Ch. 5
Time passed quickly for everyone. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Before too long, it was already near the Christmas holidays. One morning at breakfast, Dumbledore made an announcement that a Yule Ball was going to be held again to lift up the spirits of the student body. The students all cheered at the thought. Siria smiled and glanced over at Severus, who kind of just rolled his eyes. He never quite got into the whole dancing part of the relationship. Soon the halls were filled with students asking each other to the ball, what they should wear, and who exactly should they ask out. Teachers were busy setting up decorations. Professor Flitwick was busy putting up the usual tree with the enchanted ornaments. Siria was busy setting up mistletoe in unsuspecting places and was putting different kinds of spells on them. One time Severus came up and kissed her while none of the students were looking. Harry was busy debating weather or not to ask anybody to it. At first he thought about Hermione. Then he thought about a few other girls. Then he, Hermione, and Ron all decided just to go and hang out to see what would happen.
Soon the night arrived. Hermione, Ron, and Harry all walked into the Great Hall to see a marvelous sight of decorations and beauty. They managed to find a seat then grabbed some butterbeer. Then Harry looked up at the table where all the professors were, and noticed that Remus was there with a black dog at his side. Harry smiled and made his way over.
"Hello Harry! Where's your date at?" Remus asked with a smile. Harry sort of smiled at the floor.
"Well, I just decided not to get a date. Me, Ron, and Hermione just decided to come and hang out," he said.
"Yeah, about the same for us two as well. Of course I might try to get one girl to dance with me since her partner isn't very keen on dancing...Ow!" Remus said as the dog nipped him on the leg. Harry sort of chuckled since he knew that the dog was actually Sirius as an animagi. "Oh quit it. I don't have a chance anyways," he said down to him. The dog sort of snorted to himself. Remus just shook his head. "Well I'm going for a walk, would you like to join Harry?" he asked him.
"Sure. Not much is happening here," Harry said as he joined him. He glanced over to see what Ron and Hermione were doing, but they appeared content with each other. Remus, Harry, and Sirius the dog headed out of the Great Hall and into the garden that Hagrid had set up. Tall hedges loomed over their heads as they continued through the maze of greenery. Remus looked towards the moon for a second then sighed. Sirius gently tugged on Remus' robes so that he'd look at him. Then Sirius headed off in a different direction. Harry and Remus both followed him as quickly as they could without looking like they were running. As soon as they turned a corner, Remus saw Siria coming out. Sirius growled quietly at Remus. Then he nodded and sighed again.
"Yes, yes, alright I'll only tell her the news and that's all!" Remus said as he started to walk over. Sirius bared his teeth. "Just chill alright!" he turned away and walked over to her. Harry just stood back and watched.
"Listen, you've got to go into hiding or something. Voldemort is going to be after that Black Stone or whatever you called it. He was after it before, and he wants it again!" Remus explained to her. {See "Past Hogwarts" by Tori to get this. The Black Stone has been in the Black family for thousands of generations, created by some of the darkest wizards in the family. Voldemort tried to get it when Siria and Sirius were in their fifth year and Siria managed to steal it before the rest of her family let him have it. Unfortunately, she had to put on the necklace to hide it, and it sealed itself onto her neck so that she couldn't take it off. So it remains there till this day. There is the story to catch you up!}
"Well, I'm safer here than anywhere else. Dumbledore is here and so I'm not too worried. Plus, you do realize, only pure Black blood can use it. Oh, and I have to be beheaded. I doubt that's going to happen to me anytime soon. So just don't worry about me ok?" Siria comforted. Remus just fidgeted where he was standing.
"You do realize that the war is actually beginning very soon. Voldemort already has most of his army together, that's why we're so worried. He gets that Stone and there will be no more world as we know it," Remus tried to explain to her.
"I know! I'm sure before too long, me and Severus will have to leave and go fight...Ok, so he'll be spying, then I'll just fight!"
"No you won't! You're not going up against him! We can't afford to loose you! I can't afford to loose you!"
"What?"
"Nothing...Uh, anyways, uh, just you stay here and don't get killed."
"No what did you say before?" Siria asked with a small smile.
"D-don't know what you're talking about," Remus stammered. "I guess that stones affecting what you hear."
"No! Tell me what you said!!!"
"Don't worry, I'll talk to you later," Remus said as he shook Siria's hand and left to join Sirius and Harry. Siria just stood there for a second with a confused look, then she just turned and went back inside.
"Well, that went well. Yes I told her!" Remus told them as they continued walking. Sirius snorted. Harry just shrugged and said his goodbyes. Then he left to go find Ron and Hermione. After about another hour or two, the ball started to wrap up. Most of the students had already returned to their dormitories, and only a few of the couples remained, including the teachers who were dancing. Hermione and Ron were still sitting at the same area. Professor Black was walking around the room for a bit, then she stopped to get some punch. Afterwards, she headed over to where they were.
"Hello there, how are you three?" she asked them. Hermione looked towards her.
"Well, just hanging around really. Neither one of these two dance really," she said with a smile.
"Aw, that stinks. Of course neither does my date, so I can't complain," Professor Black replied.
"You know Lupin would dance with you," Harry said hoping she would acknowledge him.
"I don't know. I know he does like me a lot, but I'm with someone else. Plus, I don't want him to think he has a chance with me when he doesn't. It's just not right to do that to someone. Well, I best be going," she said with a slight smile. Siria turned and walked away towards where the teachers were. Hermione looked at Harry and shook her head.
"You shouldn't have done that. Now she's going to feel bad about breaking Lupin's heart," she said with a sad note in her voice.
"Get off it Hermione! He'll get over it in a matter of time," Ron replied back.
"Yes, but he's been in love with her about as long as they've known each other," she responded. Ron rolled his eyes. Harry let his eyes gaze over the people left. His eyes led him to find Professor Snape talking to Siria. Harry tapped Ron and Hermione on the shoulder, and they looked where he was looking. Siria took Snape's hand and they went onto the dance floor. They danced for a while, as people pointed and stared at them. Harry looked across from where he was to see Remus leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watching Siria dance with someone else. Down at his feet, Sirius buried his face under his paws and tried his best not to watch.
After another hour or so, Dumbledore sent everyone back to their dormitories, and the teachers left for their offices. Lupin and Sirius said goodbye to Harry, Ron, and Hermione before they left. A couple hours later, a new morning dawned, as well as a new life.
Time passed quickly for everyone. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Before too long, it was already near the Christmas holidays. One morning at breakfast, Dumbledore made an announcement that a Yule Ball was going to be held again to lift up the spirits of the student body. The students all cheered at the thought. Siria smiled and glanced over at Severus, who kind of just rolled his eyes. He never quite got into the whole dancing part of the relationship. Soon the halls were filled with students asking each other to the ball, what they should wear, and who exactly should they ask out. Teachers were busy setting up decorations. Professor Flitwick was busy putting up the usual tree with the enchanted ornaments. Siria was busy setting up mistletoe in unsuspecting places and was putting different kinds of spells on them. One time Severus came up and kissed her while none of the students were looking. Harry was busy debating weather or not to ask anybody to it. At first he thought about Hermione. Then he thought about a few other girls. Then he, Hermione, and Ron all decided just to go and hang out to see what would happen.
Soon the night arrived. Hermione, Ron, and Harry all walked into the Great Hall to see a marvelous sight of decorations and beauty. They managed to find a seat then grabbed some butterbeer. Then Harry looked up at the table where all the professors were, and noticed that Remus was there with a black dog at his side. Harry smiled and made his way over.
"Hello Harry! Where's your date at?" Remus asked with a smile. Harry sort of smiled at the floor.
"Well, I just decided not to get a date. Me, Ron, and Hermione just decided to come and hang out," he said.
"Yeah, about the same for us two as well. Of course I might try to get one girl to dance with me since her partner isn't very keen on dancing...Ow!" Remus said as the dog nipped him on the leg. Harry sort of chuckled since he knew that the dog was actually Sirius as an animagi. "Oh quit it. I don't have a chance anyways," he said down to him. The dog sort of snorted to himself. Remus just shook his head. "Well I'm going for a walk, would you like to join Harry?" he asked him.
"Sure. Not much is happening here," Harry said as he joined him. He glanced over to see what Ron and Hermione were doing, but they appeared content with each other. Remus, Harry, and Sirius the dog headed out of the Great Hall and into the garden that Hagrid had set up. Tall hedges loomed over their heads as they continued through the maze of greenery. Remus looked towards the moon for a second then sighed. Sirius gently tugged on Remus' robes so that he'd look at him. Then Sirius headed off in a different direction. Harry and Remus both followed him as quickly as they could without looking like they were running. As soon as they turned a corner, Remus saw Siria coming out. Sirius growled quietly at Remus. Then he nodded and sighed again.
"Yes, yes, alright I'll only tell her the news and that's all!" Remus said as he started to walk over. Sirius bared his teeth. "Just chill alright!" he turned away and walked over to her. Harry just stood back and watched.
"Listen, you've got to go into hiding or something. Voldemort is going to be after that Black Stone or whatever you called it. He was after it before, and he wants it again!" Remus explained to her. {See "Past Hogwarts" by Tori to get this. The Black Stone has been in the Black family for thousands of generations, created by some of the darkest wizards in the family. Voldemort tried to get it when Siria and Sirius were in their fifth year and Siria managed to steal it before the rest of her family let him have it. Unfortunately, she had to put on the necklace to hide it, and it sealed itself onto her neck so that she couldn't take it off. So it remains there till this day. There is the story to catch you up!}
"Well, I'm safer here than anywhere else. Dumbledore is here and so I'm not too worried. Plus, you do realize, only pure Black blood can use it. Oh, and I have to be beheaded. I doubt that's going to happen to me anytime soon. So just don't worry about me ok?" Siria comforted. Remus just fidgeted where he was standing.
"You do realize that the war is actually beginning very soon. Voldemort already has most of his army together, that's why we're so worried. He gets that Stone and there will be no more world as we know it," Remus tried to explain to her.
"I know! I'm sure before too long, me and Severus will have to leave and go fight...Ok, so he'll be spying, then I'll just fight!"
"No you won't! You're not going up against him! We can't afford to loose you! I can't afford to loose you!"
"What?"
"Nothing...Uh, anyways, uh, just you stay here and don't get killed."
"No what did you say before?" Siria asked with a small smile.
"D-don't know what you're talking about," Remus stammered. "I guess that stones affecting what you hear."
"No! Tell me what you said!!!"
"Don't worry, I'll talk to you later," Remus said as he shook Siria's hand and left to join Sirius and Harry. Siria just stood there for a second with a confused look, then she just turned and went back inside.
"Well, that went well. Yes I told her!" Remus told them as they continued walking. Sirius snorted. Harry just shrugged and said his goodbyes. Then he left to go find Ron and Hermione. After about another hour or two, the ball started to wrap up. Most of the students had already returned to their dormitories, and only a few of the couples remained, including the teachers who were dancing. Hermione and Ron were still sitting at the same area. Professor Black was walking around the room for a bit, then she stopped to get some punch. Afterwards, she headed over to where they were.
"Hello there, how are you three?" she asked them. Hermione looked towards her.
"Well, just hanging around really. Neither one of these two dance really," she said with a smile.
"Aw, that stinks. Of course neither does my date, so I can't complain," Professor Black replied.
"You know Lupin would dance with you," Harry said hoping she would acknowledge him.
"I don't know. I know he does like me a lot, but I'm with someone else. Plus, I don't want him to think he has a chance with me when he doesn't. It's just not right to do that to someone. Well, I best be going," she said with a slight smile. Siria turned and walked away towards where the teachers were. Hermione looked at Harry and shook her head.
"You shouldn't have done that. Now she's going to feel bad about breaking Lupin's heart," she said with a sad note in her voice.
"Get off it Hermione! He'll get over it in a matter of time," Ron replied back.
"Yes, but he's been in love with her about as long as they've known each other," she responded. Ron rolled his eyes. Harry let his eyes gaze over the people left. His eyes led him to find Professor Snape talking to Siria. Harry tapped Ron and Hermione on the shoulder, and they looked where he was looking. Siria took Snape's hand and they went onto the dance floor. They danced for a while, as people pointed and stared at them. Harry looked across from where he was to see Remus leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watching Siria dance with someone else. Down at his feet, Sirius buried his face under his paws and tried his best not to watch.
After another hour or so, Dumbledore sent everyone back to their dormitories, and the teachers left for their offices. Lupin and Sirius said goodbye to Harry, Ron, and Hermione before they left. A couple hours later, a new morning dawned, as well as a new life.