He stared down at her. It looked like she was sleeping in the.
There was something peaceful about her face that he hadn't seen in a long time. She was so delicate, like a fragile rose, pushing through the weeds attempting to choke her, pull her down.
He stood quietly with his head bowed, he hadn't spoken to anyone in days, not since the day it happened, and now it looked like he was mouthing the words he was too afraid to say out loud. Truthfully he was fighting to breath steadily, he fought to not scream, and cry, and pound his fists against her stilled heart.
Forever, it meant so much. It was supposed to be their path, if one went down, they would both go. He should have been there, but he was too busy convincing the Potters not to make him their secret keeper.
"I let you down", he whispered, his eyes trained on her lips. She didn't answer, she couldn't. The peace death had finally given her was written on her face.
He clenched his fists so tight that his knuckles were turning white under the strain. He couldn't take it. It was Marlene! Sweet, innocent, quiet Marlene, who could calm down an angry giant!
She was so young. If it hadn't been for him she wouldn't have gotten caught up in this mess. She would be in hiding with her family, somewhere where the sun shone instead of being blotted out. But it was too late, they were all gone, her entire family, and it was all his fault. It would have been so much easier if it was him instead.
But stupid, selfish Sirius had to get her involved, persuaded her to stay, to join the battle. He desired her company so badly that he risked her life for it, he alone was responsible for her death.
Marlene was beautiful, everyone could see it. In death, it merely looked as if she had fallen asleep, if it wasn't for the flowers laid around her and the soft sobbing heard in the room, she might have just decided to take a nap.
"How did she die?" He heard someone ask, but they were quickly silenced. It was forbidden to mention it in his presence.
But still, he was the one who answered.
"She was murdered", he responded quietly, barely audible, "she died screaming my name."
Silence filled the room, the person who had asked the question left, ashamed that he had asked such a harmful and ignorant thing.
Sirius now left alone by the coffin, wished what he said was a lie, but he had heard it first hand from the people who found her.
She was attempting to get away, running full speed from the burning building that was her home and the green skull and snake haunting the sky above it. When they caught up with her, they only had to flick their wands her way and she was bound in ropes, being dragged away, closer to them.
When they saw her face, they began to jeer.
"What's the traitor princess doing all alone? Where's your traitor lover?" She refused to answer them, only glowering. It angered them that she didn't stand up and fight, and so they decided to punish her for her wrong doings.
She fell in love with a blood traitor. The first curse hit her and she gritted her teeth, steeling her body against the pain.
She turned down the Dark Lord. The second made her arch her back and writhe in pain, she strained against her bonds, still refusing to make a sound.
She joined the Order. She screamed, all her muscles burning in agony.
She tried to escape. She screamed his name, begging for him to come and save her. The Death Eaters only laughed at her pain. She begged for help. She kept screaming, wanting him to save her. No one could save her.
She couldn't resist. The final spell hit her, a green blast of light, as she murmured his name, her mind convincing her she was in his arms.
Sirius knew all of this because Avery had admitted to it. He stood proudly in the courtroom and described it all in front of Sirius' face, laughing when Sirius had tried to curse him.
It wasn't what she would have wanted, but he needed justice. Sirius couldn't let him go to Azkaban and live out his life. It was too kind. Sirius would find him and rip him to pieces, even if he died in the process. After the funeral, he could willingly go out and die, just to be with her again.
Leaning down, he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. She couldn't feel it but it gave him a shred of peace.
She took her innocent smile and delicate grace to the grace. And Sirius was left to claim revenge and walk the streets, daring someone to catch him, to give him the peace he craved.