AN: Hello everyone! Sorry it's been a while since I last updated, blame College! Anyway, here is the next chapter. Thank you so much to all those who have reviewed, subscribed and favourited. It's good to know that you haven't forsaken me :D

DISCLAIMER; All HP-related hooey belongs to Queen Rowling. The OCs and the basic plot belong to your's truly!

CHAPTER SIXTEEN; YULE BALL PART TWO

"Oh hey there Snivellus," Sirius said mockingly, Simona's face started to burn crimson. Severus didn't say anything, but narrow his eyes at Sirius and storm off. Simona felt compelled to chase after him.

"Sev!" Simona said as she chased Severus out of the Hall and out into the corridor.

"Wait, please. Sev!"

"Just wait, Sev." Simona was struggling to keep up with his long strides.

"Sev, please." They had reached the top of the spiral staircase as Simona desperately tried to gain Severus' attention.

"What?" Severus said as he turned around, taking Simona by surprise.

"Why did you run off like that?" Simona said, analysing Severus' face. She frowned as she noticed that it looked like he had been crying.

"Because of that moron, Black. What do you think?" Severus snapped.

"Sorry. I just wanted to see that you were okay," Simona replied.

"Well, I'm fine. Now leave me alone," Severus said sternly as he made to walk away again. Simona grabbed his arm and spun him around.

"You're not okay, there's something wrong," Simona said, frowning.

"You're annoying me, leave me alone," Severus spat. Simona could tell that she was being persistent, but her Slytherin determination kicked in. She wanted to know what was wrong.

"There's something else isn't there?" Simona asked, studying his eyes. They shifted uncomfortably.

"No, of course there isn't, now let me go," Severus said, less convincingly.

"I don't believe you. You've been crying haven't you?" Simona said, more harshly than she had intended.

"I, no. Why would I have been crying?" Severus said, his eyes avoiding Simona's.

"I can think of a reason. Lily," Simona said, her eyes still focussing on Severus.

"No," Severus said simply, Simona felt his resolve break. He wasn't lying anymore.

"Well what do you mean no?" Simona asked, wanting to get a more comprehensive answer.

"I haven't been crying…because of Lily," Severus asked, as if it was painful for him to say.

"Why were you crying?" Simona asked, her voice full of concern and curiosity.

"Do you really want me to say, out loud?" Severus said, his voice becoming quiet and vulnerable.

"Yes, then we can sort everything out," Simona said, frowning.

"But we're not friends anymore," Severus said. Simona smiled sadly, it was true that the two Slytherins had drifted apart, but at that moment Simona no longer held any resentment towards Severus.

"We can be friends again. If you want," Simona said letting go of Severus' arm and holding out her hand.

After a moment of consideration, Severus nodded and shook Simona's hand. Simona smiled and sighed in relief.

"Now that we're friends. Why were you crying?" Simona said. Severus bit his lip and looked up at Simona.

"I don't want to say," he said reluctantly. Simona pursed her lips. She desperately wanted to know why Severus had been crying, but part of her didn't want to push him into saying so. They had only just became friends again, and didn't want to jeopardise it again by putting him in a bad mood.

"Okay," Simona replied with what she thought was a convincing smile.

"Are you sure?" Severus asked, a little put out by Simona's sudden change of heart.

"Yes. Now can we go back to the ball?" Simona asked.

"I don't know Simona, I don't think I can be in the same room as Black and his followers," Severus said, spitting out the latter words as if they left an unpleasant taste in his mouth.

"We can avoid them. Come on Sev, if they come near us.. Tell them to bugger off," Simona said stumbling on her words slightly. She wasn't used to using a British slang term like 'bugger off' before. Severus noticed as he raised a bemused brow at this and shook his head.

"Okay, but if any of them give me any bother, we're leaving," Severus said, setting off back towards the main hall without pre warning Simona who set off at a jog to catch up with him.

The two Slytherins made it back to the hall, almost all of the occupants were busy dancing with each other on the dance floor. Sirius, James and Remus were nowhere to be seen.

"This isn't too bad, is it?" Simona asked as they awkwardly swept across the dance floor. Severus seemed to have terrible timing, Simona winced as he accidently stepped on her foot.

"I told you I can't dance Simona," Severus said downheartedly as he tripped over himself for the third time.

"It's okay, I'm not that good either," Simona said reassuringly patting Severus' arm.

"You're better than me," Severus said, losing his footing again.

"Well practice makes perfect right?" Simona said, recalling the clichéd phrase.

"I guess so. I just don't like being bad at something," Severus said gritting his teeth as he stumbled slightly.

"That's just you being a typical Slytherin," Simona said with a smirk. Severus sighed and then nodded.

"Although you can talk. I heard you stay up all night in the common room studying," Severus said with a half smirk.

"Well that's different!" Simona said quickly, Severus rolled his eyes. Simona was a terrible liar.

"Oh yes, completely different," Severus said sarcastically.

"Sorry, I told you I'm not very good at this," Severus said downheartedly.

"You will get better, promise!" Simona said with an earnest expression.

"Yeah," Severus said simply.

"Hey, you're getting better at this," Simona said encouragingly as Severus and herself twirled around the dance floor with more fluidity.

"It has been nearly an hour since we started dancing," Severus replied.

"So? You've only stood on my foot a couple of times since then," Simona said with a smile. Severus raised an eyebrow, he wasn't used to anyone paying him compliments.

"You are an insufferable creature," Severus said, said by anyone other than Severus would have been an insult. Simona smiled even more, this was a complement coming from him.

"How nice of you to say," Simona replied sarcastically. Severus' lip twitched into a ghost of a smile.

"I do try," Severus said back. Simona scoffed and flickered her eyes over to the buffet table.

"Could we get something to eat? I'm so hungry," she said with a small smile.

"Sure. I am too, come to think of it," Severus replied, as they walked over to the table.

Simona piled her plate with food, whilst Severus took a few sandwiches.

"How can you eat so much?" Severus asked in amazement as Simona scoffed the plate.

"Huh?" Simona said with a mouthful of food.

"You eat a lot," Severus said, pointing to the now empty plate. Simona blushed slightly.

"I suppose I've got my appetite back. Food is very important in Italy, my dad said if I had a spirit animal, it would be a horse," Simona said shrugging her shoulders.

"A horse?" Severus asked in confusion.

"He said it's because I uh, eat like one," Simona said with a fond smile, her dad used to come out with a lot of strange phrases, but that one stuck out in her head.

"What?" Severus said in surprise, Simona began to laugh, Severus shook his head and bit the inside of his cheek. 'Mad as a hatter this one,' he thought to himself.

"His words, not mine," Simona said with a grin as she looked longingly at the buffet table.

"I'm sure they won't mind if you have seconds," Severus said with a raised brow. Simona smiled thankfully at him before refilling her plate.

"I got the last of the garlic chicken," Simona said with an odd sense of pride.

"Yes, what an achievement," Severus said sarcastically as he nibbled a sandwich.

"Now, where were we?" Simona said after she had finished the second plate of food. She put her hands under her chin and looked at Severus as if she meant business.

"What?" Severus asked, faltering slightly under her emerald green gaze.

"Why were you crying earlier?" Simona said seriously.

"Simona," Severus said with a hint of exasperation.

"Come on Sev, I want to know," Simona said. Severus sighed and sank back in his chair.

"I don't want to say," Severus said, vulnerability swimming in his obsidian eyes.

"Why not? I won't judge you," Simona replied.

"I know you won't, it's just. It's complicated," Severus said, frowning slightly.

"Try me," Simona said with a small pout.

"I don't know Simona," Severus said reluctantly.

"Give me a clue. What's it about?" Simona said leaning forward.

"More like who it's about," Severus said quietly.

"Who is it about then?" Simona asked, starting to get slightly impatient.

"That's it. I can't say," Severus replied.

"Can I guess?" Simona asked with a small smirk on her face.

"Fine," Severus replied.

"Is she in our year?" Simona asked.

"Yes."

"Hmmm, is she in Gryffindor?" Simona asked as she started to mentally narrow down the girls in their year in her head.

"No, it's not Lily. I said so earlier," Severus replied.

"Right, is she in Ravenclaw?"

"No."

"Hufflepuff?"

"…No."

"Ah, Slytherin."

"Obviously."

"Right. Do I know her?" Simona asked mischievously.

"Yes."

"Oooh, is she a good friend of ours?" Simona asked, the playful glint never leaving her eyes.

"I guess you could say that," Severus said, nervously running a hand through his hair.

"Hmmm," Simona said thoughtfully.

"Oh come on, it isn't that hard to figure out," Severus said rather irritably. Simona's eyes widened in realisation.

"It's me isn't it?" She said quietly.

"Yes."

AN: Don't you just love a cliffhanger? Next chapter when time allows! Sorry the chapter is a little short, I will try to write a longer one next time.. That's what she said! Please read and review and subscribe to let me know that you love me as much as I love you! :D xoxoxo