"Sirius Black!"
Sirius flashed a grin at Marlene before clambering up on stage. Marlene watched him shake Professor McGonagall's hand with a faraway expression on her face. Ever since graduation had started, she'd been overcome with a growing sense of nostalgia, and it only worsened as time went on. Right now, it was something she could ignore, choosing to instead pay attention to how handsome and uncharacteristically strait-laced her boyfriend looked.
"Lily Evans!" Lily looked beautiful. It was so strange to imagine a world where their interactions would be completely divorced from school life. Of course, their friendship was far more significant than the usual bond between classmates, but they'd spent so much time together at Hogwarts. It was almost surreal to think that she wouldn't wake up to Lily's (bloody annoying) alarm clock and have to fight for her right to use the bathroom first, or that she wouldn't spend her evenings doing last minute homework and trying to bribe Lily into letting her use her notes.
"Marlene McKinnon!" Oh my goodness. This was it - this was the last time she'd ever hear her name called in this hall, the last time she'd ever walk up these steps. Notthe last time she'd ever see Professor Dumbledore, but certainly the last time she'd refer to him in such a manner. The feeling got worse and she felt her stomach tighten. She managed a watery smile as she shook his hand and tried to grin as she looked at her classmates. The Great Hall was so empty with only seventh years occupying the space. She walked back down the steps to the dais and took her seat, trying not to cry.
"James Potter!" Oh god, she couldn't do this.
o-O-o
Where the hell was Marlene? She wasn't in her assigned seat, nor next to Lily or Mary or…with a shock, Sirius realised that she wasn't in the Great Hall at all.
"Prongs." He said urgently to the boy next to him (damn alphabetical seating).
"Hm?"
"I think Marlene's left." A few seconds passed before James responded.
"Alright, go, I'll create a diversion."
"Thanks mate."
Sirius never got to stay long enough to find out precisely what the diversion was, although he wished he had. From the snippets that he heard before he slipped away, it involved James grabbing Lily and making a huge show about the Head Girl and Head Boy's speech to the whole year regardless of the fact that it wasn't part of the ceremony. But that wasn't important now - where was Marlene. He only had to ponder the question for a few seconds before he realised what the obvious answer was.
o-O-o
"Hey." Marlene glanced up at him, as he sat down next to her in the middle of the Quidditch pitch. "I didn't get the note about the ceremony being moved here." She didn't smile. "Hey." He said in a softer tone, putting an arm around her gently. "What's wrong?"
"Graduation." She said in a soft voice. "This - us - the war. Everything." Sirius pulled her into him, kissing the top of her head. She relaxed slightly.
"Are you sad about leaving?"
"Most the time, when people graduate, there are tears. Patterns are broken, choices are made, and it usually means letting go of a lot of things. But it's also supposed to be exciting and invigorating. We're meant to look out at the world and see all of these amazing possibilities, not…not the war. I spent my childhood here - I've made more memories at Hogwarts than anywhere else. It's home. And now it isn't. This past week, all I've thought about is my lasts. My last exam, my last set of results, my last lesson, my last quidditch match, my last night in the Gryffindor dormitories, the last time I'm packing my trunk, the last time I speak in the Great Hall-" Her voice cracked. "It's stupid, so stupid, but it hurts Sirius, and I just…I have nothing to look forward to."
"That isn't true 'Lene." She looked up at him. "Look, this war is terrible, and we both know that. And we're going to fight in it because that's all we can do to help end it, but that isn't all we're going to do. Hogwarts was…everything to me, it was the first time in my life that I actually felt comfortable living somewhere and I'm blooming upset to let it go as well. But it isn't like we're going straight from here to a battlefield. There'll be other things too - like…us living in our own flat. And staying out late without the threat of curfew. And being able to order firewhisky without lying about our age. And…" Marlene let out a giggle.
"And not have Lily walking in on us all the time."
"And going to James and Lily's wedding."
"And apparating wherever we want."
"See?" Sirius asked, cupping her face gently. "It's so much more than the war 'Lene. It's freedom and independence and finally finally being allowed to actually help this messed-up situation. Isn't that worth being happy about?" Marlene nodded silently.
"I love you." She whispered.
"I love you too." He said, kissing her lips softly.