Chapter 5: Apathetic American Boy 

The rest of the holidays for Lucy seemed pretty normal, although she couldn't help but feel on the edge all the time. The portal to England was open for Zuc and he could hop through it at will, it would be most likely that he would find where Lucy and Snape were living and would try to kill them. Every night that Lucy went to sleep she thought about this and it scared her. She felt like she needed to tell Snape but she just couldn't. 

However, the morning before they would return back to Hogwarts Snape decided it was time he picked up on Lucy's strange behaviour as he set breakfast down on the table. He sat opposite her, daily prophet in hand and mug of tea in the other which he finally enjoyed drinking again. 

"Lucy," he said as he opened the paper to the first page, ignoring the front cover which had Lucy on yet again. This time the press were complaining about her opening the portal when she really didn't, well she had but Zuc had controlled her. Lucy watched the image of her for a moment then shook her head and stared at her breakfast. "Tell me what's on your mind." 

"Nothing," she shrugged and pushed the toast around the plate awkwardly, she seemed to have lost her appetite all of a sudden. "Nothing at all." 

"You can't fool me," he replied in a stern voice, reading some articles and not even looking at her. He seemed rather amused at her surprised face, it was as though it was a wonder to her that he could read her like a book. 

"Yes I can — I mean, no I can't because there's nothing to fool you with." 

"Stop playing games and just tell me," he lowered the paper and actually looked at her. She took a bite of her toast and shrugged, forcing herself to eat because food was like gold dust to her after being starved for most of her summer. 

"There's nothing on my mind!" 

"Oh you're such a stubborn teenager, aren't you? They say they get worse as they get older..." 

"That's not fair," Lucy narrowed her eyes. "For most of my summer I was locked in a tower on the medieval islands and you expect me to come out of there all singing all dancing. How would you like it?" 

"Enough with the attitude and cut to the chase." 

Lucy growled which made Snape smile just a little bit; she could never win. He mostly won the arguments between her and him. He didn't feel superior for it he just felt that it was a way of teaching his daughter that she did have a lack of knowledge because she was so young and had so much to learn. 

"Just leave me alone, alright? I'm not really in the mood to throw all my feelings at you, I'm not an open book for you to read when you please."

"I only want to help." 

"Well some things can't be helped." 

His eyes lingered on her for a moment before making their way back to an interesting article in the paper, he could feel that he was finally getting some information out of her. "Like what?" 

"The fact that Zuc has opened the portal to England and he can get here whenever he pleases and will probably find us and kill us. Now the press find it funny to put me down because they say I opened the portal, that's rubbish. They supported me for so long...why do they have to do this to me now?" 

Snape turned the page of the paper leaving Lucy's rant to sink in. Lucy felt like it was a waste of breath though because Snape didn't seem to find any interest in it. If there was one thing that really annoyed her it was when she said something and someone didn't reply making her feel like an idiot.

"First of all," Snape spoke up after he'd processed the information like a slow machine who wasn't quite up to scratch. "Despite the fact that Zuc desperately want us dead I doubt if he'd come running over to England and kill us on the spot."

"Want to bet?"

"Don't go wasting away your life thinking about that. We'll know when Zuc wants to come and kill us because he'll make a big entrance. If there's one thing he likes it's to get noticed." 

"But why would he like to get noticed by killing us? Wouldn't he just want to make a quick job of it, steal the orb and run back to the medieval islands and do whatever he's going to do?" 

"No," Snape shook his head, his eyes still darting to and fro as he read an article, Lucy felt like he wasn't really reading it though, as though he was holding it like a prop. "If he made a quick job of it nobody would know of our death, would they? That wouldn't be much good. If people knew he had made it to England it would make the papers therefore getting the wizarding population to worry. Then he would finally declare that he was their leader and they had no hope..." he closed the paper and looked at her. "Does that make more sense?" 

"I guess so but wouldn't people try to kill him?" 

"That's our job but we would be dead. Everyone is too scared to face him. If they saw him on the streets they'd be so scared it would be like they'd just seen an urban legend walk past their house in broad daylight," Snape shrugged but he still saw Lucy's confusion. "Let me ask you something...if you didn't know what Zuc was or you didn't know what you were up against, would you be afraid?" 

"Of course. I'm afraid anyway." 

"Exactly, there's my point. We know about Zuc and what he does. Most of the wizarding population haven't the foggiest of what he wants that orb for. All they know is that we're the gifted and we have powers, we've got to protect that orb to make sure he — the threat — doesn't get hold of it. They have only gained this information from the papers. I've read articles on it and the people who write them have only skimmed on what we do, if I wasn't part of this it would seem all too simple to me but as the gifted we know all of the complications. We know what is the truth, we know these complications. The people in the paper have no idea about what happened in the department of mysteries — which leads us to your next worry — and have no idea how to get that portal open." 

"So what you're saying is that the newspapers only outline the truth and shove whatever lies into the newspaper to make the story more interesting?" 

"My point exactly, reporters are like authors who write fiction; both can tell lies." 

"Why do you read the lies then?" Lucy gestured to the prophet. 

He leaned towards her from over the table. "Because reality is horrible." 

*      *      *

Lucy closed her trunk slowly the next day, fastening the small catches with care to make sure they were in place. She really didn't feel like going back to Hogwarts now, there would be press everywhere and she'd have to hide in the dungeons to get away from it all. She'd just sit down there like an unsociable teenager...besides, she had no one to see anyway. Well, she had Shona but she would most likely come and visit her when she had a detention with Snape. The cold dungeons actually sounded appealing.

"Are you ready, Lucy?" Snape called from downstairs while Lucy did up the top button of her shirt. She was wearing the base for her school uniform, only leaving out the tie and the robe because they were the only two pieces that branded her, saying that she went to Hogwarts. This way it would be easier because as soon as she got on the train she could slip on her robe, do up her tie and pin her prefects badge to her chest and fulfil her duties. 

"Yes," Lucy replied in a small voice, not even certain that Snape heard what she said. Did it matter? Not really. She was too busy bracing herself for when she would run towards platform nine and three quarters and then be met with a swarm of press that would interrogate her. 

"Lucy?" Snape called again but he didn't sound impatient, just concerned. Lucy hauled her trunk off of the bed with one hand and took Angus' cage with the other after slipping her bag over her shoulder. 

In the next moment Snape was in her room, she looked up from the floor and at him. She forced a smile but it must have come out more of a grimace because Snape frowned, folding his arms to make him seem more threatening. However, Lucy didn't flinch because Snape wouldn't hurt her. 

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, taking her trunk from her even though she tried to fight off his help. She was just trying to prove she was an independent woman who could do things for herself but Snape didn't seem to get the message. 

"I guess so," she sighed and held onto Angus' cage with both hands, Angus himself hissed from inside the cage in an annoyed manner. 

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine," he reassured before kissing her on the cheek and leaving the room and making his way downstairs. 

"OK," she whispered to nothing but her four walls that enclosed her in a room where nobody was listening. A room that almost made her feel she was to be kept because she was mental...or so the papers claimed. Some press had even claimed that she was absolutely barking and that you should approach her with extreme caution because she might flip out at you. These comments really hurt Lucy. 

Lucy knelt down and reached under her bed, there she pulled out Merlin's sword. She already had the orb and the un-complete version of the Tale of the Knights but she had left Merlin's sword until last. She hadn't forgotten it, of course, she'd just decided to leave it until last because she hadn't realised how precious it was to her until she'd lost it in her fifth year. 

She slipped it into her bag, double checked her room to see if there was anything she had forgotten to pack and then made her way downstairs to where Snape was waiting with her trunk and his own briefcase; daily prophet un-forgotten. Since he had told her about the way he saw the daily prophet it had put things into perspective more. Before he had told her, Lucy just thought Snape read the paper for pure enjoyment but now she realised he read it like a never ending book that had a chapter released everyday. Of course, just like any author would do when they wrote a book the reporters included facts but they also lied to make the story seem more interesting. 

"Are you ready?" He asked, she felt like shrugging but prevented herself from doing so to avoid being seen as moody. 

"As always," she replied in a voice that hid all the worry from all the torments she was going to get at school. She self-consciously slid down the sleeves of her white shirt all the way down to her wrists, covering every scar visible. 

Lucy took hold of Snape's arm and they apparated, not even bothering to go to the alley way to the side of their house for once. They arrived at King's cross swiftly, people making their way into the station at every which way. Lucy even spotted people from Hogwarts with their parents, it was kind of nerve wracking to her that all the people that attended Hogwarts would be looking at her strange in a way in a matter of minutes. For once she just thought the muggle world was safer because nobody would stare, but then she remembered Zuc and thought it would be better to go to safe Hogwarts and receive a few ominous stares.

"You go first," Lucy found herself saying as they made it to the barrier in between platforms nine and ten. Lucy didn't feel like going first today, she usually would but she felt like Snape going first would be the best way. 

"Are you sure?" Snape frowned. 

"Yes, I'm sure. Go for it." 

Snape gave her a confused look before checking the coast was clear and running straight into the barrier. He then disappeared before Lucy's eyes. Lucy then looked right and then left like she was going to cross the road but she had to make sure no muggles were looking, unfortunately a swarm of muggles had made it into the station and there was no hope for her. 

"Pst!" Someone said in her ear. "You could just use the staff!" 

Lucy turned around and saw Shona holding the walking stick that stopped time. It had been very useful in getting Lucy off of the medieval islands but Lucy saw danger in having it out when muggles were roaming around. 

"Put that away!" Lucy hissed. "Muggles could see!" 

"What? A walking stick? Oh how un-ordinary! Better call the police!" Shona said dramatically. "Just think about what you're saying; you can be stupid sometimes." 

"Look who's talking." 

"I'm not the one who's going crazy about a walking stick." 

"Just put it away and lets get through the barrier the normal way." 

"Whatever, Rapunzel." 

When the crowd of muggles cleared, Lucy and Shona ran as quick as they could through the barrier. But when they made it to the other side, they were met with a bunch of flashes and eager people. Lucy felt like groaning but Shona grabbed her by the arm with a neutral face, she then dragged her through the swarm of reporters. 

"Keep a straight face," Shona muttered through the corner of her mouth. Lucy nodded as they tried desperately to get on the train through the huddle of people, adults and children alike. 

As they tried to get on the train, the swarm of reporters surrounded them and began taking lots of pictures. Lucy then began thinking what the front page of the daily prophet would say tomorrow 'Snape's secret scandal; what's she hiding?'  or 'Medieval madness; Snape seen out in public despite her slip up.' Or something ridiculous like that, she couldn't wait to go to Hogwarts and lock herself away. 

"Out of our way!" Shona hissed as they began to hear insults from parents of students at Hogwarts, all aimed at Lucy and how she supposedly opened the portal. "We're trying to get bloody educated and we can't with you lot in the way!" 

"I think Miss Snape needs educating a lot! Considering she's put us all at risk!" Someone shouted. 

"Oh shut up! You've got Voldemort too! Now out of our way!" Shona yelled and hauled both her and Lucy through the crowd and onto the train away from the press and angry adults. 

Shona took Lucy all the way down to the teachers carriages and stood her right outside Snape's compartment. Lucy was shaking slightly, she was still worried about all the press but Shona looked her firmly in the eyes. 

"Be careful out there," she said sternly before walking off. Lucy nodded then stepped into Snape's carriage, he was sitting there with the un-opened prophet in his hand with both his and Lucy's luggage on the top shelf. Lucy placed Angus' cage on the floor and sat opposite her father. 

"You should have gone first," he said through pursed lips. "I could have got there quicker to protect you." 

"I-I'm fine," Lucy stuttered. 

"No you're not. I'm in the right mind to tell Dumbledore to scrap your prefect duties for today, you're shaking like a leaf in the wind." 

"I'm just cold," Lucy lied as she stood up and grabbed her trunk, she then pulled her cardigan, wand, prefects badge and robe out of the trunk before placing it back on the shelf. 

"Stop trying to fool me." 

"Stop being such a concerned parent," Lucy muttered and slipped her cardigan and robe on, she then pinned the prefects badge to her chest. 

"You can't blame me for it." 

"Maybe not but I'm fine, just stop worrying and read the prophet." 

Snape looked at her and opened the prophet. "Whatever you say." 

Did her father just give in to an argument? Surely not. Lucy couldn't believe that her own father had done that, it was like miracles really did happen. The train began to move and before long they were well on their way to Hogwarts. 

"Lucy," Snape spoke up after a while. "Do me a favour and head down to the bar and get me some wine." 

"Will I be allowed to do that? Besides, haven't you had enough wine?" 

"One, you will be allowed and, two, no I haven't," Snape murmured. Lucy stood up, following his command, but before she could leave Snape stopped her. "You can even get yourself some if you wish." 

"Aren't I a bit young?" 

"You're sixteen, it doesn't matter." 

"You know I was being sarcastic when I said stop being such a worried parent." 

"I wasn't even taking that into consideration, now go get some wine for both of us." 

Lucy looked at him for a moment before shaking her head and leaving the compartment. She made her way down to the bar and opened the door, she let herself in and luckily for her the place was empty so she wouldn't be attacked by teachers. She then walked up to the bar, took two wine glasses and filled them both with wine so they precisely had the same amount. 

When she was finished she made her way back to Snape's compartment, Snape opened the door for her and once again she sat down opposite him. Snape took one wine glass from Lucy and re-opened his prophet to the page he was on. He drank the wine with relish whereas Lucy just sat there holding the glass of wine feeling very awkward. 

"Are you going to drink it or nurse it?" Snape asked, not looking up from his paper. 

"Don't you think this is a little wrong?" 

"It eases pain." 

"I don't want to get drunk." 

"Nonsense, one glass won't hurt." 

"I was being sarcastic." 

"Hurry up and drink the wine otherwise I'll have it." 

Lucy gave a weak nod before slowly taking a sip of the wine, she so desperately wanted to know what her father found so great about wine. Why he had used it to try and keep away memories of her in the summer when she had been kidnapped, why he seemed to drink it sometimes for fun in front of her. How he used it as a pleasure and something to pacify pain. 

But now she knew why. 

Wine tasted wonderful. She didn't know how to explain it, it was probably one of the best things she had ever tasted. She could probably drink it forever and it would never get boring. She now had all the answers to the questions about Snape's obsession with wine...but she didn't want to drink too much and mess up her liver. It was vital she stayed alive. 

When Lucy had finished the glass Snape put his prophet down, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. She couldn't help but smile too, she now knew his secrets.

"I'm guessing that's a positive note from you." 

"You could say that." 

"Just don't become addicted to it, OK?" 

"OK," Lucy promised. In the next moment she stood up, she didn't feel like she could spend the whole train ride with Snape. "I'm going to go carry out my prefects duties." 

"I don't want you to." 

"I'll be fine." 

Before Snape could argue Lucy left the compartment and began to make her way out of the teachers carriages. She hesitated by the door though, she just had to brace herself for the stares and the comments from everyone that saw her. But she would be fine, she knew she would she just had to build the confidence to go out there. 

As she slid open the door, however, she instantly regretted it. She got stares, she was called names, things were thrown at her that she narrowly missed. But she carried on, she was doing her prefect duties and that was all she was here for, nothing else. 

"You're an idiot!" One fifth year screamed. 

"Thanks," Lucy muttered and moved past them not looking like she thought much of the comment, when really she did. 

"Get out of here!" One Hufflepuff boy called. 

"Just passing through," Lucy reassured as she made her way down to the next carriage but she seemed to get the same response from everybody; it was kind of tiring. 

When she made it to where Harry, Luna and Neville were sharing a compartment together. Luna wore some strange glasses and was holding a Quibbler; Lucy admired Luna's dismissive streak towards people who were mean and wish she had that too. She also felt sorry for Neville who was extremely clumsy but was a great friend to have. 

Lucy was about to walk off when Harry looked up and noticed her. He smiled, stood up and opened the door. He then stepped aside for her to come in but Lucy shook her head. 

"Thanks, Harry, but I've really got to do my prefect duties," Lucy sighed, gazing down to the next part of the train which was full of Slytherins...which would be even worse than the area she had finished. 

"Are you sure? There's a load of Slytherins down there..." Harry asked, looking down the corridor as though Voldemort or even Zuc were down there. 

"It's fine, I've got to do this job no matter what...Dumbledore thought I was worthy of it so I will have to do as he asked." 

"Surely you can stay for a little bit?" Luna perked up in her mystical voice. "I'll even let you read the Quibbler." 

"You can have some of the sweets I bought — oh, Trevor! Come back here!" Neville dived under his seat as Trevor, his pet toad, leaped off of his lap and went to hide under the seat. 

"Thank you for the offer but I've really got to do my prefect duties," Lucy said grimly. Lucy began to walk off but Harry grabbed hold of her shoulder. 

"I heard the papers have been giving you a rough time, are you OK?" Harry asked in a low voice so no one else could hear. It was only a question but what Harry had asked made her feel better because he was her half-brother and he was looking out for her. 

"I'm fine, I suppose, it's not nice what they've been saying but I've decided to just dismiss it as lies because I know they are," Lucy replied feeling a little better. But then she remembered seeing Harry in the paper. "What about you?" 

"The articles about me don't make the front page, don't worry about me." 

"Alright, see you later." 

"Bye," Harry waved as Lucy made her way down to the Slytherin carriages. But what she didn't see was Harry slipping his invisibility cloak over his head and making his way past her down to the Slytherin carriages too. 

"Oh, look who it is!" 

Lucy rolled her eyes. Draco. She hadn't seen him in a while and just as well because she hated him, he was one of her worst enemies. He always appeared at the most unwanted times and Lucy seriously wanted to hex him, detention or not. 

"Not in the mood, Malfoy," Lucy growled and tried to walk round him but he smacked his hand against the door frame, blocking her path. 

"Where do you think you're going?" 

"I'm a prefect." 

"That didn't answer my question." 

"I don't care, let me through." 

"Now, now, there's no need to be this way." 

"Out of my way, Blondie," a male voice barked. He had a strange accent that Lucy suddenly recognised as an American accent. A new student? In sixth year? Why would he move from America to England when there was so many bad things going on? Which were mainly revolving around her...

"Who are you?" Draco asked the 6ft 3 boy who looked down on him. The boy had sandy coloured hair with hair gel, striking green eyes and a plaid top as well as jeans and converse. He looked like one of those stereotypical bad boys. 

"Get out of my way," he said, ignoring his question. He then shoved Draco out of the way and he stumbled backwards. The boy grinned. "So you're supposed to be the one that everyone admires, the mean English guys aren't like they are in America," he laughed. Lucy was fascinated by his accent, it sounded so wonderful to her.  

The American Slytherin was about to walk past Lucy when he stopped. He turned towards her and stared; it looked like he had been turned to stone. Lucy stared back as though they were having some kind of staring competition...he was going to win for definite. 

The way he stared at her made Lucy feel so small. He was 6ft 3 after all and she was only 5 ft 5, she felt very insulted by how tall he was. She just felt like asking him to get down on his knees so he wouldn't feel as intimidating.

He opened his mouth to say something just as the whole place went black. Lucy coughed and spluttered, waving her hand about to try and get some fresh air but she was swarmed in a black cloud. She didn't seem to be the only one who was surrounded by black, all the other Slytherin's were coughing too. 

When the cloud finally cleared, she heard Draco cursing and people making sounds of anoyance; Lucy didn't blame them. She had no idea what that was but then she saw Draco's lugguage shifting around on the top shelf she knew that Harry had caused the diversion under his invisibility cloak. 

Lucy turned back to where the boy was standing and was going to tell him who had caused the diversion but he was gone. Lucy frowned but shrugged.

'He didn't sound nice, anyway,' she thought to herself. 

"M-Miss Snape?" A quivering third year girl tugged on her robe. Lucy looked at her and she handed her a scroll of parchment with a violet ribbon. "It's an invitation." 

Lucy thanked the girl and she ran off, holding more scrolls. As Lucy un-tied the violet ribbon and looked at the parchment she was half expecting the invitation to be an 'we hate Lucy club' or something like that but when she opened it she was surprised. 

Lucy 

I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite of lunch in the teachers carriages

Sincerely, Professor H.E.F Slughorn

Lucy frowned at the invitation. Who was Professor Slughorn? She had never heard of him before. He  was probably the new defense against the dark arts teacher...but she would have to ask Snape anyway. Teachers came and went at Hogwarts quite often so Lucy was still curious as to who he was. 

As Lucy wandered back to the teacher's carriages to find Snape she couldn't help but think of the American boy. What was his name? Why had he moved here? Why had he looked at her like that? All these things she wanted to know about him...but she came to a conclusion in a matter of seconds. It didn't matter what his name was, or where he came from. He was a Slytherin and he had looked at her weird because she was Lucy Snape the traitor. 

No boy would look at her and like her right now.