SOIRÉE, SIRIUS BLACK

16 - look at you.

FLORENCE SIGHED AS SHE WALKING INTO THE GREAT HALL beside Lily and Marlene, she pulled down her skirt, she missed the uniform from Beauxbatons.

In truth, the skirt, to begin with, was a little short for her liking so to Lily's disapproval and Marlene's excitement for her to do the same to her skirt, she used a spell to hem it.

Her green eyes drifted from her outfit situation to Sirius who was laughing loudly at something James said, she smiled lightly. She hadn't gotten a chance to speak to him since they almost got caught snogging in a corridor and narrowly avoiding detention, who knew McGonagall liked Sirius Black?

"Why are you staring at Black of all people?" Marlene whispered, snapping the blonde out of her trance.

Florence looked over at Marlene with a scoff, "I don't know what you're talking about." She rolled her eyes, hoping Marlene would leave it be.

"Merlin," Marlene groaned, taking a seat at the table, Florence, and Lily joining her, hoisting their legs over the bench to fit under the table.

"Please don't tell me you have a thing for him."
Marlene emphasized on 'him' faux gagging slighting, "I prefer woman, but, if I were to go for one of those idiots it would be Lupin. He holds the mysterious guy vibe."

"And he is hot." Added Mary Macdonald joining the table. Lily shot her daggers. "What? He is! I would be lying to say he isn't totally gorgeous."

"He is more than looks!" Lily started, "he is kind and very clever!"

"Yeah, yeah, Lupin is hot and smart we have that part covered. What we don't have covered is that our little Odette her has a thing for Black." Marlene said.

"Oh, been there done that, hun." Mary started a sympathetic look on her face, "Not worth the heartbreak. He is there for the physical part of it, not great on the emotional aspect. He will throw you to the curb once a new girl catches his eye."

The three looked to Florence sadly.

Florence shook her head dismissing them, the words of what Mary had said lingering in her head. She ignored the whispers of Lily reprimanding Mary on her bluntness.

Her eyes drifted over to four hourglasses filled with gems, "What are those?" Florence pointed over to them.

"Oh! Those are the points, right now Ravenclaw is winning but at the end of the year one house wins, stupid really but everyone wants to win." Lily said lightly.

"Hm..." Florence hummed, "That's kind of really stupid."

"Ah yes it is but, we are all attention slags!" Marlene said, shoving a pastry in her mouth. Many heads turned.

"About Sirius..." Mary began. Florence and Marlene exchanged a look. "He won't like you very much. Sirius will go for the girls who have been here longer, I wouldn't waste your time on him."

Marlene's jaw dropped, "Um, excuse you?" Mary looked at her in surprise. "Just because we all know you are obsessed with Black doesn't make you entitled to tear Flo down."

Florence and Lily looked between the two glaring girls. The redhead laughed nervously.

"I'm not tearing Florence down, she is my friend. I'm doing a kindness to her to tell her to back off!" Mary's voice slowly rose.

Marlene scoffed, "Wow." She mumbled. Marlene took Florence by the hand as the two left the great hall.

"Can you believe her?!" Marlene spat venomously, still dragging Florence rather harshly out the doors. A few heads turned to watch the pair in curiosity. "I mean the audacity of her!"

"It's okay, really," Florence started tentatively, glancing over at Marlene as if the blonde were about to breathe fire. "It was insensitive and rather blunt but..." she paused, "I get it."

"No, it wasn't okay! Sirius and Mary were only a thing for a few weeks in the sixth year. You would think she would open her eyes and mature!" Marlene huffed.

Florence could've made an argument but decided against it and nodded along with Marlene. "Cmon, we gotta get to potions."

The two girls walked into the potions classroom. It was very much Florence's least favorite room in the castle, it held a permanent smell of mildew. The blonde was not used to seeing the class empty. In departing breakfast early that concluded in them being early for class as well.

"Miss Odette!" Slughorn said walking over to them. "I am still looking forward to seeing your essay." He looked at the watch placed upon his wrist, "It is now two weeks late."

Florence pursed her lips and spared a glance at Marlene who was suppressing giggles, she knew the girl had made no effort at finishing it.

"I was looking forward to you reading it, sir." Florence grinned innocently, "I seem to have lost mine. It was stellar though."

Slughorn sent Florence a look, "I'm going to trust you on this one, Odette. You will receive an O. If this happens again don't expect me to be as lenient."

"Thank you!"

THE NEXT MORNING. Marlene and Florence shared a look as Mary raved over Florence's dresses, "Oh these are wonderful!" Mary cooed, running her fingertips along the silk of a dark red dress she had pulled out from the girl's wardrobe.

"They switch up so fast," Florence whispered in the other blonde's ear.

"I know," Marlene laughed quietly, "wasn't she just bitching?"

"Marlene!" Lily reprimanded the two, "be nice. She was obviously just jealous."

"Gives her no right to be mean!" Marlene said a little too loud as Mary looked over with a sigh, hanging the dress back up as she sent Florence an unapologetic look.

"Okay, okay. Flo, I'm sorry. I should've been nicer about it and not been so rude. I just- " she paused, "I don't know, I'm sorry." Mary said.

"It's okay." Florence smiled at the girl standing up to stand next to her. "Red looks magnificent on you." She held the red dress Mary had previously been holding up to the girl's figure.

"Thank you. I'm obsessed with everything in here." She smiled softly, looking at all the clothes hanging up.

"Feel free to borrow. Again, you would do this dress wonders." Florence smiled brightly handing Mary the dress as she walked over to sit next to Marlene on her bed again.

"You're way less petty than me. I would've made her work for it." Marlene whispered shaking her head in mock disappointment.

Lily opened her mouth to say something but a tap on the window beat her to it. A barn owl was waiting to be let in, a letter attached to it.

Marlene got up to open the window and let the bird in.

Marlene looked over the piece of parchment, "It's for you." She handed it to Florence.