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

Suppressed Sight

Chapter 17: Suppressed Sight

Lucy stared into the vase full of water that she had placed the flowers in that Matt had given her yesterday. She had to admit, the whole idea of giving her roses was a little corny but at least he understood where he went wrong. Yet, Lucy still didn't understand the chance she had given him; she was out of her mind.

"Go out and get some fresh air while the sun lasts," Snape said wisely from his chair in the living room. "You can sit indoors when it gets cold."

"I'm fine here," Lucy replied, still looking into the vase.

"Don't be a miserable child, go and enjoy the sun. I'm sure McGuire and Mr Cousins are waiting for you."

'I bet someone else is waiting for me too,' Lucy thought darkly.

"Go on, I don't want to see you here," Snape waved his hand as if shooing her out. Lucy gave in and immediately walked out of Snape's quarters. She left her bag as it was the end of the day and then crept to the clock of mechanism on the 6th floor. It wasn't a place she often went but her father had kicked her out of his quarters and it was the first place she could think to go. She didn't particularly  want to go out in the sun anyway.

By going to the sixth floor, also, Dean wouldn't find her. It wasn't that she wanted to avoid him it was just that she wanted to spend some time alone. Sometimes she desperately needed some space and today was one of those days.

She looked out at the view at all of the students enjoying the sun and talking about many different things, mainly the Quidditch match that was only an hour away. Of course, Lucy had tried to train her team as much as possible especially as their first match was against Slytherin.

"Say, why aren't you enjoying the sun?" The voice of Ben asked as he approached Lucy, Ellen wasn't insight so Lucy turned around so she was directly facing him.

"Could say the same about you," Lucy smiled as Ben stood beside her.

"I don't really want to get sun burnt, I think most of the students will be if they stay out there."

"I think so too, I'm not a big fan of the sun after cold winters."

"But you have to enjoy a little bit of it at least!"

"I have but enough is enough for me."

"I guess," Ben replied then looked at her as she stared out of the window. "But that's not what I came to you to talk about."

Lucy frowned and turned to Ben. "What is it?"

"Not to sound like someone who listens to the gossip, it's just that I heard something about you," Ben announced, he waited for some kind of reaction but Lucy stayed calm as she was used to this sort of thing. 

"Who doesn't listen to gossip about me? You can't avoid it any way because of the magazines and what not."

"Sorry about that by all means. But I really must talk to you."

"Go ahead."

"Well, I heard about what happened between you and Matthew Jarvin. About how he told you females were weak and you went on some kind of date with him," Ben explained. "I will not question who you — "

"We are definitely not going out," Lucy replied sternly. "Yesterday night, however, he climbed right up to the seventh floor with his bare hands to beg for my forgiveness after giving me flowers. We are now apparently 'friends' but I now wonder why I gave him that chance."

"By all means I respect whatever you are: acquaintances, friends or best friends but I have to warn you that...Matt can turn nasty."

Lucy remembered Matt telling her about that he was from Collins academy like Ben. "Did he have a reputation at the academy?"