Wow guys thank you! 7 reviews in one day! That's a hell of a lot more than I expected!
Okay so unkinnh mentioned that the chapters were too short (it might have been a tease but I still want to improve) so this one is going to try and be a bit longer. I'll do my best and I hope you enjoy this!
I actually must send my love to lightbabe who has given me really lovely reviews! You all have, (don't get me wrong!) but I just love long reviews and I'm glad everyone seems to like Sam :)
Okay, well, let's do this…
Chapter 3
Dinner gradually became less tense due to the fact that people had eaten and were now talking in separated groups.
Sirius, Remus and Shacklebolt were deep in hushed conversation at the head of the table. Harry, Ron and Hermione, had moved away from the adults and were sitting in the middle of the table, talking about their summers, well Harry and Hermione were, Ron's plate never seemed to empty as he grunted in response, never seeming to put in any valuable input. Beside them, Ginny was laughing at the funny faces Tonks was producing, from where she sat cross the table from her, earning a smile from Remus who occasionally threw glances in her direction, whilst at the opposite end of the kitchen, Molly, Arthur and Moody stood, conversing about Mad-Eye's recent activities after the distressing events the previous year.
Samantha however, was laughing along with the twins at the end of the table as they told her animatedly of their most recent invention; the Skiving Snack Box.
Snape simply sat there next to Samantha, not speaking to anybody, with a look on his face that clearly said he would prefer to be anywhere else but here.
"But we just can't get the Fever Fudge perfect!" Fred complained quietly to Samantha who had been offering suggestions to assist the Twins, much to Severus' silent dismay.
"Why not?" Sam asked, facing the twins, sitting comfortably on her legs, trying not to spike herself in the backside with her high heels.
"Well we tried it, but there are some, uh, side effects!" George explained hesitantly scratching the back of his ginger head.
"What side effects?" She asked, curiously watching the blush creep up the twins' faces.
"Boils." Fred said simply.
Samantha placed a hand to her mouth as she tried to hold in her laughter, she had a feeling she knew where this was going.
"Boils?" They nodded. "Where exactly do these boils appear?"
Fred and George shared a look.
"Inappropriate places." They said together, looking at her embarrassedly.
For what seemed like the hundredth time that night, Samantha burst out into fits of giggles, making the twins laugh as well, Fred face palming in embarrassment; George burying his crimson face in his hands.
Samantha's laugh was contagious; that was all George had learnt about the Auror tonight.
But Fred had learnt more. He learnt how, when she laughed, her eyes sparkled and he saw the dimples when she smiled, which – when she was around them – was a lot. He watched her every move. She moved with grace and confidence, a strange feat of someone her age, yet she seemed everlastingly youthful; she would wear a mischievous grin on her face every time the Twins told her of one of their pranks and would lean in conspiratorially when they spoke in low whispers, hoping for the information to avoid their Potion Master's ears.
Even now, as he observed her, he saw how she threw her head back slightly when she laughed, showing the smooth, pale skin of her neck and he saw how the pendant that hung there swung when she leaned back over, folding in on herself to try and stop the giggles.
Fred's eyes latched onto the pendant she wore. It was oval shaped, thin and flat. At first Fred thought that it was a tiny mirror but then his eyes caught sight of some small writing etched into the reflective surface. He couldn't decipher what was written so he gave up, curiosity burning in the back of his mind, but he pushed it away.
She eventually calmed herself, wiping a few tears of laughter from her eyes as she sat up straight.
"What are these boils like? Or shouldn't I ask?"
"Well they're about this big," Fred made a circle in the air with his wand; it was about the size of a Muggle 2p coin.
"And they're filled with pus –"
"Okay! That's enough!" Samantha cut across them, a rosy blush gracing her slightly freckled cheeks. "Have you tried Murtlap Essence?"
"Murtlap what?" George asked.
"Murtlap Essence, Weasley." Snape cut in moodily. "If you paid any attention in my class you may well know of it."
"Severus." Samantha said warningly.
"Yes?" The Slytherin asked sarcastically.
Samantha gave Severus a look that clearly said 'really?', and he looked at her with a false innocent look on her face.
Throughout the evening, the twins had been more and more surprised by the interaction between Snape and Samantha; they seemed so comfortable with each other.
They didn't even know that 'comfortable' was in Snape's dictionary.
Suddenly Samantha started chuckling at their childish staring contest but just as the Twins were going to join in they heard a noise that silenced conversations all around the table.
A low, casual chuckle could be heard accompanying Samantha's.
Heads turned towards the noise and mouths dropped open in shock as they heard it.
Snape was laughing.
Ron was staring, his mouth hanging unattractively open as he poked the frozen Harry repeatedly in the arm. Hermione reached to her side and distractedly closed her ginger friend's mouth, politely looking down at the table, ignoring the tense atmosphere.
Mad-Eye was doing his usual, analysing every face in the room, seemingly unperturbed. Molly who stood beside the scarred Auror looked vaguely amused and relieved at the sound, Arthur just looked shocked.
Directing his eye to the head of the table, Moody saw that Sirius seemed to be experiencing a loss of emotion. Shacklebolt looked mildly shocked at the sound but hid it better than anyone else. Tonks had spun around so fast in her seat that she had tumbled off the back of the long bench and crashed to the floor; she was now being helped up by a worried looking Lupin and a faintly surprised Ginny.
The twins looked at each other and promptly burst into hysterics of unbridled amusement. Fred crumpled to the side and collapsed heavily into Samantha, knocking her into an embarrassed Severus' lap causing them to laugh even harder as a hot blush showed up noticeably on Snape's pale face, he rolled his eyes, stabilising the young Auror as she lay awkwardly across him, she remained immobile due to her spouts of laughter.
George disappeared from sight as he toppled off the bench from laughter.
"On that note, I think the children should go to bed." Molly said sternly, pointing to the door of the kitchen.
Ginny, Harry and Hermione all stood without a word but Ron just had to object.
"But Mum, Fred and George –"
"—Are of age now Ronnikins and we don't have a bedtime." Fred gasped, regaining his breath, as he sat up straight from where he had been crumpled against Samantha and spoke smugly.
Ron sneered at his brother before Mrs Weasley ushered them from the room, waving her dish rag at them impatiently.
"And don't try any funny business!" She yelled up after them.
"Mum, you seem to forget that Hermione is here with us, 'funny' doesn't come into the equation." Ron yelled down the stairs. George was still sniggering as he slumped back onto the bench.
There was a slight pause as everyone waited for it.
"Ow! Hermione that hurt!"
"Good." - Was the only reply before a door was slammed.
"Samantha, we must go now. You need to get home." Severus instantly stood and looked imperiously down at Samantha who heaved a sigh and rose reluctantly.
"Fine. But I must tell you this Severus; you, my friend are a 'buzz kill'." She poked him in the chest.
"Good to know." He murmured absently. "Now, say your good-byes, I will get your cloak."
"Humph." She frowned, watching Severus leave the room before an idea came into her head. Samantha cocked her head to the side with an evil grin that would rival those of the twins.
With a swish of her hand her long, velvet cloak was draped over her arm.
"Oh my, I do wonder how that got there. I hope dear Severus doesn't spend too long looking for it." She mumbled to herself shaking her head and sighing theatrically before turning back to the smirking twins. "Oh well." She shrugged.
Fred stood swiftly and mock bowed in Samantha's direction.
"My lady, allow me." He said as he took her cloak from her arm and swished it over her head so it fell lightly on her shoulders. The softly he found the dark ribbon and tied it around her neck smiling sweetly as he did so.
"There." He said once finished. "You know Sam, for an Auror you really don't dress like one." He breathily informed her, dropping his shaking hands down by his sides.
"Ah, well that's because I'm not senile yet; I have somehow retained my sanity, and fashion sense."
Both twins chuckled as Moody scowled at her from across the room. She simply smiled back good-naturedly.
At that moment, Molly entered the kitchen once more, and, seeing her in her travelling cloak, rushed over.
"Surely you aren't leaving yet?"
"I am afraid so Molly, Severus insists."
Molly rolled her eyes to the heavens.
"Merlin's beard Samantha; does Severus ever let you out of his sight?" Molly put her hand on her hips and when a disgruntled Snape came striding into the kitchen she shot him a disapproving look. "Severus Snape, you mustn't be so overbearing! Let her have a life without you hanging over her, goodness gracious." She puffed out her cheeks, shaking her head before throwing her hands up in the air. "Oh well, take care of yourselves;" She added with a stern look. "Both of you."
"We will Molly." Samantha assured her with a smile; Molly hugged Samantha and pecked her on the cheek. Snape and Molly simply nodded awkwardly at each other, and then Snape began to retreat from the room as Molly began to clear up the plates and dishes from around the table.
"Boys, stay out of trouble." Samantha grinned at the Twins who nodded sagely.
"Of course." George said instantly.
"Goes without saying." Fred waved it off.
There was a sliver of silence before –
"Oh come here!" She said and was immediately engulfed by two pairs of arms.
Once they pulled away she grinned at them, her gaze lingering slightly on Fred but as Severus coughed insistently she snapped out of it.
"I'm off now boys!" She called to the group of men down at the end of the table. They all grinned and waved cheerily at her.
"See you whenever you decide to appear!" Sirius called, grinning at her.
Waving back, she sighed.
"What does he mean? Aren't you coming to any of the other meetings?" Fred asked hopefully.
"I don't know yet." She shrugged sadly, "I appear when it's safe to appear, and when it's not…" The sentence was left hanging in the air. "Besides, there is someone who needs my companionship. However, knowing that I have people who understand me here might just make me want to return even when it's not safe."
"Great!" Fred said enthusiastically.
She smiled and lightly cuffed him on the shoulder.
Snape coughed again, louder than last time.
"All-right! All-right, I'm coming. See? Happy now?" Samantha asked as she walked past Snape and into the corridor, turning to wave at the twins who reciprocated.
George patted Fred on the shoulder before apparating up to the room they shared, Molly yelling angrily all the while, but Fred stood still.
As the two forms retreated towards the door, he heard Snape's voice.
"Is that the cloak I spent 10 minutes in a cupboard looking for?" Severus asked angrily.
"…maybe?" He could hear the guilt in her voice even from a distance, and smirked.
Snape mentally flailed about, looking for the words before sighing resignedly.
"Fantastic." Was all he said, and as the unlikely friends exited the door, the last thing Fred Weasley heard was her laughter echoing out into the street.
Whoops, not as long as i had hoped but that's all i can do.
You like? I like :D
So please tell me what you thought!
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!
Lots of love from
Alicia
xxxx