Chapter 4: Reunion

"Jessica, just leave me alone now," Snape protested. He had his face in his hands while Jessica had just placed a cup of tea next to him. He didn't want any more tea he just wanted wine...but he'd drunk all that including the wine he'd bought from the store. He didn't know how much he could take it.

"I shall not leave you alone, not until you eat and drink properly. But I cannot trust you to do that because I know you'll go out and buy more wine. Besides, you told me stay overnight because you were lonely; I'm not going to leave now," Jessica placed her hands on her hips in an annoyed manner. She really didn't understand Snape sometimes but did feel very sorry for him at the moment, despite the fact she had to persistently make sure he was eating properly.

"All I wanted was company and not to be nagged!"

"You're not being nagged! I'm just trying to keep you alive!"

"I don't need to live!"

"Yes you do!"

"No I do not!"

A rapid knock at the door ceased their arguing. Jessica walked into the hallway and opened the door after unlocking it. She really had no idea who would be calling at around half one in the afternoon...no muggles usually called round to Snape's house anyway.

"Shona!" Jessica gasped, Snape rolled his eyes at the mention of Shona's name and stared at the cup of tea next to him; he didn't want to drink that. He wanted wine not tea, besides Jessica made it too hot anyway.

"Hey, Jessica," Snape heard Shona say from the door. "Is capeman there?"

"Of course," Jessica nodded and led Shona in. She stepped into the living room and saw Snape sitting there with the Daily Prophet on his lap; he still didn't look good.

"What do you want?" Snape spat in a foul way, he didn't have time for her. He just wanted to be left alone with his thoughts about today, today the day Lucy would never celebrate her sixteenth birthday.

"Oh, nothing much," Shona shrugged and admired the fireplace casually. "Just dropped by to see how you were."

"I'm fine, you can leave now."

"OK, I'll leave," Shona made it to the doorway of the living room and then she turned her head a little to look at Snape. "I'll leave with her."

"Who?" Snape frowned.

"You know...her."

"McGuire, I have no idea what you're going on about," Snape was starting to get agitated now, he didn't have time for Shona's nonsense.

"I do which makes it all the better."

"Just tell me what on earth you are talking about!"

A smile played at the corner of Shona's lips. "I don't think I should while you're acting like this. I don't understand how Lucy can put up with this."

Snape's glare pierced into Shona. "Don't say a word about her..."

Shona held up her hands in defense. "I'm sorry, Snivels. no hard feelings. I think I should go now...right, Lucy?"

A familiar voice came from around the corner. "Of course, Shona."

Snape's eyes widened. Was he going mad? Probably. "Lucy?"

"Oh she doesn't want to speak to you, you evil git. Why would she ever want to speak to you when you've been mean to Shona McGuire, Sebastian's descendant?"

"Where is she?" Snape demanded as he stood up quickly.

"Not telling!" Shona blocked the doorway.

"Tell me!"

"Say the magic word!"

"MOVE!"

"Incorrect, you fail," Shona stuck her nose in the air. Snape growled at her. "OK, OK, I've had enough with tormenting you. Stand back and you can see her."

Snape stepped back and Shona moved out the way. Was she fooling him? Had she really brought Lucy with her? Was this all a big prank? Snape braced himself while Jessica watched with eager eyes. In the next moment, Lucy walked around the corner.

She looked just as bad as him: tangled hair, pale face, skinny frame. The only major difference was the bruises and cuts all over her body. She looked at him and smiled, he couldn't believe it. He had his daughter back.

"Hi, dad," she whispered.

He stepped forward and gave her the biggest hug ever, Lucy didn't care if she was being squished and that she had just dropped Merlin's sword; she was with her father and that was all that mattered. They were reunited and nothing could break them apart again, they were inseperable and had built a strong relationship over the years that would take a lot of force to break.

"Lucy," he sniffed through his tears. "You came back."

"You should be thanking Shona, she rescued me from the medieval islands. I didn't get out of there without help."

Snape turned towards Shona who was looking pretty smug. "Thank you...McGuire."

"It's fine, just don't act all rude to me next time your daughter gets locked up on the medieval islands and needs saving."

"Alright, I'm sorry," Snape muttered and rolled his eyes.

"What was that? Didn't catch what you said," Shona grinned evilly at him.

"Sorry."

"Pardon?"

"SORRY!" He practically yelled. Lucy patted him on the shoulder and he released her.

"Calm down, dad, the last thing I want to hear when I return home is yelling."

"Apologies," Snape shook his head but then he looked at her. "Happy sixteenth birthday, Lucy."

"Thanks," Lucy smiled.

"Well," Jessica spoke up. "I think it's appropriate that I leave, I think Severus will be able to look after himself now. If not, Lucy will certainly look after him."

"I better leave too, my home at Worthing calls. I mean like the whole house because nobody lives there apart from me and Bruno now."

"Very well, I will see you both soon," Snape announced.

"Jessica's coming back to Hogwarts?" Shona asked out of the blue.

"Dumbledore has said that she could."

"If you say so...see you soon, Snivels," and with that Jessica and Shona left Lucy and Snape in peace in their small home in Spinners end.

"It's good to be back, by the way," Lucy said all of a sudden and Snape looked at her.

"You wouldn't believe how happy I am to have you back."

"I heard you have had a big obsession with wine recently and haven't been eating."

"Both true, I missed you too much and found wine was the only way out of my misery."

"I should start having a go at you for that but I think Jessica's already done the job," Lucy shrugged and sat down in one of the armchairs.

"She has and then some - " Snape picked up a letter from his desk and then handed it to Lucy. "Your O.W.L results came back," Snape pulled a stern face, Lucy's smile dropped. She knew they were going to be bad. "You can look through them while I find where I've hidden your birthday presents..."

Snape dashed upstairs while Lucy took out the letter which held her O.W.L results in from the envelope that had already been opened. She placed the envelope on the floor then opened up the letter and braced herself for the worst.

At the top of the letter was the Hogwarts crest with the words 'ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS' in big letters. Underneath that was what the grades were and underneath that it read:

Lucy Eileen Snape has achieved:

ASTRONOMY - Exceeds Expectations

CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES - Exceeds Expectations

CHARMS - Outstanding

DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS - Outstanding

ANCIENT RUNES - Acceptable

HERBOLOGY - Acceptable

HISTORY OF MAGIC - Outstanding

TRANSFIGURATION - Exceeds Expectations

DIVINATION - Exceeds Expectations

ARITHMANCY - Exceeds Expectations

POTIONS - Oustanding

Lucy read over her grades a few times before glaring at 'Ancient Runes' and 'Herbology.' In her defense though, she had only started Ancient Runes in her fifth year and she had always hated Herbology. Her and mud didn't go well.

But the one thing she couldn't get over with was the 'Outstanding' on Defense Against the Dark Arts. Was she dreaming? She could never get that grade on that subject...it was purely impossible. She was tired anyway and needed some sleep, she was seeing things.

Lucy lent back against the chair and placed the letter on the side, she really didn't want to do anything much but sleep. Her summer so far had been very stressful and she didn't think she had any motivation to do anything, not even opening a few presents that Snape had kindly bought her. When he brought them down to her he saw the look on her face and his shoulders slumped.

"I'm sorry, I should just leave you alone," Snape muttered and went to exit the living room but Lucy stopped him. "What?"

"Please don't go; I've missed you."

Snape pulled a very sincere face. "I've missed you too but I think it's best you sleep, you look like you haven't slept in years," Snape went into the kitchen and sat down, he read the daily prophet with no emotion whatsoever. "Call me if you need me."

"Will do," Lucy yawned and in the next minute she was fast asleep.

When she woke, however, Snape was sat in his usual seat and was staring out the window. He must be bored out of his brains having just got her back and not being able to talk to her. But now he could because Lucy felt she had enough energy to do at least something now. It was dark outside but it didn't bother Lucy, she felt a lot better for a bit of sleep.

"I'm awake," Lucy called to Snape, a little amused at the expression he gave her in surprise when he stopped staring out the window. "You can talk to me now."

"Good, I wanted to talk to you about some things," he got up and placed Lucy's birthday presents on her lap. "As a parent I've been very concerned about your absence."

"And by that you mean drinking lots of wine because you couldn't handle it."

Snape gave her a look but replied truthfully as he sat back down. "Yes."

"It's OK, I understand you missed me but you should have taken better care of yourself," Lucy said sternly as she began opening her presents, feeling her inner child come out; she loved un-wrapping presents. "I hate to think what you were like when you lost mum."

An awkward silence hung in the air, Lucy didn't have the heart to break it because she was the one who had caused it. She didn't want to hurt Snape she was merely thinking aloud...unfortunately that one comment had caught Snape off of his guard and he looked pained as he suddenly became interested with the prophet on the floor.

Snape cleared his throat. "So...are you pleased with your O.W.L results?"

"I guess so, they don't seem that bad. I wasn't too pleased with the Ancient Runes or Herbology but we aren't all perfect, right?"

"I'll forgive you considering you've been locked up all summer...now do tell me everything that happened on the medieval islands as it refers back to what this conversation is supposed to be about."

Lucy told him everything, from the tower she was locked in to the dragon named Benedict that refused to shut up from below. She even told him how she'd been dubbed Rapunzel (which led onto an even longer conversation as Lucy had to explain the muggle tale which she had heard by accident once.)

"Your kidnapping was on the front page of the daily prophet every single day, the whole wizarding world was going mad about it. I found it very unfair and was in the right mind to complain...that would be if I wasn't so drunk."

"I'm going to bed," Lucy announced suddenly with a yawn, she was still very tired despite the fact she'd just slept. Angus trotted behind her as she went, as soon as he saw Snape he stuck his tail in the air; it was good things were back to normal.

Snape followed her up the stairs, feeling much happier. When he entered her room he found her already in bed with Angus on her lap recieving all the attention he had missed because of her absence. Everyone seemed better with Lucy around, even the rain had ceased today.

"What have I told you about that cat?" Snape asked, but he wasn't telling her off in fact he was actually joking.

"Shut up," Lucy smiled as Angus purred in satisfaction; getting his own way again. Snape sat on the chair next to her bed but only received a hiss from Angus. "Angus!" Lucy snapped and the cat fell silent.

"He actually became friendly with me when you were away," Snape announced as Angus lept off the bed and exited the room.

"I don't think he wanted you to say that."

"I'll say what I like."

"You normally do," Lucy shrugged and admired one of the many cuts she had but it disappeared in an instant, Lucy looked at Snape and saw him putting his wand away.

"I can't heal the bruises but I can get rid of the cuts, they looked painful."

"Those guards found it funny to come and beat me every so often; it was their favourite activity."

"That's horrid, if I ever see them I'll kill them," he growled making Lucy laugh. But he found no humor in the matter, she had been treated poorly all her life but could make a joke out of it. "It's a shame we only got a little bit of time to celebrate your sixteenth birthday."

"It's OK," Lucy shrugged. "I had fun."

"You did?" Snape looked dumbstruck.

"Well yes," Lucy smiled. "I got to dress up as a guard today and pretend I ran the place."

* * *

"So where do you want to go?" Shona asked the next day. Snape had taken Lucy to Diagon alley to get her new school books but had disappeared into the apothecary after giving Lucy some money, there she had met Shona.

"Get some new school books I suppose," Lucy shrugged. Today she wore what she usually did including her skirt but also had a long robe to cover any evidence of scars and bruises which would get all the newspapers talking.

"What was that? You want to go to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" Shona pretended to not hear what Lucy had said, she practically bellowed the name of Fred and George's new shop. She said it so loud she got stares from others.

Lucy's shoulders slumped. "Oh, you have got to be kidding!" Lucy stared at the big orange building with lots of happy customers trailing in and out, those who left carried bags of jokes some of which Lucy had just seen in Fred's drawings. "Under no circumstances am I going in there!"

"You don't want Fred to see you, do you?" Shona asked, pulling out some galleons from her bag to see how much money she had. Lucy shook her head. "Well just use your metamorphmagus abilities and you should be fine, that's what they're there for. You better thank the orb every once in a while for them."

"I don't want to go in there even with a disguise!" Lucy practically stamped her feet in protest. "I don't even want to look at Fred."

"You don't have to! Now do your metamorphmagus doo-da and I can go and have a look!" Shona waved her hands impatiently. "Besides, you've got a big debt to pay off, Rapunzel, I saved you from that damn tower with just a stick!" Shona pulled out her wand from her pocket then slipped it away quickly.

"Fine...but in your opinion who should I look like?"

Shona gave a small grin before whispering in Lucy's ear her idea. Lucy narrowed her eyes but Shona just laughed at her in amusement.

"You've got a big debt to pay off!"

The door opened to Weasley's Wizard Weasley's a minute later, in walked Shona McGuire with her trademark check shirt and behind her a girl with long blond straight hair and large chocolate brown eyes. Her face was smattered with freckles and she tried to look as innocent as possible.

"Wow, Rapunzel, you're pretty good at your...abilities," Shona admitted as she made it into the shop with her blond companion who just so happened to be Lucy. She dare not say aloud what ability Lucy had used to create this look that Shona thought looked just like the fictional character from the muggle tale. "But those freckles don't do you any justice, or those big eyes that Snape falls for all the time and gets daddy's little princess whatever she wants."

"Why thank you, Shona," Lucy pretended to be flattered, ignoring the comments about her freckles. But on the inside she couldn't wait to get out of the shop and go home to Spinners end. She didn't want to be in Fred Weasley's shop, no she did not.

"There's some pretty cool stuff in here you've got to admit," Shona exclaimed as she admired some shoes that would let you walk on the wall.

"No," Lucy muttered under her breath while hoping she didn't look too much like herself but Shona heard anyway. "And if you don't keep quiet I'm going to buy you some love potion and spill it in Seamus' tea for you."

"Enough with the me and Seamus already!" Shona growled, causing a few stares and so they continued their journey around the shop.

"Amazing how Lucy Snape was only rescued yesterday," a young man mused to a friend. Lucy stared at him and looked him up and down, why did everyone seem to be talking about her?

"Heard her best friend saved her, you know? Sebastian's descendant?" The boy's friend replied. "It's all pretty heroic but I think they should have kept her there...she opened the portal to England."

Lucy walked into someone by accident at these words, she wanted to go up to the boy and hurt him; she did not open the portal to England on her own accord. She looked up at the person she had run into and her eyes widened in shock.

"Sorry," Fred Weasley apologised. Lucy almost spat on his shoes, luckily he didn't know that this little disguise was her metamorphmagus abilities at their most talented.

"Right..." Lucy murmured and then walked off, feeling a little awkward. Her blond hair seemed to droop a bit as well as turn blue. Fred looked at her in wonder, gave a little shrug then turned to his brother.

"Looks like there's some more Veela apart from Fleur in town," he laughed.

George studied Lucy's blue streaked temporary blond hair, he became a little suspicious himself but then realised who it was as she joined Shona's side. "I don't think you'll like her though."

"Have you found what you want yet?" Lucy asked Shona who had just picked up a 'magical moustache.'

"Do you think I should get this for Stephano so he has more luck with the ladies?" Shona asked. "I think he'd look great in a moustache. He'd be teaching us one day, his back would be to us as we walked and as he began explaining today's lesson, he'd turn around and - BAM! We see a moustache on his face."

Lucy glanced out the window and saw Jessica talking to Snape, she had no idea what they were talking about but it was another good sign that they were getting along. After what had happened in the summer with Jessica looked after Snape while she was gone, Lucy had a lot more respect for Jessica.

"I don't think he's the type of person to have facial hair," Lucy frowned and put the product back on the shelf. "I think if he wanted female attention he could get it himself."

"The last time Snape tried to chat up women was in fourth year and that went terribly wrong, he ended up trying to ask you to the Yule ball."

"That wasn't his fault!" Lucy protested.

"Ladies!" The voices of Fred and George Weasley came from behind them. "Might we interest you in a love potion? Boys will be falling at your feet!"

"Oh they fall at my feet alright," Shona began. "As soon as they see Sebastian's descendant walking down the corridor they don't know what's hit them."

"What about Merlin's descendant?" Fred asked, he couldn't wait to start making snide comments. George glanced at Lucy but didn't say anything. "Heard about her wonderful ex-boyfriend? She got locked up in a tower for that..." Fred laughed.

"She's out of the tower now after I saved her, she's now at home with - "

"MCGUIRE!" Snape called as he burst into the shop, it all went quiet. "Where's Lucy?"

"AT HOME!" Shona yelled and then threw a paper aeroplane that was flying around in the air at him.

"Oh where's Lucy? I don't think she's at home!" Fred asked. "You're not very good at lying are you, McGuire?"

"Oh shut up, you're not good at pranking," Shona pouted and crossed her arms. Fred glanced around the shop.

"No, of course I'm not, never in a million years," he spat and casually admired his shop. "Now who's your friend?" Fred gestured to the blond Lucy who thought that running into Fred once was quite enough for one day.

"Rapunzel," Shona blurted out. "She's going to be new at Hogwarts so I took her under my wing."

"McGuire, I will ask once more," Snape growled as he shoved the Weasley twins aside. "Where is Lucy? I've lost her once this summer and I'm not losing her again."

"She's um...gone to get her school books," Shona said, hoping this would be a good enough excuse.

"No she hasn't I've just checked."

"Well check again, Mr un-observant!" Shona shoved him towards the door. "Go on! Outside! I'm sure the press will be willing to talk to you even if you don't find her!"

"MCGUIRE!" Snape yelled.

"Oh goodness," Lucy slapped her palm against her forehead.

"What's the matter, Rapun - " Fred began but then he paused, Lucy looked up and saw the shock in his eyes. His eyes then widened and he grabbed hold of Lucy's robe. "Out! Out! Out!"

"Why?" Lucy chucked the comment into the conversation just to see if he really had guessed who she was under the disguise.

"Because I know who you are, Lucy Snape! I should have guessed as soon as I saw you with Shona McGuire! Now get out of my shop! I thought we'd agreed we were not on speaking terms anymore?"

"We never - " Lucy began but the door was slammed in her face just as Shona and Snape were thrown out too. "Oh he really gets under my skin."

"What were you doing in there anyway!" Snape growled at Shona, not realising who the blond girl was.

"I was browsing! I wish you would calm down sometimes, Stephano, or is it in your book of rules that I'm not allowed to go shopping?"

"You're banned from everything in my book, now where's Lucy?"

"Here," Lucy sighed and she ceased using her metamorphmagus abilities.

"Why on earth - ?" Snape began but Shona interupted.

"Because she didn't want Fred to see what she looked like, duh, I'm sure you know about their little romance and then break up or do I have to turn our lives into a musical named 'the gifted' to explain it? Don't make me pull a musical number, Snivels, you know things are serious when I do that."

"You're never serious you're just a pain in the - "

"Stop right there, I saved your daughter from the medieval islands so you can stop insulting me," Shona pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Very well..." Snape sighed just as a swarm of reporters came up behind them, Lucy hid her face and disappeared and headed straight to the book shop to get her books. Snape and Shona entered the shop minutes later after they had managed to escape the press. All three of them felt that going out was a lot harder now that press would follow them everywhere, they were becoming so famous it was getting hard to breath. "Get your books quickly, both of you, I want to get out of this place."

"Oh wow! A book specifically degined to bother you, Snivels!" Shona turned to the person who was behind the desk. "I'll take fifty copies."

"There's no such book," Lucy rolled her eyes. "Unless you decide to make one yourself of course, which I wouldn't recommend because the amount of detentions you'll have will be enough to reach the end of your schooling years."

"Lucy, please," Shona put her hands on her hips. "I think I've already reached that limit and more, besides Snivels doesn't scare me in the slightest. Look at him! When I see that cape it doesn't even make me flinch anymore."

"Hurry up and get your books!" Snape barked at Shona as Lucy went and paid for hers.

After that they left the book store and quickly bought some new school clothing for Lucy then left to go home, they couldn't stand the press any longer who were desperate for information from them. Especially now considering this was Lucy's first public appearance since she'd been set free from the medieval islands.

"Woo! The gifted are back together!" Shona cheered as they made it into Snape's house. "I think if I didn't get Lucy back me and Snape would have ended up killing each other."

"You don't say," Snape rolled his eyes. "I'll probably end up killing you anyway."

"That's true," Shona shrugged. "At least when we get back to Hogwarts Lucy can at least can tell us to shut up every now and then when she gets fed up of us."

"I guess I could," Lucy shrugged but she really wasn't in the mood to talk, after the episode with Fred Weasley she felt very awkward. In fact, after Shona left she took herself straight up to her room with a book from Snape's bookshelf. As soon as she got comfortable on her bed, Angus hopped up and sat loyally at her side. He had the Tale of the Knights in his mouth...Lucy often wondered if Angus was a dog rather than a cat.

"Angus, leave my stuff alone, would you?" Lucy sighed and took the book from his mouth. "Besides I've already got a book to read, I don't need to read this book again."

Angus seemed to glare at her but jumped over her and sat by her pillow, he then began clawing at her pillow and Lucy decided he was a cat again. As she tried to read her book she found herself too distracted, one reason being that she had to prevent Angus from trying to destroy her pillow. But the other reason was that she couldn't help but think of the way Fred had thrown her out of his shop. He seemed so angry.

It felt strange considering in Lucy's fourth year Fred had made desperate attempts to talk to her, he was obsessed by her, he was not besotted by anyone else. Just her. She was the only girl he could see but it felt like she'd thrown that away without meaning too because of Cedric getting too interested in her.

She didn't blame Cedric but couldn't help but feel he was one of the reasons Lucy broke up with Fred, she had never intended to fall for him but had still wanted to be with Fred. But it was all over now and it wasn't worth worrying about.

"You know what they say," Lucy shrugged and looked at Angus who had given up trying to destroy her pillow. "What doesn't kill you hurts you mentally," Angus stared at her quizzically. "Besides, I don't need Fred...I've got Zuc to defeat."

She turned over and fell asleep, she now had Hogwarts to look forward to and that was the one place that Zuc was guranteed not to get in to.

But other things could.