Invisible

She wasn't like any other girl - With her elfin stature, nearly translucent skin, silky honey-hued locks and big doll-like amethyst eyes, she could have been one of the most striking witches at Hogwarts. But she wasn't. It as if there was some strange magic around her – something that prevented anyone from looking at her or thinking about her long enough.

She couldn't explain it – Cara was, in a word, invisible.

Easily the clumsiest person in Hogwarts, Cara tripped over every book, carpet, and extra-large foot that ever came her way. It was like she was always learning how to walk on two legs. But people barely noticed. She wasn't terrible at everything – she could fly well, given that it barely involved using her legs – but Dumbledore had this standing rule about not broom-sticking it everywhere in the castle, which left her with the unnecessary reputation of a deadly klutz.

When she wasn't toppling Christmas trees in the Great Hall and spilling cauldrons on herself, Cara spent her days in the damp Slytherin dungeons. That was another thing that kept her from being normal even among Slytherins – she loved the smell of mildew. It was a comforting scent - and there was no other way to explain it, so she usually kept that to herself. She didn't even know why she was in Slytherin – she couldn't give a damn about her bloodstatus, and just ask her best friend Severus if she was cunning or ambitious – he'd just laugh in your face.

And then there was the matter of her best friend. Cara had always feared letting anybody get too close, but try as she might, there was one person who wouldn't let her push everyone away … Severus. Ever since their first year, Severus was the only one who cared about what happened to her. He was the only one who saw her when she was being cursed by an older student in front of everyone, and Severus stopped him with a deadly curse. Since then, he behaved like her big brother, protecting her from everyone and everything. He was always looking out for her, picking her up when she fell, and making sure she never got hurt. She loved Severus – he and Dumbledore were the only family she had known.

And that was another thing that kept her from being ordinary – Cara Mortlake was an orphan.

The earliest memory she had was of Dumbledore picking her up in his arms, his white beard tinged with auburn. The air smelled like mildew and moss, and they were in a vast forest. He tucked in his arms, and sang her a lullaby … in a strange tongue. That memory always calmed her, and his voice was so melodic, and the song was so familiar - she couldn't bear to think of it too often because it made her heart soar faster and faster as she tried to remember every note of that song and every fluttering leaf around them.

Apart from her two strange guardian angels, there was no one who knew her at Hogwarts. Everyone thought she was just another drifter … simply passing by …

Cara always wanted something more than that. In that way, she was like every other girl – just wanting to be liked … and loved, if she was lucky.

But Severus always tousled her hair playfully when she talked about wanting things to be different. He never placed much importance in her desire to be normal, saying she was fine just the way she was. But Dumbledore felt differently – and it was because of Dumbledore that Cara had tried every second of her life to be something she knew she could never be. Her first day at Hogwarts, he had warned her to keep to herself – to fit in and try to be just like everyone around her. It was as if he had some strange secret that he wouldn't divulge, some secret that she shouldn't know. But in his kind eyes, Cara saw that Dumbledore wished with all his heart that she would go unnoticed by everyone – as if they'd see something strange in her if they looked long enough – as if he was worried about what would happen if they did. Sometimes, Cara thought he feared she was someone extraordinary.

Cara laughed grimly, knowing her imagination was running away with her again. Dumbledore was just looking out for her, nothing more. She was nobody extraordinary … nobody important. She kept telling herself that, ignoring the stinging of tears that fought back.

Dumbledore was right to expect her to keep her one promise to him – to never draw any attention to herself – since it was such a little promise. And for everything he'd done for her, Cara would have given her life for Dumbledore and Severus if they ever needed it. She was hell bent on keeping that promise till the day she died. Despite her elfin stature and her clumsiness, Cara Mortlake would be normal and invisible … or die trying.

*~*~*

Even with her crippling fear of letting anyone get too close, there was always a voice in the back of her head telling her that it shouldn't be like this – she shouldn't be an overlooked wallflower, withering away. There must have been some dark magic around her making her unmemorable – why else would a violet-eyed clumsy Slytherin girl never be noticed by anyone at all? Or was it as she feared – there were no dark arts behind it – was she just … an unremarkable witch?

Cara couldn't bear to think of that any longer.

It was the first day of their seventh year, and the Great Hall was chattering noisily that Monday morning, and the sun was burning brightly over the enchanted ceiling, but Cara felt none of its warmth. She was sitting in the far end of the Slytherin table, holding her rucksack tightly in her arms, her caramel hair falling in her eyes. She was frozen, unable to eat.

She winced as an owl swooped past her, delivering another letter to someone else; the early morning post was the part about Hogwarts she dreaded the most – they always reminded her that she had no family that would write to her, and that the fearful word would ring in her ears every time she heard an owl hooting happily as someone opened a basket of muffins from home.

Orphan.

It was her first time she'd realized that this was her last year at Hogwarts – and she had the most terrifying thought – nobody except Severus knew who she was even after seven bleedin' years. How could the Bloody Baron have more friends than her – when she had a pulse and everything? Life could be cruel sometimes.

She suddenly felt warm, like someone was looking at her. She looked up at the staff table, and saw Dumbledore watching her with concern gleaming in his eyes. He was silent, but his eyebrows were furrowed worriedly. Then, as if seeing someone behind her, Dumbledore visibly relaxed, and began eating hearty spoonfuls of his porridge.

Suddenly, Cara felt Severus sit beside her. He didn't say anything, just smiling at her. She smiled back, and she knew why Dumbledore lightened up – her big brother was there and everything would be better, whatever was wrong. Well, Severus wasn't really her brother, but he had been looking out for her as if he was. Whenever someone mistook her for his little sister, Severus never corrected them – knowing it would break Cara's heart. They were sitting far away from the rest of the Slytherins and it was almost quiet … if it weren't for those Gryffindors across from them talking in carrying voices.

"Morning, Cara," He said, in a warm voice that no one else heard, picking up the newspaper, "Eat your breakfast."

She nodded obediently with her big violet eyes, and plated some eggs for the both of them. He barely ate, just making sure she did. Sometimes, she thought, taking another bite under his forceful gaze, he took care of her a little too much.

When she was nearly done, Severus held out his hand for her schedule of classes for the rest of the year to compare with his own, and she gave it to him hesitantly.

"Double Charms … Double Herbology … Defense against the Dark Arts … Good," He said, reading aloud, "And you're taking N.E.W.T Potions. Good, I can help you there." He suddenly frowned seeing something on the slip of parchment. She cringed, knowing what was coming. He sneered, "And since when were you planning to tell me you had failed out of Astronomy?"

"I can't take Sinistra's homework anymore, Severus – she's killing me!" Cara pleaded. "Don't make me go back!"

Severus shrugged, as if he didn't care, "Well, if you don't want to become an Auror anymore …"

She said stormily, "I never wanted to become one! That was all your idea! Why can't I join the Dark Order like you? Why won't you let me leave Hogwarts with you this Christmas like the rest of the Slytherin seventh years? Why do I have to stay back?"

Severus said darkly, "We're not discussing this. I've told you my reasons – nobody from our house will notice you not joining the Death Eaters, and once you're done with Hogwarts, nobody else on their side will remember you were from Slytherin. It's a perfect subterfuge." Severus picked up his goblet, saying quietly, "And … it's the only way you'll be safe once the war begins."

He had said it in so many words – her invisibility was going to protect her.

Cara dropped her fork loudly on her plate, "The others haven't convinced you I'm not good enough to join the Death Eaters, have they? Because I can learn! I'll study everyday! I'll try not to –"

Severus smiled, "It's not that you're not good enough, and you know it … And you've got to know that I'll never let them say a word about you." He said firmly, "Let's not talk about this anymore." He got up, stepped away from the table, and waited for her. She was still thinking quickly about what he had said.

He picked up her rucksack and tossed it over his shoulder, "Come along, Cara. You'll be late for Astronomy – and don't make that face, you're taking that class and that's final – and then you've got Potions with me. I've been spending all summer making notes for you – it'll be impossible for you to mess it up … though you do seem to find your ways." He smirked.

Cara made to get up but suddenly smashed her knee against the table. "OW!" She nearly screamed, taking a look at her swollen leg, "Why do I do that … all the time?"

Severus waved his wand casually at her red knee, healing it. "Don't ask me. You're the clumsy Hufflepuff that snuck into our illustrious house seven years ago."

She winced, making a face, "Please don't say that."

He grinned, following her out the Great Hall, "Hufflepuff."

"Stop!"

"Hufflepuff."

"Severus!" She said, turning around to face him, walking backwards, which wasn't a smart move. A burly seventh-year Quidditch player who could have been a giant slammed right into her, knocking her to the floor, her long straight hair strewn about her.

"Uh – sorry, I didn't see you there," He said dumbly.

She heard that all too often. Saying nothing, Cara got up lightly and dusted off her skirt. She stumbled out the Great Hall behind Severus, who was laughing. This was something that happened a lot. If it weren't for him distracting her from the mocking crowd of Gryffindors, she would have nearly cried. They parted ways at the marble staircase, and Cara slowly made her way up to the Astronomy Tower, hesitating at every step. She made her way up to the class, and sat in the back, watching the time tick away slowly till she could leave for Potions. Sinistra gave her a detention for not paying attention – but she had forgotten all about Cara by the end of class. That happened too often too – not that she wasn't grateful for it. Invisibility did have its uses.

On her way out, Cara nearly tripped over the telescopes – well, not nearly because she did trip over them – and staggered to the dungeons with the crowd of students. They were pushing and jostling, looking down at the entryway before the Great Hall, where someone had set off firecrackers that burst brightly inside the vast castle.

Like everyone else around her, Cara knew who had done it.

The Marauders.

The name carried with it pure terror and awe. Everyone felt that way. They were notorious, they were infamous – they were deadly. Everyone knew without a doubt who ruled Hogwarts – it wasn't the headmaster, who was often never around. It wasn't the professors, who couldn't or wouldn't restrain the four boys as if they feared them. The ones that ruled Hogwarts with an iron fist was them – the corrupt, sneaky, Machiavellian-minded Marauders. And it wasn't just because Cara was a Slytherin that she felt this way. She knew even Gryffindors weren't spared their torturous games – just ask that Creevey boy who disappeared under the Black Lake and never came back.

And while rumors of them murdering students floated around the castle, the Marauders just laughed, toying with lives as if it was a game.

Even within their own ranks, there was a power struggle, with that mousy boy getting the brunt of all their cruel jokes. Potter and Black were the ringleaders of all the vicious pranks, setting girls' hair on fire if they were annoyed with the way they wore it that day. She didn't know much about them – only what she heard from Severus. It was a game among the rest of the students to see who could get in the Marauder's good books, because that came with it eternal respite from the torture – and it was obvious, even the professors unconsciously played along.

As the cheering crowd thinned around her as the fireworks ended, Cara moved closer to the staircase balustrade, peering down the flights of stairs to where the last remnants of the fireworks were hissing and sparking. She saw one of the Marauders strut to the middle of the hallway and look up at his adoring audience on the floors above.

She didn't even see which one it was. Out of a sudden impulse of fear, Cara quickly stepped back from the marble balustrade, making sure he couldn't see her or the emerald tie around her neck. Slytherins stayed away from the Marauders unless they were powerful enough to fight them, and not many of the good ones were left at Hogwarts – most had joined the Dark Order. If you were weak, you were safe if they didn't notice you, and that was one thing Cara had going for her – the Marauders had never even paid her a second glance like everyone else. But if they did set their sights on you – that was it. You would disappear … or worse, they would destroy your life so badly that you would run away yourself.

Cara was about to realize, that in a matter of minutes, she would become their newest toy – and they would rattle her till she broke. All her plans to stay invisible would fall apart. In just one year of being tortured by the Marauders, this tiny Slytherin – this clumsy seventh year girl would transform into someone she'd barely recognize. In one year, she would unwillingly break her promise, unravel the dark secrets of her past, and become extraordinary. Very soon, the name Cara Mortlake would be on the lips of everyone at Hogwarts.