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November 1975
Sirius checked his watch, it had gone one in the morning. The common room was empty but for James and Ana poring over plans for Saturday’s match. He stretched and was about to get up when the door to the girls dormitory opened and Marlene reentered the common room. He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. She looked adorable. Her jumper…his jumper, he realised suddenly…was hanging off of one shoulder, and she had on the most ridiculous fluffy red knee socks embodied with little lions. Her hair was escaping its bun and she’d taken off any make up she’d had on that day. He also appreciated that fact that her pyjama shorts were very short. She spotted him and quickly looked away, her cheeks turning pink, as she tried to hurry over to James and Ana.
“Come and sit down?” He said, hating how pathetically hopeful he sounded. She seemed to sigh with her whole body. Marlene turned back to him and sat down in the armchair opposite, folding her long legs beneath her. “I like your socks.” He smirked.
“I hate you, Sirius Black.” She said, and he was sure she was trying not to smile.
“No you don’t, you don’t hate me.” He grinned.
“Don’t look at me like that, your string of girlfriends will put my head on a stick.” Marlene muttered, staring into the fire.
“Look at you like what?” He asked trying to compose his face.
“Like you’re in lo—” She broke off suddenly, but not fast enough. It was Sirius’s turn to flush scarlet. He wasn’t in love with Marlene. “Like I’m the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen.” She corrected.
“But you are the most the beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” He said defensively.
“Shut up.” She smiled. “I’m getting dirty looks from other girls.”
Sirius searched around for a safer subject. “Did you really hang Avery in the air by his ankles?”
Marlene let out a laugh. “Yeah, if anyone deserves it, right?” She grinned. “There he was, just minding his own business, on his way to whatever class the Slytherins had, then he was hanging upside down.” Sirius heard the click of a camera and spun round to look at James. “The spell is Levicorpus.” Marlene murmured. She flicked her wand at James and Sirius watched as he was hoisted upside down.
“Marley!” James shouted. Laughing, Marlene jerked her wand again and he came crashing back down. “You think you’re so funny.” He said, righting himself.
“I think I’m hilarious.” Marlene called over. Sirius couldn’t wait to use that one on Snivellus. She sat back in her chair and smiled at him. He felt his heart skip. He could spend the rest of his life watching her smile. He had to ask her though…even though he knew it was going to make her mad.
“What did Craig want? I saw you talking this afternoon.”
“Sirius, don’t.” She frowned. “I’m too tired to do this with you now.”
“You too good for him.” He muttered, she could do so much better than Craig Platt. He didn’t care about her, not really. She deserved someone who recognised how incredible she was.
“He just wanted to apologise for what happened between us—”
“You mean when he told everyone about how you two…” Sirius trailed off under the look that she gave him.
“About how we what, Sirius?” Marlene challenged, her eyes flashing dangerously. About how the two of you had sex…he didn’t say it. He wasn’t even jealous, he had been at first…but really, he was just sad that someone had used her like that. She deserved to be treasured. “He explained that he told one friend — which is exactly the same as I did.” She added quickly, “and that friend told other people.” She was speaking so quietly that he had to lean across the table to hear her. Marlene leant closer, he could feel her breath on his cheek.
“You can’t give him another chance.” He whispered, his voice pleading. He wanted to tell her that he’d seen the photographs that Craig took of her, but then he’d have to tell her how he’d seen them, and it wouldn’t sell Peter out like that. Marlene turned her head slightly and kissed his cheek. Sirius sure that his skin had ignited beneath her touch. Then she stood up.
“Goodnight.” She said softly. Sirius watched her walk back through the door to the girls dormitories and ran his hand through his hair. He didn’t have a string of girlfriends, as she’d put it…okay, well maybe he did, but none of them even compared to Marlene McKinnon. It wasn’t like he fancied her or anything…well, maybe he did — but who could blame him, she lit up every room she entered. But he didn’t look at her like he was in love with her…because he wasn’t, she was just his friend, his friend that he fancied…a little bit. Fuck, he was in love with her.