[Book 2]
❝ 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭.❞
Serena's fourth year at Hogwarts begins, but with no less drama than the previous year. Although Sirius Black was acquitted of all charges, not...
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• Serena Black •
"The best secrets are the most twisted."
But Hall didn't seem to have a suitable answer to this question either and averted his eyes. Fortunately for him, at that moment the empty plates disappeared from the tables and The Weird Sisters sang their first song. "Do you want to dance?" he asked instead and rose without waiting for her consent.
While Serena would have liked an utterance to her question, she was also all the more relieved not to have to give one herself, so she rose sullenly. The songs that were now being played were faster and she was clearly enjoying the dancing more than before. Most of her classmates were also on the dance floor and cheered enthusiastically for The Weird Sisters, who were now singing their fourth song.
A little away from the hustle and bustle, Serena could spot the family of her companion. The tenseness of their posture and also the looks they gave the blond Slytherin spoke for themselves. "I think they want to talk to you," Serena remarked quietly, nodding over to the other end of the dance floor.
"Good for them," Hall sighed, merely rolling his eyes as he turned them in the opposite direction. This didn't seem to dissuade his parents in the slightest, however, because before Serena could issue a warning, they were right behind him.
"Edmund," Mr Hall said in an indistinct tone, placing a hand on his shoulder. This could have passed for a fatherly gesture, had his gaze not been so piercing and almost dismissive of his son. Almost abruptly, he stopped and detached himself from his dance partner. Then he turned with a smile that not even Serena bought. "Father."
Hall's expression changed as he turned to his mother, who pulled him into a hug, meanwhile giving Serena a smile, though it was punctuated by a worried expression in her eyes. "It's good to see you again."
"Nice to se..."
"Edmund, wouldn't you like to introduce us to your escort?" the head of the family interjected gruffly, fixing Serena so intensely with his ice-blue eyes that the Gryffindor had to look away.
"This is Serena," his son returned a little involuntarily, sounding rather bored, as if this information wasn't really new to his family. "Serena Black."
"Elijah Hall." He held out his hand to the aforementioned, which she took hesitantly, having to pull herself together not to visibly shiver from the coldness emanating from it. "Hello."
"You seem to know my wife already," Mr Hall continued without returning her greeting. His gaze now settled on his other son, who had so far stayed in the background, Serena had almost forgotten that he was one of them. She wasn't sure she had ever learned his name and if she had, she had forgotten it. He was almost an identical image of Edmund Hall. At least except for the fact that his hair was a few shades darker, his eyes were a little more blue than green, and he had less angular features despite the fact that he was older.
