Fred and George appeared with a crack in Ron and Harry's room as they
were just pulling on their socks. Ron yelped as George was standing on his
foot. Harry looked up at them.
"Morning." He nodded, now used to their appearing randomly about the house.
"Good morning Harry my friend." Replied George cheerily walking over and sitting next to Harry on the bed.
"You know there's no harm in walking." Said Ron grumpily, rubbing his foot.
"Yes there is. Exercise. Nasty thing. Harmful to a peaceful state of mind." Retorted Fred.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Asked Ron.
"Why we wanted to say good morning. And also share some interesting news. Well, more like a word of warning." Said George.
"Warning?" Asked Harry.
"Indeed. That there may be some tension downstairs."
"What are you talking about?" Ron looked at his brother, his brow furrowed.
"We were listening on the Extendable Ears last night to the meeting." Said Fred.
"And it seems not everyone's happy." Harry and Ron looked at each other, not understanding at all.
"Seems like Sirius and one of the new girls don't see eye to eye?" Explained Fred.
"What happened?" Asked Harry curiously.
"There was a bit of an argument between them, we couldn't tell who. Mum's still putting that charm on the door so we can't hear as well as we'd like. But they were yelling at each full blast."
"Oh dear." Said Ron. "Do you think it's safe to go downstairs?"
It was clear when they got downstairs who it was that had been arguing with Sirius the night before. Clara and he were both making a great effort not to look at each other and were sitting sulkily either end of the room. Everyone bolted down their breakfast hungrily but were then presented with buckets and brushes by Mrs Weasley who told them that today they would be cleaning the floor and carpet of one of the rooms.
"Oh but Muuum." Whined Ginny. "We were cleaning yesterday."
"And you'll carry on cleaning until we make this place as clean as possible. Goodness knows the last time it had a good scrubbing." Rose and Lupin laughed at them. Clara would have laughed if she hadn't been too busy being in a mood.
"Come on." Said Rose. "I'll help you." She looked at Lupin. "You want to join us?"
"Oh I might as well." Lupin stood up with a smile.
"You coming Clara?" Rose ventured. Clara shot a look at Sirius, who was now sitting at the table and trying, it seemed, to bore a hole into the newspaper by staring at it and then stood up.
"Go on then. Can't see much point in sitting down here."
"Can you bring your CD player?" Asked Ginny. Clara nodded, finally smiling and they trooped out the room, buckets in hand.
"I'd give anything to give me to you. Can you forget the world that you thought you knew." The words floated around the room as the group sat scrubbing at the floor.
"What's their name again?" Asked Ron.
"Evanescence." Said Clara.
"Don't start her off." Said Rose in a hushed whisper then grinned cheekily at her friend who flicked water at her. They had been scrubbing for about an hour and their fingers were starting to prune from the constant dipping of the brushes into the water. Ron detached a piece of what seemed and he hoped was dirty brown moss and dropped it onto a bucket.
"I don't see why we have to clean everything. I mean what's the point. We don't go in these rooms anyway."
"Just think of it as a break between homework and being extremely bored." Said Lupin lightly.
"You're all right." Said Ron, scrubbing hard at the carpet. "You get to go to the meetings."
"They're not that fun." Said Rose, but she stifled a giggle as she remembered the looks on Sirius and Clara's faces as they had yelled at each other. Clara however remained silent and rather interested in the piece of carpet she was scrubbing.
The door creaked open and they looked up. Kreacher, the house elf shuffled in, pulling up the dirty loin cloth that was tied about his waist. Muttering to himself, he seemed oblivious to the group watching him and shuffled over to the side of the room. They caught snatches of what he was saying.
"If only Mistress could hear it now.would put a stop to it.poor mistress.house invaded.playing distasteful screeching.poor, poor mistress."
"Screeching!" Said Clara, offended.
"Don't listen to him." Said Lupin quickly. "He's always like that."
"Oi Kreacher." Called Fred. "Sirius told you to leave things alone. What are you doing?" Kreacher looked up and acted surprise to see them there.
"Kreacher was just looking. Kreacher is not doing anything wrong. Dirty traitors." He said this last part aloud but to himself as if he thought they could not hear him.
"Well if you're just looking you can get out." Said Fred loudly. "We're cleaning." Kreacher did not say anything to this but shuffled out past them muttered to himself about Mudbloods. Rose coughed.
"Well.he's a bit of a miserable bugger isn't he?"
"He's been stuck in here on his own for years." Said Hermione coming to Kreacher's defence. "You wouldn't be too happy if you were in his position."
"Oh come off it Hermione." Said Ron. "I doubt Kreacher would ever be happy unless we all left and he could be on his own again with his precious 'Mistress'."
"He called you a Mudblood Hermione." Said George gravely.
"He doesn't know what he's saying." Said Hermione and Ron snorted.
"I just wish we could get rid of him."
"So does Sirius." Replied Harry. "But he knows too much."
A hole ripped in the section of carpet that Clara had been scrubbing vigorously at the mention of Sirius' name. Rose looked at her for a moment and sighed. The music changed to an upbeat song, at which everyone could not help but move to the beat.
"Strange music. Makes you feel like getting up and dancing." Said Lupin.
Clara laughed and stood up. "I know what you mean." She offered her hand to Rose and grinned. "Care to dance with me Rose my dear?"
Laughing Rose stood up. She and Clara proceeded to twirl and jump about the room. The group sitting on the floor laughed loudly at them. At one point Ginny got up and joined in. Twisting and laughing they narrowly missed knocking over several vases on the tables. There came a loud knock from the direction of the door and it opened. Sirius appeared at the door, an annoyed look on his face.
"Do you have to have that up so loud?" He yelled. Lupin sighed and rolled his eyes. He knew what was coming.
"Oh for gods sake. It's not even loud." Clara yelled back over the music, stopping dancing. Rose, also guessing what was going to follow, took Ginny by the hands and whispered to her to ignore them and carry on dancing.
"You can hear it down the hall." Sirius replied irritably.
"With a house this quiet then I suspect you would!" Clara said back. "We're only having a bit of fun. Already had Kreacher in here complaining. Don't you bloody start."
"Well for once I'd have to say I agree with him."
"Oh like master like house elf!" Retorted Clara.
Lupin put his head in his hand, shaking it. The others winced. Sirius' eyes widened for a moment and his face grew a red tinge. Then he turned on his heel and stormed out.
"What an arrogant git!" Raged Clara later that night. She and Rose had eaten dinner, the tension between Sirius and Clara now even more evident, and then retired to their room. "I don't even bloody know what his problem is."
"Who?" Said Rose innocently, knowing full well whom Clara was talking about.
"Sirius." Spat Clara. "Who else? Bloody idiot. I mean what's his problem?"
"He's a man?" Hazarded Rose, half-heartedly.
"I mean he's a bloody part of the Order. He knows we're doing our best for Harry to keep him safe. What's he got a bug up his backside for?" Huffed Clara.
"Look. He's been shut up in here for months and he hates the place. I mean you'd be grumpy too."
"Well he shouldn't take it out on everyone else." Snapped Clara. "And what's he got against music anyway?"
"Maybe he's not a music person? I mean some people are like that." Clara snorted and threw herself down onto her bed. Rose rolled her eyes and went back to her book. There was a brief silence.
"Bet he hates me now." Said Clara, staring angrily at the ceiling.
"Well if you don't like him then why should you care?" Asked Rose mildly.
"I don't!" Replied Clara quickly.
"Well there you are then. Not a problem."
Clara shot Rose a look, and then pulled a Walkman out of her pocket. She'd not shown this to Arthur as she was not willing to risk it being damaged no matter how well magic would fix it. Putting the earphones in, she pressed play.
"Lupin's nice." Said Rose loudly. Clara looked up at Rose taking the earphones out of her ears. "Hmm?"
"I said Lupin's a nice guy." Said Rose.
"Yeah." Mused Clara. "He seems to have taken a fancy to you."
"A fancy?" Said Rose innocently, but she smiled and a pink tinge came up on her cheeks.
"Oh god you are so bad at acting innocent." Sighed Clara. Rose put her book down.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She replied. Clara raised herself onto her elbow and looked across at her friend.
"If you're saying that I've imagined those glances at each other and shy smiles I'm a Muggle."
"Well you are Muggle born." Rose started to point out.
"So are you and don't try change the subject. You know what I mean."
"No I don't." Replied Rose, picking her book back up and opening it, though she didn't start to read.
"Oh I'd be really grateful." Clara said in a high voice, imitating her friend's acceptance of Lupin's offer to teach her Defence Against the Dark Arts.
"Shut up." Laughed Rose and she chucked a pillow at Clara. Clara grinned and lay her head back down onto the pillow.
"I dunno. First day on the job and you're already picking up blokes."
"Can you pass me my pillow back please?"
"Get it yourself." Replied Clara. Rose sighed and lifted her hand.
"Accio pillow." She said. The pillow lifted off the floor and shot to Rose's hand.
"Funny." Said Clara.
"What?"
"Spells. You expect 'em to be really impressive when you say em. But that one, stick a word like pillow on the end and it seems to lose it's effect." Rose glanced at Clara who was now listening to her Walkman again, and then shaking her head went back to her book.
"Morning." He nodded, now used to their appearing randomly about the house.
"Good morning Harry my friend." Replied George cheerily walking over and sitting next to Harry on the bed.
"You know there's no harm in walking." Said Ron grumpily, rubbing his foot.
"Yes there is. Exercise. Nasty thing. Harmful to a peaceful state of mind." Retorted Fred.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Asked Ron.
"Why we wanted to say good morning. And also share some interesting news. Well, more like a word of warning." Said George.
"Warning?" Asked Harry.
"Indeed. That there may be some tension downstairs."
"What are you talking about?" Ron looked at his brother, his brow furrowed.
"We were listening on the Extendable Ears last night to the meeting." Said Fred.
"And it seems not everyone's happy." Harry and Ron looked at each other, not understanding at all.
"Seems like Sirius and one of the new girls don't see eye to eye?" Explained Fred.
"What happened?" Asked Harry curiously.
"There was a bit of an argument between them, we couldn't tell who. Mum's still putting that charm on the door so we can't hear as well as we'd like. But they were yelling at each full blast."
"Oh dear." Said Ron. "Do you think it's safe to go downstairs?"
It was clear when they got downstairs who it was that had been arguing with Sirius the night before. Clara and he were both making a great effort not to look at each other and were sitting sulkily either end of the room. Everyone bolted down their breakfast hungrily but were then presented with buckets and brushes by Mrs Weasley who told them that today they would be cleaning the floor and carpet of one of the rooms.
"Oh but Muuum." Whined Ginny. "We were cleaning yesterday."
"And you'll carry on cleaning until we make this place as clean as possible. Goodness knows the last time it had a good scrubbing." Rose and Lupin laughed at them. Clara would have laughed if she hadn't been too busy being in a mood.
"Come on." Said Rose. "I'll help you." She looked at Lupin. "You want to join us?"
"Oh I might as well." Lupin stood up with a smile.
"You coming Clara?" Rose ventured. Clara shot a look at Sirius, who was now sitting at the table and trying, it seemed, to bore a hole into the newspaper by staring at it and then stood up.
"Go on then. Can't see much point in sitting down here."
"Can you bring your CD player?" Asked Ginny. Clara nodded, finally smiling and they trooped out the room, buckets in hand.
"I'd give anything to give me to you. Can you forget the world that you thought you knew." The words floated around the room as the group sat scrubbing at the floor.
"What's their name again?" Asked Ron.
"Evanescence." Said Clara.
"Don't start her off." Said Rose in a hushed whisper then grinned cheekily at her friend who flicked water at her. They had been scrubbing for about an hour and their fingers were starting to prune from the constant dipping of the brushes into the water. Ron detached a piece of what seemed and he hoped was dirty brown moss and dropped it onto a bucket.
"I don't see why we have to clean everything. I mean what's the point. We don't go in these rooms anyway."
"Just think of it as a break between homework and being extremely bored." Said Lupin lightly.
"You're all right." Said Ron, scrubbing hard at the carpet. "You get to go to the meetings."
"They're not that fun." Said Rose, but she stifled a giggle as she remembered the looks on Sirius and Clara's faces as they had yelled at each other. Clara however remained silent and rather interested in the piece of carpet she was scrubbing.
The door creaked open and they looked up. Kreacher, the house elf shuffled in, pulling up the dirty loin cloth that was tied about his waist. Muttering to himself, he seemed oblivious to the group watching him and shuffled over to the side of the room. They caught snatches of what he was saying.
"If only Mistress could hear it now.would put a stop to it.poor mistress.house invaded.playing distasteful screeching.poor, poor mistress."
"Screeching!" Said Clara, offended.
"Don't listen to him." Said Lupin quickly. "He's always like that."
"Oi Kreacher." Called Fred. "Sirius told you to leave things alone. What are you doing?" Kreacher looked up and acted surprise to see them there.
"Kreacher was just looking. Kreacher is not doing anything wrong. Dirty traitors." He said this last part aloud but to himself as if he thought they could not hear him.
"Well if you're just looking you can get out." Said Fred loudly. "We're cleaning." Kreacher did not say anything to this but shuffled out past them muttered to himself about Mudbloods. Rose coughed.
"Well.he's a bit of a miserable bugger isn't he?"
"He's been stuck in here on his own for years." Said Hermione coming to Kreacher's defence. "You wouldn't be too happy if you were in his position."
"Oh come off it Hermione." Said Ron. "I doubt Kreacher would ever be happy unless we all left and he could be on his own again with his precious 'Mistress'."
"He called you a Mudblood Hermione." Said George gravely.
"He doesn't know what he's saying." Said Hermione and Ron snorted.
"I just wish we could get rid of him."
"So does Sirius." Replied Harry. "But he knows too much."
A hole ripped in the section of carpet that Clara had been scrubbing vigorously at the mention of Sirius' name. Rose looked at her for a moment and sighed. The music changed to an upbeat song, at which everyone could not help but move to the beat.
"Strange music. Makes you feel like getting up and dancing." Said Lupin.
Clara laughed and stood up. "I know what you mean." She offered her hand to Rose and grinned. "Care to dance with me Rose my dear?"
Laughing Rose stood up. She and Clara proceeded to twirl and jump about the room. The group sitting on the floor laughed loudly at them. At one point Ginny got up and joined in. Twisting and laughing they narrowly missed knocking over several vases on the tables. There came a loud knock from the direction of the door and it opened. Sirius appeared at the door, an annoyed look on his face.
"Do you have to have that up so loud?" He yelled. Lupin sighed and rolled his eyes. He knew what was coming.
"Oh for gods sake. It's not even loud." Clara yelled back over the music, stopping dancing. Rose, also guessing what was going to follow, took Ginny by the hands and whispered to her to ignore them and carry on dancing.
"You can hear it down the hall." Sirius replied irritably.
"With a house this quiet then I suspect you would!" Clara said back. "We're only having a bit of fun. Already had Kreacher in here complaining. Don't you bloody start."
"Well for once I'd have to say I agree with him."
"Oh like master like house elf!" Retorted Clara.
Lupin put his head in his hand, shaking it. The others winced. Sirius' eyes widened for a moment and his face grew a red tinge. Then he turned on his heel and stormed out.
"What an arrogant git!" Raged Clara later that night. She and Rose had eaten dinner, the tension between Sirius and Clara now even more evident, and then retired to their room. "I don't even bloody know what his problem is."
"Who?" Said Rose innocently, knowing full well whom Clara was talking about.
"Sirius." Spat Clara. "Who else? Bloody idiot. I mean what's his problem?"
"He's a man?" Hazarded Rose, half-heartedly.
"I mean he's a bloody part of the Order. He knows we're doing our best for Harry to keep him safe. What's he got a bug up his backside for?" Huffed Clara.
"Look. He's been shut up in here for months and he hates the place. I mean you'd be grumpy too."
"Well he shouldn't take it out on everyone else." Snapped Clara. "And what's he got against music anyway?"
"Maybe he's not a music person? I mean some people are like that." Clara snorted and threw herself down onto her bed. Rose rolled her eyes and went back to her book. There was a brief silence.
"Bet he hates me now." Said Clara, staring angrily at the ceiling.
"Well if you don't like him then why should you care?" Asked Rose mildly.
"I don't!" Replied Clara quickly.
"Well there you are then. Not a problem."
Clara shot Rose a look, and then pulled a Walkman out of her pocket. She'd not shown this to Arthur as she was not willing to risk it being damaged no matter how well magic would fix it. Putting the earphones in, she pressed play.
"Lupin's nice." Said Rose loudly. Clara looked up at Rose taking the earphones out of her ears. "Hmm?"
"I said Lupin's a nice guy." Said Rose.
"Yeah." Mused Clara. "He seems to have taken a fancy to you."
"A fancy?" Said Rose innocently, but she smiled and a pink tinge came up on her cheeks.
"Oh god you are so bad at acting innocent." Sighed Clara. Rose put her book down.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She replied. Clara raised herself onto her elbow and looked across at her friend.
"If you're saying that I've imagined those glances at each other and shy smiles I'm a Muggle."
"Well you are Muggle born." Rose started to point out.
"So are you and don't try change the subject. You know what I mean."
"No I don't." Replied Rose, picking her book back up and opening it, though she didn't start to read.
"Oh I'd be really grateful." Clara said in a high voice, imitating her friend's acceptance of Lupin's offer to teach her Defence Against the Dark Arts.
"Shut up." Laughed Rose and she chucked a pillow at Clara. Clara grinned and lay her head back down onto the pillow.
"I dunno. First day on the job and you're already picking up blokes."
"Can you pass me my pillow back please?"
"Get it yourself." Replied Clara. Rose sighed and lifted her hand.
"Accio pillow." She said. The pillow lifted off the floor and shot to Rose's hand.
"Funny." Said Clara.
"What?"
"Spells. You expect 'em to be really impressive when you say em. But that one, stick a word like pillow on the end and it seems to lose it's effect." Rose glanced at Clara who was now listening to her Walkman again, and then shaking her head went back to her book.
