Chapter 3: Nymphadora Tonks

While Snape busied himself making him and Lucy a cup of tea each (she had finally convinced him the tooth ache had gone) Lucy whipped out her wand and repaired the cut on her face, just as Snape walked in and she tossed her wand over the back of her chair; she'd get it later. 

"You're a little nervous aren't you?" Snape asked, noticing her heavy breathing and nervous glances around the room, as he handed Lucy her tea. 

"No!" Lucy squealed. "I-I mean, of course not! Just tired that's all, you know? Busy day..." Even to Lucy her voice sounded weak. 

Snape stared at her for a moment then finally spoke up. "You only went to visit Mr Potter, what could have worn you out so much?" 

"I don't know, I'm just tired..." 

Snape didn't say much after that, he just studied his daughter as though trying to figure out what she was hiding while Lucy just decided to pick a whole in the jeans she was wearing, it was much better than telling Snape what she'd done. 

She just happened to look up at the open living room window when she saw an owl swoop through it, Angus darted into the room and began hissing at it. The owl dropped a letter on the floor then flew out the window again. 

"Shh, Angus!" Lucy snapped and the cat stopped immediately, it sat by Lucy's feet loyally and tried to get her attention but all Lucy was interested in was the letter that was now coming to life where the owl had left it. 

"Dear Miss Snape, the ministry has received intelligence that at 6:26 this evening you performed magic in a muggle area, where muggles were passing nearby, as a clear violation of the decree of the responsible restriction of underage sorcery you are hear by expelled from from Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardy." 

The letter closed shut and fell to the ground and returned to like it was when the owl dropped it into the living room. Lucy looked up at Snape who looked like he was about to tear Lucy's throat out, this was something to be more afraid of than Lord Zuc. 

"No hard feelings?" Lucy trembled and removed her hand from her face; unfortunately her cut hadn't healed properly.

Snape stood up slowly and Angus darted out of the way and up to Lucy's room. Snape edged closer to Lucy and she stood up hoping she would make a quick getaway when Snape grabbed her wrist. 

"You're not going anywhere," he snarled, his voice was dangerous and Lucy knew she was in deep trouble. 

"Look, I'm sorry! It wasn't my fault, I - " 

"You are responsible for your own actions, Lucy!" He snapped. 

"You're right I am! And I'm also responsible for keeping myself alive! IF I HADN'T OF USED MAGIC AGAINST THAT KNIGHT I WOULD BE DEAD!" 

"Don't lie! Knights can't get into the wizarding world, you stupid girl!" 

"Then how did I fight one? I don't lie!" 

Snape stopped for a moment before he returned to normal. "I suggest you make your way up to your room now, before you get into more serious trouble than you are in now, understood?" 

"Yes, dad," she huffed then made her way up the room.

She sat on her bed and Angus hopped up next to her. Lucy stroked his fur before turning to him. "That wasn't my fault, was it Angus?" 

And Lucy swore he shook his head in denial. 

*      *      * 

"You have a hearing," Snape said later that night and threw another letter on her bed. 

"I have a what?" Lucy asked, propping herself up on her elbow. 

"A hearing, Dumbledore has informed me that Mr Potter performed magic outside of school too and feels that is unfair that you get expelled." 

"When is it?" 

"Soon, now if you'll excuse me I'll be going out now."

"Where to? Can I come?" Lucy asked sitting up properly this time and Snape gave her a look that was hard to read. 

"Do you really think I'm going to let you out of the house now?" 

"No...but I'll be with you! You can help me out, legally!" She protested. "Oh, please, please, please, dad!" 

"My answer is final, you know where the kitchen is if you get hungry and you have Angus to keep you company. If you dare try and escape out of the windows, I'll lock your door and the window and you'll be locked there until I say you're free." 

"That's a little harsh, isn't it?" Lucy raised an eyebrow. "I know I've been expelled but I only used magic to protect myself." 

"Well, yes, I suppose." He sighed in defeat. 

"I do get rather lonely here too..." Lucy said dramatically putting the back of her right hand to her forehead. 

"Oh come on then, but I want you to behave." He handed her a piece of paper with writing on and Lucy read it aloud. 

"Order of the Phoenix headquarters?" She asked and then Snape snatched the piece of paper back and ripped it up. "Why did you do that?" 

"Top secret information, you dare going saying the name of this place to anyone and you really won't see the light of day again." 

"OK, OK, I won't. So where is this place?" 

"Top secret, I'm not allowed to tell you. We're apparating there so you won't know the slightest of it's whereabouts." He held out his arm, Lucy took it without hesitating and the two were whisked off to the outside of someones front door. 

Snape knocked on the door and the sounds of shrieking could be heard, startling Lucy. "What on earth is that?" 

"A portrait, it never shuts up." Snape sighed and knocked on the door again then Molly Weasley opened it, looking a little rushed. 

"Severus, just in time, the meetings just about to start." Molly said sweetly but Lucy could see she hadn't forgiven Snape for what had happened at the burrow. "Lucy, I'm glad to see you. Hermione will take you up to Ron's room where you'll find everyone else there." 

"But - " Lucy began, she had so many questions to ask. 

"Not now, we'll explain later." Molly ushered her to the stairs where Hermione stood at the bottom. Lucy followed her, while Snape made his way into the kitchen but before Lucy could make her way up the stairs, she heard Snape's snarl and someone else's rushed voice. 

" - Molly, if Severus is here, Lucy must be too!" Someone protested. Lucy spun around and saw Sirius there and the two locked eyes with each other. 

"Sirius!" Lucy gasped then ran down the two stairs she had managed to get up and gave Sirius a hug. "I'm so glad to see you!" 

"Me too, I haven't been allowed to get out of my mothers shabby old house because of the rules that I've been told to follow by Molly and others." Sirius replied

"That's a shame, I'm sure you'll be out soon." 

"I doubt it," he laughed. "I'll see you after the meeting." 

"Sure," Lucy said and continued to follow Hermione up the stairs while Sirius made his way back into the kitchen.

When they had tackled the old stairs, Hermione pushed open a door that led into Ron's room. As soon as Lucy stepped over the threshold, she was greeted by Fred and George who looked more than happy to see her. 

"Alright, Lucy?" George asked. 

"How's life?" Fred added with a wink. 

"It's OK, excluding the fact I'm expelled from Hogwarts," she shrugged at the twins looked at each other. 

"You can't! This is my last year at Hogwarts!" Fred gasped. 

"I know, I know but I only used magic to protect myself!" And Lucy began explaining what had happened between her and the knight she had encountered. 

"Oh..." George winced. 

"That's not good..." Fred whispered. 

"I don't know how the knight got over to the wizarding world, Merlin banished them from here, didn't he?" Lucy said hopefully but everyone else just looked at each other, just as confused as her. 

*      *      * 

"So, you used magic, Miss Snape?" Sirius stroked his chin slowly as Lucy finished telling him what had happened at the dinner table after the the meeting had taken place. 

"I had to..." Lucy mumbled, looking away from him, now even Sirius thought wrong of her actions. 

"That's great! Just as rebellious as me!" Sirius let out an almighty roar and everyone else joined in apart from Snape. When everyone calmed down Sirius continued. "But quite seriously, that was the right thing to do, Lucy. Especially against a knight, I'm guessing that's where you got your cut from too." 

"Yeah, that's where I got it from." 

The buzz around the table continued as Molly prepared dinner and Lucy and Sirius indulged in their own private conversation with Remus and they began explaining to Lucy that they were marauders and that they broke a lot of rules at school (excluding Remus for he was a prefect and couldn't join in their outrageous pranks sometimes, he also warned Lucy that she could lose the loyalty of a prefect if she misbehaved) just when a pink haired young woman walked into the room and Lucy knew immediately she was a metamorphmagus. 

"Afternoon!" She winked then tripped on something causing a few to laugh. "I heard we had a few guests here today! One of them being Harry Potter, who I already know about, and the other being someone named – " she walked over to Lucy and placed her hands on the back of her chair. "Lucy Snape." 

"Hello, Tonks, I wonder where you'd got to," Sirius smiled warmly at Tonks and Lucy seemed a little confused, Tonks sounded like a surname. 

"Tonks?" Lucy asked the woman and she smiled. 

"Real names Nymphadora, but I hated it so I just use my last name instead. Pleased to meet you," she extended her hand and Lucy shook it. "You're a metamorphmagus too, right?" 

"Yes, I am," Lucy replied changing her hair colour the same as Tonks'. 

"Thought there was something special about you, as well as that you're fighting off Lord Zuc! You've got to be special!" 

"But it's not just me, it's dad and my best friend, Shona, too." Lucy shrugged, thinking about her best friend doing her work in Worthing. "We're the gifted." 

"Ah, well, but I still stand by what I said; you're special." Tonks smiled, then walked off to sit in between Hermione and Ginny.