Written for The Crazy 8s Challenge, Fanfiction Marathon Competiton/Challenge, The Art Museum Challenge, and Magical Objects & Their Uses Classroom. Title from the Fall Out Boy song.


Marlene looked at the dog in front of her with wide eyes. The dog had been Sirius Black merely seconds before. She said nothing and did nothing, and the only thing the dog did was tilt its head as it looked at her, seemingly waiting for something. Waiting for what, Marlene didn't know.

After a minute, the dog quickly morphed back into Sirius. His head was still tilted.

"Well?" he asked with a cheeky grin. "What do you think?"

"You're an Animagus," Marlene said, her voice almost dead from shock. "You're an Animagus and I'm not sure why the hell you showed me!" Marlene regained some emotion, though those emotions probably weren't the emotions Sirius was looking for.

"Why did you tell me?" she asked, her voice nearly dropping into a whisper. "I mean, why me?"

Sirius laughed. Marlene suddenly realized that it sounded like a bark. "Why not?" he asked. "I mean, I can't think of anyone else who needs to be told."

"What do you mean anyone else who needs to be told?" Marlene asked. "Who else knows about this?"

"Well," Sirius said, counting out each person on a finger. "James and Peter, they're both one's too. Remus, he's not, and Lily. She's not either."

Marlene blinked. "Why isn't Remus?" Lily she understood, she wasn't close to the Marauders until seventh year, but Remus was a surprise.

Sirius's grin faded. "That's a story for another day."

Marlene looked at him oddly. She wanted to know, but understood well enough that Sirius wouldn't tell her if she asked.

"Why'd you become one?" she asked warily. "When'd you become one?"

"The same story," Sirius responded, "But I became one in fifth year."

"Fifth year!" Marlene asked, her shock returning for an entirely different reason. She knew Sirius was smart, but this was a whole new level. James didn't surprise, he always ran circles around everyone in Transfiguration, but Peter and Remus were. Remus was smart enough to become one, but Peter. . .

Peter was smart. He just wasn't that smart.

"Sirius, are you registered?" she asked, her throat dry.

Sirius grinned. "What do you think the answer is?"

"You could go to Azkaban," she whispered through gritted teeth. "I mean, what were you thinking? You should register. Like right now! Ask for a lenient sentence and claim youthful ignorance."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Come on, Marlie. ("Marlene!") Don't be such a worry wart. Nothing bad will happen. It's better that no one knows. Death Eater's aren't suspicious of a dog, and if I register, they will."

Marlene bit her lip. He had a point, but she still couldn't believe that he had done this.

And that was quite an achievement for Sirius Black to achieve.

"This is not funny," she said.

Sirius looked at her, his eyes still holding that gleam of amusement. "Hardly anything is anymore. That's why we have to find humor when we can."

"Why do you trust me?" she whispered.

"Because you've always trusted me," Sirius replied. "You may not like me, you may even hate me, but you've always trusted me to help you complete a mission and get the job done. I think we work well together and I want us to trust each other more. I mean, I try to picture me without you, but I can't. With you, I feel immortal."

"I don't hate you," Marlene said, her amber eyes meeting his gray. "I like you. Always have. That's what annoyed me."

Sirius grinned. "Then can I do something I've always wanted to do, and kiss you?"

Marlene looked at him, and grinned back. "Please do so."

Marlene looked at the dog in front of her with wide eyes. The dog had been Sirius Black merely seconds before. She said nothing and did nothing, and the only thing the dog did was tilt its head as it looked at her, seemingly waiting for something. Waiting for what, Marlene didn't know.

After a minute, the dog quickly morphed back into Sirius. His head was still tilted.

"Well?" he asked with a cheeky grin. "What do you think?"

"You're an Animagus," Marlene said, her voice almost dead from shock. "You're an Animagus and I'm not sure why the hell you showed me!" Marlene regained some emotion, though those emotions probably weren't the emotions Sirius was looking for.

"Why did you tell me?" she asked, her voice nearly dropping into a whisper. "I mean, why me?"

Sirius laughed. Marlene suddenly realized that it sounded like a bark. "Why not?" he asked. "I mean, I can't think of anyone else who needs to be told."

"What do you mean anyone else who needs to be told?" Marlene asked. "Who else knows about this?"

"Well," Sirius said, counting out each person on a finger. "James and Peter, they're both one's too. Remus, he's not, and Lily. She's not either."

Marlene blinked. "Why isn't Remus?" Lily she understood, she wasn't close to the Marauders until seventh year, but Remus was a surprise.

Sirius's grin faded. "That's a story for another day."

Marlene looked at him oddly. She wanted to know, but understood well enough that Sirius wouldn't tell her if she asked.

"Why'd you become one?" she asked warily. "When'd you become one?"

"The same story," Sirius responded, "But I became one in fifth year."

"Fifth year!" Marlene asked, her shock returning for an entirely different reason. She knew Sirius was smart, but this was a whole new level. James didn't surprise, he always ran circles around everyone in Transfiguration, but Peter and Remus were. Remus was smart enough to become one, but Peter. . .

Peter was smart. He just wasn't that smart.

"Sirius, are you registered?" she asked, her throat dry.

Sirius grinned. "What do you think the answer is?"

"You could go to Azkaban," she whispered through gritted teeth. "I mean, what were you thinking? You should register. Like right now! Ask for a lenient sentence and claim youthful ignorance."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Come on, Marlie. ("Marlene!") Don't be such a worry wart. Nothing bad will happen. It's better that no one knows. Death Eater's aren't suspicious of a dog, and if I register, they will."

Marlene bit her lip. He had a point, but she still couldn't believe that he had done this.

And that was quite an achievement for Sirius Black to achieve.

"This is not funny," she said.

Sirius looked at her, his eyes still holding that gleam of amusement. "Hardly anything is anymore. That's why we have to find humor when we can."

"Why do you trust me?" she whispered.

"Because you've always trusted me," Sirius replied. "You may not like me, you may even hate me, but you've always trusted me to help you complete a mission and get the job done. I think we work well together and I want us to trust each other more. I mean, I try to picture me without you, but I can't. With you, I feel immortal."

"I don't hate you," Marlene said, her amber eyes meeting his gray. "I like you. Always have. That's what annoyed me."

Sirius grinned. "Then can I do something I've always wanted to do, and kiss you?"

Marlene looked at him, and grinned back. "Please do so."