A Little Late

Landon was later than usual for dinner. He had been practicing some of the spells he learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts in an empty classroom and lost track of the time. Of course, dinner was still being served, but only with a few minutes to spare. He dashed towards the Great Hall, actually bumping into a few students on the way, but the boy was on a mission. His stomach was grumbling as soon as he saw the massive doorway leading to the Great Hall.

He sat down in his usual seat, but unlike other times he had been there, his entire table was nearly empty. He was fine with that. He wasn't exactly conversational when he was eating - the boy liked to eat. After stacking his plate full of delicious food, he began munching on them as though he was a starving child in a third world country.

Sammy had been sitting at the Hufflepuff table as she ate her food. She watched the students pile into the room and then watched them eat and watched them leave. One of them caught her eye. She watched him enter quickly and sit at the Slytherin table. She could tell that he was late with out having to look at a clock the boy was eatting sloppily. She rolled her eyes and then looked back at her food pushing it around.

Landon wasn't necessarily the most observant of people but he did notice on particular Hufflepuff shoot him an eye roll. He wasn't exactly sure what he had done to deserve such a reaction but he felt compelled to speak to her. He soon recognized her as his cousin's, Sophia's, best friend. Ah, Samantha. He had never really spoken to her but he'd heard about her from Sophia. She was married form what he had heard and that was a little unusual. She was fourteen for crying out loud. Picking up his plate he joined her at the Hufflepuff table, which was an unusual act to say the least. He sat down opposite of her and flashed her a grin, "I saw that dirty look you just shot me," he commented playfully before shoving a forkful of food into his mouth."May I inquire as to why?"

Sammy was a little taken back by the fact that the boy she saw walk-in came over and sat in front of her. But she wasn't afraid of him, for heavens sake she defeated DE's, I think she could take him. But she wasn't going to jump to conclustions just yet. "Well you ran in here like your pants where on fire and then started rushing down food. And all because of what, you came in late. You should have the manners to eat without making a mess even if you are late. You don't understand how hard it is for the house elves around here to have to clean up after us every night." She said to him knowing that his oppinion of her was the least of her worries.

Landon listened to her opinion with a raised eyebrow. So he was eating like some raged animal was he? He picked up a small portion of food with his fork, eating it like a dignified human being, and shot her a grin. "Aw, c'mon, I can eat just like everyone else," he teased. He thought it was a little presumptuous of her to think she knew him before she had ever spoken to him. "And just so you know, I wasn't eating like that because I was late. I was eating like that because I was starving," he pointed out to her, before taking another bite out of his food. "So I hear you're one of Sophia's good friends?" he asked pleasantly. He wondered if Samantha had any idea that Sophia was his cousin.

Sammy frowned at him as she watched him eating normally. Obviously he was making fun of what she had just said. But she didn't care. She looked back down at her plate. But then raised her head quickly as she heard him mention Sophia's name. "Yes I am, but how....did you know that?" She asked him trying to rack her mind thinking of when she told him about sophia and how he would know about her being friends with her. Sammy couldn't remember seeing him in the hallways when her and Sophia walked together to classes.

Landon couldn't help but smile at her confusion. Although he was a little peeved that Sophia had never mentioned him to her before. They weren't only cousins but pretty close friends. He tried to ignore that for now. "You didn't know?" he asked Sam, looking at her quizzically. "Sophia's my cousin," he stated quite simply. He couldn't help but egg Samantha on a little, "She's told me all about you. I'm surprised she's never mentioned me," he commented with a chuckle. Feeling as though he was being rather rude he extended his hand towards her, "I'm Landon, Landon Rooney."

Sammy was in shock, she couldn't believe that Sophia had never told her about her having a cousin that when here. But she would yell at Sophia later for that. "Oh really, sorry but she hasn't said anything to me about her having a cousin that went here. I'm Samantha, Samantha Emof!" She said to him shaking his hand. "So what has Sophia told you about me?" Sammy asked him hoping that it was all good.

He could tell he had caught Samantha offguard. Damn Sophia for never mentioning him. He'd get on her for that one. "Well, her not mentioning me is no fault of yours. No need to apologize, but its great to officially meet you," he ended with a charming smile, shaking her hand as his father had always taught him to. He toyed with the idea of not giving Samantha any information about what Sophia had told him but Sam seemed like a nice girl. He wouldn't mess with her like that. "Oh, you know, just the topics of interest. For one, I know that you're married and have children," he commented offhandedly. Though he had to admit that he was curious how she handled all of those responsibilities on top of going to school. He looked at her with a look of awe and respect, "How do you do it all?"

Sammy blushed as she heard that he knew that she was married and had children. Then she looked up in wonderment as she heard him ask how she could manage it all. "Well it's been really hard, expecially lately, but it really helps to have friends like Sophia, and live in a mansion with lots of butlers and what not. But thats only because Ne'os's father left it to him. With Ne'os going in and out of Azkaban and with all the civial wars that go on around here, you wouldn't believe that I have been able to manage at all." Sammy said to him with a smile and a blush again. It felt odd talking about Sophia and Ne'os with him, she bearly knew him. "But tell me about you. Sophia will get yelled at later for not saying anything." Sammy said to him with a little giggle that sounded like chimes due to her vampireism.