Here it is. The third part of the trilogy about Marlene and Sirius (although, expect more) and another collab although this one was with only CG. The forums are down so we had to do it over PM, sorry Lily! Enjoy!

And for once I remember! :P Disclaimer: I own nothing and this goes for all the stories I forgot to put this for before and after. THIS, is my universal disclaimer.

He was Sirius Black and she was Marlene McKinnon and their romance wasn't lovey-dovey and all that but it worked. And that's all they needed. Did it matter that they were going to take her family name and that if he called her to the lake at midnight, it'd be to laugh about a late night prank rather than a make-out session?

Marlene was different. She didn't want to be with him because he was a Black. Marlene could care less about the riches and fame the Black name could bring. For she didn't want that. She wanted his laughs, his pranks and smiles. To run her small fingers through his tangled, black curly hair. His presence that made her feel golden, special and loved. For she didn't care that he was no longer a Black according to his family. He was just Sirius to her. Her Padfoot. The man she would always love till she died.

And that night, it changed nothing. They didn't feel like they had to be fancy or formal. Nope, it was as carefree a moment as ever. Lily and James were even a table away, the duo happily married and even expecting a baby. But Sirius and Marlene? No, they were never that organized and they didn't plan to be that serious for a while. And hell, Sirius even proposed wrong but did they care? That night was still as special as could be.

His uncle Alphard had helped him with the ring. He said that it had been for someone special when he was his age. But he never had the guts to tell her. So he told his nephew that he being a Gryffindor could give it to her. To that special someone. And that was Marlene.

The ring was simple, nothing fancy or big. Simple and beautiful. And even though they were a table away from the Potters, Sirius and Marlene felt that they were the only ones that existed. Her laughs fed his jokes. And her smiles fed his touch. It didn't matter that he stuttered, cursed and even fell when he proposed. That was Sirius, and she didn't expect any less from him.

Who cared that he made them stop the proposal as soon as the food arrived and that Marlene couldn't stop giggling, because they were in love. And they enjoyed it the whole time, even as Lily and James smirked at them from the next table. No one minded that they had to give a play-by-play to an anxious Remus and an excited Dorcas, Mary, and Emiline later.

Everything was perfect, just the way it happened was perfect and oh so free. She would remember this for ever, she would embarrass him by telling their grandchildren that his grandfather had been too happy and tripped when he was making his way to her. He would gaze at her with those black, puppy eyes of his, telling her that it was a spur of the moment, to give it some spice in the proposal all for good fun.

Too bad that would never occur, that their grandchildren would never giggle at their grandfather's foolishness. That their marriage would never begin, the wedding would never happen. Even now, Sirius remembers her lighthearted jokes about how it would go and that since they were getting married by a lake they might as well get wet. But then... she died only days after their proposal. Killed with her family, her parents and her little brother. Gone forever.

And he had went with her. After he realized that Peter was the one to kill his best friend, he couldn't resist the mad laugh that came out of him, followed by tears of anger and happiness. They would blame him and kill him. He would be with her. The loneliness and suffering had broken his sense. And he was becoming like those Blacks. Mad. Mad with loneliness.

But no, he couldn't finally live up to his name in the one moment he felt so weak, so unlike a Gryffindor. So... so much like a Slytherin. He wouldn't finally become someone his mother could be proud of just because Marlene was gone and Voldemort had stripped him of everyone he cared about. He couldn't do that, the ultimate betrayal. He was still a McKinnon, still longed to be one.

But all was gone. Nothing was left. He was alone. And the thought scared him so much. Because he knew that even Remus would not even look at him, not even talk to him. He was now Sirius-not Black-nor McKinnon, he was Sirius the crazed killing machine.

What'd you think? Please R&R. ;)