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
Spending an evening with Hallie was far less difficult than I expected. Then again I wasn't sure why I was surprised. She was actually quite easy to talk to when she was in the mood, and recently she seemed to be in the mood to talk around me all the time.
I looked around the room to see Hallie had been right, it was full of couples. James and Lily were talking with Remus and Patricia by the drinks table, and I could see Slughorn himself talking to several important women from the ministry.
His parties were typically formal events, which meant dress robes or at least something nicer than our school uniforms we were required. Both Hallie and Lily had worn muggle dresses that matched their eyes. Lily's dress was long and green where Hallie's was deep blue dress and tied around the waist. It draped one her shoulder leaving the other exposed and long brown hair fell down her back. Again I was glad I took it out of it's ponytail.
I'd noticed several boys staring at Hallie when we'd walked together and I had to resist the temptation to put my arm around her to signal she was off limits. Instead, I glared at them and they backed off immediately. Everyone knew that I was after Hallie and very few boys were going to challenge me, no matter how beautiful she looked, and tonight, beautiful didn't do her justice.
We were sitting at one of the tables, just people watching and making fun of couples like James and Lily, inventing stories for them having no idea if they were accurate at all.
"Alright what do you think about blondie and string bean over there?" I asked her spotting a very pretty girl with an extremely awkward looking boy on the dance floor. Music had filled the dimly lit room and a few people were dancing to the jazzy melody. "Who invited whom, and why did they decide to go?"
"Hmm…" she said frowning her eyes landing on the pair. "Well I think string bean invited blondie either to impress his friends or because he was dared to. I'm guessing his family is wealthy which is why he is here, and Blondie is an aspiring actress or model. She knows Slughorn has connections and that his parties are littered with famous and powerful people. Maybe she thinks that meeting some of these people tonight will give her a leg up in her doomed to fail career."
"That's pretty morbid Hal." I said grinning and she raised an eyebrow.
"Fine. What do you think?"
"I think it's possible they're in a perfectly committed relationship and that they are in love."
"You believe in love?" she asked suspiciously.
"Yeah I guess for some people." I said shrugging and looking back at her. "You seem surprised."
"I am. I didn't think of you as the type to believe in love."
"Why not?"
"Well c'mon Sirius." She said grinning slightly. "You're not exactly Mr. Right are you? How many hearts here have you broken? Are you seriously trying to make me believe that you were ever in love?"
"Maybe not me personally, but I mean look at James. He's been in love with Lily for almost as long as we've been mates. It's kind of hard not to believe in something when it's been right in front of you for the last couple years of your life."
"Fair point." She said thoughtfully.
"What about you? Do you believe in love?"
"I think my Dad would question if he raised me right if I didn't." she said frowning.
"Then how come I've never seen you with any boyfriends?" I asked her.
"I don't have time for them." She said shrugging. "At least not during the school year."
"Any summer boys?"
"A few." She admitted. "Mostly muggles I knew from childhood but they never lasted long."
"I guess I can see why. It must be pretty hard having to hide the fact you're a witch from people you've known for so long, especially if you're dating. They must wonder where you go all year."
"Actually it never really came up. Usually it ended before it had time too." She said suddenly her brow furrowing. "It's was my brothers' fault mainly, it's hard to date someone who's too afraid to be within five hundred feet of you. My last boyfriend they locked into a closet with an angry raccoon."
"How did that turn out?" I asked half amused, half horrified.
"Not well, it took a while for him to break up with me though." She said shrugging. "He had to get out of the hospital first."
"Blimey…"
"But you're one to talk about hiding things." She said looking at me. "How many secrets do you have to hide?"
"Well if I told you that I wouldn't be hiding them would I?" I asked grinning. "And if you noticed, I'm not really a long term relationship kind of person."
"I have noticed." She said amused.
"If I told every girl I dated everything. The whole school would be broad casting my business."
"That's the truth." She muttered rolling her eyes. "But it sounds like you've got some deep seeded trust issue to me."
"I don't keep girls around long enough to trust them." I said with a shrug.
"And you wonder why I don't go out with you."
"You're different Hal." I said quietly.
"I hardly think so." She said offhandedly and I looked at her.
"You don't have to for it to be true." Just then I saw the boy try to kiss the pretty blonde and she shied away, dragging him to a very important looking man in pinstriped dress robes who was talking to what looked like the Ambassador of France. "You might be right about that blonde girl though."
She laughed.
"Do you want to dance?" I asked when the lights in the room dimmed further, and the music slowed. Suddenly the dance floor was filled with couples.
"Do I look like someone who dances Sirius?" she asked and again I found it hard to refrain myself from touching her while she was wearing that dress.
"Yes actually."
"Well you're wrong."
"I don't believe you." I said standing and producing a rose from thin air.
"And why is that?" she asked skeptically, eyeing the flower.
"All pretty girls like to dance."
I offered her the rose, and for the first time since the start of this year, it achieved the goal of making her smile.
"Alright." She said taking my hand and letting me drag her to the dance floor.
Both very aware that people were looking at us and whispering, I put my arm around her and we began to move.
"So is this all part of your process?" she asked curiously after I spun her.
"Process? What do you mean?"
"You know, flowers, dancing, giving compliments. Is this how you make girls fall in love with you?"
I chuckled. "Hallie, this is just me keeping my promise and being your companion for the night. I know you'll find this hard to believe but I am a gentleman."
"But really," she said and I was surprised how insistent she was on the matter. "Is this how you do it?"
"Why is it working?" I asked grinning.
"No." she said stubbornly. "But I could see how it could."
"And why is that?"
"Well I don't believe any of this for a second." She said shaking her head. "But I guess I can understand why some girls might." She glanced up at me and her eyes met mine. "You're easy to get caught up in."
"Funny." I said quietly. "I was just thinking the same thing about you."
She blushed and I was caught by that mad desire to kiss her again, consequences be damned, but the moment was broken when someone materialized out of the crowd. He was tall with blonde hair and icy gray eyes, and a prominent sneer.
"Well, well, if it isn't my cousin in law." Lucius Malfoy said nastily his eyes flashing as they landed on Hallie.
"What are you doing here?" I asked threateningly, hot anger spreading throughout me and I pulled Hallie closer.
Lucius was, as he said, my cousin in law. He'd married Narcissa Black and had been a royal pain in my ass from the day I'd met him. He had been a few years ahead of us in school, and when he graduated I thought I'd been rid of him. I was glad. He was another one of the pureblood fanatics in my family and a very outspoken one. If I'd had it my way I'd never see him again but here he was, and the way he was glaring at Hallie, it was obvious he exactly what she was. This did not endear him to me anymore than his marriage to my cousin. In fact, my anger increased.
"I've just been appointed as a school governor Black. Professor Slughorn invited me tonight as a bit of celebration, and I would watch your tone if I were you. Now that I've been granted quite a substantial position of power I could make life very difficult for you and your…" his eyes darted to Hallie again and she glared defiantly back at him. "Well, seeing as you've sunk so low, I guess I'll call that thing your friend."
I went for my wand but Hallie caught my arm.
"Don't be an idiot." She said stiffly. "He only wants a chance to get you expelled."
"Oh so you're one of the smart ones." He said frowning. "I heard there were two of you here that might actually pass for real witches."
"She is a real witch." I spat angrily. "Watch your mouth."
"Relax Sirius," Hallie said calmly then turned back to Lucius. "It's funny though, with that luscious blonde hair of yours, I was thinking the same thing about you."
"What?" he spat angrily and I tried not to laugh.
"I think you." Hallie said still in that even tone, her face completely straight. "Could pass for a very attractive witch."
"How dare you!" he spat but Hallie simply raised an eyebrow.
"Oh so I'm a 'you' now?" she asked sarcastically. "What a wondrous honor, and here I was still thinking I was a 'thing.' Good to know I'm making progress."
He glared at her with contempt.
"You must be Benson, the little muggleborn who thinks she's going to be a healer." He said maliciously. "I've heard about you and your smart mouth. Well let me tell you something Hallie." He said quietly, his tone dangerous. "Make jokes all you want, but you will always be nothing."
Rage built inside of me as and increased with each word he spoke.
"You are a nobody, dirt on my shoes just waiting to be trodden on."
I could hear my heart pounding, slamming itself against my chest, as if my anger itself were trying to break out.
"You'll be one of the first to go. Your life is useless, you are worth nothing. You are nothing more than a pathetic little mudblood-"
At this I lost control completely.
"Shut up!" I yelled and fueled by a reckless fury, I lunged for Malfoy. My fist connected with his jaw and he dropped, but I wasn't done.
"Sirius stop!" Hallie yelled but I ignored her. I was so angry, I didn't know what had come over me. All I knew was that he would pay for what he said. I would make sure he was sorry.
The music cut out and people were shouting as I pulled out my wand and let loose a long string of curses, but most of them missed. Lucius had managed to get out of the way just in time, and get to his feet. He too was firing spells at me and suddenly I realized that we were in the middle of an all out duel.
James and Remus stumbled out of the flood of people scrambling for the doors and were instantly by my side, ready to fight, but several Slytherins had joined Lucius and it was starting to look very serious for us when Hallie shouted.
"Everte Statum!"
Her spell was so powerful it threw all of us off our feet and sent us to opposite sides of the room. With another quick flick of her wand, she summoned all of ours and caught them, leaving us all powerless to continue the fight.
"T-t-thank you, Miss Benson." Slughron said shakily as she handed him the wands. He was one of the few people still left in the now destroyed office, along with Lily and Remus's date.
"What happened?" Lily asked running over to James who'd been hit with a blasting curse. He managed to deflect most of the damage though, and seemed alright.
"I don't know really," he said wincing as he sat up. "But Sirius was in trouble."
"Mate what did he do?" Remus asked but before I could answer I was being dragged by a furious Hallie towards the door.
"Come with me." She said so angrily it was almost as if I was the one who'd insulted her. "Don't make me force you."