Lucy Snape and the Tale of the Knights (Book One)

5: Farewell

Chapter five: Farewell

Lucy awoke the next morning at around 6:15 due to a nightmare. She sat up and brushed the hair out of her eyes and looked in the mirror opposite. She could just about make out her dark green irises in the darkness before all of her other features came into view when she adjusted to the gloom. She quickly decided that she looked a mess and had to do something about it.

She'd never had her own room before let alone a little vanity table to indulge in, so she took great pleasure in sitting down in front of it and combing her hair. Yes, she could get used to this. Especially the large wardrobe, that when she crossed the room to greet it, overwhelmed her with the possibility of actually getting to choose a different outfit every single day.

Today (after a good inspection of the contents) she dressed in a skirt, knee high socks and a plain jumper before trotting downstairs quietly. She didn't know what Snape would say about her wandering the house at this hour but she couldn't just sit in her room and wait for the day begin when there was a whole house to explore.

"Sir?" Lucy whispered as she entered the living room as quietly as she could. To her surprise, Snape was not in his own room as Lucy had assumed and instead was asleep on his chair. 

She chose not to say anything more as she crept into the room. She didn't know Snape well enough yet. He might lash out and beat her with the nearest object for waking him. It couldn't be any different in another household...right?

Lucy made it over to Snape's desk and found that the whole situation was like a bomb had exploded and left the scene in tatters. She bent down and decided that the bin seriously needed emptying first. She carried it to the kitchen and emptied it into a larger bin and brushed her hands off triumphantly. That's when she noticed a scrunched up piece of parchment had fallen at her feet. 

She tutted to herself and scooped it up. It looked like it hadn't been used yet and Lucy thought it was such a shame to waste it when she finally saw the writing. She looked over her shoulder just as Snape shuffled but didn't awake from his slumber. 

Before she knew what she was doing she'd opened the parchment and smoothed down the edges to read the writing. Her eyes skimmed it quickly before she read it over again properly...no, the sinking feeling wasn't going away. This was all very real.

"He doesn't want me," she whispered to herself barely audible. Even so it made Snape stir a little.

Lucy shook her head and arrived back in the living room where she placed the letter on Snape's desk before turning to the man himself. 

She shouldn't be upset. Of course this man didn't want her, nobody wanted her; including her biological parents. So what was the point in being upset in the face of facts?

The damaging thoughts continued to swirl around her as she headed upstairs and made it back to her room and picked up her enchanted bag. She began packing all of her school supplies as well as a change of clothes and school uniform. Finally she placed her wand on top and paused to survey the room.

She was causing the man too much bother. She needed to leave him in peace; this was the right thing to do. He wasn't a parent himself and to expect him to learn the ways in the face of a homeless girl who he'd stumbled upon was wrong. Of course she wasn't going to change his mind, he just felt he was obligated to get her to Hogwarts. Must be in the rules that if a Professor ever finds a student they have to make sure they get to school safely.

Lucy drew herself back to the wardrobe she loved so much and picked out a fairly warm coat and slipped it on. Then she put on the black flat shoes she'd worn yesterday before finally closing the doors with a sigh. 

She left the room in a tidy state before heading silently down the stairs, bag in tow. She hopped off the last step gracefully, not making even the slightest noise. The only sounds in the house were Snape's breathing as well as her own.

Lucy peeked around the living room door at Snape as he slept on, she wasn't sure what to think of him anymore. She left through the unlocked front door, taking her indecision with her. She ran away as quick as she could, as though Spinners End was her worst fear.

She had no idea where she was going to go, the only thing she could do was keep going until she found a suitable place to make a temporary home.

She walked for miles until her frail form couldn't take it any longer. She arrived in an old park surrounded with trees to make great camouflage. It didn't have the luxury comforts of a house but it would do.

The sea of trees seemed to bend over and scowl at her all the way to the outskirts of the park that seemed the most sensible place to settle down. She knelt down before lying on the grass and placing her bag underneath her head to create a makeshift pillow. She then took her coat off and draped it over herself in a desperate attempt to keep warm, it was no where as good as a real bed but it would have to do. 

Her last thoughts were of the previous day, with Snape carrying her into Gringotts Bank on his back. But as she drifted off to sleep the goblins looked at her and began taunting her with all the terrible thoughts she'd had while she was packing up her things. Until Snape dropped her and she was left to fall down, down, down into the darkness. Never to be reclaimed by anyone.