Chapter Nineteen: Harry's Protection
Clarice and Fred walked up to Gryffindor Tower. It was after hours, but as the staff knew she just got out of the hospital wing, nobody criticized her or Fred. They just let them go. Not even Percy, who was a prude about the rules complained when he saw them approach the portrait hole at nearly ten o'clock that night.
When Clarice and Fred walked into the common room it was nearly empty. The only ones there were the usual...George, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all waiting up to see Clarice. Clarice wasn't expecting it. George and Harry had apparently stolen away to Hogsmeade to get butterbeer and Honeydukes candy. They wanted to celebrate the end of the Malfoy torture.
At the end of the night, the only two left downstairs were Harry and Clarice. The cousins. Clarice was sitting next to the fire, tired out from the celebration. Harry, on the other hand, looked like he had something to say and did not want to.
"What's on your mind, Harry?"
"I nearly lost you after I blamed you for the rotten life I had."
"I'm fine. Really. I feel much better now that the truth is out and I don't have to hide my problems."
"But you could've died."
"But I didn't."
"I would've had nobody left in this world but the Dursleys and a murderer."
Clarice flinched. She knew that Sirius must be worried sick about her by now. Not to mention the fact that she couldn't convince Harry that he wasn't a killer.
"I'm not gonna leave you, Harry."
"I know you're not. I'm going to look out for you from now on."
"That's sweet, but I can handle it."
"I want to. To prove I do care about you more than I care about a grudge. I am so sorry that I blamed you for my life Clarice. Can you forgive me?"
"Harry, I was never mad at you for the way you felt...just for your shouting. I can't believe you would yell at me. I've always tried not to yell at you...and I've had plenty to yell at you about. You break rules all the time and I'm a prefect and should be trying to stop you, but I don't. I understand that people need to express themselves and I have given you, Ron and Hermione almost full reign."
"I know you have. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blamed you. It was just so easy to blame you, what with the way you insist on using Black as a surname."
"I've always used Black as a surname. I never knew until Halloween that my proper surname was Dumbledore."
"I know Clarice. I'm sorry. Just accept that I will promise to protect you rather than fight you from now on. I will not let anything, including Sirius Black, come between us ever again. It is my word that I will protect you."
"I can accept that you will protect me, but don't worry so much about Sirius Black. His bark is worse than his bite."
"Alright. I'll try to leave it alone. So, are you happy now that you don't have to live with the Malfoys?"
"Oh yeah. I'm just a little anxious about being in Professor Snape's care. I mean obviously he was close to my mum and dad, but who knows what he's like outside of Hogwarts. I mean, what if he's worse than he is here?"
"I wouldn't want to find out. He really hates me."
"I know. Too bad you can't protect me from him."
"I don't know, Clarice, if pushed far enough, I think I would."
"Don't go getting yourself kicked out of school for me."
"No, I won't. Especially now that Malfoy is gone."
"Yeah, things seem simpler. The only problem is is that now I have my O.W.L.s in like three weeks and I haven't been studying the way I should have. I have no choice but to take the exams and they're really not easy. I have a lot of exams to take. More than anyone else in my year."
"What classes are you taking anyway, Clarice?"
"Obviously the mandatory Charms, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfigurations, History of Magic, and Astronomy. But I'm also taking Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Muggle Studies as the additional classes. However, I am now taking Advanced Charms, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Transfigurations. I am taking seventeen classes in all and taking an O.W.L. in all of them. Next year, I'm going to have an additional two classes added to my schedule automatically which would bring my N.E.W.T.s to nineteen. I've got loads of work to do before the exams. Why?"
"How are you making all these classes? There's got to be classes where you've got two classes at the same time. How do you do it?"
"I'm not allowed to tell you, I can just tell you that it is not the same way as Hermione. And as a matter of fact there are times where I even have three classes scheduled together. I get to my classes. Until things with the Malfoys started to happen, I hadn't missed any of my classes. I manage. Don't you worry."
"You're going to burn yourself out."
"Do I get my work done?"
"Yes."
"Do I make all the Quidditch training sessions?"
"Yes. I think Wood would kill you if you didn't."
"So, obviously I know what I am doing. Don't worry. I get what needs to get done done."
"So how do you find the time to be a trouble maker with Fred and George?"
"I make time. All work and no play makes for a very dull day. I believe the day is incomplete without practical jokes."
"Alright. You should probably get some rest now, Clarice. You have been thru loads lately and should really go to bed. I'll make sure nobody hurts you. I promise. I will sleep in the common room to keep everyone out of the dormitory."
"You don't have to do that Harry. Besides, Percy will have a stroke if you sleep down here. Go to bed. I'll talk to you in the morning."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am. Go to bed. I love you Harry."
"I love you too Clarice."
Leaving it as it was, Harry went up to the boys' dormitories and Clarice went up to the girls'. When Clarice got into her dormitory she found the last thing she expected...Sirius, in his human form, sleeping in her bed with the curtains drawn. Apparently none of her roommates noticed, which meant he did it after they all went to bed. Rather than wake him she grabbed him and Apparated with him as she had when he went to the boys' dormitories. That woke him up.
Clarice and Fred walked up to Gryffindor Tower. It was after hours, but as the staff knew she just got out of the hospital wing, nobody criticized her or Fred. They just let them go. Not even Percy, who was a prude about the rules complained when he saw them approach the portrait hole at nearly ten o'clock that night.
When Clarice and Fred walked into the common room it was nearly empty. The only ones there were the usual...George, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all waiting up to see Clarice. Clarice wasn't expecting it. George and Harry had apparently stolen away to Hogsmeade to get butterbeer and Honeydukes candy. They wanted to celebrate the end of the Malfoy torture.
At the end of the night, the only two left downstairs were Harry and Clarice. The cousins. Clarice was sitting next to the fire, tired out from the celebration. Harry, on the other hand, looked like he had something to say and did not want to.
"What's on your mind, Harry?"
"I nearly lost you after I blamed you for the rotten life I had."
"I'm fine. Really. I feel much better now that the truth is out and I don't have to hide my problems."
"But you could've died."
"But I didn't."
"I would've had nobody left in this world but the Dursleys and a murderer."
Clarice flinched. She knew that Sirius must be worried sick about her by now. Not to mention the fact that she couldn't convince Harry that he wasn't a killer.
"I'm not gonna leave you, Harry."
"I know you're not. I'm going to look out for you from now on."
"That's sweet, but I can handle it."
"I want to. To prove I do care about you more than I care about a grudge. I am so sorry that I blamed you for my life Clarice. Can you forgive me?"
"Harry, I was never mad at you for the way you felt...just for your shouting. I can't believe you would yell at me. I've always tried not to yell at you...and I've had plenty to yell at you about. You break rules all the time and I'm a prefect and should be trying to stop you, but I don't. I understand that people need to express themselves and I have given you, Ron and Hermione almost full reign."
"I know you have. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blamed you. It was just so easy to blame you, what with the way you insist on using Black as a surname."
"I've always used Black as a surname. I never knew until Halloween that my proper surname was Dumbledore."
"I know Clarice. I'm sorry. Just accept that I will promise to protect you rather than fight you from now on. I will not let anything, including Sirius Black, come between us ever again. It is my word that I will protect you."
"I can accept that you will protect me, but don't worry so much about Sirius Black. His bark is worse than his bite."
"Alright. I'll try to leave it alone. So, are you happy now that you don't have to live with the Malfoys?"
"Oh yeah. I'm just a little anxious about being in Professor Snape's care. I mean obviously he was close to my mum and dad, but who knows what he's like outside of Hogwarts. I mean, what if he's worse than he is here?"
"I wouldn't want to find out. He really hates me."
"I know. Too bad you can't protect me from him."
"I don't know, Clarice, if pushed far enough, I think I would."
"Don't go getting yourself kicked out of school for me."
"No, I won't. Especially now that Malfoy is gone."
"Yeah, things seem simpler. The only problem is is that now I have my O.W.L.s in like three weeks and I haven't been studying the way I should have. I have no choice but to take the exams and they're really not easy. I have a lot of exams to take. More than anyone else in my year."
"What classes are you taking anyway, Clarice?"
"Obviously the mandatory Charms, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfigurations, History of Magic, and Astronomy. But I'm also taking Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Muggle Studies as the additional classes. However, I am now taking Advanced Charms, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Transfigurations. I am taking seventeen classes in all and taking an O.W.L. in all of them. Next year, I'm going to have an additional two classes added to my schedule automatically which would bring my N.E.W.T.s to nineteen. I've got loads of work to do before the exams. Why?"
"How are you making all these classes? There's got to be classes where you've got two classes at the same time. How do you do it?"
"I'm not allowed to tell you, I can just tell you that it is not the same way as Hermione. And as a matter of fact there are times where I even have three classes scheduled together. I get to my classes. Until things with the Malfoys started to happen, I hadn't missed any of my classes. I manage. Don't you worry."
"You're going to burn yourself out."
"Do I get my work done?"
"Yes."
"Do I make all the Quidditch training sessions?"
"Yes. I think Wood would kill you if you didn't."
"So, obviously I know what I am doing. Don't worry. I get what needs to get done done."
"So how do you find the time to be a trouble maker with Fred and George?"
"I make time. All work and no play makes for a very dull day. I believe the day is incomplete without practical jokes."
"Alright. You should probably get some rest now, Clarice. You have been thru loads lately and should really go to bed. I'll make sure nobody hurts you. I promise. I will sleep in the common room to keep everyone out of the dormitory."
"You don't have to do that Harry. Besides, Percy will have a stroke if you sleep down here. Go to bed. I'll talk to you in the morning."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am. Go to bed. I love you Harry."
"I love you too Clarice."
Leaving it as it was, Harry went up to the boys' dormitories and Clarice went up to the girls'. When Clarice got into her dormitory she found the last thing she expected...Sirius, in his human form, sleeping in her bed with the curtains drawn. Apparently none of her roommates noticed, which meant he did it after they all went to bed. Rather than wake him she grabbed him and Apparated with him as she had when he went to the boys' dormitories. That woke him up.