Darkness and Light - Snape's Daughter

Chapter 25

A/N Sorry the past chapters were short, this one is a little longer 

Lucy's POV

The school year ended and every day Madam Pomfrey made me move my arms and legs a little more. Now I am able to fully stand up and walk very very slowly. It is honestly embarrassing how weak I am right now and I hate it when I am forced to walk along the halls for my physical therapy and people shoot me sympathetic looks.

I know when I am home I need to continue practicing to walk properly and also got to catch up on all the work I missed while I was unconscious.

Of course I was looking forward to going back to Spinners end with Severus, but part of me did not want him to see me in such a state. Last time what happened with the Wizards chess had me out for a while too, but once I was released from the Hospital wing I was pretty much back at my full strength again. Now I am just a weakling who can barely walk. I must be such a burden for him, he feels obliged to come every day and check in on my progress. I really need to make sure I have a speedy recovery and stop being a liability.

—- Time skip -—

Severus and I arrived at Spinners end through apparition. He carried all of my stuff in except for my backpack which I was wearing.

While I was trying to walk up the stairs, one of my legs suddenly gave in. Severus was quick to catch me.

"Sorry." I breathed, steadying myself on the railing with his help.

"It is no problem really, let's get you up to bed." He reassured and rubbed my shoulder.

"Actually, would it be okay if I work at my desk for a bit? I really want to start working on my missing assignments and complete them as soon as possible." I said while Severus helped me get up the stairs very slowly.

"Alright." He nodded, opening the door to my room once we got to the top of the stairs. I honestly already felt like a major burden, watching him basically carry me to the chair and place all my trunks and other things into my room.

"It's okay, I've got it from here." I awkwardly smiled and took some books and parchment out from my backpack.

He silently nodded and excited my room.

"I just want my stupid legs to start working again.." I breathed once I heard him walking down the stairs.

I spent the next two to three hours working non stop on the classwork I had to catch up on. During the last week of Summer break I would have to go back to Hogwarts one day early to write the exams I missed.

I heard Severus voice calling me down for Dinner. I was about to push myself up and try to walk down the stairs by myself in an attempt to show my father that I was strong enough to do so, but right after he called my name I heard him almost sprinting up the stairs. He was still wearing his cloak like he does in school and because of the momentum of him running up the stairs it flew behind him like a cape when he entered my room.

Snape's POV

"Lucy come down, dinner is ready!" I mentally facepalmed after those words left my lips. I ran up the stairs as quickly as possible, seeing my daughter struggling to hold her own weight up with her arms shaking on her wooden desk and her being in a half-sitting down half-standing up position.

"It's alright, I've got you." I wrapped one of her arms around my shoulder so she could steady herself and secured it with my right hand so she would not slip. Then I used my left arm to go around her waist, minimising the amount of pressure she would be putting on her legs like the nurse suggested.

I can tell she doesn't want this. She is a strong girl, but I think she does not quite understand how important a proper healing process is.

It took us a good ten minutes to get down the stairs and to the kitchen table but I did not mind any second of it. I am glad to help her, I hope she realises this.

"I was thinking after dinner we can move you to the couch and you can relax there for the rest of the day, I recently purchased a series of books that I heard have a great storyline. Maybe we could read it together?" I could tell that suggestion instantly lifted her mood. I was pleased that I could somehow help her feel better.

So for the rest of the evening I read the first book in the series to her for hours. She listened very closely and as it got dark outside the fire illuminated the space around us. Her cat also decided to join us halfway through and curled up the same way he did back in the hospital wing.

I had become so captured by the story that once I finished it, I noticed it was already two in the morning. I glanced down to see Lucy fast asleep.

"Good night dear." I whispered and headed up to bed, not wanting to accidentally wake her up by carrying her.

Lucy's POV

I woke up to the smell of bacon. Once my eyes adjusted to the light I noticed I was wrapped up in a blanket still on the sofa downstairs. Panther wasn't here anymore though, I took a glance in the direction of the kitchen and saw him drinking out of his water bowl.

Severus was also there, making breakfast.

"Ah I see you are awake." He said after looking in my direction. Panther must have also noticed because he came running towards me and jumped into my lap.

Severus put something from the pan he was cooking with on a plate and also poured some tea into a cup.

He walked over to me and placed it on the table in front of the sofa. There was a fried egg and two pieces of bacon on the plate.

"The toast is almost ready, we can eat here and then get back to reading? I know you probably want to work so how about you do that in the afternoon?"

I nodded eagerly, this sounded like it was going to be a good day. I'm thankful Severus knows that I want to get my school work done but is also willing to spend part of the day on the sofa with me too.