NEAR GAIRLOCH, THE HIGHLANDS, SCOTLAND
Continued
It was plain to see the trio had been on the street for a long time. Their clothes were worn and thin. Sam and Beth were barefoot while Tootie wore a pair of polka-dotted forest green wellies and a snug pair of blue thermal pajamas.
Tonks and Nikolai nodded at Severus then turned to usher the kids through the open doorway.
Severus stepped back to allow them through.
Sam stood ramrod straight, the tough, almost mulish expression on her face belying the nerves underneath. Her dark brown eyes and short, choppy brown hair contrasted with the paleness of her skin and lips. She eyed everyone with distrust and reluctance.
Beth, a few inches shorter than her older sister, had her long blonde hair pulled back in a loose braid. Both of Beth's arms full with Tootie. His little round cheeks and chubby arms and shining, curly brown hair were clear testaments to the love and sacrifice of the girls.
Quiet discussions were taking place all around the dining table after the newcomers sat and joined the meal. It was tempting to fill her plate with everything in sight, but Beth was careful to not overdo it. She was used to small portions and didn't want to get sick.
"Shh, shh, little one," she cooed. She smoothed Tootie's curls away from his forehead as he burrowed his face into her shoulder again. He had overcome his sudden shyness long enough to fall in love with corn on the cob, but now he was back to being nervous and fussy. He had never been around more than three people at a time.
Molly rose up out of her chair and approached the two with a smile on her face. How she missed her babies. They were such a joy at that age. Even the twins, she thought, a dimple appearing on her face. "I have an idea. How about Beth and I let you play in some water and then you can have a nice lie-down? I think I can even come up with a few toys."
Beth smiled down at his tear-brimmed eyes and hopped up, scooting her chair back. "Thank you, that sounds nice, doesn't it, Tootie?" He wrapped his arms and legs around her tighter and didn't answer, though he peeked at Molly a few times as she led them down the hall.
When Beth walked in, Molly had already magicked water into the tub and she was reaching into an overhead chest of drawers for a towel. Beth set Tootie down on the bathmat and knelt down in front of him.
"We pway?" he asked, speaking for the first time since they arrived.
Beth ran her fingers through his curls. "You bet," she said, grinning as his brown eyes lit up with delight. "Here, turkey, let me help you." She pulled his long-sleeve shirt up, up, and over his head, but not all of the way off. "Oh no!" she cried, tickling his belly, "where'd you go?"
He let out a fountain of deep throaty chuckles and tried to wiggle away from her fingers. "Here, here, I here!" He pulled and pulled on his shirt until it came off all of the way. He threw it, sending the shirt flying across the room. Still laughing, he stomped a few small steps towards Beth and stretched out his bare arms. "I get you!" Lunging at her, he laughed and tried to tickle her back, his little fingers tangling and loosening her long braid. "I got you!" he growled, pleased with himself.
Beth laughed, and Molly wiped away tears as she watched them interact, her heart swelling with emotion.
It had been too long, much too long, since she'd heard a child laugh.
All eyes were now on Sam, and it was not a comfortable feeling. She had always gone out of her way to blend into the crowd. Standing out meant a knife in your back or worse. Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her plate.
Tonks and Nikolai had already spoken some of what they had seen.
Nikolai stood up after finishing his meal. "Please, tell Molly dinner was delicious. I should go." He smiled. "I must relieve Stefan. I will miss the meeting, but you'll give a full report," he added, addressing Tonks.
The sullen-looking dark-haired man nodded at Nikolai as he left and then turned his attention to Sam. "What can you tell us about the gangs on the streets?" he asked.
Sam got the feeling that he was used to getting answers, no matter what. She bit her tongue and counted to fifteen before she opened her mouth. His gaze turned darker the longer she waited, and Sam had to school her features so she didn't let out a smile. Pushing people's buttons was one of her joys in life. "There's a hierarchy on the street. Usually the oldest in charge, but sometimes, worse, the smarter ones. We kept our heads down, but it was impossible to completely stay out of the thick of it. There are six groups in the Boston area I know about, but there are more."
"What about the kids who aren't members of a gang?"
"There are some. Divers go through trash looking for something to eat or to trade, and of course most of the girls have no choice to but sell their bodies for food."
"Is that how you and your sister survived?"
Sam's spine went rigid and she glared at him. Her words were punctuated by the blood pounding in her ears. "No," her hands balled into fists in her lap, "I'm a thief, a diver—and I kept us fed. Things were easier in the beginning, in a way. So many empty houses, empty buildings. I broke into more houses than I can remember, stealing food and anything else we could use. There was a lot of competition, but I developed a reputation pretty early on, and most of the locals learned to stay away from me. But by the end of the first few months, everything was taken. So I started diving in dumpsters to find anything worth trading for food."
"I had to ask, because of the boy."
Sam's mouth opened and closed and she looked away, her chin jutting out. His eyebrows only rose higher the longer it took for her to answer. Finally, she admitted through her clenched teeth, "I found him."
"You found him," he repeated, sharing a quick look with Tonks. "Where did you find him?"
Sam closed her eyes. "That's all, I found him." She scooted her chair back and stood. She was done.
"I'm not finished, Miss Sullivan," Snape snapped.
Ignoring him, all of them, Sam raised her chin and took firm steps towards the front door.
"Let her go," Tonks said, gripping Severus's arm as he made to stand up, "just let her go for now."
Severus frowned, but Tonks grinned at Hermione and Fred, who were sitting side by side across the table from her. Tonks leaned forward. "Sam is powerful," she raised an eyebrow at Snape's glowering face, "more powerful than I think she even realizes. That's how I found them. She's a natural in hand-to-hand combat. I watched as three gang members cornered her. Two lived, but only because she let them."
"Badass," George breathed, grinning from ear to ear.
"She's dangerous," Severus said, drumming his long fingers on the table.
"Hell yeah, she is," Tonks agreed, "that's why I followed her. We've covered dueling, guns, explosives, yes, but what if we're disarmed? Hand-to-hand combat will save lives. And I will tell you something else, the kids were the last thing Nikolai and I expected to find. There's more to her than meets the eye."
When Severus didn't open his mouth to reply, Tonks continued. "The situation on the east coast is so much worse than the rumors. All these kids, Snape. I just—" Tonks took a steadying breath. "It was horrible. It was a nightmare. We need a safehouse there now and as many more as we can manage as soon as possible. Sam doesn't," Tonks hesitated, "she insists that working in a safehouse isn't a good fit for her, but I am still making up my mind about that. But even if none of these kids trust her, she knows them. And with her help, we'll find the right person to get things set in motion."
