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Blood Price

Chapter 9: Puzzles and Phases

The trip down to Hogsmeade was, for the most part, peaceful and uneventful. Samara seemed to have recovered from her brief fainting episode and was back to her normal quiet, dark self. It'd scared me half to death when she'd collapsed with a look of sheer terror frozen on her features. That alone was curious, but the look on Malfoy's face was even more intriguing. For a brief moment he'd looked… Well, he'd looked afraid for her. Concerned.

I have a feeling that Malfoy isn't the complete sadistic prat that Harry, Ron, and I think he is. Even if he does call me a mudblood.

Funny thing was though: Samara didn't seem to like him all that much, at least outwardly. It made me feel a little pity for Malfoy, but only a little. After that scene in Potions two weeks ago, it was hard to pity him overmuch when it came to Samara. It was ironic, too. She seemed to be someone he cared about, and she wanted nothing to do with him.

Once in the bustling town of Hogsmeade, we decided to split up. Pulling me aside, Samara asked me to help her ditch Malfoy and to show her the way to the local bookshop, The Ink Quill.

With a little help from the others, we managed to do it, losing Malfoy in the confusion at Honeydukes.

We walked in silence down the busy street, and I took the chance to study my companion. She didn't appear mad, at least until you took a good, long look at her eyes. A quick glance would reveal nothing more than a pair of jade colored orbs, but longer inspection would show a deep well of pain and…emptiness. That was enough to lead to insanity, when God seems to have abandoned you.

"Why did you transfer to Hogwarts?" I asked, breaking the companionable silence. She was such a mystery, a shadowy spot that no one could see through. I don't like mysteries. I like solving mysteries, though.

She was quiet for a moment, then, "Dumbledore came, and I had nowhere else to go. End of story." Her voice wasn't ice, or fire, but instead was such a neutral tone that clearly said she didn't want to talk about it.

Like that would stop me. I have an insatiable curiosity.

"What about your family?" I persisted. Patience is a virtue.

Now came the ice. She gave me a chilly stare, and I swear that it penetrated me to my very soul. "That's none of your business, Hermione."

"What if I want it to be? What if I want to be your friend?" I shot back, annoyed and taken aback at the same time.

A humorless smile. "Trust me. That will only get you hurt. Just like everyone else."

Stepping in front of her, I barred her path and put a hand on her arm. "I think I can handle it."

I could. I had been at the Ministry last year, during the siege, and down through the trapdoor for the Philosopher's Stone with Harry and Ron in our first year. I had seen evil. Whatever plagued Samara was surely not as bad as all that.

"Really?" she mused dryly. With a jerky shrug, she continued, "Well, if you want to know so terribly… My family was killed by Death Eaters."

Oh. "I'm so sor—."

She cut off my condolences. "Hush. You wanted know, then you will know everything. I found them when I came home from school using a Portkey. They were supposed to pick me up at the train station, but they couldn't because my little sister was sick. Do you want to know how they died? I'm sure you do. After all, you seem so curious about it all." A biting edge to her voice practically slapped me in the face.

Oh dear… I didn't want to know this…

"They were lying on the floor of the living room. When I first walked in, I couldn't figure out why the walls were red. Everything was spattered and stained with blood; the carpet was soaked with it. I saw my sister first. My seven year old sister had been eviscerated; her intestines were hanging out and coiled on the floor. My mother's bones had all been crushed and broken. Some of them had pierced through her skin and were sticking out at all angles."

Oh Merlin. I think I'm going to be sick.

"My father's head had been blown apart. Ever seen human brains splattered everywhere, Hermione? Can you handle that? Are you and your curiosity satisfied now?"

"Samara… I don't know what to say. I'm just… I'm so sorry. I didn't know," I murmured, gently guiding her to a bench. She was shaking so violently that I wasn't all that sure if she could stay standing.

For the next twenty minutes, I coached the girl back into calmness. And until the clocks all told two o'clock, we hid among The Ink Quill's bookshelves. I bought a history book, and Samara got herself a guide to rare herbs and plants. She hadn't said another word to me since… Yeah.

As we headed back the way we had come, purchases in hand, we (unfortunately…) came across Ron, Harry, and Malfoy.

None of them looked all that happy.

Ron pulled out his wand.

"Oh, for the love of…" I grumbled under my breath, drawing my own wand out of my bag. Honestly, that boy can't not get himself into trouble.

"Oh fuck," Samara groaned at the same time.

Glancing over at her, I saw that she didn't have her wand in her hands, but she was setting down her bag and pushing back her sleeves. I had a brief moment to notice the silver scars on her arms before she said, "You take Ron, Hermione. I'll take the other idiot."

Something tells me she's referring to Malfoy.

She grabbed her fellow Slytherin by the back of his robes and introduced him to the dirt. Hard. I fairly winced as she sat on his back and, in a bored tone, began to lecture him on how to "play nice".

Harry and Ron looked stunned. I just giggled as I walked over to them. When I got close enough, I cuffed Ron on the side of his head. Glaring at him as if he was a misbehaved puppy, I admonished, "Bad."

"He started it!" both Malfoy and Ron blurted out in defense.

"And I just don't seem to care," Samara remarked nonchalantly, pushing Malfoy back against the ground.

Smiling, I added, "Because we are finishing it."

Samara looked up at me, seeming amused. Maybe I had intruded on her privacy, but it seems that it had forced her to feel a bit better. Some secrets are just too horrible to bear alone. And even so, I know that she hadn't told me everything, but, I think, she would eventually. For the time being, I'd keep what she'd told me in confidence.

"Let me up, Shoreglade!" Malfoy growled, pushing himself and Samara, consequently, slightly from the ground.

Samara paused to think a while. "Hm… No." She straddled his back and stepped on one of his hands. Malfoy yelped, hit the dirt, and then went back to growling at her.

When Ron and Harry laughed at him, I whacked Ron again and was about to get Harry, but a smaller hand than mine grabbed him by the ear.

"Hey, Ginny!" I chirped happily. She would do the honor for me.

Eventually, we headed back to the castle with the rest of the students. The guys had stopped sniping at each other in favor of nursing their various bruises in a discreet and manly manner. Samara, Ginny, Luna, and I, however, walked in blissful and comfortable silence, highly satisfied with the end result of the trip. Or at least, I was satisfied.

After we had said good-bye to all the non-Gryffindors, the boys and I headed back to the Common Room. We were not a millimeter in through the Fat Lady's portrait, and they were back to their grumbling again. "Whose side are you on, anyway?" Harry growled accusingly, rubbing his sore ear.

Ginny and I exchanged the "Look". The one that simply translated, with the right eye roll, to "Men" in exactly that tone of voice.

"Our side," Ginny told them, indicating to herself and I.

Nose scrunched up in annoyance, Ron asked, "And what side is that again?"

"The female one, Ron. Don't be dense," I stated, walking away towards my dormitory with Ginny following behind. "A girl would have recognized the situation, unlike you two buffoons, and would have behaved."

Shouts of indignation echoed after us as Ginny and I ascended the stair of the tower.

"So," Ginny whispered as soon as we were out of ear shot, "how'd it go?"

"Let's just say it wasn't a total waste of time."

"Phase one complete, then?"

Grinning, I replied, "Roger that."

"Then on to phase two."

"What's stage two, out of curiosity?"

"I'll let you know once I've thought of it."

So, I left Ginny planning at her dormitory door. We would succeed with Samara yet.

(A.N.) Thanks the the...two...of you that reviewed. --' I appreciate that you took the time to let me know what you thought about the chapters. Another set of thanks to everyone who's been reading. Love love. Now. REVIEW this chapter. I happen to like it when peope review. Thanks!