A day off had never felt as amazing as it did now: you could allow yourself an extra half hour to laze about in a warm bed without worrying about being late for the Auror headquarters. Yet Sirius Black, who had a strong aversion to early rising, somehow managed to wake up anyway. Marlene, lying beside him, was still dozing, curled up cozily under the blanket. Her blonde hair was amusingly splayed across the pillow in all directions, and her lips twitched in her sleep — as if she were having some important argument with someone. Sirius smirked, carefully brushing a strand of unruly curls from her nose.
Trying not to wake Marlene, he carefully got out of bed, took a shower, and slowly made his way to the kitchen. There, he brewed coffee: black for himself, and with milk and a pinch of cinnamon for her. Only after this familiar ritual did Sirius allow himself to sink into thoughts about something that had been brewing in his mind for a long time but had never quite come to fruition due to various circumstances.
The promise he had made to Marlene over a year ago during a dangerous raid had taken firm root in Sirius's memory. It had surfaced particularly vividly a couple of months ago. Evening had come, they had returned home, and, wrapped in a blanket, they lay on the roof, counting stars barely visible through the thick London smog. Sirius had firmly declared then that one day he would take McKinnon to a special place. And she, it seemed, had hardly paid it any mind — for her, it was far more important that they had both returned safe and sound, alive, despite all the dangers.
And now, when the war had given them at least a short respite for a day, Sirius realized: the time had come to keep his word, not wait for a more opportune moment. He decided to take Marlene to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, about which they had learned in Muggle Studies at Hogwarts, and which their classmate Mary MacDonald had visited numerous times. He and Marlene were also about to go to a place where Muggles precisely measured time and space, where the sky revealed itself in all its infinity, and stars ceased to be merely twinkling lights in the heights, becoming part of the great history of the Universe. There, one could touch the mysteries of the cosmos, learn how constellations move, and feel like a tiny particle of something incredibly vast. Sirius smirked at his thoughts, vividly imagining Marlene's reaction. She would probably joke about it, recalling that Black preferred to spend his leisure time in less scientific places. Although McKinnon, despite her curious nature, also couldn't be called someone who couldn't live without museums.
"Why are you smiling like that?" came a sleepy voice, followed by approaching footsteps.
Marlene stood in the doorway, wearing his old t-shirt that reached mid-thigh. Her tousled hair framed her face like a lion's mane, and her blue eyes were sleepy, but even now she looked damn attractive. She leaned her shoulder slightly against the doorframe, as if still fighting the urge to return to the warm bed, and yawned.
"Oh, Sleeping Beauty is awake," Sirius smirked, warmly taking in her homey look.
He couldn't help but notice how well all his t-shirts suited her. Marlene looked incredibly hot in them and made him want to smother her with cuddles. Or better yet — scoop her up in his arms, lay her down on the bed, pin her beneath him, and make love to her.
"Did you make coffee?" Marlene took a few steps closer, moving with her characteristic dancing gait. "I can smell the beans. It's so… magical."
"Of course I made it," Sirius replied, handing her a mug. "And, by the way, good morning, McKinnon. You look as lovely as ever today."
"I haven't even brushed my teeth yet," Marlene snorted, but she took the mug anyway and took a sip, closing her eyes in pleasure. "You're spoiling me."
"It's a basic necessity," Sirius winked. "If I don't fuel you with caffeine in the morning, who knows what you might do in that state, darling."
"Well, thanks," Marlene frowned for show, then looked at him thoughtfully, drumming her fingers on the table, "Although… you're right. Without coffee, I really can be dangerous."
Marlene took a couple more sips and headed to the table to make sandwiches. Her fingers paused for a moment over the cutting board — she suddenly realized how rarely such mornings, belonging only to them, came around. Her gaze involuntarily drifted to the window: the first rays of sunlight were breaking through the morning mist, painting the rooftops pink, like raspberry ice cream. The city below was still asleep, wrapped in a haze.
"By the way," Marlene turned around, wiggling her eyebrows, "what are we doing today? A date snuggling with pillows?"
"Sounds tempting," Sirius walked up to her and hugged her from behind, pressing his cheek to her shoulder. His hands immediately closed around her waist, and Marlene felt the warmth of his palms through the thin fabric of the t-shirt. "But for starters… let's take a walk in Greenwich."
Marlene froze, processing what she'd heard. Memories flashed in her mind: an evening on the roof, stars barely visible in the gray London sky, and his promise — to take her to a special place. And before that, during one of the raids, Black had mentioned the observatory. The corners of her lips twitched into a smile.
"In Greenwich?" she repeated, turning to face him. "Are you serious? That's… that place?"
"Yes," Sirius nodded, trying to maintain his composure. "A little cultural program to break up the dull routine."
At those words, Marlene smirked, handing him a sandwich, which they then shared, periodically getting distracted by passionate kisses and teasing touches.
An hour later, Sirius and Marlene were ready. They strolled leisurely through Greenwich Park, and McKinnon even managed to run away from him a few times, but Black thwarted all her attempts. Marlene would scrunch her nose amusingly, and the next minute, she'd be dragging him towards an ice cream stall. The ice cream wasn't as tasty as Florean Fortescue's, but they enjoyed continuing to fool around while eating it.
Sunday morning turned out to be remarkably clear: the sky was flawlessly blue, without a single cloud, and the sun shone so brightly that Marlene had to take sunglasses out of her bag for herself and also for Sirius. In them, she looked like a movie star from old retro films, like the ones they used to watch when they were staying at Lily Evans's house. Sirius adjusted the glasses on his nose amusingly, pretending to be a serious researcher, and Marlene couldn't help but laugh.
"So, Professor Black, where shall we go?" she asked with a smile, coquettishly taking his arm.
"We'll decide as we go, Miss McKinnon," Sirius declared, putting his arm around her shoulders, then added, "And our route will depend on your behavior, by the way."
"No, that's not fair," Marlene objected, "I have a whim that you absolutely must fulfill!" she quickly led him towards a photo booth, and Sirius followed her.
They managed to take several memorable photos once they figured out how the thing worked. Not that it was very complicated, they just hadn't had a photo shoot like this in a long time. The pictures turned out quite varied: in some, Sirius and Marlene were frankly messing around, while in others, they were being tender. As a result, McKinnon had to wipe traces of red lipstick from Black's neck with a tissue, while he constantly managed to get in her way, either kissing her on the lips again or playing with the ends of her blonde hair — though he quickly stopped when she playfully cuffed him on the back of the head.
The Royal Observatory Greenwich stood before them. It was an old building with red brick walls and a massive copper dome that gleamed in the sunlight. A flag fluttered in the wind, as if greeting visitors, and a group of schoolchildren in matching caps darted about at the entrance, chatting animatedly and pointing at a map. But Marlene noticed no one and nothing but this place.
"By the way, Black," she said. "I've always wanted to come here. Ever since in Muggle Studies they told us about the Prime Meridian and that this is where the measurement of time across the whole world begins…"
"I know," Sirius interrupted her, quickly kissing her temple. "That's why I brought you here, Marls."
They headed to the ticket booth, stood in a short queue, and bought their tickets. Finally, they went inside. The observatory was not what Sirius had imagined. He had thought it would be very strict and scientific — rows of instruments, 'do not touch' signs, dimmed lighting, and an atmosphere reminiscent of a laboratory. But here it was cozy in its own way, and a sense of anticipation arose the moment you stepped over the threshold.
Warm light streamed through the tall windows, highlighting the reddish hue of the wooden panels on the walls. The halls were spacious, and instruments rested under glass domes: sextants, astrolabes, enormous telescopes with darkened brass details. Marlene stopped in front of a model of the celestial sphere, studying it.
"Look," Marlene pointed to a thin line encircling the globe. "Here it is. The Prime Meridian."
"Yep, divides our world in half," Sirius nodded, reading the information on a nearby plaque.
Sirius and Marlene followed their route and ended up at Flamsteed House, where the first Astronomer Royal had once lived and worked — a figure also well-known in the wizarding world. Just at that moment, the tour guide began to explain the features of this place.
"Imagine," he said, "it was here that Flamsteed spent his nights observing the stars, compiling his catalogs… Thousands of stars, mapped by hand!"
Sirius smiled, looking at Marlene. She was listening to the story with interest, twirling a strand of unruly hair around her finger.
"Do you want to go inside?" he asked. "They say his study is preserved there."
"Of course," she replied enthusiastically.
Inside, Flamsteed House resembled a labyrinth due to its narrow corridors and small rooms. In the center was the famous Octagon Room with high windows, designed by architect Christopher Wren. Marlene walked slowly through the center of the room, her head tilted back, gazing at the vaulted ceiling. Sirius stayed close to her, also looking around, listening to the tour guide with half an ear.
"It's amazing that he considered this place unsuitable for observations," Marlene remarked. "It's so light and spacious!"
"That's not the main thing for scientists," Sirius shrugged. "Flamsteed conducted his actual observations in a shed in the courtyard."
From Flamsteed House, they emerged directly into the Meridian Courtyard, immediately struck by the wide strip of light-colored stone stretching before them. Tourists crowded around, forming a queue to have their photo taken with one foot in the Eastern Hemisphere and the other in the Western.
"They're dividing the world in half," Sirius joked, looking at the crowd.
Marlene smiled, and when Sirius put his arm around her shoulders, an amateur photographer from a nearby group offered to take a picture of the two of them together. Sirius and Marlene didn't object, only later realizing that their joint photo would remain with a stranger, as they hadn't even thought to ask for his contact information. It didn't bother them much, though.
The next stop was the astronomy center — the Peter Harrison Planetarium. Inside, Sirius and Marlene found a hall with a domed ceiling. When the lights went out, a starry sky, filmed from space, spread out above them. The narrator's voice and mesmerizing visual effects transported them into the depths of the Universe: they witnessed the birth of stars and the flight of comets.
"That's… incredible," Marlene said when the lights came back on. "As if we just flew around the entire galaxy!"
"Yes, Muggles know how to surprise," Sirius agreed. "They don't have magic, but technological progress doesn't stand still."
Eventually, Sirius and Marlene ended their cultural program at the Great Equatorial Telescope — a huge 28-inch refractor installed under a characteristic onion-shaped dome. Sirius and Marlene saw massive brass details, dark eyepiece lenses, and a complex system of gears. The guide was just telling a group of visitors how this telescope had been used to study star systems.
"It's so ancient," Sirius said thoughtfully, "and it still works."
Marlene pressed against him, looking at the instrument's impressive size.
"Like a time machine…" Marlene said, "connecting the ages."
Sirius and Marlene returned home only in the evening, after stopping at a small restaurant on a neighboring street for lunch. Not wanting to go straight to the apartment, they climbed up to the roof. London from this bird's-eye view sparkled with the lights of the streetlamps, and the sky grew darker. Soon, they would probably be able to make out the rare stars. Sirius and Marlene settled onto an old blanket they had prudently kept up here, knowing their habit of hanging out on the roof from time to time. For a while, they sat in silence, enjoying the evening coolness and resting from such a long and eventful walk.
"You know," Marlene said, when the sun had completely set, "today I was thinking that our life is like an orbit. We revolve around something big, not always understandable, and sometimes it seems like we're moving away, but actually we're just following our trajectory. And if we're lucky, our orbits intersect. And we don't just fly past, but stay close. We attract each other, like stars."
"Are you being serious right now, McKinnon?" Sirius smirked, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Did you just compare our relationship to an orbit?"
"So what? It's a beautiful metaphor," Marlene protested, poking him in the shoulder. "I was trying to be original, you know! Imagining us circling around each other. Almost like the Earth and the Moon!"
"Don't be offended, baby," Sirius put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "It just sounds a bit… scientific. I was expecting something more romantic."
"Keep being such a cynic, and you'll see how well I can hold a grudge," Marlene threatened, barely suppressing a laugh. "And then your orbit will be disrupted, and you'll fly off into outer space."
"Is that a threat or a promise?" Sirius smirked, pulling back slightly to look at her face.
"Both," Marlene said with feigned seriousness.
"Ooh, a dangerous woman," Sirius laughed, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head.
Marlene settled comfortably on his chest and looked up. The sky over London seemed flawless tonight, and the first stars were twinkling. Marlene stretched out her hand, as if trying to catch one of the luminaries, but Sirius deftly intercepted her palm, pressing it to his heart.
"You are my most insufferable orbit, McKinnon," Sirius smirked, and Marlene had no choice but to embrace him, simultaneously kissing him passionately on the lips.
