Chapter 10

If you're still reading this story, than thank you! My university semester is kicking my ass but it's nearly finished and I can't wait to keep writing this story. Thank you for reviewing if you have reviewed! Please keep reviewing and sharing this story because it means so much to me.

Much Love

-E

Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me

At the sound of the loud shrieking voice, Marlene's eyes flew open. She too shrieked in surprise and pushed Sirius rather harshly off her. The latter fell on the floor with a loud thud and a louder "OW".

Marlene peered down at the floor where Sirius looked up at her with an annoyed look. Before either of the two could say anything the same voice shrieked once again. "What the FUCK Padfoot?!"

"James look I understand you're mad but can you please shut the fuck up." Lily said looking rather annoyed at James' volume.

James blushed and muttered a sorry before reverting back to a look of anger. "What the hell are you two doing?"

"Well I would've thought that was fairly obvious." Sirius said with a smirk.

Marlene looked exasperated at the whole situation, "Sirius really?" She said.

"I CAN SEE WHAT YOU WERE DOING!" James boomed once again, "WHAT I MEAN IS WHY?"

"Well your best friend is a great kisser?" Marlene said.

"Oh yeah that was real helpful Marls." Sirius said with a laugh and a light pat on her knee. Marlene glared at him.

James turned to Lily, who was silently watching the scene unfold with utmost amusement, and began to direct her anger at her. "Did you know about this?"

Lily's brows furrowed into a glare. Her amused smile turning into a cold, grim line. "Yes I did. But I fail to see how this is any of YOUR business James!"

James spluttered, "Because it's, it's…it's Marley for Merlin's sake!"

"You never cared who he was snogging in the first place!" Lily bellowed so loudly Sirius winced and Marlene cast a silencio spell.

"Well forgive me for freaking out over my best mate and practically my little sister snogging for Britain!" James shot back.

"Believe me, I didn't think this would happen either." Marlene said rather matter-of-factly. "It's developed into a comfortable habit if I'm honest."

James looked slightly stunned. His eyes looked rather glassy and he was looking straight ahead at nothing. Lily waved a hand in front of his face. "Maybe his heart stopped." She suggested.

James suddenly blinked, "I need to sit down." He said breathlessly and as if he ran a marathon. James took a seat on his bed whilst Sirius was, to be truthful, too scared to move to sit next to Marlene. Lily had a bright smile on her face. "Alright start from the beginning please."

Sirius and Marlene looked to each other. Both looked rather alarmed and were trying to silently communicate who would give the best explanation. Marlene kept her wide-eyed alarmed look and Sirius sighed. "To be honest Prongs I'm surprised you didn't notice it sooner."

"Dorcas, Mary and I called it in May." Lily interjected. Sirius shot her a glare to which she smirked at.

"Let's keep it simple." Sirius said decidedly, "We were studying for O.W.L.'s, there was a bit of firewhisky involved and we ended up snogging and it, um, didn't stop?" Sirius offered.

James looked rather alarmed at Sirius' explanation and looked to Marlene instead. "Marlene what the hell?" He asked instead.

Marlene sighed at Sirius' attempt at fixing the situation. "I don't know what to tell you James."

James looked like he was going to pass out and decided now was a good time to leave the room, "Oh my Merlin." He mumbled under his breath as he left.

"Prongs." Sirius said standing up with a helpless frown on his face as James left the room.

"James." Lily said with a sigh, she rolled her eyes, "So bloody dramatic." She turned to look at Sirius and Marlene who looked rather dejected, "I'll talk to him."

Sirius sat on the bed, buried his head in his hands and let out an exasperated shout. Marlene put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry." She said in a small voice.

Sirius, although rather upset, still managed to give a small smile towards Marlene, "It's not your fault Marls." He said pulling her into a hug.

"I don't think he's angry, I think he's just trying to wrap his head around it." Marlene said, her voice muffled into his shoulder.

Sirius let out a deep breath and was hopeful that Marlene was right.

"James for Merlin's sake!" Lily shouted. She weaved through the party crowd, which was rowdy as ever, following James out of the Gryffindor common room.

"Lily I'm sorry for yelling I just need a breath okay." James said rather dully.

Lily rolled her eyes, "You're so dramatic James. This isn't that big of a deal."

"Big of a deal?!" James said in an exasperated voice. "Is no one seeing what I'm seeing? You can't possibly think that Sirius would treat Marlene right in any way possible? She's meant to be your best friend!"

"And he's meant to be your best friend!" Lily shot back in a sharp voice. "You don't even know all the details and you're jumping to conclusions. Mind you, Sirius and Marlene did a rubbish job of explaining things, so I suppose I'll have to step in."

James sat down again, feeling rather overwhelmed and faint by the whole situation. Lily looked at James with a stern look, "Can you not tell that Sirius has like the biggest crush on Marley?" She asked almost bewildered that she was the only one who noticed. "It's so obvious."

James looked taken back at Lily's statement, "Padfoot? Actually being seriously interested in a girl?"

Lily had to stop herself at rolling her eyes at James' lack of knowledge, "Haven't you noticed that Sirius has barely even looked at another girl since school started. And Marlene spent half of summer with Sirius. And they weren't just snogging for three months James."

James had a pondering look on his face as he took in what Lily was saying, "Merlin's beard." He breathed out. He looked up at Lily, "Maybe you're right. You really think he's not going to break her heart?"

"Please." Lily said, "He looks at her like she's the Queen. He's in deeper than he thinks. The easier you are on him, the faster they'll get together." She pointed out with a devious look on her face.

James looked scared now, "Oh no, what's your plan now Lily?"

"Nothing." She said simply, "They need to figure this out themselves."

James looked surprised, "This is a first usually you're all for a bit of matchmaking."

"Very true James." She said. "But this is Marlene and Sirius. They're both as stubborn as each other. They can't even admit they fancy each other. The more we push them, the more they'll pull away. It's better to leave them to figure it out on themselves…with an occasional prod from the rest of us from time to time."

James looked at Lily with a look of adoration, "Merlin Lily sometimes you really surprise me with how smart you can get."

Lily blushed, "Thanks Potter. Now if you don't mind I'd really like a butterbeer…or five after this debacle."

Marlene and Sirius did not feel the need to sit around and mope and after Marlene demanded that Sirius come downstairs and dance with her, he could hardly help himself. James and Lily were in the common room dancing and talking as well. James gave Sirius a nod and a smile, which Sirius took as a good sign.

By the time the party was ending, it was the early hours of the morning. The older Gryffindor boys were cleaning up the common room when Sirius stumbled upon Marlene, who had most likely gotten tired and fallen asleep on the couch.

"She asleep?" Remus asked.

Sirius looked up to see Remus a little distance behind him, "Yeah she is. Has Dorcas gone to sleep too?"

Remus nodded with a fond look on his features, "Yeah she began to look a little dreary by the time it was one in the morning and I told her to go to bed."

Sirius nodded at his friend's happiness. He looked back at Marlene and went to pick her up. She wiggled a bit in his arms but for the most part remained asleep, "I'm going to put her in my bed. I'll sleep on the floor or something."

Remus looked rather surprised, "That's quite chivalrous of you."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "This is Marlene we're talking about."

Remus let out a little laugh, "Of course."

Sirius left to go up the dormitory stairs with Marlene, walking very carefully so he didn't wake the sleeping girl. Once he got up to his room, he set her on the bed softly, pulling up his sheets so she was covered.

"Well well well," James' voice said quietly but with a hint of amusement, "Look at you."

Sirius shrugged, "Easier for her in the morning." He shifted uneasily, "Are you still angry?"

James grinned and shook his head. "Nah, Lily talked some sense into me. Said Marlene isn't a stupid girl and that she knew what she was getting herself into."

"Smart one that Evans." Sirius said with a chuckle.

"Just," James started and then stopped to think, "Don't fuck it up aye Pads? You wouldn't want to lose her friendship."

Sirius nodded and looked at Marlene a second longer than he should have. A look that was not missed by James, "I won't don't worry."

James smiled and then held his hands up backing out of the room, "I'm staying out of this one." He said with a grin and Sirius couldn't help but grin back.

"Sirius?" Marlene's voice came from the bed.

Sirius sat down on the bed and looked down at Marlene, "Hey doll, it's okay go you can go to sleep."

"Are you and James okay?" She yawned.

Sirius chuckled, "Yeah we're alright." He said kissing her forehead. "Get some rest."

"Where are you going?" She asked with a small pout. She reached out a hand, "Come here. It's your bed."

Sirius smiled at her before kicking his shoes and jeans off, leaving him in his boxers. He climbed into bed pressing his lips to her forehead before pulling her on top of him and leaving his hands hanging loosely around her waist. "Night Marley."

But she was already asleep. Her breaths becoming shorter as she fell deeper and deeper into sleep.

"James." Marlene said with a sharp voice, "Stop bloody leaning on me you are making me spill my ink."

"Marleneee." James whined, "I'm just so tired!"

"Then sleep on the cold floor! I'm not done working." She said with an annoyed voice.

Peter looked on with an amused look, "James you're not done with your Transfiguration either." He pointed out.

"Thanks for pointing that out Pete." James said in a huff. "Like I wasn't trying to forget that."

Christmas Break started the following day and James was feeling rather restless in anticipation for the coming holidays. The Quidditch Party came and went and James had gotten over Sirius and Marlene quickly. Dorcas, Mary and Peter eventually found out but other than their direct friends, Sirius and Marlene had kept everything on the down low. Marlene had rather liked keeping her private life, private and Sirius did anything Marlene wanted. James, Peter and Lily were in the Great Hall during a study period, where Marlene and Peter were working away dutifully whilst James was sitting around moping about how there was still work to be done.

"James if you finish your Transfiguration now, you won't have it looming over your shoulders when you get back to school." Marlene said, "Because we all know you won't be doing your homework over Christmas."

James let out a groan, "Fine." He said, "Can you give me a hand then Marlene?"

Marlene had to keep her temper from erupting whilst Peter looked over with a bemused look. "James you're such an idiot."

"Just give me like three tips Marley!" James begged, "And I won't say another word!"

Marlene silently pulled his books towards her and glanced towards the work. She studied it for a moment and then looked back at him, "Separate the three headings into paragraphs than clumping them together. One on human to animal transfiguration, one on how to become an animagi and one on the legalities of it."

Peter had a smirk on his face, "Shouldn't be too hard should it James?"

James gave him a quick glare and took the books back from Marlene, "Thank you Marlene!"