A/N: Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 3 – Let's Be Friends
True to her word, Hailey had continued saying no. However, Sirius was trying less and less, opting to instead use their time together in Potions to get to know her a little better. And what he was finding out about her only made him like her more, and caused him to want her to say yes more than before. What had started out as a game to him after the first time she rejected him was now becoming a sincere desire to be around her more. Not that he would actually admit this to his friends though, they might think he was going soft.
One night after dinner on the way back to Gryffindor tower, Sirius noticed Hailey walking alone. Since he too was alone, Remus in the library, James at Quidditch practice, and Peter who knows where, Sirius decided this would be the perfect opportunity to talk to her without interruption, and without the distraction of a simmering potion.
"Hey Anderson!" he called.
Hailey turned around to see Sirius jogging up to her.
"What are you doing here Black?" she sighed.
Sirius smirked. "What, no hello?" he asked in mock hurt.
Hailey rolled her eyes. "Hello Black," she said politely. Sirius grinned in victory. "Now what are you doing here?" Hailey repeated in a slightly annoyed tone, half-scowling at him.
Sirius chuckled, raising his hands in a sign of surrender. "Hey, I'm just on my way back to the common room," he answered in an innocent tone. "I just figured I'd say hello to a familiar face," he added. "But if you don't wanna talk to me, that's fine…" He started walking away.
"OK, fine. I'm sorry," she called after him half-heartedly.
He turned around and grinned at her. "I'm sorry? What was that, I couldn't hear you?" he asked, feigning ignorance, holding a hand behind his ear in a gesture to hear better.
Hailey playfully forced a smile as she nodded her head. "Uh-huh…" she muttered disbelievingly. But as Sirius continued acting like he couldn't hear her she rolled her eyes and, fighting a grin, exhaled tiredly, "I'm sorry. You're more than welcome to stop and talk to me."
Sirius grinned at the triumph, and Hailey just rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head. They started walking back to the Gryffindor common room together in silence.
Then Hailey commented, "You're a piece of work, you know that?"
Sirius smirked at her. "It's part of my appeal," he shrugged arrogantly.
"You're full of yourself," she stated.
"I prefer to think of it as confidence," he contradicted.
Hailey shrugged. "Call it whatever you want," she started, looking him in the eye. "It still makes you sound like a prick."
Sirius got in front of her and stopped walking. "Is that why you won't go out with me?" he questioned curiously, searching her light brown eyes.
"You don't give up do you?" she countered, sounding a little exasperated.
He grinned smugly, and shook his head. "No."
After a minute of staring at each other Hailey finally gave a slight chuckle as she started to grin. "That's one of your qualities that I do like," she mumbled, and walked around him, continuing up the stairs.
Sirius stood there smiling for a second before running to catch up and fall into step with her.
As if she was guessing what he was thinking, Hailey said simply, "The answer's still no, Black."
Sirius shrugged, having expected that. "OK."
Hailey glanced at him with raised eyebrows. "OK?" she repeated.
Sirius nodded. "Yeah."
"What happened to not giving up?" she questioned skeptically.
"Well…" Sirius started with a shrug. "I figure if I can't change your mind –"
"You can't," Hailey interjected.
"Right," Sirius continued with a faint smile. "Since I can't change your mind, maybe I ought to aim for a different goal," he explained lightly.
"Such as?" she asked in the same tone, as if they were merely reviewing for a test and she was encouraging him to add more to his answer.
Sirius smirked, and turned to face her again. "Let's be friends," he suggested sincerely.
This time Hailey was the one to stop walking first. She was watching him with an incredulous, yet scrutinizing, look. Sirius just stood there calmly, waiting for her to say something.
"Friends?" Hailey finally repeated in amused disbelief.
Sirius nodded. "Yeah, friends," he confirmed patiently.
Her mouth dropped open slightly, as though she still didn't believe him. "Are you even capable of just being friends with a girl?" she asked, no teasing just honest curiosity in her tone and expression.
Sirius thought about this for a minute before giving a slight shrug. "I've never tried before," he admitted.
"So…what? I'm your guinea pig?" she retorted, not angrily or annoyed though.
He shook his head. "I want to be your friend," he told her truthfully.
Hailey started to laugh quietly. "Yeah…Right," she muttered, shaking her head as she started to walk around him.
But Sirius grabbed her arm and looked her in the eye. "I'm serious," he stated firmly. "No pun intended," he added quickly when she started to raise an eyebrow.
Hailey stared at him for a minute, looking into his grey eyes. Then finally she took a deep breath and quietly said, "OK."
"OK?" Sirius repeated hopefully, slightly raising his eyebrows in surprise.
She rolled her eyes, but nodded. "For now," she clarified, looking slightly amused by his brightening features after she said 'OK'. "We'll try this whole being friends thing," she agreed, an air of mock defeat in her tone. But she couldn't help the small smile that started to spread across her face as Sirius grinned brightly at her.
– X –
"You're going to the Quidditch game tomorrow, yeah?" Sirius asked Hailey in Potions. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first match of the season, it should be a good one," he added cheerfully.
Hailey chuckled as she added the next ingredient. "Yes, I'm going," she answered, casting a quick glance over at Lily, which Sirius noticed. "I haven't missed a game yet," she shrugged, turning her attention back to the potion.
Sirius smirked, watching James and Lily work for a minute before turning back to his and Hailey's potion. "So…" he started in a slightly sing-song voice. "I take it Evans is going too?"
She was still looking at the instructions in her book, but Sirius saw a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. "Yes, she is," Hailey answered conversationally.
"So, I suppose she'll be rooting for Gryffindor as well?" Sirius questioned curiously, though he already knew the answer.
"Of course," Hailey replied matter-of-factly, only a little sarcasm in her tone, as she stirred the potion. Sirius grinned as he chopped up the roots they were getting ready to add. Hailey sighed. "Just ask already," she instructed, her impatience somewhat noticeable.
Sirius smiled innocently. "Ask what?"
Hailey rolled her eyes discretely, the only reason Sirius noticed was because she put her hair into a ponytail for this class. "Whatever it is you're wanting to ask," she retorted.
"OK, fair enough," he agreed with a smirk, tossing in the roots. "I've noticed that Evans doesn't seem to hate James as much lately," he started nonchalantly.
Hailey sighed. "And?" she questioned warily.
Sirius smirked. "Well, I just figured since you're her roommate and friend, that –"
"That I might know if she's interested in Potter?" Hailey finished lightly.
He nodded, smiling. "Exactly." He noticed a small smile start to spread across her face, but she still didn't look up from the potion. When Hailey still didn't said anything, Sirius, furrowing his eyebrows a little, finally asked slowly, "So…Is she?"
Hailey smirked as she looked up at him. "I'll never tell," she stated teasingly.
Sirius started to pout, only causing Hailey to laugh. "You're mean," he told her playfully. But Hailey's smirk only got wider.
"And what do we have here?" Slughorn asked merrily, coming over to their table. Both Sirius and Hailey tried to hide their smiles and act casual. "Marvelous job," he complimented as he saw their potion.
"Thanks Professor," Hailey replied.
Slughorn beamed at the pair and continued making rounds about the classroom.
A/N: Well, I hope you liked that chapter! I'll have the next one up tomorrow. Reviews are greatly appreciated!
