A/N: We'll be back with chapters 55 and 56 on March 21st! I'm back to Saturday postings now, but if I get a ton of writing done I could potentially be posting periodically throughout the next couple of weeks. I suddenly find myself with some downtime with my lovely children and wonderful husband. :)
Marlene:
Marlene watched Sirius pluck at the fraying thread on his shirt. She understood it had been quite the discussion between Sirius and Remus about resuming his post, but Sirius had won out in the end. After Sirius resumed his position as James' guardian, Marlene's days became much more entertaining. It made the dull meetings pass faster to joke and whisper with him. She had been fond of Elias, but having Sirius back made the palace feel more like home. With the caveat that it also left her bed quite a bit colder.
She could tell Sirius felt it too, the change in their time together. He found every inconspicuous moment he could to reach out and touch her. And Marlene found herself subconsciously doing the same. His conversation would often skim the edge of it too. The daily hour that James and Lily stayed in James' study, Sirius would usually talk about the future or how things would change once their charges figured themselves out and were married.
"Do you think they'll have a spring wedding?" He brushed the back of his hand against hers.
"Spring is nice, lots of colors outside and plenty of flowers available."
"Spring weddings seem to be a thing." Sirius looked up and down the corridor as if he was waiting for something.
"Probably because winter tends to make people hole up indoors for warmth, so the moment they can go outside without fear of freezing to death they want a legitimate reason to celebrate." Marlene watched amused as Sirius continued to scan the corridor.
"Anything is a legitimate reason to celebrate, Marly."
"I think the idea is to have something special." Marlene nodded to the runner as he walked past them and turned at the end of the corridor.
She managed not to shriek as Sirius pressed her back into the wall and brought his lips to hers. It had only been a bit more than a week since Sirius had resumed his post, but as Sirius' mouth and hands moved over her Marlene would have sworn it had been years.
"I've missed you," she let the whispered words fall from her lips as she splayed her hands across this chest.
"I'm half tempted to lock the two of them in James' bedroom and force their marriage. That or ban this corridor from anyone else during this hour." Sirius drug his lips down her neck.
"I'm honestly surprised they've managed to maintain themselves this long."
Sirius hummed against her skin and Marlene pressed against the wall behind her to keep upright.
"We're going to get caught."
"I don't care," Sirius kissed her lips. "Face it Marly, we're making history."
"What if it's in the worst way?"
Sirius pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. Marlene let her fingers curl around the fabric of his shirt as the anxiety she'd been able to quell when Sirius shared her bed finally bubbled over into the open.
"Marlene, who is going to stop us? James and Lily will be thrilled. Lily practically commanded us to be together a couple of weeks ago. Our oaths are no different than their station. It's up to you and me who we want to be with."
Marlene bit her lip and pulled tighter on Sirius' shirt.
"But isn't the whole point of not allowing marriage to keep guardians from doing exactly what we're doing?"
"Then they should have forbidden love instead of marriage." Sirius brought a hand up to touch her face. "We're rewriting the rules, Marls, we're changing the game. I'll call it destiny, I'll call it whatever I have to, but I'm convinced that this is it. You've filled holes in me that I was convinced would never heal. I won't let anyone take this from us. I'm yours."
Marlene clung to his words with the same grip she held on his shirt. "What if it all falls apart?"
Sirius shook his head. "It won't."
"But what if it did?"
"Then I'd still be yours. Nothing can change that."
Marlene felt her anxiety ease a little at the fierceness behind his gray eyes.
"I love you."
He kissed her then, with an intensity that had Marlene seeing stars behind her eyelids.
And that was when they heard the click of the door latch. But to Marlene's shock, Sirius didn't pull back. If anything he increased his intensity for a moment. It wasn't until James cleared his throat that Sirius pulled back.
"Anything I can do for you, your Majesty?"
Marlene almost laughed at James' perplexed stare. She had to hand it to Sirius, he knew his brother like the back of his hand.
"I, er, I wasn't aware…"
Sirius smirked at him. "I thought you could use a demonstration. Help you to see how it's done."
James' face went bright red and Marlene tried not to laugh as she caught Lily's eye, a triumphant smile across her lips.
James took a deep breath, "You're maddening, you know?"
"I'm allowed to be maddening, I keep you alive."
James huffed before turning to Lily and extending his arm. "Shall we move back into the real world?"
"I don't know," Lily bit her lip as she grinned. "Maybe Marly and Sirius have the right idea."
James managed to choke on air and Marlene felt sorry for him. The man was making a valiant effort to keep things proper between himself and Lily. But Lily was developing a habit of going after what she wanted. And Marlene was positive Lily only wanted one thing right now, and he was currently moving swiftly down the hall with Lily on his arm.
Sirius kissed Marlene softly once more before grabbing her hand and running to catch up to their charges.
