author's notes: this fic was started while i was learning to play a song on my violin. the song was gavotte by jean-philippe rameau, and this story was the way i was able to connect my emotions to my playing. i recommend listening to the song, as it's beautiful and is what this fic is loosely based upon.

death did them part

"Sirius?" James poked his head into the Floo. Green flames flickered in his peripheral but his gaze was firmly on the black-haired man sitting, slumped, in an armchair, wand held loosely in his left hand. His right was clenched around a crystal glass of... "Padfoot! It's ten in the morning, for Merlin's sake! You shouldn't be drinking!" He climbed through the Floo, crossing the room to his friend's side with long strides. "Padfoot?"

Sirius gave no sign he'd heard anything, and swirled the Firewhiskey around in the glass, watching the amber liquid slosh from side to side. The colour reminded him of —

"Goddammit!" he roared suddenly, jumping to his feet and hurling the glass at the far wall. It smashed to pieces, Firewhiskey flying everywhere. James sighed and flicked his wand, Evanescoing the alcohol and repairing the glass.

"Pads," he tried again. "Look, I know you're hurting. I fucking understand. She was my friend, too. But gods, look at you!" He gestured around. There was no denying Sirius's flat was a mess. There were takeout boxes scattered on the floor, and the place reeked of cheap, Muggle alcohol — the kind Marlene used to drink — and cigarette smoke. "You're a mess, Padfoot. I can understand why, but it's been two weeks and you're still living in this hovel, your rent's three days overdue, and," he made a face, "I think you've puked in that corner."

Standing, James waved his wand at the mess, directing the takeout boxes into a trash bag and cleaning said corner. "Come on," he sighed. "You can stay with Lily and me for a couple days. I'll take care of your rent."

•

Lily welcomed him, tutting over his appearance and immediately setting on a pot of noodles to make soup. Sirius was shown to the spare bedroom, lent some clothes of James', and told to shower because, in Lily's words, "he reeked."

He washed quickly, not even bothering to style his hair into the usual soapy bun in the shower. Dressing in the faded jeans and worn t-shirt, he sat on the bed, just staring at the wall and reminiscing.

•

The first thing Sirius had noticed about her were her eyes. They were green, with golden flecks surrounding the pupil so closely that only if one peered were they visible. Sirius had definitely done enough ogling at Marlene McKinnon's eyes over the past month.

It was absurd, he thought angrily as he stared at the canopy overhanging his bed one night. The other Marauders were asleep already, their soft snores drifting over from both sides of him. McKinnon's stupid eyes had done nothing but distract him ever since he'd first taken notice of her.

It was a well-known fact that Marlene had been panting after Sirius Black for years. But it wasn't until fifth year that he'd finally noticed her. And now that she had his interest, she wasn't going to give it up.

•

"Oi, McKinnon," Sirius called over the din of the Gryffindor common room as he approached the blonde, who was sitting with her friends. It was the end of the year party, coupled with the victory of skunking Slytherin at Quidditch, and the hubbub was almost deafening. Marlene looked up, acting surprised. Alice and Lily giggled as Marlene batted her eyelashes innocently, pretending she hadn't been watching Sirius across the room for the past hour. Dorcas's nose stayed firmly stuck in her book.

"What do you want, Black?" she drawled in a bored voice, examining her fingernails. The polish was getting a bit chipped; Muggle nail polish never lasted as long as the charm.

He put a hand to his chest. "M'lady! I was just coming over to see if you lovely birds would like to come hang with us Marauders."

Lily scoffed and turned up her nose. "Why would we want to do that?"

"Now, now, Lily fair," came James' voice from behind Sirius. "There's no need to hide your affections from me; everyone knows you're simply crazy about me." He winked. "Maybe if you're nice and come sit with us, I'll give you a kiss goodnight."

"Egotistical prat," the redhead muttered as she got up. Dropping a kiss on Marlene's cheek, she stretched her arms above her head and said, "I'm off to bed before my IQ drops to Potter's level." She brushed past said Potter, who faked a wounded look before turning back to the others and grinning.

"So! Who's up for a rousing game of Exploding Snap?"

•

The party was grand, Sirius gave it that. The Prewett twins knew exactly how to throw a huge bash. At midnight, fireworks burst into colour outside the windows, and students pushed their way through the crowd to get a glimpse. Sirius stayed toward the back, finally slipping out of the common room when the grand finale began. No one noticed him leave.

No one except a certain green-eyed blonde.

•

"What're you doing up here?"

Sirius whirled around, wand out and pointing straight at...Marlene McKinnon. Sighing in relief, he pocketed his wand and returned to staring moodily out the window. They were on the seventh floor, on the opposite side of the Gryffindor common room, so he didn't see any flashes of the fireworks. "I think," he returned, "a better question would be, 'why did you follow me?'"

She shrugged. "Felt like it. Wanted to make sure you weren't getting in trouble just before the end of the year."

"Nah." Sirius sat down on the window seat bench and gestured to the space beside him. Marlene sat with her back against the wall and legs drawn up to her chin. She watched him over her knees, green eyes deep and mysterious in the dim light. The gold flecks were dancing as the torches along the corridor flickered.

They lapsed into silence for a while before she broke it: "What are you planning on doing? Job-wise, I mean."

"I want to be an Auror," he answered.

Marlene tilted her head. "I can see you as one," she said. "Why did you choose that profession?"

"I want to catch the bad guys. Plus, I've heard that Aurors always get the chicks because birds think they're badass." He winked roguishly, and Marlene cursed her heart for pitter-pattering in her chest.

"Hmph," she snorted, trying to save her character. "I'm sure girls will be falling over themselves once you're a proper Auror. But for me...surprisingly, it takes a sweetheart, a closet romantic."

Sirius's eyes flashed. "You don't think I can be sweet?" he challenged.

Marlene's red lips curled up at the corners as she replied, "I'm sure you could be. But the question is — is there anyone you'd want to be sweet for?" She let the question hang in the air before standing and patted his shoulder. "I'll see you at the feast."

With that, she walked off down the corridor, hips swaying, leaving Sirius to his thoughts.

•

The summer passed slowly. Sirius stayed with the Potters along with Peter and Remus, but he couldn't get Marlene's eyes out of his mind. His friends teased him mercilessly about that.

"Your fan club will be so disappointed," joked James.

"Watch your drinks!" Peter told him. "I wouldn't put it past them to spike it with love potion."

Remus stayed quiet. Later, though, he sought out Sirius in his bedroom and slipped in. "She's a great girl, Pads," he said seriously. "She's also a good friend. I don't want either of you to get hurt."

"I wouldn't hurt her for the world," Sirius vowed.

•

"Psst. McKinnon!"

Marlene stopped short at the sound of someone hissing. Turning around, she spotted Sirius waving at her from behind a half-closed door, and she glanced around before hurrying in. "What are you doing?" she asked in a sharp whisper. "We're due for Potions in four minutes!"

He waved a hand in dismissal. "Who cares? I feel like playing hooky today. There's a carnival in Muggle London today. Wanna come with?"

She pursed her lips in disapproval and shook her head, her answer ready even before he'd finished speaking. "I happen to be an excellent student, and I have no wish to fail my N.E.W.T.s. Leave me alone and go get caught by yourself. I want nothing to do with this."

"Ah, come on, McKinnon. Loosen up a bit." He propped his shoulder against the door, folded both arms across his chest, and crossed one foot over the opposite ankle. His hair fell casually over his forehead and the side of his face, and Marlene had to dig her fingernails — painted a smoky-grey today — into her palms to keep from reaching out and tucking it behind his ear. To distract herself, Marlene began walking again, switching her book bag to rest on the opposite shoulder.

"I said no, Black." But despite half of her brain telling her it was a bad idea, the other half whispered to her: do it.

Sirius ran around front of her and dropped to his knees, clasping his hands in front of his chest. Marlene tried to not stare at the hard muscles of his chest through his thin shirt. "Please, Marlene? Pretty please with sugar and whipped cream and cherries on top?"

She sighed and raked a hand through her hair. Her resolve was weakening rapidly, and more and more of her brain was urging her to take Sirius up on his offer. "If I say yes, promise me one thing."

"Anything," he swore.

"I'll go with you this once, but after this, I choose the outings."

Sirius's face split into a wide grin, and Marlene couldn't stop her own lips from turning upward. "Anything for you, darlin'."

Marlene tried to ignore the way her heart pitter-pattered within her chest at the casual endearment dropping from his lips. This was such a bad idea.

•

The carnival was amazing. People knew Sirius in Muggle London, a fact that worried Marlene slightly. She knew what his home life was like. When she asked about it, Sirius just laughed. "I'm nearly seventeen, love. I'll be a free man in a few weeks. Who cares what the psychos think?"

Marlene nearly blurted, I do. Even if he was nearly seventeen, he still was underage and he could get in trouble at any time. He was a git and an idiot, but goddamnit, he was a handsome idiot and she wanted him to be safe. Instead of saying so, though, she merely shrugged her shoulders and tugged at his elbow. "Come on, you," she said fondly. "I want you to win me a teddy bear."

•

They returned to Hogwarts a few hours later than they'd expected. It was past dinnertime — though that didn't matter because they had gone out to an Italian restaurant a few blocks away from the carnival — so Sirius led Marlene into the tunnel that stretched from Honeydukes straight into the castle. They came out near a statue of a one-eyed witch, and Marlene blinked into the sudden light.

"Who else knows about this tunnel?" she asked as Sirius tapped his wand against the statue and whispered something she couldn't quite make out. The witch slid back into place and the tunnel entrance slowly closed up until all that remained was a perfectly normal-looking corridor.

"Just me and the lads," Sirius said proudly. "We discovered it in our second year."

He gallantly offered her his arm, and Marlene blushed before taking it. They began the walk back to Gryffindor Tower, trying to keep their voices down so as to not alert anyone to their out-of-bed presence. Marlene warned Sirius that if they got caught, she would not be happy, but Sirius was on his best behaviour, which meant charming and funny, and one witty quip made Marlene burst out laughing before she could stop herself.

"'ere now, what's this?" Filch loomed out of the darkness, Mrs. Norris weaving between his legs. He peered at them. "Students out of bed, eh? Together?"

"Please, Mr. Filch," wheedled Sirius. "We weren't together, cross my heart."

Filch snorted. "A likely story. Come on, then. Off we go to see the Headmaster."

•

Marlene couldn't hold a grudge against Sirius — or rather, his puppy-dog eyes — and the two were, for the most part, inseparable for the remainder of the year. She was amazed at how quickly the normally dragging nine months flew by. Before she knew it, she was shaking hands with the Headmaster and sharing a boat with Sirius, James, and Lily on their way back across the lake.

When they disembarked from the boat, Sirius took her hand and drew her away from the rest of the graduates. He laid a finger against her lips before she could ask what he was doing, then flung his arms out dramatically. "We may have spent most of our time here at Hogwarts snarking at one another, but never doubt my adoration and affection for you. Marlene Catherine McKinnon, will you do me the unorthodox, outlandish, futuristic honour of living with me without being married?"

Marlene rolled her eyes and patted Sirius on the head. "Silly dog," she said. "Of course I will. But you didn't have to write a speech to ask me."

Sirius sputtered. "That was my normal speaki—!" He was cut off when Marlene started giggling uncontrollably. "Oh, I am so getting you for that!"

The other Marauders and Lily turned to watch as a laughing blonde-haired streak being chased by a big black dog raced past.

•

The months following were the best of both their lives. They, along with the other Marauders and the rest of their friend group, joined Dumbledore's army — the Order of the Phoenix. There was fighting out there in the real world, but when they returned to their little flat it all disappeared and all that was left on the planet was them. He was Marlene's world, and she was Sirius's universe.

But even space is not safe.

Marlene went home after receiving a letter from her father regarding her mother's fading health, and she never came back. Truthfully, she never truly got there. The letter was a fake, and by the time she arrived at her childhood home, her parents and older brother were already dead. She was ambushed from behind as soon as she Apparated into her front yard, and followed quickly in her family's footsteps.

She was buried, with much arguing between Sirius and his mother, in the corner of the Black grave plot, right next to the empty space that had already been marked as Sirius's future grave.

It was strangely fitting, because if she had lived, they would have been buried together whenever "death did them part."

•

Marlene was cheap beer and lit cigarettes hanging from the corner of blood-red lips, held by painted fingernails. She was leather pants and stilettos, but she didn't mind getting dirty and Sirius liked that about her. She was a perfectly imperfect girl — the kind of girl that mothers would wink at while telling embarrassing stories of you as a child and fathers would clap you on the shoulder and tell you she's a keeper after you get home from dropping her off at her door because she won't settle for anything less.

She was white flames and black smoke and grey ashes, and he was going to end up getting burnt, but he didn't give a damn because in that moment they were two halves of a whole and his air only stoked her fire.

•

And sitting on the bed in the spare room at James and Lily's house, for the first time in four years, Sirius Black buried his face in his hands and wept.

word count: 2,633

prompts

april auction — day six, auction four — (word) outlandish

assignment 7 — arithmancy: foretelling the future — task two — write about a big change in someone's life