Lucy Snape and the Half-Blood Princess (Book Six)

Secure Secrets

Chapter 10: Secure Secrets

Wednesday. Middle of the week. Two more days of school to suffer and then the weekend occurs, making everyone feel better. However, Wednesday was a fantastic day for Hogwarts students but this didn't cease them in their hard work for studies. Not even Shona now that she had taken Ben's advice. Shona really hadn't been the same since Tuesday night. 

She made sure she carried all her correct books everywhere, paid attention in class more and even asked sensible questions even if she did recieve strange looks from others. It was almost amusing how a few words from a stranger changed her perspective on life. Why should she take this advice? She barely knew Ben, yet it felt like she should trust him.

No matter what way you looked at it, though, she had trusted a complete stranger. Ben too had given advice to a complete stranger even if he thought he knew her. Before he'd only just seen prints of the gifted in the newspaper and facts that could or could not be true. He knew the Shona from the newspaper and not the living and breathing Shona who was more than ink on a piece of paper. Same went for Lucy and Snape. Nobody knew them unless they were close to them. Which was very few people. 

But when it was lunch on that particular Wednesday Shona still had her text books open and was studying; no textbook had been used this much before by Shona McGuire, ever. In fact Lucy too was amazed as she sat talking with Dean. 

"Who's your favourite teacher so far, Dean?" Lucy asked, trying to ignore Shona's new change of personality as it was worrying her. 

"Y-Your father!" He squeaked and then did a small salute. 

"Dean!"  Lucy whined, giving him a playful poke in the arm. "You don't have to say my father to be nice you can say anyone you like!" 

"Um well..." Dean thought for a moment. "I guess everyone is nice, even though your father is a little sharp — " Dean immediately starting whimpering and wondering out loud what he'd done. Lucy just patted him on the shoulder as she turned to Shona. 

"How did last night go?" Lucy asked her friend as she scanned the text book instensly until Lucy spoke to her. She lowered it until it reached her lap where she slipped a bookmark into the page and closed it slowly, as though not wanting to leave the story of fascinating Charms alone. 

"Good," Shona re-opened her book and held it up to her face again. But Lucy wasn't satisfied with the answer she got. She pressed two fingers against the top of the book's spine and lowered it down to see Shona's face again. 

"How did last night go?" Lucy repeated. Shona opened her mouth to give the same answer but then closed it to think about it. If she gave Lucy a proper answer she would leave her alone and stop dragging her away from the Charms book she was reading and enjoying so much. 

"It was OK, I guess. I went to the library and took this Charms book out — " Shona nodded to the book she was holding. "I studied it and that was it really." 

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "You're not telling me something." 

"I'm telling you everything!" Shona said in frustration and went back to her book. This time Lucy snatched it from her hands and handed it to Dean. 

"Here we go, Dean, you can study that part of Charms you didn't understand now," Lucy smiled at him before turning back to Shona who was repeatedly saying 'but but but...' "You can have your Charms book as soon as you tell me what happened last night." 

"I can't fool you, can I?" Shona sighed. 

"You've never acted so strange in your life! What's with the studying and asking sensible questions you ask? Where's the sarcastic Shona that makes everyone laugh and torments dad until he goes insane? Tell me what's wrong!"