With a cheerful expression on his face, Sirius saunters away leaving Rowan working on her homework, before dinner. With dinner not too far away, the halls are filled with students chatting and laughing all trailing down to the Great Hall. He suddenly freezes as the firelight of the torches lights up the short, strawberry blond hair of Tiffany Topsy. She looked simply breathtaking in the light of the torches as she happily chatted with her close friend, the Ravenclaw female Prefect, Pandora Ravine. A blond-haired girl with aqua-colored eyes, who was dating a fellow Ravenclaw, a 7th year by the name of Xenophilius Lovegood. (A weird one at that.)
Right now is as a good a time as any except that Sirius suddenly found that he couldn't move an inch. It was as if he had been glued to the spot by a strong sticking charm. "Get a hold of yourself, Padfoot!" Sirius muttered rather loudly to himself. "You can do this!" But his mouth suddenly felt dry and his heart was beating much too fast and sounding loudly in his ears.
"I can do this!" Sirius desperately repeated to himself.
Trying to gather his courage, Sirius mutters that he is a Gryffindor by Godric's sword! Before he can gain the courage to move, he hears the sweet voice of Tiffany say with concern, "Are you alright, Sirius?"
Sirius's gray eyes go blank as he forgets exactly what he was going to say. Sirius just stands there stupidly in front of the two girls as Tiffany shares a glance with Pandora. "If you aren't feeling well, you really should go see Madam Pomfrey in the infirmary." Sirius nods foolishly in agreement with the object of his affection. His body begins to move all on its own and nearly walks into the nearest stone wall.
Pandora barely manages to grab Sirius back by the collar of his robes just in time to stop him from breaking his nose. "Right," Pandora stared at the off-looking Gryffindor.
"Tiffany, why don't you escort Sirius down to the infirmary. I think his brains finally overheated from studying. I'll see you in the Great Hall," Pandora quickly said, before hurrying after a couple of first years, who thought it was funny to give someone Hiccough Sweets from Zonko's joke shop.
The issue is that the prank is only funny until someone can't breathe! A serious side effect that can occur when the individual, who consumed a Hiccough Sweet finds themselves unable to breathe. It was a potentially fatal side effect! The sweet really ought to be banned from use! One day someone was going to very real choke to death and then the public outcry would truly occur! That was precisely, why her boyfriend, Xeno was planning to open his own paper, "The Quibbler!" They needed the public to be aware of the truth!
With Pandora vanishing down the hall chasing down miscreants, Tiffany is left holding a handful of Sirius's robes. Seeing the not quite right expression on Sirius's face, she gently tugs on them. "C'mon Sirius, I am sure that Madam Pomfrey will fix you good as new."
Sirius screams at himself, but his body dumbly nods and follows obediently after Tiffany, who still holds a handful of his robes in her grasp. They receive several strange looks as they pass by, but no one stops them as they see them heading in the direction of the infirmary. The closer they get to the infirmary, the more nervous Sirius becomes, yet he just can't quite seem to get his act together.
With the infirmary insight only further down the corridor, Sirius comes to an abrupt halt nearly causing Tiffany to stumble as her arm is forcefully pulled back by the weight of Sirius. Tiffany bats her eyelashes in confusion and peers up at Sirius with concern. Scrunching her face up with worry, she says, "Sirius, I know that you aren't feeling well, but we are nearly there. If you feel that you can't make it, I can support you or levitate you there."
There is no response from Sirius causing Tiffany to drop his robes and take a step closer to him. "Sirius did you not hear me?" She asked with worry prettily pursing her lips.
Unable to keep it in anymore, Sirius's mouth moves all on its own as Sirius can only listen in horror at hearing himself speak. "I like you," his mouth stupidly said, while he screamed on the inside. Where had all his suave and confidence with girls gone off too?!
Tiffany's face in response darkens. "That's not funny at all, Sirius," she stiffly said with evident hurt on her face. "Why would you ever say such a cruel thing, Sirius?"
"No, I mean, GAHH!" Sirius shouted in frustration, before tugging on his hair.
Tiffany worriedly takes a step back from Sirius until he ceases to pull on his hair. Seeing Tiffany looking at him with serious concern, Sirius's head droops down onto his chest like a whipped dog. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, Tiffany."
"I accept your apology, Sirius, but why would you ever make a joke like that? You know that with my being called a Bride of Death; the boys have been going around saying they like me as a cruel joke as no one dares to really like me," Tiffany somberly said.
"It wasn't a joke," Sirius weakly whimpered.
Tiffany blinks utterly stumped as her brain attempts to process Sirius's words. They both remain still as if in shock and unsure of what to do nor say to each other. Sirius slowly peeks up at Tiffany to find her staring at him with bewilderment and disbelief. "Um, this may be a bad time, but would you agree to accompany me to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" He nervously asked.
"Wait, what?" Tiffany bluntly asked unable to understand how Sirius had jumped so many courting steps. "Is this some form of pity date from you, Sirius?"
"Pity?" Sirius blinked his gray eyes foolishly at Tiffany. "Most certainly not, I like you!" He shyly turned away turning a rosy pink all the while mentally screaming at himself. By Helga's Rear what was wrong with him?! Was he six years old all over again!?
"Well, what do you like about me?" Tiffany asked with genuine skepticism.
"You're pretty," Sirius instantly replied before mentally kicking himself in his head. What possessed him to say that! It certainly was his libido!
"Is that all?" Tiffany said with a great deal of disappointment. That was all she was seemed to be worth now. A pretty side fling that is never meant to be taken seriously.
Seeing Tiffany's face scrunch up in pain, Sirius's brain finally seems to reconnect. "You're a good friend," Sirius blurted out. "You're brave as much as any Gryffindor, I know. You could have hidden away after Vasco's death, but you didn't instead you boldly returned to Hogwarts with your head still held high, Tiffany."
Tiffany's face fills with astonishment before a faint flush of pink begins to appear on her face. Sirius stumbled over his words in his haste to speak, but his voice and gaze were sincere. He truly did believe those things of her.
A warm feeling fills Tiffany's chest until she interrupts Sirius's spew of words. "That is enough, Sirius," she said causing Sirius to wilt like a flower. "I believe you," she quietly said causing Sirius to perk up back up again.
Sirius shuffles on his feet, before quietly asking again, "I really would like it if you would come with me tomorrow to Hogsmeade, Tiffany. And if you don't mind it, I would like to ask you to be my companion for the duration of the Presentation Ball of Rowan and Severus."
Tiffany blinks in shock and narrows her eyes at Sirius only to find Sirius hopefully gazing at her. If anyone else had asked her, she would believe them to hold a political motive except for Sirius. He was far too much of a Gryffindor and wore his heart on his sleeve. He was a rather open book which caused her heart to flutter a bit at his sincerity. She didn't want to permit herself to have any more naïve hopes, but she trusted Sirius and that was enough to give her hope again. Maybe, just maybe, the dreams of her childhood were not as dead as she once believed them to be.
Sirius expectantly waits for Tiffany to reply and fidgets more as he waits for her answer. After a moment, Tiffany says, "If you are sincere in your invitations, Sirius, I would gladly accept both invites to accompany you."
Sirius beams and throws his head back to let out a cry of relief and triumph. "You won't regret this, Tiffany!" He happily said, before rushing off to tell his friends with good news. He hadn't run far off when he hastily ran back.
"Er, I guess, I'll see you tomorrow in the Great Hall," Sirius stammered, before rushing off with a foolish grin on his face. He hurried away and vanished faster than Tiffany could think of a reply.
A shy, but hopeful smile appears on Tiffany's face as she stared down the hall where Sirius had vanished off. She couldn't deny the fact that she was a little bit attracted to Sirius, but then again, he was an attractive lad. She wasn't blind! But she never dreamed in a thousand years that he would ever be attracted to her especially after Vasco Vespucci.
Tiffany's smile fades away, but not entirely. Vasco Vespucci was her past, but maybe, just maybe Sirius Black was her future. Time would only tell if Sirius truly spoke the truth. She was Slytherin enough to grasp the opportunity granted to her for a second chance at happiness. And unlike Vasco Vespucci, she trusted far more in Sirius and his sincerity.
With a shy smile still on her face, Tiffany headed towards the Great Hall. She could not wait to tell Sylvia and Bethanie the good news. But knowing her friends, they would very much approve of Sirius Black. Because in the end, Sirius had a good heart even if he was a bit thick. Truly, Regulus had won the brains in that department.