#blackinnon week

Headcanon: Marlene loves Sirius' leather jackets

@blackinnonapp

Story Update! FFN and AO3

This one is my take on a prompt from @blackinnonweek =)

Penumbra

Sirius stumbled down the stairs of Grimmauld Place, disappointed to find again that this wasn't a bad dream, this was his life.

"I thought I was the clumsy one in the family," a voice sounded behind him.

"Ah, Dora, you're here early," Sirius moved past her towards the kitchen and she followed along behind him. Merlin, she'd gotten tall.

Just a bit taller than-

No. No, he was not going there. It wasn't even nine in the morning.

"I'm here late." She corrected him as he waved down a mug. "Remus and I got back an hour or so ago."

"And he didn't stick around, I'm wounded." Sirius diffused the actual sting with humor. He shouldn't have been hurt that his friend had skipped home after a long night mission. Remus had his own problems.

"Sorry, that's probably my fault," Dora sat down at the table and waved a mug to her.

"You scare him off?" Sirius joked again, only to turn and see his cousin looking dejectedly down at her empty cuppa.

Oh.

Sirius filled both their cups and sat down across from her.

"He's a good bloke."

"It's- it's not-"

"He turned you down?" Sirius interrupted her.

"I didn't even make a real go at it and he immediately shut himself up and left at the first chance of escape."

Sirius rubbed at the pain in his head from the shadows of his past that wouldn't leave him alone.

"Remus just needs some time, I'll point out he's being an idiot."

"No!" Dora knocked some of her tea from her mug. "It's bad enough he doesn't feel that way about me."

Sirius rolled his eyes, "You let me be the judge of that."

Dora looked like she might protest, but stopped herself to sip her tea.

"Did he have someone before the first war too?"

"Too?" Sirius looked at her over the rim of his mug trying to push back the face that was haunting him.

"You did, Mum told me."

Course Andy had said something. She'd gone on and on to him about how when he and Marlene finally stopped fighting a war and settled down they'd be sent Dora for a week. Now Dora was sitting across from him with relationship troubles. Sirius slowly shook his head, Merlin, his life had gone pear-shaped.

"Remus didn't have anyone like that."

Dora nodded and it went quiet between them as Sirius tried desperately to push away the shadows.

"What was Marlene like?"

Sirius bristled, gripping his mug in a death grip.

Dora reached out and put a hand on his. "Mum talked about her every now and again."

Sirius scoffed, "And what did she say?"

"Just that she was with you, and that she was killed." Dora didn't meet his eye and he was sure that there was more. Probably what Andy had told him to his face when Marlene was killed, that him dying wouldn't bring her back. That he had to get a grip.

Sirius leant back in his chair and closed his eyes, giving in to the shadows, giving in to seeing her face tattooed on the back of his eyelids.

"Marlene was everything," he rubbed at the tension that was building in his neck. "And I was too late."

"Do you regret it? Regret getting close to someone when you knew you or they could die? When she did?"

Sirius opened his eyes and moved slowly, intentionally, keeping his emotions in an iron grip as he leant forward over the table, holding on to his mug like it was a lifeline.

"My only regret is not being there with her."

Dora held his gaze and he saw something settle in her resolve. "Thanks, Sirius."

It went quiet again and after a few moments, Emmeline walked in, pushing their conversation on to other things.

But the shadows now had a better hold, a surer grip on his sanity, and Sirius resigned himself to the reality that Marlene would not stay hidden in the depth of his past. She'd never been one to sit quietly in the background anyway. And he'd never been able to ignore her, never really wanted to.

Wednesday: “Late Nights” Marlene and Sirius stay up at potter manor after James goes to bed.

Word Count: 1110, Can also be read on AO3 @inthemiddle2

Sirius wasn’t planning on doing this tonight. He had this whole plan that involved, roses, champagne, Lily. Oh Merlin, Lily is going to pissed that she missed out on this. They had just finished packing up Potter Manor. Fleamont went about 3 months ago and Euphmia last week. James was devasted and so was Sirius but he also understood. He saw it that Euphmia she couldn’t be here without Monty. And he got that.

James had just gone to bed. It was already midnight and while they had finished packing for the day, the trio stayed up having some firewhiskey and reminiscing on all the past summers spent here. Now it was just him and Marlene sitting around the kitchen island.

Marlene and Sirius had been ‘just friends’ for a while. ‘Just friends’ who like to spend a lot of nights together. ‘Just friends’ who sneak into each others beds and ‘just friends’ who even sneak away from the rest of the group to snog while everyone else is sleeping. Sometimes their friends would catch them cuddled up and they would always say they were ‘just friends.’ They were not sure if their friends believed them, but they had no reason not to. No one had ever seen them kissing, they never spoke about it, and occasionally they even went out with others. Because even when it was just the two of them they told one another that they were ‘just friends.’

It was Marlene who would see others mostly. If she got asked out, she would say yes, sometimes going on a few dates with one person before breaking it off and claiming they just were not interesting. How could they be compared to the one and only Sirius Black? Sirius did not date much since things evolved between him and Marlene. He had one date with a girl that he didn’t even finish. But he was busy between his friends, the full moons, living with James and his night time shenanigans with Marlene. It didn’t bother him when Marlene went out with others, they never claimed to be exclusive. But even more importantly, he was pretty sure that she would always come back to him.

However, the last two weeks of summer vacation, he did not hear from her. When he saw her at Platform 9 3/4, he strutted confidently over and reached around her shoulder to say hi. To his shock, she took a step away from him and another boy beside her narrowed his eyes, “What’re you doing mate?” He asked Sirius.

“I was just trying to say hi to my friend. Who are you?”

“You can do that without your hands,” he said, his own arm wrapping around Marlene protectively. “It’s Sanderson.” His hand extended forward to Sirius.

“You’re in Slytherin aren’t you?” He asked recognizing the student. He was in his seventh year while Sirius and Marlene were still in sixth. “I didn’t realize you and McKinnon here...?”

“Ran into her a month ago and seen her every day since, lucky guy, aren’t I?” He grinned and Marlene smiled back to Sanderson before looking guiltily at Sirius.

“Huh, interesting. I didn’t hear anything when I saw you two weeks ago but... I guess we aren’t as good friends as I thought,” Sirius said bitterly to Marlene. He wasn’t sure why he was so angry about it, they were ‘just friends’ after all, but he felt the rage build inside of him.

“Well you know now,” Sanderson answered, before pushing past Sirius and leading Marlene onto the train.

James came up behind Sirius, “She’s dating a Slytherin?”

“Can you believe it?!” Sirius exploded.

“Well, I suppose she’s worked her way through the decent Hufflepuff’s and Ravenclaw’s already,” James joked harmlessly, but Sirius punched his arm.

“She’s our mate, don’t talk about her like that.”

“Alright, so she’s dating a Slytherin? As long as she doesn’t go easy on him in Quidditch I don’t see the harm. Let’s get a compartment before they fill up!”

Sirius followed James onto the train but was still flabbergasted about the whole thing. Marlene and that Sanderson kid. What was she thinking? And why didn’t she say anything two weeks ago when she climbed through his bedroom window and spent the night naked in his arms. He slammed the compartment door shut when they found an empty one and sat down, immediately crossing his arms and letting out an angry huff.

“This still about McKinnon? Did I miss something?” James asked, looking out the window to see if Remus or Peter were anywhere around.

“Yeah, she’s just. Why wouldn’t she have said anything? She disappears for two weeks and comes back on the arm of a Slytherin. What’s she thinking! Whoring herself out to the enemy like that!”

“She can whore herself out to whoever she wants, I don’t see the big deal.”

“Don’t call her that!” Sirius snapped, leaving James very confused of what he could or could not say. “I just don’t get it. Why didn’t she tell us, we’re her friends aren’t we?”

“Wait- two weeks?” James asked, catching on to what Sirius said earlier. You’re loosing it mate, summer break was two months, not two weeks.”

“Yeah, but when she came over two weeks ago she could have said something,” Sirius said frustrated that James wasn’t keeping up.

“She never came over,” James said quietly, very lost in what was going on, “Oh there they are!” He stood up and opened up the door calling Remus and Peter over. They joined their friends inside and the three of them instantly started catching up.

Sirius didn’t even notice the conversation though, suddenly he piped up again, unaware that he was even interrupting them, “Since when can I note give a friend a hug in greeting?!”

“Oh, sorry,” Peter said shamefully and went to hug Sirius.

“Get off me!” Sirius shoved him aside, “Not you, moron.”

“Pads, what has gotten into you?!” James asked a little more firmly, then looked to Peter and Remus, “Sorry guys, he’s all worked up about McKinnon dating a Slytherin.”

Remus chuckled, “Of course he is.”

“I hate Slytherin too, but I don’t see the issue, she’s always dated around a lot.” James said.

“Stop insulting her, it’s her body she can do what she wants,” Sirius hissed.

Dropping his head into his hands, James shook it, “What the hell, I didn’t even insult her.”

“You were implying that she’s a slut again.” Sirius bit back.

“After you said she’s whoring yourself around,” James tried to defend himself.

Sirius wasn’t having it, “My point it, she can do what she want I just don’t get what’s so special about that Sanderson kid that she couldn’t have at least told me that they were dating. Or us. Any of us. We are all friends.

“Just friends right?” Remus said with a small smirk.

Peter laughed too, “This is what you were telling me about Moony. He does have a crush!”

“I do not!” Sirius snapped loudly, standing up and glaring at all three of his friends. “Why do none of you care that this guy is controlling her. It’s not right, it’s not feminist, we should all care more.”

“You a feminist now, Padfoot?” James asked and nearly joined in on the laugh, but then caught Sirius’ eye. “Seriously, what’s going on?”

“I just don’t get it,” Sirius repeated. “They’ve been dating for a month? Then what the hell was she doing in my bed two weeks ago acting as if everything was the same. Sure we were just friends but she could have said something. Is she sleeping with him?!” Remus, James and Peter starred. "What the hell are you all looking at me like that for?!”

“She was in your bed?” James asked.

Sirius realized what he had said, “I- no. We’re just friends.” Just then she saw Marlene’s figure outside their compartment and his shoulders dropped, he slid the door open much more aggressively than he meant to. “What do you want McKinnon?”

“Can we talk?” Marlene asked him.

“Talk.”

“Alone?”

Exhaling loudly, Sirius looked at his friends, then at Marlene, then down the train, “Where’s your boyfriend?”

“Please?” Marlene said again, “Can we talk, alone.”

“Is this about the fact that you’re sleeping together?” James interjected.

Sirius glared and Marlene looked shocked. “You told them?”

"I didn’t mean to. Plus we’re just friends anyway.”

“I wanted to tell Mary last year when this all started and I kept my mouth shut because you wanted to be ‘just friends’ and then you go ahead blabbing as soon as I get an actual boyfriend?”

“Last year?!” James repeated shocked.

Sirius ignored James, “He’s a Slytherin.”

“So?” Marlene questioned.

“So... You shouldn’t date him.”

“Why?!” Marlene was shouting now.

Sirius chewed the inside of his cheek. He didn’t know why. They were friends, she could date whoever she wanted so why was this bothering him so much. There was only one real reason. It was because he didn’t want to be ‘just friends’ anymore. He wanted her to himself. He missed her every day of those two weeks that she didn’t come by to see him. He was so excited when he saw her, he couldn’t keep his hands off of her. He wanted her in his arms right now, he wanted to kiss her in front of all his friends, and her friends. He was tired of the pretence of being ‘just friends’ when that’s not what they were. Sirius Black was falling in love with Marlene McKinnon and he wanted the world to know it. All these thoughts raced through his mind in a matter of seconds, and he acted on impulse more than anything else. His arms wrapped tightly around her and he drew her close to him, his lips collided with hers. It was comfortable and familiar but something all new at the same time. There had never been so much passion and feeling between their kisses. But he wanted her to know exactly how he felt without having to explain it. His hands stayed around her waist, keeping her body right up against his, his tongue parted her lips and slipped into her mouth, exploring meaningfully, conveying his deepest thoughts while their kiss heated up and he ended up pushing her against the compartment behind them. James watched in shock while Remus looked away and Peter looked everywhere at once. Marlene relaxed into his arms and her fingers played with the back of his hair. Their kiss felt as if it was never going to end. Finally Lily Evans walked by and cleared her throat loudly. They were forced to pull apart.

“Can I get through here?” She asked them both, brows raised high. Marlene flushed pink and Sirius wore a triumphant smile. “This certainly explains where Marlene goes every night.” She then looked at James, “Don’t get any ideas, if you kiss me without permission, I’ll castrate you.”

“I love it when you talk dirty,” James joked, but he crossed his legs as he said so. “Can I kiss you with permission?”

“Only if you take me out first.” Lily answered before looking to Remus, “I was looking for you, we’re suppose to be in some sort of meeting, come on.”

James starred after Lily in disbelief as Remus stood up to follow her to the prefects compartment, “Wait, Lily wait. Evans!” She turned and he asked, “Can I- Can I take you out then?”

“I’m busy right now, maybe over the weekend,” she shouted back to him and James cheered loudly, since that was the closest to a yes he had ever gotten. He turned to make sure Sirius heard but when he wasn’t there he looked at Peter.

“Marlene and Sirius went that way,” he pointed down the train and sure enough James heard giggling from both of them as they looked for an empty compartment.

Shaking his head, James took his seat once again. Sirius and Marlene were an item now. And he was going to get Lily to go out with him this weekend, she had practically promised. “This is going to be a lonely year for you, Wormtail.”

Sirius and Marlene admiring the stars

happy birthday, dear 🍰🎉

headcanon: Marlene throws a surprise party for Sirius 🌻🌠

A Halloween party. Sirius comes dressed as Batman, and Marlene as Catwoman. Sirius ends up arresting Marlene.