Barking Mad (Sirius/OC)

A lion still has claws

Ola!

Here's the second chapter already! I wrote this story for NaNoWriMo and I'm already several chapters ahead, so I should update regularly! (:

Love,

Kelly

Chapter 2

A lion still has claws,

And mine are long and sharp, my lord,

As long and sharp as yours.

~ The Rains of Castamere - Game Of Thrones OST

Okay. I take it back. I don't want to be friends with Sirius Black anymore, I thought exactly five minutes later.

People were already noticing me and there was nothing I could do about it. "So what do you have now?" Sirius asked me as if nobody was sending glares my way at all.

I mean, he must be used to it, right? Every girl he had ever shagged, had probably gotten the same damn looks from his fanclub. Maybe I should be flattered by their attention? At least that means that they think I'm worthy of Sirius Black? My eyes fell on a black haired Slytherin who gave me a quick once-over. She smiled evilly at me, before loudly asking what the deal was.

Okay. So maybe I wasn't exactly his usual bonnie lass. But maybe that's what had them so scared? At least that's what I liked to think. It was definitely better than thinking they were all giving me pitying glances because they knew where I'd end up eventually. On the cold, hard ground with my heart torn into shreds.

I shook my head. No, that wasn't even the point really. The point was that I simply couldn't afford to stand out. I just couldn't. Sure people thought I was a little loony and my definition of a friend had some pretty big holes in it, but that was something I could live with. Being in the spotlight, however, was not.

"Potions," I grumbled.

Sirius raised an eyebrow and I raised one right back. "You feeling alright?"

"Peachy," I sighed.

Sirius gave me a little smile and a nudge in the side. "You'll get used to it, you know."

I frowned. "I'll get used to what?"

"The stares." Sirius shrugged. I guess he did notice them after all. He went with a hand through his hair, something he probably picked up from James Potter. That boy's hair was worse than a haystack. It was always a mess and he seemed to like it that way. Boys. "After a while they just become part of your life, you know."

"Merlin," I said in outright horror, "I hope not."

Sirius laughed loudly. "I'm starting to think I chose a rather good new best friend."

"Happy you think so," I murmured as I tried to avoid the other students' gazes. This was going to be one hell of a day.

~**~

We arrived at our Potions class five minutes late. I mindlessly went to sit with Lily Evans and gave her a little smile in greeting.

She cocked her head to the side and gave me a thoughtful look.

"What?" I asked her as I grabbed my textbook from my bag and opened it on the required page written on the blackboard.

"I noticed Sirius Black sitting with you at breakfast," she whispered, peering over my shoulder at the subject at hand.

Professor Slughorn had already assigned us our potions partners for the rest of the year, kind of logical since we were halfway November, so Sirius was stuck with James. Neither seemed thrilled about it and both stared straight ahead at the babbling professor.