"And so what, Black? Why do you care?"

Her words were ringing in his ears, her eyes flashing with frustration as they glared up at his. They were standing in a deserted corridor just off the Charms corridor, where he'd finally managed to get her alone and ask if the rumours were true. He felt a tightening sensation in his stomach when she did not immediately deny it, but played it off. He leant back against the wall, arms crossed in front of him defensively.

"I don't. Just curious to know who'd be mad enough to ask you out."

It was the wrong thing to say, he knew before the words had left his mouth. Marlene looked ready to slap him, but instead turned on her heel and began walking again, a renewed sense of purpose in her step. He stood for a moment, jaw hanging open, before breaking into a jog to keep up with her.

"McKinnon, wait, I didn't mean that-" he reached out an arm to spin her round, but she shrugged it off, hurrying her pace with her chin tilted upwards slightly. "Look, will you just stop for a moment? I only wanted to-"

"What?" she spat, spinning round to face him so suddenly he skidded a little on the stone floor and had to do a double take. "What did you want, Black? I'm dying to know."

Sirius hesitated at the harshness of her tone. It wasn't something he was unused to hearing, but it was rarely ever directed at him – at least not seriously. He placed two hands in the air defensively, brows shooting up his forehead. "I just – well, Arthur McCallum from Ravenclaw was boasting in Charms earlier that he – that he got you to agree to go on a… on a date with him, and I was wondering whether it was true," the words tumbled from his mouth so quickly he wasn't even sure they made sense, but he wasn't about to repeat them, so resolved in crossing his arms stubbornly. She mirrored his action.

"And so what if it were? I don't see how it would affect you at all," she replied loftily, though her eyes were flickering with what Sirius was sure was amusement. He took a step closer, so that their noses were almost touching, and fixed her with an even gaze.

"On the contrary, you and I have plans that day, remember?" his voice was a low, playful growl, gaining more confidence as he watched her stubborn scowl fade to be replaced with her signature smirk.

"You don't even know what day it is he's asked me-" she started, but broke off as Sirius pressed a quieting finger to her lips. His head was bowed, his lips by her ear. She looked dumbfounded, stuck for what to do, but he pressed on.

"Tell him you can't make it," he breathed, tilting her chin upwards and, without waiting for a response, capturing her lips in his with a passion that explained his annoyance with Arthur McCallum and so much more.