Happenstance

A/N: Something light and silly because I need light and silly in my life right now.

A/N: This fic references home buying in the United States. The standard way to buy a home here is to have a realtor help you find and offer on the home, a mortgage loan officer to help you negotiate a loan to buy the home, and a title company to verify that you are whom you say you are, that the home you're buying is being sold by the owners of the title and doesn't have anything wrong with it financially, and to transfer the title of the home into your name, which is done by someone called a settlement agent. Now you know everything you need to for the setting of this little story. :)

A/N: Obviously, this is an American Muggle AU, but I figured I'd make sure to state it.

Sirius Black is many things - arrogant, vain, emotionally scarred - but those who know him well also know that he is randomly compassionate. And that side tends to manifest itself in some bizarre places.

Like today, when he's walking into the office building. The first floor is rather ridiculous; all the businesses on the first floor have glass from floor to ceiling on every wall that faces the lobby, giving Sirius an unobstructed view of a woman getting yelled at by a rather irate looking toad in a pink dress suit. It's none of his business really, he works on the fifth floor, but there's something in the blond woman's face as she's being berated that pulls at him. And before Sirius knows what he's doing, he's opening the door to the title company and strolling casually into the office where the toad is screeching.

He steps right passed the rather bored looking receptionist and strolls up to the pink amphibian.

"I do beg your pardon," he interrupts casually, "but did you know that your voice can currently be heard from the parking lot? I think you're in the wrong business, you should have been a sports announcer."

The toad turns on him and Sirius is taken aback by how much worse she looks close up. If she crouched down like a frog he'd honestly believe her appearance was some sort of magic spell gone awry.

"Who are you?" She demands, but her voice has dropped to a more controlled level.

"Well I can tell you I'm not a customer, nor will I ever be one. I'll pick my realtor and mortgage loan officer based on whether or not they use your services." Sirius smiles easily as walks to the desk in the office and grabs a pen, sliding it into his lapel pocket.

"Now I'll always remember to choose anyone other than your title company."

"Get out!" The toad croaks at him and Sirius laughs at how her head seems to be contracting into her chest, removing any sense of a neck at all. She's hideous and there's some sort of justice in that.

He smiles at the woman the toad had been abusing and is quickly drawn to her ice blue eyes that stand out against her blonde curls. She looks dumbfounded at the scene that's just played out, but she's also stunning. She doesn't deserve this abusive toad, and a thought occurs to him.

"There's another title company on the fifth floor, I heard them talking about expanding. You should talk to them."

The ghost of a smile touches her lips and Sirius winks before striding out the door and to the elevators.

Most of these bizarre situations fade from his memory before the sun rises the next morning, but there's something about the woman the toad was yelling at. She was beautiful, and while that's not normally something that Sirius gets hung up on, this woman is somehow different. She starts to invade his thoughts. He finds himself looking at the windows every day that he walks into and out of work, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. He doesn't. And after a couple of weeks of not seeing any sign of her, he hopes it's because she quit.

He's going over a mortgage application for a client when the title company on his floor, the one he always sends clients to because he can be right there if they need anything, and because it's James' company, sends him an email introducing two new settlement agents. Sirius grins broadly at the picture of one of the new agents.

"Marlene McKinnon," he grins, "Welcome to the fifth floor."

"Sirius, no," James groans while he helps Lily with the baby carrier. "I like Marlene, and she's already pulling more business our way. I want you to keep it in your pants and leave this woman alone."

"I think it's cute," Lily smiles as they walk up to Mia and Monty's door. "I haven't ever seen Sirius smitten. This is adorable."

Sirius rolls his eyes, "I'm not smitten, Lily."

"Who's smitten?" Monty asks as he opens the door. "And is my favorite person asleep or do you cover him so he doesn't recognize where his Grandad and Grandma live?"

James rolls his eyes, "We cover the carrier to keep him warm, Dad."

"But he's awake, Monty," Lily soothes as they all pile into the entryway.

"Well give him here!" Monty takes the carrier and sets Harry up on the tiny table to free him from the car seat. "I have to get him while Mia is cooking or I won't get a chance to hold him."

Harry squeals delightedly as Monty pulls him from the straps and looks around the house with wide eyes and a big smile.

"Come on, Harry," Monty turns and starts to walk towards the living room, "I bought us some wooden blocks for you to chew on and knock down."

Sirius chuckles as James starts making comments about how Harry wouldn't exist if it wasn't for him, but Sirius has plans and heads for the kitchen to get Mia on his side. He doesn't know why Marlene McKinnon is doing this to him, but he can't have James forbidding it. Lily is already on his side, for the wrong reasons but he'll take it, and if Mia agrees then James won't have a choice.

"Mia!" Sirius walks into the kitchen and wraps his arms around Mia's shoulders while she stirs what Sirius recognizes Monty's favorite stew.

"Hello darling," Mia smiles up at him before offering the wooden spoon to him. "How have you been this past month?"

Sirius takes the spoon with a flourished bow and steals a taste when she turns to look at the rolls in the oven.

"Don't you dare add more salt to that, Sirius," she calls out behind her.

"Never, Mother dear," he smirks as he adds a dash of both salt and pepper.

"You're in an odd humor," Mia looks at him as she closes the oven door.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he glimpses over at James and Lily as they supervise Monty entertaining little Harry.

"What's her name?"

Sirius manages to keep a smirk off his face as he answers, "I haven't started dating anyone, Mom. I know you're hungry for more grandchildren, but you can't just go assuming that I've met someone."

"Lily!" Mia turns toward the living room. "What's the girl's name?"

"Marlene McKinnon," Lily grins up from Harry as he crawls to her, "and Sirius is absolutely smitten."

"I am not!" Sirius groans, but inside he's dancing because this is working out exactly how he wanted it to.

"I told you no!" James groans. "Go find another pretty girl to be smitten with."

"Details, boys, details," Mia tuts, "You're leaving your poor mother in the dark and I'm going to get cross with the both of you."

James glares at Sirius, "Sirius wants to date one of my new settlement agents."

"You only have her because I rescued her from the pink toad on the first floor." Sirius turns off the timer and grabs the oven mitt to pull out the rolls. The smell is almost enough to make him forget his current mission.

"You saved the girl?" Mia smiles warmly at Sirius and he manages to look bashful.

"Her boss was yelling at her and I walked in and pointed out how stupid that was and then told Marlene that James was hiring and she should apply."

"And now she works across the hall from you," Mia finishes. Sirius gives her a self-satisfied smirk.

"Oh, James, don't be such a stick in the mud." Mia starts ladling stew into bowls and handing them off to Sirius to place on the table.

"I'm not!" James pulls Harry's high chair from the broom closet. "If Sirius f-" he pauses and looks at Harry, "If Sirius messes this up then I could end up with Marlene deciding to leave so she doesn't have to see stupid over here."

"I promise if I completely ruin this relationship I will make sure that I never cross paths with Marlene." Sirius rolls his eyes as he takes the last bowl from Mia.

"There," Mia smiles, "problem solved. Now, how are you going to go about getting her to date you? Because yes," she pulls Harry from Monty and brings the baby's cheek up against hers, "I want more of these precious grandbabies."

"This is not solved!" James huffs.

"James, what is your problem?" Mia turns on him as she sets Harry in his high chair and starts breaking up a roll for him. Sirius grins as Harry throws the pieces on the floor just as quickly.

"Mom, you know how Sirius is, and Marlene is bringing a lot of business our way." James runs a hand into his hair. "I don't want to lose out on what she can add to the company because Sirius is suddenly interested."

Sirius holds his breath; he hadn't expected James to be so against this. Marlene must be something special.

Mia shares a look with Lily before sighing. "Well, which is more important to you, James, your brother's happiness which in turn brings your poor old mother some happiness or your business?"

James chokes on his stew.

"That is not what I'm saying at all?" James sputters, "And you're all manipulating me into this, and it's working and I hate you all for it."

Monty chuckles, "I know how you feel James, but I think your brother is capable of handling himself like an adult." He turns to look Sirius in the eye, "Aren't you son?"

Sirius swallows hard. This wasn't a game anymore. in three words Monty made it clear that he was going to be held accountable, if by no one else than his dad.

"Absolutely, Dad," he manages to get a reasonably confident smile on his face.

James looks at Monty, seeming to decide if it's enough before sighing.

"Fine, you can attempt to woo the poor thing. I'm going to hell for letting this happen, but at least I'll be in good company." He grins at everyone at the table and Sirius laughs at the cries of outrage that come from Mia and Lily.

The truth is, Sirius has no plan. He's always just sort of winged this; used his good looks and charm to hold his head above the proverbial dating waters. But this feels different. So the next client that comes across his desk, buying a beautiful old cottage, he decides to use it as his excuse to introduce himself.

"Hi, Emmy," he smiles as he leans up against the reception desk of James' office suite. "How's Benjy?"

Emmeline giggles and smiles at the engagement ring on her left hand, "He's good."

"Have you decided on a honeymoon yet?" Sirius leans down and eyes the Carribean cruise brochure sitting over her keyboard.

She snatches it up quickly and bites her lip.

"Relax, Emmy," Sirius chuckles, "I'm not going to tell James."

Emmeline sighs in relief and then holds the brochure up for him, "We're thinking this could be fun."

"As long as they have comfortable beds you could go to a B&B two miles away and I'm sure it would be fine." Sirius laughs at the blush he pulls up on Emmeline's cheeks.

"I'm just going to drop these off," he holds up the papers and disappears down the hallway as Emmeline laughs and waves him away.

He walks past the conference room where Remus is signing with a client. They aren't one of Sirius' clients so he ignores Remus' stink eye as he heads past Remus' office and on to Marlene's.

"Knock, knock," He grins at the back of her head. Her blonde hair doesn't look as curly as he remembered it, perhaps she had curled it that day because now it falls in waves down her back, but as she turns her eyes are that same piercing ice blue that so took him before.

"Oh, hi," she looks surprised and also...pleased? He definitely would like her to look pleased with seeing him again.

"So I didn't get a chance to introduce myself when we first met."

Marlene laughs and the sound seems to echo in her small office. "Well to be fair, there was a screeching banshee in the way."

"Ah, yes," Sirius smirks, "the pink toad."

Marlene bursts into a fit of giggles, "She is though isn't she?"

"I honestly expected her to hop after me when I left that morning."

She laughs harder and gestures to the seat across from her. "Alright Mr. Sirius Black, introduce yourself."

Sirius rolls his eyes, James is a nightmare some days. "At least we're on even footing Ms. Marlene McKinnon."

She smiles and leans back in her computer chair, "And in agreeance that your best mate and my boss is a ridiculous man who worries too much?"

"Oh, very much so," Sirius sets the new client's papers down on the desk.

"Are you still going to give me the client?" Marlene eyes the papers. "I figured you'd use the fact that James talked to me as an excuse to give the client to Remus."

Sirius pushes the paperwork across the desk. "Nope, James says you're amazing and I'm always one to take claims like that seriously. The client is yours."

Marlene grins, "I promise to take good care of them when they come in to sign everything."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you in action," Sirius holds her gaze as she tilts her head in confusion.

"I'm a bit unconventional," he presses forward in his chair, "I come to every client signing."

Marlene smiles as her head returns to upright, "Well, I look forward to seeing you again, Sirius."

"How does Friday after work for dinner sound?" He's managing to pull this off smoother than he thought he would.

Marlene laughs before grabbing one of her business cards and flipping it over to write on it. She bites her lip as she hands it to him and Sirius thinks he might kiss her right there.

"This is my cell number, text me when you finish up for the day and we can argue about the best place for dinner on Friday."

Sirius laughs before handing her his business card, his cell is on there because he has no boundaries apparently. "What makes you think we'll fight about it?"

She shrugs, "It's a pretty normal thing to disagree on, isn't it?"

"I suppose it could be," Sirius smirks, "but you strike me as a woman who would like sushi."

Marlene freezes for all of an instant before laughing, "You're ruining my image as a meat and potatoes girl."

"Sushi, Friday, I'm off at five and I'm going to walk in here and sit in this chair until you're ready to go."

Marlene laughs and stands, "Well, now what are we going to text about?"

Sirius stands and moves towards her door with her. He's feeling bold, more so than usual with how well this conversation is going. And as she meets him at her office door, he steps closer to her. He tentatively reaches up and brushes his thumb across her cheek. Marlene's eyes go wide and he hears her breath catch, and she doesn't back away. It's the fact that she's standing there against him, blue eyes staring directly into his steel gray ones waiting to see what he'll do next that pushes him forward. He's tempted to tease her, to back away and play the card. But he wants this, he realizes he's wanted this since he saw her in that office downstairs, and so he leans down and brings his lips to hers.

The kiss isn't long; he pulls away after a couple of seconds because if he doesn't he's going to make this far more inappropriate than it probably is already. But every fiber in him is screaming to keep going, to keep pushing the line, and Sirius knows he's in deep.

"We'll text about that," he smiles down at her before forcing himself to take a step back instead of pulling her into him.

Sirius takes a deep breath in, "I'll see you in two days, Marlene."

She nods, a smirk on her face as if she knows how much he's forcing himself to keep putting distance between them. Sirius feels like his feet are full of lead as he steps into the hall, that smirk on her lips is like the siren's song. He winks at her once before pushing himself towards his own office.

Emmeline is on the phone and waves as he walks out, but Sirius barely remembers to wave back at her. He can still feel Marlene on his lips and he needs a cold drink of water or something because he still has real work to get done today. He barely makes it to his office when his cell phone buzzes with a phone call.

"Sirius Black," he answers without looking at it.

"Marlene McKinnon," her voice answers back and Sirius nearly falls into his computer chair.

"Well if it isn't the woman with the softest lips I've ever kissed," Sirius grins. She's calling him, this is the kind of reaction he was hoping for.

"Aw, do you use that line with every girl?"

He can practically hear her smirk. "Actually, in this case, it's true," He leans back and smirks, feeling like he just won the lottery.

"Flattery gets you everywhere I'm sure," she laughs and Sirius feels like he could listen to that sound forever.

"I assume you didn't simply call for the flattery though?" He shakes his mouse to bring up his login screen on the monitor.

"No, though it's a nice bonus," she chuckles and Sirius nearly mistypes his password. "See," she continues, "I know we're going to sushi on Friday, but I was wondering if I could take you to get falafel tonight."

Sirius feels like he's walking on air. "I get off at five," he's grinning like an idiot but he can't help himself.

"Perfect, see you then."

"See you then," Sirius slowly stands and shuts his office door before dancing around his office like an idiot.

He's happy he did his dancing beforehand because when they step into the elevator together a couple minutes after five, his lips are far too preoccupied with Marlene's for his brain to even think about a victory dance.