Welcome to my story, Trust in Love! This Sirius/OC fic is a little different from most of the other ones. Sirius isn't a total player, and he definitely does not have a fan club. He's not even very interested in dating, although there is one girl he might possibly like. Or love.

And Hazel Ackerman? She knows what she wants, and she's determined to get it.

Can they both learn to trust in what they feel? Can they trust in love?

Chapter 1

Sirius

"James, for the last time, there is no way I'm going to go out with Evelyn Jones!" I burst out. When will he understand that Sirius Black doesn't need a girlfriend to make him happy? Hogwarts is supposed to be about learning magic, not dating.

"Aw, Padfoot! We've almost finished our sixth year and you still haven't had your first girlfriend! What's wrong with Evelyn?" He demanded.

"Nothing's wrong with her, I'm just not interested." Had I not made this obvious yet?

"There has to be someone you like!" Well...it wasn't like I was going to tell him.

"Prongs, you can be such a girl sometimes. Just because you've been in love with Evans for the last three years, doesn't mean everyone else is going to feel like that about someone."

"Padfoot, at least I've gone out with other girls! Even though I'm desperately in love with my sweet, and beautiful, yet indifferent, Lily-flower!" He gave me a condescending look. "Now you're dating history, Padfoot, my friend, is utterly and completely nonexistent!"

I was starting to tune him out now as I followed Snape on the map with my finger. He was following Lily Evans as she walked towards the Great Hall.

"Padfoot, are you listening to me?" James poked me. We were in the one-eyed witch corridor to Honeydukes, plotting.

"Not really, Prongs old buddy. I was watching Snivellus' attempts to stalk your true love."

"What?" He was immediately distracted as he snatched the map back and moved the one-eyed witch statue so he could leave. I sat back and closed my eyes as he took off to go rescue Evans.

Now, it's not that I have anything against girls. Some of them are nice, good-looking, and fun to be around. But dating—holding hands, sharing armchairs, and snogging in broom closets—has never interested me in the slightest. And why would I be interested in Evelyn Jones? I mean, she's not ugly or anything, but she's such a gossip, and way too girly for me.

An image came over my closed eyes. Pale skin, freckled nose, long dark hair, and piercing blue eyes. Now she was someone I could be interested in, if I weren't so not interested in dating. Hazel Ackerman. Why was she different? I had carefully considered this question after I realized that I might potentially possibly like her.

Part of it is her eyes. She looks right in your eyes when she talks to you, and you start finding it difficult to concentrate because her eyes are so deep, penetrating, and sincere.

Then there's the way she acts. She's that person that no one can see yelling or being mean to anyone. When someone talks to her she just listens to everything they have to say and supports them.

Wow. That all sounded really cheesy. Am I lovesick?

Ugh. The answer to that question seems painfully obvious.

Am I in love with Hazel Ackerman?

Yes, I am.

Not that she has any idea. When I talk to her, which I try to do a lot, I make sure I treat her just like any other friend. Because Sirius Black does not give in to anything that easily—not even love. I've gone nearly six years without dating, and I don't think I've deprived myself of anything, whatever Prongs says.

I needed to get out of the passageway and find something to do instead of talking to myself. I opened the entrance and climbed out before brushing myself off and heading for the Great Hall.

When I got there James was gone. Maybe he got detention for harassing Snivellus. I sat down next to Remus and Peter, who were talking to—ah. Hazel and a few of her friends: Alice Prewett, Sarah Craig, and Lily Evans. I sat by Remus, coincidentally right across from Hazel. I smiled at her and dished myself up some potatoes and chicken.

"Hey, Sirius. Where were you?" She asked me in her soft, but clear voice. Her eyes looking intently into mine. I shrugged.

"You know, trying to help Prongs stay out of trouble." I said with a smile. She laughed.

"Oh, because you never get into trouble yourself." She said a little sarcastically. "And seeing as James just got detention, I don't think you were doing a very good job of it!" I tried to look indignant as she said that.

"I happen to be the most angelically behaved student in this school! And what am I, James' mother?" She looked at me blankly.

"Aren't you?" She asked me innocently. I scowled at her jokingly.

"By the way," I asked, "What did he do this time?"

"Professor McGonagall apparently doesn't think hexing certain greasy-haired Slytherins counts as good behavior." Ah. Harassing Snape, just as I expected.

"Which hex did he use?" I asked her curiously.

"The one that makes your toenails grow extra fast. It doesn't seem very comfortable." She noted clinically. "Snape had to go to the Hospital Wing to get it sorted out."

I chuckled as I worked on finishing my dinner. Everyone else was nearly done.

"Do you think you're ready for the Charms test tomorrow?" She asked me. I liked that Hazel had been talking to me the whole time I'd been here. Then I realized what she said and groaned.

"Oh, dang, actually I forgot all about that. I haven't studied at all!" I was going to fail tomorrow.

"I actually haven't studied much either." Hazel admitted. This was surprising. Hazel always got good grades. "Do you want to study with me tonight so we can both be ready? I wouldn't want you to fail." She said with a smile.

Studying with Hazel. It sounded great.

"Sure." I answered. "Want to meet in the common room at eight?"

"Alright," she said as she stood up, "See you then!" She picked up her bag and followed her friends out of the Great Hall.

"Oh! Hullo, Padfoot!" Remus tried to look innocent. "I didn't want to interrupt that fascinating conversation with Ackerman." Remus is the only one who knows I like Hazel. If Remus isn't trustworthy, I don't know who is. "So…meeting her at eight to study, then?" He was grinning now.

"Shut it." I mumbled as I speared another piece of chicken on my fork.

"You know, I think she likes you." Said Remus thoughtfully. I choked on my chicken, coughing.

"Me? Stop fooling around, Moony." Remus looked surprised.

"What? I think she does!"

"Oh come on, Moony. Why would she like me?" A girl like Hazel? Remus sighed.

"You don't see yourself very clearly. Plenty of girls like you. They think you're funny, and you're not too bad looking either." Wait a second.

"How do you know that girls like me?" I'd never heard about this.

"Because they talk to me about it Sirius. They want to know what kinds of things you like in girls. Not that I've been able to tell them much," he added, "What with your lack of dating experience." He looked at me almost sternly, making me start to laugh. Moony just shook his head, before looking at his watch.

"By the way, it's 7:30, and you're meeting her in half an hour." I jumped up. If I was going to be studying with Hazel (who Remus thinks likes me, though I'm not so sure) then I needed to go do something about my shaggy hair.

"Bye Moony!" I called, noticing Wormtail must have already left. And I ran towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Okay… incantations." Hazel looked at her long notes, written in her slanted writing. "Enlarging objects?"

"Engorgio." I knew these pretty well.

"Shrinking objects?"

"Reducio."

"Creating fire?"

"Incendium.

"Summoning charm?"

"Accio."

"Okay, why don't we practice some of them?" She absentmindedly tucked a long, dark lock of her hair behind her ear as she looked at her notes again.

"Sure, that sounds great." Anything was great if I was doing it with her. "Which one do you want to practice?"

"Let's do engorgio and reducio. We can use…" She took a quill off of a nearby table. "This. It should work great."

"Ladies first." I gestured towards her.

"Sure, Sirius you can go first!" I scowled as she giggled before taking out her wand and pointing it at the quill. She flicked it twice while saying clearly, "Engorgio!" The quill grew to about twice its usual size. "Your turn!" She said to me cheerfully.

I tried to use the same double flick as Hazel, but it wasn't quite the same. "Reducio!" It shrank, a little.

"Here, it's all in the wrist." She said, taking my wrist and making it move like it was supposed to. Just that small touch left my heart racing. "There, now try." She said, letting go. I did what she had just shown me.

"Reducio!" The quill shrank to its original size.

"Nice." She complimented me.

An couple hours later we were done.

"I bet we both ace that test tomorrow." Hazel declared. I nodded in agreement. Then I had an idea.

"Hey, you want to go down to the kitchens and get some butterbeer to celebrate our future Outstandings?" I offered. She bit her lip.

"Are we allowed down there?" I shrugged.

"Maybe, I dunno. Prongs, Moony, Wormtail, and I go down there all the time. We'll have to be quiet, though, it's kind of late." I stood up and offered her my hand. Would she come? She took it and I pulled her up. I noticed that instead of letting go, she took it more firmly in her own. I led her out the portrait holes and into a secret passageway which led to the corridor with the fruit painting. When I tickled the pear, she giggled with it as the door swung open.

Soon we were both comfortable with butterbeers, talking and laughing. After a little while I walked her back to the Common Room. She turned to me before she went to bed.

"Thanks for studying with me Sirius—and for taking me to the kitchens. I had a really great time!"

"Anytime." I meant it. "'Night."

"Goodnight!" She gave me a quick hug before heading up the stairs to her dormitory. Slowly I walked up the stairs which led to the Boy's Dormitories. When I got into the room I shared with James, Remus, Peter, and Frank, I was greeted by steady breathing, snoring, and a pillow thrown by James, the one person still awake.

"So…" he started slyly, "How was it with Ackerman? Your first date, eh, Padfoot?" I was going to have to get back at Remus for telling Prongs about my study session with Hazel. Why are they my best mates again?

"It was not a date. We studied, and then we went to the kitchens and got butterbeers."

"Oooh, did you kiss her?" I was sorely tempted to use incendium on his bed hangings.

"No." I said shortly as I pulled off my robes.

"Padfoot, buddy, you gotta tell me something!"

"Nope. Not really." I got under my covers and into my warm bed.

"You're no fun." I heard him mutter. When I closed my eyes, I once again saw Hazel. I rolled over, and within minutes I was asleep. It had been a long day.

It was the usual nightmare. It was my last night at Grimmauld Place. I always argued with my parents but tonight was far worse.

"Sirius Black, why couldn't you have been like darling Regulus and been in Slytherin, like everyone else! Bellatrix, Narcissa—they were all fine!" I noticed "darling Regulus" shrink farther into the corner where he was listening.

In my nightmare I didn't know what to say. I knew there were plenty of reasons why I was in Gryffindor, but my unconscious mind couldn't seem to remember them.

She kept screaming and screaming. Then my father's deep menacing voice joined hers, telling me what a disappointment I was, on and on.

And then I was yelling back.

"Well if I'm such a disappointment, then I'm out of here!" And then I stormed out the door, leaving it behind forever.

But tonight, instead of running away and getting lost like I usually did, Hazel was there.

"Sirius." She whispered. She took my hand like she had earlier. Suddenly I knew where to go, what to do. She lit everything up, and for once I wasn't lost. I followed her until James' house was in sight—

"Sirius! James! Remus! Wake up! I'm starving!" Peter was already up and dressed. Now he was throwing things at us and jumping on our beds, complaining about his empty stomach. Suddenly, Remus sat straight up in bed and glared at Peter. You could almost see the werewolf coming through.

"Go. Away. I'm. Tired." And he laid down again—only to be hit by Peter's pillow. He jumped off of his bed and started chasing Peter around the room, but he was awake now. So, grumbling, he got dressed with the rest of us and started getting ready.

Knowing I would see Hazel soon, I carefully fixed my messy, slightly shaggy air. I splashed cold water on my face before heading down the stairs with Moony, Wormtail, and Prongs.

I saw her sooner than I expected—she was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey Sirius!" She said cheerfully, taking my hand again. I was so happy about that, it barely bothered me when Remus winked and James waggled his eyebrows.

"Hey Hazel." I said casually as we climbed out of the portrait hole. She looked nice today. Her long hair was pulled up and twisted into a knot at the back of her head. Her eyes were as deep blue as ever and they were still just as captivating.

"How did you sleep?" She asked, swinging our hands between us. I smiled, thinking about how much better I had slept with her there in my dream.

"Great. I don't think I'll fall asleep during the Charms test."

"Good. I'm counting on you to get an Outstanding after our excellent study skills last night." She gave me a stern look, which I laughed at.

"Okay, well if I get an Outstanding then you have to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend." What made me say that? What happened to the Sirius who doesn't date?

"It's a deal, then!" She sounded…excited? During breakfast we mostly just talked to each other, but eventually James just had to ruin it with his pursuits of Lily Evans.

"Oi! Evans! Go out with me!"

"Potter! You have the biggest head I have ever seen! I would go out with a flobberworm before I ever went out with you! When will you get it into your idiotic head, that I absolutely hate you!" And she stormed out of the Hall. Hazel sighed.

"Well, I'd better go talk to her and calm her down! Bye, Sirius!"

"See you." Like last night, she gave me a hug before she left to go calm her raging friend.

"See you in Charms!" She called over her shoulder. As James whined about his newest failure, I watched her leave, grinning like a lovesick idiot.

Something's wrong with me.

Well, what did you think? If you liked it, leave me a review! If you didn't like it, you can still leave me a review and tell me what would make it better! If you absolutely hated it, then you don't have to read it! Next chapter will be from Hazel's POV!

-Amanda