Incendio

*Trigger Warning, This Chapter Contains Graphic Material, Including A Brief Mention Of Domestic Violence.*

Lee burst into Samantha's room. He normally had better discretion when it came to privacy.

She sat up quickly out of her bed, pulling the covers over her less than covering night shirt. She suddenly regretted never using the lock he'd given to her.

"Merlin's Beard Lee!" She exclaimed.

"They took Luna!" He yelled quickly and turned around, "The Death Eaters!"

"What? Accio dressing gown." She called and her dressing gown flew to her, she threw it on quickly before standing up. "What happened?"

"Ginny told Fred and George! They just arrived to celebrate New Year's Eve with us tomorrow. The Death Eaters came and just took Luna right off of the Hogwarts Express." Lee said, running his hands through his dreadlocks.

"Oh my god." Samantha said quickly, she pushed Lee through the door, she closed it, but yelled through the door, "I have to see Xenophilous. Does he know?" She began quickly throwing on the first clothing she could grab.

"Of course he knows. I think he'd know if his bloody child didn't come off of the Hogwarts Express. They did it because of what he's been writing in The Quibbler." Lee yelled back inside. "I don't think it's safe for you to see him."

Samantha exited the room, pulling her unruly hair up into a ponytail. "Why wouldn't it be safe?"

"If they took Luna there is a chance they are watching Xenophilous." Lee argued. "I mean they can't attack him outright per-say, they obviously just want to manipulate him into changing his writing."

Samantha stopped in her tracks. "Oh. Honestly Lee, when did you become any kind of logical?"

"I have my moments you know. We can mention Luna's capture on the show, but there isn't much else we can really do." Lee shook his head and put his hands on her shoulders.

"There has to be something we can do. Luna's one of my best friends and Xenophilous has, well, he's done more for my career than he ever should have." Samantha said, her body shaking.

"Too many of our informants are known only to you." Lee again argued with logic. "You can't go somewhere they are actively watching."

Samantha put her hands on her waist and looked down. She turned to look into her room. There, next to Whisp's cage, was Luna's letter. She'd written about how brave she thought Samantha was and how much she missed her. She'd also sent the recipe for her 'Wrackspurt cure.' Lee wasn't wrong, but she felt so useless.

"Are you planning to go anywhere important today?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm supposed to meet Kingsley. I need the distraction if I'm honest."

"I can go with you if you'd like." He offered with a smile.

Samantha coughed, he'd never offered to go with her before. She wondered if he was trying to be gallant. "I can take care of myself Lee. Besides, I'm meeting up with Kingsley. He has a lead who will only meet me if Kingsley is present."

"I know that, but I'd feel better." He said with a shrug following her. "I don't know. I mean if they can take Luna right off of the Hogwarts Express-"

Samantha rolled her eyes and interrupted him, "I'm fine. Besides my parents aren't writing oppositional pieces against You-Know-Who. That's my job."

"My point exactly." He said strongly. "What if they realized it was you working for Potterwatch? They could target you and everyone you are close to!"

"Lee, we've been doing this for four months. Why are you getting skittish now?" Samantha asked before going down the stairs.

"I read my tea leaves this morning-"

"When did you start doing that?" Samantha interrupted him again before going into the kitchen and reaching into the ice box. The twins were in the sitting room and she waved at them both. She then pulled out a bottle of orange juice and poured a glass.

He revealed, "I took Divination class for years. Everything has been so uncertain lately, so I thought it couldn't hurt."

"Oh."

"The point is, I had flames at the bottom of the cup," Lee admitted, "And a broken necklace along the top."

Samantha turned and looked at him before putting the rest of the orange juice back, "I didn't take Divination, I took Ancient Runes. What does that mean?"

"It means bad luck ahead and losing a lover." His eyes dropped.

Samantha started laughing. She could hear a bit of a snickering from the twins.

"What?" He put his hands on his waist.

"For the record Lee, I don't think I'm the person you'd need to worry about. I'm your ex girlfriend, not your lover. There is a big difference." Samantha continued laughing.

"Is there?" He asked.

Samantha stopped dead in her tracks wondering if "lover" was a different term in his mind. "I don't think I should have to explain that one."

His eyes darted a little before he looked at her again. "I hadn't thought of that."

"I think I'm perfectly safe." Samantha insisted before patting his shoulder. "You may want to write to some of your old lovers though. I'm sure you have plenty of them." She winked but motioned her eyes back to the twins who were still snickering.

"Oh yeah, I have loads of lovers." He said in an exaggerated tone. "It may take a while to get ahold of them all."

"I'm sure." Samantha laughed before finishing her orange juice and packing a small bag with a sandwich. "I'll be back before tonight, I just want to check out a few hide outs and meet Kingsley. I don't want to ring in the new year on the run."

"You are just hoping for a kiss at midnight with me." Lee said, his normal humor returning.

"Oh, unfortunately I'm making a resolution not to kiss anyone until after the war." She jested and snapped her finger.

"Alright, just come back in one piece." He laughed before patting her arm.

"I'll do my best." She said before putting her sandwich into her satchel. She grabbed her robe and headed out.

Her first two hide outs turned out to be uneventful. One still thankfully had a muggle family living in it, the other had feral cats roaming freely with no signs of human life.

She went to her meeting with Kingsley. It was in a big flat in London on the top floor of a large building, which already made Samantha skittish. London had loads of people, not to mention Ministry workers. She arrived at the flat and whispered the password Kingsley had entrusted with her.

The door unlocked itself and she entered.

Kingsley was waiting with his wand extended. "Your Potterwatch code name?"

"Rebel." She replied, "And your code name is?"

"Royal." He smiled and lowered his wand. "Please, come in. She is having tea in the other room."

Sitting and shaking, with a cup of tea in her hand, was Genevieve Horner. Samantha almost didn't recognize her at first. Her normally straightened hair was in a naturally kinky state. She had bruises up and down her arms. She looked up at Samantha and smiled widely when she saw her.

"Samantha?" She asked, and Samantha could see small tears entering the corner of her eyes.

"Genevieve?" Samantha asked before sitting across from her, "What happened to you?"

Genevieve shook her head before looking up at Kingsley. "Do you want to speak to Samantha alone?"

Genevieve nodded.

"I'll be one room over." Kingsley stepped slightly out into another room.

"I-I-I'm glad to see you." Genevieve said looking in at her with lidded eyes. "I heard your voice on Potterwatch. It's a lot deeper than it used to be. You had a horridly high pitched voice when I knew you, but I recognized it all the same."

"Yeah, everyone tells me that." Samantha laughed before pitching her voice higher, "Would you prefer I speak that high?"

"No." Genevieve laughed, "It was perpetually grating at school. I used to hate you."

"I can understand that." Samantha laughed, "I was ridiculously bossy and in way over my head."

Genevieve continued, "I was very mean to you, I'm sorry."

Samantha shrugged, "It's water under the bridge."

"I needed a laugh, thank you."

"You looked like you did." Samantha nodded and smiled.

"You've matured since school." Genevieve observed.

"Being an illegal journalist in a war will do that."

Genevieve laughed a bit more, "You may have been a thorn in my side, but no one could deny your talent. It's why I knew I could talk to you, you would help me tell my story." Genevieve insisted sharply, her laughter evading her face.

"What's happened to you?" Samantha put her hand on Genevieve's. Samantha didn't know Genevieve's blood status, but suspected she'd been in captivity.

"I should start from the beginning. I was adopted, years ago, by a muggle family." She shook her head and started crying. She tried to speak through her tears."So the Ministry thought I was a muggle-born. I was evaluated and when it was discovered I was actually of pure blood, they killed my parents for stealing a wizard's child."

"Oh Genevieve." Samantha nodded, her throat closing.

"I had no where to go. They'd destroyed my home and I was sacked at my job when it was suspected that I could be muggle-born." Genevieve looked down and her shaking increased. "I went to find my family. The one I was born into. My father was really a Death Eater. He was killed trying to avoid Askaban. My mother gave me up after he died, she didn't want me to have the shame of being a Death Eater's daughter."

Samantha nodded. "Are you comfortable giving me his name?"

She nodded, "Gilbert Wilkes."

Samantha wrote it down. "Did you find any living family?"

"I found his brother, Archibald and his wife Lucy. They took me in." Genevieve's breathe increased but her tears stopped.

"Are you alright Genevieve?" Samantha asked.

Genevieve nodded, "I'm fine."

"What happened when you went to live with them?" Samantha began to worry even more than she had before.

"They were so excited, they couldn't have children. Now they could continue their pureblood line. That's why they took me in. I didn't realize that's what they wanted." Genevieve began to show tears. "They are still very dedicated to You-Know-Who. They want a muggle free society and I was their ticket to being in better graces."

She paused before taking a deep breathe.

"They introduced me to another family. The Avery family." She gasped a little. "They have a son, Jacob. Do you remember him from school? He was a year older than I, so I don't know if you would."

Samantha shook her head, "He'd have graduated when I was in third year, so no."

"He's recently become a Death Eater, like his father. They wanted us to get married. They said I'd be safe with him."

"Did you?" Samantha asked, taking Genevieve's hand again.

She just looked at Samantha, her eyes now clouded with tears.

Samantha said, meeting her eyes, "Genevieve, if you did, you aren't to blame. You were manipulated."

She nodded, "We were married in October. I was scared of him, but at least I had somewhere to live and food in my stomach."

"Genevieve," Samantha moved and sat beside her. "Did he hurt you?"

Genevieve nodded. "Do I have to tell you how he hurt me?"

"You don't have to tell me how." Samantha explained wrapping her arm around her. "Unless you want to."

She shook her head, "I'd rather not. I left two weeks ago. He was on a mission for the Dark Lord, I don't know what. He barely let me leave the house or know anything. I knew I had to take my chance while he was gone. Kingsley found me and took me in."

"Why'd you decide to leave?" Samantha asked.

Genevieve looked down at her torso and really began to sob. "I'm pregnant. I had realized my mistake when I understood what I'd done."

Samantha's heart stopped. She took Genevieve into her arms and allowed her to cry. "You did the right thing." Samantha whispered, "You got away."

"I know, but Jacob is looking for me." Genevieve sobbed, "I know I'm safe here, but for how long?"

"Well, for the record, Kingsley is the best Auror there is." Samantha reminded, "He won't let you be hurt. No one in the Order would dare."

Genevieve nodded.

"What about the baby?" Samantha asked wondering if Genevieve planned to keep it.

She looked down to her stomach again. "I don't know. I don't want it to suffer the same fate as myself."

"You have to do what is best for you Genevieve." Samantha rubbed her back.

After letting Genevieve cry a bit more, Kingsley offered to walk her out of the building.

"I'm glad she spoke to you." Kingsley nodded gratefully. "I can only do so much in the way of comforting her."

"I understand." Samantha had realized quickly the interview was less for Potterwatch, than it was for Genevieve to have a woman she trusted speak with her.

"This world is absolute insanity. Now women are seen as nothing more than property really." Kingsley shook his head.

"Did you hear about Luna?" Samantha asked quickly.

"The Lovegood girl?"

"Yes."

"I did." Kingsley admitted.

"You don't think they will do something like this to her do you? She's seventeen in a couple of months and pureblooded." Samantha couldn't get Luna out of her mind completely.

"We can hope not." Kingsley admitted. "I can only imagine how far Voldemort's followers could go."

Samantha shook her head uncomfortably, she wasn't used to the name being said out loud.

A loud crack came from the hallway behind them. Death Eaters, four of them. Another crack came from the top of the hallway. Four more Death Eaters.

"Get down." Kingsley yelled before waving his wand. A long whip made of fire came bursting forth. She recognized the smell of burning flesh. It knocked the Death Eaters down.

"There is a Portkey in my flat. It's a copy of War and Peace on the top shelf." Kingsley whispered hurriedly. "It will take you and Genevieve somewhere safe. Leave her with the woman there. You must Apparate home immediately after you see her safely there."

"Go." Kingsley insisted grabbing her shoulders and pushing her out. Samantha began running. She didn't want to leave him, but Lee had been right. She had too many informants relying on her.

She heard a crack as she climbed the stairs. Samantha swore under her breath before firing a hex behind her. A curse almost hit her, she felt a bee sting like prickle on her neck. She kept running, she steadied her mind, she needed to get back. She slammed the door closed in Kingsley's flat after running in. She yelled at Genevieve to grab her before she grabbed the book off of the table. It took her to somewhere in London.

She checked to see Genevieve was safe before she left. She Apparated a few seconds later and found herself at the beach by the warehouse. She counted herself lucky, it was her first attack in the nearly four months of working for Potterwatch.

She rubbed her neck, it still felt like a bee had stung her for several moments. Her neck had a round, smooth bubble growing from her neck. She gasped as she pulled her hand back. It had the same bee sting kind of feeling.

There were more bubbles, growing all over her skin. Each one feeling like an uncomfortable bee sting.

She ran as fast as she could into the warehouse. She whispered the password before entering.

"Hey beautiful." Lee said at first sounding jovial. His expression changed when he saw her.

She slumped over onto the table dropping her notebook there. Her skin felt like someone had stuck a thousand needles inside of her. There were bubbles everywhere and they were growing.

"Your skin is boiling." He commented trying to help lift her off the table.

"I've damned well noticed my bloody skin is boiling Lee." She grunted back before growling a few more expletives. "Kingsley was attacked, he said You-Know-Who's name and a dozen Death Eaters arrived."

"What did you get hit by?" George asked as the twins ran into the kitchen to see what the commotion was about.

"It's some kind of stinging jinx, but I've never seen it so pronounced." Samantha reacted before yelling a few more expletives.

"You can't let those boils burst mate." Fred yelled.

"Permanent scarring, that's what those will do." George insisted helping Lee get Samantha off of the table.

"Oh, like I don't have enough of those." Samantha said, praying it was only the ones on her back that would burst. There was a boil growing above her eye and it was closing the lid quickly. "Maybe I'll finally look as pretty as Eloise Midgen."

"At least her humor is in tact." George said with a chuckle.

"Get your salve George." Fred instructed.

"Accio Salve." George handed her a jar of salve and they got her to her room where she could apply the salve in private.

She'd rubbed the salve on every boil and it had a cooling essence. None of them ended up bursting, but they were still there. She looked like some kind of odd bubbly troll. She threw a larger tee shirt on and soft summer shorts. They didn't hurt against her skin.

"Beautiful," Lee called in after a few moments, "You alright?"

Samantha opened the door. "I look like a bloody mountain troll."

"Yes, but you are alive right?" He asked looking her over.

She nodded.

She heard George yell, "The boils should go away in a few hours."

"Well at least I won't look like Marietta forever." She said with a shrug.

"Edgecombe right?" Lee asked tilting Samantha's face, "Nah, you are still prettier than her."

Samantha felt red in her face.

"Come lay down and have a drink." Lee said softly, "Calm your nerves."

"I could use one."

He held up her notebook, "I noticed. I'm going to work it into tonight's story."

Samantha breathed out knowing she didn't have the energy to edit Genevieve's story. "Just don't use her name and generalize it please."

He nodded and patted her back, "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

Lee prepared for the evening Potterwatch. Samantha noticed he was keeping an exceptionally close eye on her.

"Where'd you get this? It's great." Samantha asked George while holding up the jar of salve. She was now laying on the sofa in the sitting room and letting the stuff work. Her muscles ached where every boil was, but it was feeling better now and now they looked more like pimples. She was also beginning to see out of her left eye again.

George laughed sitting on the sofa's arm, "Made it myself. It's a mix of Moly petals, Essence of Murtlap and Flobberworm Mucus. Everyone we've sold it to says it's the greatest. We still get orders from St. Mungos for it."

"Well that makes sense, Moly is good for countering enchantments and Flobberworm puss is good for pimples." Samantha blurted out.

"Someone was paying attention in Herbology." Fred laughed from his position sitting on the floor by the sofa. "Or from what my sources tell me, it's really more your Herbology tutor you pay attention to."

Lee looked up from across the room.

Samantha was in just enough pain to make a very rude hand gesture towards Fred. She turned towards George, "Have I mentioned you are the most handsome?"

"A few times." George chuckled before looking back to Lee who had walked over to the window.

Well, I know how to get in your good graces again. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have known about the Murtlap part." Fred piped up. "If you hadn't shown it to Lee years ago for your hands, we wouldn't have the perfect salve."

Samantha looked down to her hand, before looking over to Lee, who's hand also still held a similar scar. "Harry actually told me about it. So, technically it was Harry."

Lee shouted a loud expletive, "Fred, George, get over here." He yelled. He was looking out the window and looked horrified.

The twins stood and went over. The three men looked at each other horrified. They each pulled out their wands.

"What's wrong?" Samantha asked leaning up a bit.

"Death Eaters." Lee said quickly before coming back over to her. "They shouldn't get through our barriers, but it's better to be safe. They probably think this is just an old dilapidated warehouse. If they get close enough, they should forget what they are doing and walk away."

Fred stayed by the window while George went over to the door.

Lee began helping her off of the sofa. "You need to get into your room, put that lock on the door."

"I can fight!" She said.

"Yeah, I know you can. Why don't we save your skills for if they somehow break the lock to your room?" He suggested practically carrying her up the stairs. "Come on beautiful."

He closed the door behind him and she put her lock on the door. She curled up in the corner of her bed against the wall and closed her eyes.