Lucy Snape and the Return of Lord Zuc (Book Four)

The past, the present...Where's the future?

Chapter 27: The past, the present...Where's the future? 

That very next day, Lucy awoke to find that she was still in her Yule ball dress. She laughed at her stupidity for falling asleep in it. She got up, got dressed into something smart and headed downstairs to find her dad asleep and holding the prophet (well, yesterday's to be precise.) 

"Dad!" Lucy whispered sharply but then it suddenly felt strange to admit he was her real father. Snape didn't reply so she whispered his name again. 

Still no reply. 

She approached him cautiously and sat on the arm of his chair, Lucy nudged him gently and called his name yet again. 

"What is it?" He grumbled as his eyes fluttered open. He then rose to his feet as he saw the sight of Lucy. "Did you have another nightmare?" His voice was weak and shaky. 

"No but I'm guessing you did," Lucy smiled sadly and helped him back to his chair. 

"Indeed I did, there were many..." 

"You want to tell me about them?" 

"About your mother," he stared straight ahead. 

"What happened?" 

"James Potter took her away..." He was almost pouting now, it was as though Lucy and Snape had switched roles. 

"But, dad - " 

"Yes, I know it really did happen but that doesn't mean I can't be guilty about what happened." 

"What did you do?" 

"There's a reason why your mother and I weren't friends after our fifth year." 

"Why don't you tell me?" 

"Why don't I show you?" 

Snape took out his wand and held it to his temple, he then drew out a memory and placed it in a glass vial he had summoned. He then handed it to Lucy then pointed to the pensieve at his desk. Lucy nodded then headed over there and Snape followed. She looked at him and he nodded. 

"It's going to be bad, isn't it?" She said in a worried tone. 

"See for yourself, it's too painful to explain," Snape whispered, his voice cracking. 

Lucy didn't say another word as she poured the memory into the pensieve she took a deep breath, hesitated, then lent forward towards the pensieve and was thrown into Snape's memory... 

She was taken to the great hall, right next to where Snape was sat at his desk. She looked around and noticed everyone else was at a desk too. It was not clear that they were in the middle of completing their final O.W.L exam. 

Then, at that moment, they were told to stop. A mass cheer errupted from all students apart from Snape who stared blankly ahead. The students were dismissed from the hall and they all ran straight outside to witness the sunlight they had been missing. 

Lucy walked alongside the younger version of her dad who was heading straight towards a tree that was far from all the crowds, Lucy recognised this tree and recalled that she had sat by this tree before with Shona, Fred and George. 

The younger Snape took out a book as he sat down in front of the tree. Lucy didn't dare sit down next to him as she was on alert and was eager to see what happened do she stood there and leant against the tree and waited for all the action. 

But then she saw James Potter with Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. She knew this spelt trouble as soon as Snape shifted slightly and covered his face in the book he was holding. Lucy watched intensely as the group approached.