Troubled Love║Sirius Black

Chapter 25

"Hello Hallie," Flora exclaimed brightly, as she approached the blonde rather suddenly in the library.

Hallie had spent the last hour or so in the library, catching up with the constantly growing stack of homework that was uncompleted under her name. It had become a tiresome bore to even begin the shedloads of work, which was evident with the surrounding blank parchment that littered Hallie's table.

Hallie looked up sceptically, taking in the brunette's appearance. She seemed to have had a rather dramatic haircut over the holidays; her once curly, long hair was bobbed short and cut extremely unevenly.

"Hey Flora?" Hallie spoke in confusion at the girl's sudden outburst. Usually when Flora Alliss approached, it was either to tell Hallie something about herself that she already knew or it was a preposterous rumour that Flora herself would have started.

"So this whole thing with James Potter and Sirius Black," she began, causing Hallie to groan in annoyance. "Are you friends with them?"

Hallie cast her gaze elsewhere, refraining from looking up at the girl whose piercing glare Hallie could almost feel burning a hole through her face. "I don't know Flora."

"I understand, tricky situation. It really is Hallie Brennan. Is there any sexual tension there?"

The girl slammed a massive notebook down on the desk in front of her, causing Hallie to lean back timidly in her chair. Flora had a stern grip on her quill, hovering it only centimetres above the parchment.

"I...what?" Hallie stuttered, trying her hardest to avoid leading the conversation any further. The more words that would escape her lips, the more twisted Flora's rumours would become.

"Well you know, you spend an awful lot of time with James Potter..." she queried, sending a suggestive glance in Hallie's direction.

Hallie scoffed in annoyance, shaking her head adamantly. "I've told you this before Flora. Me and James have been practically raised as brother and sister our entire lives! I literally came out of the fucking womb and boom, James Potter was there. Don't go making up some shit rumour about me," Hallie spoke menacingly, leaning forward in her chair to press her elbows into the table and her chin into her hands. "I know your plan."

Flora raised her hands in surrender. "Aren't you a feisty little blonde today Hallie Brennan," she teased. Hallie's eyes leered further, as she assessed her possible escape routes - most, in Hallies mind, ended with the brutality of Flora Alliss' murder. It was not a very promising scheme of escape.

"And a moody blonde too," Flora added, muttering quietly under her breath. She slowly began to drag her quill across the parchment, resulting in a loss of temper, as Hallie snatched it from her hand feverishly.

"I was only writing a reminder that you and James are friends Hallie," she spoke with a laugh, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Anyways, I do have another question regarding Sirius Black. Have you two ever dated?"

"Wha...no Flora. Where have you heard that from?" Hallie exclaimed. No way she would ever let that rumour get out. Hallie had far more self respect than to be classed as another one of his flings.

"Oh, I was just wondering that's all. He's super hot," she giggled flirtatiously, attempting to twist her short stub of hair through her fingers. "To be fair though, you're not the type of girl he'd go for."

"So I'm not like every other girl in this school. That's a relief, really Flora," Hallie spoke harshly as the shorter girl beamed back sarcastically.

"Oh you know what I mean Hallie. He always goes for the girls he can get easily, like the ones in his fan club and that. I reckon if you weren't so 'I'm not dating a player' kind of girl, then you'd date...for a few days before he'd dump you that is. He'd date me though," she smiled to herself, staring off out of the window, looking out onto the school grounds. "He just hasn't tried yet." She lowered her voice to a whisper, beckoning Hallie closer. Hallie rolled her eyes, keeping still in her chair and instead took a sip of water. "The poor boy knows I'm out of his league."