Popping the Question

"You go on ahead Lily I need to ask Professor Flitwick about something," Marlene lied to her best friend taking a quick glance at Sirius Black. They were both in their sixth year, and had known each other since the first night they were both sorted into Gryffindor. She remembered that day as if it were yesterday.

flashback

I wonder what they're goin to have us do at the sorting. I wish Mum had told me but no she said I'd just have to wait and see... It was Marlene's first year at Hogwarts and she was a bundle of nerves. There wasn't anyone there she had really met before. Her parents were divorced and she was their only child. Marlene's mom was a witch in her thirties who worked at the Ministry of Magic, and her dad was a muggle pushing forty whom she visited on the weekends.

As she was standing there with the other students waiting nervously to be called in for the sorting ceremony a boy with dark hair that fell just slightly in his dark eyes walked up to her and introduced himself.

"Hello my name is Sirius, Sirius Black. What's your name?" he had asked her.

"Marlene Cagle," she answered holding out her right hand," nice to meet you Sirius." They shook hands politely and Marlene started to stare off into space once again.

"You're very pretty," Sirius said looking at her. Marlene blushed slightly.

"Thank you, you're quite not exactly bad looking yourself," she replied.

"Yeah I know," he said laughing slightly and popping his collar a bit, "The girls just love me."

"Oh do they now," Marlene said sarcastically.

flash-forward

Marlene always considered herself friends with Sirius, but lately she had been wondering about becoming a bit more than that.

"Yeah sure," Lily replied rolling her eyes, "I'll wait for you in the hall." Marlene continued to place her things in her bag at an incredibly slow rate silently wishing Sirius would walk over. He had grown to be very handsome in the past few years that she had known him. Of course he had always been good looking, but now she had just begun to notice how attractive he really was.

"You comin' Padfoot?" James asked Sirius slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"No I think I'll hang back for a bit," he answered stealing a glance at Marlene from across the room. She had grown into quite an attractive young witch. She inherited dark blue eyes from her mother, and her dirty blonde hair curled loosely at her shoulders. She was certainly not the little girl he had met before the sorting ceremony anymore.

"Good luck with that Cagle girl then mate," James added with a grin. Sirius took a deep breath as James walked out of the classroom and made his way over to Marlene. His palms began to sweat and he never remembered being nervous about approaching a girl. In fact they usually came to him, but something about this one was different. All she had to do was speak to him and his heart would start to beat that much faster. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she just about jinxed him into next month in their fifth year. Whatever the reason he found it somewhat difficult to get his next words.

"Hullo Marlene," Sirius said his voice sounding far calmer than he actually felt. His palms had started sweating a bit. The few seconds he waited for her to respond felt like an eternity.

"Hi Sirius," she answered slinging her bag over her shoulder trying to appear nonchalant.

"So we got a Hogsmeade weekend coming up..."

"Yup, I think we do. It's next weekend I think, I dunno what I'm gonna do yet."

"So...d'you want to-y'know hang out with me that weekend just the er..two of us? Maybe we could get a drink at Three Broomsticks or something if you want," he said finally meeting Marlene's eyes as a smile spread across her face.

"That sounds like a great idea to me," Marlene answered blushing slightly, "Well I better get t-to lunch, Lily's waiting for me out in the hall. See you then." Marlene beamed as she walked out to find a very annoyed and hungry Lily and proceeded to tell her all the details of what had just happened over their lunch.

"So that's what was taking so long," Lily said smiling after Marlene was done telling her story, "Well all I can say is congratulations in making Sirius feel slightly awkward, but do be careful I mean you and I both know that reputation he has about breaking girls hearts."

"Yeah I know Lils, don't you worry about me," she said picking at her lunch, "I still can't wait for it though. I mean can you believe it? Me and Sirius going on..."

"A date yeah I know," Lily said finishing her sentence.