Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Harry Potter series and any of the characters. All credit goes to my hero, the wonderful J.K. Rowling! :D
Spov
I grinned as Hallie stormed out of the dormitory and Remus shot me a reproachful look.
"You do realize now I'M the one who's going to have to put up with her complaining about you." He said frowning at me. "Why do you bother her so much?"
"Because if he doesn't she ignores him." James said smirking.
"Any thing for a bit of her attention huh?" Remus said rolling his eyes and closing his book. "I guess I should follow her, we're all supposed to be at the library in five minutes anyways."
"Alright see you Moony." James said as Remus grabbed his school bag and walked out after Hallie.
"Padfoot, why do you put up with Hallie?" Peter asked looking relieved she had left as he rifled through his trunk for real clothes to replace the bathrobe he'd thrown on when she walked in. "She's pretty, but it seems like a lost cause. I mean it's alright for Prongs, he's always been after Lily but you've dated tons of girls. Why not stick with one of them?"
"That's a very good question." I muttered looking at the rose she'd dropped. Logic dictated that I should just forget about her, and God knows I'd tried, but even when it seemed like a dead case I found myself doing things like I had done to day, nicking her Potions book from her bag when she wasn't paying attention in class just so I'd have an excuse for her to come and talk to me. I just couldn't help myself.
"Well while you're figuring that out," James said suddenly standing. "I'll be off setting up trials."
"What time?" I asked. James was the Gryffindor quidditch captain and so it was his job to reserve the pitch for team practices and tryouts.
"This Saturday at one if it's available." He answered.
I nodded and he exited the dormitory leaving me alone with Peter.
"What are your plans for the night?" I asked and his face fell.
"I've got detention." He said frowning.
"It's the first day back." I said incredulously. "What could you have possibly done?"
"I accidentally left a cage of pixies open during Care of Magical Creatures." He said shamefacedly. "And they sort of attacked the class. Three people ended up in the hospital wing."
"That could only happen to you." I said rolling my eyes. Peter was very clumsy and prone to accidents, many people wondered why James, Remus, and I hung around with him, but despite his awkward appearance, he was very useful. Peter had a knack for knowing information he shouldn't. He always was the one to hear things, and that had been very useful over the years.
"I'd better go too." He said with a resigned sigh. "My detention is a six and if I'm late Professor Kettleburn is likely to make me feed the hippogriffs after class." He shuddered. Peter had always been scared of hippogriffs but I could never see why. I rather liked them. "I'll see you around Padfoot."
"See you." I said feeling slightly disappointed as he scurried off towards the common room. I rarely ever had down time at Hogwarts, most of it was spent with either the others, or girls. I'd always hated being alone.
My thoughts drifted towards Hallie again as I picked up the rose unable to keep myself from looking at it. It shouldn't have bothered me so much that she'd left it, but I'd be lying to myself if I said it didn't hurt just a little.
I fell back on my bed wondering when everybody would be back when I heard the door open.
"Did you forget something?" I asked expecting to see Peter but when I looked up I felt a shock to through me to see it was Hallie's dormitory mate Valerie who'd walked through the door.
"Valerie," I said confused and sitting up. "What are you doing here?"
"I just thought I'd see what you're up to." She said shrugging then spotted the rose. "Hallie didn't like her flower?"
"Apparently not."
"You know I don't understand why you waste your time on her. She's not going to go out with you."
"You never know." I said.
"Sirius I do know, I live with her. I hear her talk about you with her friends." She said flatly while walking towards me. "There's no point. Why focus on one person when you can have any girl in the school?"
"Why are you here?" I asked, but I knew the answer.
"I was bored." She said shrugging she was standing in front of me now. "I figured if you weren't busy, you and I could have a little fun. You know, for old times sake."
I glanced at the rose in my hand, and felt a stab of bitterness run through me. Hallie had simply left it there to die on the floor. Peter and Valerie were right, there was no point bothering with her. Why did I keep wasting my time on a girl who obviously didn't care?
I dropped the rose and put an arm around Valerie pulling her onto the bed. Her lips crashed into mine and she immediately started undoing the buttons on her shirt. Even as Valerie threw herself at me, a small part in the very back of my mind knew it was only a distraction. This was what I always did. I'd swear I was done with Hallie, I'd tell myself to move on and find another girl but it never lasted, my resolve was far too weak. No matter how angry I was, I knew the moment I saw her things would go right back to normal and I'd be chasing her again.
There was something about her that kept me coming back. Something I just couldn't shake.
Hpov
"So much for flowers." I said rolling my eyes as Valerie emerged from the boys' dormitory. I was sitting with Lily, Alice, and Remus in the common room we'd finished in the library for the night and were just talking by the fire.
"Oh good lord, not this again." Lily said. "Remus, you need to put your foot down. I am not putting up with another year of walking in on her and Sirius in our dormitory."
"You do realize I can't control what he does right?" he asked raising an eyebrow. "Besides, this is Hallie's fault not mine."
"What are you talking about?" I asked scowling. "I didn't tell her to go up there and shag him."
"Sirius always does this when you turn him down. He can't have you so he finds another girl to cheer him up. He's licking his wounds."
"So I turn him down and his first thought is to go find the nearest thing in a skirt?" I asked in distaste.
"What do you expect him to do Hal?" Alice asked. "By now you've had to have destroyed his pride."
"And that's his solution?" I asked raising an eyebrow while gesturing towards the retreating figure of Valerie as she went back to our dorm. "Because him sleeping with any and every girl that agrees is really to help his chances in making me change my mind and want to go out with him. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense."
I'd said this without thinking and immediately regretted it as I caught Alice's expression.
"So wait," she said excitedly. "If Sirius didn't sleep around, would you actually consider going out with him?"
"You're reading too much into this Alice." I said frowning.
"But would you?"
I looked at Remus who seemed slightly uncomfortable as we hovered dangerously close on the edge of girl talk. There was a time last year when I couldn't even be in the same room as him without my heart rate increasing, and I was pretty sure he knew how I'd felt, but I'd long since accepted the fact that all we were ever going to be was friends and over the summer I'd pretty much gotten over him.
"I dunno." I said frowning and looking away. "I mean. He's funny and he's smart."
"And good looking." She added.
"But he's also an egotistical prat."
"You know he's really not all that bad Hal." Remus said fairly and I shot him a look. Like Alice, kept trying to convince me to give Sirius a chance.
"He once came into the hospital wing and asked me if I would give him a complete physical." I said annoyed.
"Well that's not THAT bad." He reasoned.
"He told me to 'pay close attention to his wand.'"
Alice burst out into laughter while Lily made an incredulous noise.
"He actually said that to you?" she asked.
"Lily you haven't heard half the things that boy has said." I said scowling.
"Ok you have a point." Remus conceded. "But that's just when he's around you."
"And every other girl…" Lily muttered.
"But my point is." Remus continued as if she hadn't spoken. "He might act like an idiot around you but that's not the real him. Remember how much of a prat James used to be around Lily?"
At this Lily flushed.
"That's true." Alice said brightly. "He has been much better this year. Speaking of which, aren't you supposed to spend a lot of time with him now that he's head boy and you're head girl." She asked Lily.
"Not a lot of time." She said defensively. "We just have to do rounds together, and meet with the prefects. Just normal head boy and girl duties."
"Getting back to what I was saying." Remus said looking at me. "You should give him a shot Hal. Get to know him. And you don't have to go out with him." He added quickly when he saw my expression. "But you know, you could be his friend."
"Well you might know the 'real Sirius,'" I said with finger quotes. "But how am I supposed to give the 'real Sirius' chance if I've never met him?"
For this he had no answer.
I thought back to earlier in class, when Sirius had given me the flower, and how sincere he'd seemed.
"Besides." I continued. "James has always been after just Lily. He might have acted like an idiot, but you could always tell her cared."
"You think Sirius doesn't care about you?" Remus asked frowning.
"I know he doesn't." I said shrugging. "Not really. The only reason he hasn't given up on me is because he sees me as a challenge. It has nothing to do with me. The second I agreed to go out with him he'd get bored just like every other girl."
Remus frowned and looked as if he wanted to say something, but before he could the portrait hole swung open and James bounded through it.
"Attention Gryffindors!" he said excitedly and everyone in the common room turned to face him. "Anyone interested in trying out for our quidditch team, trials are this Saturday at one."
I groaned. I dreaded quidditch trials every year for all four houses. It was the worst time of year to work in the hospital wing.
"What's wrong?" Lily asked.
"Do you know what happens when a bunch of people who haven't flown for months get on their broomsticks while trying to avoid bludgers and other people?"
"Lots of injuries?" Alice asked.
"Lots of injuries," I confirmed. "Honestly, it's a recipe for disaster."
"So I guess you're not going to watch this year?" Remus asked.
"No we're going to need all hands on deck." I answered.
He looked at Alice and Lily. "What about you two, are you going to watch trials?"
"I've got nothing better to do." Alice said shrugging while Lily said. "Sure."
"That will make James happy." I said smirking looking back to him as he posted the trial times on the notice board and answered a couple of fourth years' questions. "Let's hope you don't distract him too much though. We wouldn't want him to have an accident."
"Well if he does you'd be the one to fix him." Lily said laughing.