AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is linked to this gifset: marliusblackinnon {tumblr} /post/71043225542/merry-christmas-marlie-she-thought-about-the
SURPRISE chillyjily! Here's your gift for Blackinnon Secret Santa :D I'm kinda good at making gifs, not so much at writing, but I hope you like this gift anyway. I didn't exactly grasp what you wanted to read about, so I tried to do my best and write something you would enjoy, I hope I managed to do it (:
Have a very Merry Christmas :D

Everyone knew that when Marlene and Sirius fought, they didn't actually fight. They were known for their lively fights, so much that one from the outside would've thought they hated each other to death. But then, after the fight, it looked like they completely forgot what happened and everything seemed fixed again. Their fights were a way to show their love for each other, after all.

That time anyway Sirius was a little concerned Marlene this time was really mad with him. During Christmas Eve, they had an argument about something really stupid - like the color of the stocks hunging by the chimney, when the fight got out of control and they started to fight for completely different things, until, after more than 1 hour of fighting, Marlene just walked out of the house, leaving everyone, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Lily and Dorcas, speechless.

"Maybe you've got too far this time, Padfoot." James began to say to Sirius.

"Nah," Sirius just replied "I bet she's alright."

Remus, noticing the slight concern that Sirius was trying to hide, put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Leave her on her own, then go check on her." he said, smiling, and the party continued.

When there were a few minutes left until midnight, Sirius decided to go check on Marlene. He spotted her outside the house, sitting on the stairs in front of the door. He looked back to make sure no one was following him and then he opened the door and went outside, walking towards the girl.

Sirius put her hands on his pockets. "Well well, look who I happen to find here" He began looking down at her, making her jump a little bit, since she thought she was alone.

He lifted her head so her eyes could meet his. "Well well, looks like the dog came out for a walk."

He sat near her. "How many times again are you going to use that to annoy me?"

"Until the end of your day." She replied ruffling his black hair.

Sirius's concern faded a little bit, after seeing her smile.

"So.." he began "You're not mad with me, are you?"

She crossed her arms "What if I was?"

"You are not, Mckinnon" He said, putting his hands on the back of his head "It's impossible."

"And why is it?"

"Because I'm too handsome and you love me." He replied, smirking.

Marlene couldn't help but smile. She turned her face and looked him in the eyes, tilting her head a little bit.

"Why are you looking at me in that way?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," she replied "I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?" He questioned her.

"Thinking about us."

Even if at the time they had been dating for a few months, still hearing us referring to Marlene and him sounded kind of strange.
He tried to laugh it off. "Thinking about us doing what? Oh, McKinnon, I thought I was the one who thinks about those kind of things-"

The girl slowly turned her head to Sirius and punched him hard on the arm. "You wanker!" she replied.

"Okay, okay" he said raising his hands "You were innocently thinking about us. But about what?"

She lowered her head "I was thinking that the one that just passed was such a good year, wasn't it? I mean, before we were just friends and I didn't think you were a big deal because you were just 'James's best friend', but then we got closer and I got the chance to see you in a different way" she raised her eyes so they could meet his "And I realized you are a wonderful person, and that you are not just the 'playboy' you used to be, but you are also a wonderful person, you are funny and kind, so I-"

"You forgot 'terribly hot'"

She (again) punched his leg gaining and 'Oi!' from him. "I was saying, I never thought I'd say this but you helped me so much and... Thank you, I'm really glad all of those things happened."

"Oooh, McKinnon here is getting sentimental" Sirius said waving his hands.

"I bloody hate you."

"No, you really don't." He replied in a joking tone.

But then he smirked softly and looked at her in the eyes "You know, I'm never gonna repeat what you said because I have a reputation to save but.. Everything you said, you know, it's the same, for me. I mean I-" He scratched his hair and sighed. He wasn't good with words, he knew it, but he also knew Marlene deserved to know how much she had helped him, how much she meant to him.
He turned his face and his eyes met hers. He saw the look on her face, and his lips formed a great smile. Words were useless, he realised. Marlene smiled back at him, and Sirius softly brushed Marlene's right dimple with his thumb, making her smile even more. He then got closer to her and pressed his lips against hers; it wasn't a hungry kiss as usual, but a soft and slow one.
His hands were running through her curls and her arms were around his neck, when suddenly they pulled away, interrupted by the toll of the bells coming from the church near the Potter's house and the joyful voices of people laughing and talking out loud.
It was midnight, it was December 25th, it was Christmas day.
Sirius stared in front of him and took a deep breath, before turning again towards Marlene.

"Merry Christmas, Marlie."

She knew James called her 'Lene, Lily called her Mar, her other friends called her Marls or simply Marlene, but "Marlie" was his nickname for her, it was special. And she loved when he called her like that, because most of the time when they were with their friends he called her McKinnon, so that she knew that it was special when he called her by name, or by her nickname. For a few seconds, she said nothing. She stared at nothing in particular in front of her, thinking about all the crazy stuff that happened to the two of them during the past months. She thought about the time that stupid Slytherin boy who had a crush on her was chasing her and she had to hide in the showers of the Quidditch changing room and of course Sirius was there naked showering in that exact moment. She thought about the first time he asked her out and unexpectedly kissed her, and from that moment they had been secretly snogging in the broom room, or the time they told their friends they were dating and James fell off his chair and got a huge bump on his leg. She remembered when they had a fight and Sirius just said "We're done" and left, leaving her with only her tears. They didn't talk for days but eventually they made it up. She then remembered the first night they spent together. Oh, what a passionate night, cuddling and kissing and laughing under the pillows.
And all of that happened in less than two years. That was crazy.
She thought about how lucky she was now that she had someone like Sirius beside her, especially during the difficult times that they were living in that moment.

"Merry Christmas, Sirius."

Sirius took her right hand with his right one, and put his left arm around her shoulders, so that Marlene's head was leaning against his left shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until they heard James's voice screaming "Oi, lovebirds! Come in, we're opening the presents!"
"Call us 'lovebirds' again and I will end you, Prongs, I don't care it's Christmas!" Sirius replied, standing up and helping Marlene to get on her feet and together they got inside, where they were welcomed by hugs and Christmas wishes and, most importantly, happiness. Finally pure happiness was defeating the sadness of those dark times.

In that moment everything disappeared, war, death, pain, Order's missions. There were just the two of them, Sirius and Marlene, and the laughters of their dearest friends.

Marlene took Sirius' hand and hold it tight, and she truly wished that moment could last forever.