White Rose

To her relief, she already finishes her packing. Now she has to step to the world. She is good in pretending and she is used to it that she almost forgot how to be a girl anymore. Now she's starting over.

She stares at her reflection. Now this is what she really is. She started to brush her hair.

I wonder, what will happen. It's like I'm starting to walk on a new world. The world that is once an illusion is now my world. She can't keep herself from smiling. She is excited yet scared.

A soft knock from the door send her back to the real world. "Clare?", her mother called.

"Come in"

Narcissa make her way behind her daughter. "Nervous?". Clare nodded. Narcissa took the brush from her daughter. A soft motherly smile crept to her lips. "Don't be" she gather a mop of her teenage daughter. She fixed her hair with a slightly loose ponytail.

"You're what you are and no matter what they say you're a lovely rose bud that sooner will bloom perfectly".

I sound of horse being pulled was heard from the windows of her room.

"The carriage is here. Ready?"

Clare nod. The flight going down takes just a while until they reached the carriage. Her things are already on the carriage and magically charmed to fit all of it in there.

Her mother came with her. They reached the Platform 9 ¾ in no time. The Hogwarts Express is already steaming finally she step up out of the courage. Her mother hugged her and bid her goodbyes. Narcissa held her daughters hand tightly.

"You'll gonna make it. I know". Her mother entered the carriage and closed the door. She waive for the last time.

She faced the Hogwarts Express. Some people are staring at her silently but she ignored them. I'm gonna make it through this. She took a deep breath. Go girl. She entered the train. Her things are already taken care by the elves just a while ago. She busied herself on finding a available compartment. After a while of searching, she finally found an empty one.

Harry's POV

I stayed at the burrow from half of my summer. After all it's hard to be on myself alone. Besides, it's nice to stay there. The house itself is warm and makes you feel at home.

Well he arrived her together with Ron and Hermione. As usual Hermione hugged her. She's been writing to both Ron and me at the middle of the summer. The usual, 'did you made your assignment?' or 'have you studied your lesson'. Ron's is different. It goes like, 'I've been missing you' or 'love you' or kinky quotes that I don't even want to know.

When they finally met when we bought our requirements they kissed and hugged each other as if they haven't got a connection with each other for a year.

Well now we are finding an available compartment. So far all that they enter are neither occupied or the occupant is rather not of their liking.

Then finally we stumble on the compartment of a certain blonde. She looks at us with her gray eyes. She smiled and is she blushing? Lights might betray my eyes. I checked my companions' reactions. I can see Ron's mouth hanging open. Hermione's eyes are wide beyond normal.

She's beautiful and with that smile of hers. She is like an angel. She should smile often than the sneer she always wore but it feels strange seeing her smile. She's wearing now a pair of jeans and white sleeveless top. She looks simple but gorgeous.

"Uhm, can we share this compartment with you?" Hermione is the first one to come out with her trance. Ron realized how really stupid he might look and so did I. Then we felt the train move.

"Sure" , she answered back. Then again a blushed crept to her cheek or maybe the light is playing with my eyes, is it?

The compartment is getting hot. She took off her jacket. She checked her watch. Soon the train will start. Blaise and Pansy are in the different compartment doing boyfriend and girlfriend stuff. Yeah they're together. You know what I mean. Crabbe and Goyle are not with me because before they are forced to be her bodyguards because of their parents, now they are free. There is no point in staying with me. After all, I can take care of myself.

The door opened and three heads poked in. Then he came eye to eye to a cute guy with green eyes and black hair. She could feel her cheeks flush.

Clare's POV

He is really cute. His body has change a lot. He's slightly built. He became taller, his skin is a lovely golden tan and he let his hair grow a little bit. He don't wore glasses now. I bet contacts. Now his green eyes are visible.

Why is he looking at me like that? Is something in my face? Why are Granger and Weasley looking at me as if I grew another head? Oh, I think they thought that I'm not myself but I'm myself more than any moment before.

Then Granger asked if they could share the compartment with me.

"Sure" I answered. Why not? I have to show them who I really am. No more mask. I smiled to them. Finally they stopped looking at me like that. Then the train started to move. Then Weasley and Granger sat in front of me. that left Harry to sit beside me. I can feel my cheek flush when he choose (or forced) to sit beside me.

The rest of the trip is quite. I can feel their uneasiness. "So uhm, Malfoy how are you doing?" Granger asked. I think she is trying to be friendly. Then suddenly I don't know how to answer. "Fine I guess. I-I'm kind of not used with the settings" I answered with uneasiness. Why did I gave that detail to her?

I suddenly became fond of the hands that are in my lap. "Malfoy I was wondering if we start over. I know that we have some argument from the past but…would it be nice that we started over… and after all the war ended." I was shocked with her words. "Well, what do you think?"

I look at her and I guess my eyes like a fish's one. I hesitated but I guess this could be the start. " Yo-you mean you want to be friends with me?" I questioned. She nods in agreement.

I paused for a second. Yes or no, hmm…I think there's nothing to stop me from answering no but…what if the other two won't like me? I'm after all so mean to them?

I smiled shyly. "I think Weasley and Potter might not want that idea Granger. Thanks anyway". I lowered my head again. Then Harry, yes Harry after all he won't know that's what I call him, said something that send butterflies in my stomach. "We don't mind and we like to be friends with you" I raised my head. Too late, I drown in his lovely green pools.

"We don't mind, right Ron?" he said in the process he looked at Weasley. Weasley nodded in agreement with a shocked expression in his face. "We think that we should set our childish fights aside". Then he offers me his hand for a shake. "So will you be our friend?" he asked. What now? When I didn't took it he started to babble. "I know that it's a shock on you and this is strange and --." I smile and stop his uneasiness. I took his hand and said "sure".