Hi guys! I thought after several chapters of no author's notes, I would write one to check in. This is my first fanfiction ever so please feel free to shoot me a review and a favourite! Much love amigos

-E

Chapter 5

"Marlene," Said a whispered voice. When Marlene didn't reply the whisper sounded again slightly louder, "Marlene!"

Marlene finally looked up, not before rolling her eyes, "What?" She said

James gave her a wide grin, "Can you help me with my potions homework please?" He begged.

Marlene let out a frustrated sigh, "We don't even have any potions homework!" She whispered, trying to be quiet under the watch of Madame Pince who were several aisles down the library.

Mary, Remus and Peter who also accompanied them to do some homework in the night looked at James with amused expressions, amused more than anything at James' needy expression.

"We don't, this is the write up due three days ago." James said sheepishly. "Please Marlene, Slughorn will kill me if I don't hand it in by tomorrow and I don't know what I'm doing."

"Bloody hell James, you think you'd have learned by now." Remus said thoroughly amused.

"Pass it here!" Marlene said and then under her breath, "Git."

Marlene's eyes scanned the page brief, skirting from line to line. Not a moment had passed when she returned the page to James, "You forgot beedle juice. That's why it's not turning the right shade of brown." She dutifully went back to her work as James' eyes shone with awe and thanks.

"Marlene I love you so much!" He exclaimed loudly causing Madame Pince to shush him even louder which he promptly ignored, "Next Hogsmeades visit, I'll buy you a butter beer I promise!" He quickly grabbed his parchment and ran out of the library right past Sirius who had just walked into that particular alcove of the library.

Sirius turned to look at him as he passed and then abruptly turned back at the group, "What happened to him?" He asked confused

Mary waved her hand dismissively, "Marlene's magical help in potions."

Sirius' mouth formed an 'O' in realisation and then a mischievous smile, "Speaking of which," He said sidling up to Marlene, "Didn't you say you would help me out with my potions?" He said grinning that stupid grin Marlene loved so much

Marlene's eyes lit up in frustration, "Let me guess? Yours is late too? How much have you done?" She asked

Sirius at least had the decency to look sheepish, "I haven't started."

Peter, Remus and Mary all had small quirky smiles as they tried to stop themselves from laughing. Whereas Marlene just looked like she was going to commit murder, "You're fucking with me Sirius." She sighed and stood up, "Come on get up let's go."

Sirius grinned, "Love you Marly!" He said kissing her cheek.

She tried to contain her blush, "Fuck off" She tried to say sternly but it came out more affectionate than anything else.

She gathered her things and stormed out of the library, Sirius trailing behind her with a boyish grin on his face. Eventually once they were out of the library, Sirius couldn't help but put a hand affectionately on Marlene's waist. "The usual?" He asked.

She nodded with a small smile and let Sirius drag her to the left wing of the seventh floor corridor. Sirius, after looking out if anyone was there, started to pace and mutter, "I want a place to study…I want a place to study….I want a place to study…and somewhere to snog Marlene McKinnon." The last phrase causing Marlene to whack him hardly with her Potions textbook.

He grinned and pulled her into the room. The room may have looked magnificent to anyone else but Marlene and Sirius, who were used to its' appearance for their usual study sessions by now. The room was much like the Gryffindor common room with a couch and a coffee table which Sirius and Marlene usually sat their books. The only exception was that there was a small library within the room. Sirius grinned and pulled Marlene towards the couch. He took her books from her, setting them on the table and pulled her on the couch.

"Sirius!" she said trying to chastise him but the fact that he was kissing her neck was really working against her. Soon she was breathing in Sirius as he kissed her tenderly and frantically all at the same time. She couldn't think about anything else until he pulled away and she sharply sucked in a breath of air.

"Did I take your breath away?" He asked.

She glared at him, "No more! Not until we finish your potions homework anyways."

Sirius pouted, "You take all my fun away."

"The quicker you finish, the more fun you get."

Marlene didn't think she would ever see Sirius work so fast but he did.

"I'm not bloody understanding why I need to add root tea to the damn potion!" He said loudly. His quill was pinched between his fingers tensely and he was dripping ink everywhere causing Marlene to sigh and shove his hand away from his piece of parchment.

"Merlin Sirius!" She said exasperated, "Don't you read your Potions textbook?"

He raised an eyebrow in response.

Marlene sighed, "You add the root tea because the combination of those ingredients turns the potion a deep purple and if it doesn't turn that shade of purple, you can't add the rest of the ingredients because it'll blow up."

"Oh," Sirius said, "Is that why my potion blew up in class?"

"Yes."

"You know if I had you and not Slughorn as s teacher, I'd be the best student."

Marlene swatted him with a book. "C'mon Marley," He said in a whiney voice that he knew would make Marlene melt. "I've done really well so far, don't you think I deserve a little treat?" He planted a feather light kiss on her collarbone.

"Sirius, you're almost finished." She all but pleaded as his arms started to slowly wrap around her waist.

"Don't you think I've been doing well?" He asked, his voice muffled as he pecked her neck.

Marlene pushed him away and threw his potions book at him. A stunned Sirius looked at her surprised and with a little awe. "Finish your potions!"

Sirius, like a little boy, picked up his potions book and went back the desk dutifully, "You're so hot."

Marlene's mouth turned up.

A week or so later, Marlene was walking through the portrait of the common room when Dorcas said, "The Quidditch list is up Marls!" Marlene turned to the left and saw that there was a crowd of people surrounding the noticeboard. She noticed James and her friends by the fireplace and walked over.

James was diligently doing his homework for once in his life and Lily, who was desperately trying to hide it, was shooting quick glances at him with a puzzled look on her face. "Alright James," Marlene said as she approached.

He looked up from his homework, "Alright McKinnon,"

"Spare me the walk and tell me if I made it onto your team or not?" She asked.

"Your team?" Remus asked in bewilderment. Marlene had noticed for the first time that he had sprawled out on the sofa whilst Peter and Dorcas were sat in front of it, both comparing herbology notes amicably. Remus was absentmindedly playing with Dorcas' hair whilst she studied.

James grinned, "I'm loving the sound of that mate." He adjusted himself on the floor and turned to face Marlene, "Of course you're on the team. I would be daft if you weren't!"

"Cheers Potter." Marlene said with a grin and sat on the floor opposite him next to Lily setting her homework down. "Who else is on the team?"

"Well other than you and I, Tom's the keeper and Wes is still a chaser. Jeffrey Creevey and Sloane Clearwater are the new chasers. Oh and Sirius is a beater of course."

Marlene nodded in approval, "Good team."

The portrait door clanked as Sirius walked in, in a noisy fashion. His hair was ruffled from a day at school, his tie was, of course, untied and slung lazily around his neck. His chin had a spot of facial hair as he had obviously woken up late and forgotten to shave. He nodded at his friends and slumped on a chair by the fire place.

Lily looked at him expectantly, "Aren't you going to ask James if you made it into the Quidditch team?"

Sirius sighed and shook his head, "I don't need to ask him. He does obviously want to win this year don't you James?" His signature grin now making an appearance on his unshaved face.

The boys, and even Marlene who couldn't help but let out a little chuckle, laughed whilst Lily rolled her eyes.

"I'm kidding Lils," Sirius said sitting down, "I checked it earlier."

"Nice to know you're only full of yourself forty percent of the time."

Sirius had no idea why he was staring at Marlene so much. She was just sitting by the usual coffee table by the fireplace they all often sat at. Her wavy, dirty blonde hair was drooping over her as she scrawled something on her piece of parchment. The usually sweet facial expression she had was masked with one of determination as she was trying to work out her runes homework. Lily turned to say something to her, making her look up and laugh, her body lightly shaking.

'What the hell mate!' Sirius thought to himself. He didn't understand why he was thinking of her so often. It all bloody started when they fell asleep on the common room couch. He woke up in the middle of the night with her body moving slightly as she breathed lightly. Sirius was most definitely not a 'stay the night' kind of guy and he knew she wouldn't have been surprised nor offended if he got up and went to his own bed. But he didn't want to. It would've been like leaving a cup of hot chocolate undrunk in the winter. So instead he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her tighter, hoping they'd never have to leave that moment. They did of course, she woke him up hours later and he almost didn't care if everyone had come down to see them on the sofa together.

He was just so confused as to why he now couldn't stop thinking about her. The way she giggled at him, how she was so aggressive during Quidditch, how her hair almost floated elegantly in the wind, how she was so kind and how she was always helping everyone out. It was amazing, now that he thought about it, how she didn't tire herself out.

"Sirius?" A voice called.

Sirius shook himself from his thought process and turned to see Marlene who was now the only one left sitting at the coffee table with her books out.

"Sorry I was just thinking." He said getting up walking over to sit by her.

"Merlin, Sirius Black thinking?" She said faking surprise, "Don't wear yourself out now." She said cheekily.

Sirius smiled his smile that he only reserved for her. "Marlene?"

"Yeah?" She said with a smile.

"You're really pretty." He said, his cheeks containing a light blush.

Marlene smiled at him, "Sirius I'm already willingly kissing you. You don't need to try." She said

Sirius didn't say anything, he just kissed her softly for once.