CHAPTER FOUR

Good Times Bad Times

"Samantha, it's nearly eleven," Severus called. "What are you doing in there? You have nothing to pack!" He poked his head around the corner to find me perched on the bathroom sink, head in my hands. "Samantha?"

I sucked in a breath. "Right, sorry."

Severus dropped a hand onto my shoulder. "We've discussed this. You spent the summer travelling and now the Ministry has taken you under its wing under the condition that you spend your non-school hours at its potions laboratory. That'll be why you don't sleep in Ravenclaw Tower anymore. They'll think you Floo back and forth between Hogwarts and the Ministry. And to explain why you and I are so acquainted is that you are acting lesion between the Ministry's Lab and Hogwarts' Hospital Wing. It'll be our job to keep the hospital stores stocked and ready for Madame Pomfrey."

"I know," I said with a sigh. "That's not what I'm worried about."

Severus released my shoulder. "Well," he said, straightening my robes so the Ravenclaw crest showed. "As for the rest, you'll have to play it by ear."

With a nod, I hopped down from the sink. "Yes, sir."

"What did I say about calling me sir?"

"If I'm going to be seeing you in Defence class, I may as well get used to calling you that again."

"True. Now hurry up and get to the fireplace. The train will be leaving soon, and you don't want the other students getting suspicious about you not being on it."

I slipped my rucksack onto my back and made my way to the mantel. "Here goes nothing." With a shout and a step, I whirled away to London.

"Sam!" came a cry as I stepped out onto Platform 9¾.

"Terence! Wow, look at you all of age and adult-like!" I greeted my Slytherin friend. Appropriate, that he should be the first to bump into me, I though as I hugged him. "Damn, you got tall."

"Yeah, I guess that whole puberty thing finally figured itself out. Hey, how were your OWL results?"

I chuckled, walking with him to a nearby carriage as the train whistle blew. "Well enough. I'm still on track, if that's what you mean."

"So which NEWT courses are you taking?"

I pushed past the younger students in my efforts to keep up with Terence as we searched for a compartment. "Well, Potions and Herbology."

"Duh."

"Astronomy, Ancient Runes, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Divination, and Charms."

"Hey, Evans," came a shout as we passed a compartment. With a frown, I retraced my steps.

I did my best to conceal my surprise, with was much less difficult after all the crap I'd gotten from Severus about being too easy to read. "Yeah, Malfoy?"

Draco looked past me to spot Terence standing at my shoulder. He considered, then beckoned. "Join us."

Terence stiffened next to me, but I ignored it. "Sure." And I walked into the Slytherin compartment.

"Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Zabini," Draco said, gesturing. "This is Evans and...you know Higgs."

"Hello," I said, finding it odd to be formally introduced to people I had seen in passing many times over the years.

"So," Draco continued. "How was your summer?"

I leaned back against the seat, attempting to look as comfortable as possible. "Same old," I said with a huff. "Saw the world and came back again. You? How's the family?"

Draco's eyes flashed, but I was certain I was the only one who noticed. "Mother and I have issues to attend to, but nothing we can't handle."

I wanted to smirk, truly I did, what with Draco's father being in Azkaban for, among other things, murdering my mother. The Malfoy family wasn't doing well, but we had to put our differences behind us if we were going to make it through these rough times ahead. "Glad to hear it."

And somehow the conversation carried out quite civilly for the duration of the train ride. Sometime after the train had found the English countryside, Pansy Parkinson appeared with Anthony Goldstein at her shoulder.

"Draco," she whined as she opened the door. "You weren't at the prefects meeting."

"Oh crap, I forgot about that," I said with a wince, eyeing Anthony. "Did I miss anything?"

Draco just shrugged, patting the seat next to him, at which Pansy quit frowning and joined him.

"Not really. The new prefects are all morons," Anthony told me, but his eyes were roaming the compartment in order to view my company. "Um, I'll see you later, shall I?"

"Sure. See you, Anthony." And the compartment door slid closed without further ado.

"Do you think with Umbridge gone that the Four Houses will get back together?" Terence asked me quietly.

"It'd better. I don't see why not. Besides, if we don't perform that new song you wrote, the world will be a less awesome place."

Terence laughed.

"Are we going to get a sneak preview?" Zabini asked.

Terence and I looked at each other. "We don't have any instruments."

"We could do it a cappella," Terence suggested, though his gaze suggested that he was surprised that the Slytherins were interested.

"All right," I agreed.

And as we sang, I, too, was surprised by the group's attentiveness. I nearly lost track of who I was with.

That is, until a somewhat large man ducked into our carriage without warning.

"Ah, there you are Miss Evans! Your Ravenclaw friends didn't seem to know where you were! Luckily Mister Goldstein pointed me in the right direction."

"Uh, sir?" I asked, confused.

He held out his hand. "Horace Slughorn," he said graciously. "Your mother was one of my absolute favourite students, I'll have you know. A fine example of a Slytherin. Though I see you've been sorted into your father's house instead of hers."

I winced as I heard several of the Slytherins gasp at the new information. "I quite like Ravenclaw," I said softly.

Slughorn chuckled. "Of course you do! Though if you have any of your mother in you, then you'll have a fire none of your housemates have, you can be sure of that."

I couldn't disagree, so I just shook the man's hand instead. "Samantha Evans. Pleased to meet you, sir."

"Would you care to join me in my carriage for a spot of tea? I'd be most delighted. And Mister Zabini! It's good to see you again. You're already seated next to Miss Evans; would you join us and escort her to C carriage? I have one or two other students to find."

"Uh, sure." I stood, as did Blaise Zabini.

"Excellent! See you in just a mo'!" And the professor wandered off.

"Um, see you all later, then," Zabini said, and we left, though not before I shot Terence an apologetic look.

"So," I said as I closed the door behind us. "Any idea what this is about, Zabini?"

"Blaise, please. If Draco's all right with you, then we might as well be on a first name basis, Samantha."

"Then call me Sam."

"Sam. No, I don't know why he picked us out of the rest. I mean, Malfoy carries a much stronger impression than Zabini in the wizarding world. What was your mother's name?"

"Greyson. We're an off-shoot of the Price family, I believe."

"Still, not as much of a splash as other names."

"Definitely not."

Blaise looked sideways at me. "I didn't know you had a pureblood Slytherin background."

I sucked in a breath. "On my mom's side, yeah." We reached the carriage, the sight of which pushed me to change the subject. "Doesn't explain why he's choosing students from all the Houses."

In fact, inside the carriage were students from Gryffindor as well: Ginny Weasley and Cormac McLaggen, to be precise. That is, until Slughorn showed up with Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom in tow.

"Sam!" Harry exclaimed, leaping forward to embrace me.

"Hiya, Harry!" I said with as much happiness as I could muster while my gut twisted horribly. I broke the hug early.

"Ah, you know Miss Evans already then, do you Harry?" Slughorn asked.

Harry smiled. "We're distant cousins."

Blaise shifted at the news, throwing a raised eyebrow at me.

I forced a smile. "That's right."

"Well, does everyone else know each other? Here, allow me to make introductions."

Slughorn proceeded to announce everyone present, as well as discuss interesting facts about their background. I was surprised to hear that Blaise's mother was known rather well in the wizarding world as being one of the most beautiful witches in history. I glanced at him, noting a distinct physical attractiveness to his face.

"And Samantha, my sincerest condolences on the loss of your mother. She was a great witch, and the wizarding world is a lesser place without her," he said with wide eyes.

I shifted uncomfortably. "Thank you, sir."

"Your mother was not only an extremely talented potioneer, but also excellent at protecting secrets. She was an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries, and one of the highest in rank if I recall!"

"She was, sir."

And it went on and on and on...each student was grilled about some small aspect of their family until we were sick and tired of it all. When Slughorn finally let us depart, Blaise had slumped back against the seat as though he were trying to disappear into it.

"Don't be a stranger!" the professor called after us as we hurried away.

"Sam, wait up!" Harry called. I stopped, and so did Blaise. Harry frowned at the Slytherin. "You...you aren't sitting with him, are you?"

I bit back a sigh. "Oh, you know, Terence and I were going over some sheet music. We're hoping to get the Four Houses back together," I made up quickly.

Harry seemed mollified. "Oh, ok, well I'll catch up with you later then. I hope they allow the band this year!"

"Thanks, Harry. See you."

I followed Blaise back toward the Slytherin compartment, glancing back only to find that Harry must have disappeared into a compartment himself.

"I'm glad that's over," Blaise said with a sneer.

"Tea, or being around a Gryffindor?" I said with a laugh.

"Both." He pulled open the compartment door. "After you."

"You're back," Draco said as we ducked inside. "What was that about?"

"It was dumb," I said honestly, flopping into my seat beside Terence as Blaise struggled to shut the door.

"What's wrong with this thing?" he growled. The door shot open despite his efforts, sending Blaise into the seats atop Goyle. I laughed merrily at the sight, watching the two of them struggle to regain any sort of dignity.

"What did Slughorn want?" Draco insisted.

"Just trying to get close to well-connected people," said Blaise. "Not that he managed to find many."

"Who else had he invited?" Draco pressed. Blaise rattled off the list, which only served to anger Draco more. "I suppose it doesn't matter," he said finally. "I mean, I might not even be at Hogwarts next year anyway."

"What do you mean?" Pansy cried.

"Oh, you know," Draco started, catching my gaze briefly as his tone reminded me of the lie I had told Harry just minutes earlier. "I might have-er-moved onto bigger and better things."

Pansy glanced at me suspiciously. "Do you mean-Him?" Clearly she wasn't sure how openly to speak with a Ravenclaw present.

But Malfoy just shrugged, but didn't elaborate much beyond that. Soon enough, everyone was pulling on school robes, Malfoy's words forgotten.

When the train pulled into Hogsmeade station, I ducked out into the corridor with the group of Slytherins. Draco shooed us ahead, so we took one of the carriages without him as it snaked its way up to the castle.

"I'll see you later," Terence said as we entered the Great Hall. He and the others moved for the Slytherin table as I veered off from them.

Spotting Stewart Ackerly, I snuck up behind him and hugged him tight before seating myself at the Ravenclaw table.

"Sam! he squeaked. "I've been looking for you!"

"Geez, everyone's just growing up around here. You look fantastic, Stewart!"

The third-year Ravenclaw boy blushed beside me. "Have you seen Luna?"

"Nope," I said, glancing around. "Oh wait, there she is."

Luna Lovegood traipsed into the hall with a group of Gryffindors, among which Harry Potter was absent. I frowned, glancing around to see if any other students were missing. Ron and Hermione were there-waving at me, which I half-heartedly responded to-and to my dismay, Draco strode in behind them looking particularly smug. The fact that he was one of the last students to be seated could in no way be interpreted as a good thing.

"Hello, Sam!" came Luna's voice as she parted ways with the Gryffindors and seated herself across from Stewart and me. "Hello, Stewart."

"Hiya, Luna," we said, only to be silenced as the headmaster rose to his feet to greet the students.

When the new staff was introduced, I spotted Professor Slughorn, the new Potions Master who had instructed my parents when they had been at Hogwarts. He seemed quite cheerful for a Slytherin as he waved merrily to the students.

When Professor Snape was announced to be the new Defence teacher, I clapped soundly despite the other students' hesitancy. Severus caught my eye, twitching an eyebrow in his efforts not to roll his eyes. I smirked.

Harry Potter didn't arrive until after the food had appeared, and naturally he was covered in blood.

Damn, I thought. I squelched my desire to check up on him and turned away from the Gryffindor table. I could almost feel Severus' eyes on me as I focused on my dinner, and frowned at myself for him for feeling so concerned. I couldn't let my feelings get in my way.

At the end of dinner, Anthony and I, along with the two new Ravenclaw prefects, guided the first years to Ravenclaw Tower. Anthony moved ahead while I ushered the slower students from the rear.

Stewart tagged along, but Luna rejoined the Gryffindors as they waited at their table for the first years to depart.

"So have you heard about Dumbledore's Army? I'm thinking of joining this year."

"Dumbledore has an army?" I asked with a frown.

Stewart chuckled. "No, the secret group Harry set up last year to combat Umbridge's awful teaching. I heard he's going to keep it going."

"Not much of a secret now, is it?"

"Well, not anymore. Now it'll be a Defence club, probably. Do you think you'll join?"

I bit my lip, waving the last of the first years up to the tower. "I don't know. I'm going to be pretty busy with NEWTS and everything."

"Oh come on, Harry's a sixth year, too, and he's running it!"

"Yeah, but I've got some other things going on this year."

"Like what?" Stewart moved to join the herd of older students climbing the stairs. "Are you coming?"

"I can't. I have this, um, this deal with the ministry since I'm an underage orphan. It's a long story, but I have work to do."

"Well that was vague and creepy," Stewart said with a laugh. "But I hear you. There aren't many students at that age who are old enough to work but not enough to live on their own. Sorry you have to jump through all those government hoops."

"Me too," I said, relieved that Stewart was buying the lie. "I'll see you later."

"Good night, Sam. Oh, and congrats on making Quidditch Captain!"

I grinned, having forgotten. "Thanks."

I broke away from the Ravenclaws and made my way toward the dungeons. I took a hidden route Severus had shown me, sneaking into our chambers without going past the Slytherin Common Room entrance. When I got inside, I collapsed against the back of the entry painting, breathing as though I had just run a mile.

I was so limp that I barely broke my fall as the painting swung open again, Severus ducking inside. I looked up from the floor.

"Hey."

"Hello."

"How was your day, dear?" I said, rolling my eyes.

Severus scoffed. "At least I'm still upright."

"Yeah, you've got me there."

"Tea? I assume you'd like some crack in yours?"

"Yes, please."

"Did your friends get suspicious?" he called as he left for the kitchen.

"Nope. Do you think the band will be allowed to perform this year?"

"I don't see why not. I'll ask Albus."

"Thanks."

Severus brought the tea to the table by the fire. "Will you be taking yours on the floor?"

I chuckled. "I'm coming." I rolled up and shuffled on over, sitting across from him. "Severus?"

"Hm?"

"Is there any chance we'll make it through this without going mad?"

"Probably not."

"Thought so."

The following morning, Severus and I exited our quarters together with the decision that, should anyone ask, the Floo network fireplace I had been assigned was located in the dungeons. This way I wouldn't need to sneak around the castle.

Professor Flitwick was already making his rounds, students eagerly awaiting their class schedules as they downed their breakfasts.

"Ah, Miss Evans," Flitwick said happily as he came around to me.

"Hello Professor! It's good to see you."

"And you! Say, do you think you and the others would be interested in getting the band back together?"

"YES!" I shouted, attracting several glances. From the Gryffindor table, the closest to the Ravenclaw one, Seamus Finnegan looked over, at which I mimed playing my guitar, then flashed a thumbs up. He punched the air victoriously, then hurried over to the Hufflepuff table to pass on the news to Justin Finch-Fletchly.

Flitwick chuckled. "Excellent! All right, let's see what NEWTs you have in store. Potions, of course. Herbology, Ancient Runes, Divination, Astronomy, and Charms should do it. Sound good to you?"

"Perfect. Thanks, professor."

"Oh, and there's a growing list of students interested in trying out for the Quidditch team. I'll give you the list soon, all right?"

"Sounds good. See you in class!" And the professor moved on. I gathered up my bag and headed off to Ancient Runes...where I was assigned a fifteen-inch essay, two translations, and a load of reading due Wednesday.

I sighed, resigning myself to a heavy academic load for my NEWT years as I trudged off to Defence class.

The room was lit by candles, the windows covered with heavy curtains. Cosier, in my opinion. I dropped into a seat at an empty table. When Severus walked in, however, I regretted my decision to sit alone as I had nothing to block my view of the man as he lectured. Thankfully, the Slytherins took care of this by seating themselves around me just before the bell rang.

Pansy leapt at Draco as we were ordered to divide into pairs and practice nonverbal spells, but he shook her off and signalled for Blaise to work with her. He made his way over to me instead.

"I have a feeling we're going to need to get used to working together this year," he said quietly.

"You know nonverbal spellcasting, then?" I whispered back.

Draco nodded. "But we can fake it for now."

"Good idea."

So Draco and I pretended to struggle along with the other students, essentially just standing there and waving our wands pointlessly.

A loud bang interrupted us sometime later, however, to which Draco and I crouched automatically and glanced around for the source. On the other side of the classroom, Severus was pulling himself off the floor.

"Do you remember me telling you we are practicing nonverbal spells, Potter?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"Yes, sir," the professor hissed.

"There's no need to call me 'sir,' Professor."

My eyes widened at Harry's words. 'Crap,' I thought to myself, fighting a wince as Harry was awarded detention.

"Perhaps a more competent student can deflect a jinx nonverbally," Severus said with a scowl. He turned on his heel, marching over to where the Slytherins were gathered. "Evans?"

Severus flicked his wand, and I deflected the spell immediately. He then turned his wand on Draco, who did the same.

"For listening to directions, ten points to both Slytherin and Ravenclaw," said Severus before ending the session. "And remain after class," he whispered as the students moved to leave.

When the room was empty, Draco and I crossed over to the front desk. "Well that was fun," I said sarcastically.

Severus ignored this. "The three of us will be taking on additional time outside of classes to work on more advanced defensive magic. Once a week in this classroom. Understood?" Draco and I nodded. "You'll need a cover-up."

"Sir?" said Draco.

The man seemed to sigh without sighing, pausing as though his next words were not ones he wished to say.

"The two of you will...pose as a couple."

"What?" Draco and I snapped simultaneously.

"You heard me. The two of you will be spending a great deal of time together. The only explanation that will be feasible to your friends and peers is that you are seeing each other."

"Can't we-?" I started, but Severus seemed to read my mind.

"This requires something stronger than friendship. You need a reason to be around each other that will squelch any doubts your friends may have as to the authenticity of your connection. They cannot suspect that you have any other motives toward each other."

Draco swallowed. "But, sir...you're-I mean, that is to say..." Draco straightened. "Sam's married, sir."

Severus glanced away while I stiffened and blushed to hear such blunt words.

"I know it's a secret, and I've sworn to take it to my grave, but-"

"We'll come back to that in a moment," Severus interrupted. "Right now, you must do as I tell you. If the other Death Eaters are to truly believe that Sam is now on our side, they must have a reason they can hold onto. Our marriage is a secret even to them. It is more believable that Sam is dating a Death Eater her own age than married to me. Our marriage was for her physical protection, to keep her safe from any immediate threats due to her family heritage, but this relationship is for her practical protection. Now that anyone can find her, they must not wish to."

I hung my head. Nothing in my life was what it seemed anymore. I wasn't even sure what Severus had just said made sense, but it didn't matter. Draco was nodding slowly, and there was nothing I could do to change anything.

"Very well. Do what you must to keep up appearances. But first, we must seal all this with the Unbreakable Vow. None of this can leave this room."

I gasped slightly, but quickly caught myself as Severus rounded the desk without further ado, wand extended.

"I've never participated in an Unbreakable Vow before," Draco confessed.

"Nor have I," I added.

Severus, not looking even remotely surprised, reached out and clasped mine and Draco's right hands together around the wrists before laying his wand on our joined hands.

"Will you, Draco Malfoy, keep secret the marriage of myself and Samantha Evans?"

Draco stared hard at our hands. "Yes, I will."

A tendril of light magic began to wrap around our hands, leaving trails of warmth in its wake.

"Will you, Samantha Evans, keep secret the true nature of Draco Malfoy's ranks among the Death Eaters?"

"I will," I said, watching the light magic grow and reminded forcefully of my wedding over the summer.

"And will both of you work hard to accomplish the necessary tasks I will set out for you and act out the facade of a relationship for the benefit of the general public?"

"I will," we said together, the light flaring before subsiding and vanishing. Draco and I broke our grasp.

"Very well. You are dismissed."

In the empty corridor, Draco turned to me. "I don't like this."

Despite my nervousness, I clasped his shoulder. Then, thinking better of it, dropped my hand to his. Better to get used to simple touches now than when people might be watching.

"We'll get through this," I assured him, though I was having trouble believing my own words.

Draco sighed, frowning, then squeezed my hand before dropping it. "I'll see you in Potions."

I nodded, and he took off at a brisk pace down the corridor. The classroom door opened shakily and Severus stepped out to join me.

"Is he all right?" he asked.

"Are any of us?"

The boy seemed all right enough when we arrived for Potions class after lunch. There were three other Ravenclaws in the class, all whom had seated themselves together automatically. Anthony waved me over, and I joined them, finding myself back-to-back with the Slytherin table and, who else but Draco Malfoy.

Professor Slughorn made a big show of greeting those who had been in his train compartment for tea. The other Ravenclaws raised eyebrows at me, but said nothing, and soon enough were engrossed in Slughorn's lecture on the various potions scattered around the tables.

The one on our table was Polyjuice Potion, which I had never before seen. To be honest, it looked entirely repulsive.

"Mind if I move this?" I asked my peers as we were assigned the creation of a Draught of Living Death. None of them answered, so I shrugged and flicked my wand so it hovered to a new table. The scent left with it, thankfully.

I wasn't entirely interested in the prize, a vile of liquid luck; I was married to a potions master, for Merlin's sake. But I worked diligently nonetheless, fully expecting Hermione Granger or someone to take the prize.

Allowing myself to fall into the rhythm of potionmaking, my mother's voice whispered in the back of my thoughts, offering more efficient ways of working. The sopophorous bean responded better to being crushed by a silver dagger rather than cut, and I did so automatically.

Though it served to irritate my fellow Ravenclaws that my potion appeared better than theirs, it wasn't quite up to par. Rather than a pale pink, it appeared a transparent lavender at best when Slughorn called for time.

I frowned, glancing between my book and the potion as Slughorn wandered past. I would have to do some research on this, that was for sure.

When Professor Slughorn declared Harry Potter the winner, however, I couldn't suppress a look of surprise. Harry wasn't exactly the brightest potions student after all; the last time I'd seen him brew, he had nearly doused the entire classroom in an orange oozing concoction.

Nevertheless, a glance into his cauldron proved that he had done a spectacular job, and he received the vile. Better him than anyone else, I figured. I really needed Harry at his best if I was going to make it through the next few years.

Yes, Harry was going to need all the luck he could get.