Written for Disney Character Competition, Prompt: Flynn Rider (Eugene!) write about Sirius Black falling in love, actual love.
Dedication: DobbyRocksSocks for the Fic-Exchange of Epic Proportions
Summary: When James and Lily became a couple it was assumed that Marauders won't face the drama of one of them being hopelessly in love with a girl they cannot get. But then Sirius had to go fall in love.
Hopelessly In Love Black
The Marauders in their time were the popular guys and heart-throbs of Hogwarts and could get any girl they want, even Peter could. But the only member who took undue advantage of this was Sirius Black, yes, his rogue handsome feature and mysterious grey eyes had a great advantage in getting girls. It was obvious that he was the ladies man.
While James and Remus had their fair share of dates, Peter was never really interested. Sirius would swear that he was gay.
As James fell hopelessly in love with Lily Evans, the only girl who wouldn't give the Marauders a time of her day and decided to become one lady man, Remus never wanting to lead a lady on, due to his furry little problem and Peter subtly being not interested, there was one place the girls could get Marauder aura, that was Sirius and he did not mind one bit.
Until... he fell in love.
Yes, Sirius Black, who wouldn't date a girl more than two weeks was hopelessly in love, almost till James level and the irony the girl, she could only be called as the girl, if she made Sirius Black wanting to be in a serious relationship, rather than a Sirius-ish relationship, did not want any sort of relationship.
Poor thing, Sirius, one might say.
But the Marauders were far worse than poor Sirius as they handled a hopelessly in love Black.
((o))
It was a rainy day when he first saw her on the first day of his Auror Training.
She had been partnered with him.
"I am Sirius Black," He said, with a flirtatious smirk.
She looked up from her notes and said, "I know, now please start setting up the dummies for combat practice." Turning away from him and picking up the allotted dummies.
"Really?" Asked Sirius, following her and standing beside her, "I did not know I was so famous,"
"I was in the same year as you, Black," she informed him, "Now, shut it and get to work."
Sirius was surprised, obviously he had not dated every girl of his year, some of them were seniors and juniors, too. He was sure she was not one of them, because even if he did not remember the face, he would definitely remember her face.
And he was sure he wouldn't forget this face, her eyes were of light brown shade and her honey-coloured hair were pulled up in a messy bun. She had no glamour charms on, he could tell and neither any sort of vanity make-up. She was about five-six, and had a curvy body, instead of the slim, petite ones, but she could not be called as large or fat. He had definitely not met her, how can he forget her if he had? He wondered to himself, she was nothing special, per say, in comparison to the girls he had been with, but she had captured his attention, not leaving his thoughts.
"Uh... I don't remember you," He said dumbly.
"Don't expect you to," she said, non-chalantly, continuing to work on the dummy, "I am not one of the girls who lusted after you from fourth year and you don't even remember them."
"But I would have remembered you from classes or something," He argued.
"You must have been pre-occupied," she reasoned.
That was the first evening the Marauders had seen Sirius Black looking dazed, his aristocratic features looking almost humorous at his lost expression.
"What happened to him?" Remus asked James, who had been at the very same Auror Training session, partnered with someone else, "He looks like a lost puppy, no pun intended."
James began laughing, not even getting a glare from Sirius, "A girl turned him down, of sorts."
"Wow, that is interesting," Remus said, keeping his book aside, "Who?"
"Marlene McKinnon," James said, looking amused as Sirius' head shot up at her name.
"I am surprised you don't remember her, Padfoot," James said, "She is one of Lily's friends from Ravenclaw,"
Lily's friends, yeah, he knew her Gryffindor friends but not Ravenclaw ones.
"I just don't remember her, was she with us on one of our outings when you and Lily were trying to be just friends?" Sirius asked.
"Oh yes," Peter piped in from his position on the couch, with a bowl of snacks in his hand, "she was the one who called you a man-whore."
"What?" Sirius asked.
"Uh, yes," Remus said, waving his hand as if saying it is no big deal.
"I think you should leave this one alone," James said, "She is the one man and emotions woman."
"How come you all know about her and I don't?" Sirius wondered.
Remus opened his mouth to give a smart reply but Sirius shut him up by standing up in a flourish of making a big speech, "Well, she is just one girl," Sirius said, "Who cares, I can get anyone else."
Everyone assumed that the case of Marlene McKinnon was closed and well she would be hardly mentioned among them.
((o))
Sirius did not realize that Marlene was becoming a constant fixture in his life, after being partnered during training, they became accustomed to each other and while the Marauders and Lily did not know anything about how Marlene felt, they knew that Sirius was definitely feeling some things about Marlene.
She was the girl who said no to her, and that made her special to him. He wanted to know her more, not to woe her or anything.
So he proposed they could be friends.
Marlene had raised an eyebrow, "I am not one of your conquests, Black."
Sirius readily nodded and promised this was not to woe her or get in her robes. Marlene did not mind being friends then.
And she did not hesitate in criticizing his way of life. Unlike everyone who had pitied him over his upbringing and felt sorry for him, she had said that it was good that he did not go to the Dark side and followed the agenda of blood-purity, but it did not mean that he could act as an unfeeling dog to the girls, good looks wouldn't last forever. No need to be pitied he had a family in his friends.
For the first time Sirius had been moved by someone's words.
((o))
"I am surprised," Lily said to James one Friday night, after a long week, "This will be three weeks since Sirius hooked up with any girl."
"I can't believe it either," James replied, "but since Marlene and he became friends..."
"He seems to be changing," Lily completed, "Do you think...?" she trailed off in a questioning tone.
"He is in love?" James asked, "Maybe, it seems like he could be, he is more... content."
"But..." Lily said, "What if Marlene doesn't reciprocate?"
"There isn't an 'if', Lils," James replied, "she doesn't, she made it perfectly clear. It is like us... She still thinks about him as a asshole."
"If it is like us," Lily smiled, "Then she might reciprocate,"
"What?" James asked, surprised.
"I liked you even when I thought you were an asshole," Lily confessed, "I thought it was lust, back then."
"Lust, huh?" James smirked, raising an eyebrow, and Lily laughed.
((o))
"I am in love," Sirius proclaimed, the day he and James had completed Auror training and Remus and Lily had organized a celebratory function for them, with close friends. At Sirius' proclamation, his best friends looked mildly up at him, without even a hint of surprise.
"Glad you finally realized it, Sirius," Lily said, handing him a glass of Butterbeer, "I thought we would be greying, by the time you finally admitted to yourself."
Everyone laughed at that and Sirius frowned, "You don't get it," he said, "she doesn't like me that way."
"What are you a thirteen year old girl?" James asked Sirius, "Go and ask her and you would know."
"Says the guy who played, 'she loves me, she loves me not' for Lily," Sirius grumbled.
Remus, Lily and Peter laughed while James glared at Sirius, "You know, that was supposed to be a secret," He said, making the other three laugh harder.
Sirius did not laugh though, he just sat there, pouting.
"Why is Black pouting?" Marlene said, joining the group of Marauders plus Lily.
Sirius abruptly stood up and left.
"What's wrong with him?" Marlene asked.
"You should go and ask," Peter said bluntly.
Marlene shook her head and made her way to Sirius who had escaped to the remotest corner of the party.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I told them I was in love," Sirius said, "and they laughed."
"Aw, Sirius," Marlene said, laughing, "who is the unlucky girl?"
"You," Sirius said, bluntly and Marlene blinked.
They stood there looking at each other blankly for a long while.
"Oh, I am sorry," Sirius said finally, "This is a mistake, you could never like me."
"I like you, Sirius," Marlene said, "But you and I want very different things from life, this won't work. I think we are better off as friends."
And then she left...
Marauders, like all good friends were eavesdropping.
And thus began the plan to reform Sirius' ways.
((o))
While Marauders and honorary member Lily started to help Sirius woe Marlene, officially.
The dark era of Voldemort began.
People went missing, unexplained Muggle deaths, blood purity issues became more and more vocal and Muggle-borns began to be ridiculed by the pure-blood mantra following wizards and witches.
Even in the darkest times, life goes on. Marauders were asked to join the Order of the Phoenix, and were going to be the youngest members.
Marlene and Sirius didn't cross ways after the Auror training ended. Lily saw this as a perfect opportunity so that he could reform himself and show Marlene he had changed for the better.
The test came when Marlene joined the Order. That meeting was awkward to say the least.
As time passed, life became more and more difficult, realities were faced, there were some fights and anger.
Everyone had assumed that it had been too long for Sirius to be hooked to Marlene and Remus proclaimed that now he would move on.
"Really, James," Remus whispered to James as Sirius went to get their drinks, "It's been almost an year, I think he will give up now."
"Maybe," James said, "He has not been receiving many propositions since he made it clear to Parkinson's sister he was not on the market."
"Do you think she has noticed the change in Padfoot, yet?" Peter asked, Remus and James were surprised to hear Peter say something; he had been distant past couple of weeks.
"I dunno, Pete," James said, leaning back, "She has been avoiding him like plague!"
"What's the whispering about?" Sirius asked, coming back with a tray of glasses full of Butterbeer and Firewhiskey.
"Nothing," James and Remus said promptly as Sirius set the tray on the table.
And Peter said instead, "Is that Marlene?"
Sirius' head shot in the direction, where Peter was looking, with the same reflex he used whenever Marlene was mentioned.
It was indeed Marlene with Fabian Prewett and they were smiling and laughing.
Then began the tale of the heart-broken, lover-boy Black.
((o))
"Now, I feel sorry for Sirius, James," Lily said to James, he had been sulking for past couple of weeks since he saw Marlene with Fabian Prewett.
"I thought he would move on!" James said, "Everything was getting too gloomy, I thought this might cheer everything up. Are you having second thoughts?"
James had proposed Lily, finally, as everyone breathed and the setting was their engagement party. Their intention was to cheer Sirius up but that did not work as Sirius chose to sulk with a bottle of firewhiskey in the corner of room.
"Congratulations Lily," Marlene said, interrupting their conversation, "and James."
"Thanks, Marlene," James tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. Marlene gave him a confused look as Lily observed Marlene, she had lost weight and her eyes were tired and red.
"What's wrong?" Marlene asked James.
"Nothing," James said.
Marlene was about to say something when a loud squeal of "Sirius!" cut her short.
They witnessed as Rosa Parkinson launched herself on Sirius, ending them up in a really compromising position.
Marlene looked at them for whole two seconds and then abruptly left.
"That was interesting," Lily said as Sirius reprimanded Rosa and pushed her off him.
James shook his head, and followed Marlene to see where she ran off, because it would be a big co-incident, if Marlene had decided to leave the moment she saw Parkinson and Sirius together. Being with Lily changed his perspective to woman.
He found Marlene standing on the balcony of his and Lily's house, facing the backyard.
"You left quite abruptly," James said, going to stand beside her.
"I always felt guilty to break his heart," Marlene said, "Turns out his heart was never broken."
James laughed, humourlessly, "The two of you are amusing, he waited a year before admitting his love for you, and then you were in denial and refused him. He worked for a year to try and change for you and you went out with Fabian and then he has been heart-broken since he saw the two of you together."
Marlene looked surprised at the summary presented to her by James.
"Fabian, he is a perfect boyfriend and understanding and everything," Marlene said.
"But just not Sirius, huh?" James asked and Marlene nodded, "I felt the same way with Lily but we were quicker than you two,"
"Quicker?" Marlene gave a watery chuckle, "Right only took two years."
"Well go in and tell him how you feel," James said, choosing not to comment on him and Lily, "And for Merlin's sake, save him from Parkinson."
"Thanks James," Marlene smiled and made a bee-line for Sirius.
"So, the Black in love problem finally solved?" Remus asked James as they saw Sirius and Marlene hugging each other.
"Hopefully," James replied.
"Since when did you get so perceptive?" Peter asked James.
"Well, since Padfood fell hopelessly in love," James replied chuckling, "I was not so tensed even while woeing Lily."
"Glad to know," Lily said, "keep telling yourself that, it might become more believing," and all of them laughed.
((o))
The End
Wow, my first Marauder fic! Tell me what you think about it!
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