The wind whipped her long black ringlets around, her lips had a slight bluish tinge from the cold as she stood. There was a soft layer of snow at her feet, down the embankment to the frozen lake. Where he stood.
He was turned away from her, his gaze stretching over the lake to the sunset beyond. She could have stood there forever, watching the ripple of his hair, his broad shoulders, the slight tilt of his body.
He'd always treated her differently from every other girl he had dated. He treated her with gentleness, and kindness, yet never made her feel like she couldn't do anything for herself. When he took her on dates, he always injected meaning into it, not simply taking her to places and buying her stuff.
There was a mutual trust between the two of them, coupled with great respect. She knew that she was one of the very few people in front of whom he let down his defenses. He let his emotions show in front of her, and knew she would never exploit that, and would instead treat him with understanding.
She knew that he would always be there for her, no matter what happened. He had been the one to comfort her when her sister died in a way nobody else could. She always felt loved and needed when she was with him. He reminded her every day of what she was fighting for.
He was loyal to a fault. He would do just about anything for the people he cared about. He had a habit of taking curses for people, and he didn't do it just to be heroic. He was an amazing friend. He would have sacrificed everything he had for the sake of his loved ones.
He was arrogant, yes, and lived under the motto "Modesty is a waste of time". He never tried to be modest, and that made the compliments he gave so much more real. She always knew that when he said something, he meant it. He was also witty, and quite intelligent.
He turned to face her, and took a step forward. Her breath hitched slightly as she looked into his stormy gray eyes. And as their lips met, one thing was for sure.
Marlene McKinnon would always love Sirius Black.