Soon enough, Hogwarts was decked for the festivities of December, bearing an assortment of colours from the deepest of greens to the most brilliant of reds. The Great Hall in particular had exceeded Hallie's expectations, as she glanced up at the lights strung from each eave of the roofing, casting an ambient glow across the hall.
The overall atmosphere of the students had improved immensely. There hadn't been a single murder in the prophet for weeks, which had helped to heighten the holiday cheer. It had also helped to reduce the reluctance of some students, who were previously nervous about returning home for the holidays.
Yet as Hallie toyed with the locket strung around her neck, nervously sitting between Remus and Sirius at breakfast, she couldn't help but be one of the few reluctant ones to return home.
After all, it wasn't really home if her Dad wasn't there.
Her stepmother, Marie, had not contacted the quarter veela once since her Dad passed. In fact, Hallie reckoned she was more than pleased for the blonde girl's departure. Yet Hallie couldn't shake the feeling that she'd be seeing Marie. And soon.
"Alright?" Sirius whispered, noticing the girl's unusual silence.
She looked up from her uneaten breakfast, casting her gaze towards Sirius, who was watching the girl with every sign of doubt. He could sense something was bothering her - taking up far too much time on her mind.
The girl hummed in response, instantly beginning to eat. She felt Sirius' hand rest comfortingly against her leg, watching as he engaged himself in the other Marauders conversation.
"Hallie, what do you think?" Remus questioned, causing the girl to look up from her plate in confusion. All four boys had their eyes trained on the veela, who looked between them sceptically.
"What do I think to what?"
"Peter growing a beard," James teased, grabbing Peter's chin and running a finger across his completely smooth jaw.
"You're barely going through puberty mate," Sirius added, laughing brightly as Peter miserably swatted his hand away.
"What do you think Hallie?" Peter smiled shyly, a hopeful glint in his eye.
"Sorry Pete," Hallie chided. "You growing a beard is like James and Lily." Hallie looked over at James, who was furrowing his eyes at the girl in confusion. "Not gonna bloody happen."
All three boys snorted in laughter, causing James to sulk down miserably in his seat.
"You're so funny Hals," he whispered, glaring at the girl as best he could.
"Prove me wrong then!"
"Well if you must know Hallie," said James, leaning forward across the table daringly. " Lily and I kinda had a thing last night."
"Bloody unlikely," Sirius coughed, before nervously backing away from seeing James glaring in his direction.
"But we were playing 'snapping' last night?" Hallie spoke softly, looking up towards Sirius who thought that was possibly one of the cutest things she had ever said.
"Snap Hallie," Remus grumbled, looking between James and Hallie alike. "You're both the same person I swear."
"Way to insult me Moony!"
"Please!" Hallie exclaimed, looking towards James in disbelief. "Maybe if you were more like me, then people would actually like you."
"People do like me!" James argued in defense, looking between the marauders desperately for backup.
"Oh course, how could I forget," Hallie laughed melodically. "Cause Lily is on her knees begging to go out with you. Oh wait no," the girl chided, grinning mischievously. "That was you."
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Troubled Love║Sirius Black
Fanfiction.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·. Sirius Black did not do feelings. He did not do love. And he certainly didn't understand why love was happening to him. Sirius had experienced a fair share of women throughout his life, yet somehow there was something about the ve...
