Chapter Eight Summary:
It had been almost a whole week and Sam was already starting to feel more comfortable at Hogwarts. Saturday mornings were the best you got to sleep in and not worry about homework until Sunday of course. But if you wanted breakfast you had to get up. Sam came down from her room and met Hermione in the common room.
"Hey Mione!"
"Hey Sam, sorry Harry had to take Ron downstairs for breakfast, I swear that guy can't go a minute without food." Hermione told her.
They both laughed and made their way downstairs.
"Hey guys." Samantha and Hermione greeted Harry and Ron who were sitting at the Gryffindor table.
At nine o'clock sharp owls swarmed the room flying above and dropping gifts and letters to some of the students. Sam was in mid sentence when a letter and an oddly shaped package landed in front of her. She opened the letter as the trio and some people from the room waited to see what was in the package.
"It's from my parents." she explained. "They're moving back and want me to come visit next Saturday, you guys are invited too. They also want me to try out for the Quidditch team." She rolled her eyes at that last comment.
"My dad's idea no doubt, he wanted me to play muggle soccer, so he bought me a ball, this is probably a broom." She said. Sam carefully opened the wrapped gift in front of her. "Great it's a shinny broom." Sam said un-enthused.
"Not just any broom!" Ron half yelled his mouth, as well as Harry's open all the way.
"It's the new Firebolt addition, the most advanced broom stick ever!" Harry informed her. The two boys gawked at the broom stick. And that's just it. That's all Sam saw, was a broom stick.
"Try it out Sam."Harry called out to her as he and Ron were already out the door and Sam was being dragged by her arm. The four of them stood outside. Sam just looked at the broom and back at the boys, then to Hermione.
"Fine." She sighed. Sam had improved immensely over the summer, with help from Ron and his brothers and Harry of course. Her game wasn't that bad either. Frankly Ron didn't see why she shouldn't try out for the team. Sam threw her leg over the broom stick and straddled it. "Oh MY G-….." Was the last thing she could manage to get out before the shinny red broom stick which was carved in her name by the way took off in lightning speed.
That afternoon the four of them took turns riding the Firebolt until it was time for lunch.
"I can't believe how bloody fast I was going that was amazing." Ron ranted about Sam's firebolt and his turn on the broomstick.
The four sat at the Gryffindor table for lunch. It was the topic of discussion during lunch. Tryouts for quidditch were going to start soon and her parents did encourage her to join the team.
"I think I am going to do it, try out for the team." She said glancing at Ron and Harry.
"Great try outs are Wednesday after class." Harry said ecstatic.
"That should give me some extra practice time." Sam said as she and Hermione gathered their things.
"Well see you boys later." Sam said.
"Were going to the library to work on our potions projects." Hermione told them
"Your going to work on a project, in a library? But it's a Saturday." Ron Whined He secretly hoped they would stay longer. Just because he decided to keep his crush on Sam a secret from everyone and not show that he liked her… didn't mean he really didn't like her.
"Yes Ronald, if you had half a mind you would start yours too." Hermione said
"See you guys later." Sam smiled as she dragged Hermione away.
"Hi Harry, Ron" Cho Chung Harry Potter's Raven haired Raven Claw crush waved as she walked up to the two boys.
"Cho!" Harry said turning around surprised to see her.
"How are um what's up? Harry said turning a slight shade of pink and finally spitting out his words.
"Oh nothing much I was actually looking for Sam, do you know where I could find her, I know you guys are like close friends or whatever."
"Well yeah, she's actually at the library with Hermione. Me and Ron were just on our way there."
"We were? Omph!" Ron said getting elbowed in the stomach.
"We could walk you there."
"Sure." Cho smiled.
"Which book Mione? This one or this one?" Sam asked holding two huge books on their potions topic."
"Hmm um yeah both." Hermione said paying more attention to the letter in her hands than their research."
"Wait a minute, Hermione Granger not paying any interest what so ever to our homework let alone a project? Sam said jokingly with her mouth in a shock and awe pose. "Somethings up, let's talk." Sam said as she pulled Hermione who had become one of her closest friends, actually she considered her and Ginny her best friends. The two girls sat at a table near the back. "No one's around tell me what's going on Mione."
Hermione sighed. She handed Sam the letter. "You can look at it I don't care." Hermione said passing her the letter. Samantha read it over carefully. Her eyebrows soon narrowed.
"Oh." She said. Hermione sighed once again.
"I know, he never used to be like this we have been seeing each other for quite awhile but I've never seen him act this way, especially in one of his letters to me." Hermione said fustrated.
"Krum did seem too overly jealous. But Hermione if I'm being honest with you when I first met him near the end of the summer, I mean he only visited once that summer that's a bit too long distance for me but he never really struck me as a nice guy or I don't know I just didn't get that good of a feeling from him you know Mione." Hermione just frowned.
"I know." She said quietly. "He's changed, I noticed it too."
"I'm not trying to upset you or anything, I'm just saying I thought you'd end up with one of the guys, like Harry, or Ron." Sam said Ron's name quietly. "Even Malfoy." Hermione gave her a sour look. "What, he really is a nice guy once you get to know him, and opposites do attract. Hermione crumpled the letter back into her bag. Sam smirked
"I mean don't blame Krum for being all jealous over our guys, especially Harry. I see how your eyes light up when I mention his name trust me Mione, Krums not the guy for you. Plus your much better off without him. If he's going to write you a stupid letter telling you to choose between your friends and him come on!"
"Your right!" Hermione said gaining back her old spirit. I'm going to break it off for good with Krum. I guess I still have a fling for my old crush, maybe I'll just have to renew it. She smiled Sam smiled back at her but in the back of her mind she was going crazy.
"Wait Ginny said that Ron liked Hermione and that she thought she liked him back, oh no her old crush is RON!…did I just send her after Ron? Wait her eyes lit up when I talked about Harry, it was Harry, or was it when I mentioned Ron, oh no! Sam thought, her mind slowly driving her insane.
"Sam? Are you alright?" Hermione asked handing her a book.
"Hm? Oh yeah fine Hermione." She said determined to set her mind at ease. But before she could ask anything Ron, Cho and Harry all entered the library headed for their table.
"Hey Sam." Cho said in a half whisper after all it was a library.
"Hey Cho."
"I was looking everywhere for you."
"Hi Harry, Ron." Hermione smiled
"Oh my God she's in a good mood." Ron said.
"Oh Ron." Hermione said shaking her head.
Hey! Sam thought, usually she'd yell at him or have some witty remark for him, maybe it was Ron who she liked. Sam was trying hard to pay attention to what Cho was saying.
"So anyways. I was wondering if you wanted to join our study group. It's not just for Ravenclaws you know and I just wanted to extend the invitation to you. Cho smiled
"Yeah I'd love to." Sam said not really paying attention to what she was getting into. She was more interested in watching Hermione and making sure she wasn't making any moves with her Ron.
"Great, we meet every Monday from six to eight thirty. Only Monday's because I have quidditch, I'm a seeker you know, I heard your trying out for the Gryffindor team."
"Mhmm I'm going to try out Wednesday actually."Sam said
"Great well I've got to go See you Monday then?
"Yes." Sam said politely. And with those last words Cho left the library to find her clan of girls to hang out with, not all Ravenclaws studied on a Saturday you know.
"What did she want?" Hermione asked.
"Oh nothing much, she wanted to know if I wanted to join her study group on Monday's."
"What, she's never asked me to come study with them."
"Uh Hermione maybe it's because you don't need to study." Ron commented.
"Or maybe it's because Sam's become so popular recently." Harry said.
"I have not." Sam rolled her eyes. "Come on let's get some practice in before Wednesday since Monday I have to go to a study group." Sam said somewhat sarcastic rolling her eyes. As they were walking down the hall, Pansy Parkinson strode up to Sam in her model walk and stood in front of her. She flipped her shinny black hair with the back of her hand pursed her shinny glossed lips and handed Sam a black invitation with metallic green writing and a purple, pansy's signature colour, ribbon attached to it. Sam looked at it and looked back at her.
"Your invited to my party. My parents are going out of town next week and you better be there." Pansy said, looking over Sam's shoulder she added "I guess you can bring these three with you." As Pansy figured Sam wouldn't come without them.
"Just make sure they stand in a corner somewhere." She rolled her eyes and walked away, meeting up with her clique of girls. Sam stood there with the black and silver invitation in her hand.
