Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.
A/N: Bethje-you make me giggle.....you to Obbsesive!! Thanks to everyone who reviewed again!!
Care of Magical Creatures was Clea's favorite class. She loved to learn about the different animals. Being in this class was the only time out of her entire day that she found herself not thinking about Remus, Snape and the Graduate's Ball that awaited her in four days.
The bell rang ending her class, and beginning Christmas break. Clea gathered her things and made her way out of the class room. Being that there was the Ball this year during the break, Clea didn't have to go home for the holiday and she was kind of happy about that. She was getting pretty sick of her family obsessing over her position in Slytherin. They all thought she would become some evil, pure blood loving, freak like they were. Little did they know that Clea was in love with a half blood, best friends with another half blood, and becoming a professor when she had finished her time at Hogwarts. Plus, ever since Sirius left home she had taken the place of the child that their mother berates and complains about. Clea didn't have the guts to leave. No matter how much she hated her mother, she saw the way Sirius broke her heart and in the back of her mind she felt bad for her.
Clea dropped her things off at her dorm room and sprinted up to the Great Hall for dinner. When she walked in, she was immediately drawn to the many Christmas trees and decorations that filled the room. They sent a feeling of warmth throughout her entire body. She waved at Lily and Sirius at the Gryffindor table and then made her way across the Hall to where her table was. She always occupied the first seat at the very front of the table, and like it was the royal chair for a queen it was never sat in by anyone else.
"Hello Severus. How are you?" Clea sat down in her chair and smiled at Severus, who was seated across from her. He gave her his usual strained smile.
"Your brother kept giving me that evil grin of his all day. He better not be up to something." Clea rolled her eyes and held up a finger to silence him. Professor Dumbledore had stood up to address the room.
"All those returning to their families for Christmas break will line up in the Entrance Hall immediately following tonight's feast," Dumbledore spoke, in his slow dignified voice. "Also, due to the Ball, we have an unusual high volume of students staying here over the holiday. Because of this a set of guidelines will be posted in every common room to unsure that we do not have anyone wondering off where they are not supposed to be. Now, dig in!"
As soon as Dumbledore ended his speech, every bowl on each of the tables was magically filled with delicious food. Clea scooped a spoonful of macaroni unto her plate and then reached over someone else to grab a fat chicken leg.
"I didn't see Lupin bring any bags down before dinner. I guess he really isn't going anywhere after all,"—Clea stopped chewing and started at Snape as he spoke—"He's probably being hypnotized by that brother of yours. Probably part of some ingénues plan he has."
"Severus," Clea put her fork down and looked at him with a gentle look on her face. "Leave them alone. Sirius isn't planning anything and Remus...Remus has a good reason for not going to the Ball."
"What is it then?" Snape asked, finding Clea's obvious denial amusing. He started transferring olives from his salad into Clea's, knowing that she liked them.
"I don't know," Clea sighed, plopping an olive into her mouth. "It doesn't matter."
Clea returned to her meal. She and Snape barley spoke to each other again. She kept thinking about what she said; it doesn't matter. Of course it mattered. This whole thing was getting way to confusing. There were too many holes and puzzles. She wished that this whole thing wasn't happening; that there wasn't a Ball.
She kept wondering if things would have been different if she was a Gryffindor. Maybe Remus would have trusted her more. But she was more trusting than anyone. She wasn't brave like a Gryffindor, she wasn't hard working like a Hufflepuff and she sure as hell wasn't an intellect like a Ravenclaw; Slytherin is the only house left. She is ambitious and cunning, and right there she decided that she wasn't going to stop until she figured out what was up with Remus; even if it meant snooping.
The drapes around Clea's bed parted slightly and one of her bright brown eyes peered through the crack. She quickly made sure that the other 6th year Slytherin girl staying at Hogwarts during break was not up. Clea stuck a shaky foot through the curtains and placed it on the floor. When both feet were on the ground she stood up. Like a professional, Clea glided across the room not hitting anything.
When she made it out of her room, she glanced at her wristwatch. It was 3:00 in the morning. Everyone should be sleeping by now, she thought to herself as she made her way through the tunnel that led out into the Slytherin common room.
No one was there. Clea leapt the distance of the room, in a cat like manner and snuck out the door.
She held her breath as she darted from shadow to shadow. In the darkness, her hearing was heightened and she paused at every sound.
After about 15 minutes, she found herself in front of the portrait that blocked the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower.
Clea sat there on the step next to the portrait, waiting. In her black night dress, she blended into the wall.
Soon, the staircase that Clea occupied was flooded with light, as the portrait swung open revealing the inside of the Gryffindor dorms. A red-headed figure peered around the corner and beckoned Clea inside.
Clea shook with nerves; she used every muscle to get herself to walk into the dorm. Members from one house were never allowed into the common room of another house. Yet here she was, a Slytherin in the house of Gryffindor.
"It's empty right?" Clea's voice was higher than usual and she wrapped her arms around her stomach to keep herself steady.
"Of course," Lily responded. "Everyone is in bed."
"I can't do this Lily," Clea froze in place. "I'm going to be in so much trouble if someone finds out I'm here." Clea skidded on her heels and sprang for the door.
"Get back here, scaredy cat!" Lily shouted to her in a whisper.
"How do you get out of here?" Clea rubbed her hands all over the wall, searching for a way out.
All of a sudden a blood curdling scream rang out from the upstairs. Lily spun around to face the staircase, as Clea ran up and grasped on to Lily's arm shaking. Once again the silence of the dorm was pieced by another scream.
"It's coming from the boy's dorms," Lily whispered.
