Written for my dear friend Rainbow Dust, as it is her birthday today! Happy birthday, Sigga dear. I hope you like this story- even if it was a bit rushed, and the ending is too corny and sappy and fluffy... Anyway, have a great day, Sigga. :-)
Something about the notes later in the story: Bold is Sirius, italics is Marlene. Just in case you didn't get that, but I'm sure you did because you all are bright, intelligent people, right? ;-)
Sirius looked up at McGonagall, then down at his parchment again. The parchment was empty apart from the two words scribbled hastily at the top of the scroll: 'Transfiguring animals." Sirius looked back at the professor who was pointing to the board and waving her wand at a cage of white mice, running around and squeaking wildly. Sirius pitied those mice; they were trapped in a cage, and to make it worse, in McGonagall's possession. Poor mice.
Then again, those mice weren't in his seats listening to the old woman drone on and on about theory. Poor Sirius.
His eyes started wandering after a minute, and found themselves resting on the back of a blonde head sitting only a row in front of him. Sirius's grey eyes lit up as the sudden thought of something, and he hissed: "McKinnon. Oi, oi, McKinnon!"
The blonde's head did not turn around, only bent further down over it's owner's desk so some of the hair covering Marlene McKinnon's back slid down and fell across her shoulder, revealing the creamy, white stretch of skin that was her neck. Sirius pursed his lips in concentration.
"Hey McKinnon! Marlene!"
The head continued to ignore him blithely, Marlene only bending down more to copy down what McGonagall's droning voice said. But Sirius was a Black; he would not be deterred.
Suddenly, an idea popped into his head and his trademark, cocky grin appeared once again on his face. Sirius ripped his parchment in two and scribbled a sentence on it. He folded the parchment carefully; into equal parts with sharp and neat folds, finally writing McKinnon on one side.
He chucked his folded parchment, carefully aiming at Marlene's head.
Long story short, the blonde was not happy with him.
"What?" She hissed in annoyance, barely turning around to face him.
He gestured at the folded parchment and mimed opening and writing something in it. Marlene rolled her eyes in response, but opened the parchment anyway and scribbled a reply. She tossed it over her shoulder carelessly when she was sure McGonagall wasn't watching.
What are you doing?
Taking notes. You should be too.
Sirius rolled his eyes. That was pure McKinnon. Didn't she know better that he wouldn't ever take notes- even if his life depended on it. And Sirius Orion Black had a pretty sweet life. Not taking notes was what made Sirius Sirius, what made him a marauder, and what made the world go around. Everyone- apparently except McKinnon knew that. And Sirius thought she was meant to be intelligent.
No, I'm Sirius Black. I don't take notes.
Oh, how silly of me. You're Sirius Black; of course you don't take notes. Forgive me for forgetting this one tiny, trivial, unimportant thing, will you?
Of course, McKinnon. Forgiven and forgotten. What are you doing now?
Still taking notes. I remain that you should still be doing the same thing as well.
McKinnon, we've been over this. I'm Sirius Black and I…?
You don't take notes.
Correct! How clever of you, McKinnon! I should reward you.
Don't even think about it.
Oh but McKinnon! You know you'd love it…
I said no.
Well, too bad then. You don't know what you're missing out on…
I don't think I'd care to find out what I'd be missing.
Passing over this: what's the hag nattering about now?
The five principals of Gamp's laws or elemental transfiguration.
...what now?
It doesn't matter. Don't hurt yourself trying to remember; it's obviously beyond you.
What are you implying?
That you're an ignorant, arrogant, stupid, dumb, moronic…. Prat! I'm surprised you have had so many girlfriends, they're eyesight is in obvious need of checking. Also their hearing and smell and touch just to mention a few more things. Brains would be another thing they are either lacking or in need of repair.
Do I detect a hint of jealousy?
Don't get over yourself, Black. I'm not jealous of anyone, and if I was, it would definitely not be you I'd be jealous of. Why you would even imagine such a thing is beyond me. I would never like anyone as dull-witted as you, as arrogant as you, as…. Ugh as you! You. Make. Me. Sick.
You can't really think that, Marlene, otherwise you wouldn't be talking to me right now, would you?
It's not like I had a choice about talking to you or not, did I? I do not know what kind of fanciful dream you're living right now, but let us get this one thing straight: I do not like you, I will not like you, I won't even like you, and you can stop flattering yourself by thinking such nonsensical words. I will not ever like you, or- Merlin forbid- love you, Sirius Orion Black, so don't get your hopes up.
Sirius's eyes scanned Marlene's slanted and cramped handwriting, feeling his good mood disintegrate and his heart sink lower in his chest with each word.
The bell started ringing in the hallways, signaling the end of class. Many other students were already standing up and gathering up their books and quills to rush off to the next lesson. Sirius had remained in his seat, staring shocked at his (now slightly crumpled) half of parchment.
"You really think that?" He asked, a little bit of sorrow underlining his husky voice. It was hard to catch; Sirius was glad that Marlene wouldn't be able to hear it under the noise of scraping chairs and talking students.
Sirius looked up to look at Marlene one more time, only to discover she had already left. He felt hot tears prick at the backs of his eyes, but only a single tear rolled down his face before he wiped it away and brightened up with his characteristic cocky smile and following James, Remus and Peter to Herbology. Only this time, his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
Marlene hurried away, head bowed and tears stinging at her eyes. She had never felt more like a liar in her life; not even when she had broke old Misses Finnigan's vase and blamed it on little Tommy Granger just to avoid the woman's cabbage-smelling wrath. Of course she didn't mean what she'd said- how could anyone say that to Sirius Black and mean it?
Finally she reached a deserted corridor. Perfect. Marlene dropped her books and pressed herself against the cold stone wall, letting herself slide down onto the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks. The frost on the ground seeped right through her thin skirt and threadbare tights, but Marlene ignored it. Her tears were hot on her frozen face, and she didn't bother mopping them up. Why hide it? She'd been hiding her crush for years. It was time to admit it. She was heads-over-heels in love with Sirius Black- she wouldn't deny it anymore. Not to herself, at least. To Lily, Alice and Sirius himself, she was the biggest liar in the world and proud of it even.
"I think I'm in love with you, Black," She murmured, turning away once her tears had finally stopped flowing. "I just can't let you know that."
...it wasn't too corny, right? Please right. Umm so... I hoped you enjoyed that, Sig, and if you're not Sig, thank you very very much for reading that and uhm... review? Please? *looks pleadingly* I'll be giving out free virtual cookies if you do!