Lucy Snape and the Final Battle (Book Seven)

Ten's A Big Number

Chapter One: Ten's A Big Number

CURFEW IS SEVEN O'CLOCK.

DON'T GO OUT ALONE.

DON'T GO TO DESOLATE PLACES.

WE ARE AT RISK.

Matt glanced at the writing on his dad's newspaper one summer morning, it had looked the same everyday since he'd got back from school. At first it had scared him and he didn't really like the idea of someone telling him what to do but he'd gotten used to it. He'd followed his parents back home before curfew when they went out and had gotten into bed and hadn't worried about the matter at all.

There wasn't any use in worrying, worrying just made it worse.

Curfew kept them safe, curfew kept them alive.

Curfew didn't apply to Lucy.

Lucy hadn't been back in a week and Matt had been desperate for her to come home. He'd asked her to come back before the week was out but it was apparent that she was breaking that promise. Matt forgave her though, it wasn't easy being Lucy. He wasn't sure if he could take the responsibility Lucy had either.

Poor Lucy.

"How many dead today?" Matt asked as he buttered some toast, trying to distract himself.

"Ten." His father responded. He used to say it solemnly when Matt asked but now he just said it as if Matt were inquiring about the state of the weather.

"Ten's a big number." His mother added.

"Not when you think about previous days," his father continued.

"But they're still lives, they could be our lives one day."

"Not if we stay out here, love, no one's going to find us out here. I'm sure populated places are better to target than a little cottage in the woods with three people inside."

"Three and a wanderer." Matt muttered.

"The wanderer is the main target," his mother looked at her cereal guiltily. Weren't they going to say Lucy's name anymore? Was it sacred? Or was it poison?

"No one's going to find us out here," his father repeated, a little on edge.

"She's gonna come home soon." Matt offered, not knowing if this was a good point or not. "She's gonna walk straight back in here and see us. She just needs some time out that's all."

"What did she say before she left?" Anna asked.

Matt pursed his lips and thought about that night a week ago...

*

It was around midnight and Matt had left his room to go and grab a glass of water. It was summer and was very stuffy in the cottage and that required more trips for a beverage at inconvenient times.

He wandered into the kitchen with the cold tiled floor, but when he did he heard noise from the living room, so before he'd started filling his glass he'd retrieved from the cabinet he walked into the living room to find Lucy there with a bag on her back.

"Lucy?" Matt asked. "Where are you going?"

She looked up from her feet as if she was mentally preparing herself for something. "I need to go out."

"Is that wise?"

"I just need to go," she said ignoring his question. "I'll be back within a week but right now I just really need to go."

"Can't you at least tell me where you're going?"

She looked at him guiltily. "I'm not even sure myself yet."

"Then why do you want to go?"

She looked pained. "I can't explain it, I just have to go."

"Can you promise me you'll be back within the week?"

Lucy walked towards him. "Sure..." She didn't sound sincere though.

"Thank you," he nodded. "But I really don't think you should go. How about we stay up and watch the stars?"

She shook her head. "I can't, I've got to go - I love you."

Matt didn't even get chance to hug her because she was out of the door before he could call her back.

Where she went Matt wasn't sure but he hoped she was still out there and safe. She looked so worried, what had he done? What was wrong?

God only knew.

*

"Matt?" Anna asked, touching his arm.

"Can we talk about this later?" Matt responded, snapping out of his daydream. Guilt crept up his spine, he still blamed himself for letting her go, he should've just made her stay. Woken up his parents to get them to help too.

"You should really tell us," Scott interjected.

"Later," he muttered, getting up his toast uneaten. "Please?"

He left the room before they could respond, just like Lucy had to him.

Lucy.