Chapter 4

The Halloween dance finally came, and that day everyone was very excited. In the Great Hall for breakfast all the girls were chatting away, talking about how the dance is going to be. Sandra, Stephanie, Lily, Mea, and a few other girls were talking about the dance. Mea was still a little mad at Stephanie for going to the dance with Sirius, but good for her, Mea tried to tell herself. She didn't want to admit she cared about him, because she didn't. Or did she? No, she didn't, Mea kept telling herself. And Mea could tell how happy she was about going with Sirius, and of course she should be happy about going with Justin. He was cute, and kind. As they got up to go to their first class Justin ran over. "Hey Mea."

"Hi Justin." She smiled.

Blushing he asked, "So tonight, meet me in front of the great hall?"

"Of course."

"Okay, good." He smiled and walked away.

Sandra, Stephanie and Lily began to giggle and chatter away as Mea watched Justin walk away. Just then she looked over at James, Remus, Peter, and Sirius get up to leave as well. He stopped, looking at her, and then quickly turned away and left. You hate him; she thought. Stop thinking about him, but she found it hard to.

The day passed by quickly, all her classes seemed shorter than usual. But Mea and Lily always did well in their classes, never really had a problem. Mea had gotten so used to replacing friends with her work that came easily to her. That night all the girls were upstairs in the bathroom, changing into their dress robes and doing their hair. Mea wore a long power blue dress robe, Lily wore a green one, Stephanie, pink; Sandra, yellow. Mea's hair up in many little curls in a bun; Lily, who was going with Nathan Nirton, wore her hair in a bun. Sandra and Stephanie ran up to them, they were so excited, but Mea was sort of dreading it. "Why?" Lily asked when she finally told her.

"I don't know, but I feel like I'm... I don't know." Mea answered.

Lily sighed; luckily she understood what she meant. "Stephanie, Sandra, you both look beautiful." Mea sighed.

"Thanks." They said in unison as the four of them walked down the hall towards their dates. Stephanie and Sandra met James and Sirius, whom Mea gave a snobby look and walked past with Lily, going to meet their dates.

Justin and Nathan, who were both in Ravenclaw, were waiting for them. Wrapping his arm around Mea's waist. She looked down at his arm, and then up at his smile. Mea looked around as they entered the hall which was covered in great decorations for Halloween. Mea walked over to the drinks, Remus blushing as Natalie was talking about her new comic she got and laughing at just about everything around. Mea smiled, she liked Natalie, who was in Hufflepuff and a year younger; and she could tell Remus did too. Just then two other Hufflepuff girls, who were in Natalie's year and her best friends, ran over. A girl with curly blonde hair and in a deep blue and black dress robe named Krystal, who was Remus's cousin and with a 4th year Gryffindor named Eric, who she could tell was having a hard time keeping up with her. And the other was named Angie, she had short blonde hair and was with a boy named Nic who Mea could tell wasn't sure what to think, but he was enjoying himself. Krystal whispered something to Natalie as Angie laughed and Krystal pulled Eric out to dance and Angie and Nic quickly followed. Then Natalie blushed as Remus asked if she wanted to dance.

Mea noticed James and Sandra; and Sirius and Stephanie walk towards them. "Uh, Justin, do you want to dance?" Mea smiled as he took her away. She was happy not to see them, him. A little while later Mea broke away from Justin and ran over to Lily, who had gotten away from Nathan as well to speak to her. "He's such a bore!" Mea told Lily with a sigh. "I want it to be over now."

"I actually really like Nathan. But I can tell her likes some other girl in his house." Lily sighed as well.

"Well that will make James happy." Mea added with a smile.

"Just what I need." Lily rolled her eyes.

Finally the night was over when Mea found herself kissing Justin on the cheek goodnight and walking into the common room. "Yeah, he said he didn't like her at all. She was too stuck up for him. Ever since she got pretty, he said." Mea heard Stephanie's voice flutter through the room towards her.

Mea continued forward into the room, "Poor Mea. Not that she really cares though, but we all know she likes him. She's just playing hard to get. I can't believe Sirius would say that about her though." She heard Sandra answer.

Mea couldn't believe it, they were talking about her? And Sirius had actually said that about her. She couldn't believe how much of a git he was. She stormed upstairs, but only two first years noticed her. She flopped down onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. She hated him, but she didn't think he hated her. And it hurt a little bit to know that now he did. Now that she thought about it, she had been pretty rude to him, but he was just being mean now. To tell Stephanie, one of her friends, that.

The next few days were odd. Mea mostly stuck around Lily as she always did, but also away from Stephanie and Sandra. She wasn't mad at them, just didn't want to think about what she had over heard, and they didn't seem to notice. In herbology James kept trying to get Lily's attention until finally Mea, who was standing between them, stepped on his foot as hard as she could. He didn't realize that she was ignoring him, so Mea helped him. He winced in pain, but just glared at Mea; as did Sirius who had a look of shock on his face. He had noticed Mea being odd, staying away from just about everyone but Lily and not even glancing at him when he said hello to her.

"What the hell is Mea's problem?" James said as he, Sirius, Peter, and Remus left after class.

"I don't know, but she's been acting odd. She won't even speak to me anymore." Remus said.

Sirius just continued walking, thinking about what they were saying, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. Peter looked back at James and Remus and stopped when he saw Sirius's look. "You okay?" He asked quietly.

"Fine." Sirius snapped as James, Remus, and Peter all stopped walking; but Sirius continued. Not speaking to any of them.

Mea sat in transfigurations copying down notes. Stephanie and Sandra always needed them, they never paid any attention in class; so everyday Mea would take them. Just then she felt a note being shoved into her hand. She glanced around and opened it.

Dear Mea,

I can't stop thinking about you. Please meet me tonight in front of the owlery.

It wasn't even signed, Mea thought about who it could be. Actually, it could have been anyone. Lily asked her quickly after class if she was going, "Why not?" Mea replied as they walked into the common room.

That night Mea dressed in a short grey skirt and white tank top under her robes and soon left without saying a word to anyone. Leaving Lily, who saw her off, stuck with James. "You owe me one." Lily whispered as she listened to James talk.

Mea walked up the stairs to the owlery, thinking of who she was going to meet when she felt herself walk into someone. "Ow." She said as she looked up.

It was Sirius, of course it's him, she thought and swore as she noticed she had fallen. He reached out a hand, "Sorry about that Mea..." He stopped she lifted herself up, without reaching for his hand. She didn't need his help, she told herself. "So where are you going? Been with Justin?" He teased.

"Justin? The great bore? Of course not, I'm not asleep now am I?" She said tartly.

Sirius laughed, "No, I guess not. So where were you headed."

Mea, afraid to tell him where she was really going just said "No where."

Sirius looked her up and down, "Uh, right. Then you won't mind joining me."

"Excuse me?" She said as he took her wrist and half drug her down the stairs. "Why would you want the girl who has turned into a snob ever since she got pretty to join you?" She glared.

He turned around, wide eyed. "Wha..."

"Yeah, I heard all about that." She yelled at him as she followed him down the stairs and shoved past him. "How dare you say or accuse me of such a thing. And all that stuff about Lily being rude? How could you say such a thing about my best friend? And telling Stephanie all that stuff. And you think you're so special, just because you're handsome and can get any girl you want." Mea began to rant. As Sirius looked at her oddly and just followed her towards the common room. "And really you're just a jerk, a great git. I can't believe I would ever think you were anything other than that I don't know what I was thinking. I mean going downstairs when those girls told me you had wanted to meet me. How could I believe them? How could I believe, our wonderful Sirius Black would ever want to see me? How could I have ever cared? You are just..." She was screaming as she stopped in front of the portrait and found his lips pressed against hers.

"You know you're cute when you're mad." He smirked and called out the password, walking past the very shocked and suddenly silent Mea and into the common room.