The Great 2016 Cotillion Challenge: Sirius/Marlene

Word Count: 1,179

Rain lashed at the windows of the castle and wind howled around the giant stone building. Marlene was grateful for the warm crackling fire that blazed in the deserted common room. Everyone else had long since gone to bed, including Marlene, but Sirius had asked her to meet him in the common room at midnight. She hadn't even bothered trying to sleep, but instead lay awake, dreading the conversation to come. She had even come down early because she'd been so restless.

It was no secret that Sirius Black was a ladies' man. He was charming, attractive, intelligent, and funny. He treated every girl he'd ever been with like a queen. He was exactly the kind of man that girls fought with each other over and considered themselves lucky to even draw his attention.

The only problem with Sirius was that he didn't stay with one girl for very long. It seemed like a miracle to Marlene if he kept his latest conquest around for more than a month. It was just the way he'd been for as long as she'd known him.

The only problem with Marlene was that she'd made the mistake of falling for him.

It had happened so suddenly that Marlene had been taken by surprise. She tried to push her feelings aside, tried to pretend that she wasn't in love with her friend, but when Sirius had finally set his sights on her, she'd easily given in to him. No matter how often she told herself that it was a mistake and she would end up with a broken heart, she just couldn't help it.

She had enjoyed that first month. They had been good friends before this new relationship, and that hadn't changed, for which Marlene was grateful.

It was at the end of the second month that Marlene really started to worry. Sirius had made no move to send her the way of his previous girlfriends. He was deviating from his usual pattern of behavior. This worried her the most; how was she supposed to anticipate when he'd finally had enough of her and was ready to move on to the next?

Sirius wrote to her several times a week that summer, never once mentioning a breakup. By the time the sixth month came, they had started their final year and Sirius showed no sign of wanting her to go anywhere. Despite her growing fears, Marlene tried to be happy and ignored the voice in the back of her mind telling her that it he would leave her any day.

Now, a year into their relationship, Sirius wanted to talk. He'd been so serious when he'd said it that Marlene knew. It was time. He was done with her.

"Those must be some pretty intense thoughts." Marlene startled at the sound of his voice. She hadn't even heard him enter the room. She felt her heart pounding as he sat next to her on the floor by the fire. "Got a lot on your mind?"

Marlene swallowed down the lump in her throat and pasted on a smile. She would not cry or make a scene. She would bow out quietly. "Of course not. Just waiting for you."

"If you say so." Sirius looked skeptical. "Anyway, I told you I wanted to talk. What I wanted to talk about was us."

Marlene nodded. It was just as she had suspected. At least she could still predict what he was going to do despite his unusual behavior.

Sirius took her hand. "I've really enjoyed being with you for the last year, Marlene. I know I have a certain reputation around here, so I'm glad you took a chance on me. I was so afraid you'd turn me down the moment I asked you."

I nearly did, Marlene thought. She kept this to herself, not wanting to drag things out any longer than necessary.

"But here we are, a year later and still going strong." Marlene could feel him trembling. Or was that her own hand shaking that she felt? "I've been thinking about this since Christmas, but I've been afraid of what you'll say. Is this what you'll really want? Will you be happy if we go in this direction? Will I be happy? I can confidently say yes to all of those questions, which is why we're here tonight."

"It's alright, Sirius," Marlene said, voice shaking. "I know. I've been waiting for you to end things for a while now."

Sirius's brow furrowed. "End things? Why would I do that?"

Marlene wanted nothing more than to run away and hide, but this had to be done. "Because that's what you do. I'm surprised you've held onto me for this long."

Sirius stared at her in astonishment, mouth hanging open slightly, seemingly unable to speak. When he did finally find his voice, Marlene did not expect what he said. "Haven't I made it clear enough how I feel about you? Or have you just seen me doing the same things for so long that you couldn't possibly imagine me doing anything different?" He smiled sadly. "If only I had chosen you first instead of going through everyone else. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize that it was you that I needed all along."

Sirius's free hand, which Marlene hadn't noticed before was behind his back, moved to reveal a small black box clutched in his fist. He popped the lid open and inside was a simple yet beautiful ring, a small diamond set into a gold band. " I used to think that romantic love didn't exist. My parents never showed any kind of affection for each other, so I didn't think people could really love each other in that way. But I saw James's parents and how much they loved each other, so I started looking. I knew there had to be someone out there for me. None of those other girls made me feel the way you do. I can't even describe it, Marlene. I just know that I don't want to lose you. Please say you'll be with me forever. Please say you'll marry me."

It was Marlene's turn to be astonished. She could scarcely believe what she was seeing and hearing. She'd been so certain that he was going to breakup with her; she had never imagined that he would propose. Even so, Marlene didn't have to think about her answer.

With tears in her eyes and a smile lighting up her face, Marlene said, "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you."

As Sirius slipped the ring on her finger and pulled her in for a kiss, the last of Marlene's doubts melted away. Despite all of the past months of uncertainty, she could be certain now that Sirius wasn't going anywhere.