Author's Note: *taps mic* is this thing on? Ahem. Well, this is the first ever chapter of my first ever fanfiction, woo! I've always wanted to write about the Infernal Devices, and now I guess I have. I realise that this is not the most original idea on the planet, but let's just see where it goes, eh? Thank you for reading!

Disclaimer: The characters, idea and setting of Infernal Devices belongs to the marvellous Cassandra Clare. I do not own any of it.


Sixteen years. Sixteen years of her mundane, boring life could be thrown out of the window. This would be a day of new beginnings, a chance to start again, and a chance to discover her true self. At least, she hoped so – it really all counted on her not being late, which, by the looks of things, was becoming more and more unlikely by the second. The old Theresa Gray was never late. Then again, the old Theresa Gray would not be standing in front of a cracked mirror in a London tube station (the Underground, they called it here) wishing she was anyone but herself.

She had never felt as conscious of her looks as she did now. Her pale complexion had never completely been an aspect of her that had fit into New York's norms, but it complimented her lively grey eyes and wild dark hair. Tessa had never deemed herself to be 'super-hot' like some of the girls she saw flouncing down Broadway, but neither was she horribly ugly. Now that she had taken her first proper steps in London, however, she felt more out of place than she had ever felt before. The voices of those that she passed carried a wild array of accents, all lilting with the attractive British tones she had only heard in movies. She began to see herself as this harsh, wild newcomer that would never belong. Hence the reason why she was now staring at the tired, miserable-looking girl in the mirror instead of navigating the busy, unfamiliar streets in search of what would be her home for the next two years.

"Are you going to stand there all day, sweetie?" The impatient tut of a voice pulled her out from her reverie, meeting the gaze in the mirror of an elderly woman standing behind her.

Muttering apologies, she found her feet to be moving of their own accord, weaving her in and out of the queue forming in the ladies' bathroom until she found herself looking up at a sea of people ascending and descending a set of stairs in an unspoken order only those from the city itself would ever understand. Well. She sighed to herself, adjusting the bag on her shoulder to a more comfortable position. May as well get lost now.

And she certainly did get lost. Tessa, after a good hour or so of aimlessly wandering, stopped for what seemed like the hundredth time to survey her surroundings. What she was looking for she didn't know – perhaps a sign that read 'Instituti Opus this way' or something. An exasperated mix between a groan and a sigh pushed passed her lips as she collapsed onto the nearest bench, only to jump back up with a yelp of surprise.

"Crap! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sit on you. I've just been walking for ages and I thought this bench was free and I just sat down – ugh, I'm such an idiot." She gushed, feeling a flood of embarrassment heat up her cheeks as she tried to straighten herself up in front of the guy she had just managed to sit on. Her shameful attempts at righting herself were only met with an amused chuckle, one that was not without kindness.

"No worries. It's pretty much impossible to find a seat around here without accidentally sitting on someone every once in a while – especially on a Sunday." The stranger stood up, swiftly brushing off the dirt Tessa had managed to kick up in her scramble off of his trousers. She took this moment to take in his appearance, her eyes wide with curiosity as her gaze landed on a head of silver hair and a pair of warm, friendly eyes. He looked around her age, perhaps a little older judging by the way he held himself with upmost maturity. They stood like that for a few long seconds, analysing every part of the other with open curiosity. In any other situation the silence would have been awkward, but their brief lapse into their own thoughts seemed to be completely natural, and perfectly comfortable. Finally the stranger smiled, and Tessa was reminded of an extract from a book she had just finished reading – The Great Gatsby.

He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it that you may come across four or five times in life. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself.

"I'm James, by the way. James Carstairs." She found herself flushing at the way this James' mouth turned up in a pleasant manner as he offered her an open hand to shake. And, being Tessa, she managed to simultaneously take his hand and drop her bags at once, resulting in her dragging his hand downwards somewhat forcefully.

"Sorry! Again." Tessa felt her lips curl up into a sheepish smile and she let go of his hand, attempting to gather her bags together while still maintaining a conversation.

"I'm Tessa. Well, Theresa, but everyone just calls me Tessa." Finally managing to sort out her belongings, she did not fail to notice the glint of amusement in James' eyes, and she felt yet another flush of embarrassment overcome her.

"Everyone calls me Jem." Her eyes couldn't help snagging on the flash of green she caught underneath his collar, but Tessa pulled her gaze away before it seemed nosey of her. "May I ask where you're headed with all of this…baggage?"

Tessa hesitated. Something she knew from her life in New York was to never trust strangers, especially those she met on the street – but this Jem seemed to genuinely care, more out of curiosity than malice.

"The 'Instituti Opus'? You know the boarding school? Is that how you say it? It's supposed to be the induction day and I am completely lost." She admitted with an exhale of annoyance, taking in her surroundings once again and finding nothing she recognised. Her brow quirked up in surprise as her new acquaintance let out a short laugh of wonder.

"I go to the Opus. I was just about to head back myself, actually. I don't usually take part in these 'induction days'." He shrugged. "I'm one of the regulars."

Her prayers had been answered. Feeling her shoulders sag in relief, Tessa felt the reluctance to ask him for directions slip away as he added:

"I'll take you there if you want."


Yay! My first ever chapter of my first ever fanfiction! Did I do it right? Reviews would be very much appreciated, and I should be getting the second chapter up pretty soon. I realise that this is quite short, but I just wanted to put my work out there; I think things will gradually get longer as the story develops. Also, I purposefully left Tessa's reasons for being in London out partly because I like the suspense, but also because I haven't completely figured it out yet. I hope you like it so far!