Look at the Stars

The Gryffindor common room was usually packed with chattering students, but tonight was different. Even though the room was even fuller than usual, the atmosphere was solemn and quiet, with a strong undercurrent of nervousness and excitement. As Sirius circled the room looking for Hermione, he was greeted by the well-dressed students, among whom he was a great favorite.

"Professor Black! Nice suit!" said Ben Calvert, a seventh-year.

"Thanks, Ben!" Sirius sat down in a chair near Ben. "Waiting for your date?"

"Yeah. . ." Ben nervously ran his hand through his blond hair. "Marla McGregor. And you, you're waiting for Professor Granger, I guess?"

"Right. . . Now, how did you know that?"

"Intuition," Ben grinned. "Well, I guess you're not as nervous as we students are."

"I can't imagine being more nervous," Sirius confided.

Ben laughed. "You know, some of Marla's friends have been pairing you up with Professor Granger since the beginning of the year. They have these romantic notions about how you two are secretly in love with one another," he said, kidding lightly, but indirectly prying Sirius for information.

"Is it that obvious?" Sirius winked, leaving Ben in some doubt of whether he was being sarcastic or surprisingly open. When Ben saw how Sirius's eyes lit up when he saw Hermione in the doorway, he had an inkling that the latter might be the case. "There she is," Sirius whispered.

Hermione smiled when she saw Sirius, and it seemed to him that she emanated a soft golden light.

Ben found himself completely abandoned as Sirius seemed to forget that anyone else was in the room and literally ran to Hermione's side. He watched as his teacher gallantly offered his arm to Professor Granger and noticed her pleased smile when he protectively took her hand as they left the room. Ben was intelligent--he was Head Boy, after all--and it was clear to him that there was more there than the casual friendship of two coworkers.

"Marla," he said, as his date glided into the common room wearing lavender robes, "I think you were right about Professor Black and Professor Granger. . ."

*~*~*~*~*

Viola Smith was not happy. Ignoring her date, a fifth-year Hufflepuff, she watched as Professor Black walked into the lantern-lit great hall with Hermione Granger.

"I think Professor Granger is not pretty," Viola remarked to Versha Patil, who, actively engaged in conversation with Matt Weasley, didn't hear her. Hermione had been Head Girl during Viola's first year at Hogwarts, and Viola had looked up to her. In fact, until tonight, she'd always liked her as a professor. "I bet she put a love potion on Sirius," she told Versha.

"He seems really in love with her," Versha said, strangely oblivious to Viola's jealousy. "Look at how he's pulling out the chair for her, and how he stares at her. It's so sweet! But I don't think Professor Granger knows."

Viola rolled her eyes. Versha was mental, and obviously distracted by having Matt's arm around her. Matt and Versha stood up for the first dance, and Viola silently fumed.

Aside from certain unbearable arithmancy teachers, it was really a beautiful night. The Great Hall was romantically dimmed, lit only by the candlelight of the pumpkin lanterns that floated above their heads in the clear, star-filled sky. Dumbledore had wisely decided against inviting ghosts to haunt the ball, and had instead opted for a quieter, more intimate and romantic atmosphere. The music was provided by an amazingly versatile group called the Transfiguros, who were famous for morphing from a string quartet to a hard-rock band to a group of crooning pop stars between songs.

For the first song of the night, the Transfiguros, in string quartet mode, played a light waltz. Viola rolled her eyes as Sirius, who looked particularly handsome in his fitted gray suit, took Hermione's hand and, with his eyes annoyingly glued to her face and a silly love-struck grin on his face, spun her skillfully around the dance floor. "Hermione is so not pretty," she told her date.

He barely looked up from the sketch he was making on his napkin. "You already said that."

*~*~*~*~*

Ben turned around to lead Marla McGregor onto the dance floor and discovered that she was gone. As his head swung back around, however, he could hardly miss the sight of the lavender-clad beauty on the other end of the room locked in an embrace with. . . Sean Bingham? His best friend?

As the feeling of betrayal gradually sank in, Marla's friend Vicky tapped his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Ben. She's been after Sean for months now."

It wasn't as if Marla was Ben's one true love, or even a major crush, but he couldn't help feeling a little hurt at being used. I guess this is the way it is, he thought. I'll try to have a good time, anyway.

Ben looked through the crowds of students and noticed a friend of his, Viola Smith, sitting rather impatiently on the other side of the room. Her date apparently had no interest in dancing.

He dodged the dancers, who were now jumping ecstatically to a heavy-metal beat, and made his way to where Viola was sitting. "Would you like to dance?" he asked.

*~*~*~*~*

Hermione had expected Sirius to sit down when the tempo of the music cranked up, but much to her surprise--and delight--he had stayed on the floor and upped the energy level of his dancing considerably. He really can move, she thought.

She laughed as she noticed the students' admiring stares. Sirius was so awesome. . .

As Hermione and Sirius quickly became the center of attention, Hermione was shocked to see a familiar face approaching her.

A slow ballad began, and a thickly-accented voice called to her, "Hermy-o-ninny?"

"Viktor?"