It wasn't as though he was an angry man. Bitter, yes, but not angry. He had managed to get past the major injustice of his life, managed even to find it in his heart to let go of the shadow of murder that lingered had done this for Harry, his pride and joy, who had dragged some of the light back into his life. But one thing he hadn't let go of was Marlene. He still reached for her during the night when he fought off waves of sleep in the twilight hours. He missed the smell of the perfume that she bought in muggle London. He missed the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed, and when she told him off for being an egotistical prat. Her death still felt raw, even though it had been several years.
Coming out of Azkaban it had felt like he could at last put her death behind her, and finally forget holding her mangled body in his arms, but escaping brought back every loving, every brutal memory between them.
He watched his sister, his beautiful twin across the table. She was reading the Prophet aloud to Remus, who was watching her with an expression in his eyes that he had felt once in his life- when he looked at Marlene. Her low, soothing voice read the horrors of the day for-told, her expression impassive from her Auror training. "Two children were found murdered in their beds in Kent. The Dark Mark had been cast over the house. The parents have yet to be found." Her voice was toneless, her hands shaking. Before he could react and go to her, Remus had gotten up and sat beside her, covering her hand with looked up at him, and they shared a glance that was so raw, so naked with emotion that he had to look away.
He felt as though he were intruding on something private. His heart twisted with jealousy- not because of romantic interest- it was their love, their wholeness that he despised. Twice now he had happened upon them sharing such an intimate glance that he had felt the need to look away. Once he had entered the library only to see them about to kiss. They had separated immediately upon his entrance, insisting that they were merely checking the other for signs of the imperius curse, which symptoms included glassy-eyes and a slack jaw.
He pretended as though he didn't know any better, that he didn't know that his best friend and sister were in love. He fought back a derisive laugh as he remembered that Marlene had predicted it years earlier. "Well,isn't it obvious, Sirius?" She had said, eyes dancing as she laid down in bed beside him. "I don't see how you think Remus is mad about my sister." He said slowly, his eyes more fixated on the fact that she was wriggling out of her pants. "Men are such rubbish when it comes to love. Do you see the way they look at each other when they're together?" "No, but I see that I have a beautiful woman in my bed." She had swatted him on the arm, rolling her eyes toward the heavens. "You are hopeless, Sirius Black." Hopeless he was, indeed. He stood up, mumbling something about making a cup of tea, which was barely heard by the couple at the table. He chanced a look backward as he left, seeing his best friend lean forward and kiss her tenderly on the forehead.
Oh, Marlene. Please come back to me.