A/N Hey, readers! Thanks for being readers! Thanks especially to those of you who took the time to review. To Shellaphant: thanks, and James was a seeker in the movies, but a chaser in the books. Also, I like your penname. Anywho. Enjoy!
Sofia:
As I descended the marble staircase, I thought to myself: how did Alice get me in these heels? No wonder I'm so late. I'll bet I trip at least seven times tonight. Though, they did make me a good three inches taller, the same height as Char, despite her insistence of me 'cheating'. With this mask on, with my new height, I wasn't Sofia Marie anymore. Sofia Marie never caught anyone's attention. But that night, entering the Great Hall, (which had been decorated fabulously) I saw numerous heads turn, I saw one girl ask her ogling date, "Who is that?" with contempt that only jealousy could create in her venomous voice. I smiled. If only Sirius could see me now.
My smile fell as I thought back to that night in the Room of Requirement. "I meant it when I said I liked you," he had said. It sounded so sincere, like he wanted nothing more than for me to know what he was saying was the truth. But no, I didn't want to think about Sirius tonight. Because tonight, it wasn't just Sirius who wanted to shag me. Ha!
Where were my friends? I see Alice with a visiting Frank Longbottom, both looking happier than they had been in a long time, neither had eyes for anyone but the other. I shouldn't interrupt. There was Lily and James, in their matching masks, looking almost as smitten. James whispered something in her ear, and she let out her loud, melodic laugh. He smiled down at her, before pulling her into a kiss. They wouldn't do good to interrupt either. I saw Char finally, dancing with a boy who was not at all her date, who I saw sulking in a corner. Poor... him. I was just feeling lonely when a tall, dark skinned boy in green dress robes asked me to dance. He was very cute, at least, what I could see of him. His mask covered a great deal of his face.
We danced for about ten minutes or so, when a boy in red robes and half a red mask approached us at the start of a new song. "May I cut in?" The other boy, whose name I never got, nodded, and stepped back. I, of course, recognized the voice as that of Remus Lupin.
"Hey, Remus!"
"Sofi," He said with a smile. "You look amazing."
I blushed, though I knew, for once, it was true. "Thank you. How did you know it was me?"
At this Remus laughed, "I over heard you telling him that you wished they would play more American music."
I laughed with him. "Oops. That would be a dead give away, wouldn't it?"
"Yes, though, I must say, the height threw me for a loop." I lifted up the skirt of my black dress (enchanted not to get dirty) and showed him my giant high heels. He cringed, I laughed.
"They look worse than they are, I promise," I told him, chuckling.
"They look like they're eating your feet," He said in a mock-disgusted/fearful voice, as he was laughing too.
"Yes, well, I'M TALL, so, it's quite worth it." We laughed together more. "So, how are you feeling?"
"Well, much better. I must thank you again for the other night, Sofi, you're quite as capable as Andale," He said with a small smile. I smiled my thanks back, but it fell quickly thinking of that night again. "By the way, did something happen between you and Sirius that night while I slept? I mean, things have been a little less tense..." He said. He wasn't being nosy or anything, just curious for his friends. Still, I wish he hadn't asked. I looked down, tears forming in my eyes. No, Sofi, not tonight!
"He- well, no. Nothing out of the ordinary, that is. I mean, he told me he did like me again, but-- oh, I just don't know," I said. I was so confused. I put my head on Remus' shoulder, he put his hand on my back consolingly.
"He does love you, Sofi. Really," He told me. Why couldn't I believe it? Why couldn't I accept it as the clear truth? I suppose I hated myself too much to really believe that I was the one Sirius Black actually loved.
The song ended as I sniffed. And Remus said, "Well, I wouldn't want to hog you. I'm sure there's a line to dance with you by now," And he left with a wink. Sure enough, another guy came up to me to dance. After three dances with three separate men, I made my way over to the drink table, where Char was, back with her now smiling date, in her tiny purple dress, making small talk. I approached her.
"Hey, Sofi! I was watching you out there, you're quite popular!"
"That's not creepy at all," I said, giggling. She hit me on the back of the head.
"You'll mess up my hair!" I said in an psuedo-indignant high pitched voice. We laughed.
"That is quite the up-do, did Alice do that?" My hair was piled on the back my head in a bundle of heat-made curls, a few hanging loose.
"Yeah, and it bloody hurt!"
"I know what you mean, she spent forty five minutes on my hair, I'm not used to having it up. It's weird."
A Weird Sisters' song came on, and Char's date said "Come on, Char, let's dance," and she followed him eagerly to the dance floor, shooting me an apologetic smile. I stood there not for two minutes before another guy approached me. I was actually enjoying the attention that night, despite myself. This boy had messy black hair, a sweetly crooked smile, and was dressed in black and white robes, and a black mask that matched my own.
Sirius:
I stood with Remus and Peter and watched James run off to meet Lily. Loser. It had been ten minutes and already I was bored. Social events weren't nearly as fun now that I wasn't interested in any of the girls. I hadn't seen Sofi at all, but I knew she was here. I bet she looked beautiful. I had no doubt I would recognize her, even if she was wearing a mask.
Then the impossible happened, as I was distracted from my thoughts. I forgot about Sofia. A girl was coming down the marble staircase, wearing a black gown with no straps that went all the way to the floor, and covered her feet. Contrastingly, she was wearing a white mask that was the same nose-length as my own. She had curly black hair in a bun on the back of her head. She was the most beautiful person I had seen in a long time. She did look a lot like Sofi, which may have had something to do with my attraction to her, but as she walked past me, I could see she was taller than Sofi was, and Sofi had straight hair. I liked how short Sofi was, but this girl was great too.
I followed her into the Great Hall, and saw the heads turn as she went. She looked around for a while, before another boy asked her to dance. I couldn't watch the two of them together, I went to find Remus again. After about ten minutes of looking, I found Peter, who was looking sulky.
"Where's Remus?"
"Hmph. Went off to dance with some girl," Peter looked almost mad. "Left me here. I just asked someone, but she flat out turned me down!"
"Aw, cheer up, Wormy. And Remus? With a girl? Blasphemy!"
"Thanks, Sirius, you're a real comfort."
"What can I say? I'm a giver!"
We went to go sit down when a girl in a red dress asked me to dance, I could see the jealousy in Peter's face.
"Uh, I'm waiting for someone, but, my friend here is free to dance," I told her. She shrugged and made her way to the dance floor with Peter. The down side to helpping my friend was that I was now completely alone. I sighed. Then, Remus came up. Excellent.
"Peter said you went off dancing with some girl, who?" I inquired with a smirk on my face.
Remus sighed. "No one important."
"Well that's no fun," I complained.
"That's life."
"Quite the optimist today?"
"Speaking of pessimism, have you seen Sofi tonght?"
My smile dropped. "No," I said not meeting his eye, "Why?" I meant why would he bring that up? Why would he ruin my mood? But he thought I meant why are you asking? As if I'd ever be so boring.
"I just saw her, she looks very nice," keep going, Remus, I dare you.
"What's she wearing?"
"You'll recognize her."
"I hate you."
"But then, what would you do without me?" Remus said finishing his drink, looking satisfied. I decided to go get one myself, and when I looked to the drink table I saw her. Not Sofi, the girl in the black dress and white mask. I remembered telling Sofi that I would wait for her, and I had no intention of breaking this promise, but I could have some fun, could I not? I could bask in the fact that there is at least one person almost as beautiful as Sofi. I walked up to her, she was just standing with her drink, she was watching a blur of purple move away from her, I don't know who it was.
"That's a nice mask," I said, arriving at her side. She looked over at me with a small smile.
"Copycat," She said quietly.
"A thousand apologies, but matching outfits aside, may I dance with you?"
"Wouldn't it be a waste to say no?" There was something all too familiar in her smile.
Sofia:
And it would have been a waste to say no. He was all too sweet and all too talented on the dance floor, and his overall manor reminded me of Sirius'. He was as tall as Sirius, and had black hair, maybe less shaggy, but he wasn't as tense as Sirius. Or at least, the post-kiss Sirius. I scolded myself for comparing every guy I've been with to him. It wasn't healthy. The point was, the man holding me as the slow song started was not Sirius, and yet, as I closed my eyes and leaned into his warm chest, I found myself wishing he was.
Sirius:
I held her in my arms as the slow music played. She felt fragile, like if I squeezed too tight, I would break her into a million pieces. I still didn't know her name, or anything about her. But together we danced through about five songs, after which, we went back to the drink table for a break. Before we went back to dance, I stopped her and asked her her name to which she replied. "No. No names. I'm having fun, and I don't want it to become too real. It'll be ruined." I couldn't help but agree with her, this stranger. Because with her, I didn't worry about Sofia, here was this newer version of her. Maybe not as short, or shy, but she was certainly as funny, and sweet, and this girl didn't hate me.
Sofia:
Everything about him reminded me of Sirius, and I think it was for that reason that I spent so much time with him, it was like being with Sirius, without having to worry about the tension or any of the shit that had gone on in the last month or so. I didn't want to leave, but I also didn't want to take it with me when I did. That's why I didn't want to tell him my name, because he wasn't Sirius and I knew Sirius was who I wanted, so I would apologize tomorrow, and not worry about this boy I still don't know. At one point, we were both very tired, and very hot, and decided to take a walk on the grounds. We were walking for a while in silence when we came to the Black Lake. He starting speaking not looking at me.
"Look, I've been having fun tonight, but I think it's better if we don't see each other afterwards," he said staring at our reflections in the dark water of the lake.
"I agree," I told him, almost sad about it. "Is there anyone else for you?" I emphasized to imply I had someone else, which, in a way, I did.
"Yes. She's the most beautiful, sweetest, funniest, most talented person I know. But she's made it clear that she doesn't like me as much, I suppose I should forget her, but. . . I jut can't." I could tell from his voice how much he loved her, she was iucky.
"I do as well. I hurt him, though, and I am determined to apologize. I can't believe I was so stupid."
"I promised I would wait for her, and I will, because she is worth it." It hit me then. I couldn't believe I had been so stupid not to have noticed that this man in front of me was Sirius, I couldn't believe I didn't piece it together. The moon shone over us and I saw his beautiful grey eyes and could've slapped myself for not noticing earlier. I thought about the things he had just said, and finally, I believed him. He told this to a complete stranger, someone ambiguous, because he didn't know it was me. I still had no doubt he loved the girl he'd been talking about. Me.
I kissed him.
He seemed very surprised, and he pushed me off. Only I knew the irony that the same situation had already happened, the roles switched.
"Did you not just hear me?! I mean--"
"Sirius," I said softly, and removed my mask. This time it was he who kissed me. Our third kiss, and this time, neither pushed the other off at all.
Sirius:
"I promised her I would wait for her, and I will, because she is worth it." With this I knew that I had only been with this girl because she was so like Sofi. I imagined Sofi inside, dancing with some stranger, I told myself I had to leave this girl and find Sofia. However, the girl interrupted me by pressing her soft lips against mine. It was sheer bliss for a fraction of a second, but I remembered this girl wasn't Sofi, and I pushed her off me.
"Did you not just hear me?! I mean--"
"Sirius," she said. After the short surprise of her knowing my name, I recognized the voice. I recognized the patient tone, the sweet sound. She needn't take off her mask. But when she did I more clearly saw her large black eyes and felt elation as I remembered her words from earlier, as I remembered she'd just kissed me! And I had pushed her away. But surely that could be reconciled. . . .
Third Person:
It had been half an hour since Sirius and Sofi had left the castle. None of the other three marauders, nor Sofi's friends had seen them go, nor had they seen them since. They had congregated in the entrance hall, to talk outside of the shouting and music.
"Hey have you guys seen Sirius?" James asked Charlotte.
"He's gone too?" Alice said, incredulous.
"The last time I saw him, he was going to get a drink," Remus said.
"The last we heard of Sofi, Char left her at the drink table," Lily said slowly.
"They couldn't be together? Could they?" Peter asked. The seven of them (the six friends, plus Frank Longbottom, who refused to leave the side of Alice, who refused to let him) looked at each other, all afraid to deny the possibility, but each also hesitant to accept it. They needn't say anything though, because at that moment, the large doors in the entrance hall opened, and in came Sirius, laughing loudly, and carrying an also in stitches Sofia. They stopped laughing upon seeing their friends, Sirius put Sofi down, and the two of them smiled guiltily, then clasped each others hands.
A/N This is the last chapter, kind of. I realized typing this that, while some people are okay without it, I need a story of why exactly Sirius was a bachelor in the novels. So, expect an epilogue, and expect it to be sad. Also, please, please, PLEASE review.