Samantha's time unfortunately continued to be a stressful blur. Samantha was writing about everything of interest, training the new Gazette members, printing layouts nearly every other day. There seemed to always be something to report on this year and the paper had continued at a high rotation. In mid-October after Katie Bell had been cursed on a visit to Hogsmead, Samantha quickly changed her front page article to describe the attack.

Her article about Slughorn wasn't anything particularly groundbreaking, but it was honest and simple. At first Samantha worried he would be insulted by her honesty, but instead she was invited to several more Slug Club parties with high praise. She suspected it also had something to do with the fact she'd had her article detailing the attack in Diagon Alley published in the Quibbler.

She continued to attended every Slug Club party she was invited to. Ginny wasn't able to attend any more of them seeing how they were conveniently scheduled the same night as Quidditch. Instead it was often only Hermione as a friendly respite at these events.

She and Hermione spent a fair amount of time together before and after these events, attempting to keep up with their homework together. It wasn't so much friendly as it was productive, but at least her grades were steady.

An odd place of anxiety freeness came from her Saturday mornings down at the greenhouse with Neville. No romance, no high pressure homework, no deadlines, just basic Herbology and friendly conversation. She'd improved, she hadn't killed anything in a long time and although she realized she wouldn't be top of the class, she would at least pass.

The morning of the first Quidditch match, they both chose to take their breakfast down at the greenhouses so they could finish before the game.

She grabbed a few breakfast pasties and began to leave the castle. Her brother was outside the doors pacing back and forth. Adrian Pucey was leaning against the castle wall, but stood a little straighter when Samantha greeted them. Warrington was sitting on the ground and was shaking his head. They all looked flustered.

"What's the matter Jack?" Samantha asked stopping.

"Malfoy is sick and Vaisey can't play because he took a bludger to the head last night during practice." Her brother looked frustrated. "Montague is furious and we barely have a team. He's been running drills with us and the back up team for hours."

"Not that you care." Warrington interjected harshly at Samantha. "It'll be a precious win for you slags over at Gryffindor."

"I'd rather they win off of talent alone, not by default." Samantha grimaced at Warrington.

Adrian rolled his eyes before calling Malfoy a vile term, "I bet he's playing sick."

"You know he's got a lot going on right now." Her brother gave them a terrifying look and they both receded. Samantha assumed it had something to do with Malfoy's dad being sent to Askaban for being a Death Eater.

"Sorry about it all." Samantha genuinely expressed. "I'm sure you gentleman can still play an excellent game."

"Thanks Fyre." Adrian responded with an approving upturned nod. His eyes began tracing her. He wasn't a bad looking fellow with his sandy hair, light brown eyes, tan skin, it was his personality that bothered Samantha.

Her brother looked uncomfortable with how Adrian was looking at her, before proceeding to hit him in the stomach.

"Well, I'm off to the Greenhouses." Samantha nodded and practically ran down to the Greenhouses to meet Neville. She'd be safe from anyone looking at her like that.

Neville said she was probably ready to start on Venomous Tentacula. Samantha was nervous, but more confident than she had been earlier in the term.

"Ok, stay focused, but don't get nervous. They can tell when you fear them." Neville instructed.

She still hadn't got new gloves in but she'd managed to use hair ties to keep them from slipping off.

"How do I make them think I'm not nervous?" Samantha asked wrinkling up her face.

"It is odd to see you scared of anything Sam."

Samantha raised her eyebrows, "I'm scared of plenty."

He shrugged. "Well, distract your mind or something. Like when you make a Patronus"

"I've only done that twice." Samantha admitted getting closer to the plant with her hand.

"Ok, are you applying to work at the Daily Prophet after school?" Neville asked.

"Why?" Samantha asked.

"I'm trying to distract you."

"Oh, well, yes I want to. I need my grades and work to be perfect though. I worry Umbridge ruined my reputation." Samantha admitted as she came closer to the Tentacula with her shears.

"That'd be a shame if she had." Neville admitted, his face turning south.

"What about you?" Samantha asked, "What are you doing after school?"

"Not a clue." He shook his head, "Didn't have the grades to do what I originally wanted to do."

"Oh, I'm sorry Neville." Samantha grabbed the Tentacula softly. It started to coil onto her hand so she pulled back.

"Professor Sprout and Professor McGonagall think I should do something in the Herbology profession."

"You'd be amazing at it."

"Gran wouldn't like it." He looked down and there was an awkward silence.

"My mum's family didn't want her to become an artist. They wanted her to marry some rich pureblood man who would help continue the underground Augury breeding." Samantha said before reaching back to the Tentacula.

"I've seen your mum's shop, Gran loves her hats." Neville mentioned before reminding her, "Be careful."

Samantha nodded and pulled back as a stem of the Venomous Tentacula started coiling around her fingers again.

"She stole a few Augury birds and went to America to paint landscapes her first year after Hogwarts. That's where she met my dad." Samantha smiled, realizing she rarely told her parent's story. She reached in again towards the plant.

"My parents met here, at Hogwarts, I mean." Neville explained.

Samantha had never even heard Neville mention his parents before. "Childhood sweethearts?"

He laughed. "Something like that anyway. Dad was apparently oblivious to mum's fancy. He was shocked when he found out during their last year here. They started going steady right before Auror training."

"That's cute." Samantha commented and continued her work. Samantha had only recently learned about his parents and what had happened to them. "I heard they were pretty amazing Aurors."

He smiled but looked almost forlorn, "They were."

"I don't think I could be an Auror."

He laughed, his expression lightening up, "You'd rather write about them?"

"Yes," Samantha nodded. "Actually that reminds me, I have an interview with the Aurors who are guarding the castle tonight."

"I wouldn't doubt if you keep working as hard as you do, that you would be editor of the Daily Prophet before you turn thirty." Neville insisted.

"Thats a decent goal." Samantha agreed. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like it was more genuine coming from Neville. He had no motivations to lie to her about her skills. "I doubt it, but I could try."

"If anyone at Hogwarts could do it, it'd be you."

She smiled again and realized she'd successfully extracted a leaf. "I did it!"

"Good, now, you might want to get away from that it." Neville said after she handed the leaf to him He pushed the pot away. "I think you are allergic."

"What?" Samantha asked looking around.

"You've turned red." Neville observed and Samantha backed up.

"I haven't seen you turn that red since Lee was still around." Neville said and his eyes dropped slightly as he said it.

"Do you think I should go and see Madame Pomfrey?" Samantha asked touching her face praying there were no bumps.

"You'd miss the Quidditch game if you did." Neville insisted before handing her a wet cloth. "And you have the recap to write, Ginny certainly can't and I expect Luna might forget she's writing about the game."

"You could write it." Samantha dabbed the cloth against her face. "You've gotten loads better."

He scratched the back of his head. "Never thought I'd hear you say that."

"Well you have. That article you and Ginny wrote was really good. Then that piece you wrote about subspecies of Mandrakes being found in West Africa was also really good." Samantha said dabbing off her face. "I mean you write more like a teacher than a journalist, but it's readable."

A large cheer came from the direction of the stadium. 

"You are right though. I don't want to miss the game, let's not be late. I have a pretty good feeling Slytherin is about to get creamed." Samantha joked before throwing off her apron and gloves before dragging Neville behind her.

Her face eventually became its' normal freckled and pallid shade in the cool November air.

Samantha's prediction was correct. Slytherin hadn't stood a chance. There was a big party in the Gryffindor common room afterwards. Samantha started to join in the festivities. She had a few Butterbeers and of course cheered with everyone else. She then became rather shaken by the disturbing image of Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown fully wrapped up with each other in full view for everyone to see. The whole room was full of sweaty and yelling people and Samantha was beginning to feel dizzy.

Following this full display, the radio was turned onto WWN for the evening's YWW&W broadcast and Lee's voice came blasting over the radio. He was apparently taking over for the evening.

"And to my Gryffindor house, congratulations on a well won Quidditch game today."

She smiled, but surrounded by the chaos of everything she had never been more grateful to have an interview in a bit. She grabbed her cloak and began walking towards the portrait hole. She wound through the castle and out to the grounds where the Aurors that McGonagall had arranged for Samantha to meet with, were supposed to be.

She stood in the moonlight for a bit, wondering where they might be. She was becoming slightly uncomfortable, seeing as it was late. She fidgeted for a bit before sitting down and finishing her article about the Quidditch match. It was becoming later and later. She decided it wasn't safe to wait any longer. She was exhausted, had a deadline the next day and still needed time to go over her Ancient Runes essay that was due Monday.

She headed back inside the castle, her feet making little clip, clop, noises on the stones. She was exhausted and all she could think about was her Ancient Runes essay.

She rounded a corner by a large window where she was met by another student who was definitely out of bed. It looked like Adrian Pucey, he was looking out the window before aggressively turning back around.

"Hey there, Fyre." He leaned against the window and smiled.

"Hey Pucey." Samantha acknowledged with a nod and wave.

"What are you doing out so late?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Starting up your old troublemaking days?"

Samantha crossed her arms, "If one of us is up to no good, it isn't me." 

"Come on Fyre," He leaned further down the windowsill, keeping her from looking out of it. "You were so nice earlier, why don't we forget the seething pleasantries and answer why we are both here?"

"I was trying to get an interview with the Aurors, but they stood me up." Samantha admitted.

"Did they?"

"Yes, I'm sure they had a good reason" Samantha started, "So, why are you out here?"

He stood off of the window and got closer to her, he leaned down to her level. "Like you said, I'm up to no good."

"Oh well, I'll leave you to it." Samantha said before going to step past him.

"Fyre, I was wondering-and don't mention this to your brother- if you'd like to spend some quality time together?" He stepped in front of her and his eyes began tracing her again. "I heard you are quite the heartbreaker."

Samantha rolled her eyes, "I'm flattered, but no thank you."

"You are quite sure?" He asked as she began walking away.

"Quite sure." Samantha insisted as she continued back to the dorm room.

She glimpsed out the window and saw briefly what Pucey had been trying to keep her from seeing. Her brother and Warrington were out on the lawn, being talked at by someone who Samantha presumed to be a set of Aurors and Professor McGonagall. They had their heads lowered and looked utterly guilty of something.

Samantha uttered an unnatural swear word. She turned back towards Pucey, "What the blazes is going on out there?"

"They were sneaking out of the castle." Pucey admitted, he looked out at them. "That bloody depressed Auror caught them."

"And you were look out?" Samantha could feel her blood boil. "It's dangerous right now. They shouldn't be leaving the castle."

"Dangerous for who? Not us." Pucey raised his eyebrows coming closer to her again. "It's just a bit of fun Fyre. Something you and I could very well be having."

Samantha was pretty sure the exhaustion had kicked in when she slapped him. She slapped him directly across the face and he was too shocked to react initially. She ran away, wand in her hand and ready to nonverbally jinx Pucey if he followed her.