Chapter 4: The Portrait's Song

The fat lady's attempt at singing seemed to rattle the castle walls as she screamed for the fifth time that evening. All students covered their ears as Harry yelled out:

"Fortuna Major!"

"Not yet, I must break the glass!" The portrait insisted and she drew another breath to wail. Hermione braced herself and Ron covered his ears.

"Now can we come in?" Lucy begged once the torture had ceased momentarily.

"No!" She shouted and went to try again just as Shona yelled at her.

"Stop the bloody torture! It's a shame Lockhart really was a fake because we really could use someone to get rid of this banshee right now!"

"What is going on up here?" Snape barked as he reached the painting.

"This old cow won't stop trying to break that glass with the purity of her voice," Shona hissed. "Does she even realise that the glass isn't real?"

"Really, your voice is beautiful," Lucy promised the portrait kindly as she stared open mouthed at Shona. "But we'd all really love it if we could get some rest."

"Well at least someone has been raised with manners. I'll let you all in after one last try," the fat lady promised and raised the glass.

"No, you will not!" Snape barked. "If you do not let the students in immediately I will be calling Dumbled—"

The portrait ignored him and instead ditched her attempt at singing and screamed instead. All covered their ears, including Snape, until she smashed the glass at the back of her portrait and gasped in triumph.

She brushed the shards of glass from her hands before turning to the students. "Now, what's the password?"

"FORTUNA MAJOR!" Came the cry of every single Gryffindor waiting to be admitted.

"Oh off you go, you ungrateful children!" She folded her arms and the Gryffindor's were able to pass through, grumbling complaints about her stunt all the way.

Snape turned to Lucy who still lingered behind when he felt someone's hand brush his shoulder. "Goodbye, Professor," came the soft voice of Jessica Stone before she slipped inside the common room. "I'd love you to show me around sometime."

"I'm not busy Sunday," he blurted out.

"Sunday," she breathed before the portrait door shut behind her. It was now empty as the fat lady had no doubt gone to gossip with some friends.

Snape turned back to Lucy and braced himself for her inquisitiveness but none came, she'd just waved to Hermione who she'd been chatting to while she waited for her father. Her friend had no doubt scampered down to the library for some late night reading.

"I came to see if you were alright," Snape voiced which was half true, Jessica's detour had given him even more of a reason to come to this part of the castle.

"Well it's just as well you did come, it looks like we would've all been finding alternative dormitories if it wasn't for your arrival," Lucy admitted with a smile. "I'm sure she can sing really but probably wanted an audience after an empty castle over the summer."

Snape was fascinated by his daughters ability to see the best in everyone even after all the hardships she'd faced and found himself in awe of her briefly. His thoughts were tainted, however, by the dementor from earlier. "Are you sure you're okay after what happened earlier? You never did tell me specifics."

Lucy turned to him, wide eyed. Her words seemed reluctant to escape her mouth. "I didn't want to scare you."

"Few things can scare me, Lucy."

She nodded in agreement. She hadn't really processed what the dementor had made her feel until now, saying it out loud in a small voice felt worse. "It felt like I'd never be happy again when that dementor came into the compartment. All thoughts of you slipped away and all I was left with was memories of..."

"Your father?" He wondered, prompting her gently.

She gave a curt nod and then smiled. "I think I'm going to bed, goodnight, dad." She gave him a quick hug before turning to the empty portrait and called: "Fortuna Major!"

The fat lady moved sideways into her portrait looking a little upset she'd been pulled away from conversation before she realised it was Lucy and then she beamed at her. "Welcome back, dear."

And with that, she was gone.

* * *

"Stupid portrait," Shona spat and as Lucy joined her friends on the sofas in front of the fire she could tell this wasn't the first time she'd said this.

"She's just been lonely," Lucy reassured.

"Lonely!" Shona raised her voice causing a few people to turn in her direction, startled by the outburst. "She's a portrait, Lucy!"

"That's the first you've said in ages," called a voice.

They all turned to see a first year hanging around near the entrance to the common room. He had brown hair that was a shade darker than Shona's and freckles splattered on his cheeks.

"Hi, Martyn," Shona's voice was clipped. "Liking the school?"

"Not really, it's too big and the portrait is too loud. But I think I'll get used to it, along with the bird I got unlike you." He stuck out his tongue in a childish manner.

Shona's mouth opened in horror. "You got an owl?!"

"Yeah, I guess mum and dad prefer me!" His smug voice left a stain of red on Shona's cheeks as the boy strutted off to the boy's dormitories.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Shona announced through gritted teeth. "My brother."

"You never told us your brother was joining Hogwarts," Ron frowned as he dodged the quaffle that Fred had thrown to George who was sat next to him.

"No one asked," she shrugged, as though it were obvious. Without warning she upped and left for bed, leaving everyone else to look at each other in concern.

* * *

Lucy awoke at five o'clock the next morning in the Gryffindor girls' dormitories. Her dreams had been plagued by a shadowed figure just out of reach, beneath its hood it had called her worthless and pathetic. But the voice was human unlike the unearthly creature it came from and had sounded suspiciously like Brian Potter after she'd done something wrong.

She opened her eyes and was drenched in terror when she saw the same hooded figure just before the shut door. She squeezed them shut and then peeked again to realise someone had only hung their robes on the back of the door to prevent them from being spoiled for the upcoming day.

Dementors were not the worst thing she'd encountered and that's what kept her heart beat steady as she dressed in her Gryffindor robes. It's what made the squeak her shoes made in the hallways that little bit quicker as she made her way down to Snape's quarters. What made her fearless to the prospect of being out of bed and susceptible for a detention. It consumed her until she knocked nervously on Snape's door.

Lucy heard footsteps behind it almost immediately and was relieved when Snape opened the door just a crack before realising it was her.

"What's wrong?" He practically demanded, Lucy wondered if he was on edge due to Lucy waking him but it was clear he'd been up for some time as he was fully dressed in his black robes.

"Couldn't sleep any longer," she admitted.

Snape opened the door wider and let her in. "There weren't any dementors were there?"

"None," she shook her head and made herself comfy in her favourite chair while Snape sat opposite in his. "I hear Shona's got the orb, what's that about?"

"Dumbledore gave it to her, I don't know why." He shrugged.

"Do you think it has anything to do with those people who attacked last year? I remember them asking for an orb and — "

"It has nothing to do with us, Lucy and you have nothing to worry about except your studies."

"I'm already ahead," she muttered. Which was true, she'd asked to go to Diagon Alley as soon as her Hogwarts letter had come to read up on everything. After the turmoil of last year she wanted to make sure she could at least feel she'd accomplished something before something like a basilisk decided to drag her away.

Snape and Lucy went down to the great hall later that morning. It must have been eight o'clock and luckily most people had woken up. She trotted over to her friends and left Snape to eat with the teachers.

"Hi, Lucy!" The twins chorused. Lucy laughed and sat next to Fred and Harry. Shona seemed to have perked up and she soon found out why.

"Hi, Lucy!" Shona waved. "We've got the best lessons ever! We've got defence against the dark arts, Transfiguration, care of magical creatures and more defence against the dark arts! Well that's what it looks like, they've printed it upside down," she took a bite of toast. They just stared at her. "What?" Shona asked.

"Let me help you with that," Harry said and turned it around. They roared with laughter and Shona choked on her piece of toast. Snape looked at the babbling lot. 'Magical misfits' he thought. Suddenly Snape looked up and the kids were cleared from his mind. Jessica had arrived and caught everybody's attention.

"Yeah, yeah who's the looker?" Ron said gaping at the woman. She walked by, Ron waved, only to be hit by Hermione again. Everyone talked amongst themselves again as Miss Stone walked up to the table, towards Snape. Lucy gasped who was this strange woman?

"Snape must of fed her some type of mind potion," Shona concluded and they all roared with laughter again. Lucy gathered her thoughts while Snape and the student continued to talk."She's a bit old to be a uni student, isn't she?"

"You can be any age to go to uni," Hermione added, she to confused at Snape's generosity. But they didn't even go through half the story.

"This is good food!" Jessica told Snape.

"Oh yes, it is one of the highlights of this place for me."

"So do you have lessons today, Professor?"

Snape finished his toast then turned to Jessica. "Yes all week, sadly, I'm working all lessons and I've got to be on duty for the Quidditch training today." Snape didn't mind Jessica, in fact she was a very understanding woman.

"You'll have to meet some of my friends later on" Jessica reported finishing her meal too. "My friend Ryan is a bit quiet but Joshua is OK"

"Sounds good I'll see what I can do"

Suddenly there was a fox whistle. A gang of students laughed and Snape scowled at them menacingly. It had been Fred Weasley, and the children were roaring with laugher.

"Why can't my daughter hang around with the Slytherins..." He sighed

"You have a daughter?" Jessica looked at him sadly, "I didn't know you were married..."

"No! She's adopted and she's called Lucy," he said quickly, fearing he would scare her off. Snape noticed a strange relief in her face, as if the blow had been stopped. He pointed to her and Lucy blushed. There was the sound of a bell and the students picked themselves up and walked out. Then the teachers left too.

"That's the bell, we give students fifteen minutes to get their things then go to their first lesson. I best be going" Snape said and he and Jessica walked out of the great hall.

"I have to go to the defence against dark arts room to watch Lupin teach the kids. See you Sunday" Jessica said to Snape. They said goodbye and Snape stormed off to potions class. He just wished that Sunday would come quick.