Prologue

"Sam? Sam? Where are you?" a voice called out through the twilight. "Come back here! It's much too dark for you to still be out alone! It's not safe!"

A little girl with long, dark blonde hair sat up and gazed through the tall grass of the meadow, barely making out her father's wandlight in the growing dark. She giggled softly and laid back down in the grass, looking up at the stars.

"There you are!" a little boy exclaimed quietly as he walked up and stood over her, a goofy grin on his face, his dark brown curls mussed up.

"Shh! They'll find me!" she whispered furiously as she yanked him down into the tall grass with her. He laughed softly and positioned himself next to her, folding his arms behind his head.

"Why you always come out here at night, Sammie?" he asked, glancing over at her.

"I like to look at the stars," she said, her blue-grey eyes still fixed on the sky. He looked up at them, silence falling between them a few moments. Sam pointed up. "See… that's Orion. And that's Cassiopeia."

"Dunno how you remember all the names," he replied. She chuckled softly

"It's not that hard, Woodsie," she replied, rolling her eyes slightly. "Besides… they're my favorite thing."

"Thought dancing was your favorite thing," he replied.

"You can have more than one favorite thing," she replied with a huff. "Not all of us are obsessed with one thing."

"I'm not obsessed with one thing," he retorted.

"Sure, you're not. What else do you like besides quidditch?" she asked, glancing over at him. He scrunched his face in concentration as he thought for a moment.

"Ehm…"

"See," she said, giggling. He looked over at her, frowning.

"I like reading," he said. "And I like watching you dance."

"That doesn't count. That's something I do and you just watch. It's got to be something you do," she said sensibly.

"Fine… I like… Well, I'm not sure what else I like, but I'm only 11," he said finally. She smiled and glanced over at him as he fixed his eyes back up at the sky. "What's your favorite constellation?" She looked back up, searching for a bit before she pointed up again.

"That one. Gemini," she said finally.

"What's it mean again?" he asked.

"The twins," she said softly, her small hand falling back down as she frowned slightly.

"Oh…"

Sighing heavily, she trained her eyes on the constellation that she could always find first in the sky, no matter where it was.

"You know… It's okay to still miss them. I miss them too," the boy said softly, glancing over at her.

"I know," she said. "Just… can't help but be a little bit scared for tomorrow. Would've been easier if he were here. Both of them, really."

"You don't have to be scared," he said, sitting up slightly and looking over at her. "You have me. And I'm sure we'll be sorted into the same house." She looked over at him, smiling slightly.

"Yea, but it's not the same. He was my twin," she said before looking back up at the sky. Oliver sat for a moment, thinking. He then looked over at her, a bright grin on his face.

"Well… I can't be your twin, but… I could be your brother," he said. She looked back over at him, confused.

"Oliver, you can't be my brother, we're not related," she said, sounding much too sensible for her 11 years.

"Of course, I can," he stated. "And I will be. From now on, I am Oliver Wood - brother to Sam Abbott." She giggled and then sat up, throwing her arms around him.

"Thanks, Woodsie," she said.

"Sam! Where the devil are you?!" she heard her father shout again.

"Roger, I'm sure she's fine!" a woman shouted at him. The two looked over towards where they could slightly see the couple searching at the edge of the woods that separated their houses from the meadow.

"Oliver's with her, so I'm sure they're just out in the meadow!" another woman shouted.

"Samantha Abbott! Get back here! You have to get up early or we'll all be late!" her father shouted again.

"Suppose we should go back," she said, standing. Oliver stood up next to her and grabbed her hand.

"Don't worry, Sammie. We'll be fine at Hogwarts," he said with a smile.

"Best mates forever?" she asked.

"Best mates forever," he replied.

Okay, so there is a story with this one - this is probably the fourth version of this story that I've done. The original I started back in university (and it was set during sixth year). Left it and then came back to it last year and started re-writing it. Got that version finished but then I didn't like it. So I started rewriting it as a lighter version (still in sixth year). Didn't like that one so trashed it and completely started over set in seventh year. Got about 3/4 finished and decided to change a major plot point, which meant I had to re-write most of it.

And now we have this version, which I'm mostly happy. I'm pretty much done with it, save the last 2 or so chapters. I thought I was done with the HP universe after the Wood Series, but this one kept demanding my attention. I didn't think I'd post it, but after I got it pretty much done, thought why not? It's a standalone and not related to the Wood Series at all. I'm pretty much done with that for the time being. Don't know how often I'll post, though I'll try to do it often as I've gotten it pretty much done for the most part.

Anywho, enjoy!