* Please, please, please, don't kill me. This chapter was neceessary for the story...

The Hogsmeade trip had arrived, and Clara was honestly a little put down. Her being a second year meant that she couldn't go. Meanwhile, John had apparently found his signed form in his trunk.

John had honestly thought that he had forgotten to show his parents the form, but then, he found it in the pocket of his trunk. Clara cursed him for being so blind.

Clara worked on her potions homework, which was getting increasingly difficult. Professor Snape seemed to be in a worse mood than usual, and bags were forming under his eyes.

Clara moaned in protest, as her hand started to cramp up. She thought of momentarily asking Ginny for help, when she realized that her friend was out with some other girls.

Recently, Clara had been hanging out much more with John, Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Ginny always said that she didn't mind, but Clara needed some space from her third-year friends. She got up from her seat, and headed toward the portrait hole, when Harry walked in.

Instantly, Colin Creevy cornered him. "Hello Harry!"

Clara laughed at Harry's dismal look. She decided to intervene.

"Hi Harry! Do you wanna go to the owlery?"

Harry cocked his head to a side, but got the message. "Yeah."

Clara smiled, and bounded up to his side. "Great!"

The two of them walked casually out of the common room, and when they were out of earshot, Harry sighed.

"Thanks, Clara."

"No problem. Colin can be a bit annoying," Clara said.

Harry stopped walking, and Clara turned. "What are you doing?" She asked.

Harry looked stumped. "Um, I thought you were just trying to get me out of that situation-"

Clara smiled. "Well, yes I was. But, that doesn't mean I don't want to go to the owlery. I need to send some stuff to my dad. You know, letters and all that rubbish."

Harry nodded. "Then, I'll be off-"

"You can come along!" Clara offered.

Harry shrugged. "OK."

"Good! Now, off to see the wizard?" Clara asked jokingly.

Harry gave her a quizzical look. "That's a Muggle thing. I thought you were a Pureblood."

Clara sighed. "I know a lot about Muggles. Not all Purebloods are like Malfoy." Clara felt her body temperature rise. She still had not told anyone of her past condition.

Harry nodded.

"I had this Muggle friend, actually," Clara said. "Nina her name was." Clara smiled to herself. "First person I ever fancied."

Clara noticed Harry's shocked face and laughed. "I was going through a bit of a phase."

Harry laughed nervously. "OK, and you learned everything about Muggles from her, I'm guessing."

Clara nodded. "Yep. though, there was also Danny." Instantly, Clara's mouth went metallic. A face popped up in her thoughts, the man in the silver suit. But, that didn't have to do anything with Danny.

"Oh?" Harry asked.

Clara bit her lip. "He was my best mate. He completely understood me when my mum died," Clara paused. "For a while, my dad wouldn't live. He just worked and took care of me, physically. Danny was my mate through it all, and really helped."

"I'm sorry," Harry said sadly.

Clara turned toward him. "Don't be," she said, maybe a little too harshly. "It was my loss, not yours. You have enough sorry on your own."

"I-I'm sorry-"

"Hey!" Clara exclaimed.

Harry blushed and laughed. "I apologize-"

"Those words are synonyms!"

"Fime, I'm not sorry! Happy?"

"Yes!"

Harry rolled his eyes. Clara felt herself being pulled closer to him. Her shoulder was touching his and…

"Bloody hell," Clara muttered under her breath.

Harry turned toward her. "What?"

Clara made a few inches of distance between her and Harry. "Sorry, just thinking out loud," she lied. It was a good lie though, she was a really good liar.

"You know me, I am an incredible liar!" The familiar woman declared.

The silver armoured thing cocked its head. "Correct," it decided, and the woman was hit with a blinding light into unconsciousness.

Clara's breathing slowed a bit. She had to stop having these moments of whatever they were. Harry closed the space that Clara had created between them.

"So…" he said casually.

'Bloody hell, Clara! Breath! Breath!' Her mind screamed that in her head, and Clara forced a smile.

Luckily, she was saved from any embarrassment. Professor Lupin came trotting into the corridor they were walking in, and took a look at the two students. It was a long look.

'So much for not being embarrassed.' Clara's cheeks were starting to warm up.

"Miss Oswald," Professor Lupin greeted, "Harry."

Clara found it weird that he addressed Harry informally. "Professor," Clara said.

Professor Lupin smiled warmly. "Are you friends with John?" he asked suddenly.

Clara was perplexed by the question. "Yes, sir."

"Has he told you anything about his boggart?" Professor Lupin asked.

Clara shook her head. "Nothing sir," she lied. It was John's secret to tell, not hers,

"Very well," Professor Lupin said. He then gave a sympathetic smile. "Mind if I borrow Harry?" It was most definitely not a question.

Clara nodded curtly. "See you back at the common room."

Clara skipped off, toward the owlery and when she finally got there, she was glad of the cold. Honestly, her insides were jumbling. Clara suddenly lurched forward onto the ground. She felt one of those visions surfacing, but this one hurt so much more.

The woman was sitting on a couch, next to a man. Clara recognized this man to be the one she saw earlier, in the silver suit. The woman leaned forward, and Clara caught her breath. The woman kissed the man.

Clara knew she was intruding on something, but it almost felt like Clara knew the feeling. But she couldn't have! She was twelve!

Then, as the 'memory' slipped away, Clara faintly heard the woman say, "Fear is like...a companion. A constant companion, always there. But that's okay, because fear can bring us together. Fear can bring you home."

Clara found herself on the ground of the owlery. She took a deep breath, which hurt because of the piercingly cold air. Clara coughed, and got up. She patted her cloak down, gingerly. Her fingers were numb, and her lips were dry.

Clara didn't have the energy to find a willing owl to carry her letter to her father. They all seemed a bit on edge, and Clara sighed in exasperation.

With disappointment, Clara walked back to the common room. She had gotten nothing done, and she had a stupid crush on one of her best friends! Clara felt awful, since she felt like Ginny was going to be jealous.

"Why does life have to be so Merlin-be-damned complicated?" Clara muttered. She made her way down a corridor, and found Harry, Hermione, and Ron walking together toward the Great Hall.

Clara was confused. Hermione and Ron were supposed to be at Hogsmeade, right? She ran up to them.

"Hey, Clara!" Ron said brightly. He had obviously gotten high off of sugar.

"Heyyy," she said slowly.

Harry frowned. "Where were you? You didn't see you in the common room."

"What time is it?" Clara suddenly asked.

"Um, it's seven o'clock."

"Shi-" Clara stopped herself at Hermione's look. She sighed. "Sorry, I lost track of time. I was a the owlery, then I walked a bit, and… yeah…"

"I left you at about one o'clock," Harry pointed out.

Clara nodded. "I've been dilly-dallying for six hours. I met up with some girls, ran into some ghosts, and it totalled up to be six hours."

Hermione smiled, oblivious to Clara's lie. She turned in Harry's direction.

"What were you guys doing?" She asked casually.

Harry shrugged. "We were going to go to the owlery together, then Professor Lupin pulled me out. Speaking of, Snape walked in on us talking…"

Harry ranted on about thinking that Snape was trying to poison Professor Lupin. Clara simply tried to enjoy her Halloween feast. At least, until John came bounding in with an armful of candy and chocolate. (Insert sugar high warning [here]) Clara let her forhead slump onto the table.