Angling

A/N: Based on this prompt – Link on my AO3 and Tumblr. "I've been trying to unlock my car for an hour but my keys aren't working, and I finally get so frustrated that I start kicking the tires, which is when you walk up, choke on your drink, and immediately demand to know why I'm kicking your car and ohmygod this is YOUR car?" AU

A/N: My husband loves to fish and was getting ready to go fishing with his friend while I wrote this. So you can blame the bad puns on my love for my husband.

Sirius stormed out of the office building and towards his car. He couldn't believe he'd fallen for this! Leave it to his dear parents to pull a lie like this one just to rub salt in the wound. They knew he'd do anything for Reg, and when they said Reg was in trouble he believed them. He'd never fall for that again. He texted Reg telling him to call once he was off work, now knowing that his kid brother was perfectly fine. Then he started indulging in the thoughts of what he would have liked to have said to his manipulative mother and father if he'd been able to get the words out before his feet carried him away. He had good feet, at least. They always pulled him far, far away from those two. He should have known that his and James' success in the tech world wasn't going to go unnoticed by them. Ending up on the cover of Forbes was definitely something they would have noticed and wanted to exploit. He should have tried to reach Reg first before believing those two scum bags.

Sirius pushed his key into the driver's door and turned, but it jammed.

"Bloody hell, come on," he muttered before pulling the key out and trying again.

Again it jammed.

"Fine," Sirius huffed and moved to the passenger door, sliding his key in and turning.

Again it jammed.

"I don't have the patience for this today," he muttered to whoever may be listening enough to take pity on him.

Again and again, the key jammed as he moved between the passenger and driver doors. No amount of finessing was working. Five minutes passed and Sirius felt ridiculous. Fifteen minutes passed and he felt confused. But after thirty minutes of failing to get into his car, Sirius was furious.

He brought his fist down hard on the roof of the car. Then he kicked the tire like he was trying to make the national football team. That seemed to feel more satisfying and so he did it again. And again. And again. The whole time cursing his parents for knowing his weak points.

"What the hell!"

Sirius stopped and turned. Before him was a woman who looked like she may kill him. Her ice blue eyes were wide and her red lips had pressed into a thin line that looked like she was clenching her jaw.

"What are you doing to my car!"

"Your car?" Sirius said the words slowly as his mind tried to push through the fog of rage holding him.

"Yes, my car!"

Sirius finally surveyed his surroundings. This was definitely the row he had parked in, and he was positive that it was about this point because he remembered getting out and seeing the sign advertising new leasing options in front of him. But as Sirius looked to his right, two spots from where he stood sat his car, identical to the one he had been kicking.

He should have been embarrassed. He should have felt like an idiot. He should have apologized to Ms. Gorgeous standing in front of him. Sirius did none of those things.

Instead, he laughed.

And once he started, he couldn't stop laughing. He laughed like a madman. His sides were aching as he supported himself against not-his-car and his vision blurred with tears and lack of oxygen while he gasped for air.

"Are you quite alright?" Her voice broke through his laughter and Sirius managed to nod. He wiped his eyes to see her clearly and forced himself to take a deeper breath.

"My apologies, I truly thought this was my car, but I'm sure I'll find that one," he pointed to what he could now quite plainly see was his car, "is actually mine."

She eyed him with a smile pulling on the right side of her lips. "It doesn't look like you did any damage so I suppose you're off the hook."

Sirius suddenly felt compelled to pull that smile out of her.

"As far as you calling the police, you're probably right." He smirked, "but I'm all of the sudden caught on a different hook."

She narrowed her eyes and the right side of her mouth ticked higher.

"Are you giving me a line?"

Sirius grinned, "Just the one you already hooked me with."

Her smile spread slowly across her face, and Sirius watched as it lit up her face and his chest. He couldn't help but let his cocky grin morph into a genuine smile.

"You should reel yourself in there," the woman gave her head a soft shake, blonde curls bouncing around her face, but her smile only grew wider.

Sirius' heart skipped a beat.

"I would but I'm tangled in the line you've cast."

She took a tentative step toward him, "I was distracted and didn't notice the strike."

Sirius moved slowly toward her, "Completely understandable. So are you the catch and release type or do you like to keep your prizes?"

Again she stepped toward him, her movements seeming more certain now. "I used to be a catch and release girl, but lately I've been into the idea of holding onto a catch."

"What kind of catch would you hold onto?" Sirius closed the distance between them and looked down into her ice blue eyes.

"One that gave me his name," she paused, "and the story on why he was kicking my car."

Sirius laughed and offered her his hand, "Sirius Black."

"Marlene McKinnon," she shook his hand firmly and he delighted in the electric spark that climbed from his hand to his brain."So why were you kicking my car?"

Sirius huffed, "I have a couple of idiots that try and work their way back into my life every now and again. Today was one of those days. I honestly thought this was my car, and when my key didn't work I sort of took my frustrations out on it." He grinned sheepishly at her.

Marlene laughed, "I suppose that makes sense."

"Let me make this up to you," he leaned against her car, "let me take you to dinner. I know this great place by the river."

Marlene's smile went shy for a fraction of a second before quickly returning to the cool confident vibe that had been there a moment before. Sirius really wanted to see that shy smile again.

"I think that would be a worthy apology," she nodded and slipped her keys out of her leather jacket.

"And what will it be when I ask you out again at the end of this apology dinner?" Sirius pushed off her car and stepped to the side so she could open the door.

"That depends on if you can ask me before I ask you," she winked at him before sliding into the driver's seat and shutting the door.