Chapter 1: Perfectly Prefect

Spinners end.

One of the most gloomy and run down areas known to muggles. (Even so, it wasn't as bad as Worthing, but we won't talk about that right now.) The streets and houses were identical and they all looked like they came from an old television programme that was in black and white, so it wasn't hard to get lost even with the signposts showing not so clearly what street it was ahead.

The sky, which was now turning a grey that matched the scene below, signaled that it wouldn't be long before it rained in this part of Cokeworth. Nevertheless children were still playing in the park, that hadn't been refurbished since the day it was built, with their friends enjoying the 'summer holidays' which wouldn't last forever, so they tried their best to get the most out of them. 

Yet, while the children were playing and enjoying themselves, in the background a girl of fifteen occupied one of the two swings (no one dare took the swing next to her) and read a muggle newspaper thoughtfully. Her long brown hair was plaited into two plaits, her old pink jumper stood out in all the gloom, her pleated denim skirt fell to her mid thigh, she also wore knee high socks but one was longer than the other making her look mismatched and the fake converse she wore were all scuffed up from so much wear, and when a child dared to try and use the unoccupied swing next to her their mothers would drag them away: 

"Now, dear, we don't mix with 'those' sort of people," they would say glaring at the girl who stood out in the scene. 

But what they didn't know that despite the mocking, this poor girl was trying to save two worlds while she was under so much pressure from one of the most evil dark men on Earth. And all she wanted to do was to lead a sort of normal life. 

If you didn't know who she was if you were from the wizarding world then you'd be very foolish. This girl, of course, had a name. Not a fancy one like most heroine's today. Just 'Lucy Snape.' Daughter of the most strangest man that occupied one of the houses in Spinner's end: Severus Snape. 

The neighbours had had quite a shock when they found out that their weird neighbour had one day brought home and started to care for her and take her with him to some unknown place before they came back again for the summer holidays, possibly even Christmas. 

Some people that lived in Spinners end considered the Snape's as mad, or even psycho's for they weren't expressed as what was considered normal nowadays. After all, who walks around wearing a black cape and disappears off somewhere until the summer? (The idea of them being vampires had faded when everyone realised they came back for only the summer.) 

She flicked through the pages and got a little frustrated when the pictures didn't move but she wasn't that bothered, for when she was homeless this is how she read newspapers: no moving pictures and no fancy print that the Daily Prophet offered to his readers. The girl almost missed Rita Skeeters column but then thought better of it. 

After a while, the girl named Lucy stood up and was about to head home to her father when a group of boys the same age as Lucy approached her when all the younger children disappeared out of the park with their parents. This group of boys thought they were the coolest boys in the neighbourhood but Lucy begged to differ. 

"Hello, Snape," one of the boys said, who was known as the ring leader, as he puffed on a cigarette he had probably dug out of a bin. 

"Good afternoon, Marcus," Lucy replied sweetly, not bothered that these boys had bothered to approach her. "You know you can give your body terrible damage by smoking?" She nodded to the cigarette he had clasped between his fingers. 

"Shut up!" He spat. "You don't know anything!" 

"Actually I know quite a lot of things, unlike you who isn't even as smart as my cat."

"I knew it!" He blurted out all of a sudden, almost dropping his cigarette in surprise and the others all looked at each other and began whispering excitedly before Marcus walked towards Lucy. 

"Knew what?" She winced as he continued puffing on the cigarette making her choke.

"You're a witch! Everyone's been talking about it! That's why you don't go to school around here! You get sent off to a boarding school with freaks just like you!" 

"Well, that's the most inventive story I've heard since the vampires! You're cleverer than I thought! I underestimated your intelligence, I beg for your forgiveness." 

"How do you know about that? Oh anyway, you're still a witch and whatever you are you're a freak." 

"Oh I'm not a freak, nor a witch for that matter, I'm just gifted unlike yourself who will probably end up dead soon." Lucy smiled again making Marcus frown in a confused way that he hadn't got to this girl yet. "Now, if you don't mind I'll be off now." 

"Going back to your freaky father? Yeah, I thought so." Marcus taunted. 

"He's not as freaky as you, small brain, now get out of here before I show you what I can really do."

Lucy looked up to see Shona McGuire, her best friend walking towards the park carrying an old football. Her face twisted into a grin and Lucy looked relieved that she was here, not only to save her but as she'd promised: she'd come to Spinners end for the afternoon. 

"Now why don't you run along, Marcus? Your mummy sent me over here to get you for her." Shona said as she stood in front of him, and luckily for Shona she had grown again and so she could stare Marcus down. 

"McGuire!" Marcus roared in annoyance. 

"Hold on, you know each other?" Lucy asked pointing at the two with a little amused laugh. 

"Marcus likes to prowl around Worthing and get up to no good because his uncle lives near me, I suppose Spinner's end isn't a big enough playground for him." Shona shrugged then turned back to Marcus. "Now get out of here." Marcus paused along with his group. "SCRAM! GET OUT OF HERE! GO!" 

Marcus and his little gang ran off leaving McGuire to brush her hands together in satisfaction as though this was her gesture of telling Lucy that her work was done. Lucy stood up and folded her paper. 

"You alright?" Shona asked. 

"I'm fine thanks, you?" 

"I'm good, I would of been here earlier but mum kept me back to do some odd jobs around the house, and as I'm underage I have to do it without magic." 

"Oh god, when you're let lose with magic goodness knows what will happen." 

"Who knows, there could be an increasing number of accidents when that time comes..." Shona shrugged and the both of them laughed then Lucy led the way back to Snape's house, abandoning her perch on the swings. 

The two of them walked in the road most of the time, until the occasional car came along and they were forced to move to the pavement and be out of the way of the passing car, and when the coast was clear they resumed walking in the road. 

And when they arrived at Snape's block of bricks they walked cautiously up the path leading to the door then Lucy hammered on the door, fearing that Snape wouldn't hear them. But almost immediately they could see Snape's silhouette approaching the door behind the blurry glass and when he opened the door he was almost relieved...That was until he saw Shona. 

"McGuire, you finally arrived then?" He asked sarcastically, his lip curling which formed a sneer. 

"Yeah! Did you miss me?" She winked and Snape narrowed his eyes at her and just moved out the way so the two of them could make their way into his 'humble abode.' 

As Lucy stepped back to her familiar surroundings she felt safer even though this place wasn't as safe as Hogwarts, she was glad to call it home. Even if people had thoughts that they were vampires...

"So what's new then?" Shona asked the two as she sat down and put her feet up. "I see Snivels still hasn't changed his decor to pink, he obviously doesn't take my suggestions into account." 

"When have I ever taken your suggestions into account? And even so, I don't think I ever will." Snape rolled his eyes then turned to Lucy as she threw down he muggle newspaper on the kitchen table for Snape to read later if he wished to (this was her little trick of luring him into reading that while she could dash off and read the Prophet.) "A letter arrived for you earlier, Lucy." 

Snape reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a letter and handed it to her and she took it with thanks before sitting down on a seperate chair. Angus, her trusty cat, came trotting over to her as soon as he saw her and hopped onto her lap. 

"It's from Harry," Lucy whispered. "I wonder why he's writing to me?"

"I don't know, he seems to have got pretty close to you since you found out that you're awkwardly related, thanks to Snivels." Shona winked. 

"MCGUIRE!" Snape yelled in annoyance, if there was one thing he would change it would be to have someone else rather than Shona be in the gifted group. 

"Yeah, whatever, Snapeadoodle...So what does the letter say?" 

Lucy opened it up then read aloud: "Dear Lucy, I know you don't get up to much in the summer holidays, and nor do I for that matter, Uncle Vernon is too afraid to hide my 'magical stuff' anymore because he thinks I'm going to attack him or something...So I was wondering if you wanted to come to Privet Drive and beat up Dudley, my cousin, with me tomorrow. You can even meet your Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon if you want. Hope you can come, Harry Potter, P.S Shona can come if she wishes as well." 

"Oh wow...I never get invited anywhere, can I go, dad?" Lucy asked excitedly as she never got to hang out with any family apart from Snape, and even though Harry told such terrible tales about his Aunt and Uncle, Lucy really wanted to meet her mothers sister. 

Snape stared at her as though in deep thought, he looked worried and almost disappointed that he wouldn't be able to spend tomorrow with his daughter. But then again, one day wasn't going to hurt and besides, how bad could it be?

"Very well," Snape sighed and Lucy grinned. "But I shall apparate you there and back, OK?"

"So you're staying with us?" Lucy's expression changed into a frown, she should have known that Snape wouldn't let her have too much freedom. 

"No, not at all. I will collect you at a certain time."

"Oh OK, that's good." She turned to Shona. "Hey, you want to come?" 

"Um...I can't, I've got to go back to Worthing, sorry." Shona muttered and then under her breath she muttered. "I'm lucky that I was allowed here today..." 

"It's alright," Lucy said but couldn't help but be a little suspicious. Shona didn't like Worthing at all and it seemed that she was ashamed to live there and be associated with the types that hung around there and got up to no good. Sure, she liked to get into a bit of mischief making at Hogwarts but Lucy bet Merlin's sword that she wasn't anything like that at home. 

"Well, I've got to go now," Shona blurted out suddenly after checking an invisible wrist watch. "Mum and dad should have gone out now and I've got to go look after Martyn before he burns down the house, see you guys soon!"

"That was a quick visit, do you plan on coming back?" Lucy asked a little disappointed that she'd only been able to see her friend for literally five minuets.

"I don't think I'll be allowed but somehow...I think you'll be seeing me before the summer is over..." Shona glanced at Snape who looked in deep thought and Lucy looked between then jumped up causing Angus to jump and trot out of the room, slightly annoyed.

"Dad! What have you seen?" Lucy asked excitedly, she knew he had seen something and really wanted to find out. It was much better than her appearance changing power. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said innocently and led himself out of the room and Shona just half smiled at Lucy. 

"You'll find out soon," she mouthed but lucy couldn't help but feel slightly frustrated that the two of them weren't telling her everything. After all, changing the colour of her hair didn't seem so fantastic anymore, and as if on cue her hair turned a light blue. 

Lucy hadn't realised that Shona had left until she heard the door slam which made her jump and in the kitchen she heard Snape yelling at Angus for something or another. She sighed and made her way into the kitchen. 

"That bloody cat of yours is being a nuisance again!" Snape barked at Lucy as the cat hissed at him. 

"Oh leave him alone," Lucy groaned as Angus freely stepped outside into the back garden and Snape slammed the door behind him and Lucy knew that the cat wasn't coming back in anytime soon. "Now tell me what you saw!" 

"I didn't see anything."

"Yes you did, tell me! Stop being so secretive! We're a family and no secrets should be kept between us!" 

"I'm sure you have secrets that you wouldn't want to tell me," Snape said darkly. "Now let me think, how about Mr Weasley? It seems rather funny that you missed the train because of him, I'm not thick, Lucy." 

Lucy blushed and didn't say anything else after that, for Snape knew she was going out with Fred and she should of known it was totally obvious when she missed the train on the last day of fourth year. 

"Now, stop interfering and go pack your bag for when Hogwarts starts." Snape said as he poured himself out some wine. 

"But I've already done that, I've got nothing else to do." Lucy looked down in shame, it seemed like everything she did was the wrong thing now, did Snape expect more of her now that she was in fifth year? Or was it because she proved she could be brave? 

"Find yourself a book, study, your O.W.L.S are this year and I won't have my own daughter failing because she didn't study." 

"I didn't think I was a failure..." 

Snape looked up from his wine then placed it on the side, he had only just realised the hurt he was putting Lucy through. He sighed and then half smiled even though she wasn't watching, it was as though the bruise on her knee was suddenly interesting to her. 

"Lucy," he said softly. "I didn't say you were a failure, in fact - " he took another letter out of his robe pocket then held it out to her. "I don't think this letter says you're a failure at all, I think it says the complete opposite." 

She took the letter from him gingerly and knew immediately it was a Hogwarts letter. She then sat up on the counter and opened it, and when she did a gold badge fell out onto her lap, she frowned and began reading the letter. 

"I'm a prefect?" She raised an eyebrow and Snape nodded. "But how - ?" 

"Dumbledore obviously thought you were worthy enough to be one, and it's quite an achievement, and not to mention an honour, considering out of each house only one boy and one girl gets chosen." Snape looked away in shame for a moment. "Besides, I was never a prefect. You've achieved something I never did." 

"So you're proud of me?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" 

Lucy smiled then gave him a quick hug then walked back into the living room and pulled a random book off the shelf and then walked upstairs to her room, leaving Snape in the kitchen to gulp down the rest of his wine. 

When she made it into her room she placed her badge carefully on her bedside cabinet then sat on her bed and opened the book she had pulled off just one of the many shelves that were in Snape's living room. And before long she was sound asleep, for she could finally sleep without having visions forced onto her, the book rested on her chest and her hair fanned out behind her. 

Zuc still hadn't bothered her since they met. 

All seemed well.