"You think she opened with the stunner that night?" Tonks shouted at Remus while she tried to stop her hands from shaking. "That wasn't even in the first five! If I wasn't a trained professional you'd have found a broken and bleeding heap!"
Remus growled in the back of his throat but he didn't have anything to respond to that with.
"I'm leaving The Order, Remus." She said softly.
"What? But… Why? I thought you joined because the ministry wasn't doing its part?" Remus asked her, desperate to understand her thoughts.
"You didn't see the look in her eyes. She saw me, judged me, and as far as she was concerned I wasn't any different than a Death Eater to her." Tonks spoke quietly. "I joined The Order to help people Remus, rules be damned. I won't put myself in a position where the people I care about think I'm some kind of monster. Greater good be damned!"
"I doubt she thought you were a monster, Tonks. She is a child, scared and alone. We can't just abandon her." Remus argued back.
"Weren't you listening to me? She tried to kill me! She may be many things but whatever child survived living with those bastards is gone now, Remus. If you all make the mistake of patronizing her you'll wind up dead." Tonks replied. With an angry sigh she headed for the door. "I'm resigning from the ministry as well. I think I'll head to Australia…"
She flung the door open to reveal a pair of panicked teens outside. "Girls." Tonks' greeting was curt but it was all she gave. Hermione Granger and Lavender Brown just watched her leave in stunned silence. Once she was out of sight they tentatively entered the sitting room where Remus was staring into the fire.
"Remus… What's going on with Sam?" Hermione asked.
The middle aged werewolf sighed and leaned back in his chair. "A few days ago she snuck out of Privet Drive. Tonks was on guard under an invisibility cloak and surprised her. There was a short duel which apparently Samantha won. According to a note she left in her room her sole intention for the evening was to get incredibly drunk and gamble away all of her spending money."
Lavender shook her head, "That actually sounds like a very Sam thing to do. Actually no, it wouldn't be complete unless she intended to get into a fight at the bar."
Remus gave the young blond a gimlet eye.
"Oh don't give her that look. Sam's always been a bit violent about working out her stronger emotions." Hermione scolded. "She just usually does it on something inanimate where the teachers can't see… Or on Bilius after he puts his foot in it again."
Remus sighed. "Look girls, there isn't much more I can tell you. If you hear from her, please at least tell one of the adults."
"But what if she doesn't want to be found?" Lavender pointed out the obvious.
"She's still a child, Lavender. Not only that but at the moment she's a very emotional, very volatile child. Without anyone around to reign in her worst impulses she'll find herself in a lot of trouble, very quickly." Remus replied.
"May I help you?" A very prim man asked as he walked up to the nearer of two teenage girls looking over one of the display cases. Their clothes had already earned them a frown but he at least tried to school his features.
"Yeah. Sure. I kind of like that one, but it's all diamonds. Is it possible to set the outside in emeralds instead? And if so can I get one identical to it?" Sam asked the man. Jean was distracted by a display of necklaces nearby.
"Our pieces are not just made on an assembly line somewhere. Each one is a work of art. They are hand crafted by a master jewelsmith." The salesman began.
"So… No to both. Gotcha." Sam cut him off. "Any of these at all come in a matched set where both have diamonds?"
"These are engagement rings. The very best of their kind in fact. They are one of a kind." He said with disdain.
Sam gave him an unimpressed look. Her eyes roved across the room until she found a saleswoman who wasn't occupied at the moment and waved her over. She ignored the man's condescension for a moment and walked over to see what Jean was looking at. It was clear the necklace that had caught her eye, simple but elegant silver and centered on a thin row of emeralds that brought the price up to twenty thousand pounds.
"Is something the matter here?" The saleswoman asked as she approached their group, startling Jean.
"Yes, I'm not buying anything from this man. Instead I'd appreciate it if you could set aside that Charlene Franc while we continue browsing. I fully intend for my girlfriend to wear it out of the store. I'll pay cash or card, whichever you prefer." Sam said in an even but cold tone. Jean gave her a look that promised they were going to have a talk later, but she didn't let it ruin her ice bitch impersonation in the moment.
The man finally left in a huff and Sam turned her full attention to the woman as she quickly removed the necklace's case and set it aside. "Is there anything else I can do for you today?"
"Yes, I was looking for matching, or at least very close, engagement rings for myself and my fiancée here. I was really thinking a single diamond with emeralds for accent." Sam told her. The woman paused for a long moment but rather than give them the same spiel about uniqueness she instead picked up the necklace and gestured for them to follow her.
When they reached the display case the woman was angling for Sam couldn't quite suppress a grin. Jean seemed more than a little breathless and was quick to lean in and get a better view of the rings on display.
"While the request is not our norm, there has been a rise in same sex weddings that has inspired several prominent jewelers to break the norms somewhat on engagement and wedding rings." The saleswoman explained. "Ordinarily I'd be directing you towards more typical engagement rings but I think these were just made for you two."
She pulled a pair of ring cases out and set them where they could fully appreciate the rings they contained. The rings in question certainly broke many traditions but Sam had to admit there were rather appropriate. Each was a thick silver band with colored metal entwined around it, red metal on one and black on the other. A single mid-sized diamond rested at the center of the design shared by both rings and it was bracketed by a pair of triangularly grouped small emeralds.
At fifteen thousand pounds each and the necklace, Sam knew they were going to be tight until the wedding was finalized. Still she'd brought enough to cover it without great concern. Rather than dwell on the price she turned to Jean. "Well?"
'It's so expensive…' Jean complained in their minds, too embarrassed to voice her concern out loud.
'I've got it covered. So long as they're right I could afford another five grand each. The question is whether or not you feel they're right.' Sam replied.
Jean smiled slightly and quietly spoke, "I really love them, Sam."
"That settles it. Just leave them in the boxes. We want to give them to each other sometime a bit more proper… But she is definitely wearing that necklace out." Sam told the saleswoman with a happy smile. "Now… Cash or Card?"
"I understand you wanted to assert yourself, but you didn't have to humiliate him." Jean said as the two sat outside a Subway's watching the crowd mill about them.
"He had a job to do. All he had to do was approach me like a professional and he could have his snooty opinions all day long. If he couldn't be bothered to put his money before his personal opinions then he didn't deserve any of mine." Sam defended herself.
"Very pretty, but that's not what you were thinking at the time." Jean reminded her.
Sam scowled though it was mostly directed inwards. As uncomfortable as it made her to get called out on being petty, she was more annoyed that she had been so petty. "I just… I know money can't cure everything, but it should have at least helped with the shopping." She shook her head. "Everywhere I go it's all snap judgments and fair-weather friends. I'm sick of it and I'm even more sick of putting up with it."
Jean was quiet for a long moment. "I know it feels good in the moment to strike but you have… No, no you don't have to do anything. That's the wrong way to frame this... I think you should consider what you really want before you start hitting back. If you had shown him, quietly and in private, that he was wrong he may have changed. There's no guarantee, but it's a distinct possibility."
"Humiliating him in front of his coworker only sets him on the defensive. The reason may have changed but now he hates you even more. He'll latch on to any little thing that might justify that opinion the next time he sees or hears about you." Jean told her.
Sam was very quiet and she subconsciously moved so that her face was hidden by her midnight locks. "What if… What if I just wanted to hurt him?" Her voice was so quiet it was barely a whisper.
Jean leaned across their small table and took Sam's face in her hands. She didn't say a word while she physically brought her lover's face around to meet her eyes. "Then I would say that I still love you. That I care for you very deeply." Jean focused her feelings of love into their link while basking in the sight of the small, but painfully honest smile her words had earned her.
"I don't really care about that bastard. Chances are we won't see each other again and even if we did it wouldn't so much as stir a hair if he hated us with the fury of a thousand suns. It will always be you that I'm worried about, Sam. People who make a habit of responding to every slight with overwhelming force quickly find themselves with lots of enemies. I don't want that for you. I don't want you to be bitter about life." Jean spoke earnestly and she could see the shine of unshed tears in her lover's eyes.
Jean was actually surprised when their lips met. It was sweet and slow in a way that made her close her eyes and give herself over to the act. The kiss ended all too soon and Jean found herself the subject of a gaze that nearly made her tremble from its intensity.
"I love you." Sam whispered only loud enough for her to hear. 'So much it scares me.'
On Saturday the couple decided to take an afternoon stroll in St. James' Park. It was a quiet occasion, in part due their mutual agreement that Saturday would be their rest day and Sunday their main date night. Sam rested her head against Jean's shoulder and they just walked hand in hand.
They turned a corner in the trail and Sam froze. The sudden rush of emotion caught Jean's attention and she scanned the area for any signs of a trap or ambush. When it came up clean she instead followed her lover's sightline to a teenage girl sitting on a bench further ahead. The girl had Indian features and wore a pink hoodie with black cargo pants.
"I don't think it's a trap." Jean reassured her. "But we can just go home if you want."
Sam took a long moment to analyze the scene before her, the events leading up to their being there. Eventually she shook her head, "No. I need to do this. It may not be much but she's Lav's bestie and we've all trusted her with a lot over the years. Hopefully she'll at least tell me how we were found so we can plug that hole."
As they approached the girl Jean subtly fell back a few steps. She was clearly in support of Sam, but also made it clear that, for the moment, supporting her lover was her only function in the discussion.
"Hey Parvati. I can't say I was expecting to see you any time soon." Sam said as she entered speaking distance with the girl. However she paused well away from the bench where she had room to maneuver in case a fight broke out.
"Sam. Lav knew my family had some good scrying spells and wouldn't leave me alone until I'd agreed to at least talk to you." Parvati replied. "Normally I leave the family rituals to Padma, but this one required a level of personal bond well above casual friendship. It didn't show me you, or your location or anything, just this place and time as somewhere I could meet you."
"Well, good to hear my security isn't completely compromised then. I assume Lav and Hermione have been going spare. I'd have written them, but I don't doubt the order of the fried chicken would track it back to me." Sam said. Jean noticed the girl giving her a questioning look. "That's Jean Grey, my fiancée. Jean, this is Parvati Patil. She's been my roommate for the last five years at Hogwarts."
Jean tried to give her a reassuring smile but the girl wasn't paying much attention to her anymore.
"Fiancée? What the hell, Sam? You're fifteen! How long have you even known her?" Parvati asked.
"Long enough to love her." Sam replied simply and gave Parvati an unyielding look.
The Indian girl's jaw clamped shut and for a brief moment Jean was concerned Sam was about to get slapped. "Urgh!" Parvati snarled in frustration but then calmed back down. "Fine. You're too damn stubborn for your own good, Sam, but I'll let it go this time."
"Hermione's pretty pissed at you. I can't say I blame her. After the shit that happened at end of year pretty much everyone is going spare with worry. Tonks left the country… After telling off half The Order for thinking of you as a kid. I'm not sure she likes you very much." Parvati continued.
Sam nodded, "I wasn't exactly in my right mind when I left. Tonks may have been the target of a few… regrettable curses. Nothing unforgivable, but…" She hesitated for a long moment. "In that moment, I wasn't entirely against the idea of killing her."
"Sounds to me like they're right to be worried. What were… No what are you thinking with all this? I know you, Sam. What the hell is so wrong you couldn't tell any of us?" Parvati asked.
Sam's face shut down entirely until no emotion showed. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Bullshit. You've got to talk to someone about this! Even if it's just Dumble—" Parvati went silent and took a step back at the murderous expression on Sam's face.
"DON'T LECTURE ME ABOUT KEEPING SECRETS FROM ALBUS BLOODY DUMBLEDORE!" Sam screamed. From the look on her face she could have kept going but Jean quickly pulled her into a hug and sent soothing emotions through their bond.
"Is there something we should know… Lav and Hermione, if not for me than for them. Please, Sam. They love you like a sister. If Albus is keeping something from us that would hurt you… You know there's no contest, right? We'd pick you. We'd always pick you." Parvati tried to reassure her.
The anger quickly bled out of Sam, but the rest of her emotions were still a maelstrom. Rather than snap back at her friend, she instead lost the strength in her legs and began sobbing in earnest. Jean quickly helped her over to the bench and motioned for Parvati to sit with them. For several minutes nobody spoke except to reassure the sobbing girl of their respect and affection for her.
"He was wrong…" She finally whispered in a hoarse voice. "Was going to make me his happy martyr but he was wrong. They're all wrong. I don't want to die… It's all useless anyways. I can't be the one to do it… Everyone's expecting me to be the one, but I'm not the one! I'm not the one."
Parvati thought for a moment and then sucked in a breath. "The prophecy… Dumbledore thinks you're prophesied to beat him, doesn't he? Then… You don't think it's about you?"
"No. She has some superficial trappings of the one in the prophecy, but it can't be her." Jean replied.
"That's… A lot to take in. We have to tell The Order." Parvati said.
"No, we don't. Let me finish!" Sam cut off the counter that was obviously about to come. "The last order got taken down by a spy they didn't expect. Honestly, who's really expecting anything better from the likes of Fletcher? Right now both sides are focused completely on me. If I can get out of the country… They'll have to split their forces and they won't be looking for the poor girl who the prophecy was really about." Sam countered.
"But… Will you be safe? In some other country, I mean." Parvati asked.
"The Institute I'm from can protect itself, even against Wizards from all I've seen." Jean reassured her. Parvati seemed to doubt it but still eventually nodded in approval. It made Jean's heart a little lighter to know that there was at least one person who truly trusted Sam in this country.
Finally Parvati gave a much more relaxed smile and got a mischievous look. "So, if you two are engaged do you have rings? Lav would tan my hide if I didn't at least get a look at them."
Sam gave an amused smile and shared a pleading glance with Jean. "All right. We're going to exchange them properly tomorrow night, but we carry them with us everywhere." Jean said. Sam grabbed her ring box from an inside pocket on her suede jacket while Jean produced hers from her purse.
Sam went first revealing the ring with black bindings. Parvati gasped at the sight of the jeweler's masterwork. "This one will go on Jean's finger."
Jean revealed the red bound member of the pair and could see the sparkle in the Indian girl's eyes as she took in the pair. "And this one will go on Sam's."
"They're incredible… You guys have to send pictures, once you're off at this Institute and all. Lav's going to be so jealous she missed seeing these in person!" Parvati gushed.
A/N: Looking back things are moving a bit more slowly than I'd thought at the time… Just bear with me as I try to get us out of Britain here.