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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:
Exobiology: The study of the potential for life beyond Earth: task 4 - Write about the beginning of something.
Insane Prompt List: 737. (plot point) truth or dare
Hogwarts Talent Show: Signing along to something (ASL/BSL) (trope) fake dating
Folding Fun: Plain Pink Paper (genre) romance
Character Appreciation: Sixth Doctor (appearance) curly hair
Book Club: William Bradshaw (trait) deceptive, (character) Severus Snape, and (action) sighing
Amber's Attic: (style) flashback (bonus)
Elizabeth's Empire: Brownies (character) Remus Lupin
Bex's Basement: The Swarm - Write about being somewhere crowded.
Lizzy's Loft: (relationship) friends
Scamander's Case: (emotion) confused
Film Festival: (word) invitation
TV Spree: Write about a relationship or an affair being revealed.
Days of the Year: 19th October Evaluate Your Life Day - Write about someone making an important decision.
Get Organized Week: (plot point) tidying up
Pet Peeves Week: People who don't silence their phones when playing a game in public - Write about playing a game - use this in any way you want.
Chemistry Week: Sulfur Skeptical
Games and Puzzles Week: (word) rules
Princess Day: Cinderella - Write about a curfew or deadline.
Locations: Hogwarts Library
Tarot Reading: Seven of Cups upright - Write about someone with their head in the clouds.
The Houses Competition:
November Challenge: Challenge Two - Write about how somebody's past has affected their present/future. Prompt - (quote) "It's kind of fun to do the impossible." - Disney
International Wizarding School Competition:
Practice Round 3: Beauxbutton Fallen Leaves - Write about something or someone with dark connotations bring joy and/or beauty to someone's life. Prompts - (genre) romance, and (word) alone
Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:
Flying: Task 2 - Write about a chase. Prompts - (word) smile
Monthly Challenges For All:
Firework Factory: Medium (The Rarest of Pairing) 4,234 words
Warning for fade to black scene in the middle, Everyone Lives!AU, and a bit of out of character due to the AU that is in use. The word count of this story is 4,234 words. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of Perfectly Marlene and Sirius.
It had all started as a dare from Marlene's then-boyfriend, Sirius Black. She can remember it like it was yesterday as her best friend Lily helped her get ready for her wedding to Severus Snape.
"What are you thinking about?" Lily asked, smiling at her in the mirror. "You're not getting cold feet, are you?"
"No, nothing like that," Marlene said, grinning from ear to ear. "I was just thinking about how all of this began."
"How did it begin?" Lily asked, looking interested to hear the story. "Sev has never told me the story."
"Well, it was our sixth year," Marlene said, feeling like it had only been yesterday that she'd been dared to ask Severus Snape out. "Sirius and James were being their usual selves. They'd struck up a game of Truth or Dare in the common room for anyone who wanted to play."
"I don't remember that," Lily said, wracking her mind for a time when that game had been played in the common room. "Where was I when this was happening?"
"You'd just gone out on patrol and James knew you wouldn't be back soon. That's usually when the games happened."
"Oh. I see."
"Not that you're not fun, Lils. You are tons of fun. You just don't have the Marauder's particular taste in fun." Marlene shook her head. "But where was I…"
1976 - Hogwarts Castle Gryffindor Common Room
Marlene watched as Lily packed her bag, getting ready to head off to perform her prefects' duties. The two girls had been studying for the next day's Potions test that Professor Marigold had sprung on them. The professor did seem to love throwing surprise Potions tests at her students. She was always keen to change things up too. So much so that it took the whole class by surprise when the professor had said that they were having a surprise test.
She was just about to pack up her bag and head up to the girls' dormitories when she heard a loud whistle from the center of the room. Only one person that Marlene knew could whistle like that and that person was her boyfriend Sirius Black.
She looked towards where Sirius and his friends were standing with smiles on their faces. This should have made her weary but she figured that since James Potter their supposed leader had changed his attitude the whole group had. She wasn't suspecting anything horrible would happen. After all, that period of Marauder history was behind them all now, wasn't it?
"Can I have your attention, please?" Sirius said, waving his arms and gaining the attention of everyone that was still in the common room. "Can you all look over here for a quick announcement?"
Everyone's attention was slowly turning towards the Marauders and Marlene couldn't help but notice how they'd waited until Lily left to pull this stunt. They must have known that James wouldn't do anything about stopping whatever was going to go on. But Lily most certainly would have put a stop to their antics. Thus they waited for her to leave and do her rounds for the evening.
"What are guys doing?" Marlene asked, walking up to the boys standing near the fireplace. They seemed to be acting very conspicuous if you asked her which meant they were definitely up to something. "You didn't do anything stupid, did you?"
"Us?" Sirius asked, putting a hand to his chest as though what she said pained him. "Do something stupid? Marlene, my dear, why would you say something so hurtful like that?"
"Because I know you, Sirius Orion Black."
"Oh," James said, giving Sirius a look. "You just got full named by your girlfriend. Someone's in trouble."
"Only if you four are planning trouble for someone else," Marlene pointed out.
"We're not planning trouble, Marlene," Remus said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder which did absolutely nothing to reassure her. She knew better. After all, she'd seen them do this trick hundreds of times. Use Remus to settle people into a false sense of security because Remus Lupin wouldn't lie to anyone. "We are only planning a little bit of common room fun."
"Common room fun?" Marlene asked, raising an eyebrow. "Let me guess. This was Sirius and James's idea, right?"
"How do you know it wasn't mine or Remus's?" asked Peter, sounding affronted by the fact that she didn't think that he could have fun or plan something fun. "It could have been mine or Remus's plan."
"But it wasn't, was it?" Marlene asked, turning her steely grey-blue eyed stare towards Peter.
Looking at his feet, the plump blond-haired boy shook his head quickly. He seemed to be fidgeting with his hands which did nothing to settle Marlene's nerves. You could usually tell how bad something was by how much Peter was fidgeting. By the looks of him, this had the potential to be very bad indeed.
"Everyone's welcome to join in the fun," Sirius said, motioning for the few others that were still in the common at this time of night to join them. "We're only going to be playing a simple game. One that we learned in Muggle Studies class last week."
Marlene tried to think of everything they'd learned in Muggle Studies recently. She couldn't think of any games that they'd been taught. Then it hit Marlene. They must have gone over this game when she's taken ill with the flu a few weeks ago.
"I suppose there couldn't be any harm in playing a harmless little game," Marlene said, trying not to think about all the ways that this could potentially go wrong and backfire on all of them. "What game are we going to play?"
The huge smile that crossed Sirius's face should have told her that something troublesome was on the way. It really should have. But she didn't pay attention to it. She put her hands on her hips in that no way that meant she wouldn't be appeased until she was answered.
"Truth or Dare," Sirius said, grinning. "I'll go first, shall I?"
Everyone seemed to agree that Sirius should go first. They all gathered around the fireplace or as close as they could get. Marlene was pulled into a seat next to Mary McDonald and Dorcas Meadows.
"Alright, now that everyone's settled, let's begin," Sirius said, turning to Remus. "Remus, truth, or dare?"
Remus seemed to pale even more under Sirius's stare. His eyes darted back and forth from Sirius to the fire in the fireplace. He seemed to be considering his next move.
"Truth," Remus finally said, sounding like he didn't think that Sirius would ask any of the hard-hitting questions.
He didn't know Sirius that well. Sirius wouldn't give up on a chance to make anyone blush. Let alone one of his best mates. Marlene knew that better than anyone in this room.
"Do you have a crush on anyone in this room?" Sirius asked, a smirk forming on his face.
Remus's face, however, had gone from extremely pale to extremely pink a matter of seconds. It seemed like there was something that he didn't want anyone to find out.
"Yes," Remus stuttered out.
"Wh…."
"I do believe that it is Remus's turn now, Sirius," Mary pointed out. "Those are the rules of the game that were set out in Muggle Studies. One question per truth. One dare per dare."
A few of the students that were in their year nodded. Marlene wished that she hadn't been sick that day. Muggle Studies was one of her favorite classes, being a Half-Blood witch herself. Muggle was part of her identity which was why she took the class as an elective, to begin with.
"Peter," Remus said, turning to his small friend, "truth or dare?"
"Dare," Peter stuttered out, looking at his feet still a blush creeping up on his cheeks as though he knew what awaited him as soon as he said dare.
"I dare you to kiss the girl that you think is the prettiest in this room," Remus said, raising an eyebrow as though he expected Peter to turn down his dare.
Besides Remus, James and Sirius high fived each other as though they'd accomplished something of great importance.
"Guys…."
"The rules state that either you do the dare or you answer the question for truth," James said, smirking at Peter.
Peter paled. He let another stuttering squeak of a question, before getting to his feet. He quickly made his way over to...Dorcas. Marlene had had no idea that Peter felt that Dorcas was the prettiest girl in the common room. Then again, she made a priority to not associate with the Marauders much over the years. She'd only just started talking to them when she and Sirius started dating.
She heard several girls and some guys giggle as Peter Pettigrew placed a quick peck on Dorcas's cheek. Then he raced back over to his space with the Marauders.
"Fabian, truth or dare?" he asked, looking towards the redhead and his twin sat with their best mate Edgar Bones, who was a Hufflepuff but they usually snuck him into the common room once a month or so.
"Dare," Fabian said, smirking the smirk of someone who thought that they were brave enough to take on the Marauders. "Give me your best shot."
James whispered something in Remus's ear which caused him to blush to the roots of his sandy brown hair. He whispered back and James nodded. Remus shrugged before turning back to Fabian. "Are you sure about this, Fab?"
Fabian nodded confidently. "I'm not afraid of anything that you can throw at me," he said, standing his ground.
"I dare you to spend 7 minutes in that broom closet over there with Edgar Bones," Remus said, watching as Edgar's face flushed and Fabian glared at Remus. "Unless you want to go for the truth, instead that is?"
That's really low, Marlene thought as she watched Fabian and Edgar head towards the broom closet door. Everyone knew that Fabian and Edgar were dating each other. That was no big secret to anyone. Everyone had known it was going to happen since their third year at Hogwarts. But if that was the case, what was the purpose of this dare that seemed hell-bent on embarrassing the two of them. Like the dare Peter had been given was meant to embarrass him.
"What was the point of that?" Marlene asked, folding her arms over her chest and wishing that she'd just gone with her gut and gone up to the dormitories instead. "Everyone knows that they're dating each other. That's nothing new to anyone here."
James pulled out a pair of the newfangled listening devices that Zonkos had just come out with. The ones that allowed you to hear everything going on in another room without even having to enter the room.
"Let's take a listen, shall we?" he asked, smiling deviously. "We might even learn something new about our friends in there."
Marlene wished even more that she'd just gone up the girls' dormitories as soon as the device was placed against the broom closet door. She could hear heavy breathing and the sounds of something hitting the floor.
"Ed," moaned Fabian.
Severus watched as the last of the students finally made their way out of the school library. He knew that most of them would get in trouble for being out of bed at this time of night. Perhaps they weren't smart enough to ask for a note pardoning them for being out this late. He smiled as he watched the note that sat on the table next to his books. Professor Marigold's flourished handwriting clear on the signature line.
"We're going to be closing up soon, Severus," Madame Pince said, standing over him. "Perhaps it's time you gather up your things and head back to your common room."
"I've got a note here saying that I can stay in the library and study for as long as I need," Severus said, holding the note out to Madam Pince. "Professor Marigold is having another one of her surprise tests tomorrow and I don't want to fall behind because I failed."
"Leave it to that one to throw a surprise test and get everyone in a tissy," Madam Pince said, letting out a sigh. "I suppose if you promise to lock up on your way out, I can allow you to stay after hours. Will you?"
Severus nodded his head earnestly. He had to make sure that he knew all the potions that they'd studied thus backward and forward. He didn't want to get a bad grade. Especially not in Potions. Potions besides Defense Against the Dark Arts was one of Severus's favorite classes of all time. It was one of the classes he excelled most at and he wasn't going to allow that record to be tarnished by some teacher with an ax to grind.
"Thank you, Madam Pince," he called after the librarian's retreating form.
The lights dimmed and he was pretty sure that he was being tasked with taking care of them when he finished up for the night. He wasn't opposed to this. It wasn't like this was the first time he'd asked for a note to study overnight. It probably wouldn't be the last time either. Not if Professor Marigold was concerned.
Turning his attention back to his books, Severus would never have thought that his life was going to change in just a few minutes. He would never have even considered it a possibility that something like that could happen to him.
Marlene heard the others in the room wolf-whistle as Edgar and Fabian exited the broom closet. Edgar's face was flushed more than likely from the fact that people were wolf-whistling him and his lover.
As they sat down next to each other, Fabian glared at James. If looks could kill, Marlene was pretty sure that James Potter would be six feet under at the moment. But as it was, he only settled for taking his turn.
"Sirius, truth or dare?" he asked, a glare still present on his face. He knew as well as anyone else that if James Potter was behind it so was Sirius Black.
"Truth," Sirius said, smiling.
Marlene didn't like the look on Fabian's face as Fabian's twin brother Gideon whispered something in his ear. The smirked promised something very unexpected was about to be asked about. Something that could change everything for at least Sirius, if not Marlene too.
"Is true you're only dating McKinnon because your parents will disown you for dating the person you really want to date?" Fabian asked, looking between Sirius and Remus as though he already suspected some other form of relationship was going on between the two boys.
"What?" Sirius asked, trying and failing to not look like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar.
"Sirius," Marlene said, realizing that he wasn't denying the allegations of infidelity on his part.
"It's not true," Sirius said, looking hard at Fabian as though that would make him leave off on the question in general. "Anyone here can tell you it's not true?"
"If I were to give you a drink laced with Veriteserum that's what you'd tell me?" Fabian asked, raising an eyebrow.
"If I'm not allowed to ask two questions then you aren't either," Sirius crowed, putting an end to Fabian's question for now.
"He's right," Mary said, looking between Fabian, Sirius, and Marlene. "If he couldn't ask Remus another question, you certainly can't ask him another question in regards to his answer."
"Alright, Black," Fabian said, settling back into his seat next to his lover. "But this won't be the last you hear on this subject."
"Whatever you say, Fab," Sirius said, turning towards Marlene. "Marlene, truth, or dare?"
Marlene could feel her blood run cold as soon as the sentence had left Sirius's lips. She didn't want to be embarrassed by her boyfriend. But she also didn't want to prove the people who say she should have been a Hufflepuff right. She was just as brave as any of the rest of them in this room. Wasn't she?
"Dare," Marlene said, steeling her nerves for what could potentially come next.
"I dare you to ask Severus Snape out on a date," Sirius said, looking at her expectantly.
"What?"
"You heard me, Mar. I dare you to ask Severus Snape out on a date. Not a study date but an actual honest to goodness date. Like I take you out on."
"Wha…"
"Unless you want to change your mind and take the truth, that is?" Sirius asked, watching her for any sign that wanted to change her mind.
Brush a lock of her long curly blond hair out of her eyes, she stood up from her seat between Dorcas, and Marry. "Where is Severus?" she asked, wanting to just get this over with. How bad could going on one little date with Severus Snape be?
"Last I heard he was in the library," Dorcas said, turning towards Marlene. "He's studying for that test that Professor Marigold set us in Potions."
"Thank you, Dorcas," she said, gathering her bag of books and the note that said she could be out after dark. She'd at least have been that smart to think ahead. She was going to go to the library tonight at one point. "Hopefully, when I return I'll have a date." She winked as she walked away. She couldn't help but feel happy to see Sirius's shocked and angry face as she climbed through the portrait hole.
Severus was just about to start in on one of the more complex potions that their professor had taught them during the fall. That is until he heard a commotion near the front of the library. It sounded like someone had just dropped all their books. Not that that was his problem. It wasn't his problem at all.
If that was me though I would want someone to come and help me pick up my books, He thought.
Closing his book with a sigh, he got up and walked towards where the noise had come from. The minute he saw who it was, he wished that he'd stayed seat and not even bothered. The person in question was Sirius Black's girlfriend, Marlene McKinnon.
The petite blonde girl looked flustered and upset which made Severus feel just a tiny bit uncomfortable. He'd never been really good with comforting the ladies. He couldn't even get his old best friend to accept his apology. How was he supposed to make sure that everything was alright with someone who didn't even like him to begin with?
"Are you going to just stand there and stare at me or are you going to help me gather my books, Severus?" she asked, reaching under a nearby table for a Potions book.
"Sorry," he mumbled, quickly dropping to his kneel and pick up one of the books that were near his feet. "Madam Pince has closed down the library for the night though…."
"I've got a note from Professor Marigold," Marlene said, surprising Severus when she pulled out a note signed by their Professor. "I have to study for this Potions test. I can't afford to fail."
"Okay," Severus said, turning to go back to his own studying. "I'll just leave you to it then."
"Severus," she called, stopping him in his tracks. His heart was hammering as she approached him and held out her hand. "My book."
"Oh," he said, feeling his face heat up a bit. Not that he expected that she wanted his company. He wouldn't be surprised if people were still laughing about the spectacle that James Potter and his little friends had made of him last year. "Here you are." He held out the book to her.
"Thank you," she said, smiling.
"You're welcome," he said, turning once more to go back to his studying. That was all that he was good at. Studying and picking up after other people's messes.
"Severus," she said once more, stopping him in his tracks, "you wouldn't mind if I join you, would you?"
"You want to join me?" he asked, unsure if he'd heard that right. No one had ever asked him to study with them. Unless there was something in it for them which was usually the promise of being able to cheat off his test.
"I do," she said, smiling a smile that brightened up her face. "You are one of the best students in our entire potions class. Who best to help me pass this test then you?"
If Severus was being honest with himself, he could easily admit that Marlene McKinnon was a beautiful girl. Not as pretty as Lily Evans but she was pretty in her own way. Especially with the freckles that danced their way across the bridge of her nose and dusted her cheeks.
They soon found themselves settled at the table that Severus been using for most of the night. They talked and studied and studied and talked. The more Severus got to know Marlene the more he could see that she wasn't like the others. But she seemed to be holding something back. Something that seemed rather upsetting to her.
"Are you alright?" Severus asked, concern coloring his voice.
That had done it. James Potter, Sirius Black, and their friends had made Severus Snape out to seem like a real creep. But the more that Marlene had gotten know about him the more she felt that they were wrong about him.
"I'm not alright," she said, taking a deep breath. "I'm a horrible person."
"Why would you say that?" Severus asked, looking at her in shock. Which was kind of heartbreaking how quickly she'd earned his trust. "You've been nothing but nice to me tonight."
"But that's the thing. This didn't start out as a mission of kindness."
Severus's face looked shocked and hurt and Marlene felt bad for making him feel like that. This wasn't the way that she'd been raised. She'd been raised to be kind to everyone she met and that included Severus Snape.
"What do you mean?"
"I was dared to ask you out on a date."
"Oh, I see."
"But, wait," she said, seeing he was ready to get up and move to another table. "The more I got to know you the more I felt bad about deceiving you as to why I was here. I don't want to hurt you."
"Then why go along with this?" Severus asked.
Marlene thought back to the question that Sirius had tried to talk his way out of answering. About how he was only dating her because he couldn't date the person that he truly wanted to date because he'd be disowned if he did. She had an inkling that she wasn't the only one that Sirius was dating. But she hadn't known until tonight when he'd tried to vehemently deny that he wanted to date Remus Lupin.
"Because we can get back at the person who dared me to do this together," Marlene said, raising her eyebrows at Severus.
"Who dared you to do this?"
"Sirius."
"Do you have a plan?" Severus asked, looking very unsure of himself or this whole arrangement that was being made.
"The Yule Ball," Marlene said, smirking brightly as though the idea had just come to her. "You can ask me to the Yule Ball in front of the whole school at lunchtime tomorrow."
"But how will that be getting back at Sirius?" Severus asked, looking confused as to what she was getting at.
"I will explain tomorrow," she said, smiling. "Just sit with me during Potions tomorrow and after the test, I will explain everything. Alright?"
"Alright," Severus said, not sounding like he believed that it was alright at all.
"Everything is going to work out great," Marlene said, smiling as she packed up her bag. As she headed for the door, she couldn't help but turn around to see Severus watching her confusedly. "Good night, Severus," she called, waving at him. "See you tomorrow."
"Good night, Marlene," he said, confusion coloring his voice. "See you tomorrow."
When she reached the common room, she was greeted by a group of curious eyes that wouldn't stop staring at her. The silence continued for a long time until it was finally broken by Lily walking into the common room behind Marlene.
"What's going on here?" she asked, looking at everyone.
"Nothing," said James, looking like a perfect angel that he had not been that evening. "We were just waiting for Marlene to tell us how her dare went." He turned towards Marlene. "So, how did it go?"
"You'll have to wait until tomorrow," she said, smirking and heading towards the staircase to the girls' dormitories. "Goodnight everyone!"
She smirked as she pictured the shocked looks on everyone's faces after what happened tomorrow after lunch. Perhaps she could even recruit Lily's help to her cause. Dorcas and Mary's too. She and Severus were going to need all the help they could get if they were going to back at Sirius for being a jerk and she knew it. But for now, she had to rest. There was a potions test tomorrow and she really couldn't afford to fail it.
I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of Perfectly Marlene and Severus as much as I enjoyed writing it.