Chapter Six: Christmas with the Malfoys
Hermione continued to be a good friend to Clarice. She knew one of the big secrets that Ron and Harry wanted to know, but she didn't tell them. Clarice deserved to tell people if and when she was ready. After that night in the astronomy tower, Hermione was careful to make sure Clarice took her potion when it was time.
With only a few days left to the Christmas holidays, Clarice was getting more and more depressed everyday. Hermione was beginning to feel helpless. She knew only getting Fred and George to be Clarice's friend would cheer her up. Any time she even said Clarice's name around Fred and George, however, they would either change the subject, tell her to mind her business or just walk away. They were still being very stubborn. Not even a trip to Hogsmeade was able to warm them up to her.
When everyone was cueing up to get into carriages and return home for the holidays, Hermione tried once more to talk to the twins. She grabbed them right before they got into a carriage.
"Fred, George, please. Just talk to her. She really needs you two."
"Hermione, Merry Christmas. See you at the end of the holidays. Please don't talk to us about her again."
And with that they left.
When everyone got off the Hogwarts express and traveled thru the barrier on Platform 9 ¾ to the Muggle world Clarice was with Draco Malfoy. Moments later, Lucius Malfoy arrived ready to take them home.
"My dear Clarice. How nice it is to finally meet you. I've heard all about you from Draco and your social worker, Ms. Falcon. Very nice woman, really. Thinks very highly of you. Let's go. We've got to return to the manor."
They got to Malfoy's manor and Clarice couldn't help but be in awe. It was a very beautiful place...creepy, but beautiful. The manor was huge and meticulous.
"Your manor is quite lovely, Mr. Malfoy."
"Thank you Clarice. Welcome to your new home. Draco, show our new family member to her room."
"Yes father."
With a grudging look Draco showed Clarice to her room. It was a very beautiful room. It wasn't even creepy like the rest of the house. She tried to be civil to Draco and thank him. Then he left.
A few days went by and things seemed okay. The Malfoys even bought Clarice gifts for Christmas. They got her an owl. It was a beautiful eagle owl which she named Isis. In addition to Isis, the Malfoys also gave her different colored robes and clothes she could wear outside of Hogwarts and a new broomstick. A Nimbus 2001. She didn't expect anything from them. She thought even though their son is atrocious, the Malfoys don't seem to be that bad. All that changed a few days after Christmas.
Draco and Clarice got into quite a row. They were arguing and Draco told Clarice she was nothing more to his parents than a charity case that made them look even better to the Ministry of Magic. When he said that she hit him. Lucius came into the room and noticed the way things were and sent them both to their rooms. Clarice went to her room and half an hour later Lucius came into her room.
"I don't know how things are done in the orphanage, but I do not allow fighting in my home, Clarice."
"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy. He just said something that hurt."
"Well, you are older than him and should have the common sense to walk away from him. I mean, you are top in your year at the school."
"I'll apologize to Draco if you'd like and try not to fight with him."
"That's a good girl."
He came over and sat next to her on her bed. He moved her hair out of her face and off her neck. Then he kissed her. She was shocked. She pushed him away.
"Mr. Malfoy, I'm not comfortable with that. Please don't do it again."
"You don't learn do you? Why can't you get it thru your head that I don't like fighting?"
He pinned her down on her bed and stripped her robes off of her. He undressed himself. Before she could scream, he performed a charm that would sound-proof her bedroom. He began to kiss her and touch her. Clarice gave up fighting and just laid there crying silently. He laid down on top of her and raped her. When he was done, he repaired the rips in her clothes, made her get dressed and threatened her.
"If you tell anyone, anyone at all, I will kill them."
Clarice felt more alone than she had ever felt in her life. She had nobody to turn to. She was stuck here for another week and she didn't want to be. She was too scared to tell anyone what had happened. Everyone knew Lucius Malfoy was in You-Know-Who's inner circle.
In the next week she was there, Clarice tried to stay out of the Malfoys way. However, every night, Lucius would come to her room and rape her. She desperately wanted Fred and George back in her life.
At the end of the week, Lucius dropped Draco and Clarice back at Platform 9 ¾ to return to school. Clarice sat in a compartment all by herself. The door to her compartment was open and halfway thru the ride, Fred and George spotted her sitting all by herself. The sight of her must have gotten to them because they came in and sat down.
"Hi," said George, "are you alright Clarice?"
She looked up and was shocked to see them.
"I'm fine. Fred. George. I'm really sorry I never told you I was a werewolf. I should've told you ages ago. I was just afraid if you knew the truth, you'd never speak to me again. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me and be my friends again. I've been absolutely miserable without you."
"Clarice, we both love you. You are the best friend we've ever had. But it really hurt us that you didn't trust us enough to tell us the truth. We thought we were better friends to you all these years than that."
"You two have been. In fact, that's what made it harder to tell you the truth. I love you guys too. It got to the point I was afraid that even our friendship wouldn't be able to survive my secret. I was afraid. I'm really, really sorry. Please, just forgive me."
"You need to promise not to keep anymore secrets like that though Clarice. You need to be honest with the two of us if you expect to earn our trust again."
"I'll try to be more open with you two. Just please understand. There are just some things that will take me time to tell you. Just be patient and when I find the right way to tell you, I promise I will."
"Deal!" said Fred and George in unison.
Things seemed to be a bit better after that. She finally had her two best friends back after almost a month and a half of their not talking.
Hermione continued to be a good friend to Clarice. She knew one of the big secrets that Ron and Harry wanted to know, but she didn't tell them. Clarice deserved to tell people if and when she was ready. After that night in the astronomy tower, Hermione was careful to make sure Clarice took her potion when it was time.
With only a few days left to the Christmas holidays, Clarice was getting more and more depressed everyday. Hermione was beginning to feel helpless. She knew only getting Fred and George to be Clarice's friend would cheer her up. Any time she even said Clarice's name around Fred and George, however, they would either change the subject, tell her to mind her business or just walk away. They were still being very stubborn. Not even a trip to Hogsmeade was able to warm them up to her.
When everyone was cueing up to get into carriages and return home for the holidays, Hermione tried once more to talk to the twins. She grabbed them right before they got into a carriage.
"Fred, George, please. Just talk to her. She really needs you two."
"Hermione, Merry Christmas. See you at the end of the holidays. Please don't talk to us about her again."
And with that they left.
When everyone got off the Hogwarts express and traveled thru the barrier on Platform 9 ¾ to the Muggle world Clarice was with Draco Malfoy. Moments later, Lucius Malfoy arrived ready to take them home.
"My dear Clarice. How nice it is to finally meet you. I've heard all about you from Draco and your social worker, Ms. Falcon. Very nice woman, really. Thinks very highly of you. Let's go. We've got to return to the manor."
They got to Malfoy's manor and Clarice couldn't help but be in awe. It was a very beautiful place...creepy, but beautiful. The manor was huge and meticulous.
"Your manor is quite lovely, Mr. Malfoy."
"Thank you Clarice. Welcome to your new home. Draco, show our new family member to her room."
"Yes father."
With a grudging look Draco showed Clarice to her room. It was a very beautiful room. It wasn't even creepy like the rest of the house. She tried to be civil to Draco and thank him. Then he left.
A few days went by and things seemed okay. The Malfoys even bought Clarice gifts for Christmas. They got her an owl. It was a beautiful eagle owl which she named Isis. In addition to Isis, the Malfoys also gave her different colored robes and clothes she could wear outside of Hogwarts and a new broomstick. A Nimbus 2001. She didn't expect anything from them. She thought even though their son is atrocious, the Malfoys don't seem to be that bad. All that changed a few days after Christmas.
Draco and Clarice got into quite a row. They were arguing and Draco told Clarice she was nothing more to his parents than a charity case that made them look even better to the Ministry of Magic. When he said that she hit him. Lucius came into the room and noticed the way things were and sent them both to their rooms. Clarice went to her room and half an hour later Lucius came into her room.
"I don't know how things are done in the orphanage, but I do not allow fighting in my home, Clarice."
"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy. He just said something that hurt."
"Well, you are older than him and should have the common sense to walk away from him. I mean, you are top in your year at the school."
"I'll apologize to Draco if you'd like and try not to fight with him."
"That's a good girl."
He came over and sat next to her on her bed. He moved her hair out of her face and off her neck. Then he kissed her. She was shocked. She pushed him away.
"Mr. Malfoy, I'm not comfortable with that. Please don't do it again."
"You don't learn do you? Why can't you get it thru your head that I don't like fighting?"
He pinned her down on her bed and stripped her robes off of her. He undressed himself. Before she could scream, he performed a charm that would sound-proof her bedroom. He began to kiss her and touch her. Clarice gave up fighting and just laid there crying silently. He laid down on top of her and raped her. When he was done, he repaired the rips in her clothes, made her get dressed and threatened her.
"If you tell anyone, anyone at all, I will kill them."
Clarice felt more alone than she had ever felt in her life. She had nobody to turn to. She was stuck here for another week and she didn't want to be. She was too scared to tell anyone what had happened. Everyone knew Lucius Malfoy was in You-Know-Who's inner circle.
In the next week she was there, Clarice tried to stay out of the Malfoys way. However, every night, Lucius would come to her room and rape her. She desperately wanted Fred and George back in her life.
At the end of the week, Lucius dropped Draco and Clarice back at Platform 9 ¾ to return to school. Clarice sat in a compartment all by herself. The door to her compartment was open and halfway thru the ride, Fred and George spotted her sitting all by herself. The sight of her must have gotten to them because they came in and sat down.
"Hi," said George, "are you alright Clarice?"
She looked up and was shocked to see them.
"I'm fine. Fred. George. I'm really sorry I never told you I was a werewolf. I should've told you ages ago. I was just afraid if you knew the truth, you'd never speak to me again. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me and be my friends again. I've been absolutely miserable without you."
"Clarice, we both love you. You are the best friend we've ever had. But it really hurt us that you didn't trust us enough to tell us the truth. We thought we were better friends to you all these years than that."
"You two have been. In fact, that's what made it harder to tell you the truth. I love you guys too. It got to the point I was afraid that even our friendship wouldn't be able to survive my secret. I was afraid. I'm really, really sorry. Please, just forgive me."
"You need to promise not to keep anymore secrets like that though Clarice. You need to be honest with the two of us if you expect to earn our trust again."
"I'll try to be more open with you two. Just please understand. There are just some things that will take me time to tell you. Just be patient and when I find the right way to tell you, I promise I will."
"Deal!" said Fred and George in unison.
Things seemed to be a bit better after that. She finally had her two best friends back after almost a month and a half of their not talking.