Incendio

Chapter 15: The Strategy Meeting

"I shouldn't have agreed to this." Samantha shook her head looking at herself in the mirror. She couldn't decide on anything. Her sweater had changed colors and style so many times she worried it was broken.

"Why not?" Ginny asked, sitting on Samantha's bed.

"I've gotta catch up on homework before the break." Samantha tried making an excuse.

"I thought you were caught up on homework." Hermione commented from her bed as she knitted hats for house elves. "Also, your paper about the many uses of the silencing charm is actually very good. I assumed it would be, writing is truly your forte."

Samantha regretted letting Hermione check her homework. "You used to be on my side Hermione."

"I was just telling the truth." Hermione shrugged, but smirked a little. 

"Breathe." Ginny said standing up and putting her hands on Samantha's shoulders. "If I can be brave enough to try out for the Quidditch team today, you can go on a not date with Lee."

Instead of going to Hogsmead, Ginny was trying out to take Harry's place as seeker on the Gryffindor team. After the previous match, Harry and George Weasley had attacked Draco Malfoy for making fun of their families. Umbridge then had banned them, and Fred for some reason, from playing Quidditch.

"You're right." Samantha nodded and her sweater finally changed to a soft maroon with gold trim. "I can do this."

She and Hermione joined the rest of the group going to the Hogsmead visit. She was going with Ron and Harry of course.

Fred and George looked slightly confused when Lee informed them that he had plans for the trip today. They looked less confused when they noticed he was walking with Samantha.

On their way to Three Broomsticks, she spent the whole time relaying what had actually happened with the Gazette.

He laughed a little when she finished and they entered the pub.

"I thought Fred, George and I would have done the most damage. Except, you wrote an entire smear piece against her." He chuckled. "Admit it, you hate her."

Samantha laughed, "I certainly don't like her. I also wouldn't want to get detention with her."

They sat across from each other at a table near the front. She noticed several of her classmates on dates around her, there were even a few hidden away at tables near the back, fully snogging, and she decided she was not that kind of person. Samantha looked away uncomfortably at all of the Christmas decorations. She didn't think she'd ever be that kind of person. She really wasn't sure what kind of a person she was.

"For the record, this still isn't a date." She announced, deciding it made her less nervous.

It was his turn to laugh as the waitress placed the butter beers before them.

"Of course not. I told you, it's a strategy meeting." Lee chuckled.

"I feel like I'm in enough trouble with her."

He winked. "Never."

She took a sip of her butter beer and tried ignoring the butterflies she felt in her stomach. The butterflies were harshly quenched when she looked out the window. Her brother and several other Slytherin students from her year were walking with people Samantha didn't know. They were older and certainly not students. Her brother had his arm around a woman who's face was slightly marred by a cloak. Samantha could see long red hair, but nothing else. She worried they would come into the three broomsticks. She for one didn't care what business her brother was up to, but she also didn't want him in her's. She still hadn't forgotten the debacle where he had told everyone not to ask her to the Yule Ball. She breathed a sigh of relief when they continued walking.