Marlene's Last Day

In the middle of a war, it's difficult to find anyone prepared to go out with and just have a good old drink, either because people are too paranoid, or their out busy fighting, or they are already dead and you can't enjoy a drink with the dead. Not a good one anyway.

So, it was going to come as no surprise, when Sirius Black, began downing his third bottle of firewhiskey, while keeping company with only himself, in his less than well kept flat in Diagon Alley.

And he wasn't having the most fun he could've, because getting drunk on your own, only leads to your mind going a little crazy and giving you thoughts you could really do without that only added to the stresses a war brings.

Especially since Sirius' thoughts always seemed obsessed with the matters of the heart and a certain blonde that had well and truly captivated his.

And it was mental.

Why?

Because Sirius Black didn't let girls of any kind have any kind of hold on his well defended, well protected, well hardened heart; Especially not Marlene McKinnon. Definitely not Marlene McKinnon.

Okay, maybe Marlene McKinnon.

Maybe she had been the receiver of most of his affections since their seventh year at Hogwarts. And maybe, while trying to keep it as casual and as emotion-provoking-less as possible, they had fallen into a pattern of acting like they were a couple, in public, just without the theatrics of any kissing and hand holding and whatever else before well and truly making up for that lack of contact, when in the sanctuary of his flat or her home and not leaving until the afternoon of the next day, if they could help it.

And maybe, just maybe, he'd fallen in love with her just a little bit more, everytime they'd gotten together and forgotten that on the outside of those walls, there was a war going on and people were fighting and people were losing and people were dying and that the next time they go out there they could be the next people to fight and lose and die because that was the sad excuse of a world that they currently lived in.

Sirius didn't know whether to swoon or to be sick.

But he did know he had to tell her.

He couldn't carry on acting as if it was just a way to escape whenever he was with her, instead of the elevating experience he felt anytime she was even in the same room as him, never mind when they were in the same bed.

So he was going to. He was going to tell her.

He staggered up from his saggy armchair, to a small mirror by the flat's front door and gave himself the once over. He ran a hand through his impossibly black shoulder length hair to try and make it presentable and rubbed his impossibly grey eyes to try and make them look a little less bloodshot. It didn't go as well as he thought, but putting a hand to his mouth to check his breath, he was satisfied, in his drunken state, that his breath wasn't too bad. Firewhiskey wasn't a terrible smell.

He smoothed down his shirt and threw on some shoes before apparating and finding himself right where he needed to be, at Marlene's front door. It was a wonder, how he never splinched himself when apparating in such a condition.

Sirius straightened himself up and plastered a grin to his face before tapping his knuckles heavily to the glass of the blue door.

He heard a laugh from inside before the door swung open to show Marlene, an equally huge smile on her face, until she saw Sirius that was.

"Marlene!" He threw his hands in the air and went to wrap her in them but she held out her own to his chest, stopping him halfway. He frowned and pouted, "No hug for Sirius?"

"You're drunk," Her reply made her seem almost bored by his sudden presence.

"Marly, who is it?" A deep male voice called and Sirius started.

"You've got another bloke in there?"

Marlene sighed heavily, "No," She quickly looked over her shoulder, "I'll be in, in a minute, Dad," She turned back to Sirius, "Happy?" He just shrugged, "What do you want, Sirius? My parents and Matt are waiting," Sirius didn't even blink to the male name, as he knew that Matthew was Marlene's eleven year old brother.

"Well, Marlene, my sweetness, my lovely, I have come to confess, after my wondrous epiphany, that I love you," Marlene gaped at the giddy man in front of her, who was so drunk he had to hold himself up on her door frame.

From his place, he reached out a hand to her cheek, and smiled like a lovesick puppy, "I. Love. You. How mad is that, Mar?" When she didn't reply except for a stunned yet flighty grin on her face, he smirked, "Have I finally rendered, the Great McKinnon, speechless?" He barked softly as Marlene's hand found his on her cheek.

She chuckled equally as soft, "Shut up, Sirius."

"But I can't" He conceded, "Because, I love you," He whispered it like it was a big secret.

"You're drunk," She eyed him, amused, "Come back tomorrow, and tell me this all again when you are sober," She said with a slight curve to her lip, but Sirius took this as a brush off and sharply retracted his hand from her cheek and backed up the pathway.

"Oh, I get it," He nodded sardonically, "You don't feel the same. You were just having your fun with me. Seeing if you could break through my walls. Well, congratulations, you did it, you broke me down. Well done!" At his outburst, Marlene hastily shut the front door, protecting her family's ears, and quickly approached him, placing her hands on his face firmly, despite his slight struggle.

"I do love you, Sirius, you drunk fool," She smiled encouragingly up at him, "But you're well and truly pissed and for all I know, you could just be saying this just to get a quick shag before you pass out," He went to argue but she didn't let him, "I know you, we went to school together, remember? When I'd wake up every morning to have yet another girl complaining about how you charmed her into a broom closet before completely ignoring her the next day, fully satisfied."

Sirius was suddenly very sober when he disagreed, "But it's not like that with you, Mar, I do love you, you're not just anyone," His hands had copied hers and found there way back to her cheeks, one on each, as he quickly pecked her on the lips, "I love you."

She blushed slightly before conceding, "And I love you."

They kissed again, deeply, a promise to one another, before separating long after, desperate for air.

Sirius rested his forehead to hers, watching her settle and pulling her to him, wrapping his arms around her with his chin resting atop her head.

She sighed after a moment, looking up at him, "I have to get back inside, my family'll be waiting," He pouted again like a child, "Don't look at me like that, you're the one that turned up at an awkward time," He bowed his head with a woeful smile.

"Well, what I had to say, couldn't wait," He eyed her, uncharacteristically sombre.

"Apparently not," She acquiesced, "Will you meet up with me tomorrow? The Cauldron? We can get away, go into muggle London, find a park and eat ice cream?" She looked at him with hope across her face.

"Absolutely, can't wait," He kissed her forehead, "But it may have to be later on in the day because, after the amount of alcohol I've consumed, I'm gonna have one hell of a hangover," She laughed as his head lolled heavily to her shoulder, sneakily placing kisses along her shoulder blade.

"Hey! You'd better not forget this has happened. I won't let you get away from this lightly, Black!" She poked him in the chest and he rubbed the spot like it'd hurt him.

"How could I ever forget?"

"Oh, I don't know," She gave him a knowing look, "I'm sure you of all people, would find a way."

"Whatever, McKinnon," He kissed her once, "Two o'clock, the Leaky Cauldron?" She nodded as he kissed her again and against her lips, mumbled, "I love you."

"I love you too," She replied as they broke away, reluctantly heading in opposite directions.

They shared a last blissful look before Marlene's hands met the door handle.

Just before locking it shut, she heard Sirius 'whoop!' loudly and a crack sounded after, signalling he was gone, leaving Marlene to smile like a teenager all by herself.

He never did forget that night because that was the last night Sirius Black ever saw Marlene McKinnon alive.

That was the last night he ever heard her voice and felt her lips on his.

Nobody ever knew about the exchange that Marlene and Sirius shared that evening.

That night, Marlene McKinnon, her parents and her baby brother were murdered.

Just another casualty of the First Wizarding War.

A.N. Another new pairing explored; Sirius and Marlene this time. I love them! There is a video on youtube that I recommend about them 'Sirius and Marlene – Signs'. And while the girl in it isn't blond (I only ever see her as blond), the video is still amazing. And Ben Barnes is used as Sirius, which is always nice to see. :D

Anyway, I hope I did them justice and I hope you tell me if I did... hinthint :)

Happy Reading,

Jessica.