↩↩ Flash Back ↩↩ ( Two hours after Sirius Stuns Oliver)

'It was like a cold war.' Remus said.

The only way in which he could explain the potions class.

'Yeah?' James said. 'Wait what does that mean?'

'It means a state of intense tension in the air.'

Peter was humming a tune and Sirius was distracted.

'Tension' Remus shouted in sirius's ear.

'Yeah, asshole. I am listening.' Sirius said.

'What's that?' Remus asked.
'What?'
'It's your "I did something bad" look.' James said.

'Yeah it happens to me too when I eat something I wasn't supposed to.' Peter said.

'What did you do?' James asked.

'It happened first when I ate these peppers in -'

'Not you, Peter. I meant him.' James said.

'Some other time.' Remus patted Peter.

'Nothing. It's.. nothing.' Sirius said with an exasperated sigh.

'Tell us. There's nothing to worry about.' Remus said.

'Wait, I know. You threatened another one of Marlene's boyfriends. The ... third?' James asked.

'Yeah. Fine, you got me.'

'Why do you keep doing that if you don't even like her?' Remus asked. 'I mean you are happy being single, right?'

'Being single is awesome. Everybody knows that. I just do that to Marlene because she depends on me to break her relationships when they go haywire.'

'There's a line. You can't cross it like James did.' Remus said.

'Hey. You are the one to talk.' James retorted.

'I don't know what you mean.' Remus denied.

'So what happened with you and dorky?' Sirius smirked.

'You promised to stop calling her that.' Remus said.

'Yeah when you guys were dating. Now you probably shouldn't care.' Sirius said.

'Yeah, but still.' Remus said.

'So?'
'Well nothing much happened.' Remus said.

'Except?'
'Except -'

↩↩ Flashback ↩↩
'Uhm Remus we are making the bloodroot poison.'

'So, what?'
'You are clearly making what seems like..' Dorcas's words trailed away.

'Like?'
'Well a mess.'
'You would know after all you are the expert at making messes.'

'Remus I told you I didn't mean to hurt you-'
'But you did didn't you-'

'Mr Lupin and Miss Meadowes, lower down your voices- you are disturbing the class.' Slughorn groaned.

'I said I am sorry.' She whispered after a while.

Remus didn't reply.

'Fine, I won't say anything.'
***
'Thats it?' Sirius asked.

'Yeah.' Remus said head stuck to his couch.

'No. Tell him all of it.' James said.
'Fine.'

↩↩ Continued ↩↩
Remus understood her position but could accept the truth.

Seeing him there must have brought up past memories and all other things might have swept off from her mind.

But there was no excuse for that.
And just a sorry didn't solve it.

They worked in silence for a while.

'I know you are.' Remus said.

'What?'

'I know you did it without thinking on the spur of the moment. I know it was a mistake.'

'Uh then why are you flipping out? It's not like you have feelings left for me anyway.'

Remus controlled himself.
'No. It was because you lied to me.'

'No, I indirectly altered my sentence to prevent a lie.'

'Thats equivalent to lying.'
'No it isn't.'
'Yes it is.'
'Why are you being a jerk about this?' She asked.

'I am the jerk? What are you? The princess?'

Within another few minutes the argument heated up and their voices started getting louder from whispers and into shouts much louder than the horrible hissing from their cauldrons.

And then Slughorn shouted at them for disturbing the class and took five points from gryffindor, each.

'Its all your fault.' Remus hissed.
'Shut up.'
***
'That's it? You argued like babies?' Sirius asked. 'Ingenius.'

'Its not like you would understand the concept of heartbreak padfoot.' James said.

↩↩ FlashForward ↩↩
(Later that night)

'Well now I do.'
***
↩↩ FlashForward ↩↩
(Later down the road)

'I really like you. There, I said it. Now once and for all, can you just give me a straight answer. Do you like me or not?' Marlene asked.

'No. I don't.'
'Oh. Well, I clearly was getting the wrong signals—' Marlene started dejectedly.

'Ask me again if I like you or not?'
'Why? You said you don't.'

'Just ask me.'
'Fine do you like me?'
'Yes, I do. I was just making you experience one billionth of what I felt when you kicked me out of your life.'

'If you are still hung up over that then why do you like me?

'Does it have to make sense?'
'No.' She came closer.

Sirius made the final move and pulled her into a kiss.

'Btw I wasn't really worried about that. I kicked Oliver's ass within a few weeks.' Sirius whispered.

'Don't ruin the moment.' Marlene shushed him.

Sirius made a face at her.
'Am I your boyfriend now?' Sirius asked.

'I guess so. Feels odd. Sirius black is my boyfriend. I feel like a slut.'

'I feel so honoured.'