Sirius was standing in the orangery, where they'd kissed the second time that night. Hempy, bless her soul, had brought him the largest cup of coffee he'd ever seen, and the hangover tonic he'd taken was starting to kick in. The guests had either all left the night before, or earlier that morning - the only other people remaining in the house were James and Remus.

"Pads," James said, and Sirius turned to see him, still standing in his pyjamas.

"What?"

"Look," James sighed, "about last night."

"Which bit?" Sirius muttered. "The bit where you made me kiss the girl I'm mad for, head-over-heels for, in front of everyone, or the bit where you took Lily's side over your best friend's?"

"Pads," James said, "I didn't-"

"Yes, you did!" Sirius exclaimed. "You called me out when I had every right to be pissed with her."

James sighed.

"Lily was just trying-"

"Don't get me started on Evans," Sirius said, shaking his head.

"Don't be rude," James said angrily.

"I told her something in confidence, James, and she broke that trust. Even worse, she told you, my best friend, my brother, and you didn't tell me you knew!"

Before James could reply, Remus walked into the room. Unlike James, he was dressed, and held a tray of fresh coffee. He handed the mugs round, and Sirius was grateful for the heat of the mug as he wrapped his hands round it.

"You two duking it out, then?" Remus as he settled onto a sofa.

"Padfoot is still being a dick about Marlene and last night."

"She left, James! She literally left this morning because of what happened."

"That's not my fault! Or Lily's!"

"You're a pair of hypocrites," Sirius muttered, and Remus frowned.

"I get why you're mad, Padfoot, and I think you're right, by the way. But-"

"Tell him," Sirius said simply, looking at James and gesturing towards Remus.

James ran a hand through his messy hair, knowing full well what the look on Sirius' face meant. He knows.

"Tell him," Sirius repeated, more firmly this time.

"Lily and I…" James began, and Remus' eyes narrowed.

"Lily and you what, James?" he asked cooly, and took a sip of his coffee.

James sighed, and crossed his arms defensively.

"We've been… seeing each other."

"What?!" Remus asked, coughing from where he'd inhaled his drink. "You knew about this?" he directed his gaze at Sirius.

"No, actually, I worked it out last night. At least, I worked out that something had happened between the two of them. A few weeks back, Evans and I ran into each other. She guessed about Marlene, and I'd worked out about her liking James, and we talked. Only reason Prongs would ask me to kiss the girl I wanted to date would be if Lily had told him."

"Still doesn't explain how you knew about me and her, though?" James said obstinately.

"Good guess, and then Evans was shifty as fuck."

"This is a hot mess, and you're both as bad as each other," Remus said, holding up both hands and settling further back on the couch.

"Well, sorry," James said hotly, "you're in no place to judge, Moony, when I have it on good authority that you were seen kissing Emmeline last night, and you didn't tell any of us."

There was a moment of pause. Sirius looked from James to Remus and then back again, in no doubt that his anger had caused his face to flush just like theirs.

"Ok, yeah," Remus said finally, resting his cup of coffee on the table. "Clearly we all need to be more honest with each other."

"Yeah," Sirius sighed, and slumped into a rattan armchair. One of the magical plants on the stand behind him stretched out a leaf and brushed the side of his face, and he swatted it away.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," James said, sitting opposite him. He rested his elbows on his knees and looked at his best friend apologetically. "Lily told me because she wanted to help, and I guess I got caught up in the idea of setting the two of you up."

"I presume that's when she fessed up that she doesn't think you're a slimy git, and instead wants to jump your bones?"

"Actually," James laughed, "that's not when she told me. After she came to find me in Dumbledore's office, I guess I decided it was time to throw caution to the wind, so I kissed her… and, well," he grinned, "she kissed me back. She only told me about your little suggestion afterwards."

"Well, that's snakey on her part," Sirius acknowledged, "but I guess that isn't your fault."

"No, but it still wasn't cool. And, I'm sorry, Pads," James said.

"It's ok," Sirius responded after a second. "You owe me a shit tonne of beer, but it's ok."

"Noted," James grinned back at him. "Are you going to speak to Lily? She had to go early this morning because her aunt is coming over, but I know she's stressing about this."

"I'll send her an owl, later," Sirius said, "and tell her she's a shit, but things are fine. I might find it within myself to tell her I'm happy for you guys, too."

The other two laughed, and Sirius caught James' eye. Too hard to be angry with him for long, he mused.

"Now, Casanova," James said, looking at Remus, "how was your night?"

"Eh, it wasn't great. Actually, was awkward as fuck, I have to say," Remus admitted, "cus it turns out she's been seeing someone, and they broke up. She cried when she was telling me, and I didn't know what to do, and then she just… kissed me."

Sirius winced.

"Pulling a rebound on you? Not cool."

"Very not cool," James confirmed.

"Very not-happening-again," Remus added.

"When did our lives get like this?" Sirius asked, scrunching up his face. "Prongs has managed to bag the girl of his dreams and didn't tell anyone, I've done God-only-knows-what to my friendship and potential for a relationship with McKinnon, and you, Moony, have turned down Emmeline Vance." He shook his head. "Not a great look when Wormtail is the most functional of the lot of us."

"Actually," James said, "after you and Marlene left, he spewed all over the carpet in the library."

"That's disgusting."

"Well then," Remus said, "I suppose we've all hit rock bottom. Only up from here, right?"

"Don't jinx it," Sirius replied darkly.

A fortnight later, after they had been back at Hogwarts for a week, Lily sought out her best friend in the library. January at the castle was always bitterly cold - the snow had been feet deep upon their arrival, and stepping off the Hogwarts Express had been such a shock to the system that it had taken their breath away. Although she was itching for the trip to Hogsmeade that weekend, just to get out of the castle, Lily was already dreading the temperature of the walk down there. She was hopeful that Sirius being in Madam Rosmerta's good graces might mean she'd save them a table near the fire, where they could drink lashings of Rosmerta's hot cider and play cards together for hours.

Lily had told her friends about James, finally. Marlene had rolled her eyes, barely able to conceal her grin, before thumping her.

"You should have told us!"

"What?" Lily replied sarcastically. "Like you wouldn't have ripped the shit out of me for falling for James Potter."

"No! Well, yes," Marlene had admitted, "but then I'd have been thrilled that my girl is gettin' it on!"

Typical Marlene, Lily thought. She rounded the bookshelves, careful to look for Madam Pince in case she spotted the drinks Lily was carrying, and headed to the back of the library. It was Marlene's favourite spot to study, a table in the corner at the rear of the library, where she could sit with her back to the fireplace, looking out the window over the grounds, and with her feet resting on the hot water pipe that ran around the base of the wall. Sure enough, Lily saw the wheaten hair in the distance, and made her way over.

"Hey, Marls," Lily said smiling, pushing a mug of cocoa over the table.

"Ooh, you absolute angel, Lily Evans," Marlene replied, wrapping her hands round the steaming drink. "I've been thinking about sneaking down to the kitchens for hours, anything to get away from this Charms essay."

"You should ask Sirius," Lily said casually, "he's great at Charms."

Marlene fixed her with a look.

"Stop it," she said, and took a sip.

"What?! He is excellent at Charms! And, while you're there, maybe you and him could sort your shit out?"

"We're fine, Lily!" Marlene said, overly brightly. "What's done is done, and it's not like we're fighting or anything."

"I mean, yeah, it's not as awful as when you were fighting, but the two of you are barely looking at each other, and can't stand be alone together. Watching you sit next to each other in Transfiguration is actively painful, Marls."

Marlene sighed.

"Honestly, it's fine. Really, there's nothing-"

"You guys want to be together," Lily said firmly, "and this is silly. Sirius is avoiding it because he thinks you don't want him, and you… well, I'm not actually sure why you're avoiding it."

"Because he's a slut, Lily," Marlene said knowingly, "and leopards don't change their spots."

"That's not fair, Marls."

"You sure? Amelia Bones, Aoife, Bella Abbott, Hester Fawley, Lucy Swiller - and they're the ones left at Hogwarts, let alone all the ones who have left school. He can't keep it in his pants."

"I think you underestimate him, you know," Lily said gently, "and I think you underestimate yourself."

Now, where have I heard that before? Marlene mused, taking another sip of the cocoa, and trying to place the phrase.

"Anyway," she said briskly, "please for the love of God, help me with this Charms essay."

"You'll help me with my Transfiguration one?" Lily asked, accepting the parchment Marlene offered.

"Deal."

The Saturday morning was, thankfully, freezing but dry. The snow on the ground was still thick, but it was a joy to leave the castle without being caught up in another flurry. The eight of them - the four Marauders, plus Lily, Dorcas, Mary and Marlene - were joined by Frank Longbottom and Alice Collins, as they walked down to the village. Lily and James led the pack, holding hands and laughing at something together. What a difference a few months makes, Sirius thought, remembering that early trip to Hogsmeade where the two of them had been blind to the other's feelings. It had gone round the school pretty quickly that James Potter and Lily Evans were dating; Hogwarts was nothing if not reliable when it came to gossip spreading. Of course, it had been aided by the fact that Lily and James had walked into the first breakfast of term holding hands, and James had spent the meal with his arm snaked round her waist. But, even Sirius had to admit, they made an adorable couple.

"Disgustingly cute, aren't they?" Remus said from beside him, as they turned up the main street in Hogsmeade.

"Utterly foul," Sirius replied with a grin, "but very sweet."

"Only taken them our entire education to get there."

"Do you think it was a test for us, really?" Sirius asked. "Like, I don't know, we're all better people because we had to put up with Prongs moping over Evans for six years. Are we more patient? I certainly feel more patient."

Remus laughed.

"You've never been patient in your whole life, Padfoot," he chuckled.

"Rude."

The group arrived at the Three Broomsticks, pushing open the door to find it packed with people - both locals and students alike - sheltering from the bitterness outside. Sirius loved the smell of the place - it smelled like firewood, and whiskey, and the sweet aroma of cloves. The group approached the bar, and Sirius squeezed to the front beside an animated Dedalus Diggle.

"Sirius Black!" Rosmerta called from behind the bar.

"Darling Rosmerta, you look a treat. New hair?" Sirius returned, leaving his arms on the worn oak bar.

"Ach, you're still a horrid flirt," Rosmerta tutted, but with a smile. "I got your message - table over there reserved for you, as you asked." She pointed towards the biggest table in the pub, right by the fire.

"You're an angel," Sirius grinned, as the others made their way to the table, grateful to take their thick cloaks off.

"What'll you be having, Mr Black?" Rosmerta continued.

"I think we'll start with a round of hot ciders - that'll be eight, please - and some firewhiskeys."

"Coming up," she replied, and directed her wand to a great urn in the corner, which began to pour out steaming mugs of cider.

"Busy today then?" Sirius asked, offering payment for the drinks.

"Saw your little brother earlier," Rosmerta mentioned casually as she counted out the coins Sirius had handed her.

"Oh, right?" He tried to play it off as equally casual.

"Nasty friends, he's got."

"They're beastly, aren't they?"

"You speak to him much at school?" Rosmerta handed him his change.

"No, not at all, if either of us can help it," Sirius sighed.

"Good," Rosmerta said. She reached across the bar and patted Sirius' arm. "You stick with those friends you've got, Sirius, they'll see you right. Good kids, all of them."

"Yeah," he smiled, glancing over at the group's table, "they're not bad, are they?"

"I see young James Potter's finally managed to nab the girl," she smiled, as the two of them watched James put an arm round Lily and kiss her sweetly on the cheek.

"About bloody time," Sirius laughed.

"No young lady sparking your fires, then?" Rosmerta asked, passing the tray of drinks to Sirius.

"Working on it," he winked.

Rosmerta laughed.

"You would be, Sirius Black. Now, get on with you - I've got customers to serve."

It was midnight, and Marlene couldn't sleep. The afternoon in Hogsmeade had been wonderful, really, and she'd enjoyed the chat in the common room afterwards. Everyone else seemed to have fallen asleep immediately, leaving her staring at the canopy above her bed and stewing in the darkness. After tossing and turning for what felt like hours, she pulled the curtains back from around the bed, and looked out into the dorm. Lily had forgotten to close her curtains, and was sprawled across the bed, her stuffed giraffe, Raphael, tucked under her arm. Marlene smirked slightly. Bless her.

She rose quietly, careful not to wake the others, and threw on a pair of jeans, a sweater and some shoes. She didn't really know where she was going - the library, maybe, or just to wander around the corridors for a while. Marlene knew the house elves pretty well - she'd snuck into the kitchens with Lily and the Marauders enough times - so maybe she'd end up there. Better than lying in bed awake for hours, wherever she ended up. Throwing a cautionary look over her shoulder to check her friends were still asleep, she descended to the common room.

Slipping out of the portrait hole, her feet instinctively found themselves heading towards the Astronomy Tower. Maybe it was because she knew Sirius went there when he was stressed, or angry, or in need of a bit of space. Maybe it was because the space seemed to be full of him, even when he wasn't there, and she just wanted to sit in it for a while. Maybe it was because she hoped he was there now, and she could just do it, just unburden herself of it all and confess how she felt.

Arriving at the tower, she climbed the circular stone staircase slowly, lost in her thoughts. She felt the familiar burn in her thighs as she reached the top - it really was a hell of a way up - before she realised what she could hear. Voices. Voices coming from within the upper room of the tower.

"That's good advice, you know."

Marlene knew that voice anywhere. Rough and low, consonants clipped and vowels elongated, money and status rounding out the syllables. Sirius.But, who was he with? She moved slowly to the archway that gave entrance to the tower, and peered inside.

Sirius was leaning against the stone wall, one of the soles of his loafers resting against it. He was mussing his already-haphazard curls, stress on his face. Across the room, Amelia Bones sat cross-legged on the stone bench - that same stone bench they'd sat on and made up. Marlene gasped, almost instinctively, and the pair's eyes shot towards the door.

"Marlene?" Sirius said, frowning. Marlene felt a frisson in her stomach - he hadn't called her Marlene since that night.

"W-what are you doing here?" she replied, almost accusatory.

"What are you doing here?" he said back.

"I'm going to go…" Amelia said awkwardly. "See you around, Sirius."

"Yeah, see you," Sirius replied, not taking his eyes off Marlene. Amelia gave the girl an uncomfortable smile, and hurried out the room.

"Seriously?" Marlene said.

"What does that mean?" Sirius said harshly.

"Amelia Bones again?"

"What? We were talking, McKinnon, nothing more." There it was. McKinnon again.

"Sure!" Marlene scoffed.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Sirius growled.

"What?!"

"Why do you always think the worst of me?"

"Because you've never given me reason to think otherwise?"

"Seriously?" Sirius barked out a harsh laugh. "I literally confessed the fact that I can't stop thinking about you at New Year, and you bounced before we could talk about it."

"Because I know you, and I know you were just saying things to get me to sleep with you!" Even I'm not convinced of that argument, she realised.

"I literally stopped us having sex, for God's sake!" Sirius cried. "What more evidence do you want that it was not, in fact, getting in your pants that was on my mind?!"

"Well, you seem to have moved on pretty quickly," Marlene said, gesturing her hand toward the door where Amelia had left in such a hurry.

"I was asking her for advice. About you," he added.

"What, advice about how to get me into bed like you did with her?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Marlene regretted them. The look of hurt on Sirius' face was all too evident. Just tell him, she thought bitterly, just do it.

"For your information," Sirius said, barely steadying his voice, "I never slept with Amelia."

"Wait, what?"

"I never slept with her," Sirius repeated. "Messed about in a few empty classrooms, sure, but never sex. She's a good listener, actually," he finished lamely.

"Why were you talking to her about me, then?"

"Because I'm mad for you!" Sirius burst out. "Absolutely crazy, head-over-heels, nuts, barmy, bananas, crackers! Have been for months now. Can't stop thinking about you, actually, whether it's in class, or at Quidditch, or in bed at night."

"What?" she said quietly.

"More than that, in fact," Sirius finished, the weight of the words heavy between them, "I'm pretty certain I've fallen in love with you."

She didn't know what to say. The colour had drained from her face, her head swimming.

"You… you what? Me?"

"I love you, simple as that. If you could see yourself, Marlene, through my eyes, you'd understand," Sirius continued, running a hand over his face. "You said you wanted me, I don't understand why you keep pushing me away like this."

"I can't tell you," she said instinctively, without thought. What the fuck, why did you say that, Marlene?

"Why not?!" Sirius' voice was rising now, and there were patches of red appearing on his neck.

"You wouldn't understand!"

"Try me!" Sirius said breathlessly, pushing himself off the wall. "Just… try me."

The way he looked at her, expectation in his eyes, and the way the room seemed to be a vacuum of air, it was all too much. Before Marlene could stop them, the words came tumbling out, gaining momentum.

"Because I love you! I've always loved you!"

Silence.

Fuck, she thought. She'd said it. She couldn't believe she'd actually said it. That secret she'd been carrying around with her for years.

Sirius took a step towards her, his face pale and unreadable.

"Say that again," he whispered.

"I…"

"Marlene," he said, his voice strained, "say it to me again."

Well, she thought, I'm up shit creek now.

"I… I love you," she whispered.

Before she knew it, he had her pressed against the wall, the rough cut of the stone digging into her back. He was kissing her, and she felt like crying and laughing all at once; she'd told him, and he wasn't laughing her out of the room, mocking her for the fact that the impervious Marlene McKinnon actually felt something.

"How long?" Sirius asked, holding her face in his hands, scanning her face like he wanted to take in every inch of it and commit it to memory for eternity.

"Always," Marlene shrugged, avoiding his eye. "Ever since we were kids. Just… always."

"You fool," Sirius said softly, tilting her head so that she couldn't avoid looking straight into those dark irises. "You should have told me."

"No," she said, shaking her head, "I couldn't."

"Why not?" he asked softly.

"You know why."

The girls. He'd always been a ladies' man, always caught the eye of older Gryffindors who snuck into the common room with him late at night. Sirius always had someone on the go, his friends always said. He closed his eyes, filled with uncharacteristic regret.

"Who else knows?" he asked finally.

"That I've been in love with you since I was eleven? Oh, absolutely everyone," she quipped sarcastically.

"You're doing it again," Sirius murmured into her ear, after kissing her temple, "stop pushing me away."

"Honestly?" she muttered finally. "The only person who really knows everything is Gideon."

"Prewett?" Sirius frowned, stopping his ministrations.

"Yeah… after you kissed me in the common room, we talked, and… he realised."

She thought back to that morning, after Sirius had kissed her in the common room at the Quidditch after party. She'd woken stupidly early, probably from the stress of it all, and lain in bed until she could take it no longer. She had dressed, and snuck up to Gideon's dormitory. Careful not to wake the other boys, she had shaken him awake. Eyes meeting, he knew what they had to talk about, and had met her in the common room five minutes later. Sitting on the sofas by the newly made fire, they'd talked.

"It's him, isn't it?" Gideon asked, simply.

"W-what?" Marlene stuttered.

"Black."

"What?"

"C'mon, Marls," he said, smiling with a sigh, "don't lie to me. I think I've always known your heart's been for someone else - why else would we have played the games we have?"

"I never meant to hurt you…" Marlene whispered, and Gideon looked at her, knowingly.

"I know that. Because I think I've been doing the same thing."

"Who?" Marlene asked softly.

"Dorcas," Gideon said. "Taken me a while to realise it, sure."

"You'd be good for her, you know that?"

"Perhaps," Gideon shrugged. "But I also know what I want to do after Hogwarts, and I'm pretty certain any relationship won't be a priority. My sister - you know Molly, right? - is already involved, and I know the strain her and her husband have to deal with."

"And you were going to tell me this when?" Marlene teased.

"You're the only one who'd put up with it, I think," Gideon joked back. "But, it's not me you want, is it?"

"How did you know?"

"Last night…" Gideon trailed off. "When you were kissing him, there was this look on your face, and suddenly it all made sense. You just… well, you looked a way I've never got you to look."

"I've loved him since we were kids," Marlene said quietly. "God, it's so stupid! Sirius Black doesn't do love and he certainly doesn't do commitment."

"Don't underestimate him," Gideon replied, "but, more importantly, don't underestimate yourself. You're a phenomenal young woman, Marlene, and I think you could change the heart of even the most hardened of bachelors."

"You're not going to say anything, are you?"

"No," Gideon said, shaking his head, "I won't. I'll keep your secret as long as you need, I promise."

"You're a good egg, Gideon," Marlene said, smiling sadly. "I wish things were different."

"Do you know something? I don't think I do, and I don't think you do, either. We've had fun, McKinnon."

He stood up, brushing off his dressing gown with the air of a man who had just done the right thing. Marlene looked up at him fondly.

"Yeah," she said softly, "we have."