A/N: This is the end of Vignette. I'll be back on Monday with the sequel to Reconnaissance!

The Magic of Place

He was excited, but Sirius was also shocked at the nerves he felt. He'd never had nerves about hanging out with Marlene when they'd been teens, but now, well, now Sirius was looking at things differently.

Marlene and Sirius had spent their friendship navigating several near misses. They nearly crossed the line into something more than friends more times than Sirius could count. He told himself it was for the best, especially when she was going to uni in Ireland and him in Germany, but now Sirius was done pretending. They were in the same country, city even, and he wasn't going to lie and say that he was happy being just friends. He was going to show her she was still an amazing photographer, of that he was sure, and then he was going to kiss her and see what happened.

If it blew up in his face, well, he always wanted to go see Sweden.

He parked his bike in front of her flat building and smiled when he saw her walking towards him, her old camera rucksack over her shoulder.

"I like the new seat." She climbed on behind him.

"You mean you didn't love sitting on vinyl held together with tape?"

"It had its charms," She slid her arms around his waist and Sirius felt his heart beat a little harder.

"Sure it did," Sirius laughed, "Like the tape residue sticking to your jeans for the rest of the day."

"I wasn't going to say anything, but yeah." Marlene laughed with him. "So where are we going?"

"You'll see." Sirius winked at her and then revved the engine and moved them back on the road.

He moved slowly through the streets of London until they were finally out of the city and heading the hour or so southwest.

About thirty minutes in he felt her grip tightening around his waist and she pulled herself closer to him, pressing her body to his back. She knew where they were going.

Surrey Hills had been the location of most of their near misses. There was something magical about this place, something that made you feel like you had stepped out of the real world and none of the rules applied anymore. And if there was a place that could get Marlene taking pictures again, Sirius put his money on here.

He pulled off at one of her favorite spots and killed the engine. "Alright Marls, I think it's high time you reminded those cameras and lenses that you're still around."

"Can't we just enjoy being back here?"

"You haven't been back since your mum got sick." He didn't ask, it was written all over her face.

"It was our spot." She shrugged, and Sirius couldn't help but agree; if he hadn't run into her, he never would have wanted to come back here either.

He stepped off his bike and pulled her off with him. "Come on, get that camera out." He pulled on the straps of her rucksack.

"Would you believe me if I said I just want to hike around with you and call it done?" She bit her lip, her signature blood red color freshly applied today. It drove him mad.

"Not for one second." Sirius stepped closer, tucking one of her loose curls behind her ear. "It's just you and me, like old times. Get the camera out Marls, for nostalgia if nothing else."

She stared up at him with her ice blue eyes and Sirius nearly leant in and kissed her right then. But she seemed to take his comment to heart and began sliding the pack off her back and retrieving her camera. He smiled at the stack of lenses, and pulled the pack to him.

"Which lens do you want?"

"Just the standard right now."

Sirius handed the case to her and then started loosening the rucksack straps. "I'm still not letting you carry this." He took the case back as she attached the lens.

"I can carry my equipment." Her answer was automatic, just like it had been when they'd been teens, an answer that was more for the script of the interaction than any real meaning behind the words.

"And I won't let you." He swung the pack over his back, finishing the script.

"I don't even know what I'll take a picture of." She shook her head as they walked, but Sirius didn't miss the way her hands held her camera, rubbing her fingers over the metal, fiddling with the shutter button, almost like she was itching for more than simply holding the camera.

"Take a picture of anything."

"What if it isn't good?"

"You used to say that before too, and they always turned out gallery worthy."

"Sirius," she laughed, "that is not true."

"Sure it is," He winked at her. "I wager that you're so skilled at this you can't even try to make me look bad."

She smirked. "Is that a challenge?"

"If it gets you taking pictures then sure," he shrugged. "But don't be surprised when every one of those pictures makes you weak in the knees."

He'd been expecting it. Marlene brought the camera up and took a messy candid of him. She looked down at the screen and groaned though. "How did you manage to look good in that?" She turned the screen around to show him smirking.

"It's a gift, love," he tapped her nose, "But whatever possessed you to do that should possess you more often."

"To do what?" She frowned.

"Take pictures." He turned her to the view of rolling hills and trees with leaves beginning to change color. "Show me what you see."

Her movements were slow but he stood behind her, his hands still on her shoulder, his head ducked so his lips were behind her ear. She hesitated a moment when the viewfinder was nearly to her eye.

"You've got this, Marls."

She let out a slow breath and he heard the click of the shutter button.

"Can I see?" He smiled against the shell of her ear.

Marlene was quiet for several moments as she let her lanyard take the weight of her camera. "Yeah, but it's going to cost you."

Sirius stepped closer to her, bringing his chest against her back, laying his cards further on the table. "That seems fair, name your price, Marls."

She was quiet for several moments, but he felt her breathing grow shallow as he moved his hands to trace her shoulders and arms. Slowly, she leant back against him, relaxing her body into his and Sirius felt his thoughts rapidly slipping.

She let out the same slow breath she had before she'd taken the picture. "It'll cost you a kiss."

Sirius felt his chest explode at her words. He nuzzled behind her ear as he spoke. "The problem is, If I kissed you, I don't think I'd be able to stop."

He felt her breath catch in her chest and she slowly turned around to look at him.

"Then I guess I'd have to never stop showing you the pictures I take."

Sirius didn't hesitate, he was ready to get on to kissing Marlene full time, they'd wasted enough time already.