s. t. b.

basic training | ant & sam

“Oh, brother.” Sam mumbled under his breath upon realizing that he had been partnered up with Antonin Dolohov of all people. That couldn’t be fair at all! He was only fifteen, for Merlin’s sake. He hadn’t even taken his O.W.L’s! Yet they wanted to pair him with a seventh year? And not just any seventh year, but the Head Boy! And of course it had to be the very same Head Boy who had stolen the title right from under his brother’s nose. With one more frustrated noise, Sam hesitantly stepped out of the crowd of his fellow classmates, right into the view of Antonin. 

Studying Defense: Alice and Sam

Defense Against the Dark Arts was not Samuel’s worst subject-- that title belonged to Transfiguration. But he certainly was not top of his class, and if he ever planned on telling his parents about dropping some of his classes, then he needed to make sure his other grades were as good as they could be. Alice Fortescue had offered to tutor him, and while he didn’t exactly know her actual grades, he considered her to be very intelligent, and considered himself lucky to be tutored by her. Thankfully, Alice was as kind as she was smart, which was why he wasn’t too too worried when he showed up to their study session late. He’d stumbled into Edgar on the way and had been caught in another one of his lectures. Finally, he’d managed to escape after promising that he would study very hard tonight.

Regulus continues to frown at the creature (who, for all intents and purposes, seems delighted by Sam’s attention) during the display, wanting to take it off Sam and play with it for himself. But instead, he crosses his arms. “Grandpa? Fine. But why is it funny?”

“No specific reason,” Sam murmured, happily rubbing his cheek against the soft fur of the baby niffler. He turned his head and looked back up at Regulus, “I just think the idea of a pet named Grandpa is funny. Especially a niffler. Aren’t they just odd little creatures?” He asked, lifting the animal up so Regulus could see it better.

“Yes. Now seems to be a good time to go.” She nods in agreement when he suggests that it is a good time to leave. She glances at his extended hand only momentarily before taking it, and alighting from the bench. It does not seem so unusual to her that he would make such a gesture, and in fact, she just sees it as the gentlemanly thing. She smiles at him, and doesn’t quite seem to remember to let go of his hand. “Lead the way. Even though we are both lost, I do believe your sense of direction must be better than mine.”

Sam could not help but to be proud of himself when she didn’t let go of his hand. It wasn’t very often that he took a risk whenever it came to girls, and it was even less often that the risk paid off. But still, her hand was in his, and he was quite proud, thank you very much! He cleared his throat, quite glad that his mask was there, for it wasn’t, she would surely be able to see the flash of triumph that flashed across his face. “Well, I don’t want to get your hopes up, I did get lost too. But I’ve spent a pretty good amount of time back here so perhaps we’ll stumble somewhere I’ve already been!” He said hopefully, scanning over the various exits back into the Enchanted Forest. He focused on one, right in the middle of two rather large trees and decided that one seemed the most familiar. He motioned to the clearing and then looked at the girl, “How about here? I think I came through this way earlier. IT’s worth a shot, anyways.”

Yes! Knew you wouldn’t let me down, mate!” [Sirius all but cheered, pumping a fist in the air and then charging a path over to the refreshments table, lifting up both of the bottles he’d mentioned earlier and starting to pour them out into a series of shot glasses] God, mate–– mate, you have no idea. They’re the worst. They all have themes–– the only theme of tonight is…get fucked and don’t wear ties. S’quite a beautiful one from what I can tell. We might get too loose sometimes, sure, but–– who’s to say that can’t be a good thing? Rather be too fun than have a stick up my arse.

Couldn’t think of a better party theme myself! [ He laughed and glanced around the party, surprised by the amount of people that were already drunk. Was it normal for everyone to get this plastered this early? If so, he ought to catch up to them! When Sirius finished pouring the shots, he took one from the table ] Too fun is much much better than no fun at all, if you ask me. Besides-- when people talk about this party in class after the weekend I bet all of the Slytherins will be jealous they weren’t able to come. [ Sam glanced back down at the shot in his hand and then back up at Sirius. He lifted it a bit hesitantly, not entirely sure what Sirius’s protocol was whenever it came to shots ] Cheers, then?

“I have never done that.” Not only did Narcissa not often discuss what was bothering her with others, but no one in the Black Family ever really broached such topics. The closest they usually got was comments that skirted about the topic, that might be pieced together to create a more complete picture. Because if something was bothersome, then that meant that it was likely affecting one emotionally, and emotions were something the Family tended to prefer to pretend that they did not have.

“Well, perhaps you ought to try more,” Sam said, a bit more since she had been the one to start this conversation. He smiled again, “I like to think that I’m a pretty good bloke to vent too, so if you ever need to get something off of your chest, I’m always here. I’m good at keeping secrets, as well.” He added, though she probably knew that, what with his silence about spending the end of his Halloween night with her. He turned his body a bit to face Narcissa, propping his chin on his elbow. As she spoke, he couldn’t help but be surprised that the source of her anger was James Potter and Cecelia Flint, both two good friends of his. He didn’t say anything, though, because he was sure that she had her reasons, and he very much wanted to figure out what those were.

Yeah? Settle down, Hufflepuff, there’s a long way to go before I trust you on the criteria of a good team. [she nods happily, and not in a condescending way, either–– she’s genuinely proud of her dad and considers him her best friend in the world, so it’s no wonder that she’s up for talking about him when he’s brought into conversation] He was, yeah. School Quidditch captain, Arrow, now Vice Head of the DOMGAS at the Ministry. It’s been our whole lives. [she nods sagely instead of saying thank you because yes, she knows she’s good at Quidditch. In fact, it’s the thing she knows she’s best at, so while someone else might have waved a hand and said ‘oh stop it you’re too kind!’ Emma merely nodded to indicate that he was correct] He’s been training me since I was two. It’s more hard work than blood, but I’m sure it didn’t hurt, either.

Understandable. [ Sam’s smile widened as he listened to Emma talk more about her father. His interest was entirely sincere and he was happy to listen to everything that she had to say on the matter ] That’s really cool. My family works in the Ministry as well. Nowhere near as interesting as the DOMGAS, though. [ He adjusted his position on the floor, pausing for a moment to make sure there was nothing interesting happening in the game. When he was sure that they weren’t missing anything, he returns his attention back to Emma ] I bet you grew up meeting all sorts of Quidditch legends, huh?

Lucinda no longer wanted to be a part of this conversation. Honestly, she’d lost interest when she realized the boy had no information about Benjy Fenwick’s attack, but the further into the topic of quidditch they got, the more uncomfortable she became. She maintained a serene and politely engaged exterior, however, and decided to at least try to make the best of the situation. “So, you’re most confident in your defense, hm?” Lucinda raised an eyebrow, not betraying how carefully she paying attention to his reaction to the question. 

Sam was not a very observant person, so if Lucinda were to be having any misgivings about their conversation, he was none the wiser. Sam just enjoyed talking about Quidditch, and in his mind there was no better person to talk to about that than one of the team captains. At her question, he couldn’t help but to smile. “I’m confident in all parts of the team. My teammates work hard, every one of them.” He paused for a moment, his smile dissolving into a laugh, “Even Davey worked hard before he decided to go and crash into the Whomping Willow.” Sam shook his head, taking another moment to marvel at his friend’s recklessness.

[As James ended the song with a dramatic flourish - you had to give a memorable finale, after all - the crowd of second years applauded enthusiastically as the door seemed satisfied to open and let them gain passage. James grinned happily, clapping Sam on the back as he complimented him] “Cheers, Bonesy. If the Quiddich career doesn’t pan out, I’ll look into it. Give that Lorcan D’Eath a run for his money, eh?” [He laughed boisterously] “So! Are you on the way to class?”

Just finished, actually. [ Sam smiled happily, quite happy to be around James. Like Sirius, James was one of those blokes who was always making those around them laugh, and that was a quality that Sam admired. Sure, he was nice and kind, but he wasn’t quite funny in the way that James Potter seemed to be funny. It was part of the reason why Sam looked up to him so much ] What about you? Are you singing to the portrait for fun or because you’ve got somewhere to be?

She smiles and shakes her head, knowing full well that she would probably be disappointed, but not prepared to actually announce as much out loud. “I suppose it does not really matter, either way. If I cannot find my way out in the next half hour you will know who I am.” And so would everyone else that she had danced with. The thought gives her an idea. “How about, if you can help me out of here, then I will let you know who I am - even if it is not midnight? That way we both win.”

Sam smiled, “That sounds like a good plan.” He glanced around, looking at the various trees and the different paths that led off from them. He looked back at the mystery girl next to him and then pushed himself up from the bench. “Now seems like as good of a time as any to find a way out of here, don’t you think?” He paused for a moment, wondering if he should perhaps offer her his hand. Would she even take it? Things seemed to be going well enough between the two of them so should he take the risk? He wasn’t a huge risk taker, especially whenever it came to girls. But the mask on his face made him feel brave, far more brave than he did normally, so perhaps he ought to? 

It likely would have come as a surprise to many, including Sam, to learn that Care of Magical Creatures was also Regulus’ favourite subject. It was not something that he often revealed - Black’s were supposed to excel at the more serious magics, after all: charms, transfiguration, and potions. But he had never been much good at any of those, or at least, not the theory components. But he had an affinity for animals, and was genuinely interested in learning about them.

“A few months is a long time to have a little creature without giving it a name, don’t you think?” Said Sam as he brought the furry animal closer to his face. The niffler wiggled between his fingers and the creature’s long snout tapped against Sam’s chin. Sam chuckled and turned the niffler around, examining it’s body and fur. “You have any name ideas in specific?” Sam questioned, glancing from the animal and back up to Regulus, “Because if you weren’t, would you be cool with naming it Grandpa? I’ve always wanted to name a pet that. I think it’s funny.”

“No. I do not want to talk about it.” Her tone was perhaps a little more clipped than she had intended in response to his no doubt well-meaning question. If there was something that she had discovered about Sam, it was that he always seemed to be well-meaning. What she wanted was for James Potter and Cecilia Flint to take a tumble from the Astronomy Tower, but she did not think it was something that was actually said out loud in polite company. She would save it for Simone later. But she was a Black, and if there was one thing the Blacks were particularly good at, it was not talking about things that bothered them. 

“Well, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Sam responded gently, smiling softly in her direction. “I just know that whenever I’m bothered by something it always helps to sit down and talk about it. I just thought that I would throw the offer out there.” Once he finished speaking, Sam ducked his head and looked at the blank piece of parchment in front of him, thinking to himself. He was about to ask what she thought that they should say for their first sentence when she spoke up first. He lifted his eyebrows, surprised by her sudden change of heart. Nonetheless, he put his full interest on her, turning his body a bit so he could better face her.

What sort of fan did you take me for, then? [she asked, looking over at him. her expression was unamused, but jokingly so–– she knew they weren’t the best team in the league, but she’d been a fan of the team from the literal womb, and she wasn’t going to uproot that years later based on a handful of seasons] I’ve always been an Arrows fan. My dad was an Arrow and they’ve been the family favorite for eight or nine generations now. And my taste is perfect, so what does that say about your assumptions? This is going to be our season. [a small pause] And the fact that I say that every season has no bearing. Alright?

I don’t know, exactly, but certainly a better team than Appleby. [ Sam was teasing, of course. He didn’t exactly have anything against the Arrows, they just happened to be one of those teams he didn’t really care about. Besides-- they hadn’t exactly had a good season in quite awhile so that didn’t help his lack of interest in their players ] Wait... your dad was an Arrow? [ Immediately, Sam perked up in interest. It was always exciting to hear about an actual Professional Quidditch player, even if it was for a team he didn’t root for. Professional Quidditch was something Sam had always dreamed of playing. Of course, it was a mostly unobtainable profession, but he could not help but to dream. He’d met quite a few players in his lifetime, but he’d never had a friend who had one for a dad. How cool! His father was just a boring Ministry employee. Nothing exciting about that ] That’s wicked! I didn’t know that. No wonder you’re so good at Quidditch. It’s practically in your blood!

“I would rather be happy and not know.” She nods once to emphasise her point, before silently agreeing to drop it. 

“My disappointment?” Sam said, raising his eyebrows. Sam was not usually disappointed to see anyone, let alone the identity of a very beautiful girl. He shook his head, musing over how silly this girl was for thinking such an idea. He smiled, “I wouldn’t be disappointed, no matter who you are. I can promise that. -- Honestly, you’re more likely to be disappointed by discovering me. But don’t worry, I can handle that.”

When I am more sober, I have absolutely no doubt that I will know precisely who this Reginald is. But for now, I am quite drunk and quite hard-pressed to even remember having ever attended a breakfast in my entire lifetime. [Sirius grinned as Sam took him up on the invitation, and even wider as he wondered aloud about the presence of his siblings] Not sure, actually! I feel like I would have seen Amelia though, if she were here–– would have already gotten a lecture about behaving myself and since it’s my day, I feel like she would have come for me first. My bet is you’re in the clear. [he nodded his head over in the direction of the nearby drinks table] Whiskey or tequila? Nevermind–– we’ll do both.

[ Sam laughed, shaking his head. Sirius was always quite funny but he was even more so when he was drunk. When Sirius reassured him that he didn’t have any nosy older brothers or sisters lurking about, he relaxed a bit, a bit more eager now to put some alcohol in his system. He was quite new to drinking-- he’d only gotten drunk for the first time ever last year and he had only barely started attending parties this year, so the drunken theatrics were all very new and exciting for him ] -- Both sound great!

The Nifflers | Sam & Reg

Besides Sirius, Regulus Black was the most familiar member of the Black family to Sam, simply because they were in the same year as well as being on rival Quidditch teams. Both seekers, as well, which meant they were often in direct competition with one another. Despite that, Sam didn’t really have anything against Regulus. They’d never really spoken more than exchanging pleasantries or trash talk during matches. Sam had no reason to dislike him, which was why he didn’t mind being paired up with him for their Care of MAgical Creatures assignment. This was the one class that Sam genuinely excelled in. There was something he loved about working with animals that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

[She assessed him for a moment recognizing the yellow tie she against her likely better judgment waved him in, misting bottle still in hand. Hufflepuffs were hardly the most annoying of company, or at least most Hufflepuffs were. She had not seen him in any of her classes and she could only assume that he was younger and she wasn’t one to stand in the way of someone looking to simply finish their homework] You may stay so long as you do not shout or break anything. 

Oh-- you don’t have to worry about that. I don’t make a habit of shouting, especially in the Greenhouse. I wouldn’t want to wake up the Mandrakes or anything. [ Sam took a step towards one of the tables, scanning his eyes over the various plants in search of the one that he was studying. While doing so, he glanced at Andromeda ] -- You’re Narcissa’s older sister, right? Andromeda? We, uh, are Potions partners so I’ve talked to her a bit.