Incendio

Samantha would have put her name on the parchment whether Harry had done any of the remarkable things he said he had or not. She wanted to learn to defend herself and she really wanted to stick it to that pink menace who called herself a teacher.

The students were supposed to leave the Hogs Head, which was on the outskirts of Hogsmead in staggered groups. Samantha stood with Ginny while she waited on Michael to finish talking to his friends.

The twins and Lee laughed as their group was the next to leave. Fred lead their group shouting, "We're off to take care of some important business."

"You aren't off to go test more products on first years are you?" Ginny asked.

"Well, we've also got a new test subject in mind." George's eyes sparkled a little. "One who dresses in dismal pink."

"Only if you promise to give her some real hell boys." Samantha saluted as they left.

"Yes mam!" Lee Jourdan saluted back with a wink as he followed them out the door. One she hadn't expected and she laughed, there came those butterflies again.

Ginny gave her a look as she noticed Samantha's smile.

"What?" Samantha asked.

"You should have told him yes." Both of Ginny's eyebrows raised.

Samantha rolled her eyes.

"That's the first time I've seen you really smile in weeks Sam." Ginny insisted. "It's not too late to still go catch him and have that date, I'm sure Fred and George wouldn't mind that much."

"And leave you and Michael to have a date all to yourselves?" Samantha asked sarcastically.

Ginny gave her a glaring look, like she really wanted that. Michael and his friends were waiting behind them and he kept giving Ginny a look like he was ready to leave.

"I can take a hint you know?" Samantha smiled a little more, mostly just to get Ginny to stop worrying. She also realized she didn't really have anyone left to spend the rest of her day with. Colin and Dennis had already left, along with most of her friends except Hermione, but she was with Ron and Harry. Samantha had made a decision not to get between that threesome.

Then there was poor Luna, also alone. Just staring wide eyed at everyone as she finished her Butterbeer. Samantha also knew she seemed lonely, the past few weeks without the Gazette had caused Samantha to realize she had few friends outside of her one hobby. Maybe she could expand a little.

"No worries, I actually had plans today." Samantha insisted before leaving Ginny and walking over to Luna. Luna's face lit up just as she noticed Samantha walking over.

"Luna, would you mind terribly if I left with you?" Samantha asked.

Luna's smile and eyes widened more than Samantha thought physically possible. "Of course you can. I was heading to Tomes and Scrolls if you'd like to even join me there. You don't have to if you wouldn't like that."

"Oh no, actually I needed new parchment." Samantha admitted.

The two were the next to exit the Hogshead. They made an interesting pair as they continued through the shops to Tomes and Scrolls. Luna's large smile hadn't left her face.

"So is it true the Gazette was banned because you wrote an article about Umbridge?" Luna asked. "I reasoned it had to be about her support for Fudge's genocidal tendencies against Goblins."

Samantha didn't mean to laugh, she'd read about that theory in the Quibbler, but Samantha was honestly refreshed by her ability to say whatever came into her mind. "No, unfortunately I haven't hit that level of journalism. I doubt I'll ever reach that now."

"I suspect then it was about her teaching methods." Luna's face shifted from the smile into more of a frown, she shifted to a whisper. "Could I read it sometime? If you don't mind of course."

"McGonagall asked for it to remain between the Gazette members." Samantha's heart dropped, there wasn't a Gazette anymore to have real members.

Luna looked disappointed briefly but then cheered up. "That's alright. I understand completely, I heard Fudge is working on creating an army of Legilimens to read his enemies minds."

Samantha prevented herself from laughing again but decided to agree with Luna. "Yeah, it's bloody dangerous." Luna continued on talking about her theories regarding Fudge while Samantha followed behind her.

"Yeah, I know, she's ruddy ridiculous Warrington." Samantha heard her brother's familiar voice say. He had just come into the store with one of his classmates. "I wouldn't have spoiled such perfect blood. We're talking generations of pure blood."

"What a waste!" His longtime friend, Cassius Warrington agreed.

Samantha realized he was discussing their mother. She ducked slightly into an aisle. She wished she were wearing her special cloak today, but she hadn't seen a reason for it.

Luna looked at her in a confused way but followed along, slipping down the aisle with her.

"I worry, she's placed all of us in danger for her choices." He continued.

Samantha found his words ironic, considering he wouldn't even exist if she hadn't made her choices. Besides, since when had he been ashamed of his parent's marriage? Samantha didn't entirely have the energy to argue about it with him.

"Probably. Now come on Fyre, get your parchment, we still have to meet everyone at the Three Broomsticks." Warrington said as they rounded the corner into the aisle where Luna and Samantha were.

Jack's eyebrows stitched together, as if he realized she probably heard him. "Hey Sammy."

Samantha decided to pretend she hand't heard him, life would be simpler if she hadn't. "Hi Jack, Hi Warrington. You both know Luna of course."

Luna waved a little.

"Of course." The boys looked at each other with a joking expression. Samantha knew they all made fun of Luna, calling her Looney.

"Excited for Quidditch?" Samantha asked quickly, trying to pretend she hadn't just heard her brother's whole conversation. "I heard you are a chaser again this year Warrington."

"Oh we're excited." Warrington's sly face shifted into pompous gayety. "Excited to knock Potty right off of his broom." He held his hand up for Jack to high-five.

"Better believe it. You get Potty, I'll get all three of those Weasel boys." Jack insisted back. "You tell them we said that."

Samantha nodded, "Sure, but we Gryffindors don't need to cheat to win."

"Ooooh." Warrington rounded his mouth into a circle, "You Gryffindors also take unnecessary chances."

Luna's wide eyes darted between them as they conversed.

"Oh, if you mean we go all in, instead of playing cautiously, then you'd be correct." Samantha interjected. "I've seen your strategy Warrington, you'd prefer to cob someone. Maybe instead you should learn to fly in a straight line."

Jack snickered slightly as Warrington looked at him with a dumbfounded expression.

"She's not wrong my friend. Montague told you two practices ago that you can't fly straight." Jack snickered.

"Like I said Fyre, let's get your parchment and get out of here." Warrington snarked.

Jack chuckled a little, "See you Sammy."

"Bye Jack." Samantha waved.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Luna loudly exclaimed, "Well I know who I'm rooting for now. Gryffindor of course."

"Aren't you rooting for Ravenclaw?" Samantha asked.

"Well they aren't playing the next match are they?"

Samantha this time, allowed herself to chuckle. She found she was enjoying Luna's odd sort of company. It made life slightly more interesting. She was even excited to see her the next few weeks at the first official meetings of the aptly named, 'Dumbledore's Army.'

The meetings were taking place on sporadically chosen evenings, in a room Samantha had never even heard of before, The Room of Requirement.

During the first meeting she learned how to disarm with Expelliarmus, the second meeting she learned the body bind curse and by the third one she'd perfected it.

After every meeting, they left in small groups, like they had at the Hogs Head. After the third meeting she'd noticed that Lee had stayed behind after the Weasley twins had left.

"Hey, Sammy." Lee greeted her with his big smile fully on display.

"Please don't call me Sammy." Samantha requested nervously. "My name is Samantha."

"I've heard your brother call you Sammy." Lee explained as she put her wand away.

"Yes, but he is my brother." Samantha softly responded. "I don't actually like it when he calls me that. "

"Sorry." He nodded, looking nervous. "I'll call you whatever you like, if you will let me walk you to the common room."

Samantha decided it wouldn't hurt to let him walk with her, they were going to the same place after all. "Alright."

"Really?"

Samantha nodded, she was sure nothing uncomfortable could come from that. She was happily proven correct. It was a quiet walk with light conversation about Quidditch and how he'd recently applied for an internship with the WWN. She was slightly jealous, but wondered if that could be a possibility for her in the future.

At the end of the fourth meeting, each member of the D.A. were given fake Galleons that would change to reveal the time and date of the next meeting. She kept her Galleon in the pockets of her robes next to her journal. Her spirits were becoming more and more lifted, just being proud to be apart of something again.

Lee once again walked with her back to the common room and Samantha realized Ginny was right. He did make her smile.It did make her rightfully nervous when she noticed he was closer to her than she was used to. Their shoulders were nearly touching as they walked the hallways together.

"So I was wondering." He began, "If you'd reconsidered that date to get Butterbeer with me? I'd love to take you to the next Hogsmead visit, the one before Christmas."

Samantha was terrified of the word date. A Date could mean hand holding, a date could mean kissing, a date could mean things she wasn't ready for. She always told herself her first kiss needed to mean something. What could that even mean with Lee? She liked him, but he'd be gone next year, it wouldn't be a long term relationship.

"Hem Hem." A high pitched, terrifying voice was heard behind them. Umbridge, tonight wearing the most unfitting shade of chartreuse and geranium barked at them, "I hope I don't have to remind you two of the newest Educational Decree. Boys and girls are not permitted to be within six inches of each other."

Samantha felt her shoulders raise and Lee noticed. He quickly, stepped away from her.

"That's better." Umbridge commented before strutting away.

Lee leaned down again before whispering,"Is it true the Gazette was banned because someone published a particularly racy picture of Umbridge in negligee?"

Samantha burst out laughing hysterically making Umbridge turn back around and the two stepped even further apart. Once she was further down the hallway they both burst into laughter.

Lee whispered making Samantha laugh even harder, "I also heard that the front page said, Too Fudge with Love."

"It would have broken Colin's camera."

"So that's what happened, it broke his camera?" Lee asked.

Samantha continued her laughter. "Oh no, that's not why it was banned."

"Why was it banned then?" He asked.

"It's a long story." She explained.

"You could tell me the whole thing over a Butterbeer?" He suggested one more time.

Samantha laughed, "You are persistent."

"Add that to my list of wonderful descriptions." Lee joked as the two made it to the staircase.

"I'm just uncomfortable, the last date I went on, didn't end well." Samantha said, her mind spinning back to her automatic rejection of a kiss from Nicolas after the Yule Ball.

"Oh, yeah." Lee said in a tone that made Samantha realize he knew what she was talking about. "We don't have to call it a date."

"What would you call it then?" Samantha asked.

"We could call it a strategy meeting." He winked again. "As it does seem we have a common enemy."

Samantha didn't take much considering. "Alright. I'll go with you, but it's not a date."

"It's a strategy meeting." Lee joked back.

If Samantha's spirits weren't lifted before, they were now. They were especially lifted on the morning of the first Quidditch match when she saw Luna wearing a large Lion's head upon her own. Luna had run up to her to show it off, "Do you think the Gryffindor's will know I'm rooting for them?"

Samantha giggled a little, "I think they'd be blind if they didn't know."

She had shown her best Gryffindor pride today as well. She had put on her favorite sweater which today had transformed to have a big Gryffindor lion right on the front. Hermione had also braided maroon ribbons into Samantha's hair. Samantha offered to return the favor but Hermione said she was wearing her knit Gryffindor hat instead.

She was so excited to watch the game. She'd missed watching Quidditch last year. It was directly after breakfast that herself and a small gaggle of friends met to watch the game together. Ginny, Hermione, Colin and Dennis were all ready to go and cheer on their house together. Samantha invited Luna to join them, and she excitedly agreed.

Neville also asked to join them as well when they all took their seats in the stands."Isn't your brother the Slytherin Keeper?" Neville asked her as he sat behind her.

"Yes, she's a traitor!" Ginny joked at Samantha while sitting on her left.

"And in a match versus Gryffindor, I will of course cheer against him" Samantha argued.

"I don't think we can ever doubt Samantha's loyalty to Gryffindor." Hermione chimed from Samantha's right.

Luna who was sitting beside Neville also added, "She insulted Warrington, the Slytherin's Chaser while we were in Hogsmead."

The crowd roared as the game began keeping everyone from inquiring after Luna for information. They reacted to every play and tried to ignore the Samantha, although disproving of such behavior, enjoyed Lee's ridiculous Quidditch commentary.

Her brother blocked the quaffel and she wasn't sure whether to be ecstatic or boo.

"And there goes an excellent block by Fyre on his Cleansweep seven." Lee Jordan observed, making Samantha feel proud. Lee never threw out compliments to Slytherins. "I hate to say this, as I hope they have a terrible year, but they may have a good shot this year with their Keeper."

McGonagall yelled at him as she often did when he insulted the Slytherins.

"I was complimenting him!" Lee insisted back to McGonagall. "I'd like to get closer than six inches with his sister, if you know what I mean?"

Samantha's heart began beating fast realizing he was referencing when Umbridge yelled at them for walking too close together. Colin started uncontrollably laughing while everyone else turned to look at her.

"Shut up Colin." Ginny punched Colin in the arm a bit.

Colin kept laughing but rubbed his arm in pain. Dennis was laughing at his big brother's pain. Hermione looked mortified. Luna and Neville both looked confused behind her.

"Lee!" McGonagall yelled at him again. "Focus on the game please."

"You are turning red Sam." Neville observed.

Samantha shook her head slightly before crossing her arms. "It's the cold air."

"Oh sure it's the cold air." Ginny whispered back. "I heard you two have a date the next Hogsmead trip."

Samantha raised her eyebrows. "It's not a date, it's a strategy meeting."