Of All The Stars: Sirius Black

𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓝𝓲𝓷𝓮

Another week had passed, and the first Hogsmeade weekend had arrived. Estelle was up early with Marlene, trying to pick out something to wear so that she wasn't freezing the entire time.

"I mean if you are cold, that just give him an excuse to warm you up." Marlene said, winking playfully at Estelle.

"Be serious Marlene, I don't know what to wear." Estelle said after swatting her on the arm, and going back to rummaging through Marlenes trunk.

"Do you want me to be Sirius or Marlene?" She asked, stifling back a grin.

"You are absolutely no help!"

An hour later the jumper, cloak, and scarf clad Estelle made her way down to the courtyard to meet Stephen. He was standing there, his hands in his coat pockets nervously waiting.

"Hi!" Estelle called out as she was nearing him, he looked up from the ground, a bright smile on his face that turned into a laugh.

"Hi there, expecting a snow storm?" He said grinning cheekily at her.

"I'm from the South of France, so this is well-" She peered outside, looking at the windy fall weather. "-Very cold for me."

"Ah, I suppose that is true! We best get to the carriages then, that wind might be fatal!" He said with a chuckle, an odd attempt to be flirty.

"I suppose we should, yes." Estelle smiled anyway, following him closely towards the carriages to the village.

The trip down to Hogsmeade was filled with awkward small talk, and nothing really interesting at all. He spent a lot of time staring at her, and she spent a lot of time avoiding his gaze nervously. When the ride ended, Stephen held out his hand to help her out of the carriage. He was truly a gentlemen, but so far..rather boring.

They trailed their way down to the Three Broomsticks, a lively pub filled with Hogwarts students as well as witches and wizards of all ages. As soon as you walk in, a sweet warmth fills your nose, and it's like the harsh wind outside disappears.

Estelle went and found a table while Stephen got the drinks, bringing them over shortly after she sat down and had taken her cloak off.

They chatted for awhile, talking about classes and Quidditch, about Estelles friends and his. Nothing getting too deep, no sparks, no real connection.

"So, what made you want to ask me out?" Estelle said suddenly, the conversation was starting to dry out, so she wanted to keep things moving.

"Pardon?" Stephen said, a dazed look on his face.

"I just mean, what made you want to go out with me?"

"Well, you are the most beautiful girl in Gryffindor, and I have watched you for awhile.. You seem so wonderful and enchanting." Stephen said, looking right into Estelles eyes. This was the first time they had made eye contact the entire date, both too awkward or shy to do so.

When Estelle looked at him, her heart sank. His eyes were hazed over, as if he were...enchanted. She sighed to herself, she hadn't thought about it, even at the party last week. He was just drawn to her because of the Veela magic..

She leaned forward, snapping her fingers in front of his face to un-enchant him. She didn't think it was something she even had to do.. Her powers had become a thing of the past, something she didn't even consider anymore. It only affected Peter in her friend group now, as the rest had become accustomed to her presence, almost immunes to her charms.

But this poor boy, had been pulled right in by them.

When she snapped her fingers, the haziness left his eyes, and a confused expression came over his face. He looked at her, almost as if he was unsure why she was there... Or more importantly, why he was there.

Estelle stood up from the table, the embarrassment setting in. She looked at him, whispering an apology before collecting her stuff and running out of the pub. Stephen didn't make an attempt to stop her.

She ran down the street towards the carriages, praying that there would be one open to take her back. Tears forming in her eyes, hot, embarrassed tears. As she was running, she passed by the boy's who were standing outside of Honeyduke's. They all looked at each other with confused expressions before James and Sirius agreed to go after her.

As Estelle approached the carriage station, she heard muffled yells calling out from behind her. But she didn't feel like facing Stephen, or explaining to him what had happened. She had put a boy in a romantic trance for over a week! It felt so wrong...

Deep down she was disappointed, she had been hoping that for once someone had wanted to talk to her for her. Wanted to talk to her romantically, and not just because she was Half-Veela. It was frustrating, and embarrassing.

The tears had slowly made it down her cheeks, dripping off her chin when she she felt a hand on her shoulder. She sighed to herself, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Look, I'm so sorry. If I had known what was happening, I would have never said yes to going out with you. I-" As she turned around, she looked up into the confused and worried face of James, Sirius standing beside him. Not Stephen.

She looked up at him, her lip beginning to quiver, before wrapping her arms around him and burying her head into his chest. She cried softly there for a moment, not exactly sure what else to say or do. She didn't want to explain why she was upset, nor why she had run out on her date. So she just decided to cry.

James looked over to Sirius with a "what happened?" look on his face but stayed silent, keeping Estelle locked in a warm hug. She shivered slightly as she hadn't a chance to wrap her cloak around her yet, it was in her hands behind James's back.

"Estelle, what is going on? Did he do something to you?" Sirius asked, his face turning angry.

Estelle looked up from James hug, shaking her head and wiping her eyes again. She released herself from the hug, looking at the ground to hide her puffy eyes. "He-he was in a sort of trance... You know, being part Veela it's something that you just expect. But I didn't realize it, not until I looked into his eyes. It didn't look like he was there, he was just replaced with lust and haze."

"Are you sure? Why don't we just go back, and you can talk to him?" James asked, rubbing her shoulder.

"Why else would he ask me out?" She asked, looking up from the ground.

"When I asked him, he told me it was because I was enchanting. Enchanting, James! Seems pretty clear to me."

The boy's were both silent, looking at their sniffling friend sadly. "I'm sorry Stella." James said, not really knowing how to comfort her.

"You were right Sirius. I never should have even gone, I am never going to be able to find someone who doesn't look at me and see a blonde, French, Veela. That is going to be who I am forever." Estelle said, her tone frustrated.

"Stella, anyone would be lucky to have you-" Before Sirius could finish, Estelle cut him off in a cold tone.

"As a friend, I know. I remember." And she turned around, walking towards the carriage that had pulled up near them.

James looked at Sirius with narrowed eyes, shaking his head at his friends words before running off and placing his arm around Estelle.

Sirius let out a groan, not knowing that his words last weekend would hold so much meaning too Estelle. If he had known, he wouldn't have said "friend".

Teenage angst and dramatics always make me laugh. Don't forget to follow me/ vote for the story!

-Em