Troubled Love║Sirius Black

Chapter 7

"Hallie!" sang James, as he bounded enthusiastically into the Great Hall. He came behind Hallie, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "I've got some exciting news!"

"James it's 7 in the bloody morning, why are you singing?" Hallie muttered, holding her mug of extra strong coffee in her grasp.

Hallie for one, definitely wasn't a morning person. In fact, if she had the choice, she would sleep in till 10 minutes before her first lesson and miss breakfast entirely. But with Lily Evans as one of her best friends, she always made sure the lot of them kept on track.

"Hallie Brennan, respect your Quidditch Captain," said James, as he pulled out jazz hands from behind his back.

"You look like a dork," Hallie grinned, as the boy's smile deflated. "But thanks James. Happy to be on the team for another year."

James' grin reappeared, taking a seat to Hallie's left and began loading his plate full of food. "Quidditch this year is going to be spectacular. I have devised such a great Quidditch training plan," rambled James, as Hallie and Sophia eyed each other wearily. "I'll start by scheduling morning practices and of course ones on the weekend..."

"Can I quit now," the Gryffindor girl groaned.

"Hallie we do this every year so stop complaining."

"Oh so you complain about the morning training sessions every single year, yet when you're the captain there ok?"

"Hallie Brennan, do you want to win this year?" James scolded, crossing his arms firmly over his chest and waited patiently for an answer. Both Euphemia and James had a similar way of dealing with Hallie - unfortunately for the girl, it worked more often than not.

James really was turning into his mother.

She sighed, "yes. Yes of course I want to bloody win."

"Ahh," said James happily. "Then no complaining Hallie. This year we are winning for sure!"

"Dig my grave," Hallie whined to Lily, who quietly giggled. Hallie crossed her hands over her heart dramatically.

"One, Hallie stop with the dramatics it doesn't suit you," spoke James feverishly. "And two, Evans your laugh is really cute," said the boy once again, this time with a loving sigh.

Lily's expression was unfaltering, glaring towards the boy with every sign of dislike. However, without going unnoticed by the girls, they had noticed a shift in patience found within Lily. She was slightly more tolerant with the boy's arrogant facade and even James wasn't being as conceited as he usually was around the redhead.

James hadn't asked Lily Evans out once during the present academic year, when usually he would have pulled some extravagant gesture already to 'woo her' or would have asked her out offhandedly.

With the twitch from Lily that followed every grand movement James carried out, Hallie figured the waiting was rather nerve racking for the girl also.

"Hello my Chaps and Chapettes," grinned Sirius, as he and the other two boys came and sat down at the table. Hallie's mood almost deflated, looking towards Sirius unamusedly.

"Why the cold face Brennan?" said Sirius, sending the blonde one of his signature smirks. "Are you upset cause I'm dating...what's her name..." he paused for several seconds before continuing, "instead of you."

"Surprisingly Black, no I'm not upset. You see when I'm in a relationship with someone I start off slow," she replied, trying to suffice a grin. "For example, learning the name of the person I'm dating first is a good start."

All four of the girls snorted, diverting their eyesights anywhere but towards the two. Remus and James too looked amused as well as Peter, who had gone fully red in the face.