A/N: Hi everyone! So this is another humongous chapter and to be honest, I'm not entirely happy with it. I probably could've split it in two, but I didn't know how to :( I don't want this to be a long author's note, but I do want to thank everyone for the phenomenal response. I'm used to getting one or two reviews per chapter, but last chapter I got five which might not seem much to many writers, but for me it's a big deal. I've been so busy this week, I haven't had a chance to proof read or send out sneak peeks so I'm going to reply to reviews at the end!

Disclaimer: I don't know anyone/anything that you recognise.

Chapter 9- Encounters

Mrs. Potter had picked a popular day for shopping. It seemed all the students were buzzing after receiving their Hogwarts letters.
"Not to worry girls," Mrs. Potter reassured Marlene and Lily as they (along with the boys) pushed through the crowds, "I've booked a fitting at a dress shop a little out of the way. I knew it would be like this!"
"Won't we go to Madam Malkins?" Lily whispered to Marlene.
"Aunt Loretta has good taste, Lils. She knows what she's doing. Besides, Malkins will be heaving today."
"Now boys, at 11.30 I'm going to have to leave you to your own devices while I take the girls to their dress fittings. We'll meet you at one for lunch, outside the Leaky Couldron, understand?"
"Yes, mum," Sirius and James chorused.
"And I don't want to hear of you getting up to any mischief either!"
"But-"
"Sirius," Mrs. Potter looked at him sternly.
"Fiiiiinee," Sirius sighed.
Despite their early start, it was already ten, which meant Marlene and Lily only had an hour and a half left before their dress fittings. Lily was nervous. Unlike Marlene, who grew up in a prestigious family where attending balls was common, she had never been to an event where she was required to wear a fancy dress. She had rather hoped that the first day she would wear a big dress was her wedding. Alas, that was not the case.
"I don't know about you lot, but I need some new quills," James announced, "Anyone coming?"
Marlene nodded, "I need some too."
"Well, I don't think Lily Flower enjoys my company much so I guess we're both coming too," Sirius said, throwing an arm around Marlene's shoulder.
"Off, Black," Marlene gritted her teeth.
"Now, now, children, play nice," Mrs. Potter scolded, teasingly, "Sirius, leave the poor girl alone. If you're going to buy some quills, I'm going to go and draw some galleons out of the bank. Can I trust you all to behave yourselves?"
"Mum, you're acting like we're little kids," James rolled his eyes.
"No, she's acting like you have the maturity of little kids. There's a difference," Marlene teased.
"I'll take that as a yes," Mrs. Potter sighed before muttering, "Merlin give me strength!" And turning to walk back in the direction of Gringotts.
"You love us Mrs. P!" Sirius yelled after her. The foursome made their way to Flourish and Blotts, after being captivated by the display in Quality Quidditch Supplies.
"Merlin's beard, it's real!" James gasped, as he Sirius and Marlene waded through the crowds of people with faces pressed up against the window of the store. Marlene was dragging Lily behind her.
"The Nimbus 1500!" A man was standing in the doorway, his voice magically magnified, "The latest and must have broom for all Quidditch players. At only 1000 galleons, Quality Quidditch Supplies is offering the best price-worldwide!
"With a handle made of polished oak, and twigs made of birch, it's by far the nimblest and fastest broom out there. According to 'Quidditch Mad' magazine, it's yet another successful broom produced by the famous Nimbus Racing Broom Company. A must have for any serious Quidditch player. Already it's been snapped up by both the Bulgarian and French teams…" The man went on.
"The team needs these if we want to win this year," James stared longingly at the broom.
"Are you kidding James?" Marlene looked incredulous, "There's no way you could afford to get everyone kitted out with one of these. Of course if you got me one I wouldn't be complaining…"
"It's beautiful," Sirius moaned, "That woman smashed my broom."
"Woman?" Marlene and Lily looked confused.
"His mother," James whispered.
"It's just a broom…" Lily said. All three of her companions gasped.
"What do you see in this girl, Prongs?" Sirius shook his head.
Marlene looked at her best friend, "Lily. This. Is. Not. Just. A. Broom. This is the broom of the century. The must have broom."
"But new brooms come out every year!" Lily argued.
"Not Nimbus brooms," James stroked the window, almost as if he could feel the broom through the glass, "Nimbus brooms are incredibly well thought out and take years to design and process. The next one won't be out for ten years at least."
"I don't understand this Quidditch infatuation you three have. Doesn't flying scare you?"
"Flying is the best feeling in the world!" Marlene, Sirius and James all replied at the same time.
"Prongs, I swear, if she ever agrees to date you, you also have to force her onto a broom. This is ridiculous. Insane. Crazy. Mental. Preposter-"
"We get the picture Black," Marlene interrupted.
"I'm adding that to my list of 'Reasons Not To Date James Potter'," Lily stated.
"Hey! That's unfair. Why-" James stopped, "Wait, you have a list?"
Lily blushed, "I made it in fifth year, okay? I was young!"
"She still adds to it sometimes," Marlene giggled, "Every time you do something stupid, out comes the list."
"So that's why you run up to the girls' dormitories every time we fight? I always thought it was so I couldn't follow you! You have a damn list. The odds are against me."
"The list is so long now, it would take her days to even find the first reason," Marlene said, sympathetically.
"That's not true!"
"So it's short?" James asked, hopefully.
"That's not true either," Lily snapped, "Don't look at me like that!"
"Like what?" James was confused.
"Like I'm a terrible person!"
"I wasn't!"
"You're infuriating."
"You love me."
"I don't."
"I told you that wouldn't work Padfoot!"
"Sorry. It works on the bimbos," Sirius looked sheepish.
"Those girls have feelings you know!" Marlene rounded on Sirius.
"And they're off again…" Lily and James sighed.
"You two aren't any better!" Marlene huffed.
"Move out of the way if all you're going to do is argue!" An angry looking man barged past them.
"He's right. Unfortunately, we're not buying this broom today, so let's move on," James sighed.
Lily lead the way, "A surprisingly sensible decision, Potter."
"Oh we're back to Potter now?"
"Yes."
"I need some quills."
"Me too!" Marlene chipped in.
"We were never away from Potter!" Lily suddenly clicked.
"You sooo were," Marlene teased.
When the four acquaintances(as Lily referred to them) emerged from Flourish and Blotts, arms laden with school supplies, it was already 11 o clock, due to the business of the stationery store. Marlene and Lily were about to split from the boys to meet with Mrs. Potter when a snooty drawl halted them from going any further.
"Hanging out with blood traitors and mudbloods now, brother?" Regulus Black was standing a few metres away, with Severus Snape and another Slytherin whose name Marlene didn't know, "I must admit I'm disappointed."
"Can't find any friends your own age, Reg?" Sirius retorted, "Hanging out with the big kids, hoping they'll protect you from your written fate? You could've been a good guy."
"What, like you, you mean?" Regulus spat, "A blood traitor. Disowned from his family, with no money to his name. I'll pass."
Sirius shrugged, "Can't say I didn't warn you."
"I must admit, I'm surprised to see you with that particular mud blood," Regulus was persistent, "She normally stays well away from you and your little pal." Lily could see James' hand grab his wand from inside his pocket, and point it at the younger student.
"Do. Not. Speak. About. Lily. Like. That." James gritted his teeth.
"Don't waste your breath, James-" Sirius muttered.
"Another pure blood who could've done great things," Regulus sighed.
"I would hardly call murdering innocent people a 'great thing'!" Marlene interrupted the exchange.
"Another of Sirius' girls? McKinnon isn't it? Beautiful girl. Quite the catch, brother, I'm impressed. It's a shame your family are also blood traitors."
"I am not another of Sirius' girls," Marlene spat, "You disgust me. You and your parents and anyone else who supports Voldemort. You're all disgusting."
"Not as disgusting as some of the muggle borns which walk this earth!" Regulus shot a pointed look at Lily. James raised his wand, and looked on the edge of hexing something when Lily grabbed his arm.
"Potter, don't do it…" She pleaded, "Please. He's not worth it." James glanced at her for a moment, and seeing the tears in her eyes, he lowered his wand.
"Let's go," he nodded, swiftly. They all strolled past the Slytherins calmly, until Sirius stopped by his brother. Drawing back his fist, he punched him hard in the face.
"That's for talking about my friends like you just did. You condemned yourself to this life, Regulus, and now you have to live with it. Remember that when-on your death bed-you regret every bad choice you made. No-one comes out of this war alive."
"Are you okay?" Marlene whispered, dropping back to fall in step with Sirius who'd been slightly behind the others.
"A good snog would make me feel better," Sirius admitted, his grey eyes twinkling.
"You're fine," Marlene stated.
Sirius nodded, "Not fine really, just used to it. Don't tell anyone but I don't believe for a minute Reg's heart is in this whole death eater thing. He could've been like me. But I think he just wanted an easy life with mum and dad."
"It's not going to be an easy life in any other way, right?" Marlene sighed.
"'Fraid not," Sirius shrugged, "He'll just have to deal with the repercussions when they catch up with him."
"You don't want to see that?" Marlene questioned.
"Not for a second," Sirius sighed, "He's still my little brother."
"You have your faults Black, but you're not a bad guy," Marlene said, after a while.
"Do I get that snog now?"
"Keep dreaming."
"There you are! I wondered where you'd got to!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed, as the four teenagers approached the dress shop. Madame Belle. How cliché.
"Boys, I thought I told you not to come?" Mrs. Potter glanced over her son and surrogate son wearily.
"There was some trouble with the Slytherins back at Flourish and Blotts mum," James explained, "We didn't want to send the girls on their own. If they're around, Merlin knows where their parents are."
"We tried to explain we could look after ourselves," Marlene rolled her eyes, "But James here wasn't having any of it."
"I'm proud of you, boys," Mrs. Potter smiled warmly, "That was noble of you, even though you're now going to have to wait through boring dress fittings."
"Oh, I'm sure we can find some ways to amuse ourselves," Sirius wiggled his eyebrows.
"Shush you, or I'll ask if I can floo you back!" Mrs. Potter teased as she opened the door to the store.
"Mrs. Potter, so lovely to see you again!" A lady in her early twenties greeted Mrs. Potter enthusiastically. She was pretty, Marlene noted. Petite, and blonde with sparkling blue eyes. Marlene wondered if she was part veela.
"I've told you to call me Loretta, Isabelle!"
"Of course! Silly me, I keep forgetting. These are the girls here for their fittings, yes?" Isabelle smiled at Marlene and Lily.
"That's right," Mrs. Potter. Isabelle looked at James and Sirius thoughtfully.
"I'm afraid we don't have any dresses in stock to fit you two handsome men."
"That's quite alright," Sirius bowed low to kiss Isabelle's hand, "Sirius."
"These are my sons," Mrs. Potter batted Sirius around the head playfully, "Sirius and James. Sirius is quite the charmer at times. We couldn't seem to shake them."
"That's fine," Isabelle laughed, "They can wait out here while mama and I sort out the girls." Marlene couldn't help but notice the way Isabelle was eyeing James, and she stifled back a laugh as James kept on trying to get Lily's attention.
"If you'd like to come through," Isabelle gestured to a back room, "I'll be fitting Marlene's dress today."
"Ooh Loretta, it eez so nice to see you again! I 'ope you are well?"
"Marie! Thank you for fitting us in at so short notice!" Mrs. Potter hugged a plump woman, with a prominent French accent. She, like her daughter, had crystalline blue eyes and long blonde hair. However, her hair was tinted with grey, hinting that she was perhaps in her early fifties. The veela charm definitely came from her side of the family.
"It eez no problem. I will always remember 'ow you were so 'ospitable to me and my 'usband when we came to Eengland. I owe you. These are the two girls, oui?"
"That's right," Mrs. Potter nodded, "This is Marlene, my goddaughter, and this is Lily, her friend."
"You were right, they are both very beautiful. I shall be fitting your dress today, lovely Lily." Lily nodded, nervously at the older woman's exuberance.
"It'll be fine," Marlene mouthed, as she went into a different room with Isabelle. She was instructed to stand on a stool, in only a white silk slip and lift her arms up into the air.
"So, which one of those boys is your boyfriend then?" Isabelle queried as she took Marlene's measurement.
"Neither."
"I saw the way James was looking at your friend."
"I saw the way you were looking at James. How old are you?"
"Twenty-one."
"You didn't go to Hogwarts?"
"Beauxbatons."
"Well James Potter and Sirius Black are Hogwarts' resident players."
"Sirius Black? Is he not also a Potter? I thought Mrs. Potter said they were both her sons."
"Sirius is James' best friend. He is Mr and Mrs. Potter's honorary son."
"Black. That's a dark pure blooded family name, isn't it?"
"Yes," Marlene said, bluntly. She didn't think it was her place to delve into Sirius' private life with a complete stranger.
"I've known Mrs. Potter for a while now," Isabelle informed Marlene, selecting a dress from an extensive collection, "When my mama and papa moved to England twenty years ago, her and Mr. Potter helped them settle and learn English. She's only ever come in for a few dresses since, hence why I didn't know about her sons. I guess not having a daughter has meant she doesn't go dress shopping much. With a few alterations, I'm sure this dress would be perfect. Put it on." Isabelle thrust a sheet of silk at Marlene, who hastily got dressed into it with help from the older girl.
The first thing that Marlene noticed was Mrs. Potter had evidently informed Isabelle of her colour preference. It was a strapless Gryffindor red ball gown style dress, with a full caught-up skirt with small silk roses accenting the drop waist ruffles. Along the bodice there was dazzling asymmetrical diamond beading scattered like stars over a bright red sky. The back tied like a corset, which Isabelle tightened as she adapted the measurements of the dress to fit Marlene perfectly.
"Do you like it?" Isabelle asked, as Marlene looked in the mirror.
"I love it," Marlene nodded, with a smile. She wasn't generally a long gown ball kind of girl, as she usually opted for things which showed off her long legs and curves, but this ball gown showed just the right amount of flesh without being too revealing or racy. It was a lot less stuffy and old fashioned than the gowns her mother usually purchased from Twilfitt and Tattings which she'd only ever worn to humour her mother.
"Great!" Isabelle looked genuinely pleased, "Slip out of it then, and I'll get it all boxed up. You can go join your friends outside, while I do that."
"Thank you," Marlene changed back into her denim shorts and cream silk blouse before hopping off of the stool and heading out to join Mrs. Potter, Sirius and James in the front of the shop.
"You were quick," said James, glancing towards the other room where Marie had taken Lily.
"It's Lily's first dress fitting, James," Marlene rolled her eyes with a smirk, "It always takes a while to find what colours and shades suit you on your first time."
"What's the bet that you've gone for a red dress then McKinnon?" Sirius grinned.
"Pretty high, I'd say," James agreed, seeming a little more at ease.
"Well you'll just have to wait and see, won't you boys?" Marlene smiled, teasingly, "Oh look, here comes Lily."
Within ten more minutes, Lily and Marlene were leaving Madam Belle, bags in hand, their earlier encounter with the Slytherins (more importantly, Regulus Black) long forgotten.

Thanks to:

Annie: Thank you for your review and answering my question! I hope you don't mind that Marlene is a brunette in this story :)xo

itsMrsBlack: Wow! Thank you for your review. The long ones are always so rewarding :) I couldn't really fit in much fluff for this chapter but I hope you enjoyed it anyway! I'm glad you liked the story of Mr and Mrs. Potter. I totally agree with your point about the movies killing a lot of the characters' images that I'd built up. The one that annoyed me most though was the child actor who played Lily Evans. Even if she had blue eyes, at least she would've matched Daniel Radcliffe. The brown eyes totally killed it for me. xx

MissMarauder98: Thanks for your review! It really made me smile and I'm glad you like the way I've captured the characters. I hope you enjoyed the confrontation between Marlene and co and the Slytherins. xx

apoorvam77: I ALWAYS love reading your reviews. You're always so lovely! Thank you for giving me such a detailed answer as to what hair colour you think Marlene should have. You really made me consider her as a blonde even though I've always pictured her as a brunette! I do agree with the point about the first fanfiction you read made her hair colour stick. The first time I read a Blackinnon fanfiction the Marlene had brown hair so I can relate to that.:)xx

CanonCannoon: Your support is truly overwhelming. You review almost instantly and you're just such a lovely person. I had a great holiday thanks ;) I'm glad you enjoyed the Lily/James content last chapter and James and Scarlett's deal. Thanks for telling me what you imagined Marlene would look like! I always imagined her with a fair complexion and bright green eyes. xo