Three years have passed, and Maddie has slowly become the bane of Snape's existence.
James used to think the world revolved around him. Wouldn't he be glad to know that the world really does revolve around his daughter.
When Maddie was eleven, Dumbledore called both her and Snape down to his office to discuss her guardianship.
When he suggested that Snape sign the adoption papers, he didn't even need to refuse. Maddie did it for him, practically throwing a temper tantrum, forest-colored eyes brimming with betrayed tears.
And, in the blink of an eye, Dumbledore was swayed.
Today, Snape enters Lupin's office, wolfsbane potion in hand.
Of course she's there. She always is, writing at a desk while Lupin grades papers.
"Thank you, Severus."
Dumbledore asked him to check in on her. Not a single day passes where Snape doesn't receive such an order. It's as though Dumbledore has deluded himself into believing that she isn't beyond help.
"One would think that Potter should be spending her time on more useful tasks, given her situation."
Lupin gives Snape a stern look, while Maddie looks up from her parchment.
But it's not to acknowledge Snape. It's to glance at Lupin, as though she thinks no one will notice.
It's the same way she looks at Fred Weasley when he comes barging into Snape's office during her detentions. A blush usually tints her face as Fred spontaneously hugs her in the middle of filing papers.
Perhaps she thinks Lupin will shower her with the same amount of affection that Fred does if she simply hints at her feelings enough. But Snape knows that Lupin won't have the courage to confront her about it, so long as she doesn't actively try to pursue him. He can't even muster the words to tell her to focus on living long enough to reach her fifteenth birthday, for Merlin's sake.
Snape approaches her desk, towering over her. She has no trouble meeting his eyes anymore, not now that she's mastered occlumency. "Have you done anything to prepare for the second task?"
After she refused to participate in the first task, she experienced an episode of hallucinations. Once she recovered, the entire Hogwarts staff scolded her for her foolishness, while Karkaroff and Maxime looked on with smirks.
"I'm not participating. I'm not a pawn." She shrugs, going back to writing her essay.
In other words, she doesn't care what happens to her next. No one knows what exactly the consequences are of breaking the Triwizard Cup's binding contract, as no one has ever tried it before.
Lupin is still remaining silent.
You have everyone in the palm of your hand, don't you?
He rejects the idea that this could ever be Lily's daughter. Lily never blazed the wrong path for herself like this. Her emerald eyes never lit up with so many secrets.
He could choose to care, to fulfill the promises he's made on her behalf. But perhaps it would be more satisfying to watch Madelyn Potter fail to be the hero that she was born to be.
…
A/N: Hey, everyone! I know that this is a strange and abrupt ending, but I felt that this story was not nearly as well executed as I would have liked, and I felt the need to end the story early. It didn't feel right to leave it unfinished, hence the epilogue of sorts.