Chapter 3: Heart to Heart
September and October passed without a hitch an soon the Quidditch season was upon them. When James realised he only had one chaser and a seeker to work with he set right about scouting around for extra members and setting a date for trials. There were a couple of decent flyers in second year that looked able enough to multi task whilst in mid-air, there was also Sirius. Sirius had been pining for a spot on the Quidditch team since second year; there was only three spots available then; two chasers and a seeker. James had a slight inkling however that this years obsession with the Gryffindor Quidditch team had something to do with it's Seeker. In fact James took a page out of Sirius' book and tried scouting Lily.
He caught her after potions the Friday before try-outs; "Hey princess, I'm looking for Chasers for the Quidditch team, would you like to try out?"
Lily scoffed; "If brooms and people were meant to fly; they'd have wings."
James smiled his cheeky grin smile; "How about a cheerleader?" That comment however earned him a whack over the head with a heavy potions book and being left to walk to Defence alone.
"You shouldn't taunt her." A voice said.
James turned and saw Marlene running to catch up with him. Her hair still had bits of potion in it from where her cauldron exploded. "What do you suggest I do?" He asked, linking arms and practically dragging her up to the third floor.
"Stop being an arrogant prat for one." She said finally escaping James and walking on her own,
"You know you're the third person to tell me that." James said thoughtfully. "OK I'll bite, any suggestions. What made you say yes to Sirius?"
Marlene re - shouldered her bag and magicked any remaining potion away from her hair. "The fact that in five whole years at Hogwarts he has never once asked me out on a date. He has watched me – albeit creepily, from afar and let his affections known in a more subtler way." Her eyes narrowed and she saw James attempted to transfigure some quills into a bouquet of lilies.
James sheepishly stuffed the lilies - that still had sharp points and a feathery texture into his bag and looked at the necklace Marlene was fiddling with. "So I should buy her a lavishing gift?"
Marlene rolled her eyes; "How about this; for the whole year be nice to her; if you see her in the hallway, say hello to her; none of this 'Lilykins' or 'Flower' just plain Lily. Go to the Library and study; instead of going down on one knee and making a complete fool of yourself. Also don't ask her out for a whole year."
James wore a grin that if stretched from ear to ear. "Playing hard to get. Being someone I'm not. I like."
"No, you're not being someone your not, feel free to play pranks and get into trouble as much as you want, god knows we need entertaining when all the Professors are paranoid that ol' Voldie's going to pop up at any minute." She ignored James raised eyebrows at her name calling of a powerful dark wizard. "And not being arrogant around Lily is the true you. I could go into a whole psycho-analytical report about your behaviour and attention seeking..."
James shifted uncomfortable and sighed in relief as he spotted the classroom and a worried Professor Livingston.
"Come on McKinnon, Potter no time for heart to hearts." He ushered them inside.
"Sorry Professors I blew up my potion again, Potter was helping me clean up."
"Very well, hurry up and take your seats, wands and books out." He turned back to the rest of the class. "Unfortunately we can't get a real life Dementor, and the board of governors and the ministry has declined my request for a trip to Azkaban saying it would scar you all." He scoffed.
Marlene and James hurried to their seats. Marlene sliding into her seat next to Lily heard James whisper as he went past: "We call him Moldie Voldie."
Marlene had to cough loudly to hide her giggles.
"Lily, I've apologised so many times, what more can I do to make it up to you?" Severus begged to be forgiven.
"Look Severus, I'm just not ready to forgive you; what you said really hurt..." Lily trailed off not wanting to speak about it any more.
"I said I was sorry!" Severus exclaimed his anger rising. "I didn't mean to!"
"We've had this conversation before Snape it didn't work then and it won't work now!" Lily turned on her heel and hurried outside.
Severus sighed; This was one heart to heart that didn't go as planned.
"You know James isn't that bad." Remus told Lily on their rounds one Friday evening at the end of October.
"Did he pay you to say that?" Lily rolled her eyes.
Remus just smiled, but faded when he remembered why he had started the conversation; "About tomorrow...." He trailed off tomorrow was the start of the full moon, and for obvious reasons he couldn't do his rounds.
"That's fine." Lily dismissed it with a wave of her had.
Remus relaxed. "You've been hanging around Marlene and her none of her business philosophy."
Lily smiled, "It's a good philosophy. Where as with Potter it's all business is his business."
Remus sighed. "If you gave him a chance."
Lily spun round, "Why is everyone so adamant to get me and Potter together!" She almost shouted before turning and sweeping up the stairs.
"I've actually got some errands to run. I forgot to pack some stuff and left it at home. You're welcome to join me whilst I get them, then we can go where you want. Zonko's or something." Marlene met Sirius at the entrance hall where he was telling Filch their names for the list.
Sirius looked surprised; He had known Marlene lived closed to Hogwarts but he never guessed she live in Hogsmeade.
Marlene smiled as they set off into the cool crisp October air. "Congratulations of making the team." She said; an attempted stab at starting a conversation.
"Thanks." Sirius didn't feel uncomfortable he was just nervous. He'd never dated properly before and he didn't know how to act. He hoped nobody saw him make a fool of himself. He also had to get back to Hogwarts before dark. Which was a feat in its self when the days were drawing to a close much earlier than normal. He voiced his last concern.
"No problem." Marlene smiled, as they came to the end of the main street, past Dervish and Banges and headed up to the mountains where a few cottages were dotted around.
"How do you do that?" Sirius asked. Marlene raised an eyebrow. "Brush of a statement that would have normal people question relentlessly."
Marlene shrugged. "It's really none of my business. When you have an Uncle who works in the Department of Mysteries, you learn to appreciate that other people business aren't meant to be your problem. Here." They had reached a cottage with a large garden. Different tress lined the path up to the front door. "Come on then, I won't be long. I'm sure Elenea has got a pot of tea on. She always seems to know when I'm arriving."
Sure enough as soon as Marlene opened the door, a small bobbing house-elf appeared and curtsied to her mistress.
"Miss Marlene." She squeaked. Bowing furiously.
Marlene laughed. "This is Sirius Black." Elenea squeaked once more and started bowing. "Do I smell scotch pancakes?"
Elenea straightened up. "Yes miss. Come sit down. The kettle has just boiled as well." The house-elf disappeared and they could hear her pottering around in the Kitchen.
"So much more friendlier and happy then Kreacher." Sirius muttered as Marlene led him into a large spacious living room.
The house was deceptive on the outside it looked like a little cottage but the inside was a completely different matter. The living room was indeed spacious. There was a muggle TV and record player- which Sirius recognised from his Muggle Studies text book, in the corner with large armchairs and sofas gathered around, there was a half finished game of chess on the coffee table, the black side was winning but who ever was playing had left in a hurry. On the other side of the room was a dining table and chairs although only two places were set it could fit at least fifteen people round it. A large chandelier hung over head the crystals catching the sun and splaying off ray of light creating multicoloured rainbows on the wall. The was a large set of French windows that opened up onto the breathtaking highland views that Hogsmeade was built on. There looked to be a patio and a small path that led to a conservatory, but Sirius couldn't see as it was hidden behind a piece of the house that looked as though it could have been the kitchen. This room alone was so light and spacious Sirius couldn't stop looking around. James' house was like this only it was bigger and it actually looked like it did on the outside. His house well... he didn't live their any more so it really didn't matter.
He glanced at Marlene who was pouring tea on an another coffee table in the centre of the room. This one was a bit bigger and had three sofas around it all pointing towards a fireplace. She motioned for him to sit down and gestured to the plate of small thick drop scones and biscuits. He sat down and helped himself to a biscuit whilst Marlene excused herself and hurried upstairs. He glanced at the giant fireplace and the pictures that surrounded him. He ignored the whisper of the pictures as they discussed the unknown guest. There were three big crests hung up on the wall above the fire place. The one in the middle he knew was the wizarding one. It had a picture of a rising sun as a back drop in the middle was a wand split in two. The sparks coming out of the wand were yellow, red and gold and blended in with the rising sun. The motto: a-muigh cobhair was woven underneath. He had to admit it was more pleasing then the Black one, but he was confused by what it meant.
"Without Assistance." Marlene said coming back into the room a small handbag over her shoulder. "The broken wand denotes that McKinnons can preform and control wandless magic beyond that of the uncontrollable bursts that mark us as wizards."
Sirius nodded in understanding, he grabbed another biscuit and stood up. "The others?"
"They're muggle ones. The one that has similar colours as Hogwarts (Green, Blue, Yellow and White) is the MacKinnon clan coat of arms. And the Tartans on the other side are also theirs. I don't really know much about them other than it's got something to do with Scottish muggle history." She linked arms with him and headed out into the hall again. "That's us off Elenea." She called into the house once they were at the front door.
Sirius glanced at the paintings lining the stairs they were muttering about him as well. The feeling made him slightly paranoid.
"And you can stop your muttering. Yes he's a Black and he's my guest. So you can quit muttering behind our backs and if you mention this to mother I will burn your portraits and throw you in the shrieking shack." Marlene exclaimed pointing her wand at her ancestors.
Sirius couldn't help smiling at Marlene's threats and followed her out the house. "You have a lovely house." He commented as they started back towards Hogsmeade, he could still see students milling about and knew it wasn't that late, they had only been half an hour tops.
"Thanks, been in our family for ages. Mum hates big towns she won't even go into Inverness without someone with her. We used to live on the Islands but they are very under-represented when it comes to wizarding families and my parents found it hard to get to work. So when my dad's parents gave him the house we moved in." Sirius nodded. "Where do you want to go?" She asked once they walked into the centre of Hogsmeade again.
"What about Madam Puddifoot's?" Sirius suggested as he saw Peter and James head into the Three Broomsticks.
Marlene nodded. "Sounds good."
A/N: Finished this one a little quicker than expected. a-muigh cobhair is actually Scottish Gaelic. And although I actually come from the Highlands of Scotland I don't know enough about the language to understand its rules. If it means something completely different then I do apologise. I also apologise if characters are acting a bit OOC (out of character) and it has occurred to me this is borderline AU. Although I am trying to stay between the books as much as I possibly can.