#HIS awkward sod even right after (1) sleeping with a suspect and (2) starting a super nasty quarrel

[fanficrocks]

Laura’s face - it’s as if she is saying “stop pretending already, Robbie! Either you are in love with him or you have pretty much adopted him. Whichever it is, can you stop acting like he is just a colleague?” 🙄🙄🙄

[hufflepuffmarlenemckinnon]

Of the Essence 7/22

A Marauder’s Era Fanfic

Pairings: Blackinnon, Jily

Rating: Teen-Mature for language and sexual themes. I will warn for the two later chapters that get a little steamy.

Word Count: 22k+

Summary: Sirius and James semi-inadvertently invent a new potion. It’s consequences to Sirius’s personal life are anything but straightforward.

A/N: I am a complete failboat at using Tumblr as a platform for my fic, but I am giving it a go and moving my current WIP over from here.

Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch.3 Ch.4 Ch.5 Ch.6

Chapter 7; Stay

Sirius didn’t really consider what he’d done stealing. It was more like he borrowed James’s invisibility cloak. Just without asking and without the intention of telling him he’d had it to begin with if it could be helped.

The lengths he was going to in order to catch a moment alone with Marlene were getting embarrassing. He’d waited around for over an hour in total, first to get into the Hufflepuff common room and then the 6th year girls dormitory.

Once he was there, it was easy enough to find Marlene’s bed and cast a silencing charm around the curtain. Then it was just more waiting.

“What the…” Marlene’s eyes got huge when she opened the curtain to her own bed and found it occupied by none other than a smirking Sirius Black.

He gestured for her to be quiet so as not to give him away. Despite her better instincts Marlene did just that. She slipped behind the curtain and spoke in a whisper.

“How did you even get in here, Black?”

“I have my ways.”

“Shhhh. My dorm mates will be able to hear you.”

“Silencing charm.” He gestured, tracing a ring around the bed, where he’d cast the spell.

“You’re…”

“Intolerable?”

“Well I’m not sure that’s what I was going to say but yes.”

“You’d like me to leave then?”

She really really didn’t. He was reclinded on her bed looking casual and effortlessly gorgeous. How was this fair at all?

“No! Don’t. Um… I mean… you’ll risk getting caught and it’s very busy out there right now. I don’t want to get in trouble because of your… creative sneaking.”

“Right McKinnon. I’m so sure you’re just trying to avoid detention.”

He pulled her down by both hands, and she let out an involuntary squeal.

His kisses were languorous and teasing. Somehow she felt like the wanting party, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Her body was nearly overtaken by the sense of burning need when she managed to pull herself away.

She took a few breaths and tried to ground herself. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be. She’d been downright mean to him in effort to make him go away and he still pursued her. Why her? Why when almost anyone else would have been less contrary about it?

She looked at him from a different angle and questioned her whole opinion of him. He really hadn’t been anything but continually nice, though relentlessly flirtatious, with her. He always went away when she firmly rejected his advances. The problem is she wanted less and less to keep rejecting, even though it would be really embarrassing to admit defeat at this point. It was hard for her to concede that her first impression was off but he was starting to grow on her. In no small part because he was a phenomenal snogger. But also because he really seemed intent on earning her affection, her despite her own stubborn flaws.

“So are you going to tell me to leave now?”

“I think not. You’d better stay. I’d just um… rather not get too carried away.”

“Why not? I’d like to carry you away.”

He sat up and laved hot open mouth kisses down her neck, inciting a moan when he added his teeth to the mix.

She needed to act normal. None of this was normal but she needed to act it, or her roommates would think she was acting strangely and check up on her, or worse, alert her brother and sister. She couldn’t let that happen.

“I’m gonna get ready for bed. I don’t want to act like I’m up to anything. Hufflepuffs talk and if anyone knows then my brother Lucan knows.”

“You’re ashamed of me, McKinnon?”

“Yes.”

She quickly slipped out from behind the curtain and made sure it was closed all the way. On the way to the bathroom to brush her teeth she pondered the fact that her tone came out teasing rather than genuinely discouraging. Was she… flirting back?

She felt acutely aware of her pajamas and how… not particularly sexy… they were. She’d put no thought into this fact before that moment. But now… he was going to see her in her beat up old shorts and sleeveless undershirt? Well… at least if her unattractive nightwear scared him off she wouldn’t have to worry about rejecting him again.

When she eeked back in behind the curtain, making sure not to open it at all in the process, she felt sure this was a dream. It had to be a dream.

Sirius Black was shirtless with his lower body covered by the the blankets on her bed.

What. The. Fuck.

“What?” He asked, clearly attempting to feign innocence.

“You were wearing clothes when I left. I’m quite sure I would have remembered if you weren’t.”

“Well you said you were getting ready for sleep. I figured if you don’t want me to sneak out...since you want to avoid getting found out and all...I should sleep here. You can’t expect a bloke to sleep fully dressed.”

“Uuuuuugh…. What was the word again? Intolerable. You. are. intolerable…”

“You seem to be tolerating me quite well, nonetheless. Or would you like me to go?”

He was clearly playing a game with her with his annoying beautiful eyes and stupid strong arms bare and looking like a work of art. He wasn’t just playing. He was winning. She was going to have to admit defeat for this round, she conceded.

For the first time in this whole… thing, she was the one who initiated the kiss.

“Stay.” Was all she managed to say.

Sirius was in sodding heaven. She kissed him. She didn’t just avoid saying no, she finally admitted out loud that she wanted him to stay. Maybe she was starting to soften towards him. It seemed possible that using the tried and true weapons at his disposal in a more forward manner was going to do the trick. Her hands slid up his chest and around his shoulders as her mouth opened wider to let out a sigh.

He paused for a moment just to look at her.

“Merlin you are beautiful…”

He was contemplating how much of a lovesick idiot he sounded like when her posture changed. She averted her eyes and squirmed uncomfortably. She looked nervous all of the sudden.  

“Uhh… yeah… we should um… not…” she muttered in a very small voice.

“Are you alright?” He puzzled.

Marlene felt so out of her depth. She was fairly certain that Sirius knew, or at least suspected, that she was inexperienced. She didn’t want to have to say it. It was awkward and made it seem like it was some sort of issue. She didn’t fee attached to her virginity in any way. She just hadn’t had instance to partake of the relevant activity before.

But now the instance was obviously presenting itself and she felt conflicted. On one hand she was completely overflowing with desire for more of him. More of his mouth on her neck… more of his hands on her thighs. More… ugh.

On the other hand she felt like a dirty little slag for wanting to give it away to a bloke she didn’t even want to admit that she liked. That wasn’t the romantic ideal, now was it?

“Are you… a virgin or something?”

Predictable, that he sensed her anxiety despite the eagerness behind her kisses. Annoying. But he was like that. He seemed to see straight through her.

“Yeah…” she mumbled under her breath, not looking him in the eye.

He failed to contain a little laugh as he pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her mess of golden curls. He realized he was acting strangely but it all felt so right that he couldn’t stop it. Just like he couldn’t stop smiling.

She didn’t want to shag him but she wanted him to stay. He knew that in theory he should have been a bit disappointed, but the idea was so exciting. She might not admit any affection for him yet, but wanting him to stay without the usual excuse was quite telling. He was so happy he could burst.

“You’re laughing at me. Arsehole.”

“Only because you’re adorable. I might be an arsehole but I’m not in the business of pressuring sweet little Hufflepuffs to hand over their virginity. You don’t have to be nervous about that.”

“It’s not a big deal is it? I just haven’t done it before and thought this probably wasn’t the ideal scenario for the inaugural event…”

“I promise it’s fine.… but your wording is not. ‘Inaugural Event’? Really?”

“Better than ‘grand opening’ by a measure I’d say.”

The pair of them were laughing and Sirius was getting very concerned for his cardiac health. He’d never felt his heart in his throat and his stomach in the course of a single minute before. But that was Marlene’s effect on him, he supposed.

“So you want to go to sleep now, McKinnon?”

“Not sure I’ll be able to sleep.”

“Why’s that? I don’t snore or anything. You can even hog the blankets. It’s your bed and all.”

He smirked in that annoyingly sexy way that he did… Marlene had no defenses for this. She turned away, facing the curtain.

“Well Black, let's think. There’s this naked wizard in my bed…”

“I am not naked, thank you very much. I have on pants.”

“Close enough.”

“Not for my liking.”

She buried her face in her pillow, poorly concealing her embarrassment.

He took the opportunity to wrap an arm around her waist and lay his hand against her stomach. He kissed her bare shoulder and the back of her neck.

This was all very odd. This wasn't what Marlene had expected he’d be like. What on earth has she done to inspire such tenderness? She wasn’t even nice to him. She’d have to figure out how to proceed with her life after this, but for right then, she laced her fingers with his. Eventually she managed to relax and drift off to sleep.