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

The Half-Blood Princess

Chapter 11: The Half-Blood Princess 

"Stressy Snape: Lucy Snape attacks innocent fans in Gryffindor Quidditch trials yesterday — Read all about it in the Quick Quills newspaper!" A boy wearing a Hufflepuff tie called out to people who walked by on Thursday lunch time, he obviously worked for the Quick Quills. The main article of the Quick Quills newspaper today indicated that Ellen had done as she had said, by doing this humiliating Lucy even further.

"Don't worry about it, we know it's not true," Shona shrugged as the boy selling the Quick Quills newspaper got a crowd of people buying the newspaper. That lunch time Snape had decided to join Lucy, Shona and Dean. 

"I know you would never do anything like that," Snape agreed. "You might have a temper on you but it's not that bad, I know that for a fact." 

"If I'd have seen Ellen I would have protected you," Dean admitted. "I'm so sorry I put my guard down when I was on that broom." 

But Lucy didn't listen to their comments as they walked along. She knew very well it wasn't her fault and having the same reassurance repeated over and over to her was mildly helping, if not at all. Comments didn't change the situation in the slightest, not now that Ellen was making her feel even worse. 

"Hey!" Shona waved a hand in front of her face. "Is Lucky in there?" 

"Lucy is unavaliable right now, please leave a message," Lucy replied miserably as she adjusted the strap on her bag. 

"Well when she's available let her know that this isn't her fault," Dean said timidly. 

"And she should ignore the lies," Snape added. 

After a while Lucy spoke up. "Surely Dumbledore would have stopped this newspaper? Despite what Ellen's told us." 

Shona shrugged. "She gets everything she wants, it doesn't matter what Dumbledore says. However, it would be nice if we could beat Ellen up." 

"That would result in exclusion," Snape narrowed his eyes at Shona but then smiled. "But for once I wouldn't stop you." 

"Really, Snivels — ?" Shona began, then paused. "Hold on two seconds, did you just actually smile in my direction? Was that a grimace? Am I imagining things? Has the world split in two? Am I dreaming?" 

Now it was Snape's turn to be silent. Lucy, Shona and Dean all exchanged glances as they all walked along in silence. However, it was just lucky for Snape that Shona had shut off her mind reading powers for today because right now Snape was re-thinking the situation that had only happened yesterday when Lucy was at Quidditch trials: 

"Severus?" A female voice asked from outside his Quarters. He stood up and answered it and found Jessica standing there. He looked at her strange before speaking. 

"Can I help you, Miss Stone?" Snape replied. 

"Why don't you call me Jessica much?" 

"I find it politer to call people by their surnames."

"What about Lucy?"

"She's my daughter." 

Jessica laughed. "Might I be allowed to come in?" 

Snape stepped aside. "Of course." 

Jessica stepped inside and looked around at the place, it was obvious Snape was taking care of himself now and needed a little less of Jessica's help to keep him alive. She wouldn't say she'd kept him alive in the summer but she did at least help give him the right things to keep himself alive. Even now that he was OK, it was Jessica's job to take care of him as well as Shona and Lucy because she was haed of the Resistance.