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

Hpov

"Hallie wake up!"

"What?" I asked confused, my head jerking upward. I looked down to see my open transfiguration textbook that I'd been using as a pillow, then around to see I was in the library with an annoyed Alice and a Remus who looked just as exhausted as I felt. Sirius hadn't told me why Remus wasn't with the others last night, but from the way he was looking, he'd seemed to have a rough night as well. His face was pale and there were dark shadows under his eyes. Not for the first time I wondered why he always seemed to get so sick, but I decided just to let it go for now, I didn't want to think. I was too exhausted from waking up so early and being so stressed trying to heal Sirius, I'd been falling asleep in classes all day. The boys hadn't even bothered to show up for lessons today. We'd only now just met up with Remus.

"Blimey what is it with you two?" she asked suspiciously.

Remus met my gaze. He was clearly wondering what I would tell Alice and exactly how much I knew, but I was spared the need to come up with an excuse when Lily practically bounced into the library with a wide grin. She was positively giddy with excitement.

"You're happy." I noted as she took the seat next to Alice still beaming.

"James asked me to be his girlfriend." She said her face flushed with pleasure.

"What did you say?" Remus asked her and we all stared at him in amazement.

"Yes, can't you tell?" I asked him incredulously.

"I'm tired." He muttered. "Don't judge me."

"How did he ask you?" Alice asked looking back at Lily excitedly.

"Ali it was so sweet." She said. "He told me to meet in the common room because McGonagall wanted to talk to the Head Boy and Girl but when I got there it had been decorated with fairy lights and he had a bouquet of lilies." She sighed happily. "And then he asked me."

"That's so adorable!" Alice practically shrieked and both girls collapsed into a fit of giggles earning us many dirty looks from the people studying around us.

While Lily was right, the gesture was very sweet and perfect for her, I couldn't help but feel James had gone a little overboard. I'd never been one for the whole romantic over the top displays of affection.

"I know, and his family is going to the Bahamas over the break and he asked me to go!"

"Wait." I said frowning. "The whole break?"

"Yeah," she said happily. "Why?" But then her eyes went wide. "Oh my god I completely forgot." She said clapping her hand to her forehead and looking at me guiltily. "The concert… Hallie I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." I said quickly knowing she was about to suggest she go tell James she couldn't go with him over the holidays after all.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." I said smiling despite my disappointment. "I'll just bring one of my brothers. You and James have fun."

"You're the best!" she said happily then she and Alice launched into a rapid dialogue about this weekend. There was a Hogsmead visit planned and Frank was coming up to visit Alice. They immediately they began planning double dates in cozy little tea shops and cutesy cafes, all of which sounded like torture to me. For some reason, the fact that I still had a surprise date with Sirius coming up entered my thoughts. I shuddered, hoping that whatever Sirius had in mind was nothing like what Lily and Alice were planning. Just the thought of being stuck with him in the middle of a bunch of kissing couples was alarming.

"What's on your mind?" Remus asked.

"Nothing really." I said shrugging. It was strange how a year ago I would have been dying to be making these plans with Alice and Lily if it meant that I were dating him, but these days that wasn't what I wanted at all.

"You can relax Hallie." He said grinning and lowering his voice as Alice and Lily prattled on. "I don't think Sirius is planning to take you to a coffee shop."

"He told you." I said flatly. I should have known…

"Of course he did." Remus said easily. "We're friends."

"So then you can tell me what he's planning?"

"No I couldn't actually."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know."

"But even if you did know, you wouldn't tell me would you?" I asked him suspiciously.

"That's right." He said with a grin. "What kind of friend would I be if I did?"

"My friend." I pointed out.

"Sorry Hal." He said amused. "But you're just going to have to wait and find out."

I groaned.

I hated waiting. Delaying gratification was not my strong suit, and I wanted to know what he was planning now. Part of me wondered if Sirius had figured this out about me, as well as various other things I'd been trying to hide from everyone, let alone him. To me it felt as if he were dragging this out on purpose just to drive me crazy. It sounded like something he would do. It was as if he knew that by not telling me when it was or what we'd be doing, it would be the only thing that was on my mind and I was sure that Sirius would find that highly amusing.

"I hate him." I muttered darkly and Remus chuckled.

"Now we both know that's a lie Hal."

Spov

After being slashed by a werewolf, the guys and I agreed I needed some time off from work. This meant I didn't see Hallie again until Friday, when I returned to lessons, and I was amazed to see she was in a much better mood than I expected.

"Look what the hippogriff dragged in." She said amused when she spotted me in Transfigurations and I was surprised when she took the seat next to mine. A couple of girls on the other side of the room shot her rather jealous expressions but she ignored them. "Have you decided to grace the class with your presence today?"

"I have."

"Just be careful around sharp edges." She said in mock severity. "We wouldn't want you to get a paper cut and have to be sent to the ICU unit in St. Mungo's now would we?"

"I'm sorry did you almost bleed to death a few days ago?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"No, but I did watch you recover."

"Why are you so sassy today? Did you miss me?" I asked grinning and she smiled.

"You should be so lucky. How are you feeling?" she asked glancing at my chest.

"Fine." I said honestly. "Thanks to you."

"You know you had me worried there for a bit." She said looking away from me, apparently too embarrassed to admit this while making eye contact. She watched as James and Lily walked in holding hands, followed by Remus and Alice who were having a debate on something, and as usual Alice seemed to be winning.

"You were worried about me?" I asked quietly.

"Don't go getting a big head Sirius." She said rolling her eyes. "I'm already amazed you can fit through doors with such a big ego."

"There's an inappropriate joke in there somewhere." I muttered shooting her a half smile.

"Oh shut up."

"Hallie, you agree with me right?" Alice asked as she and Remus sat at the table next to ours while Lily and James took the table to their left.

"That depends, how long will you bother me if I don't say yes?"

"Until about six thirty this evening."

"Alice is right Remus." Hallie said quickly while Alice gave him a smirk.

"Six thirty? That's when Slughorn's party starts right?" I asked. Like the rest of us, Remus was one of the Potions Master's favorite students, and was always invited to his Slug Club events.

"That's exactly what we're arguing about." Alice said scowling at him as he calmly unpacked his books. "He REFUSES to ask Patricia French to the party tonight even though we all know he wants to."

I glanced at Hallie, wondering how she'd react to her friend encouraging Remus to ask another girl, but she didn't seem to care at all. Then again, Hallie's emotions were always so hard to read.

"Why don't you?" she asked curiously.

"It's complicated." He muttered.

"That's no excuse." Alice said annoyed.

They continued to bicker as the bell rang and I looked down at Hallie who was levitating her quill with her wand looking bored.

"Speaking of Slughorn's party, are you going to go?" I knew these parties weren't really her thing, but she normally attended, I figured Lily always made her go.

"Nope." She said giving her wand a complicated flick and the quill-changed colors from black to a stunning gold.

"Why not?" I asked admiring her wand work.

"Don't have anyone to go with." She said frowning. "Usually I would just hang out with Lily or Remus, but Lily is going to be with James, Alice is going to make Remus ask Patricia whether he likes it or not, and she refuses to go ever since Frank graduated. The thought of standing alone making small talk with a bunch of couples who feel obligated to talk to the one girl without a date isn't exactly appealing to me believe it or not."

"I'll go with you." I said with a shrug.

"You don't have a date?" she asked skeptically.

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"I hadn't picked one yet." I said and she looked annoyed.

"Only YOU could procrastinate on asking for a date because you have too many options."

"Well? Do you want to go?"

She hesitated. "This isn't you using your one date is it?" she asked and I gave her a patronizing look.

"Don't insult my creativity Hallie." I said rolling my eyes. "Do you really think in my one opportunity to go on a date with you I'd waste it on something as trivial as Slughorns party?"

She still didn't answer.

"Why are you being so stubborn? It's one night what's the worst that could happen besides you having a good time and getting free food?" I asked.

"And it's not a date?" she confirmed.

"No." I said shaking my head. "I'll just be there if you need someone to talk to. You don't even have to kiss me good night. Unless you want to…" I said finishing with a smile.

"You know you're not exactly helping your case here." She pointed out and I laughed.

"My case? Hallie, me going with you would be doing you a favor, not the other way around."

"So you think you're doing girls a favor by allowing them the privilege of going on a date with you?" She asked shooting me an incredulous look while crossing her arms over her chest.

"I was under the impression that this wasn't a date." I said casually and I saw her blush.

"You're right." She recovered. "It's not."

"So it's settled then." I said abruptly. "You and I will go to Slughorn's party together tonight."

"But I never said-"

"I'll meet you in the common room at six twenty." I said smirking.

"What just happened?" she asked sounding confused but the lesson began and we could no longer talk.

Hpov

"Hallie you look fine." Lily said when she caught me looking in the mirror for what must have been the twelfth time in the past ten minutes. "If you don't hurry up we're going to be late. It's six fifteen!"

"Ok." I said still not looking away. I didn't know why I cared what I looked like. This wasn't a date, and even if it was, this was Sirius. It was no big deal, I didn't want to impress him. So why was I annoyed that my hair never seemed to fall the right way when I wanted it to? More importantly, why did I want it to?

Annoyed, I gave up and pulled it back into a ponytail thinking that Sirius would just have to deal with it.

"You know I'm surprised you're even going tonight Hal." Alice said frowning. "I always thought you skipped these parties if you were going to be alone."

"Well," I started and both girls' eyes snapped to me. "I won't exactly be alone."

"WHAT?" Alice practically shrieked while Lily said. "Why didn't you tell us?" so quickly she sounded like a tape on fast forward.

"Because it's not a big deal." I mumbled.

"Of course it's a big deal!" Alice said. "You have a date!"

"It's not a date."

"I haven't seen you hanging around any boys." Lily said frowning. "Well except Sirius, who asked you?"

I didn't answer and Alice's eyes went wide.

"It's Sirius!" she said happily.

"Don't be ridiculous." Lily said rolling her eyes but when she spotted my guilty expression her mouth fell open. "Oh my god is it?"

I nodded.

"I knew it!" Alice said giggling excitedly and collapsing on to her blankets.

"Why are you going with Sirius?" Lily asked utterly dumbfounded.

"Well, I didn't have anyone to go with, and neither did he."

"Sirius didn't have a date?" Lily asked in shock.

"He hadn't asked anyone yet."

"Yeah because he wanted to ask you." Alice laughed.

"Do you like him?" Lily asked curiously.

"What? No!" I said my cheeks burning and they exchanged significant looks. "This is stupid." I continued. "Let's go we're already late."

"Yeah whose fault is that?" Lily muttered.

"Give her a break Lily," Alice said in a babying voice. "She wanted to look pretty for Sirius."

"Oh shut up." I said darkly and heading towards the common room.

Laughing, Lily followed me down the stairs and we saw that the boys were waiting by the portrait hole.

"Wow you look great." James said looking at Lily with an expression similar to one that might accompany having just been hit by a sledgehammer.

Sirius didn't say anything, but I figured since this technically this wasn't a date he wasn't obligated to compliment me.

"Where's Remus?" I asked as James and Lily linked arms and made their way through the portrait hole.

"I know this may come as a shock, but Alice convinced him to ask Patricia to the party. He's meeting her in the Great Hall as we speak."

"Ah I see." I said frowning. "Now is this convinced or 'convinced.'" I asked putting finger quotes around the word when I used it the second time. I wouldn't have put it passed Alice to threaten him.

"A bit of both really. Remus really did want to ask her, but he needed a bit of a push."

"Yeah well Alice would be the one to do it." I said and he grinned.

"Shall we go then?" he asked.

"I guess." I said shrugging, he made as if to open the door for me but caught himself before saying.

"Ah, right, not a date. You can open the door for me."

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but smile a little as I walked passed him and pushed open the portrait hole.

"Thank you." He said pointedly as I made rather a show of holding it open for him and he stepped out into the corridor. James and Lily had already disappeared not that I thought she minded. I had a feeling as this was their first official date as a couple, they'd want some time alone.

"Since this isn't a date." I started and he gave me a curious look as we walked down the hall. "Can I ask you a personal question, between two friends?"

"Sure."

"Well I know some of your family members in Slytherin are invited to these things, is it going to bother you if they see you with me?"

"No." he said but he looked angry about something and while I was half afraid to, I asked.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing it's just," he paused looking frustrated. "I don't like how they would make you ask a question like that, as if you were something to be embarrassed about."

"Isn't that what they think?"

"It's not what you should." He said stiffly.

I felt a little uneasy at his tone and he seemed to have noticed because he stopped walking and he sighed.

"Look Hallie, don't let people like them get to you. In fact, don't think about them at all them, they're a waste of your time."

"They don't bother me."

"Then why did you ask?"

I didn't answer. The truth was I wasn't sure, but I had realized that I knew very little about Sirius's past life and I was curious to know more. I wanted to know what made him, him, after all he seemed to know so much about me.

"What?" I asked frowning when his expression changed from cynical to curious, though it was just as intense.

He shook his head and reached out for me, gently tugging the hair tie from my hair, allowing it to fall around my shoulders.

"Perfect." He said quietly then turned and continued walking, leaving me standing there in confusion.