A/N: Written for the Houses Competition. Thanks to Holly, Alixx, 2D, and Andy for the betas. Absolute legends, all of youse.

House: Ravenclaw

Category: Themed

Prompt: 'The flowers died three weeks ago.'

Words: 2130

The flowers died three weeks ago. Still, they stood on Sirius' mantelpiece, wilted and dull. He couldn't bring himself to take them down and throw them away. It would be almost like admitting to himself that she was gone, really gone, and she wasn't coming back.

Even months later, even after the preservation charms had worn off and the flowers were slowly shriveling up, it still felt unreal. Sirius woke up every morning expecting the comforting warmth of her beside him, to feel her blonde curls tickling his cheek and hear the steady rhythm of her breathing. It never happened of course, the bed as cold and empty as when he'd drifted off to sleep.

His flat was lonely now, even with James, Remus, Peter and even Lily constantly coming over. Their presence irritated him in a way he could not explain, and all he wanted to do was scream. Even James, someone who'd always been more than a brother to him, was stifling. He didn't understand that Sirius just wanted to be left alone, to wallow in his sorrow.

Marlene was the only one who had ever truly understood him.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sirius hugged his chest to his knees, the dampness of the lawn soaking through the thin cotton of his pajama bottoms. He knew he shouldn't be out here. He knew how easy it would be to be caught, for someone to notice the hastily arranged pillows lying in his bed where he should be. It was only his first night at Hogwarts and already he was breaking rules….

But he couldn't stand the House he'd been sorted into, not in that dormitory plastered with gold and crimson, full of little boys who were sound asleep and really deserved to be there. He'd wanted Gryffindor, he'd wanted it so badly, but now that he had it, he'd never felt more unsure. He felt like an imposter, a snake in lion's clothing. The distrust and confusion was all too clear on his housemates' faces. He was a Black and that was all he would ever be.

Even worse than that, as he stared across the Great Hall at Cissy's pinched lips and Bellatrix's furious eyes, he'd realised just how much trouble he'd be in. He hadn't dyed his Aunt's hair pink, or set off a dungbomb in the middle of a family dinner, he'd been sorted into Gryffindor. Surrounded by blood-traitors and Muggle-borns, his mother would certainly murder him. Sirius could almost hear the Howler screaming 'Toujours Pur' at him over the breakfast table. It would be humiliating, having everyone know what sort of family he came from, even if they didn't know already. Shame washed over him and Sirius sniffed loudly, tears threatening to spill over.

"It's shit, isn't it?" The voice startled Sirius and he looked to the side at once, not having noticed the girl that had settled beside him. She noticed his confusion, and smiled almost mournfully. "I was meant to be in Ravenclaw."

"I'm sorry, I don't-" She waved a hand, cutting him off.

"All I'm saying is, I get what you're going through." Sirius squinted, trying to make out who she was, and was suddenly hit with a bolt of recognition. It was McKinnon, Marlene, a petite blonde who'd sat a few seats down from him at the Gryffindor table. She'd looked rather disappointed too, now he thought of it. "My whole family were 'Claws, you know. Mum, Dad, Aunty Jennie. I bet even my little brat of a sister, Maggie, is going to be one too. I've not got the patience for books."

Sirius nodded along almost awkwardly, unused to someone sharing their feelings so openly and without even a hint of embarrassment. Although he was slightly uncomfortable, Marlene's chatter was not entirely unwelcome. After letting the silence stretch on for a moment too long, Sirius hesitantly added, "Yeah, my brother Reggie is going to be in Slytherin for sure. He's the favourite. The perfect son."

"Exactly." Marlene rolled her eyes, and her quick agreement let Sirius relax. "Just because I've got beauty not brains, and because you're not all evil like your family, they're going to be cross at us. It's absolute rubbish if you ask me. All I'm saying is, I understand," she said, tugging Sirius to his feet. "Well, we'd better get back to the dorms, or else McGonagall'll have our heads."

Sirius smiled at her gratefully, most of his worries and fears forgotten. Being in a new place suddenly didn't seem so scary with someone who understood him by his side.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sirius smiled fondly at the memory, a moment forever burned into his brain. That feeling that someone understood him, for perhaps the first time in his life, never failed to lift his spirits. All he had ever wanted was to belong, to find someone that thought the same way he did, who believe what he believed. For him, Marlene was always that person, no matter their differences.

They'd always reminisced together, whenever there were too many Missing Persons articles in the back pages of the Prophet, whenever an Order Member was sent out on a mission and didn't come back.

Now, he was forced to relive those bittersweet memories, alone.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sirius was summoned home for the summer holidays after his fifth year, the first time he'd spent them at home since third year. At first he'd been stupid enough to hope that maybe they were coming around, maybe they actually cared about him, but no. Apparently, it was to save him from bringing any more shame upon the family. His escapades at Hogwarts, it seemed, hadn't exactly gone unnoticed because Regulus was all too eager to tell all.

The first week was a living hell, each movement he made closely monitored by his parents and Regulus. No owls were let in or out, and he was not allowed to leave his room without his father's express permission. It was turning out to be the worst summer of his life, but, finally, just as he was starting to go as insane as everyone else in the godforsaken house, his luck turned.

Sirius' older cousin Cissy, or Narcissa as she now insisted on being called, was engaged. It was to some fellow named Lucius Malfoy and was apparently some big deal. Personally, Sirius couldn't give a rat's arse about which sniffy pureblood Narcissa was about to inbreed with, but the engagement party was being dubbed as the 'Event of the Season.' Sirius was almost brought along but he managed to persuade his father that he'd cause far less trouble at home.

No, he was going to make the most of his one chance at freedom.

The next day, when his mother, father, and Regulus were out at the engagement party, he'd gone out to Muggle London with Marlene and they'd spent the day wandering the streets, browsing vintage markets and record stores. Unluckily for Sirius, poor ickle Reggie had felt sick and they'd come home from the party early. Walburga had walked in just in time to see Marlene and Sirius making out on the couch, much to the horror of his ancestor's portraits.

Walburga started shrieking at once, her shrill voice echoing through the halls of Grimmauld Place. Sirius and Marlene leapt apart and Sirius stood in front of her, clenching his fist so tightly around his wand that his knuckles turned white. He could never be too careful around his family and he would never let Marlene get hurt because of him.

He expected Walburga to step forward, send Marlene away and berate him on the importance of blood purity, clean bloodlines, and all that other rubbish. Instead, his father inched towards him and Sirius realised he was in far deeper shit that he'd thought.

"What," Orion's voice was deceptively calm, only the manic fire in his eyes betraying how enraged he truly was. "In Salazar's name did you think you were doing."

Sirius shrank under his father's glare, his bold, wand-bearing hand falling limply to his side. "I'm sorry, Sir, I didn't mean-"

"That's the thing, Sirius." Orion sighed heavily, and leaned in towards his son. "You never mean for anything to happen, it just does." His father's breath stank of wine and his lips curled in an anticipatory smile. "It's time you learn what happens when you associate with such filth!" Orion spoke the words with an almost fanatical vehemence, flecks of spit landing on Sirius' face. He resisted the urge to flinch. "What will it take to make you understand?"

"Father, please-"

"Crucio!"

Sirius took the first hit like a true Gryffindor, refusing to give his father the satisfaction of seeing him collapse on the ground. It wasn't long, though, as each curse hit the intended target, before he was nothing but a writhing mess on the floor. Marlene's screams were nothing but a distant ringing in his ears and all he could feel in every inch of his body was excruciating pain. He drifted on the edge of consciousness, falling into darkness before being awoken by a wave of fresh agony.

Eventually, it all stopped. Heavy footsteps pounded on the tiled floor by his head, getting fainter and further away by the second. He could hear his father's deep voice, the words just barely distinguishable. "Get Kreacher to clean up this mess."

His mother's voice was tinny and distorted. "I hope it doesn't stain the carpet. That boy's more trouble than he's worth."

Sirius was almost aware of Marlene's sobs, of his head being cradled in her lap, and soothing words being whispered in his ear, before the world faded to nothingness….

Sirius' eyes fluttered open gently to see James' bespectacled face staring down at him. James blinked twice, before straightening up and bellowing, "Mum, he's awake! Fetch Marls, would you?"

Almost at once, Sirius was engulfed in her tight embrace, her head burrowed deep into his shoulder. He breathed in, the smell of her apple shampoo like home. Finally, they let go and Marlene perched on the end of the bed that he recognised as the one in the Potter's guest room. They both looked at James expectantly and he stared back blankly, not quite getting the hint.

"James, mate, why don't you go and see if your mum needs help with anything?" Sirius looked pointedly at Marlene.

"Oh, yeah." James smiled sheepishly. "I get it, I understand. I'll just leave the two of you alone then." With a suggestive wink, James thumped downstairs, leaving the two of them alone.

"Are you alright?" Sirius asked, concern suddenly overwhelming him. It must have been awful for her, seeing how fucked up the Black family truly was.

Instead of answering, Marlene just laughed almost incredulously. "I should be asking you that! Mrs. Potter managed to mostly fix you up but Sirius…" She trailed off, biting her lip and unsure of what to say next. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I would have Marls, you know that." She nodded, intertwining her hand with his. "It's just - I'm already damaged goods." She opened her mouth as if to protest but Sirius continued on. "Everyone knows about my family, pure-blood fanatics, marrying their cousins. And it's like people already see me as poor Sirius, having to grow up in a house like that. He must be messed up, you know? If people knew they'd just pity me more."

"None of us see you like that," Marlene cut in, grasping his hand even tighter. "You're Sirius Black and we feel bad that you're such a tosser, but none of us pity you. Never."

"I know." Sirius pulled Marlene back in towards him, offering up a brave attempt at a smile. "I just don't want to be that person, living my life as something broken. And if I don't talk about it, it's almost like the cracks aren't there."

"I understand," Marlene said simply and they just sat together, as the colours of dawn painted the horizon red and gold.

XXXXXXXXX

Towards the end, when they had been together for so long that Sirius almost couldn't remember what it was like to not be one half of the same person. He had taken that understanding for granted. It was unspoken, something that just was and always would be.

Now that the funeral had passed, and the flowers had long since lost their vibrancy, Sirius was learning what it was like to live without it. It was loneliness and not having someone holding you at night. It was loss and sentences left unfinished, because the person that always knows what you wanted to say is not there.

It was the complete and utter feeling of emptiness, the knowledge that no-one would ever understand him the way Marlene had again.