Third-person's view
Losing fifty points for getting caught with Harry while sneaking Norbert away was a disaster. The Hufflepuff common room, normally warm and welcoming, had never felt so suffocating. [Y/N] could feel the weight of her housemates' disappointment pressing down on her, even if they didn't say it outright.
But she wasn't going to sit back and let it be.
If she lost points, she could earn them back.
With that thought, she set out on a mission: go to every Head of House and find a way to gain points before detention in the Forbidden Forest.
♬⋆.˚
She started with Professor Sprout, knowing her Head of House would be the most likely to give her a chance. After an hour of repotting Venomous Tentacula seedlings (and nearly losing a finger), she earned back ten points.
"At least you're trying to fix your mistake," Sprout had said with a sigh. "Just be careful next time, dear."
♬⋆.˚
Next, she found Professor Flitwick, who was delighted when she offered to help organize his chaotic stack of enchanted books. One had nearly bitten her hand off, but after charming them into alphabetical order, she gained another five points.
"Wonderful work, Miss Beaufort! Five points to Hufflepuff!"
♬⋆.˚
Trying McGonagall was a mistake.
"Miss Beaufort, points are not something to be bargained for. You will earn them through good behavior and time."
Ouch.
Still, she had fifteen points back. Not bad. But she needed more.
Which meant...
Snape.
♬⋆.˚
The dungeons were colder than usual when she stepped inside. Snape was hunched over his desk, examining a cauldron filled with something thick and dangerously bubbling.
[Y/N] cleared her throat. "Professor Snape."
He didn't even look up. "What do you want, Beaufort?"
She resisted the urge to grimace at his tone.
"I lost fifty points. I want to earn them back."
That got his attention. His black eyes flicked up, studying her with unreadable curiosity.
"Do you?" he drawled, voice smooth as silk but sharp as a blade. "And what makes you think I would waste my time handing out points like sweets?"
[Y/N] clasped her hands behind her back, keeping her expression neutral. "Because you value competence, Professor. If I do something useful, something worthy of earning points, surely it wouldn't be... wasting your time."
Snape raised a brow. His fingers tapped against his desk in thought.
"Interesting," he murmured. "I don't recall many Hufflepuffs with such... resourcefulness."
[Y/N] smiled. "I like to be an exception."
Snape exhaled through his nose—either amusement or irritation, she couldn't tell. Finally, he stood.
"Fine," he said coolly. "There is an experimental potion I am working on. It requires delicate precision and an understanding of subtle ingredient interactions. If you can assist me without causing a catastrophe, I may consider awarding points."
That was probably the best deal she was going to get.
"Alright," she said, stepping forward. "Tell me what to do."
♬⋆.˚
The next thirty minutes were spent in intense concentration. [Y/N] followed Snape's exact instructions, carefully measuring out crushed moonstone, stirring counterclockwise at just the right tempo, and adjusting the flame under the cauldron by a mere fraction when he commanded.
Snape observed her closely—too closely—but she didn't let it unnerve her.
"Hmph. Adequate," he muttered after a while, peering into the cauldron.
[Y/N] bit back a smirk. From him, that was practically high praise.
He straightened, looking at her as though she was a puzzle he couldn't quite solve.
"Twenty points to Hufflepuff," he finally said.
Success.
But as she turned to leave, his voice cut through the air like a knife.
"Miss Beaufort."
She stopped.
"You seem to know quite a lot... more than you should, at times."
Her heart skipped a beat, but she didn't let it show. She turned back, expression pleasantly blank.
"I just like to be well-informed, Professor."
Snape narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I wonder," he mused, more to himself than to her. Then, with a wave of his hand, he dismissed her.
As she left the dungeons, [Y/N] couldn't help but feel the weight of his gaze still lingering on her.
She had thirty-five points back.
But something told her that wasn't the last conversation she would have with Severus Snape.
♬⋆.˚
The Hufflepuff common room was as warm and welcoming as ever, the low glow of enchanted lanterns casting soft golden light over the cozy space. Despite that, [Y/N] barely had the energy to appreciate it.
She trudged through the entrance, utterly exhausted.
Before she could even collapse onto one of the squashy armchairs, a voice called out—
"Oi, Beaufort!"
She barely had time to process before someone grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. It was the Hufflepuff prefect, looking at her with a mix of surprise and admiration. Beside him stood Cedric Diggory, arms crossed but a small, amused smile on his face.
"We just checked the hourglasses," the prefect said, eyes gleaming. "You got thirty-five points back?"
[Y/N] let out a slow exhale, rubbing the back of her neck. "I tried my best."
Cedric whistled lowly. "That's impressive. You must've worked hard."
The prefect nodded in agreement. "Seriously, that's no small feat. We were all pretty gutted about the loss, but this? This is incredible."
Guilt gnawed at her. She lowered her gaze, fingers tightening at her sides. "I'm still sorry for losing fifty points in the first place."
The prefect clicked his tongue before reaching out and ruffling her hair affectionately.
"No need to apologize. You owned up to it, and you did something about it. That's what matters."
[Y/N] blinked, momentarily startled by the gentle warmth in his voice.
Cedric grinned. "He's right. Besides, I think you've earned yourself a good rest."
The prefect gently but firmly steered her toward the dorms. "Go on, get some sleep before you collapse. That's an order."
[Y/N] let herself be pushed along, a tired smile tugging at her lips. Hufflepuff was truly something else.
♬⋆.˚
Whoop Whoop! AN EXTRA!?˙⋆✮
⋆ "Why is everything targeting my hand-" [Y/N] muttered worriedly.
⭑ Reputation? saved!
⋆ Snape is suspicious of [Y/N], it wont be the last time he'll get help from [Y/N].
⭑ [Y/N] was startled by the gentle warmth in his voice because usually when one do something wrong, even when they already fix that mistake, people are just still bitter.
⋆ [Y/N] really like the Hufflepuffs people.
¹⁰⁰⁰ ʷᵒʳᵈˢ ʷᵉʳᵉ ᵘˢᵉᵈ.