A/N: This is for Ilvermorny, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft Wizardry Challenges Assignments, and The Houses Competition

Prompts:-

Ilvermorny: Weekly Challenge Set #3 - Setting Sail:

Main Prompt(s): Sirius Black, Marlene McKinnon.

Secondary Prompt(s): (object) Invisibility Cloak, (phrase) penny for one's thoughts (colour) Mauve.

[EVENT] Bubble Bath Day -Himalayan Salts: Write about getting over a problem

Cypress: Write about someone getting injured or healing from an injury

Milk: Write about someone getting out of a bad situation

Oatmeal: Write about two people making up after an argument

Green Tea: Write about somebody having a hard day

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft Wizardry Challenges Assignments: Assignment #1- Ancient Runes- Task 1: write about someone having a moment of genius or perfect clarity of thought.

The Houses Competition: Hufflepuff, Short Story, [Romantic Pairing] Non-canon pairing of your choice.

Word Count: 847 words

i think i love you (and i think i like it too)

Marlene Mckinnon had a problem. Two actually, but here's the more important one; She was in love with Sirius Black. Oh, and she was fighting a group of Death Eaters by herself, but that was a normal thing. Loving Sirius Black was not. It's funny really, how she would come to this realization in the middle of a battle, in which she could dir any second now.

She had never loved anyone, other than her parents and her younger and older brothers.

But love came at prices, that she realized from a young age.

She had lost her mother after completing her first year in Hogwarts. Her kind, loving, caring mother. Her father immediately remarried- "In case something ever happens to me you need someone to take care of you. She's a good woman. Give her a chance." her father had said. And her stepmom was a good person. Was. Her father died a year after her mother did, and her stepmother became cruel and unforgiving to her and her siblings after he died. It was like that muggle Cinderella movie Sirius forced her to watch with him.

So with her parents dead, she only loved her two brothers. And now, she thought while dodging the Cruciatus Curse, shot at by her by Lily's former best friend, she also loved Sirius.

Oh, another problem; She and Sirius were currently fighting. Not the combat type of fighting she was having with the Death Eaters, but she and Sirius were having an argument.

He was being overprotective. He said it was too dangerous for her to live on her own, and wanted her to move in with him. She probably would have said yes, but she was as stubborn as he was. She didn't want Sirius to think she was weak and was moving in with him for protection. Of course, now she regretted it.

She prayed she wouldn't die now. No, she wanted to tell Sirius how she felt about him, first.

She hoped her partner, Cardaroc Dearborn, would get back with reinforcements soon. She wasn't going to be able to hold them off any longer, she thought while shooting a hex at her opponent.

And her wish came true, the other members of the Order did arrive, just on time, but Marlene got so distracted looking around for Sirius she got hit by a curse.

The last thing she saw was a white light and then everything turned pitch black.

When Marlene woke up she remembered everything that happened. It wasn't like those books you read where the character woke up and couldn't remember what had happened, or where they were. Nope, Marlene knew exactly where she was, just by looking at her plain white gown and the light mauve painted walls. She also remembered why she was here, and it sent a chill down her spine.

Slowly, she drifted back to sleep

Marlene felt her neck. There was a big bruise on the side of her neck. It had been mostly patched up but the bruise was still dark red. She tried tucking her hair back, but she couldn't. Her gorgeous long blonde hair had been cut off unevenly by the sectumsempra curse which had hit her.

Marlene grabbed the scissors sitting in the drawer of the side table next to her bed. She chopped off the part which was still long, trying to make it even.

By the end of it, her hair was still uneven, but at least now one side didn't touch and middle of her back while the other brushed her neck.

She drifted off again, thinking of Sirius

The next time Marlene woke up it was to the sound of the door opening. She thought it would be a healer coming up to check up on her. The clock on the wall said it was 7 am.

When nobody entered, Marlene assumed the wind just blew it open or something.

Then suddenly Sirius Black was standing in front of her, holding a shimmering cloak in his hand. James' invisibility cloak she thought.

Marlene's heart pumped a little faster. Sirius sat on the stool next to her bed. "Hey," he said.

Marlene just stared. She could actually feel her heart pumping. I love you. I love you. I love you. She couldn't think anything else.

"Knut for your thoughts?" he asked.

Marlene came back to reality. "My thoughts are worth more than a knut." she teased.

"Fine, then," Sirius said smiling. "I'll give you a sickle."

"I love you," she blurted out

Sirius' eyes widened. She immediately regretted telling him. She gulped. "Sorry," she whispered, on the verge of crying. "Just forget I said anything. I-" Sirius cut her off.

"-I love you too."

Marlene's eyes widened in shock. He loved her. She grinned. Sirius Black loved her.

This totally made up for the horrible day she had yesterday. Her major problem she thought she had yesterday? Solved.

Everything was perfect, because now, Marlene knew for a fact, that she loved Sirius Black, and he loved her, and for her, that was enough.