Marauders Mistakes (blackinnon)

part three

"Oi, Mckinnon!" Sirius shouted across the Great Hall, towards the brunette who was sat with Lily.

"Oh shit, not him," Marlene muttered before quickly darting her eyes around the hall for her escape route.

"No, you are not leaving me here with him, no way." Lily said firmly, grabbing Marlene's wrist as Sirius approached.

"We need to talk." Sirius demanded.

"Right well I was just er-" Marlene stammered, starting to stand up and pointing vaguely towards nothing, craning her neck in desperation.

Sirius stopped dead, staring at Marlene's neck, a wave of hurt flashing over his face, Lily followed his eyes to a small purple mark on her neck that had not previously been visible.

Sirius looked at Marlene, more carefully than before. It was as though he was seeing her in a different light now, noticing things he hadn't before, like the bags under her eyes and the chips on her nails that would normally have been re-done before they got anywhere near that state. He saw the bracelet on her wrist that he hadn't given her, or seen before, and he saw through the rips in her tights that she had done her tan and it suddenly hit him.

"Tell me you didn't."

"What?" Marlene asked, her mind racing.

"You know what!" Sirius said, his voice getting louder.

"No I don't Sirius! I don't have a clue what you're questioning me about!" She shouted back.

"Questioning you about?! Do not fuck with me right now Mckinnon." He said, his voice echoing around the now silent Great Hall.

Lily sank into her seat and glanced briefly up to the teachers table, where she saw Mcgonagall giving her a look that she understood to say, 'Get them out of here, now.'

"Sirius, can Marlene speak to you, er, somewhere else?" Lily suggested quietly, looking around the room hoping he would catch on.

"You told me not to believe any of those rumors! Were you, or were you not bullshitting me?"

"Sirius-"

"Im done." He said before turning back around and out of the hall, Marlene looked at Lily quickly, before turning and running after him. She reached him down by the lake, grabbing his wrist when her shouts were ignored.

"Get off me." Sirius said, no falter in his voice. "I trusted you Mckinnon,"

"Please don't-"

"Don't what? Ask about the hickey on your neck? Or the new jewelry you've got on display? Or maybe about how I never see you anymore. Don't deny it, we both know it's true. There is something going on here Marlene and it's pretty evident what, I'm not stupid you know." He spat at her. "Who was it then?"

Tears spilled down Marlene's cheeks. "Not today Sirius, please."

"Then when? Because I'm so sick of this-"

"I can't lose you today, don't make me do this, I'm begging you."

Sirius looked at Marlene properly and saw something he hadn't before. Her grey eyes were not stormy or angry as usual, they were dull and sad. The usual blue glimmer had been lost in a sea of grey sadness that wasn't evident unless you knew her eyes well. He resisted the urge to inquire further and pulled Marlene into his arms, and held her closely for what seemed like the first time. He sighed as she leaned in on him, her head on his chest as he smelt her hair. The familiar scent that overwhelmed him and made him long to know what was going through her head, but then he always wanted to know that. He felt her tears soak through his white shirt and could only find himself worrying more and more, he had never seen Marlene cry before, so what the hell was going on? All he knew in that moment, was that she was upset, extremely upset and he didn't know why, and she wasn't going to tell him. So he did the only thing he knew how to do, make her laugh.