Troubled Love║Sirius Black

Chapter 57

Hallie tapped her quill against her parchment, gazing mindlessly out of the window. The final NEWT exam for the seventh years had fallen on a sunny Friday afternoon. Sunlight streamed through the tall, arched windows, illuminating the room in rutilant rays of deep oranges and yellows.

Hallie found that all her previous exams had gone swimmingly and were very far from the dreadful examinations people had described. She was relatively confident in her efforts - even in arithmancy which she was almost certain she would fail.

"Five more minutes!"

Hallie cast her gaze subtly around the hall, spotting James through the students almost immediately. He sat forward in his chair, doodling at the corner of his parchment; no doubt a simple L.E scribbled into a love heart. The thought of it made Hallie smile - after all, he seemed so close now to getting the girl.

As Hallie glanced further back, she caught the eye of Sirius, who seemed to have already been looking her way. His lips curved into an ardent grin at catching the girls attention, as he continued to lean casually back in his chair, tipping it back on its two hind legs.

Hallie shook her head, with a small, discreet smile. If anyone had told her two years ago that she would fall for Sirius Black, she would have simply laughed in their face. But as of right now, Hallie didn't wish for it to be any other way.

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"Did you like question ten, Moony?" asked Sirius, as the four marauders emerged into the entrance hall. Sirius had already pulled off his gryffindor tie, slinging it lazily over his left shoulder.

"Loved it," said Remus briskly, subtly rolling his eyes. "Give five signs that identify the werewolf. Excellent question."

"Do you think you managed to get all the signs?" James replied, feigning a tone of mock concern.

"Think I did," said Remus seriously, as they joined the crowd who were also eager to get out onto the sunlit grounds, now that their exams were officially over. "One, he's sitting on my chair. Two, he's wearing my clothes. Three, his name's Remus Lupin."

"I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the tufted tail," Peter muttered anxiously, trailing behind his three friends. "But I couldn't think of anything else..."

"How thick are you Wormtail," James spat, evidently more exasperated than he had first anticipated. "You run around with a werewolf once a month."

"Keep that voice of yours down," Remus tutted in annoyance, glancing wearily around the corridor to make sure they hadn't been overheard. Remus glanced towards Sirius, who was staring blatantly at something in front of him. "Padfoot?"

Sirius, evidently not paying attention, nearly walked into a pillar bordering the corridor. His eyes remained locked on something, or someone, in the distance.

"Wha..." James began, before realising his best friend's gaze was on Hallie, who was down by the lake with the rest of the girls. James turned to Remus with a dumb smile. "We've lost him again."

Remus shook his head with a laugh, grabbing Sirius by the arm to pull him from his trance. Sirius looked towards Remus in perplexion. "Honestly mate, if you don't tell her you love her soon i'll do it for you my bloody self."

Sirius scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I have actually."

The three boys unanimously turned towards Sirius with dumbfounded expressions. James rubbed at his ears in a playful manner. "What was that? I must have misheard you?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and continued walking - the three boys falling into rhythm beside him almost instantly. "I told her I loved her," Sirius mumbled, his cheeks flushing slightly. "It sort of slipped out to be fair, but I did mean it."