At Hogwarts, rumors spread faster than owls. All it took was a glance, a brush of hands, or a gesture that lingered just a little too long for the hallways to fill with whispers. And when it came to Sirius Black and Marlene McKinnon, the murmur turned into a roar.
It all started with a simple detail: someone saw them leaving the library together. Sirius, with his carefree stride and that smile that seemed to mock the world, walked beside Marlene, who was carrying a book under her arm and had her head tilted slightly toward him. There was nothing explicit, nothing to confirm anything. But at Hogwarts, the implied was enough to ignite the spark.
โDid you see them?โ Mary asked Dorcas as they settled into the Gryffindor common room. โOf course I saw them. And itโs not the first time.โ
The news spread like wildfire through the Forbidden Forest. In the Great Hall, whispers mingled with the clinking of cutlery. In the hallways, students turned to watch them. And every gesture was interpreted as proof: the way Sirius leaned in to whisper in her ear, the way Marlene smiled with a different kind of sparkle, the fact that he was waiting for her after Potions class.
The rumors grew, were distorted, and multiplied. Some claimed theyโd seen them kissing in the astronomy tower. Others swore that Sirius had given her an enchanted necklace. There were even those who made up a story that Marlene had written her initial on Siriusโs arm with magic ink.
Sirius, of course, found it all amusing. Every time someone asked him directly, he responded with a smug smile and an ambiguous remark. โMarlene?โ heโd say, raising an eyebrow. โSo what if it were true?โ
That brazen tone only added fuel to the fire. The students repeated it, exaggerated it, and turned it into fact. And Marlene, though she tried to stay calm, couldnโt help but blush when she heard her name mentioned alongside Siriusโs in the hallways.
One afternoon, as they were leaving Charms class, Marlene confronted him. โDo you realize what theyโre saying?โ Sirius smiled, as if it were all a game. โOf course I do. So what?โ โItโs not true.โ โOh, really?โ he asked, moving a little closer, that mischievous sparkle in his eyes. โWhat if it were?โ
Marlene stared at him, trying to keep a straight face. But there was something about himโthat mix of arrogance and hidden sincerityโthat disarmed her. โI donโt care what they say,โ she replied at last, her voice firm. โWhat matters to me is what we do.โ
Sirius laughed softly, delighted. โThen letโs prove them right.โ
The rumor became reality that night, when they were seen leaving together for the lake. No one knew exactly what happened, but by the next day, the story was already embellished with made-up details: that Sirius had touched her hand, that Marlene had laughed too loudly, that theyโd stayed up until dawn looking at the stars.
The whispers became inevitable. In the common room, students gathered in groups to discuss it. In the hallways, eyes strayed toward them. And although Marlene tried to ignore it, there was something about the way Sirius looked at her that made it all worth it.
โDoes it bother you?โ he asked her one afternoon, as they sat together on the grass. โA little,โ she admitted. โI donโt like it when people make things up.โ โThen letโs give them something real to talk about.โ
And thatโs what they did. Not with grand gestures, not with public declarations, but with small details that became impossible to hide. The way Sirius searched for her with his eyes in the middle of a crowd. The way Marlene leaned toward him when they spoke. The touch of their hands as she passed him a scroll.
The gossip turned into certainty. And although some criticized them, others celebrated it. There were those who said Marlene was too serious for Sirius, and those who insisted that he needed someone just like her to balance out his chaos.
One night, in the common room, James approached Sirius with a mocking smile. โSo itโs true.โ Sirius raised an eyebrow. โWhatโs true?โ โThat you and Marleneโฆโ Sirius cut him off with a burst of laughter. โLet them talk, Prongs. Let them say whatever they want.โ
Marlene, from her armchair, looked at him with a mixture of annoyance and tenderness. She knew he enjoyed the game, the mystery, the attention. But she also knew that, behind all that, there was something real. Something that needed neither rumors nor confirmation.
The gossip continued, inevitably. But for them, it became a backdrop. A constant soundtrack accompanying their steps, their encounters, their shared smiles. And even though the whole of Hogwarts seemed obsessed with their story, the only thing that mattered was what happened when they were together, far from prying eyes.
Because in the end, people could come up with a thousand different versions, but the truth was simple: Marlene and Sirius were dating. And thatโwhether it was whispered or shoutedโwas the only thing that really mattered.
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