Stay With Me (sequel to Forever Yours)

8. Dangerous

Lucy glared at him in disbelief and shock.  "Is that a threat, Brandon?"

He shrugged his broad shoulders.  "Call it what you want.  It doesn't matter to me.  But you need to stay away from him."

Kara seemed interested in the conversation now.  She walked over to stand beside her man.  Brandon draped his arm around her.  Lucy just stared at the two of them for a moment, calculating in her head what to say and exactly how to say it.  

"That's not going to happen," she told him finally.  It was best to go with the blunt approach.  He started to say something, but she stopped him.  "I'm not finished yet.  Severus and I are living in the same spot in the castle.  There is no possible way I could stay away from him even if I wanted to.  But you know what?  I don't want to, Brandon."

Kara's eyes widened and she gasped.  Brandon swallowed hard, his face as hard as stone.

"That's unfortunate."

Lucy rolled her eyes.  "And why is that?"

"Because he's not a good person," Brandon insisted.  "Can't you see what he is?"

She placed her hand on her hips.  "I know exactly who Severus Snape is.  I've always known."

It was Kara's turn to roll her eyes.  "You don't know the half of it.  The man is evil."

Lucy turned on her.  "You don't even know him."

"Neither do you.  Not like you think you do."

Anger rose inside of her.  This was getting her nowhere.  "How dare you!"

Brandon stepped forward.  He had seen Lucy angry before.  He pushed Kara behind him.  "She's just trying to warn you.  He's on one of the Ministry of Magic's watchlists."

She crossed her arms.  "How do you know that?"

"I'm an Auror now.  That's how I got the Defense Against the Dark Arts position."

"It doesn't matter how many lists he's on, Brandon.  I won't stay away from him."

"Lucy, you're being stupid!  Listen to reason for once in your life."

Lucy shook her head.  "What makes you think that he is so dangerous?"

Kara stepped out from behind Brandon with a smug look on her face.  "Because Severus Snape is a Death Eater."

She smiled at the woman.  "You mean he was."

Brandon's eyes widened in disbelief.  "You know?"

"Of course I do!  I told you I know everything I need to know about him."

"You are going to live with a former Death Eater?"

"That's the plan."

He clenched his fists at his sides.  "Lucy, that is suicidal.  You can't be thinking straight.  The man was a DEATH EATER."

"I heard you the first time, Brandon, and I don't care.  I know what he was and I know what he is now.  Two completely different people."

"There is no 'was'.  Nobody stops being a Death Eater."

"Severus did."

"You're naive."

"So are you if you think for one minute that anything you've said to me is going to make me stay away from him in any way.  We're done here."  She turned to walk away, but Brandon grabbed her wrist.  She glared up at him.  "Let go of me."

"No," he said stubbornly.  "Not until I can get you see reason."

Lucy glanced back at Kara, who was staring off into the distance with her arms crossed on top of her chest.  She looked completely uninterested again.