AN: So I am trying to figure out exactly what to do for the seventh book. I have some ideas but it will be interesting doing most of it from Sirius' perspective. I will be making some of the death eaters more known in that one. Rdolphus, Rabastan and possibly Dolohov. I might even go into the deaths of Fabian and Gideon Prewett I was always curious why they had five death eaters take them down. In other words if you have any ideas at all please PM me or send a review. Once again I am not JK Rowling.
We were in the Room of Requirement getting ready for Slughorn's party. I had told Sirius about what was happening between Harry and Ginny. He said he would talk to Harry but doubted he would listen to him.
Sirius was tying and retying his tie a dark look on his face. I smiled and bit my lip to keep myself from laughing.
"Need help?" I asked pulling my pink dress over my head. Sirius sighed and threw the black cloth away.
"Why do I even have to go to this stupid party?" He asked as I grabbed the bow tie off the floor.
"Because if you hadn't I would have gone with Harry and there would have been rumors about us." I said slipping the cloth around his neck and tying it. He made a face and looked at himself in the mirror. "When was the last time you even wore a tie?"
"Er James and Lily's wedding when I was nineteen." He said running his fingers through his hair.
I pulled away frowning. "I forgot you were the best man for James." A soft sad smile spread across his lips. "What was he like?"
"He was a nervous wreck. Afraid Lily wouldn't walk down the aisle. She was gorgeous when she came out. Nothing on you though Sweetheart." He said stroking my hand. "I got him completely sloshed the night before at his stag party. Lily was furious when she found out."
"Really?" I asked turning my back to him. He zipped up my dress and kissed my neck. I shivered and felt him smile against my skin.
"Oh yes she was spitting mad and slapped me when she found out. Didn't hurt but shocked me quite a bit." I snickered and pulled on my strappy heels.
"Is Harry a lot like James?" I asked spraying perfume on my wrist.
"Harry looks almost exactly like him but his personality is more like Lily's. James always acted before he thought. Jumping to conclusions. Hex first ask questions later. Lily on the other hand was open to new people. She was one of the most kindhearted people I have ever met." He sighed and pulled on his dragonhide boots.
"You ready for Slughorn's party?" I asked putting lipstick on.
"No but we should go anyway." He said opening the door. I sighed and walked out into the hall my heels clicking against the floor. Sirius and I quickly made our way to Slughorn's office and stopped outside the door. Music and laughter was blaring from his room. We stepped inside the room and I stopped short.
Whether it had been built that way, or because he had used magical trickery to make it so, Slughorn's office was much larger than the usual teacher's study. The ceiling and walls had been draped with emerald, crimson, and gold hangings, so that it looked as though they were all inside a vast tent. The room was crowded and stuffy and bathed in the red light cast by an ornate golden lamp dangling from the center of the ceiling in which real fairies were fluttering, each a brilliant speck of light. Loud singing accompanied by what sounded like mandolins issued from a distant corner; a haze of pipe smoke hung over several elderly warlocks deep in conversation, and a number of house-elves were negotiating their way squeakily through the forest of knees, obscured by the heavy silver platters of food they were bearing, so that they looked like little roving tables.
"Sirius, m'boy!" boomed Slughorn, almost as soon as we squeezed in through the door. "Come in, come in, so many people I'd like you to meet!"
Slughorn was wearing a tasseled velvet hat to match his smoking jacket. Gripping Sirius' arm so tightly he might have been hoping to Disapparate with him, Slughorn led us purposefully into the party; Sirius seized my hand and dragged her along with him.
"Sirius, I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple, an old student of mine, author of Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires — and, of course, his friend Sanguini."
Worple, who was a small, stout, bespectacled man, grabbed Sirius' hand and shook it enthusiastically; the vampire Sanguini, who was tall and emaciated with dark shadows under his eyes, merely nodded. He looked rather bored. A gaggle of girls was standing close to him, looking curious and excited.
"Sirius Black, I am simply delighted!" said Worple, peering shortsightedly up into Sirius' face. "I was saying to Professor Slughorn only the other day, 'Where is the biography of Sirius Black for which we have all been waiting?'"
"Er," I said surprised, "were you?"
"You must be his wife just as beautiful as Horace described!" said Worple. I flushed and Sirius smiled proudly at me. "But seriously"— his manner changed; it became suddenly businesslike — "I would be delighted to write it myself — people are craving to know more about you craving! If you were prepared to grant me a few interviews, say in four- or five-hour sessions, why, we could have the book finished within months. And all with very little effort on your part, I assure you — ask Sanguini here if it isn't quite — Sanguini, stay here!" added Worple, suddenly stern, for the vampire had been edging toward the nearby group of girls, a rather hungry look in his eye. "Here, have a pasty," said Worple, seizing one from a passing elf and stuffing it into Sanguini's hand before turning his attention back to Sirius.
"My dear man, the gold you could make, you have no idea —"
"I'm definitely not interested," said Sirius firmly, "and I've just seen a friend of mine, sorry." He pulled me after him into the crowd towards Snape.
"Its like they don't even know you." I muttered as he pulled me closer to his side as Cormac gave me a led grin.
"He didn't even understand me back when I went here. Slughorn tried to collect me but I never played nice."
"I can't believe you came Severus." Sirius said stopping next to Snape. He was in his usual black attire but had a green shirt on under his cloak instead of black.
"Neither can I." Snape said darkly.
"Why are you here?" I asked grabbing a pastry from a tray.
"Mostly because of Sanguini. I knew it would be bad if there was a vampire here." He said shaking his head. I looked over to Sanguini and he was creeping towards a group of girls.
"You might want to stop him." I said to Snape. He looked up and paled. Snape darted across the room and quickly engaged Sanguini in conversation.
"I can't believe Worple invited a vampire." Sirius said pulling me out to a balcony. "I don't want you anywhere close to him."
I frowned and bit my lip. "But isn't that the same thing people think about werewolves?"
Sirius froze frowning. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it thinking. "Your right."
"Don't you hate it when that happens?" I asked smiling trying not to laugh.
"Definitely," he said kneeling next to a house-elf and took two drinks. "Thank you." The elf squeaked and rushed away.
I smiled and took the two drinks and set them on the edge. "I love you."
"I love you too." He smiled his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. I grabbed his dragonhide jacket and pulled him close to me and kissed him. He groaned and started to run his fingers through my hair.
"Hey guys – Ugh do you always have to maul her?" Harry asked disgusted with Lavender at his side. I looked between them surprised. He brought Lavender? Yikes.
"Harry?" Lavender trilled batting her eyes. "Can we go dance?"
"Yeah," he said grabbing a Firewhisky from a house-elf and downed it. He would need it with her. Harry and Lavender walked away and I turned to look at Sirius my eyes wide.
"Why in the world would he go with her?" I asked darkly grabbing my Butterbeer.
"Maybe because -" He was cut off by a loud scuffle. I frowned and walked back into the main room. Filch was dragging Draco into the room by his ear.
"Professor Slughorn," Filch wheezed, his jowls aquiver and the maniacal light of mischief-detection in his bulging eyes, "I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"
Malfoy pulled himself free of Filchs grip, looking furious. "All right, I wasn't invited!" he said angrily. "I was trying to gate crash, happy?"
"No, I'm not!" Filch said, a statement at complete odds with the glee on his face. "You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the headmaster say that nighttime prowling's out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?"
"That's all right, Argus, that's all right," Slughorn said, waving a hand. "It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once, we'll forget any punishment; you may stay, Draco."
Filich's expression of outraged disappointment was perfectly predictable. But why did Malfoy look almost equally unhappy? And why was Snape looking at Malfoy as though both angry and… was it possible?… a little afraid? No I shook my head I was just seeing things. Filch muttered darkly and left the room a dark look on his face.
"It's nothing, nothing," Slughorn said, waving away Malfoy's thanks. "I did know your grandfather, after all…"
"He always spoke very highly of you, sir," Malfoy said quickly. "Said you were the best potion-maker he'd ever known…"
I looked closely at Draco frowning. He looked worse than the last time I saw him up close. He had dark shadows under his eyes and a distinctly grayish tinge to his skin.
"I'd like a word with you, Draco," Snape said suddenly.
"Now, Severus," Slughorn said, hiccuping again, "it's Christmas, don't be too hard —"
"I am his Head of House, and I shall decide how hard, or otherwise, to be," Snape said curtly. "Follow me, Draco."
They left, Snape leading the way, Malfoy looking resentful. I frowned and turned back to Sirius. His eyebrows were drawn together in confusion.
I leaned over and whispered. "Want to bale?"
"I thought you would never ask."
AN: Please leave reviews. Tell me what you love, what you hate, what you want to see happen, anything. It helps really it helps.