the muscles on Severus' chest, the perplexed gaze of the Headmaster of Hogwarts, the upset Mrs. and Mrs. Granger and... The humiliation of a Tournament that should never have taken place."
Both Lucius and Evan knew that Iskrem was at his breaking point. The Ice Wizard was very hurt by what had happened centuries ago in his homeland. From what he was telling, almost the entire population of this kingdom perished. For this wizard, the Goblet of Fire was a chance to rebuild the place he loved.
They wanted to comfort him somehow, but there was little they could do without revealing his true identity.
"Calm down, boy." - unexpectedly the voice of Helen's mother put Iskrem in a trance. They could see the man's body starting to relax.
It crossed Lucius's mind that perhaps the potion that Jean Granger had been given had some unexpected side effect. It wasn't the first time Jean's voice had calmed the Ice Wizard.
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"What's going on Albus? Shouldn't the Goblet of Fire mention the names of the next two contestants?" - Minerva McGonagall was clearly nervous. It was her first time witnessing the Goblet in action and she wasn't sure what to expect.
Albus moved far enough away from her to not look too intimate and close enough so that he could calmly answer the question without risking being overheard. - "Indeed, Minerva. It should give two more names. We'll have to put a good face on a bad game. No one really knows how much time should pass between each name appearing. We will have to consult the Minister. I hope we won't have a problem with it."
"I wish you were right. How did Mr. Snape's return make you feel?"
"Just like everyone else. I am extremely surprised. I see I'm not the only one surprised. Did you notice the reaction of our favorite Gryffindors?"
"You could at least pretend you don't have any favorites." - the witch snorted - "I can have them, because as the guardian of the house I am closer to the students. The director shouldn't favor anyone."
"Will you answer the question?" - Albus was curious about his deputy's answer.
Both Lily Evans and James Potter looked at Mr. Snape as if they seeing him for the first time.
"I think I know what you mean."
Albus Dumbledore thought that these two were suffering from exactly the same affliction as he was. They wish they had appreciated this boy when he was still within their reach. James Potter may have been blessed to be veela's partner. Lily Evans could still have a faithful friend. Sirius Black could have prevented the inventor of the cure for Lycanthropy from leaving Hogwarts for Remus Lupin, with whom he was clearly in love. And he? He had missed an opportunity to take possession of a male veela. He may have been one of the few who could experiment on it and go down in history as the one who accurately determined the differences between the male and female sex of this creature.
Sometimes we only appreciate people when we lose them. Albus Dumbledore sighed before getting up to say something to all the students again.
"Unfortunately, we don't know when the next name will be drawn from the Goblet of Fire. We ask you to be patient. The state of the Goblet of Fire will be monitored and we will summon everyone to the Great Hall if it will be necessary."
Goblins. Only they will know what is wrong with the Goblet of Fire. In an artifact older than Hogwarts itself.
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This time I was able to post on Monday. How do you like this chapter? To be honest, I liked it ;). Regards, Katie Krum