This is the end, friends. I hope you had fun this month! Blackinnon Fest is something I’ll be back for next year, and I’m sure there will be other stories before then. Have an amazing day!
Ruse
Chapter 4 - When You Know, You Know
Marlene waited with Sirius near the door. If there was something Sirius was good at, it was backing his prey into a corner. He’d even managed it with Riddle despite her usurping that plan from him.
But Sirius had managed to outdo himself this time. She’d seen more sides of him in the last week than she’d seen in the little more than a year they’d been together. And through a great deal of scheming, they were now standing in the British Embassy in America’s capital.
Eloping.
“Everything’s ready. We just need them to show.” Sirius wrapped his arm around her waist and leant down to kiss her neck. “You look beautiful.”
“A bride is meant to wear a dress, love. I decided I should play the part.” She smoothed her hands down the cream colored lace that covered the ivory satin underdress. Its capped sleeves and knee-length design made it easier for her to secure the various weapons she preferred to always have on her person.
“You’re the perfect bride.” Sirius kissed the shell of her ear and Marlene spun to bring their lips together, gripping the lapels of his suit jacket.
“You’re not so bad yourself.” She resisted the urge to move this snogging session to more than kissing.
“Marlene,” he rested his forehead against hers, his steel gray eyes holding hers with an earnestness that made her heart stutter. “Marlene, you are everything. You’ve been everything from the moment I met you. Marlene, marry me? Marry me for real?”
“Yes!” The word was meant to come out in a shout, but Marlene was shocked that her voice was nothing more than a whisper. “Yes!” She said it again, stronger this time, surer. “Yes!” Her third yes was cut off in his kiss as he pulled him against her. His hands gripped the back of her dress as his lips claimed her in that way that always made her knees go weak.
“I love you.” The feeling of his lips speaking against hers was so familiar, so right, and Marlene had a moment of knowing exactly what she wanted.
Then they heard a car pull through the gates.
“Show time.” Sirius pulled her close for one more kiss before taking her hand and moving to the door.
They greeted Fletcher, Piquery, and Shaw, acting under the names of Finnegan, Patterson, and Smith.
“Yay! You found it!” Marlene squealed and ran to take Shaw’s arm. “I’m so happy you’re here for this!”
“I couldn’t let you get married on your own! And especially not someplace as beautiful as here!”
“We can’t tell you what it means to have you all here.” Sirius gripped Fletcher’s shoulder.
“What are friends for?” Fletcher patted his chest. “Especially friends that are bringing the ring.”
“I’m so excited to see it!” Marlene bounced in her heels.
“Let’s not keep my gorgeous girl waiting then. It’s time to make her mine before she has the sense to run away.”
“Oh Al, baby, you’re never getting rid of me.” Marlene moved from Shaw’s side to Sirius’ and took his arm.
“Good, I’d be lost without you, Ella.” He kissed her noisily. “To the wedding!” He shouted as he pulled back.
Marlene let him lead their little group back and casually glanced around as the embassy security moved into position.
One of the rooms had been set up for the purpose, and Marlene smiled at how the staff had taken to their task. It was beautifully decorated with flowers and a small cake even sat on a table to one side.
The officiator, a member of security who was also certified to marry, smiled as they walked in. “Alphard, Cedrella, so good to see you. Shall we begin?”
“We’re ready when you are.” Sirius shook his hand.
And the plan moved to phase two. As the officiator went through a relatively standard marriage ceremony, the rest of security moved to block all exits, and six of them moved to stand outside the door to the room. Marlene was impressed that she heard nothing; either this security team was very skilled, or this room was soundproof.
“Do you, Alphard Coal, take Cedrella, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Sirius looked deeply into her eyes, his smile playing softly on his lips. “I do.”
“Do you, Cedrella McLaughlin, take Alphard to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
Marlene felt her smile grow wider across her face as she made up her mind. “I do.”
“Do you have a ring?”
Sirius winked at her before turning to Fletcher. “You didn’t let me down, did you, Finnegan?”
“I’ve got you Coal.” Fletcher pulled the ring out of his coat. “Highest quality diamond I’ve seen in decades, I assure you.”
Sirius took the ring and held it up to the light as he pulled a jeweler’s loupe from his suit. He was quiet for several moments before giving Fletcher a charming grin. “It’s perfect.” Then he turned back to Marlene. “Just like you.” And he slid their evidence on her finger.
“By the power vested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Sirius kissed her and allowed their guests to clap for a few moments before squeezing her waist.
Three.
Two.
One.
They spun, Marlene ducking behind the table that held the cake to fall down the trap door and be caught by a security member waiting to catch her.
“Well done, Miss McKinnon.” He set her down.
“Thank you,” she looked down at the ring. “I suppose it won’t bother anyone if I wear this until Agent Black is ready for it?”
He laughed. “You keep that safe, Miss. Agent Black is right to trust you. I’ve not known many citizens that can manage to do exactly what they’re told in situations like this.”
“Well, thank you.” She looked around the little office they were in and saw a marriage license on a desk. “Did the staff think we were really getting married?”
Her companion nodded. “We didn’t tell anyone this was a sting operation.”
Marlene picked up the license. It was still blank, waiting to be filled in. She smiled and picked up a pen.
“Playing a joke on Agent Black?”
“I like to keep him on his toes.” Marlene winked at him.
She’d just signed her name at the bottom when Sirius walked in. “Well done! They’re contained and ready for transport and Picquery has been handed off to the FBI.”
“I’ll leave you to it then, Agent Black.” The security member smirked and walked out the door.
“What’s that?” Sirius came to stand behind her chair.
“The marriage license the staff left out for us.”
Sirius was silent for several moments. “You filled in our real names.”
“Hmm.”
“And you signed it.”
She bit her lip.
“Are, are you absolutely certain, love?”
“I meant it when I said ‘I do,’ Sirius.”
Sirius took the pen from her hand and signed his name next to hers. “So did I.”
Sirius watched Fletcher on the other side of the bar and rolled his eyes. The man was disgusting, Sirius was pretty sure he could smell him from here, his hair was greased down and globs of hair product were evident even from this distance.
“I told you he was worse in person.” Marlene whispered next to him as they leant against the table in the bar they’d followed him to. “Andromeda had one of her American agents pull information for me and he’s currently trying to get into the diamond ring.”
Sirius looked back at Marlene. “If Andy has agents here, why did she send you?”
“Because she knew Minnie was sending you.” Marlene smirked. “She’s a romantic and you’re family, so she does these little things.”
“Remind me to thank her when we get home.” Sirius brought his lips to hers for a brief kiss.
“We’re working, love.” She smiled as he pulled back.
“That was part of our cover. Alphard Coal and Cedrella McLaughlin are madly in love after all. Meeting last year and bonding over their parents abandoning England for the fast pace of the States is the best thing that ever happened to them.”
She pulled him in for another kiss. “You know you’re ridiculous, right?”
“And you love it,” he nipped her lip before looking back at Fletcher. “Who is he with?”
“Johnathan Picquery, he and Patricia Shaw, the woman we saw on the security footage breaking into my room, are his two contacts into the diamond ring right now.”
“Did I mention Patricia is on our flag list for entrance into the UK for that smuggling ring as well?” Sirius grinned as his mind began formulating a plan. “Maybe we can get more than I planned on.”
“Two birds, one stone?”
“Potentially.” Sirius took her hand. “Let’s join the dance floor until a table closer to them opens up.”
She bit her lip as she looked up at him. “I think you just want an excuse to dance with me.”
“If the shoe fits, love.” Sirius pulled her close and kissed her. “Come on.”
He took his time moving them to where Fletcher and Picquery sat. Sirius was still feeling the adrenaline of the attempt on Marlene and that dart was the only reason he was actually considering bringing Patricia Shaw in as well.
He took it personally when someone went after his girlfriend.
As he shifted them closer to the tables an idea began forming in his mind.
“Darling,” he leant closer to whisper against her ear. “I think I have a plan.”
“Do tell,” her lips rubbed against his cheek and he nearly forgot the plan altogether.
“What are your thoughts on posing as an outrageously rich engaged couple in need of a suitable ring?”
“My word Alphard, are you proposing to me in this place?” She gave a theatrical gasp.
“Cedrella, we’re terribly drunk,” he placed a sloppy kiss on her neck. “For all we know I’ve proposed on the subway.”
He felt Marlene chuckled against him. “Are you certain, Sirius?”
“In the words of Minnie herself, ‘Stop playing games you know you can win and start taking chances.’ It’s a risk, but I’m good at taking risks. After all, a risk got me you.”
“Minnie said that?”
“When I told her I wasn’t interested in joining her team.”
Marlene held on to him a little tighter. “Alright. Just remember if we get caught, you’re deaf and I don’t speak English.”
Sirius chuckled at her joke, “Relax, sweetheart,” he shifted into his American accent. “This one’s in the bag.”
I’ll post again tomorrow and then the last chapter goes up on Friday! Enjoy, my friends!
Ruse
Chapter 2 - Actions, Then Words
Marlene was fuming.
The only thing that was keeping her from coming completely unhinged was Sirius going through her room as she tried to be meticulous in making sure all of her effects were back in her bags.
“I’m going to make them pay.” She gritted her teeth, trying to let some of the anger seep out with the declaration.
“I’m going to kill them once they tell me why they were in your room.” Sirius’ answer was quiet but sharp. “Do you have everything?”
“Yes.” She slung her purse over her shoulder and picked up her suitcase.
“Then let’s get out of here.” He pulled on the suitcase.
“I’ve got it,” she huffed and pulled back.
“Marlene, I love you, but right now you need to shut up and take my hand. Someone just tried to either drug or kill you, and I take personal offense to both options. So let me hold the damned suitcase so I can also hold your hand and reassure my brain that you’re fine.”
Marlene let go of the suitcase. When he said it like that, what else was she supposed to do?
He took her hand in a death grip. “Thank you. Let’s go.”
Marlene looked at the hole where the dart had been as they moved to a side door. That hole was meant to be in her and it made her blood boil.
“How’s your American accent?” Sirius asked as he pulled them down a side street.
“It’s awesome, Alphard,” she shifted into her American accent. “Though I don’t believe that I’ve ever met an American with the name Alphard.”
“Alphard has English parents. He’s an American because he grew up here, but he was born in London and moved here when he was five.” Sirius answered in his American accent. “And speaking of who we are, we’re going to set you up with a completely new identity, not one of the ones you’ve used before.”
“Sirius-”
“Humor me, Marlene.” He turned again and then headed for a back door to a tall building. “Someone has figured out who you are, and they aren’t happy about what you’re here for. If everything goes wrong I want to give you the best chance to get out of here and get home.”
“We’re not here for someone on Riddle’s level.” Marlene followed him through the door and realized they were in his hotel. “Mundungus Fletcher is a petty thief that I’m here to scare away from the big guns.”
“Minnie wants me to bring him back for his involvement in a smuggling ring, but we’ll plan that out later. The big guns obviously don’t like that you’re working on this.” Sirius took her up the stairs. “Until we know who they are, I want them to think you’ve left. I’m going to make sure everything on the digital side looks like their dart failed and then Catherine McClane high tailed it home to England.”
Marlene hated it when he had good points. “I’m not a coward, Sirius.”
He stopped them at the top of one of the flights of stairs and dropped both her suitcase and her hand to take her face in his hands. “You absolutely are not a coward, Marls. You are the bravest person I know. I didn’t say you were running, your alias is. We’re going to create you a new alias and then we’re going to battle with whoever thought they could attack you.” Then he crashed his lips into hers.
Marlene threw herself into the kiss. This she knew how to handle, his lips on hers, his hands caressing her skin, her fingers gripping his shirt, pulling him closer. This she could do better than the feelings she felt after that dart came flying at them and Sirius shifted to his I can’t lose you mode. Those feelings were confusing, they twisted in her chest, but having Sirius’ lips pressed against her unwound all those feelings. She pulled back just enough to murmur against him.
“Men go into battle, love. Women wage war.“
He smirked against her lips, “Then I await the orders of my commanding officer.”
Espionage allows for all sorts of opportunities, and Sirius and Marlene are about to get the opportunity of a lifetime.
Welcome to the sequel to Reconnaissance, which takes place right before the Epilogue! This is my last story for Blackinnonfest! Enjoy my friends!
Ruse
Chapter 1 - We Meet Again
Sirius was sure he was being followed as he walked down the street his hotel was on. Which normally would be concerning, especially in a country not his own, but given that he knew who was following him, he turned to face her.
“Fancy meeting you here, Ms. McClane.”
“Mr. Coal,” Marlene smiled at him. “What brings you here?”
“I heard there was a beautiful woman here.” Sirius stepped closer to her, wrapping his hand around her waist.
“Sirius,” she whispered, even as she stepped against him. “We have rules.”
“Rule books are meant for kindling.” He brought his lips to hers in a soft kiss. “And I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled their bodies flush against each other. “I’m so glad Minnie didn’t switch you with Vance. I would have been very put out.”
“Manipulating the boss, it’s a questionable line of work, but I’m good at it.” Sirius pulled her against him and kissed her deeply. “Let’s go.”
“Where are you staying?”
“The Ritz, babe,” he shifted to an American accent - though it was far more neutral than that of the people passing them - and indulged in the way Marlene laughed and leant into him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“We should get my things and I’ll check out of my hotel. If your boss is paying for the best, I don’t see why Andromeda should keep paying for the quaint little hotel I’m in.”
“Spoken like a woman out to experience the finest.”
“I mean, I am dating you.” She smirked up at him as she bit her lip and Sirius didn’t resist the urge to kiss her.
“Smartest move we ever made.” He murmured when he pulled back. “Come on, let’s take the rest of the day to just enjoy ourselves.”
“Sound’s perfect.” Marlene pulled him down the next turn.
“Do you have any leads?”
“Does a zebra have stripes?”
Sirius laughed. “Good, I always appreciate someone else doing the work.”
“Don’t worry,” Marlene pulled her room key from her pant pocket. “I left plenty for you to do. Mainly the computer work.”
“No bomb making this time?” He whispered against her ear as she led him into a hotel.
“I hope not. It’s a lot harder to slide things like that here in the States.”
“That’s what makes it fun, love.” He kissed up the shell of her ear and pulled her back against him.
She pushed off of him but wrapped her hand around his. “This bed isn’t that comfortable and I’d much rather have you ravish me in your hotel room than here.”
“Then pick up the pace, Marls,” Sirius pulled her back into him. “I’ve been without you for nearly three weeks, I’m keen to have you back.”
“Look at the wait as a foreplay.” She kissed him deeply before pulling away and opening her room door.
Sirius went to follow her but immediately pulled her back when he heard a distinctive twang, throwing them both to the floor just before a dart flew over their heads and lodged into the wall.
Marlene swore as Sirius stood and pulled his .45 from beneath his suit coat.
“Let’s get your things, and then we need to get to my room.” Sirius carefully cleared her room. “We’re going to get Catherine McClane back to London and we’re making you a new identity.”
Marlene’s face was furious but she quickly started throwing all of her things into her suitcase and purse.
This is the end of Vignette. I’ll be back on Monday with the sequel to Reconnaissance!
Vignette
Chapter 4 - The Magic of Place
He was excited, but Sirius was also shocked at the nerves he felt. He’d never had nerves about hanging out with Marlene when they’d been teens, but now, well, now Sirius was looking at things differently.
Marlene and Sirius had spent their friendship navigating several near misses. They nearly crossed the line into something more than friends more times than Sirius could count. He told himself it was for the best, especially when she was going to uni in Ireland and him in Germany, but now Sirius was done pretending. They were in the same country, city even, and he wasn’t going to lie and say that he was happy being just friends. He was going to show her she was still an amazing photographer, of that he was sure, and then he was going to kiss her and see what happened.
If it blew up in his face, well, he always wanted to go see Sweden.
He parked his bike in front of her flat building and smiled when he saw her walking towards him, her old camera rucksack over her shoulder.
“I like the new seat.” She climbed on behind him.
“You mean you didn’t love sitting on vinyl held together with tape?”
“It had its charms,” She slid her arms around his waist and Sirius felt his heart beat a little harder.
“Sure it did,” Sirius laughed, “Like the tape residue sticking to your jeans for the rest of the day.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything, but yeah.” Marlene laughed with him. “So where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” Sirius winked at her and then revved the engine and moved them back on the road.
He moved slowly through the streets of London until they were finally out of the city and heading the hour or so southwest.
About thirty minutes in he felt her grip tightening around his waist and she pulled herself closer to him, pressing her body to his back. She knew where they were going.
Surrey Hills had been the location of most of their near misses. There was something magical about this place, something that made you feel like you had stepped out of the real world and none of the rules applied anymore. And if there was a place that could get Marlene taking pictures again, Sirius put his money on here.
He pulled off at one of her favorite spots and killed the engine. “Alright Marls, I think it’s high time you reminded those cameras and lenses that you’re still around.”
“Can’t we just enjoy being back here?”
“You haven’t been back since your mum got sick.” He didn’t ask, it was written all over her face.
“It was our spot.” She shrugged, and Sirius couldn’t help but agree; if he hadn’t run into her, he never would have wanted to come back here either.
He stepped off his bike and pulled her off with him. “Come on, get that camera out.” He pulled on the straps of her rucksack.
“Would you believe me if I said I just want to hike around with you and call it done?” She bit her lip, her signature blood red color freshly applied today. It drove him mad.
“Not for one second.” Sirius stepped closer, tucking one of her loose curls behind her ear. “It’s just you and me, like old times. Get the camera out Marls, for nostalgia if nothing else.”
She stared up at him with her ice blue eyes and Sirius nearly leant in and kissed her right then. But she seemed to take his comment to heart and began sliding the pack off her back and retrieving her camera. He smiled at the stack of lenses, and pulled the pack to him.
“Which lens do you want?”
“Just the standard right now.”
Sirius handed the case to her and then started loosening the rucksack straps. “I’m still not letting you carry this.” He took the case back as she attached the lens.
“I can carry my equipment.” Her answer was automatic, just like it had been when they’d been teens, an answer that was more for the script of the interaction than any real meaning behind the words.
“And I won’t let you.” He swung the pack over his back, finishing the script.
“I don’t even know what I’ll take a picture of.” She shook her head as they walked, but Sirius didn’t miss the way her hands held her camera, rubbing her fingers over the metal, fiddling with the shutter button, almost like she was itching for more than simply holding the camera.
“Take a picture of anything.”
“What if it isn’t good?”
“You used to say that before too, and they always turned out gallery worthy.”
“Sirius,” she laughed, “that is not true.”
“Sure it is,” He winked at her. “I wager that you’re so skilled at this you can’t even try to make me look bad.”
She smirked. “Is that a challenge?”
“If it gets you taking pictures then sure,” he shrugged. “But don’t be surprised when every one of those pictures makes you weak in the knees.”
He’d been expecting it. Marlene brought the camera up and took a messy candid of him. She looked down at the screen and groaned though. “How did you manage to look good in that?” She turned the screen around to show him smirking.
“It’s a gift, love,” he tapped her nose, “But whatever possessed you to do that should possess you more often.”
“To do what?” She frowned.
“Take pictures.” He turned her to the view of rolling hills and trees with leaves beginning to change color. “Show me what you see.”
Her movements were slow but he stood behind her, his hands still on her shoulder, his head ducked so his lips were behind her ear. She hesitated a moment when the viewfinder was nearly to her eye.
“You’ve got this, Marls.”
She let out a slow breath and he heard the click of the shutter button.
“Can I see?” He smiled against the shell of her ear.
Marlene was quiet for several moments as she let her lanyard take the weight of her camera. “Yeah, but it’s going to cost you.”
Sirius stepped closer to her, bringing his chest against her back, laying his cards further on the table. “That seems fair, name your price, Marls.”
She was quiet for several moments, but he felt her breathing grow shallow as he moved his hands to trace her shoulders and arms. Slowly, she leant back against him, relaxing her body into his and Sirius felt his thoughts rapidly slipping.
She let out the same slow breath she had before she’d taken the picture. “It’ll cost you a kiss.”
Sirius felt his chest explode at her words. He nuzzled behind her ear as he spoke. “The problem is, If I kissed you, I don’t think I’d be able to stop.”
He felt her breath catch in her chest and she slowly turned around to look at him.
“Then I guess I’d have to never stop showing you the pictures I take.”
Sirius didn’t hesitate, he was ready to get on to kissing Marlene full time, they’d wasted enough time already.
Except I have it as them sneaking within the castle
Note: I have this following Day 2 Prompt: Overheard.
Unwell
Marlene ran her hand over her eyes and through her hair. She and Lily had been searching through all the books she had grabbed from the library. Flipping through the pages, they had tried to find any clue to what could be causing Professor Agata Garcia’s illness. The Defense Against the Dark Arts position was infamous for being a one-year position, but Marlene knew there had to be a tangible reason for the illness instead of a cursed countdown to the end of the year. They had searched through rune patterns, hexes, cursed objects, magical ailments, and nothing seemed to align perfectly with the symptoms.
Sirius sat across from Marlene McKinnon in a dingy café that was still open at this late hour.
She was a sight to be sure, her golden curls soaking wet and plastered to her head, her dress was probably a deep blue when dry but currently it looked as though it’d been drug through a lake and the color was nearly black. Her makeup must have been waterproof though because her ice blue eyes still popped with the golden shimmer surrounding them and her lips still pulled him in with their blood red color.
Then she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and Sirius’ brain jumped back to memories from so long ago he’d nearly forgotten them.
“So, how was uni in Germany?”
“Alright, I managed to do well enough.” Sirius toyed with his mug. “How was uni in Ireland?”
Marlene stiffened and looked away.
“Not good?”
She didn’t answer and Sirius hated how he couldn’t read her as easily as he had before they both left the country.
“Marls, I have no clue what’s bothering you, so can you at least give me a hint?”
Marlene blinked, and the rigidness in her posture melted for a moment. Sirius capitalized on that moment of softness.
“Come on, Marls, it’s me.”
Her eyes returned to his and he was shocked at the pain he saw there. “I never went.”
“What?” That didn’t make sense. They’d both been wanting to get out of dreary old England and both came from families that had the funds to get them out, granted his family would have preferred him dead but they weren’t the family that paid for him to go to school, Uncle Alphard had seen to that.
“I never went.”
“But, James never said anything-”
“I threatened him not to.” Marlene sighed and looked down at her mug. “No one but James and Lily knew.”
Sirius couldn’t help staring. His mind had gone blank. “Why?”
“Mum got sick,” she shrugged. “I couldn’t leave Dad and Catherine to look after her on their own.”
“Is she alright?” Sirius felt his blood run cold.
“Yeah, the cancer is in remission, has been for two years, and the doctors think she’ll be fine.”
Sirius let out a long, shaky breath. “I’m really, really glad to hear that.”
Finally she smiled at him. “I’m really, really glad to be able to say that.”
He chuckled and resisted the urge to reach out and take her hand. “So what had you in the streets of London without an umbrella this evening?”
Her face fell.
Sirius briefly wondered if it was a date gone wrong. The thought soured his stomach.
“You might call it a business opportunity gone wrong.” Her shoulders slumped and she stared back down at her drink.
Sirius tried to stamp down his relief at it not being a date. “What kind of business?"
"I was at a party where agencies look for potential new models.”
Sirius opened his mouth but no sound came out. What happened in the six years he’d been gone? The Marlene he thought he’d sent to Ireland would have never pursued modeling. She wanted to be behind the camera, finding the perfect lighting, making him pull over on the side of the road because she had to get the perfect shot, obsessed with this lense and that film type. She was never interested in being the subject of a photograph.
“Yeah,” she shook her head. “I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. I was wrong.”
Sirius’ brain finally started turning gears again. “Wait, how did that lead to you on the pavement in the pouring rain?”
“I made a scene and ran.”
“Why did you make a scene?”
“Because one of the agents decided he didn’t need to keep his hands to himself.”
Marlene had said it so easily, almost flippantly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Being caught in the rain is bad enough, but a friend from the past might be the means to the fresh start Marlene is hoping for.
I hope you all had a wonderful week last week! We’re back with Blackinnon Fest and this little Muggle AU! This story will post all this week, and then next week there will be one more story to wrap up the month! Next week’s story is a short sequel to my Blackinnon Spies story, Reconnaissance. If you haven’t read it jump over and read that in between these chapter updates!
Vignette
Chapter 1 - Expect the Unexpected
Her dress was sticking to her skin and not in a good way.
Marlene wiped her hair from her face and cursed. It wasn’t enough that she was running from a party that had the potential to make a new career, a new start. It wasn’t enough that she’d caused a scene, screeching at the cretin who thought he could touch whoever he wanted. It wasn’t enough that she’d probably just ruined any chance she had at breaking into the London modeling scene. No, none of that was enough. There needed to be one more thing to make her night miserable, and the fates decided it had to be rain. And not some light drizzle, oh no, it had to be pouring, a torrential flooding of cats and dogs, the kind of rain that cascaded from the heavens like an angry waterfall out for revenge.
Her phone buzzed in her clutch tucked under her arm and in her attempt to retrieve it she lost her balance in her sky high heels and crashed down on the pavement. Marlene swore as she rubbed at the pain in her hip and wrist.
“Marlene?”
She tried to pretend she hadn’t heard that voice. She tried to convince her brain that she was hallucinating under the stress. She told herself that the rain was so loud she was hearing things that weren’t there, couldn’t be there.
And she would have succeeded if a strong hand hadn’t wrapped around her shoulder and an umbrella came to cover her.
“Marlene, it’s me.”
“Do I want to know how long you’ve been standing there?” She didn’t look up at him, focusing instead on the umbrella in his hand.
It felt so good not to have the rain pelting her face.
“Longer than you’d like.” His voice was warm and so familiar that if she were any other woman she would have cried. “Your fall was graceful if that’s any consolation.”
“Of course it was.” Marlene grimaced against the pain as she moved to stand. He immediately pushed his hand under her arm, helping to lift her from the pavement. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but how did you get here? You were in Germany.”
“I moved back to London a few weeks ago.” He pulled her a step closer. “And don’t take this the wrong way, but are you actually going to look at me or is my umbrella the only thing you’re tolerating my presence for.”
Marlene closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she looked up at him, his black hair slightly damp as it hung around his ears and neck, his gray eyes danced with mischief like they always had so many years ago, and his lips quirked up to the left with the same smirk that had ensnared her when she’d first seen him.
She couldn’t stop the smile that pulled on her lips. “Hello Sirius.”
Sirius very quietly cast the charm, levitating them into the air. Marlene thankfully muffled her gasp behind her hand before spinning and wrapping her arms around his waist, holding tightly.
He wrapped his free hand around her waist, mostly because it was easier to maneuver them that way. Very little of it had to do with enjoying having her pressed against him.
“Alright, McKinnon?” Sirius whispered against the top of her ear.
“Sure, just don’t drop us.” She held on a little tighter.
“So little faith.”
“I have literally met puddles deeper than you, Black, so forgive my lack of faith.”
Sirius laughed quietly. “Well, that’s not a very nice way of putting it. But yes, I suppose you’re right. Don’t worry, McKinnon, I won’t be doing anything to jeopardize this mission. Your jacket is too important to risk being found out.”
He felt her smirk against his neck and it made him feel ten feet tall.
Levitating them through the girls’ dorms was no small feat as he constantly had to avoid Slytherins moving around them.
Sirius found an alcove and stopped them to pull out the Map.
“What’s that?” Marlene pulled back slightly when he let go of her, but kept a tight grip on his waist.
“A bit of magic.” He touched his wand and whispered as quietly as he could. The map filled out and he quickly turned to the Slytherin girls’ dorms. “Help me look for Alecto’s roommates.”
Marlene gawked at the map for a long moment before her eyes snapped back up to him. “When we get out of this, I want to know what this is.”
“Right, but first we need to get out of this, so if you please?” He gestured to the Map again.
Marlene and him looked at all the names of girls Sirius honestly would like to throw into the Black Lake when suddenly she touched the page. “There! Maleficent Simmons! She’s one of Tweedle Dumb’s roommates!”
“Hold this and watch for anyone we don’t want to deal with.” He handed her the Map and began moving them to the dorm that Maleficent was sitting in.
“She’s moving towards the door!” Marlene hissed as he reached out to open the dorm door.
Sirius threw them to the side, pinning Marlene against the wall with his body, the Map pressed between them.
Sure enough, Maleficent exited the dorm and moved toward the common room.
“That was close.” Marlene’s breath tickled his neck and Sirius looked down to find her ice blue eyes staring right back at him.
He forced himself to chuckle, to put some figurative space between them, to stop himself from doing something stupid, like leaning in and kissing her.
“Nice moves, Black,” Marlene gave his chest a light shove. “I see why the girls fall at your feet.”
Sirius smirked as she managed to break the spell that had frozen him. “You know you’re my favorite, right?”
A light brightened her eyes and Sirius nearly threw the game away right there.
“I better be.” She gestured toward the dorm. “Let’s get my jacket back, yeah?”
“Right.” Sirius moved them into the dorm and looked around. He heard parchment crinkling under Marlene’s fist and pulled the Map from her grasp before she took her anger out on it.
“I don’t see it.” She huffed.
Sirius lowered them to the ground. “Here, get out and start looking for it. I have an idea.”
“Aren’t you going to help me?”
“I am,” Sirius gave her a push out of the cloak. “But I need the cloak to do it.” And while still under the cloak, he transformed into Padfoot.
When Sirius awoke on a bright Friday morning, a suffocating worry seemed to grip his throat in a sailor’s knot. It took him more than a moment to remember why he was so sick, but as the misty memories of the previous night came to the surface, he felt the urgent need to sit up and figure out where he sought refuge, to pin him on one of the sofas he later recognized as belonging to the Gryffindor Common Room only a stabbing pain in his side. The fire was going out, but the embers and a dim flame pleasantly warmed the air and a soft woollen blanket helped to hide the wounds and the worn Muggle clothes, soiled with a now dry mixture of blood and mud. Remus must’ve hit him really hard, judging by the pounding rumbling in his ears, but the worst part was Marlene, still on the carpet at his feet, fast asleep after she took care of his injuries with the scarce means available in the dormitory. She seemed calm, her long dark lashes brushing her rosy cheeks and her blond hair neatly gathered under her head to add some thickness to the thin pillow she must’ve stolen from an armchair, but the same couldn’t be said a couple hours before, when she saw him enter the portrait hole as pale as a rag and barely able to stand on his own. In truth, he never calculated anyone could be still up in the middle of the night, and his plan to sneak up to his room to wait for James and Peter’s return would’ve succeeded, if only he hadn’t asked her help with Professor Jigger’s assignment, so essentially if he was now forced to lie blatantly it was his own fault. He didn’t want to do it, lies did nothing but push people away, but he wouldn’t betray the promise made to his friends, not when Remus’ life, and especially his stay at Hogwarts, depended on the silence of each member of the group. He looked at her thoughtfully for a while, wondering what she was dreaming of and what she might’ve though as she cleaned him up and cut her bedsheets to get some basic bandages. He certainly knew what had gone through his mind, focused on the only pleasant distraction from the pain radiating from every point of his slender body. Since he really knew her, almost a month ago, things changed a lot in their relationship: at first, he hoped to attract her as he did with the vast majority of their classmates, later he hurried to finish the Divination’s project to free himself from her academic dedication, but in the end he grew fond of her reproachful looks and unexpected acts of kindness, so he didn’t want to screw it up fantasizing about the feeling her fingers moving confidently on his skin gave him, yet he couldn’t resist those inopportune thoughts, or the temptation to lean out enough to smell her perfume, or to see the golden specks in her big hazel eyes.
Marlene’s jacket has been stolen. So obviously, Sirius needs to get it back. They’re friends, he owes her that. But having her come along, and all these excuses to keep his hands on her…well, getting her jacket back might be easier than keeping his heart behind his carefully erected walls.
It’s Blackinnon Fest! A full month filled with Blackinnon! I have three Blackinnon stories that will go up this month! One for each week minus Holy Week. Enjoy this first story!
Heist
Chapter 1 - When Given the Choice
Marlene threw herself onto one of the couches in the common room and groaned.
“Everything alright, Marlene?” James looked up from where he sat with Sirius, Remus, and Peter, huddled over an intricately folded piece of parchment.
“Oh, just dandy, how are you?” She rolled her eyes.
Sirius laughed at her. “Don’t take your bad day out on us, McKinnon. We’re young and fabulous and life is good.”
“Can I stay in the reality of your universe?” She snapped at him. “Mine sucks.”
“Out with it, McKinnon.” He stuck her with the glare that always made her heart skip a beat.
“It’s stupid.” She huffed and turned away from the group. Then she gasped as strong hands grabbed her shoulders and turned her around.
“Where’s your jacket?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“McKinnon.”
“Black.”
“Where’s your leather jacket? You left with it.”
“I lost it.”
“You’re lying.”
“Oh, you’d know, eh?”
“Yeah.” He leant in, his gray eyes holding hers in a grip tighter than his hands on her shoulders. “I do.”
She pushed away, feeling her resolve starting to slip. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Did someone take it from you?” James now joined them.
“I said. It. Does. Not. Matter.” She ripped away from Black’s grip and went to storm away.
“Marlene!”
Marlene groaned at Lily’s voice. “Not now Lily.”
“Marlene, wait! Are you alright? Did they hurt you?”
“Who hurt her?!” Sirius was at Marlene’s side again.
“The Carrows were taunting her when I found them. They had her jacket but translocated it when I insisted they return it. I took them to Slughorn’s office and he said he’d take care of it.”
“Whatever, I’m going to bed.” Marlene tried to bolt for the stairs but Sirius snagged her hand.
“Nope, we’re getting your jacket back.”
“How did they get your jacket, Marly?” James fiddled with the parchment he and the boys had been looking at.
Marlene blinked back the angry tears that were rising to the surface. “I was stupid.”
“That doesn’t sound accurate.” Remus’ soft voice only seemed to infuriate her more.
“I let two idiot Slytherins get the best of me! That sounds pretty stupid to my ears!”
“Be nice to Moony, he only wants to help.”
She rounded on Sirius and the smirk on his face told her that was exactly what he’d wanted. “Comments from the peanut gallery aren’t appreciated!”
“This peanut gallery is going to get you your jacket back so I’d say the comments are necessary.”
“Awfully confident, aren’t you?”
“I mean, history says I kind of have the right to be.”
“Black, I swear on Merlin’s grave-” Marlene stopped as she felt James pulling her backward.
“Before you kill Pads, why don’t we start at the beginning?”
“Fine.” She ripped away from James. “I didn’t notice Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber hiding until they nearly knocked me over with a hex. I only had the jacket draped over my shoulders so when I started throwing hexes back it fell off and Tweedle Dumber summoned it before tossing it to Tweedle Dumb.”
“And she threatened to set it on fire,” Lily added. “That’s when I got there. I told them to give it back and she translocated it somewhere. I’m sure that Slughorn will get it back though.”
“Unlikely,” Sirius shook his head and pulled the parchment from James’ hands. “You and me?”
“I’ve got rounds in fifteen minutes.”
“Moony?”
“Wormy and I have to meet Dorcas and Benjy for our group project.”
Sirius turned back to James. “Does she know?”
“The cloak, yes.”
“That’s enough.” He looked back at Marlene. “Ready to take back what’s yours?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I told you, I’m stealing back your jacket and you’re going to help.”
“Sirius,” Lily huffed, “please wait until you know that Slughorn hasn’t managed to get it back.”
“Don’t worry, Red, I’ll be sure to confirm that Sluggy has failed before we break into the Slytherin’s dorms.”
“Wait, what?!” Marlene grabbed his sleeve.
Sirius smirked and leant close. “You want your jacket back don’t you?”
“Of course, I do.”
“Good, I’ll be right back.” His hand slid along her arm and Marlene felt just a touch of her embarrassment and ire slide out of her with him.
