~ Exceptions ~

Sirius Black & Marlene McKinnon

"I don't do second dates."

"Then ask me out again."

"Marlene -" he sighs and grabs her hand. "I don't do second dates."

"Then ask me out - on another first date." She grins, the familiar teasing glint in her eyes.

Because Marlene McKinnon understands, she understands not to want more than what he can give her, it's maybe not much but to her it's the right amount.

He raises his eyebrows. "You'd be okay with never moving forward?"

She laughs with her trademark laugh - loud but beautiful. "Ask me out, not again. Just on another first date."

So Sirius Black thinks about it, because he knows that Marlene gets him, she understands him. And he understands her, he knows that she doesn't need a big family, a prince on a white horse, because Marlene McKinnon isn't a princess in need for saviour, she is a queen that can save her self.

So he agrees and asks her out - not again, just on a date. A date, not a second date, a First Date.

She smiles into her butter-beer as his hand slides up her thigh. "Too bad I don't sleep with guys on the first date." She says and can almost see his world fall apart. Amused she takes another sip from the butter-beer.

"Can you make an exception?" He asks, raising his eyebrows and taking a sip from his own beer.

"Would you?" Her eyebrows meet his and he looks down.

"Marlene, you know I don't do second -"

She laughs, not a hollow empty laugh - but a real heartfelt laugh as she stands up, gives him a short kiss on the cheek, trailing her fingers over it. "I'll see you later Sirius." She smiles and walks away, knowing he's staring after her.

Next time - No, not next time - on their third first date he takes her down to the kitchens.

She sits there drinking the hot chocolate that his favorite house elf made, giggling like the flirt she is but again and again smiling a real smile at him.

He gives her a smirk back, but always fails at trying to hide his smiles. Because Marlene McKinnon can make him smile.

So he tries it again, his hand brushes past her shoulder, trails down to her chest and ends up on her waist.

She raises her eyebrow and he sighs.

She has nothing to say to him so she laughs, swallowing the last of her chocolate and then walks over to him, this time giving him a kiss on the mouth.

He kisses her back, trying his best to make it last longer, make it turn into something more.

She kisses him playfully back, but as he deepens it she has a hard time to stop. Hard time remembering her own name to be honest.

But she is successful in the end and once again laughs, not making fun of him just teasing him as she again walks away and again he finds himself unsuccessful at looking away.

He shows her the room of requirement on their fourth First Date. She loves it.

She looks around, raising her eyebrows at the bed in the corner, putting her hands on her hips and giving him a knowing look.

He puts his hands up in the air. "The room did it, not me."

And she laughs, and he realizes just how much he loves her laugh.

He sits on the bed, inviting her to sit next to him.

There is a silence, long silence until she plants her mouth on his, kissing him rather roughly, deepening the kiss with every movement until they have to come up for air.

He starts to ask something but she cuts him off: "I can make an exception." and then he's pushing her on the bed.

Because she'll always make exception for Sirius, even though he can't give her anything back. And besides, to her this really isn't a first date.

He's now alone, alone in the world. He isn't supposed to be out. He is supposed to stay at Grimmauld Place and be safe. But he doesn't want to be safe. His only reason for being safe is Harry but Harry has more than enough people to keep him safe. Sirius has nothing more to live for.

So he puts flowers on her grave because he misses her. As much as he would like to say that her death didn't effect him. That knowing he would never see Marleene McKinnon again didn't matter.

He tried ignoring the tears, he tried ignoring the feeling that his whole body felt, but in the end it didn't matter, it was impossible to ignore the fact that Marlene McKinnon was dead.

So he puts flowers on her grave and wonders if this would count as another First Date.

He has a moment, just a moment, a moment that is maybe just a second to the world but passes as a long great moment for him.

He sees the look on Bellatrix face, he sees the look on Harry's face, he sees himself leaving life.

And then suddenly, they are all gone. But her face is there.

Marlene McKinnon is smiling at him, holding out her hand and... And he takes it.

"Come with me," her voice is just as beautiful as it was 15 years ago.

When he doesn't respond she laughs, her laughter, that is like an angels song to his ears. "Come with me," she says again and this time he nods.

He doesn't know where he's going or where he's going to end, but it doesn't matter.

Once again he wonders if what ever they are going to be doing in the future or in death will count as another first date.

No it wont. He decides, this will be their second date.

Because Sirius Black can make an exception for Marlene McKinnon.

A/N: Okay, so I was in the writey-moody... This is one of my rather weird oneshots... But I hope that you like it!