Chapter 41: Last Minute Tension
At the start of summer, Hogwarts couldn’t have been quieter. The kids where still locked in classrooms, desperate to get out. When they heard the bell, the hallways exploded everywhere.
Children sprinted and laughed as the last ever lesson ended, summer had come and was going to stay as long as possible. Seventh years thanked they’d survived potions and they also had a summer prom to look forward too while everyone else was going to enjoy the sunshine.
All except Lucy.
She came out after everyone else. She walked silently down the stone corridor and past the garden that had swarms of black. She had a couple of hours before the train had to leave, she might as well see her friends and then pack, she’d rather Snape pack first, so she didn’t have to face his sorry looks.
Lucy sped past some rowdy boys and to the black lake. She shuddered as she remembered the coldness and density of it all, the mermaids and…
“Lucky Lu!” George snorted as he sat underneath the tree. Lucy faked smiled and trotted over quietly “Fredrick’s been looking for you.”
“I’ve been studying the wonders of pool dragons,” Hermione said through her book, not looking up to her. George whistled a tune while Lucy sat down next to him.
“George, where is Fred exactly?”
“Right here!” he jumped from behind a hedge. This didn’t amuse Lucy, looking like smacked arse.
“Give it up, mate,” George mumbled as he tried to make her laugh, until he fell into the lake. This caught everyone’s attention, but they all turned back after he spluttered back to life.
“I’m not looking forward to summer,” Harry moaned and banged his head. “I’ve got loads of potions homework.” But Lucy knew this wasn’t the case a all. It was because Voldemort had risen. He knew what he was facing now, and Lucy did too. Zuc was more terrifying than she’d ever thought, politely quiet but everlasting bathed in sin.
“I’m up in this tree,” Shona said simply as she swung from a tree branch. Lucy waved to her as she tossed herself about, mumbling the mission impossible theme tune.
“I’m doing nothing this summer, well, panicking really, so,” Lucy mumbled
“You’ll be fine, Lucy, you’ve only got to save the entire race of wizards in the whole wide world from some master knight who wants to destroy magic,” George said calmly.
“Thanks, George,” Lucy mumbled, not feeling any better.
“Why you anyway? You’re just like Harry, how are you going to stop a full six foot man with an ingenious brain from wiping wizard kind out completely?” Hermione sighed.
“I don’t really know,” Lucy sighed again, Shona still mumbling until she fell out the tree.
“Don’t feel so bad! So what he saw you! He can’t get us yet! Can he?” Shona asked from a dirt pile.
Shona had a point; there was no way for Zuc to touch them or anyone else without Merlin’s orb. As long as they had it, no one could touch them. Maybe Kingston could come through because he was not a knight, he wasn’t the big deal, the army that awaited was a more serious matter.
After an hour of messing around they were all sent back to their rooms to pack. Lucy walked down to the dungeons in silence, the kid’s screams floating away above.
Lucy opened the steel doorknob carefully, but the door creaked open, spoiling her entry. Snape heard her and looked up from his desk.
“How can you still write at this time?” Lucy said to him. Snape put the quill back into the inkpot and looked up to her.
“Work from tests, I’m afraid I wont have a quiet summer,” he moaned and packed some up neatly. “You need to pack your things.”
“I was just about to” she said quietly. Without warning she bolted upstairs and left Snape in the dim light. He knew how she felt.
It didn’t take long for Lucy to pack her things, but she felt a strong lump in her throat as a picture of Cedric from the Daily Prophet snuck itself between her tops. She placed it in the top compartment and made sure it didn’t get lost at any point in the journey. She also placed all her potions books on it as well, just to be safe and as well as that she hid the knife, if Snape found out about that he’d go mental. Lucy double checked her room and made sure her wand was in her pocket, then set off.
Lucy dragged her suitcase down the stairs; the jolts echoing down the small stone staircase, immediately opening up to the ‘living’ room. Snape had tried to tidy his workplace, but alas still jars of eyes and one headed squirrels floated around. Lucy wished he’d stop putting his work on his desk, the contents usually scaring her off to her bedroom or the kitchen.
Snape was still packing, Lucy had never seen him unfinished in any job he did, as Snape was very thorough. He never left any dust unturned, and the fact that he was only putting his papers away. His bags were by the door, the knight costume in the room sparkling in the light sun raise making its way through a crack in the window pain.
“Dad,” Lucy asked, he stopped instantly.
“Yes?” He asked curiously.
“Are you ok?”
“I’m fine, Lucy, a little rushed” he muttered as he sped off. Lucy pulled a face as he came back out again, locking all the rooms.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes”
“Really truly super-dooley sure?”
“Lucy” he said as though he was about to tell her something important. Lucy waited for a reply. “Speak English.”
She groaned as Snape picked up his Daily Prophet and handed it to her. Snape flicked his wand and the curtains fell downwards, blocking out the warmth and happiness. The dim light lead them to the door, and Snape swung it open quickly. He picked up his bags and let Lucy out, checked the room once more, and slammed the door shut.
As he locked the door, Lucy listened to the daze of the echo reaching down and out the dungeons. The children’s laughter was chocked out down here, and Lucy wondered for a second why her father even liked it down here. Snape sped past her quickly and Lucy had to jog to keep up with him, both wore blank expressions.
As they made their way through part of the woods, they caught up with a mumbling crowd of children, Lucy hadn’t bothered to change, and so she stuck out like a sore thumb. There were some kids hanging around in their t-shirts and sunglasses, ready for the heat blast predicted by the muggle weathermen.
“Oi,” one of the boys muttered to another. “It’s that Snape girl”
The other one looked up in annoyance. “Eh?”
“You know, the one that saw ‘him”
“No way! It is! Heard she’s a pathetic little pig…”
“And I’ve heard you still let your mum dress you every morning,” Shona poked her head out between them, surprising them. They rolled their eyes a she walked off before shouting to one. “Send my love to your mummy! Does she know you kissed Kasey Danderdail on the lips?”
At once the kids around them all giggled and screamed, the other boy nudging him and making him turn red. Lucy turned and giggled to herself.
“What was that about, Shona?”
“Oh nothing,” Shona said happily. She waited as the other boy started to chant at his friend. As they walked though, the other kids trousers fell down, revealing lovely white and red underwear
“Does it say ‘I love my mum,’ Collin?” Shona said loudly as other kids laughed. The two scuttled to a carriage, shaking fists at McGuire.
They did eventfully reach the Hogwarts express, but both where exhausted from the beating sun and crowds. Lucy looked around to see her dad was already placing his things in the carriage, and was looking very hot.
“Dad do you want some help?”
“No thank you, Lucy,” he mumbled as he painfully lifted another suitcase. “Just go and see your friends.”
“Dad,” she said again. “You do love me? Don’t you?”
Snape looked up for a moment as Durmstrang kids waved goodbye to fellow friends.
“Well of course I do,” he said in an astounded voice.
“You seemed rushed,” Lucy muttered as he looked down and sighed
“I’m worried, that’s all” he said as he lifted his head. Lucy didn’t need telling what it was that worried her dad.
“You don’t hate me for any of this? For having to save everyone…”
“No,” Snape said quietly. “You have no choice, Lucy, the orb is being protected in the ministry, and as long as its safe, you wont be meeting him anytime soon.”
“I meant dragging you and Shona in as well.”
Snape closed the door as the ginger Weasley family ran down the crumbling road by the school.
“I shall always stand by you, Lucy,” he told her. He smiled and his daughter smiled back. “You’re the best daughter I could have ever wished for.”
Lucy felt a very large lump in her throat as he said this
“Seriously?”
“Really truly super-dooley sure” he muttered into her ear as he hugged her. It made her laugh gently and Snape’s face lit up with brief happiness, until…
“Lucky! Come sit with us!” George bounded over and dragged her away. This made Lucy laugh even more as the ginger dragged her over to the sea of Weasley’s
“I’ll see you later, Lucy” Snape called out, but she had gone. He muttered to himself and carried himself up onto the train.
“Lucy! George and me are mega rich!” Fred hi-fived George. “Harry gave us all the money he won for the contest!”
“Sweet!” Lucy beamed even though she already knew about this.
Suddenly the whistle from the train roared, sending puffs of smoke into the air. The kids all looked around before McGuire shouted:
“Last ones a rotten troll!”
At once, all bolted to the train, Shona arrived first, but was squished by the oncoming fans of Hogwarts. Shona’s yelps could be heard as they all clambered on, walking nearly on top of her…
“Lucy,” Fred said, Lucy turned to find she wasn’t the only one who hadn’t dashed for the train.
“You OK, Fredrick?” She asked nicely.
“Fine. But are you?” He asked. Lucy gulped.
“I don’t really know…” She told him truthfully. Fred nodded before he continued.
“Cedric was a good man really,” he said through clenched teeth
“I thought you hated Ced?”
“Yes, but he was very cool…and non ginger…” Lucy laughed and Fred chuckled, his jumper looking very patchy
“You’re not that bad, Fred, otherwise we wouldn’t be going out,” Lucy said to him.
“You still like…me?” Fred asked confused.
“When didn’t I?” Lucy asked. The train whistled again and Fred was inching closer.
Before Lucy knew it, Fred was kissing her on the lips. It was sweet and subtle, the train drowning out every second that went by. Fred held her close and tightly, as the sun seemed to applaud them. After what seemed like half a century, they parted, smiles on each other’s faces.
“TRAIN!” Shona screamed as she ran alongside it. To their horror, the train was nearly away from the platform and the kids where all begging them to hurry up. They both ran quickly, their only ticket of going home inching away ever so quickly. Shona was running as fast as her long legs could carry her, the children laughing and holding their breaths.
“Wait up!” Fred shouted, but it was all too late. The last carriage had just about left the platform.
“MCGUIRE POWERS! GO!” Shona screamed and literally smashed her self into the back of the carriage, which had a small platform on the end. She landed with a bump, but safe. Meanwhile a man had been standing there, but had been knocked over quite harshly.
“SHONA MCGUIRE!” Snape roared from underneath his cloak. Fred and Lucy laughed as many swear words and punishments were called out into the heated air.
“So what we going to do now?” Lucy said.
“I did see a nice restaurant in Hogsmade a while back,” he muttered.
“No! We have to get home!” Lucy squealed.
“Oh don’t worry Lucy! You’ll be fine!”
“But what about dad?”
“He’s got McGuire.”
The screams could still be heard:
“FIVE DETENIONS MCGUIRE! AND I WANT A FULL WRITTEN ESSAY ON WHY IT IS ILLEGAL TO ASSULT TEACHERS! AND IM TALKING TO YOUR MOTHER!”
“BRING IT ON, SEVVY! YOU CANT HANDLE ME! WHOOO!” Shona yelled as they could see her enjoying the ride.
“Guess I could leave Shona to babysit him,” she laughed, and the two walked off back to Hogwarts, hand in hand, hoping that they could have one last date before summer.
* * *
Shona: Snape gets a power too? You're just too nice...
Lucy: You really don't like him, do you?
Shona: Never have done, never will do. I won't in the next book either!
Lucy: Whatever you say, McGuire, whatever you say...
Shona: I say Snape's a git!
Look out for book five 'Lucy Snape and the Wizarding Army!'