"Clara! Clara! Wake up! Come on, Clara!" Rose said shoving the sleeping girl. Clara's eyes slowly opened, her vision was blurred, as they crept open.
"No, I don't want to tap-dance!" Clara murmured sleepily, before she shoved Rose off her, she batted her away half-asleep.
"Clara! Come, on wake up!" Rose said again as she shoved her again, Clara batted her away before she realised what was going on, and that she'd left the wonderful world of dreams, and back to the rather boring reality.
"Sorry. Okay, right I'm awake now. Sorry Rose," Clara said as she suddenly sat bolt upright and rubbed her eyes, after removing her glasses, and put them on her head, " Wait, what's the time?" she said before realising that she wasn't in her four-poster bed but on a sofa " Wait actually, where am I?"
"It's only eight, but I got up early anyway. I'm stuck in the school routine I suppose. You were reading quite late, I didn't see you come back to the dorm room last night; and I found you here when I came down moments ago, so you just fell asleep whilst reading. Your books on the table over there, by the way. Did you like it, the book I mean?" Rose said lively, a little too lively for a cold Sunday morning.
"You going down to breakfast then?" Clara asked as she slowly stood up and stretched.
"Yeah; you coming?" Rose said as she went over to the edge of the sofa, moving away from Clara. There wasn't anyone else in the common room at that hour.
"I really can't be bothered to change, I'll just grab some shoes from upstairs, give me a sec," Clara said as she rushed up the stairs to her room. She came down moments later in black converse trainers, but still wearing her thick blue jumper and soft green pyjamas covered in trees.
"Come on, let's go," Rose said as they made their way to the portrait hole, and out into the silent school. The corridors were eerily quiet, so different from the atmosphere that was there during the week. Most that early would be asleep, slowly waking up to a cold September Sunday morning. The sad realisation that it was a cold September Sunday morning, hitting him soon after they awoke. They got down to the hall where in there was one teacher, the deputy Professor Longbottom, and Scorpius sitting alone deep in thought and about a dozen seven-years, sitting at the Ravenclaw. They walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down grabbing some breakfast before Rose got up and walked over to Scorpius, Clara followed a little confused,
"Do you want to come and sit with us, as you're alone?" Rose asked as she stood in front of the sleek haired blonde boy, sitting awkwardly alone.
"Are you sure that it's okay?" Scorpius said politely. Rose nodded before saying,
"No of course, come on. You look really lonely, we won't bite," she said giggling as they walked back over to her table. They sat down and continued to eat breakfast. They chatted about school and things; it appeared that family would be a neglected subject. Rose's father would have flipped if he had found out that she and Clara had eaten breakfast with him that morning. He was one of those people, thankfully that you could easily talk to. It became apparent that they would be friends with him; he was such a genuinely honest and nice person.
About twenty minutes after they'd came in Al, Louis, Eliza and Poppy entered the dining hall. Thankfully none of them looked confused or amazed by the fact that Scorpius was sitting with the two girls. They all just sat down and dug in, the noise levels rising as more people came in with weary and tired faces on I must admit.
"Morning," Al said with a happy ring to it as he swung his legs in and sat down next to Scorpius, who smiled at him nicely.
"Morning," Rose replied to her cousin.
"Why were you down so early? Also why are you in your PJ's?" Louis asked, directing the last to Clara. It was a question that they all wanted to hear the answer to.
"I fell asleep in the common room. Rose woke up early anyway and woke me up," Clara stated. The others ahh'd casually as they continued to eat. By this point however Clara, Rose and Scorpius were done and were ready to leave.
"I'm going to go as I need to finish some homework off," Clara lied, really she just wanted to get changed out of her pyjamas, she was beginning to get some very weird looks, also she wanted some fresh air; it had been a while since she'd gone for a walk on the grounds. She got up and left; the others remained.
There was a small breeze or draft going through the school; it was a soft summery breeze, rather different from the storm the previous night. Clara rushed up the stairs, not caring for the laughs and looks that she was met with on her way up. She built up the insults she wanted to shout at them in her head as she finally got up to the Gryffindor tower. The common room wasn't that full, most were either asleep or at breakfast, but there were the studious few who were already immersed in their homework. Victoire and a few of her friends were down also, she smiled at Clara sweetly as Clara climbed the stairs to her common room.
"Morning Clara," Anna said cheerily from the mirror, as she sorted her hair out," Are the others a breakfast?"
"Yeah, I came back early. I really need to change," Clara said as she wondered over to her bed and peered inside her trunk. She leafed through its contents, before she pulled out a top, jeans and a hoodie. She then wandered off into the bathroom, to get ready. Anna finished her hair and walked over to the bathroom door.
"Clara, I'm going down, see you later," She said before she exited the room and walked down to the Great Hall. Clara quickly got dressed, and walked over to the mirror. She surveyed the damage in her hair, there was a lot let's just say. She firstly took it out of its failing pony tail; it immediately puffed up. She sighed heavily before she grabbed her hair brush and attempted to brush it. After about five minutes she got it to a reasonably presentable standard, with two front pieces clipped back. She removed her glasses, and put them on her bedside table. She grabbed her trainers and took her coat off the hook on the door and left the dorm. She slowly put her coat on as she descended down the stairs, into the common room. She waved at Victoire again as she left, Victoire waved back sighing a little, slightly jealous that Clara was going out but she had to stay and finish her work. She sighed again to herself and returned to her work.
Clara put her hands in her coat and continued to walk down the stairs. She drifted off into her mind a little as she reached down to the corridors which lead to Hagrid's hut. She was walking absentmindedly outside, her mind was elsewhere. She hadn't realised where she was going until she bumped into someone else, walking into the castle, just as absent as she was.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going," Clara said apologetically as she bent down to pick up the books and sheets of the person she'd knocked into. It was none other than the deputy head, head of Gryffindor and her Herbology professor.
"Sorry Clara, I was a bit away from it all. Where are you going?" The professor said as he picked up the things Clara handed him.
"Out, I got up early. What are you doing, It isn't a school day?" Clara asked as she finished handing over his things.
"I just nipped down to Hagrid's actually, and Book errands. Have a nice day Clara," The professor smiled to her before turning to walk back into the castle," Actually Clara, your friends with Rose aren't you?"
"Yeah, Why?" She asked.
"Umm, could you tell her to tell her mum I sorted the books out," He asked, Clara nodded before they both turned back and went off in opposite directions. Clara walked out into the cool, crisp morning air. She sighed at nothing in particular and walked on passed the point where Rose's mum had punched Scorpius's dad over twenty years previous. She walked on to her left toward the Whomping willow, though she wasn't very aware about the particularly dangerous tree. No one had mentioned it to her . The tree's leaves were beginning to brown, soon the tree would get fed up, one leaf would fall, and the rest would immediately follow.
She walked on round to the spot where you could see the looming castle, in all its splendour. She marvelled at it for a while, not moving, staying silent only for her quiet breathing. The only sounds that were present now were of the small birds tweeting happily in the fairly early morning breeze. She inhaled and exhaled loudly, smiling slightly as she looked up and around in wonder.
She decided it was time to walk on, staying silent. She found the bench she had sat with Al at in the previous week. She sighed once again, as she sat down looking out into the castles grounds. She had sighed slightly at the prospect of returning inside, she was near the door now. She could now see two sixth years, sitting together on the hill next to the bench. The hill was right underneath the boy's dorms in the Gryffindor tower. There was also a few fifth years sitting by the Black Lake. It reminded her of the lake by her house at home, and how she used to go there with her friends before she left.
A few months ago
"Come on Clara, Come on!" Will called as he rushed down the bank, Clara trailing behind.
"Geez, I'm coming. Hurry up Georgie!" Clara called, turning to behind her to Georgie who was further away. Georgie yelled something inaudible to Clara.
"What?" She yelled back as she stopped, turning down to Will who was only a little way further down now. Will shrugged, as he continued to run down the bank. Georgie didn't reply, and just ran down to Clara who remained where she was. As Georgie approached she started running down the bank again.
"Georgie, Come on Will's already down," Clara shouted as she almost reached the edge of the lake.
"What did you say 'bout me?" Will said as he waited for her to reach him.
"Oh nothing, just that you were already down here. She really needs to hurry up," Clara said, as she looked up to the bank where Georgie was just running over.
"Come on, why did you take so long?" Will said as they started to walk round to their tree. The tree that they had attempted to make into a tree house, they had failed miserably. Now there were a few loose planks stuck in the old Oak Tree. The tree was what they called theirs; they had been going there for years. The three of them had known each other basically all their lives, and when they had been on a picnic when they were much younger, with their parents, they had found the huge, very climbable, I may add, tree. In the trunk of the tree, there was a carving that said,' Will, Georgie and Clara's Tree, Go Away!'. They often would venture there now, that school was nearing its end, and Clara was going away, they were reminiscing their old memories. The other two had flipped when they had found out that Clara wasn't going to the local state school that they were (she had always said she was). This was one of the last times they'd be able to all go together, before the holidays, and then school starting once again.
"Sorry, I didn't know this was a competition," Georgie said sarcastically panting a bit, Will tutted rolled his eyes and began to climb the tree. The others followed. Will climbed up to one of the biggest branches near the top, Clara under him on the left and Georgie beneath her. They sat chatting to each other amidst the branches, staring out into the deep blue lake. They tried to prolong that afternoon extensively, it was one of the last times that they would be able to do that before they left. Clara to boarding school, and the other two to a new school, where they'd quickly grow up and drift apart.
Present
Clara quickly snapped out of it as the air cooled quite a bit more, she felt naïve dwelling on the past like that, but she missed being there with her best friends, Will and Georgie. She had seen them the day before she left, but hadn't spoken or written since. Sure, she had new friends, but she'd known Will and Georgie for years, like how Al, Rose and Louis had known each other for ever, and although they included her, she didn't know them that well. They were probably doing homework back in the Lake District where they all lived, in the small village of Matterdale, close to Keswick. She missed them a lot she decided, but thought it was silly to dwell too much in the past so she lept up and decided now was a good time to walk back to the common room, and find something a little more productive to do, much to her annoyance really.
She climbed up the steps to the Gryffindor tower, saying the password, then stepping into the common room, which was a lot louder than when she'd left. There were so many people than the previous day. She saw her friends sitting around the sofa again,
"Where have you been?" Rose asked as she looked up at Clara.
"Walk," Clara said as she slumped back down on the sofa," Oh I bumped into Professor Longbottom, he said I needed to tell you to tell your mum that he has sorted some books out or something," she said just as she remembered it.
"Oh yeah, I forgot I was supposed to ask him about that," Rose exclaimed just as she reached over to her pile of parchment, and quickly scribbled a letter to her mum, she excused herself to get her owl, Faramir. Her mother's choice in name, for she hadn't read the books yet, they were on her to be read pile though. She was reading The Hobbit currently. She returned moments later.
"What are you doing now then, I thought you'd done all your homework?" Clara asked, as Rose sat down.
"Oh I have I was just writing a letter to my uncle, and there was something in a book I wanted to check. I had a question for him," Rose said casually as she returned to her writing.
"Who to?" Al said as he perked his head up.
"Charlie, I wanted to ask something about one of the dragons he was working with," Rose replied.
"Ah, Okay! Wait that reminds me I should write to Lily," Al said as he set aside his homework, Rose immediately shook her head.
"Nope, get back here you're finishing your homework first," Rose said as she blocked his path. It would have been weird if they weren't related, but Al was used to her bossing him around occasionally, at least she wasn't attacking him like James.
"Fine," Al sighed as he gave her a cold stair and reluctantly returned to his Charms essay. He finished it soon after, as did Louis. They spent the rest of the afternoon chatting by the fire, until dinner. After that they returned to their spot by the fire and talked once again, joined by Eliza and Poppy this time. They finally went to bed reluctantly at ten.
The next day passed quickly, the first-years were excited to have their flying lesson the next day. They were allowed to miss Potions, much to Al, Rose and Louis' pleasure, although not to Professor Slughorn's however. Madame Blackwood had called them to eat their breakfast, a little earlier, to insure that they would be done by lunch, so they could do Charms that afternoon. The Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws would be having their lesson the next day, so it was only the Gryffindors and Slytherins.
So at quarter to nine those first-years lined up in the courtyard, waiting for Madame Blackwood's arrival. She arrived two minutes later, pulling up her gloves as she walked through the two opposite lines.
"Hello First-years, right okay. Promptly stand beside a broom, there is one for everyone. Then when I tell you, hold out your right, or left hand and shout up, loud and directly," She said, her hard stare fleeting around the courtyard. The children faffed about for three minutes, Madame Blackwood began to get impatient; she blew her whistle, the children immediately straightened out at got to a broom. They all shouted up! Promptly. Few however actually achieved the said task, Al, Louis and Clara among those who had successfully got their broom. Rose looked at Clara with annoyance, Clara just smiled sheepishly. A few moments later however she achieved it, not the way she was supposed to however. She was waked in the face by her broom, everyone laughed as she rubbed her head.
"Thanks guys, for being so supportive," Rose said sarcastically as she finally got her broom in her hand.
"Well we just thought you were doing so well," Al joked; Rose rolled her eyes. The final people were getting their brooms. Madame Blackwood started speaking again anyway.
"Okay, when I blow my whistle you will kick off the ground, hard and hover for a few moments before returning to the ground. No one do any more than that, Potter and Weasleys don't you even dare," Madame Blackwood said, before she blew her whistle moments later. Only a few managed to get off the ground. Scorpius and Al looked like naturals as they floated up on their brooms, effortlessly; they had done it before though. Clara surprised by how easy it was also gently floated up to their level, before touching back down. She was laughing with her surprise. As I said there were only a few others that managed it. Poppy Millan, Chris Wood and Lewis Ebbleton amongst them. Everyone who hadn't achieved it rolled their eyes at the ones that had.
"If you achieved flight come over here," Madame Blackwood called. The ones she said moved over there, leaving the majority of the Gryffindor's and Slytherin's, looking annoyed on the teachers other side. It had worked out that only eight had achieved flight, out of around thirty-six students. Madame Blackwood assisted the ones that hadn't done it, while the others waited chatting about flying and whatnot.
After Madame Blackwood had helped the others, she set them practising flying gently, and she walked back over to Al's group.
"Okay, I presume some or most have you have flown, or played Quidditch even before," most nodded, Lewis, Poppy and Clara shook their heads, Madame Blackwood smiled before adding, "Oh natural talent. Right I want you lot to practise flying up and around. The ones that have played Quidditch before you help the others. I will return when the others can all at least get off the ground." After she had walked away, they all mounted their brooms, and took off, flying up and around the courtyard playfully, all of them laughing as they flew. It was clear that what Madame Blackwood had said about natural talent was true; they all flew with ease and enjoyment. After they had gone around a few times, they decided it could be fun if they grabbed a ball of some kind. Poppy immediately piped up and flew to her bag, grabbing a tennis ball. They all ahh'd in agreement as Poppy threw it to Scorpius. He caught it with ease, and the others spread out playing a variation of the game pass and move. It was clear who was a little better than others, Lewis lacked in throwing skills, he ended up dropping his most of the time, someone, most often Chris, flew in and grabbed the ball, before it fell to the ground. Clara had quite a huge talent for this, catching Poppies sometimes strong throws, in the wrong direction.
"Clara, you're really good, you should try for the House team," Al said, the others agreed, nodding their heads. Clara batted them off, feeling rather awkward; she hated people saying things like that. She'd be so nervous if she ever played for a team, she played a rounder's match at her old school once, it didn't go all that well let's just say.
"No, I suck under pressure, in anything," Clara said surely, before she flew off into another direction. They all sighed, deciding not to follow her, they then restarted their throwing game, before Madame Blackwood called them back down, as it appeared that everyone could now fly.
"Okay, were almost done now, as everyone has managed to lift off the ground. Some progressing more than others. We will continue this next week. Some of you should now think about joining the Quidditch teams. See you next week," Madame Blackwood said, before she dismissed the class to go for lunch.
"Come on, stop being so, I don't know negative. If you tried, I am certain you'd make the team. You know the captain is Charles Hornby, you know the prefect that showed us the common room, on our first day. He will definitely give you a place; you are so good. James and Fred are both on the team," Al pleaded later that evening.
"I swear first-years never join the team," Clara said looking up at the others as she ate her chicken pie in dinner.
"Well, funny you asked," Rose answered to everyone's rolling eyes,
"Here we go," Louis said before Rose continued.
"So Harry, Al's dad was the first in a century to play in first year," Al shied a little as she said this; he was like his father when it came to modesty, "He played Seeker, which on its own is really hard, but he did and he won almost all his matches. Gryffindor have won the House Cup almost every year since he was here. He wasn't allowed to compete two years though. But after he left, they decided to make it more common for first-years to play for the house teams. Not every time there is a first-year as talent is an issue, but sometimes they do make the teams. If you try out for the team, you have a good chance of being in if you are good. Clara you really should try out, I saw you flying, you were really good."
After Rose said this, Clara shook her head, much to her friends' disappointment.
"No, sorry guys. I may try when I'm older, right now I just want to aim on my school work, shouldn't I Rose," Clara said turning to Rose.
"Clara, yeah. School's important but come on. It'd be fun. Even my mum would say Quidditch is fun and shouldn't affect your school stuff, despite how much she complained at Harry. Keeping it all in balance; is more than possible," Rose said trying again to get her to at least try out, "But I do understand if you don't want to. I'm ready to go, anyone coming, really not in the mood for pud," Rose asked moments later. Molly, and Al stood up, and they walked out of the hall. Everyone stayed silent about Quidditch to Clara; for the remainder of dinner, much to her pleasure. She wasn't aware however of the conversation that Al, Molly and Rose were having in the quiet common room.
"I really think she does need to try out," Al said, posing it to Molly, who knew just about everyone in the school, definitely everyone in Gryffindor. She was friendly with the Quidditch captain Charles Hornby.
"I agree," Rose chipped in, "Could you possibly, you know, talk to Charles, to see if he could, I don't know like, talk to Clara or something, to get her to try or join?"
"Yeah sure, like how good she is? Wait what place would she play?" Molly asked.
"I guess either Chaser or Seeker, and yeah she was really good, and that was when were just playing catch," Al said to Molly, Rose nodded along.
"James good?" Molly asked, Al nodded, and James was like a Quidditch prodigy. All the Potters were amazing at Quidditch, both their parents were keen Quidditch players, both could have become professional players; their mum did. She did amazingly as well; now she wrote about Quidditch. Harry could have become a player as well, but he opted for the Auror world. Everyone had been sure that from an early age, James would enter the Quidditch world. Al was very good as well; he flew from an early age; in his back garden with his parents, and siblings. Lily was just as good, taking after her father as a Seeker, but she excelled as a Chaser as well. James and Al were strong Chasers; Fred on the other hand was a good Beater, after his father.
"Okay, I'll talk to Charles when he gets back," Molly said smiling, before she left to get her homework books. A few minutes later, Clara and the others returned. Clara, not wanting the Quidditch argument resume, went up to her dorm room, to go over her homework and play with Moira, her cat. She had run off for a bit the previous week. Clara had just settled herself with her book and Moira, down onto the seat by the window. Before Rose rushed in,
"Molly wants you down in the common room," Rose said before Clara sighed and reluctantly closed her book.
"You haven't gone and grovelled to her as well about Quidditch," Clara said as she got up and walked over to the door. Rose didn't answer; Clara took that as a yes. She walked down the stairs slowly; Rose gave Molly the thumbs up, who was on the other side of the room, standing with Charles Hornby. However when Clara turned round to Rose she pulled a straight face and pulled her hands down.
"Rose, you are aware I did just see you pull your hands down, and pull a straight face," Clara said just before she reached Molly and Charles.
"Right, what is it?" Clara asked rather annoyed, putting her hands on her hips.
"Well, we were wondering if you could just listen to Charles, and join the Quidditch team. Please Clara, at least listen to Charles," Molly said, before she stepped aside and let Charles speak.
"Look Clara, from what I've heard, you are an amazing flyer, and we need amazing flyers if we want to keep the Quidditch cup. We have kept our cup for years, and now we need good new players. I have always been one for trying to get the first-years involved. Please join," Charles tried.
"Sorry, I just don't want that kind of pressure," Clara said awkwardly.
"Fine, I'm not going to force you then, but will you join the reserve team this year, and then play for the team from next year onwards. We lost some good players, at the end of last year, and currently we have me, one seventh-year and Fred and James. I presume James will be captain next year, and I am certain he will be harsh, but will need some good players. Please Clara, all you have to do is come to one training once or twice a fortnight and play if someone can't play, Please?" Charles reasoned, he had put up a good bargain. Clara though over it for a few moments before answering.