Chapter 2: Meeting With The Apprentice

-August 30th, 1999-

Knock, Knock

"Coming!" I shouted to the person on the other side of the door. I had been sitting at the small table, trying to feed Matilda.

"Minerva, wasn't Ginny supposed to arrive tomorrow?" I asked, rather annoyed that she changed the date on me. I wasn't even out of pajamas!

"She got here a day early." Minerva answered.

"Her room isn't ready and neither am I. I will be out in five minutes." I said hurrying inside.

When I came out of my room I say Ginny playing with Matilda on the couch in the small living room. It had a black couch, two black chairs, and a small coffee table.

"Oh! Hi!" Ginny said when she noticed me watching her. A blush creeped into her cheeks. I went and sat next to her.

"All ways wanted a younger sibling." She murmured.

"I can relate to that." I said, "I was the youngest of 11 kids."

"Wow!" Ginny said.

"Well, we better drop her off with Poppy and get a move on."

"Madam Pomfrey babysits Matilda?"

"Yeah, she and Minerva are like grandmas to her."

We soon arrived at the hospital wing to drop off Matilda. After dropping Matilda off, I led Ginny to the office and classroom and started teaching her a few teaching tricks. I was teaching her a few things about the Dark Arts when I noticed her staring at my neck.

"Oh, um sorry. I didn't mean-" Ginny said as a blush came to her face.

"It's okay. Most people stare at first." I said before she could finish her sentence. It does hurt when people stare, but I've gotten used to it. People are constantly asking me 'why did you jump between Snape and Nagini?' or 'are you the person who jumped between Nagini and Snape?'

"How did you get them?" Ginny asked.

"I'm the lady who jumped between Snape and Nagini."

"That was you? Did you do it out of love?" Ginny said with a smirk.

"Step one at being an apprentice: don't annoy your mentor or they might 'accidently' teach you the wrong thing." I said returning the smirk.

"You wouldn't Professor Lechen!" Ginny said with mock horror on her face.

"I might, but please call me Samanthera, or Sam for short."

"Okay, Sam. When is dinner?"

"In a half hour."

"Will the other teachers be there?"

"Most of them arrive tomorrow."

"Who is still teaching?"

"Severus, Fillius, Hagrid, Sybil…" I named off all the teachers still teaching. Even that annoying ghost teacher what's-his-name was still teaching.

"Wow look at the time!" Ginny said, jumping to her feet. "It's time for dinner!"

"Did traveling make you hungry?" I asked, getting up from my chair.

"Yes." Ginny answered, blushing again.

"We do have to pick up Matil from Poppy, or Poppy might keep her!" I said.

While on our walk to get Matilda, Ginny suddenly interrupted the silence.

"Do you think the students will like us?" Ginny asked.

"Well, I was here two years ago as Amycus' apprentice, if you remember correctly."

"Everyone thought you were a death eater in training, though."

"They did? I was there so he wouldn't kill anyone of the students!" I exclaimed. I was protecting them and the students thought I was a death eater!

"Yeah, the ones that stayed for the battle realized your loyalties."

I sighed, but said, "I don't know if the students will like us. I'm not them."

The remaining day went by fast and before I knew it, Ginny and Matilda were fast asleep in their rooms. When we got back from dinner, we found that the house elves had made her room.

When you entered the quarters you'd be in the living room. To the right is the small kitchen/dining room. If you went past the kitchen area, there's a hallway leading two ways. To the right is my room, Matilda's room, and a bathroom. To the left is Ginny's room, her bathroom, and a door leading into the classroom. There was bookshelves scattered all over the small area. I looked around the small, nice little area I've called my home for the past year and a half before deciding to take a relaxing bath before calling it a night too.

I woke up to Matilda screaming. I got up out of the warm blankets and groggily walked through the door that led straight from my bedroom to hers. When I went up to the crib, Matilda gave me that 'I'm sorry I woke. I'm completely innocent' look.

"Don't try that cutesy look with me." I said softly, picking her up to go give her a bath. "I know who you really are!"

"Gagsxle giddoda!" Matilda yelled as I brought her to the bathroom. She hates baths more than anything else in the world, so when I turned on the water, she started thrashing about.

"You're really good at this bath thing." Ginny said as she walks in the small bathroom.

"You can try bathing Matilda if you want to." I said, standing up to perform a warming charm on myself so my soaked clothes would dry.

"Sure, but I might need your help." Ginny said as she kneeled by the small bathtub to start washing Matilda.

After about a half hour, Matilda was bathed, dressed, and ready to go. Ginny and I took turns getting dressed so Matilda wouldn't have to be left alone. I had decided last night to not have Minerva babysit Matilda. I wanted to spend this last day with her by my side before the school year started and she would be with a babysitter almost every day.

"Can we head to the Great Hall for breakfast?" asked Ginny as she came from her room to meet me at the couch. She was pulling her wet, red hair up into a ponytail. I brushed some of my short, black curls out of my face.

"Sure." I said grabbing my bag. "After breakfast Hagrid wants us to go to his hut for tea." I added as I opened up the door for the three of us.

"Did you make your own cookies for us?"

"Of course I did. They're in the bag." I said with a smirk.

About an hour later, Ginny, Matilda, and I arrived at Hagrid's hut. He saw us coming from his pumpkin batch and came over to us.

"Ello Ginny! Ello Professor Lechen! Is this little Matilda?" Hagrid said when we got closer. You could see his beetle-black eyes twinkling under his huge beard.

"I keep telling you: call me Sam. And yes, this is Matilda." I said as Hagrid took her in his arms. She immediately started playing with his beard, causing us all to laugh.

"She's a beauty Pro- Sam." Hagrid said. "Why don't you guys come inside? I got tea boilin'."

"Oh, we brought cookies for you." Ginny said as we walked inside the small hut.

"Thanks o' lot Hagrid said as he took the box of cookies from Ginny's hand. He fumbled around the hut looking for a plate.

"Acio clean plate." I said and a clean plate flew into my hands, which I handed to Hagrid.

"Thanks Sam! You'll have to teach me that me that spell someday. Did o' here I got me magic privileges back, Ginny?" he said as he put the cookies on the plate, the tea in the three mugs, handed us each a mug, and sat down.

"Sam and I would be happy to teach you Hagrid! Consider it paying you back for the wonderful lessons you always gave me." Ginny said enthusiastically.

"I do have to thank o' again Sam for helping me in the court room." Hagrid said turning to me. Ginny, Matilda, and I sat on his couch, while Hagrid sat in his chair.

"You helped him out in the court room?" Ginny said, also turning to me.

"Yeah." I said. "Two years ago, I had a little contact with Hagrid and when I heard about him not being able to do magic, I promised him that after the war I'd help get him his magic privileges back." I blushed a little at their stares.

After having tea with Hagrid, I showed Ginny and Matilda the other teachers. They cooed over Matilda and talked to Ginny as an adult instead of their student. The rest of the day flew by and I was soon putting Matilda to bed. I kissed her goodnight and laid her in her crib. I then headed to my room. Tomorrow, my baby girl, Ginny, and I will be introduced to the world, and I don't care what they think of Matilda, me or Ginny.