Incendio

Samantha had imagined what it would be like on the inevitable day she'd go to Hogwarts without her brother. However, she thought it would be because he'd graduated. She thought it would feel like an odd form of independence. Instead, Samantha had never felt more empty in her life. Returning to Hogwarts without her brother hurt more than she thought it would. She felt like a shell, completely empty. She should have told her parents earlier, while he was still underage. They could have helped him.

January passed slowly. She focused on her studies and was thankful she had all of those interviews to use for the Gazette because she didn't feel like writing. She didn't feel like doing anything other than what was necessary. Even her goals of working towards the Daily Prophet seemed ridiculous. If even her brother could be off becoming a Death Eater, then what hope did the world have? Even the letters from Lee had begun to pile up, she couldn't bring herself to answer them.

Everyone knew about her brother, but no one asked questions. Everyone she was close with seemed to be taking shifts, making sure she was never fully alone. Hermione would study with her, but they didn't speak much. Ginny would have Arnold and Artie play together while Samantha studied in the common room. Neville started walking with her to every class they shared and sat with her at dinner with her every night. Luna and Colin seemed to be swapping nights at the Gazette while Samantha oversaw printing.

February rolled in and she was beginning to run out of articles to publish, she'd have to force herself out of her funk. She chose to take Apparation Lessons but struggled through the first one, she couldn't get her mind on straight. She became grateful that she wouldn't get to take her test until August.

Her parents had heard nothing from Jack, neither had Samantha, and neither had any of his friends. She stooped to the level of asking Warrington, who wasn't much help. It was Valentine's Day before Samantha felt herself really smile again and could briefly forget about her family woes. She'd entered the Gazette's headquarters when she found a tiny card upon the printing press.

It was honestly beautiful and simple. Just a card with little black and white flowers surrounding a tiny bumble bee. The bumble bee buzzed around on the page in the shape of a heart.

On the inside was a simple message,

Bee Mine

-A secret admirer

Samantha was shocked. She wasn't sure who would send her a valentine that was so simple and lovely. She wondered if maybe it was from Neville, but he was with her so much between classes and at supper, why wouldn't he have given it to her then? She worried it was from Ernie, Colin or Dennis who were the only other boys on the Gazette.

She almost didn't care, it was such a subtle and beautiful card she would be thankful no matter who gave it to her.

Lee had never been subtle, so she quickly counted him out. She especially counted Lee out when she received a valentine from him. It was flashy and when opened it sent tiny fireworks into the air. She regretted opening it in the middle of the Great Hall in front of Neville, the last person she wanted anyone to see anything Lee sent her. She hadn't had the wherewithal to talk to Neville about how she'd felt. She desperately didn't want her despondency to translate to disinterest in him.

"Well that was obnoxiously flashy." Samantha commented as the fireworks finished. She closed up the card and stuffed it into her bag.

Neville smiled a little and they both continued eating their dinner in sweet silence.

Apparition lessons were about as bad as potions had been. She was not making much progress. The March trip to Hogsmead was canceled and instead Samantha spent the morning with Neville in the Greenhouses and the afternoon in the Gazette's headquarters. Ginny had originally joined her in the Gazette headquarters, but was called away when it was discovered her brother Ron had been poisoned. Samantha followed behind her and waited outside the Hospital wing with her as only his parents had been given entry. Harry and Hermione were both waiting outside as well.

Harry explained to them what had happened in Slughorn's office and how he had saved Ron with a bezoar. After getting permission, Samantha took down the whole event in her notebook.

When Madam Pomfrey allowed them to enter, Samantha decided to stay outside, in case his parents wanted to go back in. They were only allowed six people at a time. Samantha decided to take her new story back to the Gazette headquarters. She could use that instead of the last interview she planned to publish.

She enchanted the press to work when a knock came at the door.

"Samantha?" Lee's face peered around the door.

"Lee?" Samantha asked quietly shocked. He already looked older than he had over the Summer. He also seemed to be wearing a dragon scaled suit.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course, what are you doing here?"

"Fred, George and I were going to surprise Ron in Hogsmead for his birthday, but we heard what happened." He admitted coming into the room. "I was of course hoping to see you as well."

"It's nice to see you." Samantha admitted uncomfortably. She wasn't sure how to feel, hoping he held up his end on the staying friends agreement.

"Since you weren't answering my letters, I wanted to make sure you were ok." He sat down beside her on the window sill where she'd perched herself. "I went to visit your mom's shop, she told me what happened with your brother."

Samantha nodded and felt the tears well behind her eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Samantha shook her head, "No."

He nodded but pulled her closer for a hug. She sank into it for a moment and felt a few tears flow. She let go and he handed her a handkerchief from his front pocket.

"I'm sorry beautiful." He said and she ignored the nickname.

"My friends have been keeping an eye on me and I've been distracting myself with studies. So I'm not a total lost cause." Samantha updated before handing him the handkerchief back.

"That's boring." He smirked playfully. "I heard from Ginny that you've been a very studious student all year."

She nodded before feigning a chuckle, "I know, I'm practically turning into Granger."

He laughed, "I also heard you and Longbottom drank several glasses of fire whiskey with The Weird Sisters."

"You hear that from Ginny too?" She asked.

"No, I heard it from The Weird Sisters." He laughed. "They come into the Network a lot. They saw your picture on my desk, then announced that they knew you."

"Oh." Samantha felt her cheeks get warm. She wasn't sure how to feel about him keeping her picture on his desk or where he'd even gotten a picture of her.

"Can't say I'm not a little jealous."

"What, they didn't offer you fire whiskey?" She quipped.

"I mean, they did, so not that. I meant I was jealous of Longbottom, getting to be your date." He admitted quickly.

"Oh." Samantha didn't feel like explaining it was just as friends, because she wasn't sure what it was. She felt her face fall.

"So is there, something going on?" He asked, "Between you two I mean."

Samantha shrugged.

"I wish I could say I just wanted to check on you and awkwardly admit my jealousy." He admitted after a few minutes of very uncomfortable silence, "But, I am actually here on business."

"For the R.P.?" Samantha asked looking up at him.

"Yeah." He pulled a paper out of his breast pocket. It was a receipt for radio broadcasting equipment. "I just bought what we will need. It's second hand, but Electra says it's non traceable. I'm also looking into property."

Samantha looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Already?"

"Well, we all don't know when it's really going to all break loose you know? So I'm looking to purchase from this muggle in East Essex. It's near the seaside. Electra is helping me fund it, she thinks the idea is brilliant." He handed her a picture of a little factory. "It's abandoned and once the proper precautions are in place, it will stay abandoned seeming."

Samantha nodded and a few things began flashing through her mind. What if something truly catastrophic happened soon? What if being at Hogwarts wasn't safe? "You don't think something is going to happen soon do you?"

He shrugged. "I hope not, we are at war already, but this kind of system doesn't seem eminently needed yet. I also won't have anything ready until July at least."

"I'm in." She looked him in the eyes.

"What if it all goes down while you are still at Hogwarts?" He asked hurriedly. "You aren't going to skip your last year!"

"If the world is bad enough, I have the choice to attend or not." She continued. "I've always had that choice, just like my brother did."

"But the Daily Prophet? Your dreams are out the window if you don't get amazing NEWT scores." He stated quickly, "I didn't rope you into this for you to give everything up."

"Can I cross that bridge when I reach it? I can't do anything till I'm of age anyway." Samantha mentioned. "And that's not till the end of August."

He nodded. "Alright. It may not even be needed. If anything we will start a station that we will never need."

"I hope that's it." Samantha nodded and all of her work over the past year began to feel ridiculous. Another silence fell between them, like they suspected it wasn't the case.

"Just do me a favor, still get good grades this year." He continued, "Because, Electra thinks you were pretty amazing. I've showed her your work, and you can't let it go to waste Samantha. You are too talented. You've given up so much, us included, for your future. You can't let anything else ruin that. Promise me?"

Samantha took his hand. "I promise."

He kissed her hand lightly.