Chapter 1:
The Hogwarts express was finally in the open air of the countryside. To Marlene it tasted like freedom, and felt as life should feel. Her, three friends, two brothers, hot boys and a year at the best school in the country. What could be better?
She sighed and rested her head against her best friend Lily's shoulder, closing her eyes and dozing off to the gentle rocking of the train.
"I wouldn't get to comfortable if I was you, mac." Marlene rolled her eyes behind closed lids.
" And why would that be potter?" she used his last name even though he always called her by her nickname: mac. It wasn't anything to do with there relationship; she just liked how it sounded traditional.
"I must steal dear Lily from you" Lily scoffed at that "so that we can chair the prefects meeting as the heads this year"
"What?" Marlene was jerked up as Lily sat bolt upright.
'Oh crap' she thought 'I forgot to tell her.'
Marlene being James Potters next-door neighbour had been the first to know that he had been chosen as head boy. Also as Lily Evans best friend she had been the first to know that Lily was to be head girl. Somehow in her amusement at the situation of her two friends she had forgotten to tell Lily whom she would be sharing the mantle with.
James looked at Marlene in surprise. He had obviously expected her to tell Lily.
"Oh, well, I am head boy and you are head girl, so what usually happens is…"
"I know what happens" Lily sighed. "You know I was just starting to like you potter!"
"Me to, but about you"
The girls around laughed with James. It was funny because although Lily was only just warming up to James, he had been infatuated with her since the age of 11. He didn't even try to keep it a secret.
Lily just rolled her eyes. "I mean seriously though, why did Dumbledore put you as head boy?"
"Maybe he thought that my good looks were what the school needed, or maybe he thought my charm would be put to good use this way." His voice had been mocking his posture dramatic and self-promoting but he dropped all that now. "I honestly don't know Lily." He sighed, looking at her with pleading eyes "maybe he truly thought I've grown up?"
Lily just looked at him. The eye contact was so sweet and tragic that all the girls in the compartment would never even tease her about it.
James got up and turned around, "well come on then, cant expect people to wait all day" they left the compartment, him holding the door for her.
Just before he left though he turned to the three remaining girls. With a wink and a cocky smile, because after all he is James potter he remarks with the air of someone with very exciting news "oh yea, I'd be on watch if I was you, Sirius said he might be popping round" with that he left to do what good guys do.
The reaction was varied. Marlene rolled her eyes and smiled, Alice groaned jokingly and Sofia sat up brightly.
Marlene was fond of Black, but strictly as a friend. A hot friend who had many girls that she disapproved of. Not because she was jealous, but because he was better than that. He was always charming but he wasn't so reckless before he left his family. Blood is blood and it's not an easy sacrifice to make, but he decided that doing the right thing was more important. That is strength of will, and noble righteousness in one fragile boy. Though he doesn't seem it to others, living next to him the whole summer Marlene knew that inside there was a piece of his heart that shattered when he left and shattered every time he saw his family.
"Mac?" gosh, she had not been daydreaming about Sirius Black!
"Yea?"
"Did you hear anything I said?" Sophia took her turn at the eye roll.
"Umm, not really"
"Well, I was just saying…" she started but Alice broke in with a little smirk.
"Sophia here was just saying its obvious you have the hot's for Black so you should just admit it and get the god dam boy, and if you didn't soon she would!"
"What the hell? I said nothing like that!"
"You did in so many words darling" oh didn't Marlene love Alice, so to the point and amusing for it.
" Ok. So first of all, I don't have the hot's for Black and second: you go for it girl. Don't let me stop you. I could be true love, god knows that boy needs it."
"Who needs what? Well apart from a little adventure, and a hot girl every once in a while."
The girls burst into laughter. Oh he's so predictable and oblivious that Sirius Black.
"Oh what else is there to need?" Marlene replied sarcastically, setting of another round of laughter making Sirius look uncomfortable- an even funnier sight.
When finally they stopped laughing (even though it wasn't that funny they were on a high as it was their first day back!) Marlene took pity on Sirius, who must be getting tired of holding up the wall with his slouch and told him to sit down.
Sophia moved up making space, with a questioning look at Marlene. She got a subtle nod as a reply.
To hell with it, thought Marlene, Sophia would be good for him. Or so she tried to tell herself.