A/N: Just a side note...I know some of you probably have the layout of Number 12 Grimmauld Place down by heart. I don't. My layout is a little different. So don't crucify me for it. I am aware of it.

Chapter 7- The Preparation of Blackbird Pies

A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.-Sir Francis Bacon

The next day passed with excruciating sluggishness. Samantha had woken up depressed and was sullen the entire day at work, mechanically working through the day's stack of reports. She left a few minutes early and apparated to her flat. She sat wearily at her kitchen table, a cup of tea slowly cooling in front of her, completely lost in thought, worrying about Saturday and Severus. She eventually heard the hall clock chime eight-fifteen.

Enough of this, thought Samantha, everything's going to work out fine. He'll be fine. She went to the sitting room and pulled a book off her shelf at random to look at until the meeting. As she was sitting down to peruse a never-opened copy of Quidditch Through the Ages that Severus had given her one year as a joke, she saw a large parcel wrapped in brown paper on the coffee table. She eased out her wand, pointing it at the package. She cast several detection charms, all of them showing nothing malicious. She walked over to the table, lighting the overhead lantern to see the package better. The paper was tied with twine, securing an unsealed envelope to the top. She pulled it off and opened the note.

Haydyn,

Take care of these for me, love. I didn't want anything to happen to them, just in case it decided to flood from the rain storm. Some of them may be of use to any terrors, squires, or brains you may be acquainted with, although please remind them to take excellent care of my books. They are some of my most prized and important texts and they will be paying for any damages in more than galleons as I will take it out of their worthless hides. I may send you more if I deem it necessary.

Je t'aime,
Gabriel


P.S. Be cautious of loaning the darker texts.


Samantha frowned a little at the package. It didn't bode well that Severus was sending her things just in case something happened. The panicked feeling she had been trying to ignore all day came back with a vengeance. She pulled on the twine and pushed the paper aside.

The Extensive Guide to Occlumency, The Occlumens Hand Guide, battered and worn copies of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and Magical Drafts and Potions, Curses and Counter-curses, Confronting the Faceless, Moste Potente Potions, The Dark Arts: Curses, Hexes, Jinxes and Potions, vol. 1, Quintessence: A Quest and Guide to Advanced Transfiguration. Samantha stacked the books in one pile with the letter on top and levitated them behind her as she walked to her room, looking around for a safe place to hide them. Anyone who knew her well would immediately spot these and think them out of place. She opened her closet and found her old school trunk sitting on the floor. She knelt and brushed a hand over the fading silver S.H.M. before lifting the lid and placing the books safely inside. She cast a locking charm on the trunk and walked over to the secret drawer in the desk, Severus's letter in hand. She was about to close the drawer when she saw the letter he had sent her the night before. Hoping that no one else had been inside her house that day, she slipped it into the drawer and closed it with a twisting of the handle. She quickly changed from her black robes into a pair of black trousers and a black tank top.

She walked back down the hall and saw that it was nearly nine. She grabbed a jacket from the hall closet, swinging it over her shoulders, and disapparated to the park in Grimmauld Square. Samantha pulled the hood of her jacket over her head and walked quickly down the street. She stood between Numbers 11 and 13 and thought of the words she had memorized so long ago. Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix appeared out of thin air. Samantha walked up the steps quickly and knocked three times on the heavy door.

Molly opened the door and let Samantha inside, closing the door quickly behind her. Samantha walked down the hall to the kitchen, where she sat next to Remus. He and Arthur were already talking about the layout of the Burrow, leaning over parchments with various sketches of the house and garden drawn in hurried ink. Moody, Kingsley and Tonks were standing in a corner, talking in low tones. Other members were milling about, some with cups of coffee or hot chocolate. McGonagall sat in a chair at the end of the table, her hand rubbing her eyes, while Hagrid stood slightly crouched in the corner of the room.

Molly walked in and spoke softly in Remus's ear. He nodded back at her and stood up from the table.

"If everyone will have a seat, we'll go ahead and get started," said Remus. Everyone shuffled to find a seat as Remus walked to the head of the table, where a chair sat vacant. "As some of you know, we've received intelligence that Bill and Fleur's wedding will be attacked. So, in the interest of safety, the couple agreed to move the actual ceremony to the day before, which is Friday. It'll start at 7pm, so that those of you who work will have a chance at making it after you get off. The guest list is just close family and friends, most of whom are in this room."

"Now, wait just a minute," growled Moody, his electric-blue eye swiveling rapidly. "Where did we get this so-called 'intelligence' and can it be trusted?"

Samantha cleared her throat and gained the eyes of the room's occupants. "I got a letter from an old school friend saying that an attack was being planned for Saturday. I thought it prudent to have some sort of plan, even if the information was less than reliable. Bill and Fleur should not have to remember their wedding day as the day someone died."

Moody sat back in his chair, both of his eyes fixed on Samantha's face. She held his gaze with an unreadable expression on her face. "And you just believed this 'friend' and their word? Just like that? For all you know, this could be a trap and your 'friend' could be setting us up. Or your friend could really be someone else pretending to be your 'friend.'"

"My friend and I use code names from when we were in school," said Samantha. "Absolutely no one knows these names. You can ask Remus if you don't believe me. I know the letter was from my friend and I trust this friend with my life. This person would never deliberately put me in danger, nor anyone else they knew was close to me." Samantha thought back to what Severus had told her about convincing them to believe her. Slytherin cunning, indeed. "My friend would never lie to me. Not about something as important as this."

"At any rate," said Arthur, ending the glaring contest between Moody and Samantha, "I would feel better knowing that my son and future daughter-in-law will be safe, rather than waiting until it's too late."

"Right," said Remus quickly, stalling any more arguments. "They don't know that we've moved it, so everything should be fine. Here's the plan. The Anti-Apparition wards have been reinforced, so no one will be able to apparate directly into either the Burrow or the garden nor will they be able to apparate out once they're there. There are also protective wards around the outer boundaries of the property, but those can be broken by someone with enough know-how and patience." He pointed to the parchments on the table. "The team will be made up of myself, Arthur, Hestia, Doge and Samantha. Moody, Kingsley and Tonks will be there to help and will also act as Ministry representatives after the attack is over. Each of you will need to floo to the Burrow no later than 12:30 on Saturday, since the wedding was scheduled to begin at 1. The Weasleys' fireplace will be password protected, the password given to the team members via Patronus later on tonight. Each team member will need to study the maps to know where they are stationed and where the other team members will be. Any questions?"

Everyone looked around, by no one raised their hand or spoke up. Remus nodded.

"Alright then, as for the ceremony on Friday night, everything should be fine. Several of us will be Disillusioned and stationed around the perimeter of the house, but I don't expect there to be any trouble. The reception will probably be kept pretty short, as some of the Weasleys and the Delacours will need to travel back home before the next day. Another important note -" Remus paused to make sure everyone was listening. "The kids are not to know anything about the attack. Harry, Ron and Hermione have already been told that the three of them will be coming here while the protective wards around and inside the Burrow are rechecked and reinforced. Molly will be accompanying them here and will stay with them until a team member reports back to her and gives the all clear. Ginny will be visiting Luna Lovegood. She'll go home with them after the wedding."

Samantha sat up straight in her chair, thinking quickly. If she could get Molly to take her place on the team, she could volunteer to keep the kids at Headquarters. That way, she could get them back to the Burrow for the aerial attack without anyone knowing…

"Hey Remus," said Samantha, faking a thoughtful look, "what about if we had Molly take my place on the team? She knows the layout of the Burrow probably better than any of us. She would be able to watch for any weak spots while the attack happened." She paused here for effect, pretending to be thinking it through. "I could take the kids and bring them here. I would love the chance to get to talk to Mr. Potter again and also to meet Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger. What do you think?"

Remus looked thoughtful. Looking at Arthur, Samantha saw that he was not at all excited about this. Molly looked at Arthur, then at Samantha.

"I think Samantha's got a good point," said Molly. Arthur's eyes widened at her, but she continued. "This is my house we're talking about. I'm not about to let some slimy Death Eaters attack my house while I sit here with the children. I want to defend my home. I trust Samantha with the kids." She looked at Arthur pleadingly. "Arthur?"

Arthur sighed and grabbed one of Molly's hands in his own. He nodded.

"Alright, then, change of plan," said Remus, "Sami, the kids are flooing over early Saturday morning. If you could be here before nine to meet them -"

"Will do, Remus," said Samantha, careful to not sound too excited. She forced her body to stay relaxed so as to not give her anything away. Moody was still regarding her warily.

"Alright, if no one has anything else to add," said Remus, looking around the room. The room was silent.

"Okay, we're done for tonight," said Remus. "Make sure if you're on the team, that you know what's going on. All members will meet back here at 3 on Saturday afternoon for debriefing. Thanks."

Samantha stood with everyone else, taking a cup of tea that Kingsley handed her. She walked over to the corner, sipping her drink and watching the others engage in conversation. She caught Moody eyeing her from across the room. She clenched her jaw when he made his way towards her.

"I'm watching you, Ives," he said in a low growl. "We've had enough snakes slither through our nets. If I find out you've led us on, there'll be hell to pay, you get me?"

"Yes," said Samantha frostily. She stared straight into his horribly mismatched eyes. "But I assure you, the intelligence is solid."

"Well, we'll just see about that," said Moody. He gave her a sneer and limped out of the room, his wooden leg thunking heavily on the floor. Samantha lifted her cup, surprised to see her hand shaking slightly in anger. She took a deep breath and exhaled. As she calmed down, she caught bits of Ministry business being discussed, along with questions about Hogwarts being open in the fall. After a while, the mention of Severus's name caught her attention.

"He was a no-good, lying murderer," said Hagrid in a gruff voice. "I can't believe he would go and do summat like that after what Dumbledore said-"

She set her cup on the table, feeling sick to her stomach. She brushed quickly by Arthur, Molly and Remus, who gave her a curious look. She walked to the door and wrenched it open, the cold night air swallowing her as she descended the front steps. She pulled up the hood of her jacket and ran to the park to disapparate home.

Since it was only about 10:15 when she arrived back at her flat, she waited before messaging Severus. From what he had told her last year, Pettigrew went to bed around 11 each evening and she did not want him, of all people, to see her messaging Severus. She sat down in her sitting room, grabbing the discarded Quidditch book she had pulled earlier. She ran a hand over the cover, thinking back to days of waving banners and after-match parties...

It was the last match of the season. The fifth years had yet to start cracking down on revising for their O.W.L.s. The House banners flapped gently in the soft April breeze, the sun casting a warm glow over the pitch. The stadium bleachers were solid walls of red and gold opposite silver and green. The volatile atmosphere that had been brewing inside the castle for the past week was threatening to explode.


Samantha stood in the front row, decked out in her House colors. Her face was painted, one half metallic silver, the other, deep forest green, her black hair pulled back in a ponytail. This match would determine who won the Quidditch Cup. Slytherin had held the Cup for the last two years running, defeating Gryffindor both times in brutal, physical matches that usually ended up with three or more players in the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey screaming at another two to put away their wands.


Severus had been so excited for this match. His captain had scheduled practices every single day for the past week, causing Severus to be behind on his reading and homework in every single class. He and Samantha had taken to sitting by the fireplace late at night, Severus so exhausted from practice that he could barely stay awake, going over and over charm incantations, transfiguration wand movements, and disgustingly long defense essays.


She had seen him at breakfast in the Hall before the match. His face was bright with anticipation as he sat with the rest of the team, none of them eating any of the food on their plates but telling the others to eat. She sat across the table from her best friend, giving him the biggest grin she could manage.


"So, Severus, you ready for this?" she asked, grabbing some toast from the platter in front of her.


"You know it, Sam!" he answered. "James Potter will be face down on the pitch after I'm through with him today, along with that idiot Sirius Black."


"Just don't do anything stupid, like getting yourself banned from playing next year," said Samantha seriously. "You have a really good chance of making captain next year, you know, with both Bletchley and Higgs graduating."


"I know, I know," said Severus, rolling his eyes. "No biting, no scratching, no surreptitious cursing, hexing or jinxing. Thank you, Miss Ref. Your concerns are duly noted."


The captain stood and looked down the table at his team. He motioned his head towards the pitch and walked towards the doors of the Great Hall. Severus stood and followed Carson Crabbe. Samantha got up quickly and grabbed Severus by his sleeve as he neared the doors, pulling him back from the rest of the team.

"Good luck today, Gabriel," she whispered. "I'll be cheering for you in the front row." She stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. Several of the nearby Hufflepuffs whistled cat calls at them, while a couple of Ravenclaws wiggled their eyebrows suggestively. Samantha saw Severus reach for his wand and pushed him towards the door before he could pull it all the way out.

"Go, before you do something - stupid," she said, with a warning look in her eyes. Severus frowned at her, but ran out to catch up with the others. Samantha turned and walked right into a moving wall of red.


"Wow, McKinnon, didn't know you had a thing for little grease balls," said James Potter as he ran a hand through his scruffy-looking hair. Sirius stood behind him, snickering.


"Potter, do you ever come up with any original material?" asked Samantha in a bored tone. "Your lack of wit and creativity is appalling. I'm so glad Lily can see this as well. I always knew she was an intelligent woman of high standards." Just then, a girl with flaming red hair and wicked green eyes pushed her way past James, giving him a smirk and smiling at Samantha.


"Hey there, Sam," said Lily with a sly grin on her face. "You're rooting for the Red and Gold today, right?"

"Lily Evans, that's not even funny," said Samantha as she walked with Lily out of the Hall, both girls completely ignoring a blushing James and chuckling Sirius. "I'm a proud member of the house of Slytherin, my dear Gryffindor. I will be supporting my best friend who will pound your team into next year. Speaking of which, I've gotta go get my paint on. We still on for our study party tomorrow in the library?"


"Sure thing, Sam," said Lily as she walked towards the front doors. "I'll see you then if not before. May the best House win."


"Later, Lily," said Samantha as she ran towards the staircase to the dungeons. "Oh, and bring your Potions book with you. I still don't get that thing Slughorn was harping on last Thursday."

"Will do, Sam."


This match proved to be even more brutal than in previous years. Every foul was matched and bested by one from the opposing team. Severus had scored eight times, helping the score reach 220-150, Slytherin. Potter and Black were looking murderous as they tried daring moves around the Slytherin Chasers while still trying to dodge bludgers from Carson Crabbe and Nicolas Goyle. Samantha screamed with the rest of her housemates when Higgs and the Gryffindor Seeker went racing down the middle of the pitch, disrupting a formation the Gryffindor Chasers were trying to execute. The two Seekers jostled each other back and forth, reaching out for the Snitch. Professor McGonagall was on her feet, screaming louder than anyone and leaning dangerously close to the edge of the commentator's box. After an intense struggle, Higgs reached out and grabbed the Snitch, sending the green wall into a riotous frenzy.


Samantha raced out of the bleachers and down onto the pitch. The Slytherin team landed in a huge pile of cheering bodies and flailing broomsticks. Severus saw her as he untangled himself from his teammates. He ran to meet her, hugging her waist and twirling her in the air.

"WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!" he shouted. He set her back on the ground and grabbed her hand. Together, they ran off the pitch back towards the castle. They had a party to get started.

Samantha shook her head, her eyes refocusing on the book in her hand. Sighing, she rose from her chair and put it back in its place on the bookshelf behind her. She walked down the hall and glanced quickly at the clock. She stopped and looked back again, sure she had read the time wrong. But both of the silver hands pointed straight up.

I've really got to stop this daydreaming, thought Samantha as she rubbed her eyes. She continued on to her bedroom to send Severus the message about what the Order had decided on.

To my beloved Severus Gabriel -


I got your package, love. Don't ever scare me like that again. Thought it was some tainted or hexed box, just sitting on my coffee table. Anyway, your books are in a safe place, never fear.


Order meeting was short and sweet - just the way we like them. Here's the skinny:

There will be a team of select Phoenixers at the Burrow on Saturday. They're all flooing over at 12:30: Arthur, Remus, Elphias and Hestia. Moody, Shacklebolt and Tonks will be there as well for clean-up crew. There will be protection wards to break through. There will also be apparition wards up (Moody reinforced them, so please don't try and test them, lest you be covered in who-knows-what kind of disgusting and nasty hex Moody set into it). Oh, but that's not even the best part. You're gonna love this.

I convinced Remus and Arthur to switch me off the team and put Molly in my place. She was supposed to take the Trio to the 12 "so that the wards around the Burrow could be tested." I know, it's such a lame excuse and I'm sure our little blackbirds saw right through it. So, I will be meeting the kids at the 12 early Saturday morning. I'll have to mess with a portkey, but I'm not too worried about that -- Project Blackbird Pie will be a go! You can congratulate me on my Slytherin cunning later. I'll inform them of the plan the night of the wedding. I know that's kind of cutting it close, but I can't just pop over to the Burrow without it being weird.


I think we'd better wait until after Saturday to mess with our thieving Death Eater. Potter has the fake locket with the letter, so maybe I can make a copy of it. We'll discuss that in more detail later.

I've been thinking about you a lot lately. I wish there was some way to keep you safe and have you pass us information at the same time. This whole mission is too risky for my taste. I can't lose you to him. I will not allow it.

Good luck on Saturday.


Avec amour,
Haydyn

She shot off the Patronus and slowly got ready for bed. Just as she turned off the lights and pulled the covers up, Severus's fox shot in through the window. Wondering what else he could have needed after reading her message, she touched the Patronus with her wand and read the short message.

To my love:


Yet for me there is only one city.
In that city there is for me only one house;
And in that house one room only;
And in that room a bed.
And one woman sleeps there,
The shining joy and jewel of my kingdom.


No more despair, my love. We'll get through this together. I love you more than you know, my sweet, sweet Samantha Haydyn. Keep yourself and our blackbirds safe. I will see you soon, I promise.


All my love,
Gabriel


P.S. Could you imagine the look on Albus's face if he knew what his little messaging system was being used for.


Samantha chuckled at the postscript. She set the letter on her bedside table along with her wand and fell asleep, a content smile gracing her face.

A/N2: Alas, our dear Severus is not a poet. His poem is an anonymous Sanskrit poem, translated by John Brough.