Ojalá

A/N: Ojalá – (Spanish) looking forward with optimism, hopefully, God willing. I'm lucky enough to be semi-bilingual with Spanish as my second language. Ojalá was one of the first words I learned and it's one of my favorite Spanish words. This is a collection of AU Blackinnon One-shots. Some will be MuggleAU, some will be TheyLiveAU, but all will be happy and fluffy. Blackinnon needs more happiness! We need more stories with hope in them because we all know how this would have ended in the original storyline. I hope you enjoy!


Strange

It had been two years since Sirius had turned his back on the Black family, and he hadn't seen Walburga or Orion since. The Potter's ran in different circles and Sirius was quite happy to allow things to continue that way.

But nothing lasts forever.

He isn't sure how they ended up at this gala thing that Mia's friend is hosting; they don't support charities. Sirius wonders if maybe Her Majesty is making an appearance because it's the only plausible explanation he can come up with for his blood parents to be at a gala to raise money for charity.

"Don't fret about it, son," Monty puts a strong hand on Sirius' shoulder.

"Yeah," James nods coming to stand next to him. "They'll probably pretend we don't exist."

"I'm fine," Sirius forces a smile and avoids Mia's eyes. She knows he's not fine, but he isn't about to give his stupid parents the satisfaction of seeing that he isn't fine. Mia knows this too, he's sure.

"Come on, James," Sirius gestures towards the bar.

"Take it easy, dears," Mia calls after him.

He pretends not to hear her. But he loves Mia, so he doesn't drown himself, even though it's incredibly tempting. Instead, he nurses his drink, getting a bit of liquid courage to help ease the sting of seeing those two again. James is talking – a lot. It's his nature and Sirius loves him for it but it's grating at the moment. He wants to be alright. He wants to be able to look at his parents with the same indifference that ninety percent of the people in this ballroom do. He wants to laugh with James and flash the grin that gets him almost anything at everyone who passes. But those two berks have broken him and he's barely maintaining a thin layer of propriety.

Lord Dumbledore walks up and Sirius sees his chance at escape. After getting the old windbag started on his most recent agenda in The House of Lords, Sirius excuses himself for the loo and smirks as James discreetly flips him off. But James is his brother and he should have known what Sirius was planning the minute Dumbledore approached the two of them.

True to his nature, Sirius does the opposite of his excuse and heads out onto the first terrace he finds. He presses his back against the brick building and slides down to sit on the floor. He chuckles as he immediately thinks of how Mia would grimace at him scuffing up his tuxedo.

He sighs and looks up into the night sky. Normally he enjoys these things. Since the Potter's taking him in as their own, these people have become his circle. He can tell you what the Vance's are doing this summer, what university the Fenwick's son Benjy is at. He's even a groomsman for Frank Longbottom's wedding this December. But it all seems like a dream now that Walburga and Orion are mingling around like spies.

His brooding is interrupted by the terrace door opening and a petite blonde with bright blue eyes storming to the nearest bench and throwing herself onto it in a huff. She turns her head to look at him and Sirius finally recognizes her. The McKinnon's live up in Scotland somewhere and don't make it down to London very often. Apparently, Marlene was in town for this, perhaps her family too.

"Oh, hi," she sighs, "mind if I join you?" The sarcasm in her voice makes him smile.

"I'll have you know I've reserved this terrace a month in advance," he counters in his poshest accent.

She smiles and drops her Scottish brogue, replacing it with her best imitation of a London Lady, "But a gentleman wouldn't refuse a lady, Lord Black."

He knows she's teasing, he knows it's a joke, but he bristles at the name. She must notice because her smile drops from her face.

"Sorry," he forces the smile back on his face. "Lord and Lady Black happen to be mingling in the ballroom tonight."

Marlene's smile doesn't return and instead, she moves to sit next to him on the floor.

"How long since you've seen them?" She asks.

Sirius is taken aback at first. He does know Marlene. They've mingled at these events before and the McKinnon's visited the Potter's last summer for a weekend. He wouldn't describe them as close. But as she sits next to him and blatantly asks personal questions, he finds that he wants to talk about it with her. Which is…strange? He never wants to talk about this.

"A little more than two years," he pushes his head back into the wall. "You're probably going to tear your gown." He wants to give her the option to leave. Sirius doesn't want to be that moping dork that gets attention by making people pity him.

"Good," she shrugs and scoots closer to him, "then Mum can't make me wear it again. I hate this color."

"Pink not your thing?" Sirius chuckles and then starts as she lays her head on his shoulder. The personal question was definitely strange, but the physical contact is stranger still.

"Honestly I'd rather have shown up in jeans and my leather jacket."

Sirius can't help but laugh. He's finding the feeling of her head on his shoulder is rather comforting too.

"Can you imagine how half that room would react to that?"

She laughs and smiles up at him, "I bet I could get someone to faint dead away!"

The look in her eyes makes him believe that she could. "If you could get my mother to faint I'd let you replace James for the day."

"You mean the woman who birthed you. Your mother is the lovely Mia Potter." She says it in a matter of fact tone that takes Sirius by surprise. "And I can think of several better options to make the Lady Black faint dead away."

"Oh you can, can you?" Sirius rolls his eyes.

She nods, "But mostly I'm miffed with Dad; he's still upset that I'm going to uni down here. He's always wanted me to go to Edinburgh, and I overheard him complaining to Mum about it for the millionth time."

For some reason, Sirius finds he is very interested in the fact that she's going to be here in the south. "Where will you be?"

"Cambridge," she shrugs and wraps her arms around herself with a shiver.

Sirius debates with himself for a fraction of a second before deciding to wrap his arm around her shoulders rather than offer her his jacket. She leans into him easily, scooting over until she's pressed up against him.

"We'll see you around then. James and I will be there too."

She looks up at him and smiles, "I hope so."

Sirius can feel the smile involuntarily pulling on his lips. A part of him hopes he sees her too, which is strange.

It's a strange feeling, the pull of Marlene's smile and the way she looks up into his face. He's used to physical appeal, and she is definitely beautiful, but this feels a bit different and he isn't exactly sure how it's different but it is.

"Is your dad just miffed then?" He asks more so to break the silence because the silence mixed with how she's looking at him is creating feelings he isn't sure he can handle right now.

She rolls her eyes, "Mum says he'll be fine. Dad is just really into this whole Scotland should go back to being its own country thing. He's not mad at me really, just at how getting into Cambridge is a big deal to me."

Sirius chuckles, "Well, what would it look like if Scotland does separate and you've got a degree from Cambridge?"

She laughs, silvery and clear, and Sirius can't keep himself from smiling. She's a strange girl, and part of him thinks maybe he should leave, but she's pressed against him and he's finally feeling calm even with the alcohol wearing off.

"Want to really piss off Lord and Lady Black?" She turns to smirk up at him.

There's mischief in her eyes, and Sirius likes the way it makes her look. "I'm always up to make my dear old mummy and daddy livid."

"They hate the idea of Scotland breaking off, right? So I'm the last person they'd want to see you with. Let's go dance a few songs for their benefit."

Sirius throws his head back into the wall and laughs. "Was this whole thing to ask me to dance?"

She shakes her head, "Don't flatter yourself. I really am miffed with my dad and I really did come out here to get away and brood. But helping you sounds like more fun, though if you don't want to that's fine." Her smirk widens, "Your loss."

"Cocky much?" Sirius laughs but he stands and offers her his hand.

"It's called confidence," Marlene pulls against him to stand and sighs when it looks like her dress has emerged unscathed.

"You could always take a hacksaw to it," Sirius laughs as they walk back into the ballroom.

Marlene's eyes light up, "There's an idea."

Sirius leads her into the next dance, and while he doesn't particularly care for ballroom dancing, Marlene's conversation makes up for a lot of it. She seems to know just how to make him laugh, which is both entertaining and confusing.

They're on to their fifth song when he sees his mother approaching. Marlene notices him stiffen and she follows his eyes. Then her hands are on his face and she forcefully pulls him down to her, kissing him with a force and skill that turns Sirius' mind towards thoughts very different from the woman who had been approaching him.

At some point, he pulled her closer and she's pressed against him, hands now pulling his hair as he runs his tongue against hers. He's not sure when this became snogging on the ballroom floor, but he's more than startled when a firm hand pulls on his shoulder.

Before he can respond Marlene is staring at Walburga with her ice behind her blue eyes.

"Sorry?" Marlene's tone conveys anything but remorse.

Walburga looks down her nose at the girl and Sirius suddenly feels very protective of Marlene, pulling her close into his side.

"What?" He asks bluntly.

"Can't a woman say hello to her son?" She says, son, like it's a curse.

"You must be mistaken," Marlene says in a sickeningly sweet voice. "This is Mia Potter's son, Sirius Black."

Sirius smiles at the sound of being called Mia's son and turns to Walburga. "She's right, good evening, Madame." And he pulls Marlene with him off the dance floor, not bothering to look back.

Sirius isn't entirely sure why he feels compelled to kiss Marlene, but he's now aware of how good she is at it. An empty alcove presents itself almost immediately and he quickly pulls her in and presses her against the wall, lips capturing hers, hands gripping her waist like his life depends on it. He smiles against her when she equally responds and they're a tangle of lips and hands before a server nearly drops a tray trying to cut through their little corner.

Marlene laughs at how disgruntled the server is, and Sirius can't help but join in as the man turns on his heels in a huff.

"So," Marlene manages to catch her breath first, "If I gave you my number, would you call me?"

Sirius smirks at her, "I don't know."

She smacks him across the chest and Sirius can't keep the smile off his face. "Don't be stupid," he pulls her into him, "Of course I'll call you. If you're lucky I might even take you for a pint."

She smirks up at him as her arms snake around his neck, "Or maybe I'll take you for a pint."

Sirius laughs as he closes the distance and kisses her again. He couldn't tell you where this is going, or what it is, but right now he can tell you that Marlene McKinnon is strange - exactly the kind of strange he likes.