It's Not All Fun and Games

AlwaysPadfoot

Prompts: Drama/Withdrawn/"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light."- Aristotle Onassis.

AN: So this is for Liza, who said she shipped these two beofre I'd even considered them being together, enjoy :)

I was seventeen when I first had a conversation with Hayley Kwikles, although now looking back at it, I wish it had never happened the way it did...

James and I had been serving separate detentions ever since third year. It surprised us that McGonagall hadn't figured it out sooner. Remus said we might have gotten away with it longer if we hadn't turned the trophy room into an ice rink and severely pissed off the then caretaker Apollyon Pringle. He quit the next day, a fine achievement, and one the Marauders and I were still proud of to this very day. Pringle had been a horrible man. Filch was no better, but we were smarter this time to not anger the caretaker so much.

Anyway the point was that I was just finishing up in detention with Slughorn.

James had drawn the short straw and was serving detention with McGonagall, who was probably making him do something really boring and lecturing him about how he was supposed to be more responsible now he was Head Boy. For some reason it was very easy to twist Slughorn around your little finger and that was why after two hours of doodling I'd now convinced him to let me leave earlier than usual.

"Okay, Mr Black, you may leave," Slughorn said, "I expect to see you at the next Slug Club meeting though."

"Of course, Professor."

Oh God, I wasn't going to another one of those Slug Clubs ever again. I'd rather gouge out my eyes and rip off my ears. James and I both agreed that Slughorn's parties were awful, but this year he was going with Lily. I rolled my eyes as I left the Potions Lab, if Slughorn did see me at one of his parties then he should probably be worried that I was up to something.

It being after curfew and the fact I did not have the Marauders Map meant I kept to the shadows. Maybe if I got back to the Common Room fast enough, McKinnon might be up for a quickie and that might make me feel a little better about becoming a third wheel.

"Stop it, please!"

I froze, my wand instantly in my hand when I heard the familiar sobbing of a younger girl further up in the corridor. My feet carried me forward in silence until I came across a scene I didn't think I'd ever witness in the halls of Hogwarts.

"Don't be frigid."

Lewis Nott a boy from Slytherin in the year below had pinned Gryffindor fourth year Hayley Kwikles to the wall, one hand under her skirt and the other groping at her chest. His mouth was on her neck and she was visibly shaking, tears rolling down her face. I didn't even stop to think about it before I shouted out, striding over to Hayley's rescue. I wrenched Nott away, my fist connecting with his face, knocking him to the floor. I pointed my wand at his chest, "Stupefy."

I turned back to Hayley, who had slid down the wall, crying into her knees. Reaching out, I softly placed my hand on her shoulder. She flinched, but I didn't take my hand away.

"Hayley, its okay now, he's out cold," I whispered, "You're safe."

When I knew she wasn't going to move away, I pulled her towards me into a hug and she gripped onto my robes, sobbing quietly. We stayed still for a long moment, the halls remaining empty while I figured out what to do. Do I take her to Madam Pomfrey or McGonagall or do I just take her back down the hall to Slughorn? Maybe she'll want to just go back to the Common Room.

"C'mon Hayley, let's get you up to Madam Pomfrey," I said, helping her to her feet. Her delicate frame was cocooned close to mine, small hands clinging to my shirt as I directed her through the halls. It was strange because I'd never spoken to the small fourth year, yet here I was providing comfort and feeling strangely protective over a girl I didn't even know. On top of that I was so angry at Nott for what he'd done and I would have enjoyed nothing better than going back down to the Dungeons and hexing him until he couldn't stand. But I couldn't, because right now the tiny blonde Gryffindor was counting on me to stay close.

When we finally reached the hospital wing, I reached up to bang on the doors, but Hayley grabbed my arm and pulled it back. I should have guessed this might have happened. I moved towards her and she withdrew immediately.

"Hayley, I know this is awful and I can't even imagine what you're going through, but you've got to fight through your darkness moments," I told her, trying not to make any sudden movements, "Nott never should have done what he did and I'm sure you don't want anyone to suffer under his hand, right?"

After a small moment, she nodded, her eyes unfocused. When I reached up and knocked on the door, she fell against me. Immediately I caught her, my eyes widening as I realised she'd passed out on me.

Shit.

I scooped her up, terrified that Nott had done something to her other than trying to rape her in the middle of a corridor. Could he have used a spell on her? Drugged her? I frantically kicked against the door trying to make Pomfrey move faster than she was already. Maybe I was being dramatic, but I had no idea what was wrong. Finally the door of the hospital wing opened.

"Mr Black, I hope -" Madam Pomfrey began, her eyes soon focused on the unconscious girl in my arms and the panicked look on my face, "Oh my goodness, what happened? Get her inside."

I rushed passed her and placed Hayley on the nearest bed, "I found Nott trying to take advantage of her in the dungeons."

Pomfrey gasped as she hurried over, her wand drawn to perform some diagnostics on her newest patient. I watched in absolute shock as the nurse hovered over Hayley for a long while. I couldn't move, even now that she was safe in the hands of Madam Pomfrey, I needed to know that the small fourth year I'd rescued was okay. I could barely stop from shaking; it was finally sinking it what I'd seen.

"Sirius, I think you should sit down," Pomfrey said, "You've gone awfully pale."

I almost fell back into the chair at the side of the bed, "Is-Is she okay?"

"I'm not sure yet," she responded, "But I've got to get Professor McGonagall here immediately so stay put."

"I wasn't planning on going anyway," I barely whispered in response. I watched her hurry towards her office before my gaze moved to the small girl on the bed at my side. She looked even smaller than I'd originally thought now that she was lay down, her blonde hair was splayed out around her now very pale face, her eyes closed in defeat.

My hands were still shaking, but I couldn't decide whether it was still anger causing it or whether it was now something else.

Finally the door opened to the nurses office and Professor McGonagall followed her out, dressed in a green dressing gown, slippers and her night clothes. She looked at me, sympathy flooding her expression as she approached the bed.

"It's going to be a long night, Mr Black."