Chapter 21

James nervously stood by the staircase holding a rose in his hand, waiting for Lily to come down for the formal. He had been planning what he was going to say to her for weeks now, and checking to make sure he had everything, he patted his pocket to make sure his gift was secure and within his reach. When he saw her coming down towards him, he could hardly remember to breathe. She looked like an angel, with a long flowing evening gown of emerald green that brought out every hue in her eyes.

Lily blushed when she realized James was un-blinkingly staring at her as she reached him.

"You look beautiful." He said, awe-struck. Lily giggled and blushed even deeper.

James shook his head and put up his hand, trying to collect his nerves. "B-before ww-we go in, I want to gg-give you something." He took a deep breath and chuckled nervously as he brought out a small rectangular looking box. He handed it to her with the rose and she eyed them, and then him very curiously.

When she opened it she gasped as she saw a single train ticket in the center. She looked at it again confused. "A train ticket?" She asked, trying not to sound disappointed.

James laughed. "Lily, I want to invite you to spend Christmas with me, to meet my parents."

Lily's hand shot to her mouth as she realized the significance of it. Lily, trying to suppress tears, jumped into James excitedly hugging him. "I'd love to!" She said happily.

Sighing in relief, James hugged her back.

Olivia sat in the corner with Severus, both of them eyeing the dance floor with intense disgust.

"You don't want to dance, right?" He asked lazily.

Olivia glared at him. "Of course I don't."

"Thank goodness." Severus said with a sigh of relief.

Olivia rolled her eyes and continued to glare out into the floor of dancing teenagers, all having a wonderful time. She saw Sirius with Hannah, who looked like a fat baby stuffed into a pink frilly dress. Olivia openly gagged.

"She looks beautiful." She heard Severus mutter.

Olivia frowned, still looking at Hannah. "How could you even suggest that? She looks awful! I mean, I've seen bottles of pepto look more enticing!"

Severus rolled his eyes and pointed to the archway where James was escorting Lily in.

Olivia gasped and then smiled happily for her friend. "She does look magnificent doesn't she?" She said wistfully.

Severus looked suddenly extremely depressed. "I wish I could take back all the things I said to her."

"Severus, she still regards you as one of her closest friends, for some ungodly reason. It could be worse." Olivia said, trying to cheer him up.

Severus glared at her again and shook his head. "You have no idea what it's like to be in love with someone who will never love you back." He said angrily.

Olivia frowned. "I'm sorry Severus." She said sincerely.

He shrugged and went back to glaring at everyone.

Lily spotted her friend and waved excitedly over at her, but before she could run over, James smiled over apologetically and swept her into a dance.

Olivia sighed romantically, which made Severus more depressed.

"We're probably the only two in the entire castle having an awful time." Olivia sighed.

"Speak for yourself, I'm having a blast." Severus said sarcastically.

Olivia couldn't help but smile. "You're not so bad you know, kind of crusty, but not bad."

Severus glared at her, but when he glanced away she could see the hint of a small smile on his lips.

Sirius thought at that exact moment, that this must be what karma was. He looked over at Hannah, who was still talking to him excitedly, and he smiled and nodded as if he knew what she was on about. Since he had met her in the common room to escort her to the Great Hall, she had not once shut her mouth. He tried to catch on to snippets of her babbling to actually try and be interested, but as far as he knew she was uttering nonsense.

"And that's when I realized that no one else in my family could do it, isn't that incredible? What about you, what is your family like?" She asked breathlessly.

He smiled awkwardly and shrugged. "I was kicked out of my home last year because I'm a disgrace to my ancestry so I live on James' couch during the summer and holidays."

Hannah returned his awkward smile and said, "Oh. Well…that's awfully nice of James' parents."

He nodded. "They're good people."

"Are you going there this Christmas?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I was planning on it, but he asked me if it would be alright if he gave my ticket to Lily this year so she could meet his parents and make a deal of it."

Hannah sighed wistfully. "How romantic!"

"If he wants to hang the noose, then he can go right ahead." He muttered.

Hannah frowned. "Oh you couldn't possibly mean that. Being in love is so wonderful, I mean, it looks wonderful at least."

"A man loses all self respect when he begins to pitter after a woman the rest of his life." Sirius grumbled.

Hannah sighed in frustration. "I wish you wouldn't talk like that," She frowned and her big eyes looked watery. "It's not like that at all. When two people are in love they shouldn't ever be the others' master. They should be equals and respect each other."

Sirius' eyes wandered across the hall where Olivia was chatting with Lily, whom James had finally set free for a break.

Olivia's dark hair was curled all around her face, and her dress was a short and strapless black dress with ruffles at the bottom to make it bell-shaped. There was a white satin ribbon that circled around just under the bust that made the dress look elegant, and he couldn't help but stare at her.

Hannah noticed Sirius had lost all pretense of listening and was now flat out ignoring her, following his gaze she saw Olivia and frowned.

Clearing her voice loudly, it snapped Sirius out of his fog and he turned back to her.

"Sorry, what was that?" He asked automatically.

"You don't want to be here do you?" She asked him angrily. "You'd rather be with her."

Sirius shook his head. "Of course not, that's why I'm with you."

Hannah smiled again, flattered by his words. "Could we dance?" She asked shyly.

"It would be my pleasure." He said, forcing a smile on his face, leading her to the dance floor.

James finally sat down next to the two girls when Severus stood up to leave. He excused himself and slouched off to the dungeons to continue his depression in the comfort of his own dorm.

"I'm so excited." Lily said happily. "I'm going to write my parents as soon as the dance is over, I can't wait to meet your parents James."

James smiled. "They're going to love you."

"So if you're going then, is Sirius still going too?" Olivia asked nonchalantly.

James shook his head. "I asked him if it would be alright if Lily and I spend the holidays together, he didn't mind staying here this year. I owe him a big one; he's a good sport about all this."

Olivia paled. "So he's going to be here? Wonderful." She slumped down and put her head in her arms on the table.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked.

"I told him I was going home because I thought he'd be going with James and now I'm stuck with him." She moaned.

James, despite himself, broke into laughter. "Serves you right."

Olivia glared at him over her arms. "Don't you dare say a word to him either!" she warned.

James chuckled and nodded. "Fine, but he'll find out eventually."

Lily scooted into James and as they were getting closer Olivia took it as a sign for her to skedaddle.

"Well it's been a lovely evening of just sitting here and brooding, but I think I'll get going now." She said awkwardly. Olivia waved to Lily and James, who hardly paid attention to her leaving, and Olivia tried to quickly make a dash out of the Great Hall.

She stopped in the foyer and looked out of the large window as the moonlight poured in. It was beginning to snow outside and everything looked extremely peaceful.

She sat down on the window ledge and grabbed her arms to keep warm. The winter formal was a disaster for her. She knew it was going to end up that way, but the feeling sank into her core heavily. She was angry, depressed, and lonely staring out of the window into the falling snow. Olivia heard footsteps coming her way and she quickly wiped away a stray tear that had fallen down her cheek.

To her surprise it was Sirius, looking anxiously behind him. He hid himself in a shadowy corner, pressing his finger to his lips when Olivia caught his eye.

Hannah ran in, hands on her hips looking all around. She spotted Olivia and ran over to her.

"Have you seen Sirius? He said he was going to the loo about thirty minutes ago and I'm starting to think he's hurt or lost or something!" She wailed miserably. "I thought I saw him come this way, do you know where he is?"

Olivia glanced to the corner and then back to Hannah. Sighing resolutely she shrugged. "I've hardly seen him all night, you know, he might have been wrangled into going to the kitchens with Remus or Peter, they like to sneak treats after hours sometimes."

Hannah's eyes glowed. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that!" Running off in the opposite direction, she listened as Hannah's footsteps faded into the distance.

Sirius finally sighed in relief. "Thank you!" He gasped. "I'm going to meet back up with her eventually, but dear god one can only take so much of her!"

Olivia shrugged unsympathetically and continued to look out of the window.

Sirius walked over to her and cleared his throat. "So um, how are you?" He asked, trying to be smooth.

"Angry." She said simply.

"Look, I know what I did wasn't exactly gentlemanly…."

Olivia glared up at him. "Of all the lowly things you could do, this is probably the lowest."

"In my defense, you did the exact same thing." He retorted. "You brought Severus, so I brought Hannah."

"I didn't have to bribe my date." Olivia pointed out. "You openly lied to her and now she thinks that we're friends." She crossed her arms.

Sirius scratched the back of his head. "Look, I want to make it up to you."

Olivia stared at him blankly. "You what?"

"I want to make it up to you because I know you've had an awful time." Sirius said sincerely.

"I don't need your charity, or your pity." Olivia said, standing up, clearly offended. As she began to walk away Sirius caught her wrist.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just know that it's my fault and it shouldn't have been this way."

Olivia yanked her hand out of his and crossed her arms. "Fine, I know how you can make it up to me then."

Sirius smiled and waited.

"How have you been listening in on my conversations?" She asked crossly.

Sirius' smile dropped from his face instantly. "Isn't there anything else, like buy you flowers or-"

"Sirius." Olivia said in a warning tone.

He sighed. "Peter's a rat."

"Well we all knew that." Olivia frowned.

"No, I mean he's literally a rat. You remember that night I was a dog? Well, we can all do that." He said with a sigh.

Olivia's eyes widened. "Oh god, he's seen me naked hasn't he?"

Trying not to laugh Sirius shook his head, "No, he's never been in a position to. He's just been listening to your conversations for me."

Olivia whipped her arms out so fast Sirius couldn't tell what was going on until he felt the sting across his face.

"That's for going too far." She said bitterly, shaking her hand.

"I deserved that." He said quietly, rubbing his cheek.

"You're damn right you did." She said angrily. "How dare you send him to spy on me like that!"

Sirius hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry Olivia. For everything."

"I'm tired of this Sirius. I'm tired of always being hurt by you in some way or another." Olivia said quietly.

Sirius took her hand in his and pulled her slightly closer to him. "I don't want to hurt you Olivia. I never wanted to hurt you." He looked down into her eyes, and he saw a tears glistening at their corners.

"Why is it that every time I'm not in the picture, I somehow manage to find you with her?" An angry, high-pitched voice rang through the foyer.

Sirius groaned. He turned around and Hannah was almost as pink as her dress as she angrily tapped her foot on the tile.

"We were just talking." Olivia said, wiping away her tears. She let go of his hand and turned toward the stairs, making a hasty dash out of the room.

Sirius turned back to Hannah. "It really isn't what it looked like." He said with a weak smile.

Like a flash she whipped her hand across his face. He yelped at the sting, as Olivia's hand print was still present.

"Bloody hell, that starts to hurt after awhile." He moaned, his hand gingerly touching the angry welts on his cheek.

Hannah put her hands on her hips. "That'll teach you to take me on a date and then ditch me for Olivia!"

"I didn't ditch you for Olivia!" He protested. "I ditched you to- you know, I'm just going to leave that one alone." He mumbled to himself.

Hannah threw up her arms and began to walk away angrily. "It's true what they say about you Sirius Black, you're nothing but a womanizer. A good for nothing cheat and heartbreaker!" She wailed, fleeing up the stairs after Olivia.

Sirius stood in the middle of the open foyer; hand on his face thinking that things couldn't get any worse than this.