WARNING: There are curse words in this chapter, but they will be starred out just in case.

"Go out with me, McKinnon?" said a grinning red-head to Marlene cockily.

"No, Prewett, I've told you millions of times," groaned Marlene, pulling out her wand. "Now move, or I'll hex you."

"Marlene?" said a deep voice. "What's he doing?"

Marlene whipped around to find Sirius glaring at Gideon Prewett with a slight distaste in his eyes.

"Ah great," she said distastefully. "Now I have TWO jerks behind me."

Sirius gaped. "Why do you have to be so- URGH- all the time, McKinnon?"

Marlene sneered at him. "Go die in a hole, Black." Then she turned to Gideon Prewett. "And you- No means NO."

She turned on her heels sharply and walked away, but not before Sirius caught up to her with his long legs. "McKinnon, why in Merlin are you being like this?"

Marlene turned to him with a fire in her eyes. "You're being a right git, you know that?" she said angrily. "First you think I'm off snogging other boys. Then I TRY to explain why it's not true. And you don't even believe me! I thought you trusted me, Black. You're just as bad as you used to be. And here I was, thinking you had changed."

She once again whipped away to the path of the library. 

But once again, Sirius strode up to her and grabbed her wrist. "What do you mean, you thought I had changed? Was I not a good person before?"

"No!" shrieked Marlene. "No, you weren't! You hexed people for the fun of it! You jinxed one of my Slytherin friends!"

"Why were you friends with a Slytherin?" Sirius said indignantly.

Marlene gaped. "For your information," she said angrily. "Jane Peterson is one of my really close friends. She is a strong and wonderful person. She's sweet and caring. Just because she was sorted into Slytherin doesn't mean she's bad!"

"Oh yeah?" shrieked Sirius back at her. "What about Regulus, huh? He's bad?"

"Yay," said Marlene sarcastically. "Let's go back to the wonderful subject of YOU. You think it's ALL about you, don't you? I have feelings too, Sirius! Danny didn't do a thing wrong and here he was, apologizing to me for causing a rift between us! He's being sweet to me! Even he thinks you're a jerk!"

"Oh, getting cozy with Jackson, are we?" growled Sirius.

"You know what, Black?" gasped Marlene so angrily that some younger students and even teachers were now staring. "**** you!"

Sirius, the teachers nearby, and other students gasped at this.

"You are an actual idiot and a jerk," stated Marlene. "I shouldn't even talk to someone like you. Goodbye."

Later that day...

"Please do it," begged Alice. "Please go with me. I just need to get close wnough to hex him."

Marlene sighed. "I'm sorry, Al, but you can't hex him, as much as I want you to."

Lily grimaced. "If you're not going to let Al go with you to the Christmas dance to hex Black, why not just go for the fun of it?"

"There's no fun in sitting around in a cramped office filled with idiots."

"I mean," suggested Lily slowly. "You can always dance with the snack table..."

The Marlene they knew would definitely say yes to going for the snack table. But Marlene shook her head.

Alice and Lily gaped at each other. "Marls!"

"I'm going to the loo," said Marlene swiftly, ignoring them and standing up. "Be right back."

As she strode out of the common room and towards the first floor girls bathroom, she spotted Gideon Prewett walking towards her with another cocky grin.

"Go to the dance with me, McKinnon?" he said with a grin.

Marlene wanted to slap Gideon around the face, but she realized that he was just a hopeless romantic who didn't know how to handle himself. The kind part in herself decided to show.

"Alright, Gideon. I'll go with you."

Gideon grinned widely. "Gee, thanks, really. I'll- er- guess I'll see you in the Gryffindor common room that night, then."

"You got it," said Marlene with a wink, and turned around to the girls bathroom.

As soon as she stepped into the stall, bad thoughts began to flow. What have I done? she thought to herself. Sirius is going to be heartbroke- you know what? Why do I care for that jerk's feelings? I shouldn't be caring. Forget him. 

And finally, the night of the dance came. But because I know you all are SO impatient to see the dance, I'm going to make you all wait. :)

evil laughter moment 

Anyways, thanks for so many reads! Love you all sm.

- Jui Weasley