I don't own anything! If I did, I feel like I would have more followers on instagram. Please follow and favorite! If y'all can give me a little more love, I'll be sure to get the next chapter out by the end of this week.
Thank you to all those to commented on my little melt down last post. I was still very much feeling the passing of my father. Now, goodbye to the sadness and hello to...
Chapter Four: Through the Barrel in the Middle
Clara's head spun dully as she made her way doggedly up the stairs in the midst of a great sea of honey yellow - badgers, a small voice whispered knowingly in the back of her head and she winced. Aside from the massive amount of information that had just been dumped into her head (which consequently left her skull thumping painfully) Clara Deschamp was actually feeling rather… well, at home. It was absolutely ridiculous. Beauxbaton had felt like home as well - Clara dropped the thought, flinching as another sharp pain jabbed at the back of her skull.
"Oi," the ginger girl (whose name was Keela McKinnon) snapped to a curly haired boy who had the same badge as the ginger haired boy that Clara had met on the train. Well, aside from the fact that his said Head Boy in big scrolling print... But it looked very much like that other boys badge. In fact, Clara noticed him leading a mass of snickering wizards and witches in red robes. She wondered vaguely what the difference was. "We can give Clara the history later. Can't you tell the girl's sucked up as much information as she can handle?"
"But thank you so much for your wonderful retelling of Helga Hufflepuff's lovely ways," Molly piped in, giving the dejected looking head boy and warm smile.
"Absolutely rousing," her brother threw in.
"You left out how she gave safe passage and work to the house elves," Callum said dully, glancing at the many portraits that lined the corridor walls. In his hands, he still carried the thick, worn paperback.
Clara was barely listening. Her eyes had caught on the group of red robes that was slowly making its way up the stairs as the Hufflepuffs seemed to be descending toward - well, Clara didn't really know. She assumed the basement. Suddenly a pair of amber eyes caught her, a mischievous twinkle lighting their depths as he paused. His smile grew as he glanced at the mass of Hufflepuffs chatting quietly around her.
Suddenly, George's brother appeared beside him, a knowing smirk on his face as he threw an arm over his brother's shoulder. For a moment, both of them chatted amiably before both turned back to give her another once over. Clara's eyes narrowed. She wasn't too sure about that loo-
"BYE, CLARA LOVE!" George howled, leaning over one of the railings to grin down at her as she jumped. Her face went red as she stared up at them, her heart beating erratically.
"WE MISS YOU ALREADY!" Fred moaned, clawing at his heart as he stared at her in mock agony.
"DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE BADGERS, LOVE!" George assured her. "WE'LL STILL MAKE A GRYFFINDOR OF YOU YET!"
Clara moaned, even as a surprised giggle burst from her lips. All around her, her fellow house members murmured to each other, laughing at the twin's antics as George let out a wail, shuffling away with a sobbing Fred in tow.
"It's so hard seeing our baby go away," she thought she heard one of the twin cry in mock agony.
"You have to be strong, Freddie," George whispered, breaking down in his own fit of tears before they finally dragged themselves back to their group.
"How on earth do you know the twins?" Keela questioned, a note of astonishment gracing her tone.
"Dans le train-" Clara spluttered, flustered before quickly translating it over to english. "I mean - on ze train. I - I -"
Clara stopped as she remembered falling into George's lap. That would be rather awkward to have to explain.
"Dreamy," Molly breathed, staring after the twins with a sort of glazed expression.
"Gross," Archie said with obvious repulsion. Beside him, Callum had turned all of his attention to the portraits, staring rather hard at one of a mother cradling her babe.
"The twins are a natural riot here," Keela confided to her as they continued on to their dorms. "They're-"
"Rebels," Molly gushed, her cheeks reddening.
"I think I might vomit," Archie said faintly.
"Oh, everybody loves a good rebel, Archie," Keela said, sending him a wink that made his face go red.
Clara's eyes furrowed as the siblings started to squabble. Rebels? The one thing that had been very rare in Beauxbaton was disorder. Everything had a place and everyone knew it. Organization. A system. Clara didn't particularly know if getting involved with such open trouble would be a good idea.
"Alley-oop!" the curly haired head boy sang and Clara blinked, finally glancing around. They were in a darkened corner of a corridor that wasmostly brightly lit with torches. Portraits of food hung jovially on the walls and the smell of pumpkin and fresh baked bread filled the warm little hall. At the moment, the mass of Hufflepuff was standing before a stack of barrels and crates shoved into a nook rather disorderly.
Stepping forward, the head boy tapped out a swift rhythm on a barrel two from the bottom and wedged in between two others. The boy smiled broadly as the lid swung open and a few gave a cheer. One after another wizards and witches began to crawl through. Each barrel was stout enough to fit two children at a time, perhaps three and Clara stared in wonder as one after another they went through until it was her turn.
"On you go," the head boy said warmly, gesturing for her to make her way in. Unsure, Clara peered inside, seeing a warm flickering light at the end of a long tunnel. She had no choice. And frankly, she was curious herself. Stepping forward, she ducked down and began to crawl through on her hands and knees. Beneath her fingers to felt the floor squish softly and she suddenly realized that the tunnel was made of enchanted moss, soft and warm to the touch with an almost fairy tale sparkle to it as she went along, lighting her way just enough.
As she drew closer to the light, she caught the warm rabble of people and the sweet smell of logs in a fire and herbs and plants. She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes for a second before making her way quickly out of the tunnel.
Clara's breath caught, her eyes widening as she straightened and finally got to look around. The Hufflepuff common room was low-ceilinged with a nicely worn wood floor and red-brick walls that held the heat coming from a series of fireplaces snuggled into the walls. Vines tickled along the walls, random, beautiful flowers blossoming and budding along it. All along the ceiling, potted plants were fanned out on dainty hooks. As Clara watched the ceiling rippled and a light sprinkle rained down on a portion of plants.
Warm, yellow tapestries hung along the wall, tickling the circular windows that ringed the very top of the walls and through them Clara caught glimpses of midnight starlight catching along grass and the yellow tips of dandelions.
Framed off by heavy columns, the vast common room stepped down into another tier with a series of couches with plush cushions and fluffy blankets rolled neatly into wicker baskets. Rows and rows of them fanned out from a flickering stone fireplace. Clara saw a few Hufflepuffs, laughing and chatting animatedly to each other as they grabbed up a pole and closed their eyes for a brief moment. When they opened them a plump marshmallow would be ready to roast or fruits or veggies. Some even were huddled around a dutch oven or a pie iron trying to make some delectable snack or other. All around them, the ceiling - far different from the main common room - beat quietly with starlight, the sky dark as ink. Somehow, Clara could see a huddle of trees around the campsite.
"How do you like it?" The smirk on Keela's face already told Clara that she knew the answer and a glint in her eyes spoke of her pride. Brash and bold, the Irish witch was wholeheartedly Hufflepuff.
"Beau," Clara breathed, still taking it all in. Her eyes had finally turned to her left, suddenly seeing that there was yet another tier, framed off and accessible from a small step down. Books lined the walls, all looking strangely worn. Lamps hung from the ceiling and stood gracefully beside desks and plush couches. Soft, honey rugs lay across the wood floors and in front of fireplaces.
"I'll take that as a good thing," Keela said.
"Oh, Clara!" Molly and her brother approached, a slice of bread with butter that still steamed from the fire held in her hands. "I thought you had already gone to bed. Would you like to? I know that being around all of these people - well, the first day is always hard."
"I -" If Clara was being honest she was absolutely exhausted even though her inner most self screamed for her to explore more. Finally, her eyes drooped, a part of her brain clicking off as she yawned. "Can wee zay tomorrow and explore?"
"Definitely bed, then." Keela nodded, leading the way as Molly gave her a shy smile and followed her brother over to the reading area where Callum was situated.
"I'll see you tomorrow then, Clara!" she said cheerfully, giving her a broad smile and a wave. "I'm sure we have some classes together."
Clara had spent so much time staring around at the common room that she hadn't noticed the two round, wooden doors that stood importantly at either side of the main common area - one with a depiction of a 1950's cartoonish witch holding a broom with a poof of blond curls and the other with a retro 1950's boys with a top hat sitting beside a niffler.
"Now, the doors are enchanted. Boys can't get in and if they try to our witch will give them a right talking to." Standing on the door, the the 1950's witch winked and gave a merry wave. "Another thing is that it can tell where you want to go - there are too many of us to stay in one room so once you touch the knob, it sorts out where you want to be. I'm going to head up to my room unless…"
"No," Clara said with a shake of her head and a tired smile. "Zat is vairy kind but I will just go to sleep. Thank you."
"I'll see you tomorrow then, Clara," she said with a soft smile before opening the door and shutting it softly behind her.
Taking a breath, Clara reached forward and did the same stepping into a room lit entirely by copper lamps and a roaring fire in the center of the room that exuded just enough heat to warm Clara pleasantly. A couch sat thickly in front of the fire, robust and plump with worn yellow fabric and a wicker basket with blankets on either side of it. The rest of the area was covered with a random assortment of rugs that - far from making it seem jumbled and odd - add a charming quirkiness to the room. Taking a look around, Clara noticed that her trunks were set beside the bed closest to her on the left. Tentatively, she stepped forward.
Far from lavish, the Hufflepuff dorm rooms were cozy and appealing in the cluttered way that a cherished home was. Her bed was placed snuggling along the wall of a nook big enough to allow for a desk as well as a dresser and a nightstand. Glancing around quickly, she realized that there were six little nooks in total, all circling around the fire. A half moon window sat back a bit in the wall and Clara was happy to see that the wall that her bed was placed against had plenty of book space. Hanging on the wall was a copper foot warmer and a plush, dandelion yellow rug sat just beside her bed which was made up of warm, honey sheets with a patchwork quilt thrown along the foot of it.
Balefully, Clara looked to her trunks. She wanted to unpack but… She rubbed her eyes, finally getting out her wand and waving it at her trunks which immediately sprung to action, unfolding themselves from the depths of her packs as the dresser opened in welcome. She had learned the spell long ago considering her families eagerness to travel. Yawning, she went over to the mouth of her little nook and unfastened the decorative rope that held a thick set of patchwork curtains that immediately slid closed, cutting her off from the rest of the room. As she turned, her bags slid calmly beneath her bed, leaving her a pair of striped pajamas that her mother had packed for her.
Mommy loves you, the letter read in sweeping text, open on her night clothes. I thought they might not have fed you right so I packed a few treats. Be sure to write!
"Oh bugger," Clara moaned, hopping out of her shoes and sliding out of her robes quickly. She spun, slipping on her slippers and she threw on the pajamas and went over to the chest of drawers.
Sitting beneath Clara's bras was a series of finely wrapped pastries bags all tied in bows. Clara sighed, a smile tugging at her lips as she set them on her desk. Her heart squeezed. Beauxbaton had always been close to home - she had never been this far from it. Desperately, she tried to choke back the sudden onslaught of tears.
"Oh, you coward," she said angrily in French, swiping at her eyes as she went to her bed and threw back the covers. "You're old enough to not need your mother to tuck you in."
But suddenly Clara felt very alone as she snuggled under the warm, thick blankets. Her eyes drifted to the light flickering along the cracks in her curtains. Yes. She felt very, very alone.
As always, I hope you like it! REMEMBER, the promise of another chapter only comes with some extra love (I prefer food but I guess reviews and follows/favorites will suffice.) I actually already have it typed up so all it has to go through is a couple revisions and it'll be golden.