Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

The Prize	By : Kvarta Category: HP Canon Characters paired with Original Characters > Het - Male/Female Views: 3468 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling. This story is purely for entertainment purposes, no money is being made from it.

Chapter List
- 21
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- 23
SUGAR AND SPICE
It was around ten in the morning the following day; Severus drummed a beat on the living room coffee table waiting Katya to emerge from her room. Grunting as she walked dressed in another pair of khaki pants littered with numerous pockets and simple black sweater.
- Miss Katya, don’t you have anything remotely decent to dress? –
- What is wrong with this? –
- Was that rhetorical question? Do you at least possess different, more decent pants? As I recall you caused all sorts of problems when we moved here, demanding your bag. – he drawled
- Clean clothes are not necessarily more versatile. –
- As I can see. – he groused
- You are the one to complain. – she protruded her chin out spitefully
- Not that it would matter. - he grunted again and raised to his feet
Soon, they were walking toward the Daily Prophet building; it was a ground floor house with chipped façade and wooden door. Snape nearly audibly growled at passers, unnerved with their not so subtle staring and whispering. Katya was trotting at his side, still tripping occasionally on her long cloak. In front of the door was young Ministry clerk, greeting him with a huge grin
- Mister Snape! Miss Katya. I was waiting for you. Ministry already gave the statement, we won’t demand of you to read a statement, you are free to say whatever you like as long as you are polite and you don’t…. –
- Mr. Parkins, stop blabbering. Is there something you need to tell me or you just wasting my time? -
- Ummmmm, no Sir that is all. –
- That would be all Mr. Parkins. – he drawled and walked in the building – What is it Miss Katya? – he asked quietly
- Is there anyone you don’t know? – she asked in a same hushed tone
- I was under impression that you are familiar with my public records. This is very small pond Miss Katya, and I was teacher since my 20es. – he snipped
Bell boy appeared and asked them to follow him, taking them to simple office with only one table and four chairs. He clenched his teeth noticing a witch dressed in tacky outfit, her acid green dicta quill and parchment in front of her. She smiled broadly
- Mr. Snape, how nice of you to accept my request for interview. I see you are in company of your mysterious female friend. –
- It was my understanding Rita that Katy is also requested to give her statement to the press. Otherwise Ministry official that arranged this interview made a mistake when he notified me. –
- No, no, there is no mistake. I wanted to meet with your young lady. –
- Katy is not mine and far from young or a lady. – he dryly cut her off, Katya was sitting next to him appearing absolutely focused on them, he noticed that she is tossing glances at the parchment and a quill
- What an awful thing to say Severus! Tell me are you two close? –
- Inseparable. – he mumbled sardonically
- And yet you say she is no lady?! Where did you two meet? Your Death Eater days, perhaps? – she leaned to him conspiratorially
- More like kinder-garden days Rita. –
- Oh! A life-long acquaintance of yours! How romantic! –
- Hardly. –
- Tell me Severus, when did you two reconnect? How did she know to show up in right moment to save your life? Where did you hide her all these years? –
- Sev didn’t hide me anywhere! – exclaimed Katya and he clenched his fist in order to gain at least some control over rage that filled him – I moved out of neighborhood before his letter came. My family moved oversees; at the time they believed I was squib. I was homeschooled, only shaman found a way to reconnect me with my magical core. We kept in touch but when his letters stop coming I decided to come here and see what is going on. It was all a happy coincidence. –
- Miss Katya, what is your last name? –
- Why? You want to hares my family? No Miss Skeeter, Katya will have to suffice. – Katya smiled naively and he bit a tong to prevent his lips from twitching in to a smile.
- So, when the romance started? – blinked Rita and Katya broadened her grin
- There is no romance. We are just good friends. –
- You live together, are you not? –
- We do. –
- And … -
- Miss Skeeter, we know each other since we were in diapers. I didn’t have desire to see his bits then and I still don’t. Sev was nice enough to place me in his guest room until I set my affairs in order and I’m able to move to my own place. Don’t you have friends like that? –
- I’m not here to answer your questions Miss – hissed Rita – Are you not afraid to share housing with ex Death Eater? –
- I’m not. I’m sharing housing with my friend, a war hero. –
- Severus, can you shade a light on your role in the war? – Rita turned to him
- I was a spy. - he clipped a short answer
- Can you elaborate? –
- No. –
- Miss Katya saved your life, how do you feel about that? –
- Grateful. – he squeezed failing to keep venom from his voice
- Is this “temporary” housing signifies a new love perhaps? –
- Hardly, I believe Katy already gave an answer to that question. –
- How was it to wake up and discover that you are cleared of all charges and a war hero? –
- Thrilling. –
- What are your thoughts on unfortunate event of murdering Albus Dumbledore? – blinked Rita with a smile that could match a color of her quill
- Classified - he replied evenly
- Miss Katya, - Rita turned to woman next to him, he could notice angry twitching of her eye – What are your plans from now on, you spent decent time in a Ministry jail as I gather, why is that? –
- I came here in the middle of war battle; I refused to tell them any information about me until Sev showed up. –
- Didn’t Ministry tried to force the information form you? –
- They did, I was just better than them. –
- Do you see yourself as stronger than our Aurors? –
- Questionable, I wouldn’t call it stronger just different. –
- Who was your mentor? –
- Irrelevant, I don’t have permission to disclose his name or whereabouts. –
- Have you any message for our readers? –
- Yes, - growled Snape – but out of my life. Would that be all Rita? –
- Yes. – she smiled venomously
They left the room and Katya stopped, pretending she must tie a shoelace on her boot, hissing to him quietly
- Wait a second, no point of returning here. –
- What did you do? –
- Nothing much, you’ll see. – she winked at him – Walk slowly. –
They headed toward the door, Katya was counting and he became weary, almost scared of what she might have done. Sherell scream stopped them in their tracks, and with a corner of an eye he noticed a flash of victorious smile on Katya’s face. Rita bolted from the room shrieking like a banshee
- Stop them, they hexed my quill! Call the Aurors! This is an open attack on press! – nearing to them she pointed one bony finger at their direction – You will learn that is not smart to mess with me. –
- Are you threating a war hero Miss Skeeter? – Katya raised an eyebrow – In front of witnesses? That’s brave. – he nearly chuckled
They were asked to return in to the same room and wait for Auror investigator. Returning there, they sat quietly. Nearly five hours later, and many tedious answers repeated to different Aurors, they were finally sent home with apologies of main editor, Aurors office and Minister himself, sent by Percy. They were escorted by Rita’s threats.
Severus waited until they reached security of their home, he wouldn’t put behind Rita to follow them in her animagus form. Wards he seated on his house protected them even against that. Once it was safe to ask he snapped
- What in a Merlin’s name was that? –
- Did you like it? – Katya giggled
- Like what? Being detained by Aurors, questioned like a common criminal or enraging one of the most poisonous pens in daily press? What exactly is there to like? –
- I’m afraid that, that viper lost her venom, for good. – Katya grinned viciously – The nerve of that woman! I was watching what that quill wrote, she twisted every said syllable. –
- As expected. That is precisely why I told you to memorize answers I gave you and not speak without question directly aimed at you. Of course your inability to follow even the simplest instruction… -
- Oh, stop it! Even with that she would made a story that would made our heads spin. – Katya grinned again – What I did was much better. –
- What was that you did? –
- I altered her. –
- Beg your pardon! You hexed her? –
- No. –
- They checked every single piece of her possessions, no hex was found. – he continued ignoring her interruption.
- I told you that essence controls mind. I just altered part of her brain; she is incapable of lying, ever again. And they may look until sky falls; it is neither spell nor hex. –
- Miss Katya, you are aware that is forbidden for you to use your kind of magic outside these walls? – asked dryly
- I am. – she was still grinning – And don’t you tell me that you think I did something wrong. –
- That is precisely what I am going to tell you. Next time you even think of doing something similar, I will report you to Ministry. – he hissed at her and stalked to the library.
Only in safety of library he allowed himself to laugh, biting in his lower lip to prevent laughing out loud. For the first time since he opened his eyes, he was glad to be alive. Rita’s bewildered look was something he was glad to see.
~ S ~ S ~ S ~
Day later, both him and Katya were in the kitchen, waiting for owl to deliver new issue of Daily Prophet, confusing Tippy by their jumpy attitude. Minuscule elf finally shooed them out of the kitchen and they seated in the living room, reading.
Unwillingly, he had to admit that Katya was not unpleasant company from lately. She didn’t act like a brat, and when she talked she was easy to listen. Still he didn’t attempt to lead serious conversation with her, limiting their communication to lessons or various interrogation techniques.
- Is there something amiss on my person Miss Katya? – asked not raising his eyes form the page, sensing her eyes drilling a hole in his face
- You stopped reading. – she answered
- Not to my knowledge that I did, but how did you reach such clairvoyant insight? – he drawled
- You didn’t turn page in more than ten minutes. –
- Did it occur to you that I might be contemplating on something I read in the book? –
- No, unless you were reading something amusing. – she grinned – You had a smile, and not sarcastic one. You had honest, pleasant smile. –
- Did I? – he narrowed his eyes at her asking in a dry voice
- You should smile more often; it doesn’t look bad on you. – she smiled at him and he raised eyebrow at her – Don’t give me that look, I’m not seducing you. I’m offering my honest opinion…Sev. –
- Miss Katya, I can appreciate your cooperation with the background story for press, but I certainly do not condone its continuation in privacy. – he didn’t sound convincing even to himself, his words lacked the malice
- Is it that difficult for you to call me by my given name? –
- What would be your astute assumption on that matter? –
- You don’t want to know. –
- Enlighten me. – snipped
- You distancing yourself by refusing to familiarize yourself with me. Calling me by my name means that we have some sort of connection, and you don’t want that. –
- Then, pray tell, why would you insist on impossible? –
- It is not impossible, it is not even accurate, we do share a bond. –
- Must you remind me? – he groaned
Whatever Katya’s reply would be he never learned, at that moment newspaper appeared on the table. Katya jumped and grabbed them; on the second page was large photo of them, entering in to the Prophet’s building. Katya read the title trough laughter
“NOT A LOVE STORY, JUST BORING FRIENDSHIP
Much to my displeasure, yesterday I had a visit from Ministry official as well as from Severus Snape and his friend Miss Katya. What we thought is a blooming and thrilling love affair, turned out to be plain old, and if I may say so, quite boring childhood friendship.
Ministry official told us that Ministry is proud to count Severus Snape ex Death Eater and Voldemort’s right hand as one of most deserving war heroes not only in this but also in the previous war. They had no comment about the questionable actions of Severus Snape as a spy and as a murderer of Albus Dumbledore. Ministry’s stance concerning Dumbledore’s death is that he was not murdered, and that circumstances surrounding his death are confidential. Mr. Snape have same attitude, refusing to disclose any of the information.
Mr. Snape told us, in so many words, that he “was a spy” when asked about his role in the war. A fact that he was freed of charges and named a hero is, and I quote, “Thrilling”. When I asked him about his sentiment towards heroic act of Miss, Katya that saved his life he told me he is grateful. He refused to tell us more about his connection to Miss Katya except that they are kinder-garden friends.
If I may say so, in my honest opinion, Severus Snape may be war hero but he certainly is not gentlemen! He practically insulted Miss Katya by stating that there is no romance between them (as if he would admit to the press!), he stated that she is “not his, not young and no lady” (in those exact words)!!! How incredibly rude to say something like that in front the woman he is talking about! Couldn’t he soften it just a smidge? Apparently not!
Miss Katya proved to be even worse than Severus Snape, if that is possible! She told me that they are, indeed, childhood friends who stayed in touch through all the years. It all boils down to quite boring and accidental timing, when Miss Katya returned in country she left as a child, to see what is going on with her friend. If you ask me – boring!!!!!!!!!!! – And if I am in any condition to make this story more interesting, I would.
It is confirmed that they in fact live together, but Miss Katya supported “no romance” statement with, and I quote again “Miss Skeeter, we know each other since we were in diapers. I didn’t have desire to see his bits then and I still don’t. Sev was nice enough to place me in his guest room until I set my affairs in order and I’m able to move to my own place. Don’t you have friends like that?” The nerve of that woman! Of course, I don’t have them, you *** (shoots, they censored me).
To cut this already long article short, I am sorry to report, but those two are boring as they can be, and I personally will be happy if I see them never again. As far as I’m concerned – they deserve each other.
Oh, yes! Severus Snape has a message for all you naïve readers “But out of my life!”
(Remaining of the article is censored by editor)
By your most dissatisfied
Rita Skeeter”
Katya was reading the whole article out loud, imitating Rita’s voice, and laughing every few sentences. At the end, she was half on the floor and half on the chair. Even he was chuckling loudly, against his resolve not to do it in front of her. He was taken aback with giddy feeling, so unfamiliar to him that cut him in a middle of chuckling. No matter how much he attempted to shake it off, it was impossible, he simply felt…much to his cringe…happy.
Giddy feeling held him even tomorrow, when on the first page they noticed short notification.
“RITA SKEETER IN ST. MUNGO’S
By Andy Smudgley
Our dear colleague and famous reporter, writer of several biographies Rita Skeeter is placed yesterday in St. Mingo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies. Rita contracted mysterious disease that baffled healers in St. Mungo’s and they decided to keep her. It is unclear how Rita managed to contract said disease or is it contagious.
Even if Miss Skeeter insisted that she was cursed by Severus Snape and Miss Katya, after thorough investigation it is deduced that said visitors had nothing to do with Rita’s condition. This was confirmed later by healers at St. Mungo’s.
Mysterious disease manifests itself in a manner that sic person is unable to tell a lie, even a smallest one. Rita will stay there until cure is found or if healers deduce that she is not contagious. Her column is postponed until further notice.”
Good mood held him almost whole day, until floo calls and owls started to arrive. In following few days, beside one very angry call from Minister, and thrilled calls form Poppy, Minerva and Weasley clan he closed the floo. Harry sent him an owl with message of support, Hermione sent one to the Katya, day after, Tippy was out of her mind when owl after owl flied from Ministry delivering multitude of letters and howlers. Many of letters supported him or his actions either in war or from the interview. But, plenty of letters were down right threatening to him but also to Katya.
After two days of giddiness, his mood degraded from numbness to foul and once again volatile. By the end of the week, Katya and even Tippy limited their contacts with him to bare necessity. Tippy opted to stay in kitchen and out of his sight, sending him everything by magic, Katya seen him only during their training with wand or teaching him, sending him essays by Tippy.
After ten days, owls stopped delivering insane amounts of mail. Floo was active once again and life returned to its previous course.
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The Prize