A Humorous Romantic Tragedy. With all the hopes and dreams he'd shattered, who would have thought that the girl to finally win the heart of the playboy of Hogwarts would literally be blind to all his charms?

A/N: All information regarding Diagon Alley, its shops and basically anything magical related was sourced from the HP lexicon. I like to do my research. Anything you don't recognise, I made up.

Thank you to SandNinja101, Galactic Cannibalism, YANIsweetness7 and The Pink Marauder for your reviews. I really appreciate them!

On another note, while I'm glad Emily seems to be growing on you guys and you're enjoying the story, I also have a very, VERY busy life outside of writing stories for fanfiction or otherwise and so updating can sometimes be very erratic. Whilst I don't mind, and completely understand, messages asking me to post the next chapter, please do so politely. Honestly, after a 12-hour school day where I'm pretty much constantly on my feet, with only 3 hours sleep the night before and several papers to complete, the last thing I want to see is a rude message in my inbox demanding I update. Thanks for understanding. End of rant! I'll shut up now.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the world of Harry Potter (or Sirius Black). I don't even own any of the books. So please don't sue.

If I Can't Love Her

It was a slow day at the Leaky Cauldron. It was still early enough in the summer holidays that the pub and the alley beyond were close to deserted. Tiny and grubby-looking, the Leaky Cauldron was sandwiched between a bookstore on one side and a record store on the other. Sirius had always wondered if there was a Muggle-Repelling Charm on the pub, as they never seemed to be able to see it. The irony of the situation was not lost on him, as he led Emily through its doors.

The girl paused on its threshold, keeping a tight hold on Sirius' arm. She had her cane in the other hand but it was folded, as it tended to be these days. She wrinkled her nose.

"I feel like I just walked through a waterfall. Except I didn't get wet."

"Huh," said Sirius. "Guess that answers my question. It was probably some sort of charm to ward of muggles."

Emily frowned.

"I'll never get used to that word."

Sirius squeezed her hand reassuringly and smiled down at her. He found it hard to believe sometimes how easily Emily had accepted him for what he was. She had a few questions but never once had she ever asked him to prove his outrageous claim of being a teenage wizard. He had done that all on his own just to see her reaction when he levitated her off the ground. Emily had gasped at the sensation of her feet leaving the floor. And then she had started laughing. It was the sort of giddy, uninhibited laughter that told Sirius just how much fun she was having. It was how she reacted to all his displays of magic, like a child discovering Christmas for the first time – there was awe, there were smiles and there was always laughter. It made him…happy. But Emily never seemed to like the word 'muggle'. It was almost as if she considered it a derogatory term and Sirius couldn't understand why.

"Ah, Mr. Black," greeted Tom, the old innkeeper of the Leaky Cauldron. "Anything I can do for you and your friend today?"

"Who's that?" whispered Emily, her grip tightening around Sirius' arm though her eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Just old Tom," said Sirius, finding himself whispering back. "He's the innkeeper here."

"Describe him."

"Bald, toothless and very gloomy. A lot like the Cauldron really." And then in a louder voice so Tom could hear, "Not today Tom. I'm taking Emily here to Diagon Alley. She's never been before. We'll probably be back for supper later though."

Tom's gaze flickered to Emily but showed no trace of surprise or suspicion. He simply nodded and waved them towards the courtyard out back. The same could not be said for the small handful of patrons in the Leaky Cauldron that morning. A tiny witch perched at the bar eyed the pair curiously. But the open interest in her face and the neat little brown parcels around her feet told Sirius he really had nothing to worry about. She was most likely one of those dowdy country witches with an insatiable appetite for gossip. Two dwarves sat in a dark corner having a rather animated debate. Upon seeing Sirius and Emily arm in arm, their conversation took a decidedly salacious turn. Some of their 'helpful suggestions' were lewd enough to bring a blush to Sirius' cheeks. But what really worried the young wizard was the group of four or so witches who were glaring at Emily with open animosity. Sirius recognised two of the girls as third year Ravenclaws and when they leaned in to whisper fiercely to each other, the dark haired Marauder wrapped his arm around Emily's waist protectively. This immediately sparked another heated round of harsh whispering.

"Wow…I'm sensing a whole lot of hostility," said Emily, though she didn't appear too bothered about it. In fact, she seemed amused.

"Can you hear what they're saying?" asked Sirius.

"Bits and pieces. Something about a cow, a chainsaw and a bat curse."

Sirius growled.

"Down Snuffles," laughed Emily, using the nickname that she seemed to insist on calling him, saying that Sirius would always be that giant of a dog she met outside the fish and chip shop. "Let's not let a bunch of prissy fourteen year old slags ruin our day."

"Actually I think they're about thirteen," corrected Sirius. He was now painfully aware of the way his hand rested on Emily's hip. He could feel the heat of her body even through the cardigan she wore over her top and had to concentrate very hard on keeping his breathing even. Emily appeared clueless to his internal struggle. As a matter of fact, Emily had never displayed any discomfort at personal contact. Sirius supposed it came from her having to rely so heavily on her sense of touch everyday that, to her, it was as normal as breathing. He cleared his throat. "Come on. I can't wait to show you the Alley."

Emily barely contained her squeal of enthusiasm. She had been looking forward to visiting Diagon Alley ever since Sirius told her about it. Next to attending Hogwarts and riding a broom, spending a day in the famed wizarding shopping district was on her top ten list of things to do. Said list also included petting a unicorn and meeting the other Marauders.

"Make sure you describe everything and don't leave anything out!"

Sirius chuckled as he led her out the back door and into the brick walled courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron. Following Emily's order to the letter, he gave her a running commentary on his every movement – from seeing the two rusty dustbins in a corner, one of them missing a lid, to tripping over a loose paving brick, to taking out his wand to tap at the right combination of bricks that revealed the entrance to Diagon Alley: three up, two across. Sirius described with near excruciating detail the way the bricks revolved around each other to form a small hole that eventually rearranged itself into an archway that opened onto a long, old fashioned, cobbled street.

Their first stop was at the Apothecary's. Emily's sensitive nose picked up the nauseas odour of bad eggs and rotten cabbage, which constantly seemed to hang about the shop, long before they neared its entrance. It took her a moment to regain control over her gag reflex, which prompted Sirius to suggest they skip that particular shop. But Emily was adamant on experiencing everything there was to experience in the Alley, both the good and the bad. Barrels of dried beetle eyes, dragon scales and adder tongues lined the shop front. Inside, feathers from a wide variety of birds, both magical and not, hung from the ceiling, along with a range of claws and fangs. Glass jars of varying sizes sat atop shelves that covered every wall, some containing colourful powders, others exotic herbs, and still others housing rare, preserved creatures.

Emily did not hesitate to immerse her hands in everything she could. Stepping right up to one of the wooden barrels, she buried her right hand in its contents. She gasped in wonder at the feel of the miniscule beetle eyes, marvelling at how smooth they felt against her skin. She cooed in amazement at the silky texture of a phoenix feather. She sneezed violently at the peppery scent of marjoram oil. She gagged and her eyes watered when she got too close to a barrel of pulverised toad entrails. The shopkeeper watched them with badly disguised curiosity. As they neared the counter behind which he was perched, the lanky man plastered an eager smile on his face and beamed at Sirius.

"How can I help you today, Mr. Black?"

"My, my," said Emily with a teasing grin, "aren't we just Mr. Popular?"

Sirius stiffened at this. Despite revealing the existence of a magical world to Emily, he had left out an important part in his story. He had yet to tell her of his family and their standing in wizarding society. Sirius wasn't sure why he didn't want her to know about the Black family's social status. She already knew, from their disastrous first meeting, what a horrid woman his mother was. Yet he liked the idea of Emily thinking of his family as a normal, horrid family. Not a rich, noble, horrid family. He knew that it was unlikely that Emily's opinion of him would change if she found out just how wealthy he was – she didn't even know or care what he looked like, for Merlin's sake! – but some small portion of him, some niggling part that voiced his worse fears, couldn't help but question 'what if'? Sirius wasn't sure he could deal with Emily suddenly becoming just like every other girl he knew, who were either too afraid to anger him for fear he and the Marauders would ruin their social lives or only wanted him for his looks and money.

"Sirius? Hey, are you okay?"

The young wizard started fiercely at the feel of Emily's hand on his wrist, her eyes gazing unseeingly just past his right ear. A concerned frown marred her smooth brow.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You're lying," said Emily without thinking. "Your heart rate's gone up."

A scowl crossed Sirius' face momentarily before he sighed. He both loved and hated the fact that it was hard to hide things from Emily. All she had to do was listen to his heartbeat to know if he was lying, stressed or agitated.

As if realising that she may have crossed some unspoken boundary, Emily snatched her hand back and mumbled an apology, bowing her head abashedly.

"Sorry. It's none of my business."

Sirius shook his head.

"You didn't do anything wrong. I'll…I'll tell you about it some other time."

Emily nodded hesitantly. Sirius couldn't help but note how fetching she looked when she was unsure of herself. He reached for her arm and looped it through his.

"Hey, I just know you'll love the next shop."

Quality Quidditch Supplies had managed to attract quite a crowd despite it being a quiet day in Diagon Alley. Pushing their way through a group of twelve year olds who had gathered around the broom display, Sirius guided Emily's hand towards the polished handle of a Nimbus 1700 racing broom. He barely suppressed a smirk when he felt her shiver, knowing just how badly the girl wanted to take the broom for a ride. He made a mental note to take her out on his broom before the end of the summer. Sirius then promptly grinned roguishly at the unintended double entendre in that thought and had to mentally slap himself for letting his mind go to the gutter.

Pulling Emily away from Quality Quidditch Supplies was a near Herculean task. She was very much like a kid in a toy store who wanted everything and Sirius had trouble getting her to leave the shop. It was exactly the same with their next stop, Flourish & Blotts, where Emily walked down aisle after aisle, running her hand along the spines of the books on the shelves, finding a simple sort of pleasure in the changing textures beneath her fingertips. While they were there, Sirius somehow stumbled across a collection of texts published by Obscurus Books aimed at the visually impaired witch or wizard and, of course, it was practically impossible to drag Emily away from the bookshop after that. It was only through the purchase of two rather thick volumes, despite Emily's vehement protests, that they were able to move on.

Sirius and Emily worked their way up one side of Diagon Alley and back down the other. She hummed in pleasure at the luxurious feel of Madam Malkin's pricier robes. She listened raptly, wide eyed, as Sirius described Gringotts and its goblin staff. She beamed dizzily when the witch in the Magical Menagerie allowed her to hold a Puffskein. She laughed uproariously while testing some of the stock Gambol & Japes had on sale. She even spent an entire awe-filled minute in Ollivander's, breathing in what she insisted was especially magical air, whilst old Mr. Ollivander silently studied the pair with his eerie, moon-like eyes. It was starting to get dark when they found themselves seated outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, each enjoying a ridiculously large Knickerbocker glory.

"You've got a…a bit of a…here," Sirius laughed, reaching over to wipe off the dollop of double fudge chocolate ice cream that Emily had managed to get on her nose.

"Oh, thanks," grinned Emily. In fact, the girl hadn't stopped smiling in some form or other for the past five hours. Not even Sirius' refusal to let her visit Knockturn Alley, despite her insistence that there was a myriad of fascinating smells coming from it, could wipe the smile off her face. "I have to say, Sirius, this has to be one of the best surprises anyone has ever given me. I can't even begin to say thank you."

The young wizard glowed with pride. It had taken some conspiring on his part with Emily's older sister, Julia, to make sure that she would have no other plans for this day. He had even convinced her to cover for them if he should bring Emily home late. Julia had thought it was awfully romantic that he was stealing her little sister away for the day, believing him to be a secret admirer of Emily's from school. Sirius wasn't sure how he felt knowing that Julia was so ready to help a stranger practically kidnap Emily, but at that moment, he couldn't really complain. He had turned up at their doorstep that morning and promptly whisked Emily away with the promise of a tantalising surprise.

"I'm just glad you're enjoying yourself," said Sirius.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius spotted two girls from the year below him, one of them a Gryffindor, glaring daggers at Emily. He threw them the meanest look he could muster and smirked as they blushed at being caught staring before scampering away. He couldn't help but notice that he had been doing that more and more lately, ignoring or glaring at girls who eyed Emily unpleasantly. The old him would have welcomed the attention, though treat them with indifference, basking in the knowledge that they were jealous and vying for his attention. Sirius started to wonder just when he started to change before realising that he didn't really care.

"I would have to say 'enjoying' is an understatement," said Emily, spooning a generous helping of ice cream into her mouth. "You know, even though I've only known you for a month or so, you're probably one of the closest friends I have. Sometimes I feel like you know things about me that I don't even know myself. I'm glad I got to spend this day with you, Sirius."

For some reason he couldn't explain, Sirius felt like he had just been pushed off a ten-storey building the moment the word 'friend' left Emily's lips. He knew it was ridiculous for him to feel that way because they were friends. Emily had never hinted at anything else so it was unreasonable for him to be upset. Yet he was, and Sirius wasn't sure he was ready to know exactly why.

"Sirius?" Emily's voice was suddenly very timid and the look of uncertainty on her face told him that he had been silent for quite a while. "I've gone and put my foot in it again, haven't I?"

Sirius shook his head to clear it. Reaching across the table for Emily's hand, he rubbed soothing circles over the back of her palm with his thumb as he forced his voice to sound as unaffected as possible, despite feeling like he'd just been hit with a Stunner, Confundus Charm and Jelly-Brain Jinx simultaneously.

"You worry too much, Em. I was just thinking."

"About what?" Emily asked softly.

"About…how much you'll absolutely love where I'm taking you next," said Sirius with only the faintest trace of his usual smirk.

Pale blue eyes met stormy grey and for a short second Sirius could almost swear that Emily was actually staring at him. But then she blinked, and smiled, and he knew that she had decided not to pursue the matter, despite knowing that he was lying once again.

"Oh really? And just where are you taking me?"

Nete, Mese & Hypate was a shop specialising in magical musical instruments. Situated next door to Eeylops Owl Emporium, it was a warmly lit shop that invited customers inside and inspired even the most unlikely witch or wizard to pick up an instrument. Its proprietor was a thin, little witch who tweeted like a bird and never seemed to stand still. She called out a cheery greeting as Sirius and Emily entered the shop, the door chime above them ringing out a light little tune that the young wizard recognised as a jingle, advertising for singing toads, that was quite popular a few years ago. The witch, who identified herself as Madam Hypate, one of three sisters who owned the shop, chirped in delight when she learned that Emily was a musician. Entirely disregarding the fact that the girl was blind, she dragged Emily through the store, shoving instrument after instrument into her hands, encouraging her to 'give them a go'. Miraculously, Emily managed to avoid colliding into anything.

The instruments were unlike anything Emily had ever handled before; the sounds they produced unlike anything she had ever heard. There were string instruments made from unicorn hair, wind instruments of graphorn horns, and percussion instruments constructed from dragon bone. Some were the size of a small shack with intricate pedals and levers; some were no bigger than a child's pinkie. Yet Emily played each like a maestro, with no fear of producing ugly notes because, to her, every single sound had a beauty of its own.

A soft smile took over Sirius' features as he watched her.

"Your girlfriend's very talented," said Madam Hypate, suddenly popping up beside Sirius. He started, not having noticed that the woman was no longer thrusting instruments into Emily's hands. He shot the girl a nervous glance but she appeared not to have heard what Madam Hypate had said, being still distracted by the tri-tiered string instrument she was currently plucking at. "So pretty too."

"She's not my girlfriend," said Sirius, his voice hitching.

"Oh," said the witch with a puzzled frown. "The way you were looking at her, I just thought…" And then a look of understanding came over her. Sirius didn't like the look.

"We're just friends," he said hurriedly. "Very good friends. Can't a bloke and a girl be just friends?"

"Of course they can. I happen to have a lot of very good male friends," said Madam Hypate, with a look of profound pity on her face. Sirius resisted the urge to slap his palm against his forehead. "By the way, I think your…friend's found her instrument."

Emily was now playing a classical sounding melody on the instrument. Sirius recognised it as being a variation of one of the pieces she had played during the concert in the park that fateful day she discovered his secret. Plucking and strumming the strings, Emily gave the swooping melody a sense of mysticism and romance that Sirius hadn't really noted the first time he heard it. He smiled.

"Yeah," said Sirius softly. "She does seem to be rather fond of the ones with strings on them."

"That particular tri-tiered lyre's handcrafted from a single log of yew, stringed with traditional catgut – dragon – Antipodean Opaleye to be exact. A very good choice."

Sirius smiled; his eyes still riveted on Emily. The girl may be a muggle, but there was no denying that there was something magical about the way she created music.

"We'll take it."

Half an hour later found them back at the Leaky Cauldron, seated at a table, with Emily still thanking Sirius profusely.

"This has been the best birthday present ever, Sirius," said Emily, grinning across the table at him. "Thank you."

The Marauder was grateful old Tom chose that moment to serve them their supper. The look of gratitude and open affection on Emily's face was enough to do his head in. Tom's interruption gave him a moment to recollect himself before he spoke.

"It's not everyday you turn seventeen. I wanted this to be a memorable occasion."

Emily's laughter was like a Siren's song and the dark haired wizard noticed more than one head in the pub turn towards their direction.

"Oh trust me, Sirius! I will never forget today." She leaned back in her seat and pushed up the sleeves of her cardigan to her elbows. Her unseeing eyes swept across the dark dining area of the Leaky Cauldron, a smile pulling at her lips. Sirius almost swore he could see her ears twitch with the effort of attempting to pick out the sources of the many sounds in the room. "The food smells divine. Is it any different from…you know…normal food?"

Sirius' bark of laughter attracted more attention than Emily's had.

"Why don't you try it and see?"

The meal was an enjoyable affair. Emily did most of the talking but Sirius didn't mind. He couldn't remember the last time he found anything a girl had to say very interesting but every word that poured forth from Emily's lips enraptured him, just like how everything about his world fascinated her.

"Sometimes I wonder if the only reason you spend any time with me at all is because I'm a wizard," he said jokingly after one of Emily's exuberant recounts of their morning. The statement had been made in jest but the girl's failure to deny it right away had the smile slipping from his face. "If I was…normal…if you had just met me on the streets…would we ever have become…friends?"

"Snuffles…I…" Emily put down the fork she had been holding. "I don't know. I…I like you. Not because you're a wizard. I liked you before I ever knew that."

"Yes, but I was a dog then."

Emily smiled.

"Yes, yes, you were. But what I'm trying to say is that I was attracted to your personality even as a dog. So…even if you were normal…even if we had met each other in the middle of the street, if you'd stalked me as much as you did when you were a dog, we probably would eventually have become friends."

"I did not stalk you!" protested Sirius.

"You keep telling yourself that," teased Emily.

"Yeah, well, you were attracted to me, huh?" retorted the young wizard.

"Honestly, Sirius! Is that all you got out of what I just said?" laughed Emily.

It was hard for Sirius to stay upset. Once Emily started laughing, he did too. And his laughter sparked a fresh round from her and so forth. They had drawn the attention of almost everyone in the Leaky Cauldron by this time but neither of them cared. They hardly even noticed when old Tom cleared the dishes and left them their dessert, caught up in simply enjoying each other's company. In fact, it wasn't until a shrill beeping sounded that they were made aware of their surroundings once more.

"What's that?" asked Sirius.

"It's my watch," said Emily as she pressed a tiny button on the side of the contraption strapped around her left wrist. A strange disembodied voice announced the time: twelve o'clock. She frowned. "It's midnight."

"I promised your sister I'd have you back home by now," said Sirius, his laughter now subdued. "I suppose we should get going."

"I don't think the trains are running anymore."

"No," agreed the Marauder. "I don't suppose they are. But I was thinking of Apparating back."

Cerulean blue eyes lit up in interest.

"Apparating? What's that?"

Sirius felt his insides twist into nervous knots as he reached for her hand.

"Come. I'll show you."

They settled their bill but instead of heading out the front door, Sirius led Emily back into the courtyard behind the pub. Carrying their day's purchases in one arm, he laced the fingers of his free hand through one of hers. He heard her gasp as the familiar feeling of Apparating washed over him. One moment they were in the walled courtyard of the Leaky Cauldron, the next they were standing outside the gates of a Victorian styled terrace house.

"I feel like I've just been squeezed through a rubber tube," muttered Emily weakly from beside him.

"Sorry," said Sirius sheepishly. "I should've warned you."

"Oh it's all right," reassured Emily. "Just unexpected that's all. Walk me to the door?"

She kept her hand in his as they walked up the gravel-strewn path to her front door. The house was dark except for a lone light in one of the rooms on the first floor. Instead of reaching for the doorbell or into her pocket, Emily kicked at the bricks that made up the front step until she came across one that was loose.

"I can never remember which it is," she explained as she proceeded to lift it up and retrieve the key hidden under the brick. She unlocked the door, paused with her hand on the handle, and then turned back to Sirius. "You can hand me the parcels. You don't have to carry them all the way inside."

"You sure?" asked Sirius. "I really don't mind."

Emily smiled and held her hands out.

"I know you don't."

Reluctantly, Sirius relinquished the parcels, shoving his hands in his pockets as Emily opened the door. She disappeared inside and for an awkward moment Sirius wondered if their night was over before she reappeared, sans brown paper wrapped packages and her folded cane.

"Sirius?" whispered Emily.

"Yeah, I'm still here," he replied in a voice just as quiet as hers.

"Could you do me one more favour?" Emily pulled on the hem of her sleeves as Sirius waited for her to continue. "I want to see you."

She reached for him before he could ask what she meant, her fingers finding his chest first. Slowly, lightly, she traced her way up towards his neck, along his jaw and over his cheeks. He kept still, afraid that any movement on his part would cause her to stop. It was almost surreal. She took her time, fingertips gliding over the contours of his face, dipping into the hollow of his ear, thumbs outlining the edges of his lips. There was not one part of his face she did not touch and when she finally pulled away, she was smiling.

"Thank you, Sirius."

"Uh…um…sure…" murmured Sirius.

Her eyes met his briefly and once again, the young wizard was almost certain she could actually see him, despite knowing otherwise. She took a step towards him, placed a hand on his chest, raised herself to her toes, and brought her face closer to his. Her lips found the edge of his jaw instead of his cheek but Sirius wasn't complaining.

"Good night, Snuffles."

Sirius' reply was hoarse and strained.

"Good night."

By the time he'd regained full control of his senses, Emily had already pulled away and entered the house, shutting the door behind her.

"Happy birthday, Emily."

This chapter and the next were originally one, but I've decided to split them up as together it would have been ridiculously long. So altogether, this story will have 7 chapters now instead of six. We're moving on to another phase of Emily and Sirius' relationship now and I hope you guys like it as much as I do.

Next chapter of 'Twilight' should hopefully be up by the end of the week.

Any and all feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Flames will be used to toast the bag of marshmallows I have in the kitchen.

- Scribbles