Disclaimer: (patting down pockets) Nope, still don't own Harry Potter. Sniffle.
Flitwick's death had been an unexpected one. No daring mission for the Order, no attack on his home, just peacefully in his sleep. When Dumbledore approached Fred offering him the job, his first thought was no; but the more he thought about it, the more he liked it. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was his life, but with their growing popularity the twins had been forced to expand and hire a few extra hands. They now had a shop in Hogsmeade, both twins rotating which shop they watched. Steadily he was growing bored. The only thing that still held his interest was inventing new Wheezes. He left all the bookkeeping to George and Lee Jordan, after he really mucked up the numbers last fall. Talking with George, they had come up with a game plan. George would work the Diagon Alley shop, and Lee would run the Hogsmeade location with Fred. Dumbledore readily agreed to the terms. Now all he had to do was tell the rest of his family.
Opening the door to the Burrow, he was greeted with the sounds of a busy home and the smell of dinner. In the kitchen standing out in the sea of red hair was Harry's mess he called hair, and Hermione's curls. 'At least the whole family is here!' Fred thought wearily.
"Fred, be a dear and help your brothers with the table." Molly ordered as she moved about the kitchen, weaving through all the bodies. Boy, was he gonna miss home.
Samara stood in the middle of her new room, surveying her handy work. Once she accepted the position, she was given a room in the staff hallway. The new room came with a livingroom that doubled up as a study, a bedroom with an adjoining bathroom and for her a workroom. All of her purchases from that morning carefully put away. With a dejected sigh Samara walked into her bathroom and began filling the tub for a bath. Pouring in some soap she walked back into the main room and grabbed the Muggle Studies textbook they were to be using. Severus had tossed it down beside her plate at dinner with the parting words of "Study up," before he vanished.
Samara was half way through the book when she realized the water had gone cold, and her skin had pruned. Donning on a bath robe, Samara unplugged the tub before walking back into the livingroom; her nose still buried in the book. A throat cleared the silence of the room. Screaming, Samara dropped the book. Severus stood behind her couch a scowl on his pale face.
"Stop screaming!" He came to stand in front of his half sister. Inwardly Severus smirked at how easy it was to scare his sister. 'Like taking candy from a baby.' He chuckled"Whoa! Hey, how'd you get in? I was under the assumption that no one could get in."
"Well you assumed wrong."
"Ya know, if I wanted a smart ass remark I'd ask for it." Samara crossed her arms, waiting for him to continue.
"School hasn't started. These doors don't lock until then." Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose as he lowered himself onto the couch. "Dumbledore has come up with a cover for you."
"Yeah!" Her interest peaked, Samara sat in the chair across from Severus. "Who am I to be?"
"You're taking this considerably well, what happened to the whole 'poor, poor me' attitude?"
"Oh, it's still there. I'm trying to think of this as a vacation, at least that way I'd be able to enjoy myself." Samara answered truthfully.
"Hmpf," shaking his head he continued, "Dumbledore thinks keeping your last name would be reckless, and giving you the last name of Snape is just as dangerous."
"The kids can just call me Professor Samara, no last name needed."
"Very well. You're cousins to Hermione, and for a change in class, there will be no magic used for the year."
"Smart. I didn't even think of that." Clapping her hands together she stood up. "Anything else?"
"No." Severus copied her. Walking him to the door Samara wished him a good night before closing the door. Really what she had wanted to do was give him a hug, like normal brothers and sisters. '...Severus? Normal? Ha!' Samara thought sadly. 'Though once, I'd just like him to show that he cares . . . and not just out of obligation.'
Her book forgotten on the floor, Samara crawled into bed with thoughts of just how much reading she had to cover in two days.
The day of student arrival had come. The meeting that morning had been uneventful, given that a quarter of the teaching body had been absent. When Dumbledore introduced her and gave the cover story everyone bought it. 'Well, hopefully everyone bought it.' Samara mentally sighed as she made the journey to the school library. They had at least five hours before the sorting
ceremony, leaving her plenty of time to get some more reading done. She had devoured at least six books in the last two days. Some of the books on muggles were extremely funny and false, the others horribly accurate.
Quickly finding her needed section Samara pulled out a few books. Stacking them on the table behind her, she continued to look for more. Glancing up Samara noticed a very large book entitled 'Muggles: Fact and Fiction Through the Ages'. Her face broke out in a grin. She wanted that book. Badly.
Fred watched as the witch he was sent to fetch pulled the bookcase ladder, and in the process caught her robes in the wheel. Cursing she yanked off her robes, revealing Muggle attire. Slightly amused he watched as she struggled to free her robes, growling she climbed the ladder and stared at where she needed to be. Slowly walking farther into the library, Fred looked on as she stepped off the ladder and shimmed across the bookcase.
'Almost there.' Samara reached out and grasped her book. "Aha!" Her victory was short lived when her foot slipped from its small perch. A small 'EPP' escaped her throat as she fell. Her eyes snapped open when instead of hitting the ground she landed on someone. Her momentum knocking them both to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Groaning she raised up off the floor. Looking down she realized she was sitting on a pair of legs. Slowly her eyes wandered up the legs to a flat stomach hidden beneath a sweater, to broad shoulders. Oh, and the arms attached to those gorgeous shoulders, toned and long.
"Can I have my legs back?" Her heart skipped a beat when her brown eyes met his hazel gaze. He had brilliant red hair that fell slightly over his forehead. "Did you knock your head?"
"Wha..? Oh, no. I didn't, I mean I don't think so." Samara inwardly cursed herself.
"I wouldn't mind having a lovely lady like your self straddle me all day, but the kids will ask questions."
His words sank into Samara's befuddled brain. Blushing she stood up and took a few steps back. Fred stood up and dusted his bottom off.
"I'm Samara." Holding out her hand she added. "Muggle Studies Professor. Sorry 'bout crushing you."
"No worries mate," with an extravagant bow he continued, "Fred Weasley, Human Cushion."
"Thank you. Well I gotta go." Samara snatched up all her books. "See you around Fred."
"You can bet on it." Fred muttered as he watched her sway out of the library. Smacking his head, he groaned. He forgot to fetch her for Hermione. Dropping his head, he smirked as he saw her forgotten robes. A sly grin graced his face as he rescued the caught garment, a hostage for future use.
A/N: This is the first fan fiction that I've actually continued. Any advice, or crit is welcome (as long as it's not mean). I don't have a beta, so I apologize for any and all errors. I write like I talkā¦
