This crazy freeverse (in a mock-epic format) was inspired by and written for the Quidditch LEague Fanfiction Competiton. This is the first time that I have ever written something like this, so please be nice and leave a review telling me what you think!

Team: The Ballycastle Bats

Position: Seeker

Prompts: To break up Sirius and Marlene (Chaser 1's favourite pairing) with Alice Longbottom (Paula's character).

To Be or Not To Be

To be, or not to be?

That could never be the question.

She'd imagined something at the beginning, and she'd

Gone with actions based on those imaginations

In the first year, the two had been fighters

Battling at the Quidditch pitch,

Fighting for attention in classes

Arguing in detention, outside detention, because of detention.

In their second year the two had smiled at each other

For perhaps the first time after an entire year

Graced with sullen faces and sour remarks

"Hi, Sirius. Call me Marlene."

He smiled, and she turned just a little pink

But the two continued their battles

On the quidditch pitch, but only

With each other, and against the opposing team

And in class, but only against the professor,

And no more with each other.

Professor McGonagall's eyebrows did shoot up in surprise

At the rare sight of Sirius and Marlene sitting amicably

Then she decided to say absolutely nothing

And let this alliance work out for itself.

Alas, but all good things must come to an end

As James Potter and Sirius Black did grow closer

During the third year of their education at Hogwarts

A green fire blossomed within Marlene

Transforming her, changing her, arousing her

Now she hissed every time she saw his face

And that easy smile he shot at the world with James by his side.

"Is it so easy to forget your first friend?" she screeched.

"I've never forgotten you, Marly," came the easy response.

And so the pair continued being friends, friends born out of animosity.

When the fourth year rolled around, things began to heat up

As Marlene helped James catch the attention

Of his forever standing sweetheart Lily,

Something within her heart itself

Began to stir

And she found herself wanting some help, too.

"Remus," she asked the quiet boy one fine day

When he'd befriended her after Charms,

"It's been a strange day, and I have some strange feelings,

And I don't know how to make sense of any of them."

"Marlene," he began, with serious eyes, and a sombre tone to his voice,

"Is there a chance, the slightest of chances that you have

Begun to have feelings for Sirius?"

He'd hit the right spot, and she blushed a bit too hard.

But she failed to notice the sliver of pain in his eyes

That vanished as soon as they entered his brown orbs.

"Maybe, maybe not," she stuttered, all defiance vanished.

"Ahh, go talk to him! I get the feeling that he feels the same."

Wise Remus was right, he always was,

But it took Marlene time to confront Sirius.

Much to her surprise, and slight chagrin too,

It was Sirius who went to her first.

"Marlene McKinnon, I see things have changed;

You annoy me no more, miss you I do;

Would you do me the immense honour of courting me?"

He'd hit the right spot, and she blushed just a little more.

"Sirius Black, of course I will. Your smiles have made me

Weak at the knees, and your gorgeous eyes have my heart sprinting."

"Ah, Marlene, worry not my dear, for the very sight of you

Makes me drool and smile and laugh all at one-"

Here she stopped him firmly, with a look of great severity-

"Pray tell me, do you happen to be mocking me

In this so called declaration of great love?"

A wounded look crossed his face before Sirius did respond,

"Oh no, Marlene, I could never do so; you see,

This is how I really feel, and as strange as it is for you to hear,

It is stranger for me to be speaking such words.

But the truth is what it is, and the truth is what it shall always be."

The couple then embraced

After Marlene did give him a critical eye

And for two happy years after,

(By now, James and Lily had finally

Gotten together too, much to everyone's joy and immense relief)

They all hung out together

Friendship and love, love and friendship

Dancing a fine dance to the beat of their hearts.

But alas, all good things must come to en end

Such is the cruel rule by which the world spins, and the universe grows

And no power of love or hate can reverse the order imposed aeons ago.

It began first with some anger, and rather silly arguments

But these were neither tinged with the innocence of outh

Or the forgiveness of friendship.

"Marlene, I promise you, she is but a friend!" yelled Sirius

But she failed to believe him as she knew him too well

And the way his eyes shone as he spoke to Alice Longbottom

Sent Marlene's heart plunging to the darkest depths of despair.

"Sirius, be frank; stop playing with me here. I hear you fancy Alice now,

She's sweet and quiet and brave,

I know I have a fiery temper,

But my love for you was always pure."

He sighed, and she knew –

Her worst fears had been confirmed.

Thus with an aching heart and a sagging back

She sought out her old friend Alice, a friend who was friend no more

"Alice, I need to know. Did you fancy Sirius before

We began our courtship, before we

Declared our love for each other?"

Her little head did not hang in shame

As her best friend confronted her in the common room;

Instead, she looked straight into her eyes

And nodded not once, but twice.

"I did, Marlene, I did, I did,

Your courtship was doomed to fail from the start

He's fire to your fire, and you'll only burn each other to the ground."

In a fit, Marlene stomped her feet to the ground

And shed great tears of rage and sorrow

While Alice looked on coolly, unable to sympathise anymore.

"Marlene, I do love you, my friend you are

But this courtship wasn't mean to be

Believe me when I say I care for you."

"How can you be so sure? You're blinded by your love!"

Marlene couldn't believe what she saw, or see what she believed.

"Marlene," Alice coaxed, putting a tentative arm on her shoulder.

"See the way Remus looks at you!" she exclaimed,

All traces of anger and annoyance gone from her voice.

"I'm telling you Marly, that boy has always liked you,

And he's the salve to your fire

Just as Sirius is the fire to my salve."

Just then, who should enter but Sirius;

And emotions ran quick across his face,

Surprise, anger, bashfulness and love

All vying to be expressed on his face.

"Alice?" her name was the first to fall from his lips

And in that moment, Marlene knew it to be true.

Alice was right, and she was wrong

But the wound hurt never the less.

She nodded at the pair

While Sirius stared agape

And left them to their devices

As she went to nurse her wounded heart by the lake.

And thus ends the sad tale of Sirius and Marlene,

Well, perhaps it was happy

As no love trumped doomed love any day.

The wound would sting, and the salty tears would bite;

But eventually, true love could be found even in the darkest of places

If only one remembered to listen to one's heart.