"I am okay," mumbled Marlene, her gaze remained fixed on Sirius. "Did you get in a fight?" she asked, her blue orbs curiously studying Sirius's bruise.
Sirius looked at her dumbfounded, his heart thumping against his chest. He could feel his cheeks getting hotter under her gaze. "Ye—Yes, just – it was nothing," Sirius stuttered and then he closed his eyes for a second, mentally cursing himself.
"It looks pretty bad, maybe you should go to the hospital wing," Marlene pointed her delicate finger towards the bruise forming on Sirius's cheekbone.
"Don't worry, it doesn't hurt," Sirius lied, flashing his dazzling smile. He noticed Marlene's cheeks had turned a light shade of pink. Sirius wondered why? He noticed how she was fidgeting with her fingers. Her eyes avoided Sirius's gaze, as she bit her lower lip ever so slightly. Sirius wanted to know what it would feel like to touch those lips with his own. 'Stop!' he told himself.
"Were you going somewhere?" Sirius cleared his throat, tearing his eyes from Marlene.
"Yes, I was going to the library," Marlene nodded, only looking at Sirius for a brief second before looking at her feet again.
"Do you want me to accompany you?" the words left Sirius's lips before he could have had a chance to think about it. His eyes stretched as wide as they could before he recomposed his face.
"No, I will be fine, Lily is waiting for me," Marlene smiled and looked at Sirius from under her lashes.
Sirius's heart went erratic in his chest, he wondered if Marlene could hear it. The heavy feeling in his stomach was something new and he knew all of this was because of Marlene's smile. It made unexpected warmth rush though Sirius; but Sirius was not going to accept that. How can someone's smile do that?
"Tell Evans I said hello," jested Sirius, flashing another smile.
Marlene let out a chuckle. "Take care of that," Marlene pointed towards Sirius's cheekbone once again before walking away.
Sirius turned around, his eyes following Marlene. He watched the way Marlene glided down the corridor, almost as if her feet weren't even touching the ground. The way her hair bounced on her waist was only thing that proved that she was actually walking.
Sirius's mind was still wandering towards Marlene when he entered the Gryffindor common room. He didn't have to chance to react as he was pulled to a corner by James. He noticed that the common room was empty except for the four of them standing there.
"Where were you?" asked James, his eyebrows were creased at centre. He was gritting his teeth, holding Sirius against the wall.
"Did you go to the Slytherin common room?" Peter asked in a hushed voice. He was playing with the hem of his shirt.
Sirius wondered how did the news travel this fast? He did take a detour but this was some record time.
"Let's give him a chance to breathe," suggested Remus as he placed his hand on James and Peter's shoulder. He gave their shoulders a light squeeze.
The two of them took a step back. "What happened to you?" asked James, his eyes fixed at Sirius's hand.
Before Sirius could answer any of their questions the common room door opened again, making them jump. Professor McGonagall stood in the doorway, looking furious. "Mr. Black, I was coming to find you," she huffed, as she pressed her lips together. She rushed over to the Marauders.
"I will only ask this once Mr. Black and I expect you to answer this honestly," said McGonagall, studying his face and hands. "How did you get these bruises?" she asked, fixing her glasses.
For a moment, Sirius stood under everyone's scrutinising gaze like a statue. "Professor I—" Sirius started, but he wasn't sure what must he tell her. Clearly, she knew what was going on. Sirius wondered if he should confirm her suspicions.
"We got in a fight Professor," responded James in his stead.
Professor McGonagall's gaze turned towards James, her brows almost touching her hairline. She tilted her head, and stood still.
Sirius looked at his best friend, his jaw hanging open. His eyes flickered back and forth between James and McGonagall.
"We had a disagreement and Sirius walked away but I followed him and then we got in a fight," James continued, his hands pointing towards Sirius and the door.
"Is that true?" asked Professor McGonagall. She looked over her glasses, her eyes studying the faces of the other three boys.
"Yes Professor," said Peter in a stern voice, Remus too gave a sharp nod.
"Then why are there rumours going on everywhere that Mr. Black got inside the Slytherin common room and picked up a fight with Mr. Mulciber?" Professor McGonagall inquired, her lips had never looked thinner. Her face was flushed, as she let out an exasperated sigh.
"It clearly seems that Gryffindors are being targeted a lot lately Professor. First what happened last night, and now this," Remus answered, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
Sirius knew that Remus hated lying, but here he was, lying for Sirius. Sirius felt a lump forming at the back of his throat as he watched his friends standing right next to him, protecting him, even though they didn't know what was going on.
"I don't see bruises on you Mr. Potter," said Professor McGonagall, after a pause. Her eyes scanned James, and rested on his face.
"I hit him first," James pointed towards Sirius's face. "And when he tried hitting me, I dodged, so he hit the wall. You know how good my reflexes are Professor, you didn't make me a chaser for nothing," blabbed James. He flashed her a smile. To others it might look that James was at ease. But Sirius could see his ears turning pink.
It made Sirius snort but he was silenced at once when Professor McGonagall glared at him. Sirius cleared his throat, averting his eyes to the ground.
"If I find that the four of you had lied to me, I will make sure you get the strictest detention you have ever faced in your entire Hogwarts career," warned Professor McGonagall in a stern voice. She pointed her wand at the four of them.
The boys nodded fervently. Sirius kept his eyes on the floor, shifting from one foot to another.
"Go back to your dormitories," she instructed and watched the Marauders trample each other as rush up to the staircase.
Once the door was closed, the three boys turned towards Sirius. Under their glare, Sirius shrunk back. He rubbed his upper arms, avoiding his friends' gaze.
"Answer, now!" James exclaimed, his hands resting on his waist.
Sirius walked over to his bed and sat down with the thud. He watched the rest of the Marauders gather around him. "Yes," Sirius mumbled, looking at his hands in his lap.
"What?" asked Remus, his arms crossed in front of his chest. His brows were furrowed, as he waited for Sirius to explain himself.
"Yes, I went to the Slytherin common room," Sirius looked up and answered, louder this time. He felt as if he was being physically suffocated by remembering the feeling he had when he stood in the Slytherin common room. If he was a Slytherin, none of the things that have happened would have happened. Starting from his family hating him, but till now. But that would also mean he would have never made friends with the Marauders and he would never change that for anything in the world.
"Why?" cried James, throwing his hands in the air. He looked at Sirius as if he hadn't heard anything more absurd in all his life.
"I wanted to see how it felt standing where my mother thinks I should've been," replied Sirius, rolling his eyes. He pursed his lips, at last looking at his friends.
"If you wanted to pick a fight with someone, or prank someone, you could have included us," huffed James, narrowing his eyes. He had his fists clenched by his side.
"You all are already in trouble for covering up for me, if you were there with me and had McGonagall found out we would all be done for," said Sirius, as he sprang up from his bed. He let out a sigh, looking for a way to make his way to the door.
"We might as well have had some fun," mumbled Remus, rolling his eyes as he tilted his head.
"Did you go to prank Snivellus?" Peter spoke the first time since they had come to their dormitory. He was still playing with the hem of his shirt.
Sirius opened his mouth to answer, but James spoke for him instead, "No, he clearly did something to Mulciber."
"How did the news travel so fast?" Sirius threw his hands in the air. It was absurd how things like these travelled so fast across Hogwarts but when someone is in trouble it isn't heard of until the next morning. He could feel his blood boil underneath his skin again.
"Do you think those twats would give up any chance to get us thrown out of Hogwarts?" James gave Sirius a did-you-really-just-ask-that look.
"Why still remains a question. Why did you go to pick a fight with Mulciber?" asked Remus, letting out a sighed as he looked at Sirius.
"Do you want an honest answer?" asked Sirius. The suffocating feeling was coming back to him, he could feel his saliva thickening in his mouth. And then Marlene's beautiful blue eyes haunting him. The bruise on his cheek had started to sting and the pain on his knuckles became more pronounced as he clenched his fists, the uneasy feeling settling in his stomach.
"Yes!" the three Marauders answered in unison, glaring at Sirius.
"I don't know why I did that!" exclaimed Sirius, pushing past the boys. He stomped across the room.
As soon as his hand touched the door handle, James shouted, "Where do you think you are going?"
Sirius whipped around, his brows furrowed. "Relax mother hen, I am not going to pick another fight. This hurts!" He pointed towards his cheekbone before darting out of their dormitory. He closed the door behind him with a soft thud; leaving behind three stunned Marauders.
"Do you think – he has become – Prongs?" Peter broke the silence. He tore his gaze from the door, setting it on Remus and James.
"Excuse you!" exclaimed James, turning towards Peter, his brows creased together. He rolled his eyes, letting out a loud huff.
Peter shook his head, raising his hands in defence. "I meant; do you think he has a crush on someone?" he questioned.
The three gawked at the door from where Sirius had disappeared.
Sirius scuffed his way to the hospital wing and was greeted by a stunned Madam Pomfrey. He stood in front of her, shifting from one foot to another. He waited for her to speak something.
"Can I help you Mr. Black?" asked Madam Pomfrey with a heavy sigh. Pushing herself out of her desk, she walked over to Sirius. Worry lines framed her face, tugging at her eyes.
"These hurts," mumbled Sirius, as he pointed towards his bruises. He looked at a place somewhere over her shoulder.
"Sit down Mr. Black," Madam Pomfrey motioned with her fingers for Sirius to sit on one of the beds. "I will get you something for these," she continued.
As Sirius settled on the nearest bed, Madam Pomfrey padded across the room to examine his bruises.
"How did you get these?" asked Madam Pomfrey, her fingers tracing the bruise on his cheekbone.
"I got in a fight with James," Sirius spoke from between his teeth. The muscles in his jaw bunched, as he averted his eyes to the floor.
Madam Pomfrey raised her brows, but stayed mum for a while. Straightening up, she spoke again, "Stay here, I will get you something that will heal you within an hour." She turned on her heels, but came to a halt. "Something similar I gave to Mr. Mulciber who came in with similar injuries," mumbled Madam Pomfrey before gliding out of the Hospital wing.
Sirius was glad that Madam Pomfrey wasn't looking his way, otherwise his face would have given away the truth.
Downing the concoction Madam Pomfrey had given to him in one gulp, he was out of the hospital wing. He was scared that one slip and the truth would be out. Had his friends not jumped on the bandwagon to save him, he wouldn't have cared one bit if the truth came out. But now that they had gotten involved too, he did not want the truth to come out for their sake. He was already guilty that they had gotten involved but it would make it worse if they got punishments because of him.
Sirius spent the rest of the day near the Great lake and only joined his friends for dinner. The four of them sat together without talking to each other. They all had their reasons. Sirius felt guilty about his friends having to get involved and still confused why he had gotten into a fight with Mulciber.
The Marauders were still shocked that Sirius had a crush on someone and had not told them about it. The dinner was filled with lots of glares in Sirius's directions.
"I am not telling him anything about Lily until he tells me who is he crushing on," James had mumbled in their room before leaving for dinner. Sirius had not returned from Hospital wing.
"Calm down Prongs, there is nothing for you to tell about Lily, we all know she ignores you," said Remus, rolling his eyes.
"We had a thing back – back in – the corridor," replied James, his eyes narrowed to slits. He waved his hands in the general direction of the corridor.
"What was that thing?" asked Remus, stifling back a chuckle. He raised his brows, waiting for James to speak again.
"She looked at me!" exclaimed James, throwing his hands in the air.
"I wish Sirius was here, I can hear his response in my head," Peter let out giggle, before covering his mouth.
"What is that response?" asked James, tilting his head to one side, his lips pursed.
"Something along the lines 'Congratulations Prongs for figuring out Evans has two perfectly working eyes'," Peter spoke, making Remus laugh and agree with Peter.
"You both are just as bad as him," James huffed, turning around in his bed, his back to the two boys who continued laughing at James.
James started following Sirius's every move, over dinner, to figure out who was the black-haired boy crushing on. But, much to James's dismay, Sirius kept his eyes on his food and did not give any signs of who it might be.
"I am going to bed, I am exhausted," said Sirius. He had finished his food faster than the others. Pushing his plate away, he was ready to dart out of the Great Hall, to escape the eyes on him.
Peter's brows furrowed, he looked at Sirius with concern. "But you barely ate," he said as he pointed towards Sirius's plate.
"I am not hungry Wormtail," Sirius mumbled, getting up from the bench and shoving his hands in the pockets of his trouser as he walked away, his head hanging low. His slouched shoulders and the frown on his face was unsettling.
"Who is this girl?" asked James, his lips set in a straight line. He glanced across the Great Hall, studying the faces of all the girls. He was irritated by the lack of information.
"Isn't it obvious?" squeaked Peter, earning the attentions of Remus and James. "It's either Mary MacDonald or Marlene McKinnon," he continued in a hushed voice, shrugging. The three boys looked at the girls sitting far away from them.
As soon as Sirius's head hit the pillow, he let out a groan. 'Why did I have to do that?' he asked himself, his grey orbs stared at the ceiling. It wasn't like Sirius didn't know that he did it because he got angry but why did Sirius get angry? 'So, what if someone had touched Marlene?' Sirius scoffed at his thought. It mattered a lot that someone had touched Marlene, he didn't know why it mattered this much.
Why had she suddenly occupied all his thoughts and started influencing his actions? Why did she suddenly look like the most beautiful girl in the world? Why did he suddenly feel like knowing what it would feel like to touch her fair cheeks with his fingers? Why did he suddenly feel like looking at her for long periods of time knowing he would not get bored of watching the way she moved?
Sirius's eyes widened at the realisation and he sprang up. His heart went erratic in his chest and he patted it to calm it down. "Have I turned into Prongs?" he questioned himself and his breath got caught in his throat. "Is she – what Evans is for Prongs?" Sirius's brows creased at the centre. He shook his head as if to shake the thoughts away.
'No! Sirius Black doesn't have crushes; people crush on Sirius Black!' he told himself but at the back of his mind he knew he was wrong. He knew he was done for, he could feel his cheeks getting hotter just by the thought of it.
As soon as the lock of the door click, he sunk back into his bed, pulling the covers over his head, pretending to sleep. He wouldn't let his friends see him blushing. They wouldn't let him live through it.
"Is he asleep already?" Peter's voice was nothing more than a whisper.
"I don't know, it's not like he tells us everything," James's voice was unreasonably loud. He must be standing close to Sirius's bed.
It made Sirius roll his eyes as he tried to stifle back a chuckle.
James could be very immature at times, especially when it came to people he cared about hiding things from him. But Sirius reckoned James would forgive him once he came clean.
"Hush Prongs, let him sleep," Remus's response was curt.
"I am not waking him up or anything, not that he would tell me if he woke up," James continued to mumble, as he shuffled across the room.
Sirius had almost laughed. Biting at his finger, as he suppressed his laughter. Taking a deep breath through his nose, Sirius screwed his eyes shut.
"He didn't tell anyone of us, not just you, but waking him up will only make him cranky," whispered Remus, he too shuffled across the room. He must've made his way to his bed.
Sirius could imagine the look on James's face. He felt horrible for not telling his friends what was going on. The room slowly started to grow silent, except the soft shuffles across the room which died down after sometime. Sirius could feel his eyelids getting heavier and he no longer fought to keep them open, letting the darkness consume him.
A/N: Hey Readers,
Thank you Aamarylis for your review, it is so wonderful to see that you're enjoying the story! To all the readers, please leave a review and let me know what do you think about the story. Don't forget to hit the follow and favourite button. Thanks! Keep reading!
-JT