Chapter 12:

Cooking Disaster

Over the next few days, Marlene watched Sirius with Britney. She saw every touch and kiss. She noticed every whispered word. She was getting more and more jealous. She hated to think that they'd had sex. But now that she was looking for them, the signs were all there. On Thursday afternoon, Marlene was stood beside James in muggle studies. She looked towards the back of the room where Sirius was joking around with Britney. James noticed where she was looking, "don't let it get you down. It won't last."

Marlene sighed. She looked up at James and a tear fell down her cheek. He wiped it away before smiling at her gently, "he'll come back to you – he always does."

She nodded. She didn't notice that Sirius was watching their exchange. News of her breakup with Todd had broken amongst the Gryffindor fifth years. Everyone knew except Sirius. Marlene had begged her friends not to tell him and none of them had broken their word.

"I still don't understand why you don't just tell him," James said quietly.

"Tell him what?" she sniffed.

"That your single," James replied.

"Two reasons… but if I tell you, you can't tell the others." She waited for his promise.

He nodded his head, "first, I don't want him to just break up with her for me. He has to do it for himself. He has to want to put things right himself. He seems happy with her."

"He's not. He's just being a guy."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"He's making the best of a bad situation. If he's not single, he'll think about you less – not much less but it dulls the pain."

"Still like Lily huh?" Marlene frowned.

"Nah… I'm well passed that minor er… obsession. I'm really happy with Carmelita."

"Yeah right," Marlene almost laughed.

"So what's your second reason?" James asked, trying to change the subject back.

"He's sleeping with her," Marlene whispered.

"Huh?" James replied, suddenly shocked, "no he's not. I'd know. He'd have told me!"

"I saw them coming out of a particularly loud broom closet."

"They could have been just making out," James replied.

"They weren't," Marlene laughed coldly, "besides just watch them. It's obvious."

James frowned, why hasn't he told me? He tells me everything… "Ok but why is that stopping you from telling him?"

"I'm not ready for… sex. I can't give him what he wants," Marlene blushed.

"He wants you, though."

"It's never that simple," Marlene frowned. "Can you smell burning?"

"Shit!" He turned to the cooker where their lasagne was gradually turning black. "Oops."

They laughed together at the sight of their burnt project, "doesn't look like we'll be getting an outstanding."

They didn't notice the jealous eyes that were watching them from the back of the room. Sirius frowned, he's supposed to be my best mate… what the fuck is he doing flirting with her? She's mine and he knows it… What would he say if I came onto Evans? A terrible plan came to Sirius. He didn't hear Britney say to him, "Si, the lasagne is ready."

He just sat there thinking about his plan, "bloody hell Black, it's burning!"

"Shit!" Sirius quickly took the meal out of the cooker. It didn't look to bad. However, the look on his girlfriend's face was anything but happy. "Oops."

An hour or so later Sirius was entering the library is search of a certain redheaded witch. He spotted her sitting at a table towards the back of the library. He walked towards her, whistling under his breath much to Madam Pince's disgust. "Alright Evans?" he quirked a brow at the Gryffindor.

"Black, what do you want?" Lily retorted, not even looking up from her work, "shouldn't you be in a broom closet with Britney Simon?"

"No… I'd much rather be in a broom closet with you," he replied seductively.

Lily blushed, "don't be so grotesque." She gathered her things and made her way towards the doors.

"Come on Evans – it would be fun," he continued. He followed her out of the library and up the stairs. "Me and you, could make a fine couple."

She pushed passed him, into the common room. James noticed her as soon as she entered. He watched as Sirius clearly came onto her. His face fell at the sight of his best friend flirting with the girl who had always been off limits. "Black, leave me alone."

"But Evans…"

"You heard the girl," James said firmly. He had stood up and closed the distance between himself and the pair. He now stood between Evans and his best friend.

"Nah… Evans – me, you, your room, now." He didn't see James' fist coming until it hit him across the cheek.

"Come on Potter – I thought you wouldn't mind sharing. After all you're after Mars now too," Sirius replied angrily before heading up the stairs to the boys' dorm.

"Are you ok?" James asked.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Lily replied.

"I was protecting you," James replied.

"You just punched your best friend. He wasn't treating me any differently to how you do! Whose protecting me from you?" She retorted angrily.

James didn't know how to respond. Eventually he settled for a quick sorry.

Marlene had seen the entire thing unfold. She made her way up the stairs to the boys' dorm. She needed to fix things. "Sirius," she called through the door.

"Go away," Sirius mumbled.

"No," she replied firmly.

Finally, after almost ten minutes, Sirius let her in, "what do you want?"

"I want to explain."

"I don't really care," he mocked.

"Yes you do or you wouldn't have flirted with Lily."

"You saw that?" he replied sheepishly, it wasn't his best moment and he knew it.

"Of course I did. I think the whole of Gryffindor saw it. Anyway, I need to explain… I was talking to Potter. We… we weren't flirting. He was helping me… I've broken up with Todd. He wanted to know why I haven't told you."

Sirius tried to interrupt but she wouldn't let him, "I saw you… you and Britney coming out of a broom closet."

"It doesn't mean…"

"Don't tell me, it doesn't mean anything. Sex always means something," Marlene retorted, a mixture of sadness and anger in her voice. "Nothing is going on between me and James. He's your best friend. He wouldn't do that to you. I'll leave you to your moping."

"But Marlene," Sirius frowned, "can't we?"

"Can't we what?" Marlene asked.

"Get together… sort things out."

"I don't think so… I can't give you what you want," Marlene told him.

"I want you," Sirius told the empty room. She'd already gone.