Troubled Love║Sirius Black

Chapter 18

"Hallie...Hallie."

"I don't think she's awake..."

"No way dipshit!"

"Sometimes I wonder how you passed your OWLS..."

"Hallie?" came the first voice again from above her. She slowly fluttered her eyes open to the darkness of her room, looking to her right tiredly to find the culprit behind the voice. Yet when she turned her utter dread was answered for, being met with the most horrific sight she had ever had the indecency of seeing.

She screamed, pushing Sirius' face out of the way of her own, before diving back under the covers for safety.

The boys laughed unanimously, all too jovial for the early morning. "Come on Hals, it's Christmas! Don't let Padfoot scare you out of one of our favourite holidays," James wavered excitedly.

 Through his tone, Hallie recognised it as every year passed; he was still a kid through to his heart, still so enthralled by the prospect of Christmas and presents.

"What time is it?" she grumbled, mopingly pulling herself from the comfort of her bed.

"There's a clock right next to you," the voice of Sirius added, as Hallie grabbed her hoodie from beside the bed, throwing it over her head in a sulk.

As she looked across to the clock, it was roughly half six in the morning. And she knew with Sirius and James there, there was absolutely no way she'd ever get back to sleep.

"What, can you not read the time Brennan?" Sirius sniggered, as Hallie stuck her middle finger up in deference.

"I can read a clock actually Black...it says its too fucking early for your bullsh..."

"Language," Remus quipped, causing Hallie to sigh. "You look very merry this Christmas Hals," he teased, as Hallie yawned, pulling the hood of her hoodie over her head.

She followed James and Sirius downstairs slowly; the two somehow bounding down each step with complete bursts of energy.

The Potters always decorated the house so beautifully for the festivities of December. The tree lights glowered a golden mellow, tinsel adorned every available surface and streamers hung intricately from the ceiling in spiralled loops.

Hallie laughed softly, as a small Santa in a sleigh glided around the living room, sprinkling ruby glitter along the floor. The poor house elf of the Potters, Lupesy, was trailing the disorderly sleigh, desperately trying to clear up the glitter before the masters could see the mess. The house elf ended up tripping over her own feet, taking a disorderly tumble to the ground.

"Lupesy, don't worry about cleaning all that up," Hallie dismissed, grinning softly to the little house elf, who nodded her head in appreciation.

"Thank you Miss Brennan, you are very kind," the little house elf squeaked timidly, accepting the hand of the teenage girl gratefully. "Oh, it's so wonderful to see you again!"

"It's good to see you too Lupes," Hallie added, feeling the presence of all three of the boys' eyes on her back.

"Well I better get going Miss Brennan," Lupesy smiled timidly, still holding onto the girls hand tightly. "I've still got a lot of cleaning to do...from Master Potter mostly."

Hallie turned to look towards James, who smiled sheepishly. "See you loopy," James added, as the house elf shook her head, disapparating in an instance; back to the laundry room Hallie assumed.

"Stop calling her loopy James," Hallie said, throwing herself onto the sofa dramatically, just as Sirius was about to take a seat there. Yet again, it gave Hallie an odd satisfaction to see him in complete irritation.