Sirius and Marlene strolled out of Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop and looked around Hogsmeade.
"Where to next?" Sirius asked as he looked over at the beautiful blonde next to him.
Marlene looked over at Sirius, "Maybe just walk around?"
Sirius agreed since he didn't have anything else in mind. The pair had already been to Honeyduke's, they each had a bag full of sweets, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Marlene wasn't the type to enjoy Zonko's.
The pair walked hand in hand through the trees. Snow fell gracefully from the sky and turned the already magical village even more enchanting. The snowflakes danced and twirled through the air and created a magical display as they were illuminated by the streetlights.
"This is the Shrieking Shack…right?" Marlene asked as they broke through the trees and found themselves in a small opening. A wooden fence stretched far into the distance and there was a large 'DO NOT ENTER' sign on a small gate.
"Yeah," Sirius nodded. They pair walked up to the fence and rested against the rustic wooden structure. Their eyes scanned the rolling hills and field covered in snow that stretch into the horizon. In the distance they saw the run-down house.
"Want to get closer?" Marlene asked slyly and moved towards the gate.
"Nope. Nuh uh. I'm not doing this," Sirius said emphatically, "We could get in trouble."
"Are you being serious?" Marlene asked incredulously.
"No, but…" Sirius trailed off, "Funny if I did the good thing and you did the bad one," he finished with a smirk and held the gate open for her to walk through first.
They made it halfway to the Shrieking Shack when their adventure took an unexpected turn. They heard a loud voice bellow from behind them.
"Hey! Did you not see the sign!"
They turned around and saw a vigilant old caretaker who stood near the fence. Marlene's heart sank when she realized the consequences of this impromptu excursion.
Sirius kept surprisingly calm. He held up his hands once they were closer to the man and said, "My apologies, Sir. It was my idea. I take full responsibility."
The caretake looked them over, "I'll let you off with a warning this time, but if I catch you wandering where you're not supposed to, Professor McGonagall will be the least of your worries."
"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir," Marlene stuttered and pulled Sirius away, back through the trees, into the center of Hogsmeade.
"I can't believe I let myself get into trouble like that."
Sirius grinned, a newfound respect shined in his eyes, "Funny, isn't it? Who knew that I would be the responsible one."
Marlene rolled her eyes, "You're never going to let this go, are you?"
"Not a chance," Sirius laughed and pulled Marlene into a side hug. Their date didn't go as planned but amidst the troublesome adventure, a connection started to blossom between them. As they walked up the path towards Hogwarts Marlene was very glad that she had taken a chance on the troublemaker Sirius Black.