Chapter 37: Radical Reassurance 

When Lucy awoke the next morning, at six thirty on a Saturday, she discovered that the weather continued to be dismal. Rain poured down intensley, setting her in a bad mood for the day. She yawned and turned over to find Matt had shifted onto the floor in the night.

Lucy sat up and shuffled off her bed but not before poking Matt in the ribs with her toe. He groaned but got up anyway. "I'm as stiff as a board," he grumbled while he stretched.

"You could have slept on the bed if you wanted," Lucy shrugged as she began brushing through her hair. "I didn't tell you to move."

"No, it's okay, a single bed is intented for one person only."

"There was still room for the two of us." Lucy opened up her wardrobe and Matt faced the other way while she slipped into a set of her own clothes, leaving her school uniform behind. When she was finished, they ensured the coast was clear before exiting Snape's quarters without him even knowing that Matt had been there that night.

"I keep getting this terrible feeling that he'll find out I stay here some nights," Matt admitted as they joined hands and headed down the endless stairs.

"You've survived every other time so I think you're an expert on it now," Lucy remarked. "I don't think he's going to catch you after all that. Besides, it's almost the end of the school year you haven't got that much longer to worry about it."

"Have I really survived a school year?" Matt's eyes widened. "Without getting as many detentions as I usually do?"

"I'm a bad influence on your reputation," Lucy beamed.

"No, you're a fantastic influence on destroying my bad reputation," Matt corrected as they turned into an empty corridor, nobody was about at this time apart from Jessica and Lucy and Matt.

"Lucy!" Jessica called, dashing towards the twosome.

"Hey, Jessica, I didn't hear you come back last night. Where were you?" Lucy responded.

"Resistance business," Jessica waved the comment away. "After the meeting in the Great hall today, would you like to go somewhere just us two? Maybe it'll brighten up and we can take a walk around the grounds as Hogsmeade is off limits to us."

"I suppose I could deposit Matt somewhere with his friends," Lucy nodded at him and he pulled a pretend disappointed face, knowing that he'd certainly see Lucy soon. "But by all means, yes, I'd be delighted."

"Thank you, I hope we have a fun time!" Jessica rejoiced before continuing to walk down the corridor.

"I'm sure it'll be nice to get to know her better," Matt commented as they got to the end of that corridor.

"I'm sure it will because I've only really known her as a vampire or as the head of the Resistance. It was quite weird when I found out dad had proposed to her."

"Well hopefully you'll have a great time together."

They headed towards the Slytherin common room and when they arrived, Matt told the portrait the password and it swung open at his command. He wandered in and got changed into his own clothes (careful not to wake Alex, Johnny, Tyler and Chris) before exiting and reutning to Lucy's side.

Afterwards, they headed to the Great hall and were two of the first people there. They sat down next to each other at the Gryffindor table and began eating breakfast as everyone else began to file in the room. Word had spread that there was going to be an announcement today and everyone seemed to be excited about it.

"I feel so priviledged to know about it and they don't," Matt chortled as he took a bite of toast.

"I bet it's not bad to have a girlfriend who gets you places for those who have priority," Lucy responded, laughing a little.

"I suppose," Matt pondered sarcastically. "I just get to know all the gossip before anyone else does."

Lucy saw Snape walk into the Great hall looking rather miserable and he didn't even make eye contact with Lucy when he passed her. He just strolled towards the teachers' table and took his seat next to Jessica.

"Is he doing that on purpose?" Shona interjected, breaking the silence as she sat down opposite Lucy and Matt with Ben by her side.

"I don't know but he's acting a little strange, he didn't get back until late last night," Lucy admitted.

"Oh, well, we know that Sevy has his funny ways, don't we? One minute he's all happy to be a dad and everything and the next he's brooding at you as though you just burnt the latest issue of the Prophet."

"Am I missing something?" Ben frowned. "With the nicknames?"

"Oh, honey, you have missed out on so many nicknames it's un-real," Shona sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I pity you."

"Don't forget the cape jokes," Lucy added.

"OH! THE CAPE JOKES!" Shona flung her head back dramatically. "THE CAPE JOKES HOW COULD WE FORGET ABOUT THE CAPE JOKES?"

"What?" Matt looked as equally confused as Ben.

"CAPE JOKES!" Shona screamed at him, making students nearby turn and watch her.

"Oh but if you get a detention from dad you get thrown under the cape of dread!" Lucy laughed.

"I've experienced that and I never want to go back," Shona cringed. "Snapeadoodle's cape is not a holiday I would reccomend."

"Attention!" Dumbledore announced as he stood up and addressed the Great hall. Everyone fell silent apart from Shona who leaned across the table and whispered sharply at Lucy quickly.

"Dumbledore's back! He hasn't been here for ages!"

"Thank you," Dumbledore continued. "Yesterday night the gifted and the Resistance gathered and had a very important meeting...for King Zuc is now ruthlessly murdering muggles."

There were frantic whispers throughout the Great hall, all the students spoke apart from Lucy, Shona, Ben and Matt. They just stared at their empty plates solemnly, believing it would be better if they weren't there witnessing Dumbledore's speech.

The students settled down again and Dumbledore proceeded. "Because of these events, it has been decided that Zuc may be able to get to Hogwarts much easier than we expected. However, security is being tightened even further to ensure that no one is harmed while you are in Hogwarts' care. The gifted have created a few rules for us all to obey so we can continue to be safe."

Dumbledore then listed the rules that had been decided, causing many to groan (especially at the earlier curfew). Nobody seemed to like these rules but they all knew that these were dark times and they needed to be as safe as possible.

"These are for your own benefit, these have not been created out of enjoyment. We promise to make your time at Hogwarts as safe as we possibly can, thank you." Dumbledore nodded.

Lucy looked up from where she was cowering and saw Draco at the Slytherin table, he was itching to get up and away from the hall. Draco happened to notice her watching and her green eyes pierced his grey one's.

The students began to file out of the Great hall slowly but Draco was quicker than all of them as he dashed past to the front of the queue and away from everyone else. Lucy found she was already on her feet, a sudden urge to know what the unbreakable vow Snape had made was really about drove her on.

"I'll be back," Lucy murmured to Matt before dashing towards the crowd and shoving past as quick as she could, apologising as she went.

When she'd shimmied her way through the crowd and to the entrance hall, she looked around desperately to catch some sight of Draco. Lucy couldn't find him at first but when she looked towards the moving staircases, she saw him running up as quick as he could.

Lucy prepared herself before running towards the stairs, she hopped up them one by one as quick as her legs would carry her, trying to follow Draco as discretely as she could. He didn't notice her, even when she was a couple of staircases below him.

Draco headed towards the fourth floor, quickening his pace. Lucy then knew he was heading to the clock tower and so she caught up a bit with him. Draco dashed through the door that opened up to the fourth floor and Lucy ran as fast as she could before entering it herself.

Draco skidded down the hallway before moving swiftly past the hospital wing and into the clock tower. He moved to his left and lent against the wall under the wooden stairs that would bring him further up into the clock tower. He panted and tried to catch his breath but didn't have much time to do that for a body had collided with his.

Lucy had hold of the front of his shirt with her left hand in an iron fist, in her right hand she pointed her wand at him and wore a menacing expression that even Draco didn't expect from her.

"Alright, ferret, it's confession time," Lucy hissed in his face.

"No one's ever going to let that joke go, are they?" Draco murmured, his whole body shook.

Lucy ignored his comment. "At the end of last year, my father made an Unbreakable vow. Do you know what that means?"

"It means he's GOING TO DIE!" Draco spat and tried to pull away from her but it didn't work.

"Oh good, you do pay attention in class sometimes," Lucy sneered and it took her a short moment to realise that she sounded just like her father. "That Unbreakable vow was all about you, did you know that? Something about protecting you and I want to know exactly what that means. What exactly my own father is protecting you for."

"Then why don't you ask him!"

"I thought it would be better to ask you and make you suffer like you've made me suffer throughout my time here at Hogwarts!" The anger rose inside of her like smoke, slowly it was becoming too much. She didn't know how long she could reign her temper in for and truth be told she was terrified to find out what it could really do. "'Clinging needily to her boyfriend?'" Lucy quoted Draco from Slughorn's party just as he struggled uncomfortably. "You are going to seriously regret saying that. Matt may have hurt you that night but I'll make you suffer more than he did."

Draco continued to struggle against her but nothing he did worked. He felt a little hopeless but he was not going to lose against Lucy Snape.

"SO ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME OR NOT!" Lucy slammed Draco's body into the wall, forcing him back. It didn't hurt him, it just surprised him.

"Or not," Draco whispered, throwing her backwards.

He dashed up the wooden staircase and Lucy fired a spell after him, it missed him only by inches and Lucy swore under her breath. She chased after him up the staircase just as the sun peaked through the clouds and the rain ceased.

Lucy threw another spell at him without using the incantation out loud and it made him fall over. Draco rolled onto his back and was about to get up when Lucy placed her foot squarely on his chest like he was her trophy.

"I said," she hissed. "Are-you-going-to-tell-me!"

"NO!"

"Fine, have it the hard way," Lucy reached into her bag and pulled out a tiny vial of Veritaserum. She un-stoppered the vial then bent down and forced the contents into Draco's mouth. "Now, tell me."

Draco strained his face until it was contorted, trying to resist the Potion. Lucy looked down on him, feeling very superior. "What is the Unbreakable vow about?"

Draco screamed, fighting against the Potion.

"Fine, we'll start with something easier," Lucy rolled her eyes. "Tell me, Draco, something you've been up to recently."

"I-I - " he coughed, trying to spit out some of the Potion but he couldn't, the effects were already taking place.

"Don't fight it, it'll only make it worse," her lip curled into a sneer.

"The Room of Requirement! I've been in there!" He blurted out.

"And what have you been doing in there?" Lucy growled, hungry for answers. Ready to devour each one up while she watched Draco's suffering.

"There's a vanishing cabinet!" Draco gasped, his shoulders heaved as he began panting again. "In the room! I've been using it!"

Draco sat up all of a sudden and Lucy moved her foot out of the way just in time for Draco to throw up on the floor, spitting out the Potion in a manner that wasn't very graceful. Lucy wrinkled her nose and decided she wasn't going to get any more information out of Draco today.

Lucy stormed off back to the stairs and made her way up to the seventh floor. She found the empty wall where the Room of Requirement usually appeared and wished so desperately for the Vanishing cabinet to be inside the room.

"Lucy!"

Lucy opened her eyes and saw the room had not yet appeared, so she looked to her right instead to see Jessica walking towards her a little flustered.

"Jessica," Lucy responded.

"Where were you? I've been looking for you everywhere!" Jessica's shoulders slumped. "I thought we were supposed to be spending the morning together..."

"Oh!" Lucy's eyes widened. "Yes! Of course, sorry. It's just..." Lucy tried to think of a believable lie but couldn't. "I chased Draco to the fourth floor and tried to work out what the Unbreakable vow dad had made was really about."

"Oh, okay," Jessica nodded. "That seems perfectly okay but you really shouldn't be wandering around Hogwarts on your own now, it's one of your rules, isn't it?"

"I know, I know," Lucy sighed. "I didn't really get any information out of him regaring the Unbreakable vow but I did discover what he's been up to. Do you care to join me?"

"I'd be delighted," Jessica beamed before lowering her voice. "Between you and me, I really do hate Mr. Malfoy."

"Who doesn't?"

Lucy closed her eyes again and continued wishing, when she re-opened her eyes the Room of Requirement was before her, ready to be opened. She stepped forward and opened the grand door with mysterious patterns on.

When Lucy and Jessica were both inside, they began searching silently for the 'Vanishing cabinet'. Jessica found it not long after they had entered.

"I've found it!" Jessica called to Lucy.

"Alright, just coming," Lucy called back and she climbed over the mountain of junk before landing right next to Jessica.

"You could have just walked around."

"I prefer to be a little more daring."

They smiled at each other before Jessica gestured to the fabric draped over the cabinet. "Let's get this off together."

"Okay, on the count of three," Lucy suggested, grabbing hold of the fabric and Jessica copied her. "One...two...three!" Together they yanked off the fabric, revealling the triangular shaped cabinet.

Jessica coughed at the dust from the fabric. "Does anybody ever dust in here?"

"Do you blame them?" Lucy gestured around at the piles of clutter. "I wouldn't want to have that job."

"Admittedly, me neither." Jessica stepped forward and opened the cabinet. "What do you think this does exactly? Do you think the cabinet literally vanishes?"

Lucy joined her side. "No, I'd say you put something inside it and it'll vanish."

"But where to?"

"I don't know..."

Lucy touched the closet on the side, her palm flat down on it as if she were going to discover what it did this way. She circled it before going over to the nearest pile of objects and choosing a small box with nothing in it.

"I think the only way to know is to test it out," Lucy murmured and placed the box inside the cabinet and shut the door tightly.

Lucy and Jessica stepped back in unison and waited patiently for something to happen. Lucy stepped forward after a minute and opened the door. The cabinet was empty.

"Well things definitely disappear," Lucy commented before shutting the door again and stepping back. "I wonder if it will give an indication as to where things go?"

They both waited another minute and when Jessica stepped forward to open the Vanishing cabinet's door the small box had returned. But it was smashed and had a human bone as well which Lucy identified as the Humerus.

"What on earth - ?!" Jessica gasped, staring at the bone in complete and utter shock.

"There's only one place where that could have come from," Lucy stated. "And that's Borgin and Burkes."

"What's that?"

"It's a shop down Knockturn alley, it sells dark magic items," Lucy stated. "That's where the other cabinet is."

"Wow, you're smart just like your father," Jessica smiled and Lucy gave her a sideways glance.

"Thank you," Lucy nodded and then she had a sudden thought. She rembered not long ago when a Knight had got into the castle and had tried to attack her. Lucy had tried to wrack her brain as to how it had gotten into the castle but had no luck.

Now she realised how it had got in.

It had used the Vanishing cabinet.

"Great sword of Merlin!" Lucy almost shouted. "This is how the knight got in!"

"What?" Jessica frowned and so Lucy explained her theory to Jessica. When she was finished Jessica seemed to agree. "That sounds like a completely logical explanation. Should we tell your father about this?"

"I don't know if I can be botherd to tell him, what difference will it make anyway?" Lucy headed towards the exit.

"He still cares, Lucy!" Jessica protested, trying to keep up with her. "He loves you, he really does."

"Well he didn't act like it when I won the Quidditch cup," Lucy huffed, crossing her arms.

"But he really does though, he talks about you all the time."

Lust stopped in her tracks. "What does he say?"

"He says that he wouldn't be the man he is today if it wasn't for you. He says that you've made him a better person in every single way but he'd never know how to tell you that."

Lucy bit her lip. "Really?"

"Really."

"Wow..."

"I know."

Lucy didn't expect that in the slightest, maybe she shouldn't be so blind. Of course she meant an awful lot to Snape, why wouldn't she? She was the girl he'd rescued and vowed to protect and he's always tried to do his best.

Lucy continued walking, trying not to make a big deal out of what Jessica had said. "The sun's come out, shall we go for a walk on the grounds like you suggested?"

"Yes, we shall."

Lucy and Jessica headed out of the Room of Requirement and down all the stairs until they made it to the entrance courtyard. It wasn't particularly warm nor was it particularly cold and Lucy's knee length black dress fluttered in the wind when it picked up.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Lucy inquired.

"How about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me about yourself."

"You already know about me."

"I want to hear it from you," Jessica shrugged. "I mean if I'm going to be your step mother I want to hear all about you from you."

"Like my favourite colour and stuff?" Lucy joked.

"I guess we can start with the basics."

"Well, my favourite colour is pink, I love Quidditch and I'm surprisingly a shy person," Lucy admitted. "But I don't think I've got much of a personality because it seems to be shaped for me."

"No, don't say that!" Jessica protested. "Let's keep going, what's your favourite thing in the whole world?"

"I couldn't say, I have a lot of favourite things."

"Like what?"

"The necklace my dad got me with the family crest on for one," Lucy pulled out the chain that was tucked under her dress and showed Jessica it. It had the doe and the phoenix on; both Snape and Lucy's patronus'. It hadn't recieved one scratch since she recieved it that day a little before she began her fourth year.

"It's so beautiful..." Jessica whispered in awe, admiring the necklace.

"So, what else do you want to know?" Lucy asked, putting the necklace away.

"What about your story?"

"'My story'?" Lucy was confused.

"Everything you can remember about yourself."

"Alright," Lucy nodded. "Okay, well, I'll tell you what others have told me and what I've gathered myself."

"Okay."

"When I was born I lived with my mother, Lily Evans but she was actually Lily Potter, and her husband, James Potter. Eventually, James Potter couldn't put up with me because I wasn't his and Harry was so I was sent to James Potters' half-brother and his wife. His half-brother was a squib and he and his wife hated me and made me do all the house work. If I put one toe out of line I was beaten," Lucy found herself smiling sadly at the vague memory.

"They hit you?!" Jessica was outraged.

"I was worthless and they made me believe that." Lucy shrugged. "Anyway, when I was five I bravely left the house and went to live on the streets. I fought for my own life as best as I could and with the magic I thought was unique to me and no one else. If it wasn't for that I'd be dead."

"Didn't your father know you existed?"

"I'm getting to that," Lucy held up a finger as they made their way out of the entrance courtyard and down the streps to the boathouse. "Nearing my eleventh Birthday, a man named Severus Snape came and adopted me but not before we had this massive debate about whether he should take me in or not. He threatened to take me to a police station or an orphanage but I got scared because I thought my 'parents' would find me. So I went with him and on the way back to his house we discovered I was a witch."

Lucy sat down by the waters edge and Jessica joined her. "What did you think?"

"Upset because I thought I wasn't unique like I told myself I was. That little bit of self-esteem I had was long gone. So, we arrived back at his house and I stayed with him for a bit and then I ran away because I thought I was worthless. Then I went to Hogwarts in secrecy without dad knowing and he got a bit of a shock when he saw me there."

Jessica seemed truly intrigued by Lucy's story.

"I had an excellent first year. It was the first time people had actually liked me. Even dad despite our awkward re-union on the second day. I think it was awkward for both of us for a while but gradually things got better and we got to know each other more. But it was great that I had a parent and lots of friends, it was the best thing that has ever happened to me: being accepted."

"Did you discover anything to do with the medieval islands that year?" Jessica wondered.

"At Christmas, yes," Lucy nodded. "Dad went home for Christmas and I decided to stay with my friends. In the entrance hall we discovered a monster and we tried to fight it but a couple of first years and third years were pretty useless compared to it. It eventually knocked me out and dad came back to Hogwarts because he was so worried. I was fine but next we discovered the Tale of the Knights and about the Medieval Islands. We didn't think they were real. But unfortunately we're still looking for the full tale."

"I'm sure you'll find it soon, don't you?"

"But we don't know where to look for it..." Lucy's voice trailed off. "Do you want to hear about my second year?"

Jessica nodded in agreement and Lucy proceeded to explain everything that she could remember about her second year. Recalling her experience, it made Lucy think how far she'd come and despite everything she was still alive and continuing to battle Zuc and his troops even if right now it was from afar.

"And I think you know what happened in third year," Lucy finished with a smile. "You were there for that."

"I can't forget it. I can't push the thought out of my head that I tried to kill your father and you," Jessica looked uneasy.

"You were doing it under Zuc's command," Lucy reassured. "Zuc sucks."

"He certainly does." Jessica found herself laughing and the light caught her pearly white fangs making Lucy wonder how she restrained herself from wanting to bite into everyone's flesh all the time. She could kill anyone in an instant and yet she continued to restrain herself everyday. It was a curse she had not asked for and yet she refused to let it get in her way.

Lucy stood up and brushed herself off, she noticed that Jessica was only slightly taller than her. Lucy then tried to admire the water before Jessica spoke up. "Lucy?"

"Yes?"

"Can I talk to you about something?"

"That's what we set out to do. So, sure, what's bothering you?"

"I just wanted to say that I know some things in your life haven't been the greatest, like those horrible people you were forced to call your parents once upon a time. However, I promise I'll try and make things better for you when I marry your father. I want you to be happy and not have to worry. I want to be there for you when Zuc forces some terrible vision in your brain perhaps when your father can't." Jessica gulped. "I've just...I've just always wanted a daughter and you may not be my own but I'll love you exactly like my own. You're intelligent, kind, brave, heroic...you're everything a girl should be."

Lucy walked over to Jessica and put her arms around her, she had no fear that she was a vampire just like when she had embraced her the last time when Snape had proposed to her. She was truly a lovely person. "Thank you, Jessica. I...I can't thank you enough. But the thing is..." Lucy paused. "Don't say I'm not your own because the same thing happened to my father and look what happened to him."

Jessica pulled back. "But your mother is Lily Evans."

"I know, I know. I was just trying to make a light hearted joke out of the situation," Lucy admitted. "But let's face it, even though it's no fault of her own, you've been there more than my actual mother. We might not be related but I class you as my actual mum."

Jessica looked teary eyed. "R-Really?"

Lucy nodded. "Really."

This time it was Jessica's turn to start the hug and Lucy was so glad she could make Jessica happy. If this had of happened in her third year she would have screamed at her father and told him he was out of his mind. Now, she couldn't hope for anything better.

*      *      *

"Alright, listen up, gifted, Resistance, friends," Lucy began her speech in the Room of Requirement later that day. She was addressing everyone who had been invited. All the Resistance had showed up while the teachers took their places inside and outside to keep watch, even Jessica had come along to join them all. Shona had also come along but Snape, again, was nowhere to be found. Matt and Ben had also opted to join the group as they found this just as important as everyone else. "We're here today to keep practising our fighting. Zuc's forces are getting stronger and so must ours."

Lucy hopped onto a table and pointed to a blackboard. "As you can see, I've already written down the things we've got to master. We've got limited time but we can get through this together." Lucy then pointed to the first thing written on the board which was sword fighting. "I'm sure all the Resistance have picked up a sword at least once in their lives but may not have all the skills and quite frankly, niether do we. So we're going to train together and share the skills. The more variety we have, the more we'll keep them guessing."

Lucy pointed to the second word with her wand. "Next! Knife throwing! One of my personal favourites. If you can chuck a few of these at someone it would be great. Even if you're not particularly good at it you have an extra skill to mix things up a bit with."

Matt raised his hand with a smirk. "What about javelin?"

"Can it kill someone?" Lucy responded, looking equally as amused.

"You bet."

"Well then throw as many as you like, just don't kill anyone today and remember to share your skill." Lucy admitted then pointed to the last thing written on the board. "Magic. We can all throw a few spells at people and that's great, just make sure you can outsmart at least two people today with your skills. Even the Resistance magic is better than no magic." Lucy hopped down from the table and landed in a crouched position. She looked up at everyone. "Begin."

Everyone headed off in different directions, depending on what they wanted to start off with. Lucy immediately went to the knives and picked up a bunch. Just like when she had trained in the Ministry of Magic not too long ago, she threw the knives effortlessly and they hit the target gracefully.

"Remind me never to get on your nerves," Matt raised his eyebrows as he approached Lucy at the target while she was retrieving the knives she had thrown.

"Why's that? Don't you want a knife in your skull? I thought it would be rather...decorative." Lucy smirked.

"Well lets put it this way...when we start living together I won't let you do any cooking unless there's no knives involved if I'm in the vicinity." 

"When?" Lucy was a little taken aback by his comment. Matt was so hopeful that she'd survive the war, Lucy knew that in the back of her head there was an assumption sitting there telling her that she was going to survive the war and she would go on to live her life with Matt. But at the same time her insecurities were controlling her mouth; she needed to stop believing them. 

"Oh yes," he smiled and handed her the last knife from the target after effortlessly pulling it out. "Don't think my mother isn't in on the whole 'keeping us together' thing. She keeps sending me letters asking if we're still together for she doesn't want me to lose someone as perfect as you and obviously I don't either." 

Lucy turned away from him so he wouldn't see her smile. "Oh, Matthew — " 

"HEY, LOVEBIRDS!" Shona yelled from across the room, interrupting Lucy mid-sentence. "THIS IS A 'TRAINING SESSION' NOT A 'MAKE-OUT SESSION!'"

A few laughs could be heard throughout the room but Matt put his hands on his hips boldly. "We're Hogwarts hottest couple and you can't take that away from us!" 

Some people applauded and Lucy turned around to face Matt again. "Fancy learning how to throw a knife at an ugly Knight?" 

Before long Matt had mastered knife throwing, he wasn't as good as Lucy because he kept complaining that the knives were 'too small' and he was used to throwing the javelin which was 'much longer and easier and has a much better grip.' Lucy shook her head at his comments and willed him to keep going, just like he had for her all this time. 

"Not bad," Lucy commented as she pulled the knives out of the target for about the tenth time. 

"I'm nowhere near up to your standard," Matt shrugged. 

"Who cares, you've learnt a new skill and that new skill maybe just the fine line between life and death. You could be in the middle of a fight scene and the only object you have on you is a knife, you could throw it and — " Lucy made a swift motion with her arm as if to indicate a knife slicing through the air. "The knights head would be cut clean off." 

"Or he would just look down at the knife at his feet and laugh at my pathetic attempt," Matt chuckled. "Only joking you understand, but you're most certainly right. It's important for quality but it's a different skill and after today I can use it even if it's not effectively." 

Lucy walked over to put the knives in a basket, turning over Matt's words in her head. He always knew the right thing to say. She stood up and was about to turn around when a spell hit her squarely in the back. 

"Oh!" She turned around surprised and saw Matt standing there with his wand pointed at her with a little smirk on his face. It was only the disarming charm. Lucy saw Dean emerge all of a sudden at the sound of Lucy's yelp. 

"Gotcha!" He announced playfully. 

"YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE DESCENDANT OF MERLIN!" Dean squeaked, trying to sound as intimidating as possible. But before he could begin his full blown rant at how important Lucy was, she had fired a spell at Matt in retaliation which had caught him off guard.

"Right back at you," Lucy winked at Matt who had his mouth open slightly. 

"Oh, I see how it is. I think we better end this duel once and for all!" Matt held out his wand and fired a spell which Lucy blocked effortlessly. 

"Is that all you've got? Try this one out!" She fired a spell and Matt blocked it. 

"Pathetic!" He fired another spell. 

"I'm just getting started!" 

And before the two of them even knew it they were firing rapid spells at each other, moving across the room, weaving between the different students to carry on their playful battle. But then Matt decided to become risky, he fired a spell more powerful than the one before which Lucy blocked. She  fired one back before hiding behind the blackboard she had been pointing at earlier. Matt ran around to find her and she was already around the other side. She leapt onto a table and suddenly the playful smile had disappeared from her face and she was in full concentration mode. 

Matt yelled as he threw another spell at her which Lucy effortlessly moved to the side to avoid. 

"Baubillious!" Lucy shrieked sending a streak of white light into the air above which distracted Matt and the audience that the scene had attracted. 

Lucy hopped down from the table. "Carpe Retractum!" Bright sparks shot from Lucy's wand and wrapped themselves around Matt while he wasn't paying attention and brought him towards Lucy. "Confundo," Lucy finally whispered through gritted teeth and Matt fell to the ground in a daze. 

Lucy looked up and saw that everyone was staring at her. But it wasn't their stares that she cared about. At some point in the middle of Lucy and Matt's friendly/serious battle, Snape had appeared at the doors. He was staring at her with wide eyes. 

She took in a deep breath and tried to form some words but Snape had already planned what he was going to do and began to applaud her. Everyone looked around and saw him standing there. Lucy wasn't sure whether it was supposed to be sarcastic clapping or serious, after the days that Snape had ignored Lucy she took it for sarcastic. 

Lucy looked down and tried not to think about what she had done. Despite what Jessica had said earlier about Snape being proud of her she couldn't believe it right now, not with all the stares piercing into her and Snape standing there watching and clapping. 

"Someone who we should all look up to," Snape began to say as he made his way across the room and ended up standing next to Lucy, he'd ceased his clapping. "Merlin's Descendant." 

He peered at her out of the corner of his eye. "The one to defeat Lord Zuc." 

Snape winked at her before wandering out of the room with a determined strut. 

Lucy ceased her spell on Matt and held out her hand to him and lifted him up. She ignored his various questions about what had happened and watched her father leave the room up until the very moment the doors slammed shut behind him. 

How could she ever doubt Snape?