It was the Friday afternoon before everyone would be taking the Hogwarts Express back home and the Great Hall was filled with the student body eating their lunch. At the Slytherin table, our heroine sat somewhat isolated from the rest of her peers as she sometimes did when her thoughts were bothering her. Blaise, the annoying git, was next to her talking to Draco, just the person her mind was whirring around. Across from her was Jem, sitting, oddly enough, next to Theodore Nott and exchanging extremely polite and conversational words with him. Beyond them, the rest of the Great Hall ate.

Slughorn's party was that evening, and she still didn't have a date yet. Yes, Draco was her fiancée, and yes, everyone knew that, but after he had ditched her and her cousins on Saturday during the Hogsmeade trip, she felt unobliged to do anything with the man. As she sat and glared at the Great Hall in front of her, something caught Clara's eye.

Way over at the Gryffindor table, Ginny Weasley ever so surreptitiously turned her head around and searched the Slytherin table.

Blaise was no longer talking to Draco. No, Draco was talking to the idiot's Crabbe and Goyle now as Blaise stared back across the room. Right in the direction of a certain Gryffindor, it just so happens. Clara saw Ginny blush and turn her face away quickly. Blaise smiled softly and looked down at the table.

Clara was incredulous. What had she just seen? Did Ginny really just… blush at Blaise? And why? What about Dean, or Harry even. She happened to know the red head was still harboring feelings for the "Chosen One," as they were calling him these days. With all these other boys around, why did she look to Blaise? Clara didn't say anything to her cousin, though. Perhaps she was just being irrational and it really was nothing.

Soon the meal was over and students got up to enjoy their last half hour before their last class of the day would start. Clara lagged behind her other friends, watching Blaise's odd behavior with interest. First, as he had stood from the table, his eyes watched the Gryffindor table intently. He was careful to walk next to Draco as they filed out, but kept his eyes trained on something across the room. Clara couldn't help raising an eyebrow at these subsequent actions, but they only raised further when he separated himself from Draco and headed toward the astronomy tower. With no hesitation, Clara followed.

This was not at all like following Draco. Blaise hardly checked himself to make sure no one was following him. He seemed especially eager to meet someone. He marched up the circular staircase of the Astronomy Tower and slowed as he approached the top. A girl was already waiting for him.

"So you got my letter then." Clara heard Blaise say from her hidden spot on the stairs.

"You better speak fast, Zabini. I have Potions with Snape in ten minutes." Ginny told him harshly.

"Might I speak slower then?" He said smoothly.

"Zabini…" She warned.

"Yes, yes, don't get your knickers in bunch. I only wanted to ask you a simple question."

"What, then. and why are you still talking to me?" Her voice was soft when she asked and had an undertone of melancholy to it.

"Well, I thought I might like to see you again." Blaise sounded taken aback.

"What are you suggesting?"

"I am suggesting that I take you to Slughorn's party tonight."

"I'm already going with Dean Thomas." There was a brief silence.

"You're not really going with that git, are you?" Blaise asked overconfidently.

"As opposed with you?" She bit. Ouch.

"Oh c'mon, Weasley. It would be great. No one would know what hit 'em."

"No. It can't happen; it won't happen." Ginny said in a tone that suggested she was talking more to herself than Blaise. His reasoning is rather weak. Hermione thought. "Besides, I think we need to be on a first name basis before we go anywhere together."

"Weas- Ginny! Wait!" Blaise called. Clara was taken off guard as Ginny headed her way down the stairs. She stood up quickly, before Ginny could see her, and shuffled down the steps at lightning speed. In the hallway she threw herself behind a pillar nearby. Ginny came out right on her heals, but unaware of her enemy a few feet away.

"Ginny! Ginny!" Hissed Blaise from behind. He grabbed her forearm but she wrestled out of his grasp.

"Will you just stop?" Ginny hissed back.

"Stop what? What's the problem?"

"Don't you get it?" She whispered fiercely. "We come from completely different places! It's unnatural."

"That's what you're worried about?"

"You have your sister and your cousin." She went on as if he hadn't said anything. "I have my brothers… it's just a way for the entire school to be pitted against us." She finished, breathing heavily. Blaise's body visually calmed. His shoulders relaxed, his stance lost its defense, and his eye lids drooped slightly.

"Well then, if that's how you feel…" His bow was low, one of the lowest Clara had ever seen him give, but not with the cordial mocking normally accompanying these ridiculous formalities. He had never seemed so disenchanted before. "May you have a good life then, Ginerva Weasley."

And then he walked away, leaving Ginny to wonder if she had possibly made a mistake in turning down one of the most interesting people she had ever met.

The scene with which Clara had witnessed not twenty minutes ago was still felt inside: a deep, cold pit at the bottom of her stomach. It made her sad to see Blaise so solemn, though in reality, you wouldn't have even thought anything of the sort if you looked at him now. They were in Potions class now, and Clara could see Blaise joking with Draco about something. She worried for him.

Her remaining classes flew by, and with each progressing minute Clara seemed even further reminded of the date she didn't have. She was, by this time, sitting in the Common room corner hunched over a book and simultaneously considering going alone, or not going at all, when someone very tall approached her.

"Good evening, Clara. Aren't we looking divine?" John Brody smooth talked. Clara's eyes lead her head up to his face. Her mouth twisted into some sort of a smile.

"Hello John." She replied. They had long ago agreed on first name bases.

"Are you going to Slughorn's party, by any chance?"

"Er, I don't know…" She said, suddenly unsure of talking to him. With John Brody, there was only one direction this conversation could be going: He was going to ask if she would go with him. And she had just given him the perfect opportunity to do so.

"If that's the case, might I entice you…" Brody started. Why hadn't she asked someone earlier? There was Jemma! Surely that would have been a suitable arrangement!

"May I accompany you to Slughorn's party?" John said as Clara tuned back in. She stared at him for a few seconds before kicking herself into gear.

"Er…" This was it. She was at her wits end. Because she had made no other plans, she would be stuck with John Brody for the rest of the evening. She looked around the room quickly. No one would ever guess he was asking her to the party, the exchange was so quiet. She looked back at him.

"Sure?" Clara answered. Brody gave her the closest of what a Slytherin could call a smile.

"Right then. I'll see you in three hours." He walked briskly up the stairs and to his dormitory. Clara slammed her head on top of her book. Curse that unreliable ferret! This was his entire fault! If he wasn't so un-reliable then she would have a date to the silly party and wouldn't have to endure John Brody for the whole night!

She closed her book and dragged herself upstairs to get ready.

Three hours was far too much time to prepare for a simple night like this. It hadn't even taken her that, but here she was, completely ready when Brody wasn't. She had checked the Common room three times so far in ten minutes and, still, nothing. The party would start in half an hour, so where was he?

In any event, the gown she had purchased the week before was, for lack of a better term, heart-stopping. The vague sweetheart neckline detail with the strapless, floor length gown was tantalizing, but in a classy way. The deep red color shimmered in the light as she swayed her body side to side. A simple, matching scarf wrapped around her neck and hung loosely down her bare back. Clara had decided against loose curls for the evening, so her hair was pulled high on he head in a tight, elegant bun. Red earring dangled from her lobes. Draco's bracelet rested absent-mindedly on her wrist.

Clara decided to check downstairs again to wait for John, because there are only so many times a lady can reapply her lipstick. She had descended three steps when she saw someone sitting on the couch. And he was with Pansy Parkinson.

She couldn't hear them from where she was – for the Common room was on the loud side - only snippets of what Parkinson was saying.

"She's not even… I don't know why they… Not in a real relationship…" Clara's eyes narrowed at the vicious girl laughing all over Draco in the most obnoxious manner. Clara wondered how he could even suffer her presence.

Of course, had she been looking, Clara may have seen Draco's miserable expression. But, as always, when a young lady is feeling angry towards another, all else is ruled out (including the many people now staring open-mouthed at her wonderful gown).

"Good evening." She said through clenched teeth as she approached the couch. Pansy made a noise that sounded a lot like a mouse's squeak and jumped apart from Draco. "Parkinson. Always lovely to see you." Her abnormally toothy grin dived into a frown when she set her eyes upon the Lover Boy. "Draco." He stiffened.

"Claret." Pansy sneered. "Going to Slughorn's party alone, are we?"

"As opposed to not going at all?" Clara remarked. She thought the retort sounded familiar. Pansy sneered again. "Yes, well, I hope you-er-enjoy yourselves this evening." As if on cue, John Brody appeared on the other side of the room, next to the stairs.

"There you are, Clara. Ready to leave?" He approached her and grabbed her hand to kiss it. Clara was complacent. That would show Draco he wasn't the only one to mess around. Not that she was really going to do anything.

So, after Brody sent an amicable wave in Draco's direction (which was met with a stoic nod of the head) and Pansy had her share of gawking, John and Clara headed toward the party. It was quite a busy conversation, though one-sided is the term normally used for the type of conversing they were actually doing. This was about as much Clara got in the whole time:

"You look very lovely tonight, Clara." He said.

"Thank you. You look very handsome, John."

And men thought women spoke a great deal! If you listened to Brody for a minute, one would heavily beg to differ. Oh, and the boring things he talked about!

Finally arriving at Slughorn's party, they saw that it was already in full swing, not that that meant much. People milled about the room, waiters served hors d'eouvres for the guests, and a live band accompanied by soft music set the mood to the atmosphere. The girls who noticed the couple's arrival looked enviously upon Clara's beautiful attire and the handsome man to her right. John put his arm around Clara's waist without hesitation and dragged her over to the one person she had hoped she would not have to approach the whole night: Professor Slughorn himself, amongst a few older looking folks who were obviously old students of the Slug.

"Oh, Mr. Brody, my boy!" Slughorn exclaimed upon seeing John. Space in the tight circle was made for him and Clara. "And I see you've accompanied Ms. Claret also." He winked at Brody, then. Winked! The nerve…

"The two of you must meet one of my old students." Slughorn continued. "She's a consultant to the mister. Lets me in on all the news before it happens. Come with me, you must meet her."

Clara stifled a groan as John pulled on her waist once more to follow their teacher. She was not so sure she liked his arm around her waist, either, but there was no time to shove him off, because here the lady from the ministry was…

For the next twenty minutes Clara endured the tall lady who was the minister's consultant, who in actuality, wasn't that bad. But inside, Hermione was twitching. John's grasp on her torso was quite aggressive, so any time she made to move away from him he pulled her closer and strengthened his hold. If he was just planned on pinning her to his side while he talked to people the whole night, then why had he even asked her?

And on top of that, there was no one else there to talk to, not that she could see. From there, her evening looked as if it would consist of many more interviews by people she could care less to know or simply didn't feel like talking to. It was entirely disheartening.

Finally, though, finally, there was a break in the talks and discussions in which Clara and John were completely on their own. She seized the amazing opportunity.

"John, let's go over there." Quickly, as to catch him off guard, Clara untangled from him and glided over to one of the waiters carrying hors d'oeuvres. Someone from the crowd grabbed her by the shoulder before she could get to the food, however.

"I thought you weren't coming!" Clara exclaimed on seeing Jemma. John was gone for the moment.

"Well, I wasn't, but Blaise insisted I get out for a few hours tonight, at least before we go back home, so here I am!" Then Clara turned to Blaise, who looked very put out. She offered a comforting smile.

"I can't believe you came with that git. Why didn't you tell us you didn't have anyone else to go with?" He asked. Clara swatted Blaise's arm playfully.

"Excuse me! But who says I didn't have anyone else to go with?"

"Because he's the only one with enough gall to ask Draco Malfoy's fiancée." Said Blaise. Clara sighed petulantly.

"What's the big sodding deal about Draco Malfoy anyway…" Clara grumbled under her breath.

For the next few minutes, Clara chatted idly with her cousins, an unexpected freedom she had finally received. Blaise only halfheartedly included himself in their conversation and instead busied his eyes in glancing around the room.

"Oh, I'm starving!" Jemma said half-way through nonsense talk about Pansy Parkinson and her disgusting cronies. "I've hardly had anything to eat all night. Where is that waiter… ah, there he is. I'll be right back." And in a moment, she was gone, off to stuff her face with cream puffs and the like. Blaise was still looking around the room. Clara leaned in.

"So, have you seen her yet?" She asked. Blaise swiveled his head in her direction.

"What?"

"Have you seen her." Clara repeated. "Have you seen Ginny." His eyes widened for a fraction of a second. He stood up straighter.

"Why would I ever need to see her?"

"It's OK, you know. I understand." She told him. "It's OK to feel the way you do. Even if she is a Gryffindor." Clara whispered. Blaise stared at her.

The soft music, the monotonous hum of young people's chatter, the vivacious laughter of a man having a good time; all seemed to stop as she spoke her next words.

"I mean, look at me. A Gryffindor engaged to a Slytherin."

Blaise looked at her in half curiosity, half wonder, until all the noise around crashed into them with the singular tone of a young man's voice.

"You're a quick little thing, aren't you Clara."

Said girl turned herself around only to be greeted by her date, John, who was holding a glass of something in his right hand. There was not another for her.

She was about to retort, going to retort, when the room went still and the music died down.

Filch was dragging someone in by the scruff of their neck.

"Found him roaming around in the hallways upstairs. What should I do with him?" There was a nasty glint in the care-takers eyes as he handed Draco over to the party host. Slughorn looked uncomfortable.

"Now, now Filch. There was no harm done. Mr. Malfoy is free to stay; there's no harm in a young man looking for a night of fun, now is there?" Slughorn said a little nervously. Snape, on the other hand, had different plans. Draco looked foul.

"No." Snape said quickly. "I'll escort him out. I am the head of his house. I'll deal with his punishment." Draco was once more grabbed by his collar and dragged out of the room.

"Yes, well, if you must Severus. Now, carry on everybody! There's nothing left to see!"

It took a few minutes for conversation to really start flowing again, but in that time Clara felt humiliated. It was as if a spotlight had been thrown upon her in Draco's wake. She couldn't help but notice how the people around her took a slight step away, and how the entire room turned to look at her, and whisper about her fiancee and his gatecrashing antics. Even Blaise seemed a little distant at the moment. And where was Jemma? She couldn't have felt more alone than in that moment.

Then, it was as if Clara's world had gone red. How could he have done that to her? No words from him in months, and then, all of a sudden, he turns up in the most unconventional way at Slughorn's party. He had to be the most frustrating man on earth. And Clara wasn't going to let him get away with it.

With a set jaw and fire in her eyes, Clara, in one of the rawest forms anyone may have laid claim to have ever seen her in, flew from the room, away from on lookers, as if it were the Bastille. The last thing John or Blaise saw of her that night was her blood red scarf, flung behind her and flying in the wind of her gait.

Clara stormed down the quiet Hogwarts hallways like a mistress in her estate, red scarf billowing behind her quick pace. He couldn't be long gone; the ill fated boy who had embarrassed her in front of a room full of people could not have gotten far.

She swiftly turned a corner and spotted the prat at the other end with Professor Snape. They looked to be arguing about something, but Clara didn't care. All she wanted was retribution. She soared to them.

"Professor." Clara nearly spat, cutting off the hopefully nasty comment Snape was about to deliver to Draco. Neither spared a glance in her direction. "I need to speak with Draco." Snape took his time in releasing Draco and taking a step back.

"I will leave you to your… fiancé, Mr. Malfoy, but in the future, do not go gallivanting off into the night without a professor with you. Someone might think you're up to something." He then gathered his coat in his hand and swept off back down the hall without looking back.

Clara was steaming. Draco drew himself up to full height and gave her the most arrogant, heartless, troubled expression he could muster.

"No need for you to follow me. I can-"

"Stop." Clara commanded him. "What did you think you were doing?"

"That's none of your-"

"I told you to stop!" Her shrill voice echoed off the ancient walls, reinforcing what she was saying. "You have humiliated me in front of all our classmates and several very prominent people from the ministry. I deserve an explanation."

There were a few moments where Clara's heavy breathing and Draco's slightly wide-eyed stare filled an odd silence. Then Draco inhaled.

"I was in the Room of Requirement." He diverted his gaze to the farthest wall. Clara's livid countenance suddenly dropped, so abrupt she thought she might have heard it on the marble floor they were standing on. He actually answered. She thought.

"What were you doing?" She asked, softly now. Draco crossed his arms.

"I think you know." Clara let out a breath she had unintentionally been holding and closed her eyes.

"The cabinet." She said. Draco's head jerked to hers.

"Who told you about that?" Clara flinched.

"I followed you." She told him, opening her eyes. "In Diagon Alley."

"You followed me? Who gave you the right to do-"

"Nobody had to give me the right. I took the initiative." Clara breathed out sharply through her nose. "I don't care what anyone says; this concerns me, so I have a right to know."

"A right to know what, exactly?" Draco countered. "A right to know how to stop me? How to help the blood-traitor and his little blood-traitor sister?" Draco spat cruelly.

"Don't talk about them like that." Clara said dangerously.

"Do you know what he'll do to me if I don't complete my mission?" Draco continued as if Clara hadn't warned him, while getting very close to her face. "He'll kill me and my whole family." His voice echoed off the walls. Draco kept their eye contact steady as he breathed heavily from the emotion he had just let off his chest. He had spoken with such intensity and with such vulnerability that Clara's eyes were glistening. She drew in a shaky breath.

"I'm your family now, too." Draco stumbled back as if he had been slapped across the face. "This concerns me, too."

The thought racing through Draco's mind and spreading over his face was one of the most intense realization. He had never really thought of Clara Claret as his family – anything but, actually. He was silent.

"I know we don't get on, Draco." His fiancée decided to say. "But we can't do this to each other. Not now. Not when-when we could lose our lives at any moment." Her voice had slowly traveled into a whisper, quiet so only Draco may hear it. She gathered her gown and took a step back.

"But," Draco said, unwilling to let her go. "He told you to keep out of it. That you weren't allowed to know." He tried to see her face in the dim light of the hall.

"I know."

And he watched her. He watched Clara, in his confusing reverie, jog down the corridor and disappear when the darkness enveloped her in its black folds.

How was it?

School work has been a real bummer, so my weekends have been filled with it. But at least this was nice and long!

This was one of the hardest chapters I've written so far. It was just a real challenge to get all of the right words out of these characters. Please let me know if there was anything you noticed that didn't seem to fit well, or was off, or something. I really want to know so I can fix it and make it better.

In this chapter, John Brody really serves as a parralel to the book. What I mean is, I want to show that even though Hermione's a Slytherin now, and would never have gone wth Cormac, there is still a McLaggen in her life in the form of John Brody. Just like Ron's black eye. Because Hermione wasn't there to take the blow, Ron got hit instead by his brother's weird invention. I hope that makes sense.

If anyone is interested, I would suggest looking up 'Textbook' by We Are Scientists on Youtube or wherever you go for music. I think it really relates to how Clara feels at the beginning of the story – even at this point. If you listen to the lyrics, you'll know what I mean.

Welp, that's all I have for now, and I will try to get the next chapter up in the next couple of weeks. But, until then…

Cheers!