8. All We Are

I tried to paint you a picture

The colors were all wrong

Black and white didn't fit you

And all along

You were shaded with patience

Your strokes of everything

That I need just to make it

But I can see, yeah

-OneRepublic

Hogwarts kitchens end of February 1973

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Perhaps it was fate that they had both ended up at the same place with mischief in their minds. Perhaps fate knew that they were going to end up friends that year anyway.

Or maybe fate wanted to fuck Hogwarts up.

"What am I doing here? I was here first," said Lynn, crossing her arms in defiance.

"Yeah? Well now you can leave," Sirius huffed, holding open the door for her.

Lynn opened her mouth to argue, however her eyes widened before she flew at the door clicking it shut.

"What are you-"

"Hufflepuff prefects idiot, are you deaf?"

Sirius was pretty certain there was nothing wrong with his ears, but something freakishly good with Lynn's.

"What do you want anyway?" Sirius groaned stepping further into the kitchen, where house elves were bustling around.

"What I want? I was here first Black, it should be me asking that question."

"How do you even know about the kitchens anyway?

"My mother went to Hogwarts. She told me. How about You?"

"Mr. Potter told James."

There was a short silence before Lynn held up her empty vial of a purple potion. "It's hiccoughing potion. Spiked most of the food and drink with it."

Sirius frowned and shook his head. "Hiccoughing potion cures hiccups, why bother?"

"I reversed it."

His eyebrows flew up in surprise, and he worked to keep the admiration from his face. However he knew he failed when her usual smirk graced her lips.

"And what does the great Sirius Black want with the kitchens of Hogwarts?"

Sirius, with a flourish, whipped out a full bottle of babbling beverage. Lynn nodded her approval.

"Wonder how mixing them will turn out."

"I like how you think McLaughlin."

They found out 20 mins later when the great hall erupted in hiccups with endless chatter in between.

Sirius and Lynn, sitting side by side, snickered as they feasted on the untouched toast they had set aside for themselves. Remus took a couple of slices too, as he had come in late and hadn't touched any of the spiked food.

However James and Peter were not so lucky.

James gasped dramatically and placed his hand over his heart. "Siriuswhyareyou *hic* sittingbeside *hic*McLaughlinIthought *hic* you didn'tgetalong*hic*."

They glanced at each other with mischief in their eyes.

"Well we've decided on removing the truce," Lynn explained over James's continuous hiccoughing.

"And have instead formed an unbreakable partnership" Sirius finished.

"Save us all," groaned Remus.

Somewhere in Hogwarts start of March

"Bloody hell Black could you be any clumsier?"

"Well I'm sorry McLaughlin but I wasn't prepared for being suddenly tugged behind a tapestry I never knew existed."

"Not my fault you couldn't see where we all went. You were wandering around like a headless chicken."

"Shush Filch is coming!" James whispered harshly, scolding the bickering pair.

The group quietened as quick footsteps and short breath could be heard passing the tapestry.

"We've got them now my sweet," his nasally voice spoke, a responding meow could be heard.

They both stopped short, and they all held their breath.

"Meow."

The tapestry flung sideways, and Filch's creepy grin appeared in front of them.

"Oh shit."

Girl's dorm March 15th nearly two weeks later

To be honest, Lynn did not expect to find a friend in Sirius Black, let alone all four of the Marauders, but she found herself spending more and more time with the group.

Unfortunately, that meant she spent less time with Lily, who had brought up the issue one night in the dorm.

"How was your day," Lily asked breezily, throwing her shirt in the wash basket.

"Great actually," Lynn smiled, not detecting her friend's anger. "Me and James-"

"Oh bloody James Potter, but of course!" Lily bursted out, turning to face the shocked strawberry blonde. "What's so great about James Potter, excluding his arrogance and bullying tendencies!?"

Lynn frowned. What was wrong with her?

"Lily don't talk about-"

"Oh so you're defending him now! Severus was right! Black and Potter's got you trapped in their... their fan club!"

Marlene and Alice watched in shock as the usually best friend started their yelling match at each other two feet apart.

"What's Sniv- Severus got to do with any of this? And I'm not part of the fan club!"

"Severus knows what those what those boys are really like unlike you! You've been strutting about the castle like you're one of them! Sneaking out at night, getting detentions!"

Was she for real? She had only gotten one detention.

"Its just a bit of fun Lily! At least I'm not hanging around blood purists like Snape! Doing nothing while they bully muggleborn first years!"

"Severus would never! You're just hating him because it's what Potter and Black want you to think!"

"And you're just blind! He's dark Lils! I've known that the moment I met him! Pouring over cursed books, secretly calling others that- that disgusting name!"

"How dare you! Are you calling me a liar?"

"Well I ain't calling ye a truther!"

Goddammit her accent was showing more.

"That's not even a word you- you Irish hooligan!"

"Don't you DARE INSULT MY COUNTRY! You stiff, nagging BRIT!"

"I'LL DO WHATEVER I PLEASE YOU FAKE, PRANCING LEPRECHAUN!"

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

"MAKE ME!"

"I WILL!"

"BE CAREFUL! YOU MIGHT START ANOTHER POINTLESS IRISH REVOLUTION!"

"TRY ME EVANS! I'LL BRING ALONG THE IRA!"

"THEY'VE KILLED PEOPLE!"

"SO HAVE THE ACTUAL BRITISH POLICE!

"THEIR STOPPING TERRORISTS!"

"I DON'T SEE WHAT THE IRA HAS TO DO WITH ANYTHING SO SHUT UP!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!"

They both stormed to their beds and drew their curtains across violently. An uncomfortable silence ensued after, with only Marlene and Alice shuffling about getting ready for bed.

Maybe things would have played out differently if Lynn understood Lily's hurt feelings about her best friend spending time with the Marauder's, or if Lily understood how the Marauders let the part of Lynn that longed for adventure and mischief roam free.

Maybe Lynn wouldn't be against Snape if she knew his father abused him. Perhaps Severus Snape would be less against muggles if his father wasn't the only example he had growing up.

Perhaps the world would be a better place if there was a little more understanding in it.

Friday 16th March

When Lynn woke up the next morning Lily had already left the dormitory. Marlene and Alice were half dressed.

"Hey girlie," Marlene grinned sadly, pulling on her jumper. "You okay?"

"Yeah fantastic," she replied dryly, shoving her covers aside. She pulled on her uniform quickly and was last to leave the room.

Surprisingly, the Marauders, except Remus, were sitting at the table eating breakfast when she came down.

"Where's Remus?" She asked them, taking a seat beside Sirius and ignoring Lily who was a few spaces down from them.

"He's visiting his mum, she's ill," Peter replied quickly.

Lynn frowned at him. "Well I hope she gets better."

No one replied, so she took out her sketch book from her back and a charcoal pencil.

"You're always drawing in that... can I see?" Sirius reached out to grab the book from her hands, which caused her to yelp and hug it to her chest.

Sirius's eyes widened in surprise before glinting with curiosity. "What are you drawing? You're not drawing me are you? Though I wouldn't blame you, I'm a muse."

She glared at him menacingly before opening up her sketch book again to a new page. "Hardly you eejit. I just draw what's on my mind. They're not very good anyway," she muttered, cheeks tinging pink.

Sirius scoffed. "Yeah right. I bet they're fantastic. You're bloody good at everything."

She rolled her eyes, not taking her eyes off the page as she dragged her pencil across the page quickly, almost as if on auto pilot. "I'm not good at everything. I can't whistle."

Sirius, James and Peter all snorted at her statement.

"Here show us and we'll tell you if they're good," James said, holding his hand out.

She looked at him distrustfully, before slowly putting down her pencil and handing him the sketchpad. James flicked to the beginning of the boom as the Marauders each leaned in to see.

Their jaws dropped as they flicked through the black dusted pages. The first was a shadowy face, messy strokes of charcoal defining his face.

The second was the back of a girl, looking into a room. It's was slightly less clear, the girls features unseen.

The third made no sense to them, random curved lines on the page. Curving upwards and downwards from a horizontal line.

The fourth however, was black watercolour paint, and they could recognise hogwarts in the background, though why five different animals were running across the page was beyond them.

"I only started this book a week ago so there's only a few there," Lynn told them when they didn't say anything, playing with her hair nervously.

Peter gaped at her in wonder. "These- these are.."

"Wonderful."

"Bloody brilliant."

"Amazing."

She blushed slightly whilst snatching her sketch book back, shoving it into her back. "We should probably get to class."

They entered Charms right on time, and before she could even respond, Sirius grabbed her wrist and dragged her to Remus's empty seat.

"What if I wanted to sit with Lily?" Lynn told him, not protesting as she sat down.

"If you did, you would have sat with her at breakfast like normal."

Lynn's eyebrows rose at his perceptiveness, but said nothing to disagree.

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

Hey guys! Posted a chapter quicker this time! Please follow, favourite and review! Also if you have a Wattpad account could you please vote for this story. The accoumt is the same name and the story is titled "The Vixen."

Kayla x