This is a chapter for all my blackinnon shippers hehehehhe :)

you don't have to read it as it contributes nothing to the actual remus x ana plotline, but I felt inspired to write sirius and marlene again

love y'all :)

(just a general sad feeling about this chapter, just letting y'all know)

Ever since the 'Snape incident', Sirius had been cooped up in his dorm, refusing to come out except for classes.

At this point, it seemed like Marlene was the only one he truly let in to talk to him.

Why?

No one knew.

If Sirius had been so excited to go and hex Snape, why was he still feeling so mopey about it?

Lily, James, Ana, and Remus had now talked it out together and seemed to be in a good mood.

But Sirius was simply a different case.

"Sirius?" asked Marlene's voice quietly, knocking on the dormitory door gently. "May I come in?"

"Mmhm," said Sirius, just loud enough for her to hear.

Marlene opened the door and swung it shut behind her after she stepped in.

Sirius was sitting on his bed, knees pulled up to his chest, eyes lowered to the ground sadly.

"Sirius, I need you to tell me the truth," said Marlene quietly, sitting next to him. "This has been going on for two weeks now. Why did it affect you so much?"

"Marlene?"

"Hmm?"

"I really don't wanna talk about it."

"Alright, then," said Marlene gently. "You take your time. But when you're ready to talk about it, you can come to me. I'm always available to help anyone out."

Sirius half-expected Marlene to leave him there alone, but she stayed by his side the whole time. Just there if he needed anything.

"My parents," Sirius whispered finally.

Marlene looked up at him, but didn't say anything. 

"My parents taught me that violence was always the answer," Sirius continued quietly. "I really believed them for quite a while. In our first year, I called Eloise Midgen a... a you-know-what. I didn't know it was a rude term. I just thought it was a term people used in everyday conversation. Eloise has never spoken to me or even looked at me since. I've even tried apologizing a couple times, telling her I never knew what it meant, but... She never listened. She and I were even good friends before it happened."

Marlene sat next to Sirius, taking in everything he said, along with some head nods of understanding.

"James told me about what Snape was saying about Lily. I dunno," Sirius continued. "I think it just sorta reminded me of what I was like. I didn't like myself then and Snape sounded just like me. I hated it. So I just..."

Marlene reached out to clasp Sirius' hand firmly. 

"I'm scared, Marlene," said Sirius, barely louder than a whisper. "I'm scared that I'll say something wrong and you all will walk away. I don't know how to apologize to Lily, because if I say something wrong, a single misstep, James and Remus could lose their close friends. I could lose my close friends. I could... I could lose you."

Marlene smiled slightly. "Sirius... we know you're trying your hardest to stop your parents beliefs from being passed onto you. That's enough proof for us to know you'll never be like them. Ok? You are the strongest person I know for working through this. Come here," she said, stretching out her arms to hold Sirius in a hug. 

Sirius buried his face in Marlene's soft but bushy blonde hair, letting out long puffs of breath, making her hair tickle his nose slightly.

"Thank you," muttered Sirius. 

"I am always here- always- if you need anything, ok?" said Marlene. "Don't be afraid to burst into History of Magic to talk to me."

Sirius laughed quietly. He pulled away from the hug.

"I won't be afraid," Sirius said, now so quiet that Marlene couldn't even hear him. 

I won't be afraid.