The Marauders: Year Four

Sirius's Decision

Sirius's Decision

"So when are you going to tell me about Costa Rica, Black?"

Marlene McKinnon caught Sirius's hand in the corridor. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, "Hey Marlene," he said.

"Hey," she replied.

Lily walked up behind Marlene, having been on their way down to the Great Hall for lunch when Sirius had attempted to sneak by to the corridor that led off the entrance hall. He was holding the parchment that Lily recognized as the Marauder's map, though he'd folded it quite quickly to hide it from Marlene's eyes and now held it half behind his back, level with his hips. Marlene ran her fingers down his tie, as though she were holding onto a dog's leash. Sirius's grin was awkward.

"I really don't have -- the er, the time at the moment -- long story, you know, I'm... I'm running a bit late... supposed to be meeting the lads..."

"Well you're going the wrong way if you're meeting them," Lily said, "Gryffindor tower is upstairs if you recall. Though I haven't seen much of you in it this weekend... Where have you lot been?"

Sirius shrugged as flippantly as possible, "Oh... you know... places to go... people to prank... really we've been quite busy."

Marlene frowned, "Too busy for your girlfriend?"

Something squirmed about inside Sirius and he murmured, "Too busy for anybody, really..."

Marlene pulled his tie so that Sirius was forced to bend forward and she gently placed a kiss on his lips... a lingering, teasing sort of kiss, the sort of kiss that should've tightened his muscles and made his mind go blank... the sort of kiss that women give a man when they want to weaken their knees and remind them exactly what it is that they have to offer. Marlene slowly let Sirius out of it after a moment, and he backed away, a bit breathless from it, staring at her. "Well, when your busy... just remember there's more where that came from..." she smiled at him and winked, then nodded to Lily, "C'mon. We'll get him go find his lads." She turned and flounced away.

Sirius stared after her.

Lily paused, watching Marlene go, then looked at Sirius with a raised eyebrow. "Where have you been? The lot of you?"

"The Shrieking Shack," Sirius said honestly. He put a hand to his lips. "Is she angry with me?"

"I think she's sort of worried that you've lost interest. It's driving her a bit mad, really, the wondering," Lily answered. "Honestly, I haven't really known what to tell her. Have you lost interest?"

Sirius said, "I... dunno."

"Lily, are you coming?" Marlene called from the door of the Great Hall, looking back.

"I'll be right there," Lily replied. She looked at Sirius, knowing she only had a moment or two before Marlene would start to be upset with her for getting more attention from Sirius than she, Marlene, his girlfriend, had gotten. Sirius was still rubbing his lips with the tips of his fingers. "You look perplexed," Lily observed.

Sirius asked, "Perplexed?"

"Yeah..." Lily studied him a moment, her eyes narrowing, then... "Is there somebody else, Sirius?"

Sirius cleared his throat, "Somebody else?"

"Somebody besides Marlene? Are you seeing another girl?"

"No," Sirius replied honestly. "Why would you think that?"

Lily shrugged, "It's just that a kiss like that... Well, when Pandy gives Xenophilius that sort of kiss, he doesn't go off to play with the lads after. That's all I'm saying." She turned and started off.