DA: Hey all, I just want to thank everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and put this story on alert and put me on author alert. It makes my whole week, (extra points for those who know that joke) seriously!
Lucinda: You're insane.
DA: Only just a little bit!
Severus: Not just a little bit. You belong in a mental institution.
DA: Do not!
Lucinda: And who is arguing with imaginary characters, one of which is completely made up by her twisted imagination?
DA:*scowls* Shut up.
Lucinda: Fine, fine, but remember: WE ARE NOT REAL!
Severus: Exactly.
DA: Whatever. ANYWAY, here is the next chapter! Enjoy!
I sat on a barstool in the Leaky Cauldron chatting with Tom, the bartender, while waiting for Papa. Suddenly, Tom stopped talking. I looked at him questioningly. "Professor." He said stiffly. Oh. I twirled around on the barstool and stood up. Papa looked down, and his eyes grew huge. "Luci?" he asked, voice breaking. "Yes Papa, it's me, it's Luci." I whispered, looking up at him. "Luci," he breathed, gathering me in a hug and enveloping me in his robes. "Luci, my little Lucinda. My baby girl." He whispered, his cheek on the top of my head. The Leaky Cauldron, once bustling and loud, was now dead quiet. I squeezed Papa tight before stepping back, my hands on his shoulders. The people's faces-especially Tom's, whose face would have been downright hilarious if not given the tense situation-, were a mixture of shock, disbelief, and horror. "I missed you Papa." I said, and took my hands off his shoulders, stepped to the side, and addressed the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the apparent shock, but I have not seen my father in twelve years, so I would appreciate it greatly if you would shut your mouths and return to your previous conversations with equal vigor. NOW." I gave them a smile one might see on a panther right before it ate you. They all whipped their heads around so fast I heard several cracks and a few "ow!"s. Back in the corner I saw that terrible Rita Skeeter woman. Her nasty acid-green quill was writing intensely, nearly tearing holes in the paper. I strode over and plucked the quill off the paper. "Now, now, Rita. Surely you aren't going to ruin my day, are you?" I said somewhat menacingly, rolling the quill betwixt my fingers. "N-no, of course not!" she stammered, scared out of her wits. "Pity," I said, sighing. "I don't believe you." I snapped the quill, and threw the pad of paper into the air. "Incendio!" I said forcefully, staring pointedly at it. It burst into blue-white flames and floated down to the floor in ashes. With a sweep of my hand I Vanished the gray bits. She gasped. I suppose she did not expect me to be so good at wandless magic. "W-w-why?" she asked, visibly shaken. I looked at her and smiled. She flinched. "Oh, Rita, Rita, Rita. Surely you aren't that daft?" I asked her. She didn't answer, so I took that as a yes, she was that daft. "Okay then, I'll explain it to you in the most detail I can muster, so you can understand completely what I'm saying. You, Rita Skeeter, are a foul, vile, lying, disgusting, flaky, annoying, truth-twisting, evil bitch of a woman. Your animigus fits you very well, Miss Skeeter. You are as low as a beetle, and even lower when you attempt to spoil a good name." she looked at me in shock. "Oh yes, I know your little secret, and will be overly ecstatic to let the Ministry in on the gig, too." I smiled a crocodile smile. "Unless, of course, you keep those nasty little un-truths to yourself. And trust me; I will know whether or not what you print is fake." I smiled menacingly. She gulped and nodded. I smiled, turned on my heel, and strode away. "Still got it," Papa said. "You got that right," I said, winking. He laughed, and it sounded rusty, like it hadn't been use in a long time. Well, I'll just have to fix that, won't I? "Come on. School supplies first, questions later." Papa says grinning. "Okay, Papa."
As we stepped into Diagon Alley, hands clasped, a few people turned to us, widened their eyes in shock, and whipped around to franticly discuss with their companion what they had just witnessed. Papa and I were avidly discussing what had happened over the years, and when I heard he had almost died and that Harry Potter had saved him, I made a mental note to thank the man when I saw him next. We were so engrossed in our conversation; we didn't notice a long-haired platinum blond man that had fallen into step behind us until he cleared his throat. In sync, both I and Papa stopped and turned around to acknowledge the man, who I then recognized as Lucius Malfoy. "Well, well, Severus, starting to rob cradles now, are we?" he said, sneering and eyeing our still-clasped hands. I went rigid with anger. "What did you say?" I said quietly, my voice deadly. "I said, you stupid girl, that apparently Snape goes for girls almost half his age. Is she even legal, Severus?" he said, chuckling cruelly. Now I shook with fury, and saw red. How dare he suggest such things about my Papa! "Actually," I spat, "I am his daughter who he has not seen in twelve years!" I was yelling, now, completely outraged. "Not that you would know, or would you? After all, Lucius," I sneered, "it WAS your sister-in-law that tortured and killed my Mum while I watched from behind a door when I was five-fucking-years-old!" I was really making a scene now. People were now staring with abandon, and parents were protecting their little ones' ears against my foul language. Lucius' own eyes were wide with shock, aristocratic uptightness thrown out the window. Papa stood silent, a slight smirk on his face and a hand on my shoulder to keep me from losing my temper completely and pummeling this prat into a steaming pile of mush. "I-um-well-I didn't know…" he stammered, clearly afraid for his life. As he should be, the daft prat. "What? That I was alive? That I survived? Little five-year-old girl, of course she won't make it! Well I've got news for you, mate! I AM alive, I DID survive, and I DID MAKE IT! And now I'm back, ready to make your and anyone else's life a living hell if they do an injustice not only to my father, but also men like Sirius Black, and your own son, Draco. Did you ever notice, Lucius? The reluctance in his eyes? The fear? The betrayal? The hatred and disgust of Voldemort? The hatred of himself for doing the things you and Voldemort forced him to do? The hatred towards you for forcing him to live that way? Hm? Did you? Because I did. I saw the Daily Prophet photos of him. I saw how frightened and angry he was. I hate you for doing that to him, to my best friend. And I know he hates you too." I saw Draco walk up to his father from behind, the hatred clear as day. "It's true." He said eyes full of malice. Lucius whipped around to face him. "I do hate you. I hate you for forcing me to take the mark. I hate you for making me act like I hated Muggles and Muggleborns. I actually think they're very interesting in fact. I hate you for making me fear for my life. I hate you for making me hate myself for liking Harry Potter, forcing me to alienate possibly the only person I've ever truly loved. I hate you for stealing my childhood. I hate you for so many things, but most of all, I hate you for dooming me to a life of many people's hatred and cruelty towards me. In many ways, Severus is more of a father to me than you are. You are little more than a sperm donor to me. I can't live like this anymore. I won't live like this anymore. I'm done." He walked past Lucius, hugged Papa, and hugged me, whispering, "Thank you." He let go and walked away. As he did people patted him on the back, and whispered words of thanks, of apology, and of congratulations. I saw those actions and words lift him up, straightening his posture and squaring his shoulders, until he was nearly floating. After he left things were silent for a moment. Then, Tom, who had followed his customers outside, walked up to Papa, shook his hand, turned around, and smacked Lucius. Suddenly the air was filled with the sounds of hands striking a cheek. When they all left, Lucius' face was red and swollen on both sides. Papa and I just walked past him.
"Okay, so what's the plan?" I asked Papa. "We split up to get your school supplies, and then we'll have some Fortescue's and then we'll get your surprise." He said, grinning. "Oooh, what's the surprise?" I asked, excited. "Now, If I tell you, it won't be a surprise anymore, now will it?" He said gleefully. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," I said, waving my hand.
DA: Okay, so this one is longer. I hoped you liked it, and weren't too mad about the delay. I only just got my Internet back on!
Lucinda: I liked it. I'm rather feisty, aren't I?
DA: Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart.
Lucinda: I was not! I was merely stating a fact.
DA: You were too!
Lucinda: Was not!
DA: Were too!
Lucinda: Was not!
DA: Were too!
Severus: Hush up, both of you. You're boring the readers.
DA: Oh. Whoops!
Lucinda: Sorry.
DA: Bye!
Lucinda: Was not!
Severus: Oh god.