Wow...um this story hasn't gotten any reviews which I can understand that bcuz there are so many Harry Potter fanfics, but I just hope someone will read this. If not, at least I had a good time writing it lol. RR
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters
"So, what do you reckon Snape knows 'bout your mom?" asked Ron, the second they were all away from the dungeons. Everyone had noticed Snape's reaction to hearing of Clara's mother dying. He knew Clara's mom, there was no denying that, but how he knew her was a mystery.
"I don't know; my mom never really told me much about her past," sighed Clara. Harry found it weird that Clara didn't know anything about her mom, seeing as her mother raised her for almost 18 years.
"She never even told you which school she went to?" asked Harry curiously.
Clara paused and thought a moment. She seemed to be too deep into thought to notice that they were blocking most the hallway and causing a major jam.
"Err…Clara?" asked Ron, while waving his hand in front of her face to get her out of a daze. She quickly grabbed his slender hand and smiled while she pretended to bite it. She giggled at him as he rushed to get his hand away before she really did bite it. Ron blushed awkwardly at her and Harry felt a pang of jealousy in his stomach, but tried his best to ignore it. Even if Clara and him only kissed once, he still didn't like to see her flirting with his best friend.
When everyone calmed down and they started walking again, Clara finally answered to Harry, "Well, my mother was from London, so it would make sense that she would have gone to school here at Hogwarts," she was quiet a moment before adding, "but she never actually told me where she went to school; she didn't tell me anything." For a moment, Harry noticed the conflicted look in Clara's eyes as she said this. She didn't seem to know what to think about her mother anymore, now knowing what she knew currently. She had found out that her mother had lied her ass off and that she had been cheated out of a father. Clara didn't know if she was allowed to be angry with her dead mother, but she was anyway.
"If she went here, maybe you could ask Hagrid, he went here too," said Ron absent mindedly before his eyes grew wider and he groaned, "Harry, we forgot to visit Hagrid!"
"I know…Hermoine made it a point to remind me," answered Harry who was now realizing that he almost forgot about visiting Hagrid again today. He made a vow to himself to stop forgetting these kinds of things, that vow probably wouldn't last very long.
"Well, how about I visit him today; since you guys are going there anyways, I might as well too," Clara said with an overly cheery tone and Harry looked at her suspiciously. She was way too good at acting happy when she wasn't and this concerned Harry. He never knew when she really needed to talk, unless she was crying. She was the hardest person to read and the fact that her smile was breath taking, didn't help much either. When she smiled, Harry never noticed if it was genuine or not, he just simply looked at her dreamily without thinking. He wanted to know when she was sad so that he could help her, but if she pretended to be happy all the time, he would never know if she was really happy or really covering up her true feelings. Harry worried about Clara bottling up her emotions because he knew how depressing it was to have to hide your real feelings.
"Alright, so tonight we are definitely visiting Hagrid, no forgetting this time?" asked Ron cheerfully. He smiled at them as both Harry and Clara nodded, but Ron didn't notice that Harry and Clara's minds were somewhere else. Harry was thinking about that kiss with Clara that he had had that one beautiful night, while Clara was thinking about the possible secrets that Hagrid could reveal about her mother…or father.
As Harry, Ron and Clara trudged over to Hagrid's tiny cabin, they were silent. There was too much on all of their minds right then, Clara was thinking about her mother's secrets, but Harry and Ron were both thinking of Hermoine. She was avoiding them all now and it was really getting ridiculous. She had said to Harry that she would stop, but she is doing the same things that she was doing before. Harry had a feeling that this had to do with what she was going to tell him earlier this morning, but he figured that he would just ask about it later.
When the three of them finally reached the door, Ron slowly reached his hand up to knock on the door. After three short knocks, the three of them stood there shivering and waiting for Hagrid to open the door. They were about to turn around when Hagrid finally swung the door opened and hooted, "I was won'rin wen yer was gon'ta see meh!"
They all smiled at him happily as he let them inside his warm cabin, "How are you, Hagrid?" asked Harry casually, trying not to flat out ask him the burning questions that were in his mind.
"Im all righ'," replied Hagrid cheerily when he spotted Clara looking curiously around the room. He seem to lose some of his smile when he added, "I see yer made friends wit Clara"
"You knew that Hagrid; you saw her with us after we got off the train," said Ron when he noticed a little awkwardness in the crowded cabin.
"Oh yah, now I 'member," sighed Hagrid who tried to not make eye contact with anyone. He was acting suspicious, Harry could tell that. He didn't know what Hagrid was keeping from him, but Harry was determined to know what it was.
"Are you all right?" asked Harry curiously, hoping that Hagrid would tell him something.
"Yesh, why woodn't I be?" replied Hagrid with a guilty smile on his giant-like face.
"There is something your not telling us, Hagrid. What is it?" Harry dared to keep pressing Hagrid for more information. He knew that Hagrid knew something about Clara's family, and Clara had a right to know as well.
Hagrid cautiously backed up a few steps before giving the fakest look of innocence Harry had ever seen. Hagrid looked towards the ceiling as he said, "I ain't hidin' nuttin,"
"Hagrid, that is the worst lie I have ever heard." Ron said impatiently, he was eager to know the truth as well, "If you weren't hiding anything, then why did you run away from us all guilty the other day?"
Hagrid looked like he was at a loss for words. He was so bad at trying to keep something a secret and Harry could tell it was difficult for him. Hagrid looked a little flushed when he said, "I can't tell yer" He appeared as if he had just made up his mind and like he was going to try his best not to budge.
Harry wasn't going to give up that easy though, "We can keep a secret, Hagrid; you know we can. Come on, it can't be that serious, and if it is…it probably has to do with me anyways." Harry stared up at him with pleading eyes, and it looked like it was working.
It worked, for a minute, anyway, before Hagrid started shaking his head, "Naw, I'm sorry, Harry, but I can't do dat." This made Harry's smile fade slightly and was about to beg for more information, but Clara cut him off.
"Do you know who my father is?" Clara asked blatantly, like she couldn't hold it in any longer. She must have been busting this whole time to find out more about her past.
Hagrid made an odd gurgling sound before he looked down and started twiddling with his thumbs. He looked like he was trying desperately not to say anything but after a moment or to he sighed, "I aint the person that shoo'd be tellin' yer these things."
"I have no one else to tell me these things…my mother's dead and I've just found out that she's been lying to me all this time. I just want to know the truth," she looked at Hagrid with a pleading gaze with her piercing blue eyes. She was starting to tear up as she searched Hagrid's face for any compassion whatsoever. Clara wanted so bad know anything, as long as it was real; as long as it was the truth she had been deprived of all her life.
Clara's innocent and desparate look seemed to be breaking away Hagrid's defenses. It appeared as if he was crumbling, like he was going to tell her something, when there was a knock on the door. As those continuous knocks pounded the door, Clara closed her eyes and put her head in her hands. Just when she was about to find out what she had longed to know all her life, just when she thought that she was getting the opportunity to learn the truth, someone made it all come crashing down.
"Hmm…wonder who'd be visitn' me besides you three," Hagrid said awkwardly as he got up to answer the door.
Clara still looked upset and when Harry was about to comfort her, he saw Ron moving to do the same thing. Harry didn't want to, but he knew that he had to back off and let Ron comfort her; no matter how hard it was.
"Ahh! It was only fluffy and his tail..." shouted Hagrid happily, "he's been ou' fer a couple hours an' I was startin' ter werry!" This made Clara take her head out of her hands as she looked up and saw the monsterous dog enter the cozy cabin. She looked a tad scared until she saw that no one else was, and then she relaxed. Harry watched her intently, he was waiting for the conversation to pick back up.
Hagrid was still standing in the doorway as if he didn't want to sit down; like he was afraid he might spill the secret he was trying so hard to keep. Ron didn't let him stand there for too long before he said, "Hagrid, come on...the girl just wants to know who her father is."
"An' tha's the one thing I can' tell yer," muttered Hagrid a tad bit angrily. He was trying to scare them into stopping their questions, but that would never work. They all knew that he was the gentlest person they'd ever known.
"Who's making you keep it a secret?" pryed Harry, with much curiosity. He was wondering who would deny Clara the joy of knowing who her father was, he didn't understand why it could hurt anyone, not yet.
"Harry, I ain't sure I shoo'd tell yer..." Hagrid trailed off he wasn't liking the direction of this conversation at all.
"Hagrid, did you only promise that you wouldn't tell me who my father is?" asked Clara suddenly.
"Err.ya" Hagrid said shortly while shifting his feet.
"If that's the only thing you promised, then you can tell me anything besides who my father is. Like who told you to keep it a secret? Why wouldn't they want me to know? And How does Snape know my mother?" Clara said in an excited jumble. She wanted to know so bad.
"I...err..." stuttered Hagrid.
Ron was losing patience, "Your not breaking any promises by telling us Hagrid!"
After another eternity of hesitation, Hagrid finally began, "Well, Dumbledore tol' me not ter tell ya cuz yer Aunt Rosalin' wadn't sure if yer mother wanted yer ta know. She insisted that we kep' yer mothers wishes..."
"How does Snape know my mother?" Clara said a little wide-eyed at the fact that Dumbledore was the one who was keeping her from knowing her father's identity. She had grown to respect and enjoy Dumbledore very much, it was a little unsettling to hear that he was withholding this information from her. What's more, is that Snape seemed to know her mother very well, telling by his reaction to her death. Clara was deeply concerned as to why he would do that if he didn't have some kind ofa past with her mother.
"If I tol' ya tha' then I wood break meh promise," said Hagrid with a wink, who was trying to seem nonchalante, but these words alarmed all three of the teens on the couch. What exactly was Hagrid hinting at?
Harry was stunned and didn't know if Hagrid meant for it to sound the way he thought it sounded, so Harry questioned, "You're not saying-Snape was never...err with Clara's mom?"
This brought a shudder to both Clara and Harry's backs, just thinking of the possibility that Snape could be...Clara's...ugh it was just too much!
"Aw, naw o' course nawt! He wished that he was but he-" Hagrid stopped himself in midsentence when he realized what he had just let slip.
"Snape used to be in LOVE with my Mother?" Clara said with disbelief, while looking rather pale.
Hagrid looked insanely angry with himslef for letting that secret slip, but nodded in agreement to Clara's question. So it was confirmed; though Snape wasn't (thank God) her father, he had loved her mother long ago... and from the look on his face whenClara told him that her mother died, he was still in love.