Chapter Ten- A New Life Begins
After Clara's conversation with Albus she was emotionally exhausted. It was too much to take in and she was not entirely sure what to think about it all. Clara had asked Albus when she could returning home. She was worried about her Uncle and was sure that he was looking for her. What was told to her next was the hardest pill for her to swallow.
"Albus, I am so thankful that you saved me from those men, but I really want to go home. My Uncle must be worried sick about me."
"Clara, I am afraid it is not just as simple as going home and delving back into a normal life. Now that Lord Voldemort knows where you live there is no going back there," he said with a frown.
"Ok so I guess I will have to go back to the States," she said giving a small smile.
She had greatly enjoyed living in London but Atlanta had been her home for quite awhile. She was sure she would be able to start back over again. She even considered the possibility of going to Colorado to live with her sister for a while.
"Miss Lanning," said a deep voice from the corner of the room.
Severus had been sitting in silence for a while but he wanted this woman to understand the severity of her situation.
"I don't think you understand the predicament you are in. The Dark Lord will not stop hunting you no matter where you go. If you go back to your family their lives will only be in danger. You would not survive twenty-four hours out there alone," Severus said in a dark and ominous tone.
"Severus is right, Clara. You cannot go back there as long as Voldemort is alive," Albus said softly.
"WHAT?" cried Clara. "So where am I supposed to go?"
"You have been placed in our care, my dear," said Albus.
Severus flashed him a look at the mention of "OUR care." Surely the old man didn't expect him to help take care of this girl. He had enough responsibility resting on his shoulders without adding this distraction.
"We are having a meeting with all the members of the Order of the Phoenix this evening. We will be discussing your safe as well as your family's. We'll decide then where you will be placed," continued Albus.
"So what about my uncle? Does he know that I am here?"
"I'm afraid he can't know, Clara. The less he knows the safer he will be. I sent a few Aurors back to your house last night to clean everything up. When your Uncle returned home they modified his memory. He now believes that you have taken a teaching job in Ireland," explained Albus.
"Modified his memory! You can do that?" exclaimed Clara.
"We can but only if it is absolutely necessary. They simply planted a fake memory into his mind. It is much like what I did with the dream I gave you.
Clara was now completely overwhelmed. She felt very tired all of a sudden and all she wanted to do was take a shower and go back to sleep. In less the twenty-four hours her life had once again been turned upside down.
"Clara, I think you need to have a little rest. Dinner will be at six and the meeting will follow shortly after. Let me go get Molly so she can help you freshen up," the old man said as he lovingly kissed the young woman on the top of her head.
Albus walked out of the room with Severus following close behind. Just as the dark haired man was about to disappear out of view Clara called out to him.
"Goodbye, Professor Snape. I guess I'll see you at dinner."
Severus stopped in mid step and turned slowly with a scowl on his face. He merely grunted and nodded in her direction before swiftly retreating with his black robes billowing behind him. Clara could help but think he slightly resembled Batman with all that black fabric flapping around him.
"I don't think he likes me very much," she thought disappointingly.
Before she had a chance to dwell too long on the man her thoughts were interrupted by a crash coming from out in the hallway. Clara ran to the doorway and was greeted by the sight of Molly Weasley.
"Sorry if we gave you a fright, dear. Nymphadora almost took a little tumble, " smiled the cheerful red head.
"Molly, please don't call me that," pleaded the young girl as she detangled herself from the coat rack she had just run into. "Wotcher Clara, the name's Tonks."
Nymphadora Tonks was quite a sight to see. She was a small, athletically built young woman that looked to be a hand full of years younger then Clara. She had a very attractive heart shaped face with a small almost button nose. What stood out most to Clara was the bright turquoise spikes covering her head. She looked like a female version of Nico complete with her own tight leather pants and metal spike bracelet. Clara was instantly relieved to see someone who wasn't dressed like they were in Middle Earth.
The ladies spent the next hour pampering Clara and cleaning her bedroom to rid it of all the dust and cobwebs. Mrs. Weasley drew Clara the most luxurious bath she had ever taken complete with multi colored bubble bath. After almost an hour in the tub she was amazed to see that the bubbles had not disappeared and the water was still just as warm. She wondered to herself if they had some kind of spell to keep your fingers and toes from getting wrinkly. If so she might just stay in a bath like this for days on end.
After finally emerging from her hour of bliss she was hit with the realization that she didn't have any clean clothing to change into. She wrapped herself with a towel and padded back into the bedroom hoping that Tonks or Mrs. Weasley might be able to help her. The room had been completely transformed by the two witches. Every surface of the old space was now dust free and the transfigured couch had been returned to a large four-poster bed. The faded green and brown bed linens were now replaced with a feminine, bright yellow floral print, which suited Clara's taste much more accurately. On top of the bed was an outfit laid out for Clara to change into.
"Hey, these are actually my clothes," exclaimed Clara.
"Yeah, I packed up your things when I went back to your house last night. Everything is packed in that trunk over there. I went ahead and pulled you an outfit to wear," said Tonks as she picked up the jeans and t-shirt to hand to Clara.
Tonks had chosen the tightest fitting pair of jeans that Clara owned. She typically didn't wear them out often since she valued comfort over style but she was so pleased to have her own clothes to put on she didn't care. The t-shirt was an old Counting Crows concert t-shirt that she had bought when her and Ben had seen them perform a few years ago. It was a tight fitting shirt and resembled the type of shirt Tonks would wear on a normal day.
Once she was dressed and had completed her outfit with her trademark green All-Stars she followed the two ladies down to the kitchen to help with dinner. Grimmauld Place was unlike any house she had ever seen. Its wallpaper was peeling and the carpet had been worn thin. It was easy to see that at some point in the house's history it must have been a glorious sight to see. Now all of its contents were in decay after years of neglect. As they passed by the second floor Clara could hear voices from behind a few of the doors.
"Mrs. Weasley, who else is staying in this house," asked Clara as her and Tonks simultaneously tripped on a big lump in the carpet runner.
"Well that noisy lot are my children. I have seven, but only the four youngest are here at the moment. My husband Arthur is at work at the Ministry of Magic but he will be home in time for dinner. He just loves muggles so I am sure you two will love getting to know one another. That leaves just the owner of the house, Sirius Black. I think he is down in the kitchen so you will get to meet him before everyone else arrives."
The wall of the staircase leading down to the first floor completely freaked Clara out. It was decorated with the heads of house-elves mounted on plaques. Clara hoped that this was not something typically done in the wizarding world since she wasn't sure if she would be able to eat after viewing this form of "art work". Tonks tried to briefly explain how wizarding portraits could talk and in the case of Walburga Black's, scream. A curtain had been drawn across the currently sleeping portrait and the three ladies tiptoed silently so as not to wake her. Clara secretly hoped she was able to see her talk one day. The thought of a painting actually moving intrigued her.
The kitchen at Grimmauld Place was just below the ground floor. The trio had to walk through a narrow staircase at the end of the entry hallway in order for it to be accessed. The kitchen looked to be the cleanest of all the area she had seen so far due to the fact that it was the most used space in the house. The room was a cavernous space with an enormous fireplace at one end and a large wooden table in the centre. Seated in the corner with a newspaper in his hands was a roguishly handsome man she guessed was Sirius Black.
Sirius Black was a tall man with long, thick black hair and fathomless grey eyes. There was no denying that man was handsome, but his looks were somewhat marred by years of hardship. He was leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on a stool with a sense of casual elegance. Clara guessed that he had to be somewhere in his mid to late thirty's and judging by the tattoos that were peaking out from underneath his shirt collar, had a bit of a wild side. A small giggle escaped the young woman's lips when he rose from his chair to greet her. He was not dressed like Albus or Professor Snape in long billowing robes. This man actually looked like he just stepped out of a Charles Dickens novel complete with the vest, long overcoat and a pocket watch. All he was missing was a top hat and cane.
"Good grief these people dress weird," she thought to herself.
Sirius Black had been very eager to meet his newest houseguest. He had been annoyed that Snape had been allowed to meet the girl while he had been instructed to leave her alone. Now she was here and he was in no way disappointed. The woman was very attractive and he took his time letting his eyes wonder over every inch of her as he slowly walked across the kitchen to meet her.
"Awww Clara my dear. It is so nice to finally meet you," he said as he bowed slightly and kissed her hand.
Clara responded by turning complete red. She couldn't recall ever being bowed too before.
Molly and Tonks spent the next half hour cooking and setting the table. Clara tried to be of help but seeing as they did everything by magic she really was of no use. This left her to converse with Sirius about the story behind his decrepit old house. He also explained to her his involvement with the war and about his imprisonment in the wizard prison known as, Azkaban. Sirius was very personable and quite charming. He instantly made Clara feel welcomed and comfortable.
Dinner proved to be an entertaining affair for the new woman. Clara finally got the chance to meet the Weasley children as well as Arthur Weasley. Once the food was on the table they burst into the kitchen in a blaze of glory with their matching red hair and enthusiastic personalities. The twins seemed to greatly enjoy Clara's presences in the house and actually got into a small fistfight over who would get to sit by her. She was saved from the dueling duo by the arrival of Dumbledore through the fireplace of all places. She vowed then and there that she would never allow anyone to convince her to travel that way. The thought of walking into a green flame did not amuse her in the least.
Clara sat on at the corner of the table next to Albus and Arthur Weasley. Arthur was so excited to talk to Clara one would have thought she was a celebrity. She was highly amused with how fascinated he was about simple things like a microwaves and dishwashers.
"So you just put the dirty dishes into the box thingy, press a button and then they come out clean?" asked Arthur with growing excitement. He had actually started taking notes with a quill and parchment when Clara started explaining what electronic appliances she had in her apartment kitchen.
"Well it is a little more involved then that. You have to add the dishwashing powder and it doesn't just wash it immediately. It has to run a full cycle for the dishes to become clean," chuckled Clara. Arthur looked like a kid in a candy story to learn about this new discovery.
"Amazing…you muggles are simply brilliant. It truly is fascinating to see how you have adapted to life without magic. Dishwashers…imagine that! Do you have any dishwashing powder with you? I would love to take a look at it!"
"Mr. Weasley, that is not exactly something you carry around in your pocket," she giggled as Arthur began writing down a list of questions he wanted to make sure he asked Clara.
Another handsome man joined them just as the dishes were being passed around. He introduced himself as Remus Lupin and Clara instantly liked being around him. He was very soft spoken and mild mannered. Amongst all the chaos of the Weasley family he was a breath of fresh air. Clara couldn't help but notice how Tonks seemed to hang on every word he said. She wondered if there was a story there.
Halfway through the meal Clara noticed that there was a certain man missing from the table. She was actually disappointed the Severus Snape was not in attendance. Other then Albus he was the only other familiar face and she had hoped that maybe after spending some time together he might actually enjoy her company or at least smile at her.
"Albus, why is Professor Snape not eating with us?" Clara asked quietly.
Before Albus could respond a loud snort sounded from across the table. It came from the youngest Weasley boy whose name Clara had already forgotten. He started mumbling something under his breath that sounded remotely like "greasy" and "evil". Clara was about to ask the young man to please speak up but was interrupted by Sirius who was seated that the other end of the table.
"Old Snivellus never eats with us. He just flaps in for the meetings then returns to his cave as soon as it's over," he laughed. "It's better that way love. You wouldn't want to be around the likes of him for too long. Your better off with me," he said with a smile.
"Sirius, that is enough," scowled Dumbledore.
Clara was taken aback by the reaction to the mere mention of Professor Snape's name. She found herself becoming perturbed and defensive of the poor man. She didn't know Professor Snape well at all but no one deserved to be belittled when they weren't even here to defend themselves. There was defiantly more going on here then she was being told. Albus seem to be the only one in the room that trusted or even liked Professor Snape. Clara shot Sirius a look of displeasure from across the table to show her discontent with the conversation they were having. Sirius cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat before changing the subject to a lighter topic. The rest of the dinner was much more pleasant and Sirius made sure to show his more charming and polite side.
Once dinner was complete more Order members began arriving and the children were all sent out of the room. A tall, impressive looking man named Kingsley Shacklebolt arrived with a short bald man called Mundungus Fletcher. Mundungus smelled like he had not showered all week and reminded Clara of a sly, used car salesman. After meeting Emmeline Vance and Elphias Doge Clara couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She turned from her conversation with Emmeline only to find the oddest looking man she had ever seen staring back at her from the doorway.
The old man's features looked like it had been roughly carved from wood. His face was covered with scars, and a chunk of his large nose looked like it was missing. He had salt and pepper hair that was even messier the Clara's when she first woke up the morning. He limped over to where Clara was standing and introduced himself as Alaster Moddy. Clara tried to be polite and respond to his introduction but she found herself speechless as he she gazed at his large, electric blue eye. It seemed to be moving independently from his other eye and even spun around as if it was trying to look straight through the back of his head. Clara just stood there with her mouth gapped open and eyes wide. Alaster merely responded with a hearty laugh and a pat on her back.
"It's ok, lassie, it's just my magical eye. It helps me maintain constant vigilance," he chuckled as he took his seat at the table.
Clara just hoped she could maintain her dinner since his rotating eye was making her slightly nauseous. The crowd slowly started to take their seats at the long table. Clara's eyes kept drifting between the door and the fireplace waiting for the arrival of Severus Snape. She felt a little silly but she really wanted to try to get a seat by him. She felt like she had not given him a good first impression and thought if she could just speak to him again then things might go differently.
Clara decided to pull the old middle school trick of waiting to be seated last so you could squeeze in next to the person of your choice. Clara took her stand at the sink with Mrs. Weasley and chatted while Molly magically washed and dried all the dishes. Severus Snape hated social situations and usually made it a point to avoid them at all costs. Though he saw the necessity for these Order meetings he still despised them nonetheless. Tonight he had an extra feeling of apprehension since he would have to see that woman again. As soon as he walked into the already crowded kitchen at Grimmauld Place his eyes zeroed in on the Clara.
"Bloody hell, what is she wearing?" he thought to himself as his eyes ran up and down her tight jeans and even tighter shirt.
Severus typically ignored most women, but there was no ignoring what was standing in front of him. Severus wasn't sure how long he had been staring at her but he was abruptly brought back to his senses when she turned around and met his eyes. Relieved to see a somewhat familiar face Clara flashed him a smile and a shy wave. He quickly broke eye contact and scanned the room to make sure no one saw the exchange. He had apparently not been the only one taken aback by the woman's appearance. Black was staring at her like awestruck teenage boy. He could practically see the drool dripping down his chin. Severus snarled as Black who was completely oblivious to the Professor's arrival.
Professor Dumbledore called the meeting to order and Severus quickly sat down close to the Headmaster where he normal sat.
"Clara, why don't you come sit down here with me, love?" smiled Sirius as he motioned to an empty spot on the bench next to him.
"Oh thank you, Sirius, but I think I will sit down here closer to Albus," replied Clara.
Severus had to use his gift of self-control to repress a smirk from forming across his face. He was just about to turn and ask the Headmaster a question when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.
"Professor Snape, would you mind if I sat next to you?" ask Clara in a small voice.
"What in the wizarding world is this girl doing? Nobody ever wants to sit next to me?" he thought as he glared up at the nervous looking girl.
After a few awkward seconds Severus scooted over a few inches and nodded his head for the woman to sit down. Truth be told there really wasn't a lot of room left on that side of the table so Clara had to sit right up against him just to fit on the bench. The Professor sat stiff as a board staring straight ahead of him as if Clara was not even there. Albus began the meeting by formally introducing Clara to the whole group. Severus could feel her shift awkwardly next to him as attention was brought on her. The Headmaster recounted the story of how they met and any other information that might help them figure out how the Dark Lord discovered their friendship. He then explained to them what had happen the night she was attacked.
"Kingsley and Nemphadora have secured the area around Clara's family business with multiple protective spells that will alert us if any Death Eaters enter the premises. We also have a group of American wizards patrolling the home of her sister and brother in-law just incase the attempt to look there," explained Albus.
"Albus, surely you cannot be considering sending the girl back even with protective spells in place?" questioned Molly Weasley.
"No, Molly, I have no plans on sending her back. I am afraid that Tom will stop at nothing once he has a goal in his mind. Clara will need all of our protection from now until he is destroyed," replied Albus looking sadly at Clara.
"She is welcome to stay at The Burrow with us, Albus. It would be nice to have company around the house since all the kids are grown," smiled Molly.
"Albus, why not place her in a safe house under the Fidalius Charm," interjected Alastor.
"I agree with Alastor but we should first send her back to America. Once she is there we can develop a safe house for her," added Elphias.
"Well I am sure you will agree that the best place for her to be is right here for me to watch over her," smiled Sirius as he leaned back in his chair with a confident grin on his face.
Severus stiffened even more and subtly clinched his fists. "Yes, I am sure that dog would keep her "safe". He would have her in his bed moaning his name within the first twenty-four hours," he thought bitterly to himself. "Not that I care," he added.
While Severus was busy with his internal loathing for Black he completely missed that Kreacher had begun to creep underneath the table and was now making his way over to where Clara was sitting.
Clara had been sitting quietly listening to each suggestion on what should be done with her and grown increasingly panicked that they were going to lock her away somewhere. It was not her fault that this had happened and now she was going to be hidden away from the rest of the world like a criminal. Her apprehension soon began to turn to anger.
"If they think I am going to be locked away in some old stuffy house for the rest of my life they are going to be very disappointed," she thought to herself. "This is my life and I should at least have a say so in it."
She was just about to speak up when she felt something brush against her leg. When she looked down to see what it was she found a pair for beady looking eyes glaring up at her once again.
"Look at the filthy muggle sitting at the Mistresses table bold as brass," snorted Kreacher.
Clara let out yelp and popped up out of her seat like a person trying to escape from a scurrying mouse or cockroach. She scrambled up the bench and in a blind panic perched herself right on top of the lap of Severus Snape. She was too afraid to even realize who she was clinging to, all she could think about was the fact that she wanted to be far away from the little gremlin. After Albus had once again shooed the House Elf out of the room and Sirius had used every curse word he knew to show his displeasure the room became completely silent. All eyes were now glued on Severus and the young woman who had her face buried into his chest. She'd had enough of this place. Back home she never had to worry about weird troll looking things creeping up on her from underneath the table. She didn't have to speak to men with rotating eyes or stand hidden from murderous madmen. At home life was normal and that was all she wanted now.
Severus was completely speechless and frozen. No one would ever dare to just jump into his lap like she had done. No one at the table said a word, they just sat there with mouths wide open.
"Miss Lanning, could you kindly remove yourself from my lap?" he hissed.
"I just want to go home," mumbled Clara as she tightened her grip.
Feeling rather embarrassed by the unwanted attention Severus roughly gripped Clara's arms and pulled her off us his lap in one swift motion. Clara looked up at him in shock and humiliation. Their gaze met briefly and he could see the hurt in her stormy blue eyes.
"Clara, why don't you go on upstairs, child? Molly will walk with you. You have had enough for one day," whispered Albus as he pulled Clara away from the Potions Master.
Clara finally relinquished and followed Molly across the room. She could care less what people thought of her now. She was scared, angry and felt completely out of place in this world. Just as she was about to step out of the kitchen she turned and addressed the room.
"I will not be locked away like some animal," she said adamantly. "I appreciate your concern but this is MY life you are talking about."
Once Clara left the room Albus turned to the members that were still sitting quietly at the table.
"Clara is right. I feel that the best plan of action is for Clara to come to Hogwarts where I can keep an eye on her," said Albus.
"Albus, there is no place safer then right here. I will make sure that Kreacher does not bother her anymore," said Sirius.
"I agree with Sirius. You have too many responsibilities at Hogwarts to add anything else, Albus," interjected Arthur Weasley. "Sirius would do a wonderful job taking care of her. They would be wonderful company for each other."
"Thank you for your concern, Arthur, but it is my fault that she has been brought into all of this. She is my responsibility now. It could be years before Voldemort is defeated and I cannot expect her to stay hidden away from the world because of my selfishness," replied the Professor.
"Hidden away like I am now?" hissed Sirius bitterly. " So instead of leaving her here with me you would rather take her to a school swarming with Death Eater's children?"
"As long as they are kept under control and she is not left alone with any of them there is noting they can do to her," replied Albus.
"KEPT UNDER CONTROL! Their head of house has never kept those snakes under control," Sirius yelled as he glared over at Severus.
"Black, leave my position and responsibilities out of this. They are none of your business. You just focus on all the "important" work I am sure you are doing here in your charming house," he smirked knowing full well that he had hit him below the belt.
Sirius stood up pushing his chair over in the process and reached for his wand in his jacket pocket.
"ENOUGH both of you," yelled Albus. "Clara will come to Hogwarts and that is final. Severus, you will help me look after her. That way between the two of us she will always have protection."
Sirius was about to open his mouth again in protest but was quickly silenced with a look from his former Headmaster. The rest of the meeting went by smoothly minus the uncomfortable glares shared between Severus and Sirius. Plans were made to modify the muggle repelling charm around the school and to set up a room for her just below the Headmasters office. Tonks offered to be in charge of setting up her room so she will feel a little more at home while living there.
A cover story was developed in order to explain Clara's presences at the school. They knew that Lucius Malfoy could not afford to let the truth of him brutally attacking a muggle come out into public knowledge for the time being. His standing with the Ministry of Magic was too important to him so they hoped that would be enough to keep him and his son quiet about the whole event. Clara would be introduced as the daughter of a family friend of Albus Dumbledore who was visiting from American. In order to have a reason to stay for an indefinite amount of time Clara would be teaching private music lessons to any student that would like to sign up.
Once responsibilities were divvied out and a few other matters of business were discussed the meeting was adjourned. Severus stalked out of the meeting avoiding any contact with the other members. As soon as he stepped out of Grimmauld Place he apparated straight to his old family home at Spinner's End. He knew Dumbledore would be calling him back to Hogwarts any day now but he needed some time to collect his thoughts.
A few minutes later Severus was seated in his favorite faded reading chair in the dusty old sitting room. After pouring himself a large glass of fire whisky Severus laid his head back, closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to clear his mind. How was he going to handle even more responsibility? He already had to keep tabs on the Potter boy, serve two masters and teach all those dunderheads. Now he had the added responsibility of looking after that silly woman.
He had never really had positive experiences with muggles. Lily's parents had been nice enough but never really wanted the dirty little boy hanging around the house too often. Lily's sister was had been a complete brat and down right nasty to Lily and Severus. His father had embodied all the worst qualities of muggles. He hated everything about the wizarding world and would never let him or his mother practice their craft in the house. He was abusive, heartless and a drunk. Severus had no desire to be around another muggle for he was sure he would only be disappointed again. He tried to mentally list all of the horrible qualities this girl possessed.
"Well, she has messy hair, wears ridiculous shoes and seems scared of her own shadow. She won't last one day at Hogwarts with ghosts flying around and portraits talking to you in every corner," he chuckled to himself.
This thought led him back to what had occurred during the meeting. The girl had been accosted by the grouchy House Elf again and had crawled onto his lap. He could safely say that no one had ever come to him for comfort before. He could still feel her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her face pressed into his chest and her legs linked around his waste. It had been a very intimate position and it had taken his mastered self-control to keep his body from reacting.
He thought again about what she had looked like in her tight jeans and fitted t-shirt. She had looked extra enticing and he wondered what it would have felt like to run his hands over her curves when she was on his lap. His mouth began to water and heart rate began to increase as he remembered the sound of the girl's moaning when they had shared their dream.
"No," he mentally scolded himself. "This is ridiculous. She is a muggle, an outsider, and a burden placed into his life, nothing more."
He vowed to himself then that he would not let this girl invade his thoughts again. That vow was broken only fifteen minutes later when he crawled into bed and drifted off asleep.
A/N: Hey readers! Are you out there? Are you enjoying the story? I hope so! The only way I will know is by you leaving a review. Please do! They brighten my day. The more reviews, the more I am encouraged to write and the quicker I will post! I love you all!