Disclaimer- None of Jo Rowling's character belong to me, unfortunately.
A/N: Hey everyone! This is a one shot for now but I'm planning on writing more chapters depending on the level of interest so if that sounds like something you'd want me to do, mention it in your review (which i would absolutely loooove for you to write hehe). Just to clear up confusion, this chapter begins with a flashback (thus the italics) and continues on to "present day." I have a storyline in mind and it's nice and angsty (woo) and fluffy (wooo) and everything in between so tell me what you guys think! Love always, Lucy xx
Eight years old: the age of innocence. The first time Sirius Black ever laid eyes on Marlene McKinnon, he couldn't recall having ever been more fascinated by a single witch before in his then short life. She was everything he found irritating in a person; her clothes were in disarray (not that his were any better, but she ought to at least look put together for Merlin's sake), she talked back whenever she got the chance and she seemed to always be moving. She was essentially his polar opposite, yet as time would show, they couldn't have been more alike. They were cut from the same cloth. The same sharp glint of intelligence was visible in their eyes: his, a stormy gray, hers a rich chocolate brown.
On that day- one just as ordinary as any other- the Blacks had invited the McKinnons, as well as other fellow pureblood families, to the Manor for on of their many spectacularly elegant dinners. It was one of many formal dinners that the Black family hosted a year and it passed by smoothly and relatively unremarkably. As these events tended to blur together, especially to an eight year old boy who considered them to be tedious and boring, it wasn't a memory that would particularly stick out in Sirius' mind until much, much later.
The formal dining room, where society dinners were usually held, was commanded in the center by a table so grand and so old, one had to pause to admire it. Made of a rich dark wood that had been carved so masterfully the shapes it took seemed to be moving, it was a piece of art in itself. Passed down from generation to generation, it was one of the many priceless heirlooms that littered the Black Manor and was able to sit dozens. Despite the fact that it had been in the family for ages, it was so polished that it seemed to have been made the day before, specifically for this dinner. Partially draped over it, a green velvet tablecloth adorned with golden flossing protected the wood from being cuffed by the golden silverware, goblets and plates that had been set out for each guest.
The impressive décor gave the impression that Walburga, the matron of the Black house, had pulled out all of the stops for this dinner when in fact, this was a fraction of the splendor a ball thrown by the family would be inundated in.
As the guests began arriving on the grounds, the servants that had previously been rushing about in a frenzied buzz took their assigned places throughout the house- whether it be in the main hall, kitchen or where ever else they may be assigned- and the house assumed position. Walburga and her husband Orion ushered their two sons, Sirius and his younger brother Regulus, to the entrance hall where they would be treating guests. Standing in rigid formation, they greeted each family as they walked through the grand double doors that served as the guardians of the Black manor. As the oldest son, Sirius was forced to bow to the patriarch of every family and utter the worn, formal welcome, "Welcome to the ancient and most noble House of Black." Failure to execute this perfectly each time would result in a cuff in the back of his head from his mother who watched him like a hawk the whole time.
Bow. Greet. Utter the welcome. Bow. Greet. Utter the welcome. It all melted together in a miserable, monotonous blur. After the first three families, Sirius was already twitching in his stiff, starched suit. At ten, he had already been hit twice by his exasperated mother, a frown pursing her thin lips. Beyond that, it all became a mind-numbing pattern of the same 3 movements strung together. Sirius was about ready to explode.
Scowling as he bowed with a dramatic air to what seemed like the thousandth family to walk through his door, he raised his gray eyes and was instantly met with the curious gaze of a girl around his age, her face framed by carefully placed brown curls. He had never seen this family before, as they hadn't been previously present at a Black function, and it was a welcome relief to see fresh faces in a crowd of people he already knew well. His eyes slid from the girl to her father, the tallest in the group. Despite the hard expression on his face, there were laugh lines around his eyes that spoke the truth. He was thickly and solidly built and seemed nice enough. The woman standing next to him, presumably his wife as well as the girls mother, had kind eyes and long brown hair that cascaded down her back in a tumble of unrestrained deep coffee curls. Steel met chocolate once more and he curiously assessed the girl before him. Her hair, despite being long and wavy like her mothers, had been forced into a painful looking up-do and she didn't seem to be happy with it. The loose strands of hair falling out of the bow that held them in place gave the impression they had been forcefully extracted from the tight prison. Her dress, although pretty, was wrinkled and from her fidgeting seemed to be no better then his unbearable torture chamber of a suit. Apparently whoever had designed both of their outfits hadn't taken in the comfort of the wearer.
Despite feeling a certain camaraderie with the witch, he couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't just resigned. She's going to have to wear the stupid clothes anyway so why not at least look good in them, he thought. Heaving a great sigh at the sharp pain he suddenly felt in the back of his neck (without a doubt his pause had grown too long for Walburga) he winced and snapped his gaze back to the man, mechanically uttering, "Welcome to the ancient and most noble House of Black."
What seemed like hours later, his grueling duties were finally over with and he grabbed at his freedom much like how a man desperate for water would move for a glass of the proffered liquid. Without a moment's hesitation, the moment the last family was through the door and on their way to the main dining room, he made a run for it. His mad dash for freedom, however, was short lived. He was stopped in his tracks by a wave of horrible pain that emanated primarily from his ear. "Just where do you think you're going," Walburga hissed, two aristocratic fingers pinching his left ear tight.
His hands flying to his ear, Sirius let out a sulking moan. "Owww-" He began, his tone holding a distinct whining note, "Let go-o-o. Mother! Please, it hu-urts!"
Unfazed by her first borns' complaints, Walburga made a noise of displeasure and kept a secure grasp on Sirius' ear as she began walking briskly towards the formal dining room, towing him roughly in her wake. As they reached the doors that would lead them into the grand room, she came to a halt, motioning at her husband and second son to wait, and crouched down to Sirius' level. In a sharp but quiet tone, she pronounced each word clearly and with a hinted threat. "You will behave until dinner is over or there will be consequences. Do you understand me?"
Looking at anything but his fearsome mother, Sirius resolutely stood in front of her with his chin up, stubbornly refusing to give in. He could hear the murmured conversation bubbling out from the double doors that would take the family to their awaiting dinner and guests. After a few seconds of silence, he finally gave a resigned nod and huffed, prompting her to release his ear from her painful grip and receive a relieved sigh in return. Satisfied, she nodded and after smoothing down the front of her gown, emerged into the impressive hall to scattered applause from her guests, her husband and two sons trailing behind her impressive wake.
Dinner, typical at high society functions where tradition was valued over efficiency, was a long, arduous and grueling process. It typically took anywhere from three to four hours and a grand total of fourteen courses were served. As far as Sirius was concerned, the food was the only thing keeping him sane and he piled his plate high with roast suckling pig, steaming hot vegetables cooked to perfection, lamb shank practically drowning in succulent gravy and countless other delicacies. Another welcome distraction was the fact that Marlene had been seated almost directly across from him.
With wide gray eyes, he observed her curiously and despite his attempts at being discreet, was caught by her roving gaze multiple times.
Four hours is a long time to watch someone and by the end of it, he had decided that he liked her more then most of the other stuffy purebloods present. At this point in the night, her mother had given up trying to keep her daughter looking neat and her hair had completely fallen out of the red bow it had previously been ensnared in. Flying free around her face, Sirius found that her long, swinging curls looked much better down then up. Heaping meat and other foods a proper young lady would never dare eat onto her plate, she ate shamelessly and with a ravenous hunger. When the girls mother reached over in an attempt to get her daughter to use the correct silverware, she received the full brunt of the girls annoyance and retreated. Her parents, whom at this point had decided the night was beyond saving, exchanged glances and decided to proceed as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. No one else seemed to notice and that suited them just fine.
When dinner was finally over, Sirius was halted from making another break for the door by another sharp glare from his mother. As guests began milling around, she made sure he was glued to her side and not off wreaking havoc in the house. She knew if she let him out of her sight he would incite another rebellion amongst the house elves or make something catch fire which was not a path she was willing to let this evening turn down. Walburga wanted it executed to perfection, as was her way.
The room her guests had been ushered to in order to mix amongst one another was almost grander then the first. It was wide and had a completely different atmosphere. Whereas the formal dining hall was dark, intimidating and meant to impress, this second room was light, airy and warm. A large entertainment hall, the walls were dripping with white flowers of all kinds. Icy white roses wrapped around rosy marble pale pillars shot through with veins of gold. Dewy snowdrops cascaded from walls. Fresh white chrysanthemums adorned tables covered in finger desserts such as macarons, scones and other tasty delights as well as enchanted goblets that would produce whatever drink a wizard desired within. Hundreds of candles floated softly near the vaulted ceiling, casting a dreamy glow upon the guests below. Delicately carved chairs, love seats and couches lay strategically throughout the hall for those who wished to recline. Smartly dressed servants weaved in and out of the crowd, serving an assortment of bite sized options for those who hadn't been satisfied by the grand dinner.
Walburga and Orion, with Sirius in tow, drifted through crowd effortlessly making guests feel welcome. This went on for another hour or so before the night started coming to a close. Sirius didn't see the girl or her parents for the rest of the night until it finally came time for the guests to make their departure. As the trio (Regulus had already been put to bed, six year olds need their rest, after all) stood by the door, bidding their farewells to guests, he saw her again. While their parents exchanged a few last words, he saw his opportunity and began rather articulately, "Er-"
The witch observed him sympathetically. "Not very smart, are you?" Shaking her head and causing her mess of curls to shake with her, she continued, "In case you were wondering, my name's Marlene McKinnon." And with that, she was gone before Sirius had a chance to return an indignant response. The rather weak argument he had been planning on saying: "I'm a lot smarter then you, thank you very much." died on his lips. Those were the first and only words they exchanged that night- the first night Sirius Black ever laid eyes on Marlene McKinnon.
Flash forward 8 years later…
The determination expression and pursed lips on Sirius Blacks' face melted in a fit of barking laughter as the ink pot that he had just sent soaring through the air in the direction of Peeves landed way off target. The agile ghost had dodged the flying threat easily as it came barreling in his direction and it had instead crash landed on an unsuspecting witch in blue robes. The resulting shriek of terror was quickly followed by a moan as she observed her now ink-stained robes.
Looking at James Potter in pure glee, the two boys high-fived each other at the success of one of their first pranks of the year. It had turned out much better then Sirius had envisioned and the successive giddiness was hardly soiled by the victim of their practical joke's misery. Shrugging off Remus' rolling eyes and sarcastic remark- something about being immature- a toothy grin spread across Sirius face as he puffed out his chest in triumph.
Extremely entertained, he remarked, "Moony, Prongs. You are in the presence of royalty. I am officially the king of pranks. Bow down in my presen-" But he was cut off by James, who had enthusiastically grabbed the shaggy haired boy in a headlock.
"Will you two ever grow up?" Despite his words, Remus' tone held no malice and though he shook his head in mock disapproval, he was unsuccessful in his attempt to hide his amusement.
"Not likely," A soft voice said at his elbow. Remus turned his head to look at Peter Pettigrew who had appeared just behind him and Remus smiled, wondering if maybe Peter had been the one to divert the path of the airborne inkbottle.
"Oi, Potter!" Sirius grunted as he attempted to free himself from hold his friend had on him before going limp and declaring, "Although this may look bad now, we all know I could kick your arse in a real fight."
Chuckling in disbelief, James retorted, "Oh is that so? I'd like to see the big bad Sirius Black try to free himself then." With that, Sirius began struggling as he renewed his attempts and his attention was so fully sucked into the task before him he didn't notice someone's gaze resting on him and his friends.
Killing time until her next class began, Marlene McKinnon stood in the shadow of a pillar alongside her best friend, Dorcas Meadowes, who was currently speaking animatedly about something she had overheard a pair of Hufflepuff girls saying in the corridor. Clutching a rather beaten up notebook to her chest as she zoned out and leaned up against the wall, Marlene McKinnon had a prime view of main corridor and because of this, she had, with growing amusement, been witness to everything that had just come to pass. Watching as the inkbottle whizzed at a record speed through the air towards Peeves, the meddlesome ghost, her eyes had widened as it instead hit Amelia Bones, a Ravenclaw girl. Typically quiet and soft-spoken, Amelia was never one to cause or be involved in trouble and though her following wail had caused Marlene to giggle, her conscience kicked in, and she immediately felt bad, a trickle of guilt flowing through her. She had quickly hidden her upturned lips behind her notebook and nodded, pretending to be listening to what Doe was telling her.
"Did I mention that I'm pregnant and running away to fulfill my dream of becoming a dragon tamer?"
"Mm, that's nice."
"I'll kidnap your parents too, while I'm at it. I hope they like Bulgaria."
"Maybe…" Trailing off and not entirely sure of what her friend was saying, Marlene's eyes were following Sirius' form as he dramatically declared something and was subsequently jumped by James. Rolling her eyes, a twinge of annoyance reverberated through her chest. Didn't he feel just a little bad? If she were in his place, she would have at least apologized to Amelia. She knew for a fact that they had had a brief fling back in Fourth year, it was only courteous to apologize for ruining her robe.
Marlene and Sirius had never been terribly close growing up but they knew each other generally well and she considered him to be a more then an acquaintance but less then a friend. Actually, when she really thought about it, he was more of a nuisance then anything. Arrogant, self-centered and with a generous mean streak, he wasn't exactly an angel. Even though Marlene could appreciate having fun, sometimes Sirius took it way too far. It was something that had always bugged her about him. She was brought back from her musings by a delicate hand being waved exasperatedly in her face.
"Hello-o-o, are you even listening to me?" Marlene refocused on Doe as the annoyance in her friends tone registered with her and she quickly jumped to defend herself.
"Of course I was listening!"
Doe crossed her arms, "Oh really, now. What did I just say?" She shook her head in amusement as Marlene fumbled for an answer and continued, "That's what I thought." Laughing softly, she grabbed the other girls' arm and tugged her in the opposite direction. Away from a distraught Amelia. Away from a cackling Peeves. Away from the crowd. "C'mon, we'll be late for class. At least try to make it on time through the first week."
Shrugging in resignation, Marlene let herself be pulled in the direction of the dungeons towards their first Double Potions class of the year.
Back in the main corridor, the crowd that had gather around Amelia had begun to disperse at the arrival of Professor McGonogall. Now that the situations was under control and a teacher was present, it had become considerably less interesting and students began making their way to their respective classes. James and Sirius were still locked in their playful wrestling match, however, and wouldn't have noticed had it not been for Remus coughing lightly, then slightly louder until he was heard. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love to continue to stand here and watch the two of you make complete arses out of yourself- it's highly amusing- but I'm afraid we have a Double Potions class to get to and I don't want to be late." Peter nodded his head eagerly at this last statement and followed Remus as the other boy turned in the direction of the dungeons.
"Moony, you're such a stick in the mud." James pouted but after a few more seconds of struggling, good-naturedly let go of the boy in his arms.
Breaking free of James' grasp, not fully realizing the other boy had let him win, Sirius pumped his chest and and crowed, "I win! Prongs, will you never learn? I am a force to be reckoned with!" Eyes alight with triumph, Sirius failed to see James roll his eyes.
"I let you win. You can even ask Moo-" Turning around to get a voucher from his friend, James' gaze was met by the retreating backs of Remus and Peter. "Bollocks. Oh, nevermind." Blowing it off, James grabbed the sleeve of Sirius' robes and dragged the other boy behind him as he scrambled to catch up with the two other Marauders.
The four descended down the stairwell into the dungeons, the darkness swallowing them greedily.
~End of Chapter~