Taking Chances and Making Changes

Authors Note - This story is an AU. It follows canon events up until the end of Prisoner and beginning of Goblet.

Disclaimer - I own nothing except my OC's. Everything else belongs to JK Rowling. Basically, if you recognise it from the books/films then it is not mine.

Hayley POV

I was laying on a bed in the hospital wing trying to process everything that had happened in the past few hours. After Moody had taken me to his office to get away from the scene at the arena entrance, it had been revealed that he had actually been Barty Crouch Jr disguised as Moody using polyjuice. After they had used veritiserum to question him he had told us the whole plan had been to get me in Voldemort's clutches. The idea to use the tournament to do it had been thought of after the original plan of taking me from my relatives had been unsuccessful. After he had revealed everything the minister had arrived and rather than taking him to the ministry for a trial he had had him executed almost immediately by way of the Dementor's Kiss. Dumbledore had wanted me to tell him exactly what had happened but Professor McGonagall insisted that I go to the Hospital Wing and that questions could be answered later.

All my friends and family had wanted to see me but I had told Madame Pomfrey that I didn't want to see anyone. I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I didn't even notice that Madame Pomfrey had come over. I turned and sat up to face her.

"How are you feeling Miss Potter?"She asked kindly

I sighed. "I don't feel anymore pain right now so that's good"

She nods."That's good. I figured that with the day you've had one of these wouldn't go amiss"She says gesturing to the glass of purple-coloured liquid that I knew was dreamless sleep potion.

"Thank you Madame Pomfrey"I say taking the glass

"Your welcome Miss Potter"She says giving me a small smile.

I drink the potion down in one and wrinkle my nose slightly at the taste. I felt the drowsiness take effect almost immediately so I handed the glass back to Madame Pomfrey before taking my glasses off and placing them on the bedside table before laying down again. I very quickly fall asleep.

I had been let out of the hospital wing on Monday morning after breakfast and I made a quick detour to my dorm to grab my bag and the things I would need for my Potions and Ancient Runes exam. I knew that I wouldn't run into any of my friends as I knew they would be in the library doing some last minute studying. I had seen them briefly yesterday and Hermione had said that's where they would be. I saw that I had a spare hour before the exam so I decided to go up to the Astronomy Tower for some quiet time to myself for about 20 minutes or so. I headed down to the Potions classroom about 30 minutes we had to be there and I was unsurprised to find that I was the first person to arrive. When my friends arrived about 20 minutes later they were surprised.

"Hayley what are you doing out of the hospital wing?"Hermione asked giving me a hug

"Madame Pomfrey released me this morning"I explained

"Are you sure your really up to taking the exam. Given what happened I'm sure if you asked they would allow you to miss it?"Neville said awkwardly.

"I know if I asked they probably would but I don't want to miss it. "I've worked so hard on revising for these exams and I'm going to take them"I say

My friends nod and we talked about random things for the next 10 minutes trying to calm ourselves down.

After everyone had arrived and gone to their regular desks, Snape took attendance to mark who was present and who wasn't. After a brief pause of confusion after my name he continued with the rest of the class. It was the name after mine that caused me to frown slightly. "Iyona Simpson"Snape read and she acknowledged that she was here. I thought back to when Voldemort had been speaking to his death eaters and had referred to one of them as Simpson.I couldn't help but wonder if she knew why her father was in Azkaban or if she knew that her mother was also a death eater.

It was a few hours later after both of my exams that I found myself in my dorm looking for a specific piece of parchment. I was looking through my trunk looking for the lineage test that I had done at Gringotts. After I found it I looked at it again and found what had been bugging me for the past few hours. My great aunt Mary Potter had married Edward Simpson making her Iyona's grandmother.

It was a few hours later and I was once again in the Astronomy tower. I was sat with my legs dangling over the edge looking out over the lake enjoying the feeling of the ever so rare sunshine. I was enjoying the peace and quiet when I heard the door open and someone walk in before stopping.

"Oh i'm sorry I didn't realise anyone would be up here. I hope I didn't disturb you"A girl said from behind me

I carefully turned around to face them and saw that it was Iyona. "No it's okay. You didn't disturb me"I say

"Are you sure. I can go if you'd like"She says

"No it's can stay if you want to"I smile

We sat in silence for a few minutes before I turned to her. "Your Iyona Simpson right?"

I notice her frown slightly before nodding."Yes how did you know?"

"I remembered your name from when Professor Snape took attendance for the exam"I explained

"Oh okay"She nods

I took a breath before continuing."I don't really know how else to tell you this but were cousins"

"Wait what. Cousins?"She says shocked

"Yeah. Second cousins if were being technical"I say

"How?"She asks

"My great aunt is your grandmother"I explain taking the parchment with the lineage test on it out of my pocket and handing it to her.

She is silent for a few minutes as she looks at the parchment. She then hands it back to me.

"Wow. I didn't know I had any cousins. Both my mum and dad have siblings but no kids"She explains

I nod. We spent some time getting to know one about an hour or two we headed to the Great Hall for dinner parting ways at the entrance,myself going to the Gryffindor table and Iyona going to the Slytherin table.

Authors Note - Hey guys I'm sorry the chapter is so short. I had hoped to do a longer chapter and even gave myself time for it but I became ill and was unable to do any writing. The next few chapters should hopefully be longer. I should have the next chapter up for the 6th of August if not before. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.