Sirius lay down on the sofa in his flat, wiping away his tear stained face. His hands were rough on his unshaven skin. For the past days, he had shut himself away from everyone he loved because the one he loved the most was gone. Marlene McKinnon had been murdered, along with her family three days ago and he couldn't bear the thought of his girlfriend being dead. He looked glumly across at his dresser and saw a familiar small box sitting there. He picked it up his hands gliding over the blue velvet like they were meant to be there. Carefully he opened up the box like he had a thousand times and stared at the content.
A small gold ring sat on a small cushion inside the box. It had silver clams on the top which held within them, a small black pearl. Pearls were Marlene's favourite. Now he would never get to propose to her like he had planned to…
"Sirius where are we going?" laughed Marlene as Sirius grabbed her hand and yanked her out of their apartment heading for the Tube.
"It's a surprise, but you might have to help me work out the Toobe. Is that what it is?"
"Tube." Marlene corrected, as they strolled across the grassy area near where they lived. "this better be good, I'm missing out on talking with Lily. You know I haven't seen her in three weeks? That's too long."
"Really, I talked to James just this morning." Sirius smirked.
"Yeah that's because you have two way mirror you cheater." Marlene said as she nudged him in the ribs. They both walked in silence, got on the Tube and got off where Sirius wanted, with help from Marlene.
"What are we doing here?" asked Marlene indicating to the park surrounding her.
"We are here because," began Sirius gesturing to her to sit down on a bench near them. "Marlene McKinnon, I may have said it before, but I love you with all of my heart. And now that we have graduated and you have a job and I am close to getting my life sorted out, I can't think of a better time to ask you, will you be my wife?" asked Sirius kneeling down and pulling a small blue box out of his jacket pocket. Marlene gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as she saw the small pearl ring resting neatly on the cushion.
"Sirius of course!" she cried as she tackled him to the ground in a hug. Suddenly without warning her lips were on his and they were getting a mixture of curios yet adoring looks from strangers. Sirius had never felt happier. He was engaged to the woman of his dreams. He couldn't wait to tell James to get his suit ready. Marlene finally let go of Sirius, looking into his eyes as tears rolled from hers.
"I love you." She whispered.
"I love you too." Sirius whispered and kissed her again. He would be happy to spend the rest of his life with her.
Well stuff seven hundred pounds Thought Sirius as he slammed the lid of the ring box shut.
"Don't think like that." Sirius told himself. He had to stop dreaming about the future he would never have. A future he would never have with Marlene. The only way he could think of solving the problem was to cry. So he cried and cried until his eyes were raw and the world had taken everything from him. He did not realise though that the next day, on October 31st, his life would be even worse for he would lose his best friend in the whole world and he would be completely empty.