Disclaimer: the world of Harry Potter rightfully belongs to J.K. Rowling
Marlene was playing a game of Exploding Snap with Alice Cooper in their train compartment. She was just about to play a card when Lily Evans angrily returned to their compartment after the Prefect meeting.
"What's got you?" Alice asked, setting down her playing cards. The game was obviously finished, and Marlene wasn't pleased about it. A few more hands, and she might have been ahead. She, too, slowly set down her cards.
Lily sat down with a huff. "I don't understand. I'm a good person! Why do bad things happen to me?"
Marlene frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"James Potter is Head Boy!" Lily cried, burying her head in her hands.
Marlene threw a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. "James Potter? Are you kidding?"
"Does it look like I'm kidding? I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking," Lily complained. "Potter's never even been a Prefect!"
"I'm surprised it wasn't Remus," said Alice thoughtfully. "When Frank told me he wasn't Head Boy, we were both certain it had to be Remus."
"I wish it had been! Frank, too," Lily sighed. "Anyone would be better. Ah, Merlin... I guess I'll suffer through somehow."
Marlene smirked. "That's the spirit."
"You know, he's not that bad of a guy," Alice told her distressed friend. "He just likes attention."
Lily shrugged, unconvinced.
Marlene wanted to defend James, but she didn't think she would be able to do any good. The Potters had been close friends with the McKinnons for as long as Marlene could remember. She and James had been together since their diaper days. Although they had drifted apart some since entering Hogwarts, the two had always remained loyal to each other.
Marlene blew a strand of blonde hair out of her face. She rose from her seat and stretched her back. "I'm off to find the food trolley. Any requests?"
Her friends shook their heads, so she left the carriage. She slid the door shut, turned, and began to sprint down the corridor. But before she had even taken two steps, she barreled into a tall figure in front of her. Marlene flew backwards, landing right on her arse.
"Sorry, McKinnon," the figure said, extending a hand. She accepted it, embarrassed, and looked at the person she had just run into. Sirius Black towered over her, his raven-black hair tumbling into his face.
"Thanks," Marlene muttered, getting helped to her feet. She brushed herself off. "I'll try not to do that again."
Sirius smirked. "Where are you off to?" he asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket.
Marlene narrowed her eyes and gave Sirius the one-over, studying him. In the past six years at Hogwarts, Sirius had never spoken to Marlene unless he was asking for an extra quill or something. She was around him often enough- they had classes together, they were in the same house- but Marlene had never really had a conversation with him."I'm off to find some food," she said carefully.
Sirius grinned widely. "Brilliant, I'm starved. Mind if I come along?"
Marlene shrugged, not caring. She began walking down the train, Sirius following alongside her.
There was a brief silence before Sirius picked up a conversation. "How was your summer?"
"Uneventful. Yours?"
"Eh, better than most," Sirius said. "Living with Prongs has its ups and downs."
Marlene recalled Sirius abandoning his home the summer before their Sixth Year. Rumours, of course, had followed. She had heard plenty of them, ranging from Sirius getting disowned on account of what Hogwarts house he had ended up being in, to Sirius living with James due to the fact that they were secretly gay lovers. Marlene almost asked Sirius right then and there why he was living with James, then thought better of it. Instead, she asked him why he was following her.
Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his long hair. "I needed to get away from James for a while. He wouldn't stop talking about Lily and how he gets to spend 'practically all year with her'. His words, not mine. When Prongs starts talking about Lily, there's no stopping him."
"Hm," Marlene said, understanding. She sometimes got tired of listening to Alice talk about her boyfriend, Frank Longbottom, too.
"So, I said I needed some air, then escaped. I was just walking around, trying to avoid boring myself to death, then you ran into me." Sirius grinned. "And here we are."
"So are you actually hungry, or am I your distraction from boredom?" She asked, glancing at him.
Sirius grinned again. It was beginning to make Marlene feel uneasy. How could one person smile so much?
"A little of both," he admitted. "Is that the trolley ahead of us? I can hear those Chocolate Frogs croaking my name."
They reached the trolley and each purchased some sweets. Marlene bought a couple Pumpkin Pasties and some Fizzing Whizzbees. Sirius bought an armload of candy, including three boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.
"Like those, do you?" Marlene had commented, nodding at the jelly beans he held.
"They're my favorite. I like their unpredictability," Sirius confessed, either not catching or altogether ignoring her light sarcasm.
They started back to Marlene's compartment. Sirius ripped open a Chocolate Frog box and snatched the enchanted candy before it could hop away. He shoved the entire frog in his mouth and inspected the card he had received. "Huh," he said through a mouth full of chocolate. He chewed and swallowed before announcing, "Oswald Beamish."
"The Goblin's rights activist?"
"The very same. Good memory, McKinnon. You know, I've always kind of admired him. I admire anyone who fights for what they believe in, if, what they're fighting for, is a good cause."
Marlene couldn't think of a reply.
When they arrived outside of her compartment, Marlene hesitated. Should she say a farewell? She would see him around later, so that would be pointless.
Sirius spoke instead, "My thanks for the stroll, McKinnon. It was… intriguing. I hope we see more of each other in the future.."
Marlene raised a pale eyebrow. "Um, sure," she said lamely.
They stood there looking at each other for another moment, then Sirius reached into his jacket pocket. "Here," he said, presenting her with an unopened chocolate frog box. "I have plenty more, I won't miss it."
Marlene took it hesitantly. With a guy like Sirius Black, you never knew what kind of pranks could be pulled on you at any moment. The box looked… normal.
"Thank you," Marlene said, looking back up at him. "See you around, Black."
"Yeah, see you around." His dark eyes lingered on her for a second more, then turned on his heel and walked down the corridor.
Marlene slipped into her compartment and flopped onto her seat. Lily and Alice had changed into their school robes while she was gone.
"Was that Sirius Black with you?" Alice asked.
Marlene nodded.
"What on earth did he want?" Lily questioned. She had a distaste for any Marauder who wasn't Remus Lupin.
Marlene shrugged. "Just some company, I suppose." She reached for her trunk so she, too, could change into her robes.
Lily frowned. "Weird." She turned to Alice and they began chatting about what they were looking forward to eating during the upcoming back-to-school feast.
After changing clothes, Marlene sat in silence, thinking about the odd last ten minutes. The walk had been nothing short of strange. What was even stranger than Sirius deciding to spend time with her was that she hadn't hated it. In fact, it was rather interesting. She even felt compelled to do it again.
Marlene had always labelled Sirius as a typical Marauder: an arrogant, ignorant, rule-breaking fool. Okay, maybe he still was those things. Black was also amusing, she had to admit to herself.
And not hard on the eyes, her brain whispered to her. She pushed that thought aside.
She suddenly remembered the chocolate frog he had given her, and dug it out. She tore it open and grabbed the squirming creature inside. Biting off a leg, she reached inside the box and pulled out the card. She flipped it to the front side and allowed a small smile to escape her when she read whose card it belonged to.
Bertie Bott.
A/N: Review, review, review!