Incendio

*Trigger warning: Some Descriptive Violence*

Her visit from Lee had given her a bit more pep into her step. She had something to work for, whether it was school next year, or their Radio Project. She worked hard, but now she had a real reason to keep going and to work hard. She'd also found something to live for, if it was her last term at Hogwarts, she'd make the best of it.

She finally figured out how to Apparate. She'd take her test in August and she knew she'd pass.

She hated to admit that she was thrilled when Ginny and Dean called it quits. Ginny seemed much happier and she was receiving much more attention from a certain longtime fancy. Harry had very publicly planted a kiss on Ginny after Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup. Ginny had never seemed happier.

Samantha decided she was ready to be happy, even if shortly. She was determined to tell Neville exactly how she felt before the end of term. Her only roadblock appeared to be finding the proper moment. It seemed ridiculously uncomfortable to bring it up at dinner or between classes. She decided maybe she could tell him at the greenhouses.

Ginny, Luna and Colin had OWLS coming up, so they'd recently taken up a habit of joining Neville and Samantha down at the greenhouses for extra lessons. She certainly couldn't tell him in front of them.

Finally, a few days before final exams Samantha decided she had to say something. She'd bought him new gloves in gratitude for her lessons, that could be a starting point. Sitting at dinner she looked up at him. "Hey, I have to finish some stuff up for the Gazette. I don't want to go alone, would you go with me?"

"Of course." He smiled, "I could use a break from exam studies."

"Cool." Samantha said hopefully.

After their meal, the two began their way to the Gazette. She should tell him. She could do this, it was just Neville after all. How scary could it be? If what she'd heard was true, he'd have liked her since fourth year. It wouldn't be a bad reaction. Even if he said they would just be friends, it was better to get these feelings off of her chest.

"So I need to be honest. I don't need to do anything at headquarters. I just wanted to talk to you." Samantha started nervously.

He didn't say anything, but nodded.

She reached into her bag to grab the gloves she bought him. "These are for you." As she pulled them out, a few contents from her purse fell out of her bag. They both stopped to pick them up. Several pens, a notepad and a few Galleons were strewn across the stone floor. Neville began helping her and picking up her Galleons and handing them to her. The valentine she'd received was sticking out of her favorite notepad.

He smiled upon picking it up and handing it to her, "I've been wanting to talk to you too. Since Christmas actually."

If Neville said anything else, she didn't hear it. She had picked up her D.A. coin and noticed it was changing. It shifted to reflect the date. "Neville, your D.A. coin, is it saying today too?"

Neville looked confused but reached into the pockets of his robes. "Yeah, it is."

"Do you think there's trouble?"

It didn't take more than a few moments and the two were running through the castle to the Room of Requirement. In front of the door was Ron and Ginny.

Out of breathe, the two quickly began asking what was going on. It was explained that Dumbledore and Harry thought Death Eaters may attempt to enter the castle while they were gone on some mission. Ron and Ginny were guarding the room of requirement to keep anyone from getting in or out. Hermione and Luna were guarding Snape's office.

Neville and Samantha were nearly through an explanation when a dark powder began pouring out of the Room of Requirement. You couldn't see anything at all. They each began stumbling through the darkness.

"Lumos!" She could hear each of her companions cry. She joined in. She could hear footsteps all around her.

A hand grabbed hers. "It's me, Ginny."

Samantha breathed a sigh of relief, "It's Samantha."

"I see light!" Ron called. "And I see Lupin!"

"Tonks and Bill too!" Ginny continued pulling Samantha along.

"Death Eaters are in the castle!" Ron called at Lupin as they exited the darkness. Samantha recognized Bill and she presumed the mousy haired woman to be Tonks.

They all ran together, searching for the Death Eaters. They found the Death Eaters attempting to run into the Astronomy Tower. Neville went first trying to follow them but he couldn't, he was thrown across the room by some barrier.

Curses began flying, Samantha put up her shield charms and everything she'd ever learned came out of her. She tried to focus on who she was fighting and dodged curses almost like in a dance. She couldn't tell if it had been minutes or hours, but she kept fighting with all of her might.

She nonverbally sent a body binding curse at a Death Eater and turned her back in case it bounded back.

"Incendio Maxima!" The horrible words echoed from the Death Eater's mouth before he was caught in the body bind.

She felt a heat flash on her back, it didn't hurt immediately. It felt like putting her hand on a hot stove. She could smell something burning but she didn't realize. The force of whatever spell hit her, pushed her into the wall, then onto the floor.

"Aguamenti!" She heard someone yell behind her.

She was suddenly doused in cool water and the burning subsided slightly. She couldn't move, the burning was still intense in her skin. Her eyes became blurred with tears and she couldn't see anything. Someone had flipped her over and put their arms under her shoulders. They began pulling her away. She saw someone following them and knew if it wasn't a Death Eater, it was some insane monster. It had begun to run on all fours and she could swear he was growling. She thought, stupefy, in her mind loudly, she nearly hit it.

The growling got closer and the person dragging her couldn't run any faster. Samantha felt her body hoisted and thrown.

Then was a dark cascade of nothing.

Samantha decided that she must be dead.

She began to hear voices, maybe they were the angels speaking.

She recognized one voice at least, her mother's.

"Do you think it's wise to leave her?" Her mother's voice said with a sob.

"She will recover Madame Fyre." Another voice, that had an accent that distinctly reminded her of Fleur's.

"Call me Belle, please. Your fiancé saved my daughter's life and paid a very large price, I think we are beyond pleasantries." Her mother's voice continued.

"He is a hero, as is your daughter. However, Madame Belle we cannot help our heroes recover if we do not keep our strength."

"Don't worry Mrs. Fyre." A voice that sounded like Neville's said. "If she wakes up, she won't be alone."

"I'll come get you!" This voice sounded like Colin. "You deserve a break Mrs. Fyre."

"Now the food here is quite heavy, but maybe it will help you keep your strength." Fleur's voice guided.

It was her mother's laugh, not an angel, that Samantha recognized. She couldn't be dead. She was just tired, so tired she couldn't even move. That was when she felt the pain, a sheering and burning pain on her back. Her breathe began to heave. She opened her eyes, everything around her was blurry.

"Mum." Samantha called and before she knew it, she felt her mother's arms around her. It was like sinking into a cold pillow at the end of a long day. She felt kisses around her face and head.

While Madam Pomfrey examined Samantha, she heard what had happened. While fighting the Death Eaters, one had set her on fire. Bill Weasley had doused her before it could spread to her whole body. However, the damage was done. She was uncomfortable when Madam Pomfrey informed her she would have a few scars and a decently long healing time.

Bill had also dragged her away from Fenir Greyback, a werewolf who was known for even attacking while in human form. Bill got Samantha away, but found himself in Greyback's line and was brutally mutilated. His scars were worse than Samantha's. She was thankful to him and expressed so when she noticed he was a few beds down from her's.

She was then told of Dumbledore's murder at Snape's hands. There was the possibility that the school would be closed permanently after the funeral in four days. Samantha tried to process it all.

She would not be allowed to leave the Hospital wing until the funeral, at the earliest. Her wounds were slow to heal and very painful. When she asked about exams, she couldn't help but be slightly relieved when she heard they were suspended.

Her mother insisted she would stay near her daughter till after the funeral and take her home. It was insisted, by even Samantha that her mother did need actual sleep. McGonagall, who expressed it would have been nicer to see her old friend under better circumstances, asked that she stay with her. This was incredibly generous considering, she was now Headmistress and had a lot on her plate. Samantha suspected McGonagall was in a deep state of grief and needed a friend.

Sleeping was terribly difficult for Samantha now. Laying on her stomach was not exactly an ideal position, but the burns on her back made any other position impossible.

A bright spot in her hospital wing stay, was her friends. They admitted to taking shifts in visiting. Everyone except Neville of course. He'd been her neighbor in the Hospital wing before being discharged. Then he never joined the shift, just stayed with her for long stretches of time.

The last day he entered after her mother left for lunch. He limped in with a tiny bouquet of black and white flowers in his hands.

"I know they aren't much, but Luna helped me get them." He laughed and put it in a little vase on her bedside. It was in between her very large collection of well wishing gifts.

There was a large array of candy and sunflowers left on her bedside from everyone on the Hogwarts Gazette. Another large set of sunflowers and red roses were from Lee. The Weird Sisters attempted to send her a large bottle of fire whiskey, but when Filch rejected it, they settled to send flowers instead.

"Moly is my favorite." She insisted as he sat beside her. She handed him a Chocolate Frog. "I heard the Weird Sisters tried to send us both fire whiskey."

"I did too. Gran went insane." He laughed a little taking the frog. "I might be busted, but she's rather proud of me. So she wasn't as unforgiving as she could have been."

He looked to the notepad and pen on her bedside table, "You are supposed to be relaxing Sam."

She smiled to ignore his observation. "It's quiet in here, and I needed something to do."

"Were you writing a tribute for Dumbledore? McGonagall said it's best we don't publish one."

She shook her head. "No. It's instructions."

He shrugged. "Instructions?"

"For Colin. I want him to take over the Gazette when I'm gone. If they keep the school open of course."

"Wait, what do you mean gone?" He looked terrified. "They didn't hit you with anything fatal right?"

"No. Mum would murder me if I died." Samantha shook her head. "I just don't think I'll be back next year. There's something I've been working on, with Lee, for a long time, and I think it's going to happen."

"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about? When we were walking?" He asked.

"Sort of. Not really, but kind of. I'm horrible at things like this. I don't know how to say what I want to." Samantha wasn't sure how to say all the things on her mind.

He smiled a little, then took her hand in his. No more words crossed between them on the subject, like she didn't have to say what was on her mind. It was the first time in a long time that Samantha felt like a normal sixteen year old girl. She had a deep nagging feeling, it would be the last she would ever get to feel like that.