A/N: I wrote this one outside not too long after the first day of fall. Aside from the lack of autumn colors (which is disappointing), the day was exactly as I described here. The idea for this was borne from something that I have sometimes wondered: How did Sirius react to James and Lily at first? I mean, he and James were best friends, and all of a sudden, this girl comes along and becomes a part of the group. I'm not so sure he would've been totally okay with it at first. He probably would've acted like everything was alright, but I think he would've been conflicted about it and maybe just a bit jealous of Lily. Anyway, enjoy!

Harry Potter Halloween Collection Prompt: (dialogue) "You gave me such a fright! I thought you were a ghost!"

Love and Friendship

Marlene pulled her cloak tightly around her as she started the trek up the hill overlooking Hogsmeade. It was a blustery autumn day, sunny and cool. She breathed deeply, inhaling the earthy scent of fallen leaves. Looking up, she took in the vibrant yellows, bright oranges, and deep reds of the leaves still on the trees, the colors of autumn standing out against the blue sky. She couldn't envision a more perfect day.

"Where are you going?" The voice startled her. She'd been so lost in admiring the scenery that she hadn't heard anyone coming up behind her. She whirled around, coming face to face with Sirius.

"Sirius!" Marlene shrieked, slapping him on the shoulder. "You gave me such a fright! I thought you were a ghost!" She tried to breathe normally and calm her pounding heart.

"Ow." Sirius grimaced and rubbed at his shoulder. "Remind never to surprise you like that again. Why would you think I was a ghost, anyway?"

"The Shrieking Shack isn't that far. Everyone knows it's haunted," Marlene said, her tone indicating that this should be obvious.

"Oh. Right." Sirius shrugged. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. I just saw you heading up here and thought I'd join you. If you don't mind, that is," he added quickly.

Marlene was a little surprised that he wanted to spend time with her. While they were on friendly terms now more than they had been in previous years, they still didn't really talk all that much, and they certainly never spent time alone together. Despite that, Marlene didn't see a problem with him joining her. "Sure. If you really want to walk with me, I don't mind."

They started up the hill again side by side in silence. Normally, Marlene would think it was a bit odd to be with someone and not talking, but this felt right. It was nice to not have to fill the silence with small talk. The hill was rather steep and got a bit rocky about halfway up. Despite having made this climb several times in her years at Hogwarts, she usually ended up having to focus entirely on keeping her footing; conversation would only make that more difficult.

Marlene did slip once, automatically putting her hands in front of her to catch herself, but she never felt cool, sharp rock on her skin. Sirius's hand was warm in hers as he caught her and helped her regain her footing. "Careful," he cautioned her. "It's a bit treacherous here." He released her and, to her surprise, Marlene actually found that she wished he hadn't. They continued on, Marlene contemplating her strange reaction to him.

When they reached the top of the hill, they sat side by side and looked down at the village, the streets filled with Hogwarts students exploring the shops and sights of Hogsmeade. Once again, they didn't speak, instead taking in the view. Even though she'd seen it many times, Marlene still loved it.

"I'm curious about something." Marlene broke the companionable silence between them.

"What's that?" Sirius asked distractedly, his gaze fixed on the village.

"Why aren't you with James?" Marlene asked. "You two are usually inseparable." For some reason, this hadn't occurred to her until now.

Sirius didn't answer right away, or even look at her. She began to wonder if he was going to answer at all when he finally said, "If I tell you something, will you promise not to laugh at me?"

Marlene was taken aback. She didn't think she'd ever seen him so serious before. He was usually laughing or smiling, seemingly always happy. "Of course," she promised. "What is it?"

"It's just that – Lily and James have been spending so much time together lately. Their relationship is getting quite serious. I never thought she'd give him a chance, but – " He drew his knees up close to his chest, resting his chin on them and wrapping his arms around his legs. "I guess I'm a bit jealous of her, you know? Not that he's neglecting me or anything, but we aren't spending as much time together as we used to, and it's just not the same with her around. Even today, the three of us came here together and I had to separate myself from them, even though I came expressly to spend some time with him. I just felt like the odd man out." He finally lifted his head and looked over at her. She was surprised to see tears glistening in his eyes. "Am I a bad friend for feeling that way?"

Marlene wasn't sure how to respond at first. She'd never even imagined that Sirius Black would confide in her or ask her advice. She considered her words carefully before answering. "I think it's natural for you to feel that way. You've been so close to James for so many years, and now someone new is coming in and changing everything. Friendships change, Sirius. Nothing stays the same forever. It doesn't mean you can't still be close friends with him, it just means that you have to accept the fact that Lily is a big part of his life now."

"I've been trying to accept that," he said dejectedly, looking down at the ground between them and picking at the grass. "It's just not easy. It's not that I don't like Lily, I do. She's a nice girl. I just – I miss how things used to be, that's all."

"Have you talked to him about this? Maybe you should," she suggested when he shook his head. "If he has no idea that you're feeling this way, how can you two keep your friendship as genuine as possible? I've always thought there were no secrets between best friends. It might be difficult to talk about with him, but I'm sure he'll be glad you were honest with him." She took his hand without knowing why. Perhaps, she thought, she just wanted to reassure him, although it was also possible she wanted to feel his warmth again. "You have Remus and Peter too, you know. You might not be as close to them, but they're still your friends. And you can make other friends as well."

Sirius stared at their joined hands for a moment. She couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling, but when he looked back up at her, a small smile brightened his face. "Maybe I already have made a new friend," he said. "Thanks, Marlene. I think I will talk to James later."

They stayed there on the hill, holding hands, until it was time to head back up to the castle. They walked back together, going their separate ways when they reached the common room. Marlene smiled as she saw Sirius approach James. No matter how things turned out between the two friends, Marlene had the feeling that she would be seeing a lot more of Sirius. She found that she rather looked forward to it.