Chapter Two:
A/N: This is from Sam's POV. Hopefully it'll clear up any confusion.
Sam paced the Ravenclaw common. She rung her hands almost to the point of chafing them. Her hands began burning, making her realize what she's done. Merde, she cursed. It was well after 10 and Sam decided she needed to go to the Hospital Wing.
She grabbed her cloak and wrapped it tightly around her body. She silently walked down to the Hospital Wing without using any lighting.
"This is ridiculous. How can I possibly keep Fred from connecting the dots? How, in the name of Merlin, can I keep him from coming to the right conclusions about me?" Sam looked up at the ceiling for a moment as she walked.
For a split second she thought she would fall. To crash down the flights of stairs helpless to prevent herself from further injury. The only thing she could to do to help herself was cover her head. She didn't think about putting a protection charm on herself, only that her wand would be splinters when she reached the bottom.
Sam tumbled down the flight of stairs, her arms protecting her face and her legs drawn up to her chest. She looked to see where she was and saw she was only a few feet from the bottom stair. Her hand flew open as she hit another stair, breaking several fingers when her hand connected with the marble.
She screamed out in pain as she rolled to a stop five feet from the stair case. Sam lay motionless on the ground, catching her breath. She brought her uninjured hand up to her side to help push herself over. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she pulled her injured hand carefully out from under her to inspect it.
"I'm sorry, ok? I shouldn't have set Fred up to get caught! I won't do it again!! I promise!!" Sam shouted at as she hoisted herself up.
Limping down endless flights of stairs, limping across the second floor, and finally banging on the Hospital Wing door for Madame Pomfrey to open it. Sam slid down the door, her fingers shooting random pain up her arm, her back, arms and legs aching constantly, began to bring tears to her eyes. This wasn't going to be a very good year for Sam. At least until her luck improved.
The door Sam leaned on opened, causing her to fall onto her back, which also forced the tears out of her eyes. She looked up and into the curious, but irritated, face of Madame Pomfrey. "I'm sorry to wake you Madame Pomfrey. But I seemed to have had an accident." Sam lifted her injured hand for Madame Pomfrey to examine.
"Dear child, it's ok. Come on in," Madame Pomfrey yawned and smiled.
"I need help. I fell down a flight of stairs and now I can barely feel my legs and back." Sam explained. Madame Pomfrey gave her a confused look before rolling her eyes and the Ravenclaw sixth year.
Sam winced only slightly as Madame Pomfrey set her fingers. "They'll be sore for a few days. Which hand do you write with?"
"My left," Sam bit her lip as Madame Pomfrey began rubbing in a lotion that began numbing the broken fingers.
"I'll give you some of this, it will dull the pain. I'll also write you a note to explain why you can't write for the next week or so. Is that clear? Only a week. Unless I say otherwise." Madame Pomfrey ordered.
Sam woke up in the Hospital wing early the next morning. It took her a minute to remember what had happened that previous night. She carefully got up out of the bed and stretched. She yelped in pain from her sore muscles. She looked at her arm and saw purplish-black bruises covering it. Alarmed, she looked at her other arm which looked almost identical to the other. Lifting her pajama pant legs, she saw more bruises. It looked as though she'd been pushed down a flight or stairs. Unfortunately she wasn't pushed and just fell.
She grabbed the lotion and ran out of the Hospital wing. She sprinted up the stairs to her common room. She prayed silently that no one was awake yet. Her prayers were answered as she walked into the common room. No one was awake yet and she had the chance to back into bed and pretend she hadn't left.
The other girls started getting out of bed and dressing when Sam decided it was time to 'wake up'. She waited until the other girls were gone before getting out of her bed, however. Careful of her fingers, she dug through her trunk for a pair of knee socks. She was taking a risk exposing her thighs from the bottom of her skirt down. Her knees had slight bruising, but it wasn't as bad as her shins and calves.
Sam had been hoping her luck would change, but alas, it did not. She couldn't find any clean knee socks and refused to wear a dirty pair. Carefully, she put her long sleeved white blouse on and buttoned it up. She began putting her shoes on over her dark blue ankle socks and gently tied them up.
She glanced at the clock mounted above the door as she grabbed her back. It read 8:30 am. This gave her half an hour to eat and then race to her first class. She quickly grabbed her back as she rushed down the stairs. Her bag hit her back as she took off down the stairs. She gritted her teeth against the pain.
She entered the Great Hall, relieved she'd made it down the stairs in one piece and that her favorite seat had remained empty. She took her seat at the end of the table, far from the other members of her house. No one had noticed her legs yet, for that she was thankful. She noticed a few people give her hand weird looks, but that didn't matter to her. Her hand cold easily be lied about if any one should be bold enough to ask. Luckily, no one did.
It wasn't until she got into double Potions that the real problems started. She handed Snape the note from Madame Pomfrey and waited for him to say something. He glared at the paper then to her, "As much as I'd hate for your precious hand to be harmed, I have no choice but to assign you a partner for the potion we'll be doing next class."
It wasn't that Potions was hard. She had a gift for Potions. Snape seemed to notice this and he didn't make her out to be a know-it-all. She apologized for the inconvenience and took her seat. She cut up the ingredients with her right hand and that was all the work she had. This segment was just to prepare for the next class.
It was that the second portion was with the 6th year Gryffindors. Sam didn't want to see Fred. He was a nice enough guy, but Sam had no intention of making a relationship out of it.
The first part went by quickly. Sam heard the bell ring for the second class to start, she quickly put her bag on the chair and stretched out to make the seat less desirable. She just didn't have any luck this week, and if she did, it wasn't good luck.
"Is this seat taken?" Fred smiled and moved her bag before sitting down.
"It is now," Sam groaned and reluctantly moved her bag to be in front of her.
"What happened to your hand?" He asked staring at her bandaged fingers.
"Broke them," she answered simply.
"How?" Fred questioned.
"Long story," Sam's voice was laced with agitation, but Fred didn't pick up the hint.
"Same thing that happened to your arms and legs?" Fred smiled. He had hit a nerve and he knew it.
"Yes," Sam's eyes seemed to say. But her voice said other wise, "What does it matter to you?"
Fred didn't say anything further and stared ahead at Professor Snape who now stood in the front of the classroom. He began instructing the students on the potion they'd be making and it's properties.
At the end of Potions, Fred grabbed Sam's bag for her. Sam looked at him, obviously taken aback. He clapped his hand onto her back, like friends would do. She jumped and screwed up her eyes in pain. Fred immediately removed his hand. "Are you ok?"
"No! I have bruised every where and you just hit about ten of them. Thanks for carrying my bag, but I've got it under control," Sam grabbed her book bag from him and stormed off.
She was upset and didn't want to speak with him. Fred caught up to her and tried to get questions answered.
"What happened to you?" Fred asked.
"Nothing," Sam spat.
Fred repeated the question until she finally gave in. "I fell down a flight of stairs on my way to the Hospital Wing. Happy?"
"Why were you going to the Hospital Wing?" He didn't seem to want to stop bombarding her with questions. So she answered them.
"I was stressed out and rubbed my hands raw." She showed him her right hand which was pale pink in color.
"Why are you stressed out? It's only a month into the year." Fred dug deeper.
"Because I'm dealing with an inner conflict of wills," Sam was too tired to argue with him and to withhold anything from him. Fred smiled and took advantage of this.
"What's the conflict?" Fred smiled again.
"Over something I did."
"Which is?"
"I set you up, ok? It was all me. I fell down the stairs because I wasn't paying attention, I was thinking about what I'd done." Sam had just confessed.
"Why did you do it?"
"Because you have done things to me. You threw curses in my direction, made fun of me because of the glasses I wore, because my hair was different shades of colors. Because I was different than you. I wanted to get you back for the hell you've put me through the last six years." Sam glared at him and then left.
Fred didn't go after her this time. He thought about everything. What had he really done to her?
A/N: I know! A cliffhanger! Yikes! But I think there are some things that need to be clarified. Like how no one really knows anything about Sam. The next two chapters will explain everything that has influenced Sam to get Fred into trouble. Bear with me!