Okey doke, so I am quite pleased with how fast I've been updating recently...just don't expect this to continue...but I will try.

So please read and enjoy.

Reviews are always nice and I have to profusely thank all of you who have followed this story from the very start...I am feeling very nostalgic at the moment so forgive me.

Go go go go go reeeeaaaaaad!

Chapter 17

Sam stared at him for a few unblinking seconds before squealing and launching herself at him in a bear hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he hugged her to him, twirling her around.

Suddenly, all of the lights in the room shone brighter than before, even Sam seemed to glow as if she were on fire, and an undisclosed wind swept through the room, whipping peoples hair in their faces as they watched in wonder; all of the dirt in the room was picked up in it and a hurricane of dust and paper twirled around the spinning couple who were laughing in happiness.

As they stopped spinning, the wind completely disappeared, leaving everyone breathless in amazement. Sam and Severus looked at each other in complete and unbridled elation.

"He said yes?" She asked breathlessly as her hands squeezed his upper arms.

"He said yes." Snape grinned and he laughed as she screamed in joy again and jumped on him once more, wrapping her legs around his waist and hugging him fiercely.

The previous evening…

"I'm going to bed." Fred yawned widely as he stood, turning to Sam, "You coming?"

"Yep." She said, accepting the hand Fred held out to her and standing with his help.

"'Night everyone." Sam waved to the group who were situated in their usual places in the lounge.

Everyone said their goodnights as the couple left, hand-in-hand.

As they passed the top of the stairs, Sam looked down and saw Severus walk into the Conference Room; she stopped in her tracks, her brow creasing in worry as she bit down on her lower lip. Suddenly, a determined glint came into her eyes.

Fred just watched her in confusion.

"I'll be up in a minute." She said absently, pulling her hand from Fred's grip as she hurried down the stairs, his gaze lingered on her before he went up to their bedroom.

She strode into the room without a word and closed the door behind her.

Severus turned and looked at her curiously as she stood with her back pressed against the door.

"Severus, I can't do this anymore." She said in a rush.

"Wha—?"

"No; I need to say this now without interruption or I never will." She cut across him and watched as he moved, from where he had been inspecting a mysterious clump of mould by the window, and he sat down in one of the chairs; much like Fred had done yesterday.

She took a deep breath.

"I can't hide anymore. I know that's all I've been saying recently but I can't! I want—I—" She let her head fall back against the door as she closed her eyes. "I want you to contact Albus. I want you to ask him if he'll consider actually employing me." She heard Severus gasp quietly but she ignored him. "Don't you see? I'll be safe at Hogwarts and I won't have to hide; hell, that's the reason you were chosen to be my guardian; because it's where no one can get to you! It's the safest place I can imagine. He can employ me to do whatever he wants; I'll even be a cleaner if he wants! I'll do anything! I honestly cannot believe that he didn't suggest that himself. It seems the most logical solution, I'll be so safe; I'll be with you and I'll be with Albus; even Minerva is there. Everyone who knows about my past is there; everyone who could ever help me is at Hogwarts. It is the safest place for me."

She pushed away from the door and looked Severus straight in the eye. She felt herself relax when she saw that he had a very thoughtful look on his face, not a judging or protesting one; just a thoughtful and maybe—hopeful one?

He opened his mouth and Sam smiled as he surprised her with his words.

"Why can't you ask him yourself?"

"Because he likes you."

Severus scoffed and made a high noise of objection.

"Ha! He definitely likes you more." He countered.

"But he doesn't listen to me. He thinks that what he's doing is protecting me; ever since I was little, he's told me that 'You have to protect the ones you love'; but he meant that he had to protect the ones he loved; he never thought that I need to protect the ones I love. When I hid, I was hiding from every life lesson he has ever taught me; everyone I love is at Hogwarts, and that's where I belong; not in hiding."

Severus smiled at the passion in her voice and he sighed resignedly. He didn't want to try and object to her suggestion, because that was what he had dreamed about happening; he had just always wanted her to come to the decision by her own devices.

"I'll send a message to him." He assured her and was instantly enveloped in a large hug that pinned him to the seat he was in.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"The things you do for family." He rolled his eyes as he sighed, but the affection in his voice was all Sam needed to hear.

"I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her on the cheek and she buried her face in his shoulder. "Now, go to bed; I'll send the message now." He patted her on the back and she moved off him, he took her hand in his as she moved away from him, keeping her near for a second before releasing it.

Sam moved towards the door, opening it, but she froze on the threshold turning back to the figure who was watching her with tender eyes.

"As far as I'm concerned, you are my father. I just thought that you deserved to know that."

Severus was shocked into silence and could only stare at her as she left the room with a small smile.

As soon as the door closed behind her, tears fell from his eyes.

He had waited up during most of the night for a reply from Albus. But he received nothing.

He felt his heart sink in despair, and tears danced in his eyes, it appeared that Sam wasn't the only emotional one around at the moment.

So he had quickly apparated to their small town house and collected her large suitcase, already packed for her hibernation, and brought it to Grimmauld Place; it felt as if the case were the weight that had settled on his heart, dragging it down and down.

It was when he had seen Sam's face, after he had told her that there was no reply from the Headmaster that he felt it. He felt his heart practically crack in two and he couldn't look at her anymore.

So he had stormed down to the abandoned lounge on the ground floor of the house and collapsed into a chair, body wracked with sobs, when a bright ball of light flew out of the fireplace and hung in the air before twisting and warping to become a Phoenix which flew to perch on the mantelpiece.

Severus held his breath and watched as the Phoenix opened its beak.

He felt as it he was dreaming when he heard those words.

"It looks as if Hogwarts is in need of a new Flying teacher and its own personal member of security. Tell Professor Harlow to collect her possessions; she is coming to Hogwarts."

Then it disappeared into thin air, but its words still ran around Severus' head until he felt his legs could hold him up and he wrenched Sam's suitcase from the floor and ran to the kitchen to tell Sam the news; a huge grin on his face.

"I can't believe it!" She exclaimed as she hugged Severus tighter still. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you." She whispered just to him.

"Professor?" George asked incredulously with wide eyes. Everyone in the room was gaping as they heard Snape speak.

Sam pulled back from Severus and they exchanged a look.

She screeched again and jumped down from Severus' arms; she grabbed her suitcase and lugged it without a word to the nearest empty room.

Severus was left standing in her wake with a proud and beyond excited expression. He seemed to be shaking from his joy and he turned to face the questioning gazes of those assembled.

"She's going to teach at Hogwarts?" Ginny asked animatedly, a grin spreading across her face that was matched by all of the teenagers at the table.

Severus tried to calm himself but ended up practically squealing.

"Yes!"

Exclamations of excitement and happiness broke out around the table.

Event though it had only been a few days, they had all grown quite attached to Sam in their own way.

She was like no seventeen-year-old they knew; she was extremely mother-like, as displayed when Ron had tripped on his own feet whilst going up the stairs and he had hit his head on the step. Molly had been out at the time, Severus was busy, Arthur was at work and Sirius…well Sirius didn't exactly match the description of person they needed, so Hermione had aptly pointed out that Sam was the closest thing to an adult they had at their disposal, much to the objection of Fred and George, who were trying to mend Ron's potential concussion by chanting in circles around him. So they had found her and she had willingly tended to Ron's slightly dented and bruised forehead as if he was her child, soothing him with her words and putting the phrase 'laughter is the best medicine' to good use. Ron felt his crush on her grow slightly after that incident.

But it was not only that; she was immensely funny and she never failed to make Ginny laugh, she even rivalled the humour and wit of the twins', who found her equally as funny as everyone else did. Not only did she make Ginny smile, but she was also a huge gossip and was willing to dish on all of the members of the Ministry who had shady backgrounds.

Hermione, whilst finding all of those qualities appealing, was fascinated to talk to her about more academic subjects, she was extremely happy that she had someone who was on her intellectual wavelength whilst still being able to talk to her about average things as well.

Harry had been most impressed by Sam's compassion, she seemed to understand him completely and they once sat down in the corner to talk; just talk about things. Harry had asked her if the questions ever stopped coming; the questions about their parents.

Harry never went a day without thinking:

What would my mother think?

What would my dad do?

What would I be like if they had raised me?

And Sam understood all of that. In fact, she had called him out on it before he had a chance to ask her.

He had never had someone be there for him like that before. In that aspect, he had become attached to her presence.

George appreciated how she was with Fred above everything; he had always expected that when Fred got a girlfriend he would feel left out or jealous. But it wasn't that way with Sam. George knew, without having to think too hard about it, that the reason was simply that Sam and Fred didn't feel the need to reassure the other of their affections; their emotions were expressed through their actions, small touches, tender smiles and the fact that they talked using their eyes; there were few 'I Love You's but when there were, George only smiled at the cuteness of it all; Fred looked so happy, and that made him happy in turn. Sam and Fred would sit, hands entwined and the three would talk, laugh and scheme as if they were the best of friends. It wasn't as weird as he expected it would be, in fact, aside for the stolen kisses and unmistakably loving glances, it was as if they were just friends, not a couple. Together, it didn't seem as if it were the couple and the twin; they were the friends. In fact, earlier the previous day, Fred had been knocked over by a war-cry-screaming George who was giving a hysterically laughing Sam a piggyback through the house.

But of course, Fred had been influenced by Sam's presence the most; that went without question.

Suddenly, there were footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Not a word!" Severus hissed to the group and they all nodded, knowing full well the reason behind his request.

Fred ran into the kitchen, fully dressed but still yawning as he attempted to tame his messy hair.

"Man I'm starving!" He said as he looked from attempted innocent expression to attempted innocent expression accusingly. "What's going on?" He asked warily, eyeing everyone and frowning as he saw that most of them were trying not to laugh. Severus however had put on his trademark blank expression. Funnily enough, that was what Fred was most curious about.

"Guys—AAAHHH!" He screamed in shock as someone jumped on him and they fell to the floor together, the other person just giggled even more hysterically and squealed like a little girl.

"Sam? What's going on?" He asked through his smile; Sam's laugh never failed to make him grin.

"You'll have to wait and see." She said teasingly as she pulled him to his feet.

Fred wanted to press her for answers but when he looked at her, his breath froze in his throat.

Another thing both of the teenage girls were able to talk to Sam about was fashion. Sam had an incredible fashion sense, even her pyjamas were somehow stylish…bunnies and all.

Now however, she was standing before him in a short, deep blue, long line tunic with a thin belt around her waist and thin black tights. On her feet, in place of her bunny socks she wore strappy black stilettos. Her hair was loosely curled and a section at the front had been swept over to the opposite side and was pinned there. Her eyes were lightly lined in black eyeliner and she wore black eye shadow, accentuating her crystal blue eyes.

But it was Sam's smile and the way her eyes were lit up in delight that made Fred loose his train of thought and made him feel as if the wind had been knocked from him.

Sam looked at Fred's smooth eyes and her happiness increased a million times over. She was going to be able to see him every day; no waiting for the summer, no inability to communicate with him, no worrying when the time will be right to go to him. No; there was going to be none of that; there may be some rules implied so that they were not permitted to publicly flaunt their relationship, but that was better than nothing at all.

Everything was finally falling into its right place.

YAY So Sam's going to be the flying teacher and the person in charge of security after the little mishap last year with the not-Moody...Moody :D

Okay i'm tired, so NIIIGGGGHHHTTT!

Please review!

Love you all

From Alicia

xxxx