Hello!
So in terms of an updating schedule, I haven't really got a consistent one. I'm just sort of writing and trying to edit it as I go (not preferable but eh) as well as trying to perfect the story line (which I know is far from perfect). But I am definitely trying to finish this! Never fear! I have not got a set number of chapters for this fanfic but it won't be too long. I'll stop talking shit now.
Enjoy this next chapter!
-E
Disclaimer: HP is not a work of mine. And the characters (bar some) and places in this story aren't either just the storyline is.
Chapter 6
It was early November when Lily finally cracked. Marlene, Dorcas and Mary were in their room, lounging around and casually chatting on their bed during one of the last sunny days left before winter arrived.
Lily stalked up to the room, her usually kept hair unravelling from her ponytail and an annoyed expression etched into her face. "It's been WEEKS and James Potter hasn't asked me out once!"
All three girls couldn't stop the amused expression that dawned on their faces.
Lily quickly composed herself, "I'm not saying I want him to ask me out." She fixed the collar of her shirt from sliding down her shoulder, "I was just surprised that he hasn't."
"Maybe he doesn't like you anymore Lily." Mary laughed.
Lily glared at her, "That wouldn't be a problem. I'd be happy if Potter stopped liking me."
"For Merlin's sake Lils!" Dorcas snapped close the book she had been attempting to read. "Give him a break will you? Haven't you noticed how…normal he's been?"
"I was just surprised he hasn't asked me out."
"You know, I've noticed him looking at Gertrude a lot the other day." Marlene tried to say with a straight face. Mary and Dorcas stifled their laughs.
Lily quickly changed the subject, "Dorcas what about you and Remus?"
Dorcas blushed a deep crimson, "What about me and Remus?"
"Look at her blush!" Marlene sat up.
Dorcas hid her face in a pillow whilst everyone else laughed at her discomfort, "Go on tell us Doe!"
Dorcas looked up from the pillow so they could see her eyes, "I really like him." She confessed.
"I called this!" Lily yelled, "I told you all!"
"Settle down pet." Marlene said
"Does he fancy you?" Mary asked.
"I don't know!" Dorcas replied somewhat frustrated.
"Oh he totally likes you." Lily's voice held a confident tone. "He's always touching your waist, sweeping your hair from your eyes when you study. And he let you sleep in his bed that day you were sick so he could come see you and bring you food all day."
Dorcas blushed, "Well then why hasn't he asked me out?"
Mary shrugged, "Sirius does all those same things with Marlene and we're all still expecting him to ask her out."
Marlene was taken back, "Me and Sirius?"
"It's like all my friends are settling down and I should have just bought a bleedin' cat." Mary said under her breath.
"You and Sirius could be couple of the year the way you two act." Lily said.
"But I would never…" Marlene started. "Why hasn't James picked up on it? He's Sirius best mate."
Dorcas raised an eyebrow, "Because he's dense as fuck."
"I mean it's just Sirius. No one special." Marlene said.
"Well," Mary said confidently, "It's not what we see."
It didn't take very long for Marlene to finally give in and confide in someone about Sirius. And who else would it be other than Lily Evans of course. Three days later when the two of them were going for a walk around the Lake, Marlene finally blurted out that she needed to tell the redhead something.
"What is it?" Lily pressed.
"Please don't be upset I didn't tell you sooner."
"Just spit it out."
Marlene bit her lip and had to pinch herself to say it, but she eventually got there in the end. "Me and Sirius have been snogging!"
Lily said nothing but rather held a bewildered expression with a slight twinge of a smile.
"Oh my God, what's this I hear?" She said suddenly with a shriek of laughter, "The good girl Marlene McKinnon has been snogging the notorious Sirius Black!" Lily said in a high pitch guffaw.
"Ssssshh! The whole castle is going to hear you!"
Lily looked like she was going to start crying at the furious rate she was laughing.
Marlene looked at her apprehensively, "So you're not mad at me?" She asked in an uncertain voice. "For not telling you sooner?"
"If I'm honest, Doe, Mary and I all assumed something was up between the two of you but if anything we assumed you were both hiding away some relationship." Lily said simply, "I mean Marlene, if I'm honest, I wouldn't have called you as a snog and dash kind of girl."
Marlene almost cringed, "Believe me neither did I, it just sort of…happened."
"How?" Lily blurted out.
Marlene sighed and motioned for Lily to sit down alongside her at the bank of the river, "You know how we started studying together before O.W.L's last year?"
"Yeah you both still study together."
"Well one day, Sirius brought some firewhiskey to the room." Marlene started
"Typical."
"And after A LOT of convincing." Marlene enunciated, "I finally had some to drink and soon enough we had finished the whole bottle."
Lily gasped loudly, "This is that night you didn't come back until the morning?" She realised
Marlene nodded, "And I don't know what happened we were just talking and I was stressing out about O.W.L.'s and then we were just kissing!"
Lily was silent for a moment and then said, "Have you been shagging?"
"Oh my god Lils! No!"
"Has he been shagging anyone else?" She asked.
"I'd have his head if he was." Marlene replied nonchalantly.
Lily pulled a puzzled face with a raised eyebrow, "So he's not allowed to shag anyone else but you're not shagging him yourself? Sounds like a bloody relationship to me."
Marlene rolled her eyes, "It's not. I just…like his company."
Lily snickered at her best friend, "Marlene you're too dense sometimes. You're both just too blind to see what you've already set yourself up for."
"Oh Merlin Lily!" Marlene said slightly stunned, "I mean kissing him is great and I like his company. That's all." Marlene avoided eye contact with Lily. She knew deep down what Lily meant. And she knew that is was quickly turning into more than just a snog for her. She constantly wanted to be around him. His presence making her feel merely at ease with anything. She felt like the world was perfect when he was kissing her. And she loved that feeling.
Lily smirked at her best friend and turned away to face the glistening, calm lake. "We'll see."
Marlene had settled into a routine pretty quickly. Marlene got up every morning at 7 in time for breakfast, (and the occasional snog with Sirius) attended a full day of classes, spent the afternoon messing about with her friends or sneaking off with Sirius, to doing homework after dinner, as she was at this present time. Thank Merlin she had Lily who was her confidante in all things Sirius and who hadn't mentioned it since their conversation days ago by the lake.
She sat on the sofa by the fire in the Gryffindor common room and was dutifully writing her essay, in her neat handwriting, for Defence against the Dark Arts. Lily sat on the floor across from James who was talking to her about Potions all while Lily, which Marlene noticed, had a silly grin on her face. Peter was sitting on the far end of the sofa doing his Astronomy homework occasionally swapping notes with Marlene, and Mary was sitting by them on the floor reading a book.
She was deep in thought when Sirius approached. He plopped down on the sofa next to her and curved his hand around her, giving her hip a squeeze. "Hey love,"
Marlene's face lit up and gave him a smile, "Hey where you been?"
"I was with Remus in the library." He said, his arm still tucked around her waist discreetly, "He got boring though."
Marlene smiled at him and turned back to her homework while he sat comfortably next to her.
Lily piped up, "Hey Marls," She had a wicked grin, "Jordan Davies has been looking at you lots during Transfiguration."
Marlene's face furrowed, "Really?" Sirius' grip around Marlene's hip tightened. His expression hardened slightly before he attempted to look slightly less murderous. "I didn't know that."
From Lily's smile, Marlene could tell what she was trying to accomplish and sent back a wide eyed look at her
"Jordan the Hufflepuff?" James asked.
"Yeah that one," Lily replied, "You know if you're interested I could mention something to him during a prefect's meeting."
James nodded as if to give approval, "He's nice enough."
Marlene pulled a face at him, "I don't need your permission James on whether he's nice enough or not."
"Oh hush Marlene. I'm just saying." James said uneasily.
"I'm going to bed." Sirius said suddenly getting up, trudging up the stairs.
Marlene bit her lip and frowned. Peter turned to everyone, "What's his issue?"
Marlene and Lily were walking up to their dormitory. Marlene finally asked Lily what she had been dying to all night, "What the hell was that about?"
"I wasn't lying you know." Lily said. "Mary told me Jordan's been looking at you for weeks now."
"You had to say it in front of Sirius didn't you." Marlene said with a flutter of a glare, "I appreciate the effort Lils but please stop meddling."
Lily smiled serenely, "I didn't do anything." And continued to walk up to their room.
Marlene sighed. She didn't want to admit it but she desperately wanted to go see if Sirius was okay. She and Sirius had never been into each other's rooms. It was at least 11 and everyone was already in their rooms and the common room was empty. Marlene took a deep breath and began to silently tip toe her way to the boy's room. As she opened the door she cast a silencio charm and walked in towards Sirius' bed which was the only bed that had the curtains surrounding it. She crept towards the curtains and pulled them away gently and saw that he was laying there asleep. As the moonlight streamed in from Marlene drawing the curtain, he winced slightly but did not awaken.
Marlene crawled into the bed and pulled back the curtains and whispered another silencio charm for good measure. She ran her fingers down his arm and whispered his name, "Sirius. Sirius!" After a slight shoving he finally awoke, very disorientated.
"Marlene what the hell?"
She blushed, "I'm sorry I just wanted to see if you were okay. You left so abruptly." She said moving her hand to touch his forearm gently.
"I'm fine Marlene I'm just tired."
Marlene's brows furrowed, "Sirius, tell me what's up."
Sirius sighed deeply, "Marlene I'm really tired right now do we really have to have this conversation right now?"
Marlene was slightly taken back at his subtle hostility and immediately removed her hand from his forearm, "oh, I'll go then."
Sirius almost winced at his stupidity and sat up to try and grab her wrist, "No Marls I didn't mean it like that."
She got off the bed and started to go through the hangings of his bed, her face neutral, "I'm going to bed." She walked out the door and shut the door lightly. Sirius almost wished she had slammed it instead.