"Please don't make me go," Abby Douglas begged, the girl sitting across from her in the slightly damp autumn grass was none other than Lily Evans.

Abby, being a seventh year, was a year ahead of Lily, but that didn't stop Lily from bossing her around like her mother.

It was time again for Hogwarts' Halloween Masquerade Ball, and Abby, not being one for dances, was begging Lily not to make her go.

"You're the bloody Head Girl!" Lily exclaimed, slightly exasperated at having this conversation yet again. "You have to go! That and the dress we bought last weekend looks amazing on you! You can't let it go to waste!"

Lily paused for a brief moment before saying in a patronizing and teasing voice, "And I'm sure that Professor Sexy Shorts will be there,"

Abby groaned and lay back in the grass. The last blow was way below the belt. Abby had developed an attraction to the young Defense Against The Dark Arts professor, Professor Travors.

The female population of the school had nicknamed him Professor Sexy Shorts; you would expect more wit from a bunch of witches. Abby rolled over to lie on her stomach. It seemed that she would be going to the Halloween Ball after all.

Two days later, Abby stood in front of the mirror in her Hufflepuff dorm room and stared at herself.

She was wearing a long silver dress that clung to her thin frame. The dress split up the right leg showing off her tan legs. Abby felt exposed and slightly awkward.

The silver high heels she was wearing made her normally 5'2" body about an inch taller.

Her long, curly blonde hair was down, and framed her face. The mask she was wearing was again, silver in color, and her bright blue eyes shined brightly from behind it.

Abby sighed and thought "Well it isn't going to get any better."

After another ten minutes of staring blankly at the mirror, Abby left the common room and headed toward the Great Hall.

As she entered, Abby noticed that she was indeed fashionably late.

She glanced quickly around the slightly crowded room. She noticed Lily first, standing in the corner with a Ravenclaw girl that Abby recognized as a prefect.

Her eyes flickered over to where James Potter was standing alone. The Douglas family used to be good friends with The Potters, but that was back when Abby was only a small child, her older brother Logan was only a young boy, and James had been only a todler.

Abby and James were only acquaintances, but Abby decided to take a bit of a chance and ask him to dance.

As she approached him he noticed his gaze was fixated on the corner where Lily was standing.

Abby watched James realize that she was walking toward him and he gave her a slight grin.

"Douglas." James said in greeting, nodding his head slightly.

Abby rolled her eyes and laughed at James, "Potter." She said in a teasing voice, "Would you like to dance?"

James appeared to be thinking it over in his head and after a few long moments seemed to decide that dancing with her wouldn't be the end of the world.

Without even giving her an answer, his hand took one of hers and pulled her out onto the dance floor.

Abby's arms barely had enough time to find there way around James' neck before he began dancing like he was trying to compensate for something.

After several minutes of this Abby was tweaked to say the least.

James' gaze was on Lily the whole time and there were multiple times that he had stepped on her toes because he wasn't paying attention.

After a particularly painful step on the toes Abby had had enough of dancing with James.

She let go of him and stopped dancing.

Abby turned to walk away from James but he took hold of her wrist.

"Oi, Douglas!" James exclaimed.

When James' hand took hold of her arm roughly, Abby reacted without think her other hand came up to punch James in the cheek resulting in James letting out a groan of pain.

James immediately let go of her arm and the moment he did Abby quickly walked away from him.

Professor Travors, who had been watching Abby since she had entered, cringed when he saw her punch the Potter boy.

Furrowing his brow he went to go have a brief word with her. The Professor caught up to Abby as she paused to grab a glass of punch.

"Wow," Professor Travors said as he approached her, "You have one hell of a right cross. Sure I've hit people, but I wasn't Head Boy, and as you can tell, nor was I Head Girl,"

Abby was startled by the Professor's voice behind her and she turned to look at him, a slightly worried look on her face, "I'm in trouble, aren't I?" Abby asked, sighing.

"Professor, I assure you, James Potter got exactly what he deserved," Abby said, hoping that Professor Travors would see her point of view.

"No, no, you aren't in trouble," Professor Travors was silent as he stared down at the Head Girl.

"I'm not very fond of dances," Abby remarked to break the awkward silence that had formed as the Professor looked at her.

The look on Professor Travors face changed as he seemed to be brought back to reality. His brow furrowed. "And why is that?" He asked curiously.

Abby shrugged nonchalantly. "I've never had anyone to go with; I'm a bit socially awkward,"

Abby wasn't expecting the deep laugh that Professor Travors let out after her comment. After a few moments he stopped and said, "Now that can't be true. A beautiful, witty girl like you has to have guys falling all over you,"

Abby raised her eyebrows at the Professor with an amused look on her face. She laughed, "I guess it's just not my thing,"

She shrugged and smiled brightly at the handsome professor.

There was another long awkward silence and Abby then said, "So I've been meaning to ask you, I want to enter the Auror Program after Hogwarts and I was wondering if you would be willing to give me some extra lessons sometime?" Abby finished a hopeful look on her face.

Professor Travors smiled down at Abby, "Of course, does tomorrow work for you?" He asked. Abby nodded. "Alright then, tomorrow it is. I should get back to the staff table. I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Douglas,"

With one last smile in her direction Professor Sexy Shorts walked away from her, back toward the staff table.

Abby stood awkwardly watching other people at the ball dance and laugh.

After a few moments, a boy she recognized immediately, despite the black mask he was wearing over his eyes, as Sirius Black wandered over to her.

Oh god, one of James' friends. Abby thought to herself bitterly.

Sirius looked incredulously at her, "You have one hell of a right cross,"

Abby nearly laughed out loud as Sirius said exactly what Professor Travors had said to her. Abby waited to hear more from him before saying anything, her gaze fixed out in front of her.

Sirius leaned over into her gaze and she raised one eyebrow at him and tilted her head toward him. "I'm Sirius," He said, his gaze fixed on her bright blue eyes.

"Abby," She said, choosing not to look at Sirius, but to glance around the Great Hall instead.

Clearly Sirius didn't pick up on her lack of interest.

Instead he spoke up again, "Would you like to dance?" He asked, still trying to catch her gaze.