AN: I'm back! Are you shocked? *sighs* I haven't been having the best time lately, but I think finally updating this will help immensely. Thank you so, so much to all the sweet people who sent me e-mails and wrote extra reviews full of wonderful support. You can't imagine how cheering that was. In gratitude, this chapter is just for you, combining the suggestions I've read repeatedly in reviews, meaning it is: 1) primarily in Marauder time, 2) packed with Sam/Sirius, L/J fluff, 3) reasonably long, and 4) and does not end on a cliffhanger. See how obvious it is I love you all? Enjoy! (And beware, I am not an experienced fluff writer . . .)
Also, I skipped out on extensive editing this chapter as I frankly don't have the time at the moment, so if parts don't connect, just let me know, cuz I'll probably be re-reading this to perfect it later.
And since it's been awhile: we left off with Elizabeth, Harry, Hermione & Ron entering Sirius' Hogsmeade refuge . . .
Chapter Ten: Plots, Pranks, and Perfect Results
For a moment, Sirius felt overwhelmed as wave upon wave of emotions came crashing down on him. Memories flooded back, more real and tangible than ever –
"What? No kiss good-night?"
"We're back that fast, are we?"
"Not me, silly. The baby."
"Oh."
"Have you ever seen eyes so full of innocence and beauty?"
"Yes."
"Sirius! Work with me here!"
"Can I help it if her mother is ten times as beautiful?"
"Sirius, don't."
"You know she gets it all from you, Sammy."
"I'm not innocent."
"Now don't even start with that agai –"
"Let's not talk about this right now."
"Too late."
"If you promise to leave it for the night, you can have a kiss . . ."
"Done."
". . . from the baby."
"Samantha!"
Laughter.
"God, Sammy! I miss you!" Sirius muttered agitatedly, pounding a fist into his hand.
"What?"
Sirius blinked, suddenly remembering where he was. "Harry! I've missed you!" he amended, rushing forward and embracing his godson. "Where have you been? It's lonely here by myself." He was looking at Harry, but the image of Elizabeth remained fixed in the corner of his eye. By myself, he thought, with too many memories.
Harry pulled away. "What are you talking about Sirius? You're always warning me not to visit you. You said it's not safe."
Sirius straightened under the boy's quizzical regard. "Yes! Of course! It's much too dangerous! I can't believe you came this weekend; you should be enjoying yourself in Hogsmeade! Don't you know better than to risk yourself like this?" Harry, now thoroughly puzzled, just stared. "And bringing guests, too! I'm surprised at you, Harry!" Sirius attempted to cast Elizabeth a suspicious look, but failed miserably. He looked away before tears could form.
Luckily, no one had noticed. Harry forgot his godfather's strange behavior as he jumped into explanation. "This is our friend Elizabeth. She just transferred to Hogwarts this year. You can trust her; we told her the whole story and she really wanted to meet you."
"She did?"
Elizabeth trembled slightly as all attention was suddenly focused on her. "I, well . . ." I want to know about my mother! her heart cried, but she knew she couldn't say that. The four of them had discussed it on the way to the cave – no one in the wizarding world besides Dumbledore and McGonagall, it seemed, knew that Samantha Satine had given birth to a daughter before her death. Everyone believed Elizabeth to be Sarah's by birth. Sirius might be suspicious if she claimed to be Samantha's child. And, as Ron had pointed out, being related to Samantha might not bring Elizabeth into Sirius' best graces, if he had heard the same rumors Ron had. But what if she tested him anyway? "My mother went to Hogwarts around the time you did," she said cautiously.
Sirius quailed under the words. Her mother . . . how am I ever going to survive this meeting? he thought. His mind raced – Sarah took her in when Sammy . . . left . . . and if I know Sarah, she wouldn't have said a word . . .
Pretending to analyze the girl, he asked, "You must be Sarah Satine's little girl, right? I remember hearing that she married a Muggle and had a daughter, and you definitely look like a Satine."
It was what she had expected, but Elizabeth still felt bitter disappointment at his words. She had half-hoped that he might know the truth, that she could have had someone to talk to. She nodded mutely, and Sirius felt his heart break. So she didn't know the truth. He had guessed as much, but what a comfort it might have been to talk to his little girl about the woman they both loved! Perhaps he should tell her. She had a right to know, after all. But you don't have the right to tell her, he reminded himself bitterly, no matter how much you wish it were true, she's not your daughter. You can't pretend she is. He gave his head a vigorous shake.
"Sarah was always a . . . dedicated girl," he said, faltering slightly. He had wanted to say 'sweet girl,' but the image of Samantha in tears over a sister rivalry was firm in his mind. "She was in Ravenclaw, and a year above me, but I remember her being a prefect." Elizabeth nodded. She didn't seem very interested. "Her sister Samantha was in my class, though," Sirius rushed on, unable to help himself. He nearly cursed aloud. Idiot! You'll give yourself away!
But Elizabeth's sudden interest spurred him on. "Was she? Aun . . . I mean, Mom never told me much about her. What was she like?"
He felt like a teenager all over again. Suddenly transported back to those carefree days at Hogwarts, before Voldemort, before James and Lily and Samantha left, before Azkaban, before he'd had anything bigger to worry about than how to avoid falling in love with Samantha Satine. Sitting down on the ground, he became vibrant and animated, fed by the bright eagerness gleaming from the eyes of the girl who settled down across from him, hanging on his every word.
"I didn't know her too well in the beginning," he began, warning himself to remain impartial to his subject and not let his true
feelings shine through, "but it's not like you could go without noticing her. Samantha was something else, I tell you. And of course, she was Lily Potter's best friend, so when Lily and James started becoming closer, I saw more of Samantha . . ."
He was off. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat close to Elizabeth, just as eager to hear the stories and absorb as much of this new, happier version of Sirius as possible. All four teenagers were soon entranced. They were the perfect audience – laughing at the descriptions of successful pranks played on the unsuspecting Lily and Samantha, grinning when the girls got revenge, basking in the warmth of Hogsmeade weekends gone by, shivering in delight at midnight escapades.
"James hated her at first, you know. He says it was because she always foiled his schemes, but I think it's because he was jealous of all the time she spent with Lily," Sirius broke off and chuckled. "I remember this one time, we had just left a particularly hard Transfiguration class, when James and I met the girls in the hall. James, of course, had done the task in class perfectly, he was always great at Transfiguration, but Samantha had accidentally caused an uproar when she transfigured the flowers we were working with into these huge hideous bats instead of butterflies. Of course, James, who was jealous of her ability in Charms, was thrilled. It was in fifth year, and we (well James, Lily, Sam and Remus, anyway) were all competing for the grades to become prefects the next year. So James couldn't let it go when 'Perfect-Princess-Sam-Satine' messed up. Of course, I was always up for a little fun.
"We were in the hall just outside of class when he cried, 'Hey, Satine!' and she and Lil turned around with the most murderous glares. She said, 'Don't you say a word, Potter, or you'll regret it.' Aw, poor Jamesy-boy, never took Samantha's threats seriously. Of course, half the time she never acted on them, she was so sweet, so you can't blame James for brushing the comment aside. Not accounting for the fact that she was already humiliated and distraught over destroying a class, he continued, 'That was some stunt you pulled in there. Don't think anyone will soon forget that one. Too bad Charms aren't half as useful as Transfiguration, or you could just back off and work with them and leave poor McGonagall to teach in peace.'
"At that point Lily muttered, 'Watch it, Potter,' and he backed off a bit til Sam said, 'You don't know what you're talking about, Potter! Charms are just as useful as the most advanced Transfiguration. Far more fun, too.' Now James could never stand to hear any of his interests referred to as boring, and that's just what she was implying, trying to annoy him. It worked. 'Oh, yeah, Satine?' he cried. 'Well, if this isn't fun, I don't know what is!' and he transfigured Samantha and Lily's school robes into black bat's wings.
"You should have seen them scream! Lily stood there in dismay, shocked that anyone could have such a low regard for school rules, but when I looked at Samantha, she was smiling. I turned back to congratulate James, and the next thing I knew this little voice came from right above us. 'Say, Potter, how long do these things last?' We looked up to see Samantha hovering over our heads, wings flapping slowly. We just gaped at her, and before James could answer, the wings disappeared with a little popping sound and she fell from mid-air right on top of us. Hehehe . . . James was so mad, you should have seen him pushing her away!
"She stood up, brushed her robes off, and smiled her serene little grin. 'That's the difference between Charms and Transfiguration, Potter,' she said coolly. 'Your spell was so difficult to maintain that it lasted thirty seconds at the most. My Charm will be in place, oh, the next six hours or so.' And she and Lily bounced off, giggling like mad.
"That's when James and I noticed everyone was gaping at our backs, where identical sets of colorful pink and yellow butterfly wings had sprouted. We walked around looking like that the rest of the day. And the worst part was, they were so delicate they couldn't support our bodies enough to allow us to fly!"
Sirius finished his tale, still chuckling. "Actually," he mused, "I can't really blame him for never liking her back then."
"Did they ever end up getting along?" Hermione wondered.
"Eventually. Sam was the one who finally got Lily and James together, you know. Although, she never would have known about James' crush in the first place if I hadn't been so absent-minded and spilled the whole thing . . ."
"How did that happen?" Ron asked eagerly.
Sirius sighed. "I'd love to tell you, but that'll have to wait til later. It's getting late and you four had better be getting back."
"Come on, Sirius. We have time for one more story."
He chuckled lightly. "That's persuasive, coming from you Hermione, who's always so concerned about being on time," Hermione blushed, "but I've gotten carried away here. It's dangerous to have you here so long."
With a few more groans and protests, the four teenagers got their feet and bid Sirius goodbye.
As they left the cave, Elizabeth turned one last time and caught Sirius' eyes. They held eachother's gaze for a minute, and then the four were gone.
Harry and Elizabeth remained quiet on the walk back down to Hogsmeade village, while Ron and Hermione chatted lightly about Sirius' odd behavior.
"He didn't say hi to us or anything. It was like he was in a daze or something. He didn't even ask Harry for recent news about You-Know-Who!" Ron exclaimed to Hermione.
She just shook her head and smiled, still in a near-daze herself from the cheering afternoon. "I've never seen him like that. Did you look at his eyes? For an entire hour they lost that glaze that's always over them, like his years of imprisonment just melted away . . ." she mused.
"Hey, that's a good description of it," Ron replied, smiling at her. "I'm just surprised that he didn't seem to know anything about the rumors about Samantha."
"Maybe he knows them not to be true."
"What do you think, Elizabeth?"
"Mmm, sure," Elizabeth answered dreamily, making it clear she hadn't been paying attention.
Ron snorted. "You've had a long day," Hermione laughed. "Let's hurry back to the castle."
Elizabeth nodded numbly. Her mind was reeling with the last look she had shared with Sirius. There had been something there . . . something he hadn't been telling her. She didn't know how, but Elizabeth now knew that Samantha was more than a friend to Sirius, just as Sirius knew that Samantha was more than an aunt to Elizabeth.
Back on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, Sirius was feeling hazy as well. For the longest time he sat gazing at nothing in particular, smiling like he hadn't in years.
*~*~*
"Just what do you think you're smiling about, Mr. Black?"
Sirius grinned teasingly at Samantha, who was seated at a table lodged in the corner of the common room, a pen poised in her hand over the notebook she'd been writing in. "It's just amusing to see you taking after me, that's all," he replied, giving the girl an admiring look.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she scoffed.
He put a hand on the back of her chair and stared into her eyes with as serious a look as he could muster. "You're plotting something."
"I am not!" she cried quickly, but Sirius' grin returned as he watched her stuff the notebook out of sight.
"Whatever you say, Princess," he lilted, his tone playful, as he retreated toward the portrait hole.
"Don't call me Prin –"
"I'm off to Quidditch practice. You can let me help when I get back!" he interrupted, making a gallant exit.
Samantha rolled her eyes, but then smiled in the direction of the portrait hole. She whipped out her notebook and murmured, "Are you kidding me? I plan to have it completed by then."
She got to work.
***
An hour later, Samantha stopped at the last step leading from her dorm to the common room, jittering uneasily. She had had complete confidence in her plan when she'd dropped off the note on Lily's bed, but now that she had to approach James Potter, she wondered if she wasn't making a huge mistake. If this didn't work, Lily would kill her. Heck, she might kill her even if it did work. And what would Sirius say? She didn't really care about Potter's reaction, but she felt a slight shiver at the thought of losing Sirius' high opinion. But if it did work, and she never had to put up with Lily's wistful sighing again . . . Besides, then Potter will have to stop playing all those pranks on us, she thought. That decided it. She bounded down the steps, slowing as she approached James.
"Potter," she said briskly, pretending this was just another annoying errand she had to do. After all, I'm not supposed to know what's in the letter. James started, obviously surprised to find Samantha Satine actually speaking to him.
"Yeah, what do you want, Satine?" When he narrowed his eyes in suspicion, Samantha no longer had to feign impatience with him; it came naturally.
"Lily asked me to give this to you. Can't imagine why she'd ever feel like acknowledging you existence, but . . ." James snapped the letter from her outstretched hand before she could finish.
"Well that's for me to find out, isn't it?" he snapped. "You can go now." He waved a hand dismissively, then started tearing at the letter's seal in eagerness, not even waiting for her to leave.
Samantha threw back her shoulders and admonished, "What, no thank you?" But she was grinning wildly as she waltzed away.
***
"Oh, stop it, will you?" Lily whispered in fierce desperation to her heart. She let out an exasperated sigh as it continued beating wildly. "Maybe coming here was a mistake," she muttered to herself, "it's probably just another one of his pranks. Although Black did say he likes me . . . but who's he to trust anyway? Just because Sammy's so innocent doesn't mean he is. And look at me! Talking to my heart in the library over some silly letter!" She determined to leave, but couldn't help opening the "silly letter" one more time.
Dear Lily, I have some things I've been meaning to tell you, and I think I'll burst if I don't get this out in the open soon. Please meet me in the library at 6 o'clock during dinner. Sincerely, James.
"It's four past six," she sighed. "I should just leave. This whole thing was a bad idea." But as she said this, she pulled out a chair and sat down to wait.
James, I know we have not always gotten along so well, but I think I have had a change of heart. Please, James, meet me in the library at five past six this evening. We need to talk. I'll be waiting, Lily.
James sucked in a calming breath after reading the note for what seemed like the thousandth time since Samantha had given it to him that afternoon. He hovered at the door to the library, feeling a barrage of worries like he'd never experienced. If she simply wants to stop with all the practical jokes and be friends, I don't think I'll be able to stand it, but . . . his eyes locked on the words, "a change of heart," if it's more, then I'll never forgive myself for being a coward. Clenching his fists in fierce determination, he strode into the library before doubts could cloud his resolve.
"James," Lily stood up the minute he came through the door, wringing her hands as he approached. "Look," she said, deciding she should clear up her worries that this was all some joke before her feelings carried her away. "About this letter . . ." She faltered as she caught his gaze. He wasn't looking at the letter crumpled in her hand; he was staring directly into her eyes. So much for cowardice, he though amusedly, it took Sirius six years to look Samantha in the eyes, and that was only by mistake.
"Before you say anything about the letter," he said, referring to the note crumpled in his hand, "I have to tell you," keep breathing, you can do this, "that even though I know it would be good to resolve our issues and become friends, I don't think I could live with nothing more than that. Please don't tell me you came here to become just my friend, because you mean so much more to me than that."
When she didn't say a word, he felt himself go faint. Idiot! You completely misinterpreted her letter! he thought, cringing. But when he opened his eyes, she was still staring at him like before, only now her eyes were practically ablaze with pleasure, and before he knew it, she leaned in and kissed him lightly. "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me, James Potter," she murmured. "I need to be getting back now, but will you meet me on the Quidditch pitch tonight at eight?" After he nodded his consent she tore herself from his gaze, worried she might just collapse under the intensity of it, and suddenly desperate for some advice from Samantha. She paused at the exit, and turned back to see him still standing there, motionless. "Thanks for asking me here," she added, with a genuine smile.
Didn't you ask me here? James thought dumbly as Lily practically floated from the library. But the questions was lost amidst the thoughts whirling through his mind, not the least of which was the memory of the feeling of her lips against his . . .
***
"Sam!" Lily cried eagerly. Samantha jumped out of her chair by the fire as Lily entered the nearly empty common room. Everyone besides Samantha, who had been waiting for Lily, and Sirius and Remus, who were finishing up a game of wizard's chess (although Samantha knew Sirius was staying because he suspected something), was at supper. When she spotted the smile adorning her friend's face, Samantha immediately relaxed. The past ten minutes had been torturous, gazing into the flames knowing at that very moment Lily and James were in the library under false pretences. But apparently everything had worked out.
"Someone's cheery today, Evans," commented Sirius, looking over at the girls from his position on the floor playing wizarding chess with Remus. He was surprised to see the utter relief etched over Samantha's features.
Lily ignored him. "Sammy, look at this letter," she urged, pressing the creased note into her friend's hands.
Samantha opened it, pretending to read.
"Well, what do you think?" Lily asked, impatient.
I think I disguise my handwriting pretty well. "Sounds suspicious, Lil, if I know Potter," Samantha replied carefully.
"Oh, but wait until you hear what happened!"
"You actually went? Without consulting me first?" Samantha tried to feign enough outrage to mask her burning curiosity, not to mention her amusement.
But before Lily could answer, James burst into the room. Apparently not even noticing the girls, he plopped down beside Remus and Sirius. "Look at this," he said, shoving a piece of paper onto Sirius. Lily eyed it suspiciously. Samantha, noticing this, tried to detract her friend's attention from the boys.
Sirius prevented this. Reading the letter, he suddenly let loose in a fit of laughter, despite the pleading looks Samantha was sending him.
"What?" James demanded, offended.
"It's nothing, Prongsy, just . . ." More laughter. "I'd think you'd know Lily's handwriting when you saw it. You've been treasuring that page of History of Magic notes she dropped for the longest time."
"This isn't Lily's handwriting." James' response began as a question, but ended as a statement as he realized the truth behind his friend's observation.
"What's not my handwriting?" Lily cried shrilly, suddenly upset that Sirius should be laughing over, well, whatever was going on.
"Lil, don't go over there," Samantha muttered feebly. She knew it was no use.
"You didn't have the guts to write your own letter to me, Lily?" James cried.
"What letter?"
"What letter?! The one asking me to meet you in the library, of course!"
"I don't know why you think that response is so obvious! Especially since you asked me to meet you in the library!"
"I did not!"
"I have the proof right here!" Lily wailed, waving the letter in front of his face.
Samantha sank back into her chair, face in her hands. Sirius nearly collapsed in hysteria. "This is too good!" he cried through tears of mirth.
James' eyes furrowed in confusion as he read the letter Lily had thrust at him. "But I didn't write this . . ."
"And I didn't write that," Lily countered, jerking her head in the direction of Sirius, who was still clutching James' letter as he rolled on the floor.
"Sirius," James asked slowly, "just whose handwriting is that?"
Sirius calmed down long enough to grin, "Where'd ya get the letter?"
Slowly, as if in a dream, Samantha saw Lily and James both turn to stare at her. Her guilty shrug declared all.
"Samantha Satine!" Lily trilled. Samantha grimaced. "How dare you go about messing in my personal life! Can you imagine if this had gone wrong?!?"
"But it didn't," Sirius exclaimed. "How could it? She's learned from the best!"
His grin flickered under the fierce glower that met him from Lily's direction. "I'd be careful if I were you, Black," she spat. "I'm sure James isn't too happy that his best friend's girlfriend is meddling with his love life." She stomped off to her dormitory.
"Isn't that, sweet, James?" Sirius asked. "She's not calling you 'Potter' anymore."
All he received in response was a murderous glare as James, too, marched off to his room. Glancing between Samantha and Sirius, Remus decided it might be a good time to leave. He slipped out the portrait hole and decided to go find Peter.
"That went well, eh?" Sirius' voice filled the emptied common room cheerily, but he felt a slight pain when he saw the disheartened look on Samantha's face.
"You know," she whispered, "I didn't really expect a positive response, but somewhere deep down I guess I was just hoping that they would love me for this. I mean . . ." she faltered as a tiny sob tore at her throat. "It's just that . . ." She looked up with glassy eyes to find that Sirius was no longer in front of her. Instead, she felt his warm arms wrap around her from behind.
"They'll appreciate you for it someday, I'm sure," he said softly. "And for the moment, don't you worry. They may not love you, but I certainly do."
She took a shuddering breath, relaxing slightly. "I guess you're right. Thanks Sirius." She disentangled herself from him and sighed, "Well, I'd better go talk to Lily."
"Shouldn't you wait til she calms down a bit?"
"And have to prolong the moment when I finally get to hear what happened in the library?"
Sirius grinned, encouraging a weak smile from Samantha in return. He watched her walk out of sight, when the memory of what he'd just said left him breathless. "They may not love you, but I certainly do." The oddest feeling engulfed him as he realized the meaning behind those words. He hadn't meant to say them, they had just slipped out, yet somehow he didn't feel the panic he was expecting.
He walked up to his dorm with his head reeling, but stopped with an amused look just inside the doorway. James seemed to be engaged in mortal combat with – Sirius blinked – a brush? Sirius made his way into the room slowly, not wishing to disturb this amusing spectacle.
"Argh!" James cried suddenly, launching the brush behind him.
Sirius jumped, the brush barely missing him as it whizzed past his head and hit the wall with full force. "Ouch," he muttered. "That'll leave a mark." James whirled around and gave his friend a sheepish look. "What exactly are you doing?" Sirius asked.
"I was attempting to make my hair lay flat," responded James through clenched teeth.
"Didn't do much good, did it?" Sirius snorted. James cast him a murderous glare, and Sirius wiped the grin off his face the best he could. "Anyway, it's always like that. Why try to change what's worked for you forever?"
James sat down on his four-poster, sighing heavily. "I've got a date with Lily tonight."
"Oh, that," Sirius nodded sagely.
"And I guess I just want to look nice, that's all."
"She obviously liked your hair just fine how it was before. I mean, she liked you enough to accept, didn't she?"
Sirius waited for a confident affirmation, but none came. "James?"
"I think . . ."
"Yes?"
"I think she only accepted because your interfering girlfriend forced her into it."
Sirius nearly bit out a sharp retort, but he caught the forlorn look on his friend's face first. This insane idea that Lily doesn't really want him is driving him mad. Sirius had known James all his life, and never had he seen him get so touchy about a subject as he did about Lily Evans. He couldn't remember a day at Hogwarts when James wasn't plotting something or other to grab her attention, although most plans usually didn't grab it in a positive light. Yet as his best friend, Sirius had known even before James had what James felt for Lily. He smiled at his friend, who was rubbing his forehead with one hand, the other absently raking his hair, and realized this must be how it was between Lily and Samantha.
"My 'interfering girlfriend' happens to know Lily Evans better than any other person in this school, and I know for a fact that Sammy would never force her best friend into something she didn't want. Having Samantha say Lily likes you is just as good as hearing it from Lily herself."
"I'd rather hear it from Lily," James muttered glumly, suddenly so paranoid about being set up that he was beginning to doubt Lily's kiss, but he caught Sirius' eye and smiled slightly. "But thanks."
Sirius nodded, reveling in his triumph. "Which reminds me, you'd better remember to thank her."
"Thank Satine?"
"Thank Samantha," Sirius gave him a wry look. "She was pretty distraught before when you and Lily both got upset with her for trying to help."
"Oh," James cleared his throat awkwardly, realizing with a pang of guilt that while Sirius had been supporting his feelings for Lily for the longest time, he had never once been supportive of Sirius' feelings for Samantha. "I . . . Sirius, are you okay?"
Sirius jumped up, jerked from his train of contemplation. "Yeah, I was just thinking about . . . before, in the common room, after you and Lily left."
"Yes?"
"I told her I love her."
"You what?!"
"I didn't plan to say it, it just seemed like the right thing to say at the right time. I didn't even mean it that way; it was more of a friendly thing."
"But what did she think?"
"I don't think she even noticed. Like I said, it really did just fit into the conversation."
"Well, what are you worried about then?"
"I . . ." Sirius paused, and couldn't help but think how ironic the sudden reversal of roles was – now it he who needed help from James. James waited patiently, and Sirius felt the words pour from his mouth at the honest, open look on his friend's face. "I think I do."
"Do what?"
"Love her." He rushed on as James' eyebrows shot up, "I mean, I didn't mean it at the time, I wasn't even thinking about it, but I think, I think I mean it now."
"But it hasn't been that long."
"I know."
"Have you even kissed her?"
"No."
"Really?!"
"James!" Sirius frowned at the incredulity lighting his friend's features.
"Okay, okay, I'll be serious."
There was a pause as both boys slipped into contemplation. Sirius ran over the conversation with Samantha once again in his head. She certainly hadn't seemed to notice his slip-up. But what if she had, and was only pretending to be oblivious because she didn't feel the same way and wanted to spare his feelings? After all, he had been in love with her since . . . well, since long before he'd finally admitted his feelings. But Samantha? Did she feel that way? He jumped when James said, "I like her, you know."
"Lily? Yeah, I kinda caught on to that years ago."
"No, Samantha."
"What?"
"She's a good person. I never meant to be so cool toward her, but I guess it was just a way to get out my disappointment at never being noticed by Lily. She's actually very sweet, Sirius. You're lucky to have her."
Sirius couldn't think of anything to say, so he nodded vaguely, still trying to get over the shock of hearing James Potter admitting he had been in the wrong.
"And I think you should tell her."
Once again, Sirius started at the sound of his friend's voice. And once again, his only response was, "What?"
James repeated patiently, "I think you should tell her you love her. After all, it'd be a shame to lose a girl like that."
Sirius gave his friend a lopsided grin, "Thanks," he said genuinely. He bounded off his bed and headed toward the door. "Good luck with your hair," he added. The serious air in the room dissipated as both boys broke into identical smirks. All the luck in the world couldn't keep James' hair in place. Sirius shrugged, "Hey, it was worth a shot." He proceeded down the stairs.
***
Once in the Common Room, Sirius was puzzled to see Samantha still hard at work at her table in the corner. He waltzed over and sat down beside her. "Another plot in the works?" he asked.
She laughed lightly, "Nope, just working on my family tree for History of Magic."
He glanced over the dozens of charts and documents covering the table with raised eyebrows. "You do know it's not meant to be a big project, right?"
"I know," she replied, hardly looking up.
"And that we only have to go back a few generations?"
"Mm-hmm."
"And yet you're doing all this work?"
"Yep." Sirius stared at her in silence, patiently waiting.
She finally looked up. "Did you know my family might have fairy ancestry?" she asked eagerly.
He sighed. He loved the look that came into her eyes when she was passionately pursuing something. "Really?"
Her enthusiasm was fed by this display of mild interest. "Yes, I'm just sure of it! You remember hearing about Princess Ellianne in class, right? The ruler during the downfall of the Lilwalnian monarchy in the days of the Ancient Magic?" Sirius nodded encouragingly although he had no idea what she was talking about. "Well, I discovered that her mother was a fairy. And I'm so close to proving that our family descended from her! I just need to find out if her daughter had to go into hiding, and if so, what she changed her name to."
Sirius thought for a minute, and then asked, "Wait, isn't this the seventeen-year-old princess who was murdered after her coronation? The one whose fiancé was said to be in on the assassination plot but ended up getting engulfed in the flames of the burning palace?" He was surprised at this sudden recollection and had to grudgingly admit that maybe History of Magic wasn't excruciatingly boring all the time. Samantha nodded. "She never had a daughter," he said, feeling slightly guilty at bursting her daydream, yet somehow he knew she must have realized this already. After all, she was getting top marks in that class.
"Oh, that's what they teach us, but I'm pretty sure she did."
Not wanting to get into an argument over fanciful speculation, Sirius changed the subject. "You would like to be related to fairies?" he asked.
"Oh, yes!" she cried enthusiastically. "I just love them! They're like the epitome of all good magic! Do you remember what Flitwick was saying about them the other day – about the power they channeled into the Ancient Magic to help maintain the natural forces of good in the Magical Community? And the Woodland Fairies! Remember how they're said to be able to cure anything, even . . ."
Sirius was listening as she gushed on, smiling at her passion, when the perfect plan came to him. He abruptly stood up and excused himself. Breaking off from her train of thought, she queried, "Where're you going?"
"Oh, nowhere in particular," he replied, shrugging nonchalantly.
"Now, Sirius Black!" she scolded. "I do believe you're the one up to something!"
"Well, you'll see, now won't you?" was all he said before slipping out through the portrait hole.
Samantha shrugged and turned back to her family tree.
***
After awhile Samantha had given in to her grumbling stomach and had slipped down to the Great Hall to catch the end of dinner. Pausing at the library on the way back, she found a book that might prove useful in her family tree investigation. When she finally returned to Gryffindor Tower at a little past eight, she found Sirius sitting on the couch in front of the fire, grinning.
"What?" she asked, plopping down beside him and opening her book. When he didn't respond, just continued grinning insanely, she shrugged, threw a pillow onto his lap, and settled down to read, head on the pillow, feet dangling over the opposite arm of the sofa.
Eventually he stared down at her in a vain attempt to attract her gaze. But when Samantha was immersed in a book, it wasn't that easy to get her attention. "James and Lily are on their first date," he finally said.
Her eyes snapped up to meet his. "What?! Right now?"
"Yep, saw them leave ten minutes ago. Lily just wanted to talk to him out on the pitch where it's quiet, but I have no doubt he'll be taking her on a little flying tour around Hogwarts."
"I can't believe she didn't tell me," Samantha grumbled before turning back to her book.
Sirius stared at her incredulously. "That's all you're going to say?"
"Sure. After all, she'll come back happy, realize I was right about the letters, her feelings, James, ect., and everything will be normal again. Now, hush. This is fascinating."
Perplexed, Sirius sat still for another moment or two. Somehow, he'd been expecting her to ask why they were sitting there in the common room on a Friday night doing nothing while Lily and James were off flying beneath the stars. He realized they complimented eachother so well that just being together doing nothing was comfortable, but for some reason, he felt the worry rising in his chest that she didn't feel the same way he did. "C'mon, Sam. I gotta show you something."
"Just let me finish the chapter, Sirius. Five more min . . . hey!" He stood up so abruptly that it was a shock when her head sank back into the sofa cushions. She rolled on her side to find Sirius standing over her, holding out a hand. "Oh, alright," she muttered, smiling slightly as she accepted it.
Ten minutes later found them out of the castle, down through the grounds, and past the lake. With each step, Samantha grew increasingly curious. There was something intriguing about being out under the pale light of the crescent moon after dark. "Where are we going?" she whispered, almost afraid to speak up. Sirius had led her to a part of the grounds she'd never seen before. There was a tiny fountain off to the right, and directly ahead of them, a towering hedge. They stopped in front of the enormous bush. "Um, Sirius . . .?"
"Shh . . ." He paused, trying hard to remember the spell. It had been over two months since he and his fellow Marauders had discovered this on one of their midnight prowls. With a wave of his wand he muttered, "Scintillement!" and was half-shocked when it actually worked.
The solid hedge in front of them suddenly gave way to a small opening, through which Sirius led a shocked Samantha. She gripped his hand tightly, staring in amazement at the tiny winding path that had appeared through the bush. The passageway had a gentle downward slope, and Samantha noticed that as they descended the night seemed to glow brighter. Or perhaps it was just because the hedges were falling away now into flower-covered bushes and fruit-bearing trees, and a little river had sprouted beside the path, its waters trickling along merrily under the moonlight. There was something down here that seemed so . . . enchanted. And when they reached the end of the trail, Samantha discovered exactly what it was.
Before them, laid out under the velvety rich dark sky, the twinkling lights of hundreds of minute brightly colored lanterns illuminated a garden abundant in elegant flowers of every color and kind. Vines twisted down from the branches of trees, dangling lazily over the shimmering pond into which the stream poured, bushes hung heavy with ripe berries, and the grass beneath their feet was lush and green. But despite the entrancing perfection of the garden, the true attraction was in the air – where dozens of tiny fairies flitted to and fro, laughing, singing and chatting merrily as they went about their daily lives, oblivious to their visitors.
For a moment all Samantha could do was stare in wonderment, clutching Sirius' hand in wild surprise. He waited with baited breath, and finally she let out a wistful sigh and whispered, "Oh, Siri! It's absolutely breathtaking!" One look at her face told him she was positively glowing, and soon he was, too. It was one of the best feelings he'd ever experienced – making her so happy. Of course, he'd known she would be. It was impossible to be here and not feel the rich, old magic of the fairies seep comfortingly into your veins. Even the Marauders had had to take a break from exploring when they'd discovered the fairy haven.
Sirius led Samantha to a flat rock off to the side, and they sat together, talking some ("I can't believe Hogwarts has served as a protection ground for fairies all this time and I've never known!" Samantha breathed.), but mostly watching the beauty around them. There was something comforting about observing magical creatures flourishing and just living in their natural habitat.
Sirius waited awhile before turning to Samantha and saying, "Samantha, there's something I need to tell you." She tore her rapt attention from the pond, where the fairy lanterns reflected off the rippling water, and gave it all to him. "Sam, I . . ." He stopped. Her gaze was so intent and so full of joy that his heart skipped a beat, because he knew that the happiness brimming in her eyes at the moment was caused by him, and not the fairy pond. His breath caught in his throat, and he lost what he'd meant to say. Instead, he felt himself leaning in gently, and saw Samantha begin to do the same.
But suddenly the light in her eyes clouded over and she pulled back. "Sarah," she murmured.
"What?" Sirius, surprised at suddenness of this proclamation, and still recovering from being jerked from the moment, found himself completely lost. He frowned at the agitation lining her face.
"What would Sarah say about this?" she repeated, this time looking genuinely worried.
She looked like a child, completely forgetting the moment of a second ago in a new thought. Sirius saw this – how everything they'd just had was lost in an instant – and a new feeling, anger, began boiling within him. "To hell with Sarah!" he cried vehemently.
Samantha jerked back, shocked. "Sirius!" she admonished. "You don't know the half of it!"
"No, Sam, I mean it! You can't go on like this, always dictated by everything your sister says and does, it's ridiculous! She treats you like rubbish; what makes you feel like you need to stand for it? You're smart, sweet, strong, and a zillion other things she's not, and you deserve to live your own life without some bitter little brat who claims to be your sister while not acting like a true family member at all ruining everything you do!"
He continued ranting and raving for several minutes until he looked up and was startled to see Samantha smiling at him once again with full, twinkling eyes. "What?" he tried to snap at her, but somehow the word came out far less harsh than intended.
She put a gentle hand to his forehead and smoothed back the hair that had fallen into his face. "I love it when you stand up for me like that, you know. No one ever does that."
"Yeah, well, I . . ." he trailed off, lost in looking at her. In his mind he was furious – he'd been on the verge of settling this Sarah issue once and for all; he'd had a point and he had almost made it. Every ounce of his intelligence rebelled against giving up now and losing this advantage . . . but his heart betrayed him, and in a moment he was once again completely captivated by the girl before him, no room left in his thoughts for anything but how enchanting she looked under the pale light of the crescent moon. And how much her eyes begged him to drop the issue. He leaned in slowly, and his heart rate tripled as a serious look replaced her teasing one. She knew what he was going to do, but this time she didn't pull away.
And both were blissfully ignorant to the fairies flitting delicately above them, the twinkling lights of hundreds of lanterns, and the gentle murmur of the bubbling brook, as their lips met in a passionate first kiss.
Adoring Thanks to Everyone: (short messages this time or I'll be up til 3 am)
Cellie: No, alas, Sirius is not Elizabeth's father (as many reviewers have already screamed at me about), but the situation won't be as sad as it seems. :) *laughs* Yes, that would be confusing merging this with Dewdrops, although I'm sure you could manage it if you put in an immense amount of time. After all, you were able to explain that whole time-turner thing in 'I Never Knew' extremely well ^_^
Beak: Ah, a new reviewer! Thank you so much! I'm glad you like the pace of the story (although my updating pace could use some improvement…), and thank you for the praise – it means a lot that you took the time to muddle through all this and still loved it ;)
Torrential Zephyr: I owe you a much longer thank-you than I have time to write here. You have been such an amazing support that I could go on and on. I can honestly say you were a main influence in the writing of this chapter. So thank you for all the messages, concerns, get-well wishes, and the free time you sent me (although it came in the form of a 2 AM time slot, so I'm not sure if the postal service is too concerned about my sleep…) In regards to your original review for chapter 9: I'm amazed you picked up on the Queen Ellianne comment! It was like you were reading my mind (or as if you'd read my separate Elizabeth/Ellianne story, the original inspiration behind this fic). You see, perhaps you are physic! Oh, and you're completely right about the "his or her" versus "its" in that one sentence. I'm going to fix that when I upload this, because that is obviously wrong. Thanks!
Hollie: Wow… you wouldn't believe how much I'm smiling right now as I go back and read the ten reviews from you since I last updated :) To answer your questions (if you even remember what you wrote ^_*): This is my first posted fic; I wrote a semi-fanfic before I even knew what fanfiction was (the inspiration behind this one); yes, Scott will reappear eventually; of course there'll be a happy ending for Sirius! I love him, too!; can Sam come back? *laughs* I'm actually toying with that idea for a fun little sequel… You were the main inspiration for the primarily Marauder-period section of this chapter, actually :) Thank you so much for all the reviews (and especially for the get-well note).
Tsukii-chan: "Sirius should start running for the hills…" *laughs* Yeah, I admit, I'm putting the poor guy through a lot… Yep, Ellianne! See how I tie everything together? (Gotta hook 'em in for when I post "Diamond Bracelet," after all! Need a new title first, though…) And isn't it fun understanding the vagueaties? Now you know the superior feeling I get when I read your stories and know no one else understands all I do! ^^*
googleduckie: Samantha is cute, isn't she? *grins* Could I really make her evil? Ron didn't reveal his knowledge of Elizabeth's past til then because he'd already made such a big mess with the feud with her at the beginning that once it was resolved he didn't want to bring up anything that might disturb their friendship until it was absolutely necessary. Thanks for liking my version of Dumbledore; it's very encouraging :) And you came here before even checking your reviews? *stands back and regards googleduckie in reverence* Very rarely can I do that!
T.H: You almost make me fell guilty, you know? Updating your fic so quickly so I can have the constant pleasure of reading it, whereas I take over a month with one silly chapter… Just kidding, I'm immensely grateful to you. Reading your story is very calming. This time I didn't end on a cliffhanger, though, see? So if it takes another month to update, it won't matter! (Don't panic; I fully plan to update sooner this time!)
Karma50: Everyone keeps commenting on the interesting twists in this! It's flattering, but I honestly never viewed it that way! "How could you leave a story like this not knowing what's going to happen?" When I read that, I felt a surge of confidence that maybe I shouldn't be so nervous my reviewers will get bored and never return. Thank you! Also, I laughed so hard when I read that line in an e-mail you sent me about writing about Intoned Charms taking the same toll on me as performing them takes on Elizabeth. In a way, that's exactly true!
snowwolf: Ah, yes, Ron has quite a mind for gossip. See – Hermione is right – he really could go far if he applied that effort to classes! Sarah scene next chapter, I promise. That storyline will be tied together eventually.
Nikki: It is a bizarre twist, but I have a reason (yes, one other than the temporary insanity I suffered in eighth grade when the idea for this story came to me.) Btw, don't get mad at me about this – it's just a story. If you have any reason to be mad it should be because I never e-mail. But I DO have excuses for that. I just need the time to write them… I'll take this advantage to ask you now, though, since an e-mail anytime soon seems unlikely – are you prepared to help me make sure this trip to Canada happens this summer? After all, I've always wanted to meet "the dork back in Canada." :)
Bessyboo: *wails pathetically* I'm sorry, really! But this is how the story goes! At least there's no cliffhanger this time, right? Oh, and I got your e-mail about your friend's story, which I really will read eventually (promise! I was planning to ever since your first message!), but if the long wait for this chapter hasn't been evidence enough, you'd know from my bio page that I'm not having the easiest time of things at the moment. I am extremely overwhelmed. It's actually amazing this is getting posted at all. Tell Lara I'll be by soon. And I hope this chapter was more pleasing than the last ;)
the-fairies-midwife: You haven't updated in awhile, either – our teachers must be in on some joint plot to bring down fanfiction writers everywhere. I swear, they really don't want me to have free time. Ever. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this despite your plague of "reincarnated medieval torturers." I appreciate it. (And you think I'm eloquent! That's one of my improvement goals! ^_^)
pinefresh: The Sirius/Samantha kiss in this chapter? Completely due to you. You're right – I can't believe it took so long for me to realize I'd skipped that little detail! Maybe it took so long cuz I'm not the greatest fluff writer. Seriously, I wish I could do as well as you in that category. Not that it bothers me; I'll be happy just as long as you keep posting your sweet fics!
babyphatcat13: Hey! Thanks for the IM, it was really encouraging! If it seemed like I logged off too fast, well that's cuz I was using the old computer with phone line connection and someone called, kicking me off. Next time I promise not to mistake you for one of my brother's friends. Or worse, one of his girlfriends. I can't tell you how many of them IM me saying, "Ooh… do you think Jordan likes me??" It drives me nuts. Thank you for reading this whole thing at the suggestion of a friend!! Thank Lauren, too, I owe her one – I love gaining thoughtful reviewers. Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)
Balizabeth: I'm abandoning my AP Chem homework to post this. Not much of a loss, really, since all I'd be doing is staring at it blankly. I am so tempted to just drop that class… But I can make it through the year. Is AP European History interesting? I was thinking of trying it next year. Don't worry if it takes you months to come review, I can certainly sympathize :) I'd rather see an update from you than a review, actually. I hope your APs start letting up!
roary14: I wasn't doubting that you read this; I've just been in a very snappish mood lately. Actually, thank you again & again for coming and reading through this whole thing. It still amazes me when someone does that. I found your comment about distancing yourself from the character fascinating. I've never thought about it that way, but I see your point. I used to do the same thing you do and basically imagine myself as the character, but I've found that it can be emotionally draining (especially if your characters go through all I put mine through ^_^). I'd love to say more to you (your review really intrigued me – see? explaining why you like something earns you great respect!), but I need sleep. I'll be back to review your story, though, and I'd love to help you with your writing. Feel free to criticize mine all you like!
Thanks to all! And after all that, don't forget to review! ^_*
@~~ Rose