There's Magic in The Air
Clara laid back on her bed, her feet hanging off. She was repeatedly opening and closing her broken pocket watch. There was a soft knock on her door. She looked, already knowing who was there.
"Do you want to leave, too?" The Doctor asked, a pained expression painted on his face. Clara's stomach twisted; she hated seeing him upset! It was even more heartbreaking to see this regeneration sad than his eleventh.
"No! No, of course not." Clara stood up and rushed over to him. It was obvious that he needed a hug, so she gave him one. He held her tight, as if she was his lifeline. "I'm never gonna leave you, okay?" She regretted it as soon as she said it, even though she knew it was what he needed to hear.
She was going to leave him. She had to. One day, he would be abducted to the Dalek asylum and actually meet one of her echoes. Then, in Victorian London, he'd be face to face with one. After that, he'd meet the real her. And she couldn't be around for that. The TARDIS- the future TARDIS, at least- could barely stand one Clara, let alone two.
Plus, she'd leave him again. When he found that new companion, she'd leave for her first time, but it'd be the second time she left to him.
The Doctor seemed comforted by her words, though, even though he also knew she couldn't stay forever. No human could.
"Let's go somewhere," he said suddenly, pulling back to gauge her reaction to his suggestion.
"I'm-" She was going to protest- she was exhausted from her day and night in the parallel world- but she couldn't. Unlike the future Doctor, this one didn't hide his feelings from her. And right now, he needed her to distract him. "Okay. Where should we go?" He beamed, slipped his hand into hers, and bounded down to the console room.
"Somewhere low key," he stated, pressing a few buttons. "Hold that lever down there. We can land on a Sunday." He paused, laughing.
"I don't think I've ever said that before! Let's land on a Sunday! Ha!" He typed something into the typewriter. Clara continued to hold down the lever and leaned forward to twist the knob he pointed to.
"Earth." The Doctor announced after a bumpy landing. "1994. London, England. November first."
"Must be chilly," Clara said. "I should get a jacket." The Doctor nodded and she scurried off to the wardrobe, snagging a cute, leather jacket she spotted. She returned to the console room and the two of them left the TARDIS.
Lalala
The two of them sipped hot cocoa as they walked aimlessly down the streets of London, holding hands. Clara had been right; it was pretty nippy out. If she hadn't been holding the Doctor's hand, the hand not holding her drink would be stuffed in a pocket. Instead, it was raw from the cold wind whipping at it, but she didn't care. Any time the Doctor held her hand just to hold it, she got this warm, bubbly feeling. She loved it.
Clara had never experienced something so low key with the Doctor before! No aliens, no corrupt gangs, nothing. They merely wandered the streets of London, people watching.
Both were able to keep their minds off of their troubling thoughts. The Doctor, joking around with Clara, was able to forget how all his friends leave him in the end, and how it was stupid of him to fall in love with one of them. Clara, laughing at the Doctor's whipped cream mustache, forgot about the nagging feeling that she was the reason both Mickey and Rose left and that she lost her mum all over again. A simple day in London was the perfect distraction for the both of them.
"Anything in particular you want to do?" The Doctor asked after a while. Clara shrugged, stuffing one hand in her jacket pocket. She had thrown out her empty cup a while ago. She shrugged.
"I don't know." She said, looking around for something to inspire her. "Want to get some food?" The Doctor raised his eyebrows.
"You know I don't carry cash. Do you have any?" Clara rolled her eyes, dragging him towards a cute little cafe she had spotted.
"I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't!" She replied, giggling. He pretended to put up a fight, but gave up after a minute and walked alongside her once more.
They entered the cafe, scanning the place for an open table. There were't any.
"We could go somewhere else," Clara offered, a little sad. This place was cute and she wanted to eat there!
"No, look." The Doctor pointed to a table. "We can ask her if she minds us joining her." At a table big enough to seat four, a lone woman sat with her back to them. She had strawberry blonde hair and was slouching. Even from behind, Clara could tell she was discouraged about something.
"Excuse me, Miss?" The Doctor charmingly caught the woman's attention. "There are no empty tables. Do you mind if we join you?" The woman shook her head, gesturing to the empty seats.
"Go right ahead." Clara and the Doctor sat next to each other, Clara across from the woman.
The woman had a half empty cup of coffee on the table and was staring down sadly at a stack of papers held together by a binder clip.
"What's that?" The Doctor asked curiously, waving a hand to catch a waitress's attention. Clara elbowed him.
"Rude," she mouthed. He shrugged sheepishly.
"My manuscript," the woman replied. "I've been trying to get it published." Clara felt sympathy for her; she looked so heartbroken!
"No luck?" She asked as kindly as she could. The woman shook her head, taking a swig of her cold coffee.
"I just got rejected, again." A waiter walked up to them. Clara ordered two coffees, a salad, and a side of fries. The Doctor got tea and a sandwich. As soon as the coffees came, Clara gave one to the woman.
"Oh no, I couldn't-"
"I insist. Everyone deserves a hot cup of coffee on a cold day." Clara pushed the mug across the table. "So, what's you're book about?"
"A boy who goes to a wizarding school." The woman took a gratefully large gulp of the coffee. Clara and the Doctor glanced at each other. It can't be, Clara thought.
"What's your name?" The Doctor asked. "I'm the Doctor and this is Clara." Clara gave her a little wave.
"Jo Rowling," the woman replied. Clara's eyes widened, her suspicions confirmed. The Doctor's face broke into a grin.
"What a brilliant name!" He crowed, drinking a bit of his tea. Jo tucked her hair behind her ear.
"It's not that great of a name." The Doctor shook his head.
"Of course it is! Could take a look at your manuscript?"
"Doctor! You can't just-" Clara reprimanded, halting when Jo handed him her papers. Clara, not wanting to be left out, leaned over his shoulder and read along with him. Her eyes were met with the familiar words of the first chapter.
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of Number Four, Privet Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. The Doctor flipped through the pages, landing on a different chapter. "I'm his second," Ron said, "who's yours?" Malfoy eyed his friends. "Crabbe." He decided. The Doctor flipped again. "Books and cleverness." Hermione said. "There are more important things. Loyalty. Courage. You're a great wizard, Harry."
"This is really good," Clara gushed, awed over seeing the actual manuscript of the world's most beloved book series. The Doctor nodded in agreement.
"I wonder what those publishers were thinking," he murmured, eyes moving back and forth at an impressive speed. "This is fantastic." Jo looked embarrassed and pleased at their praise.
The Doctor returned the papers to Jo. "I'm serious, you should keep trying. That could be a bestseller one day." Jo smiled.
"Well, I doubt that, but thank you." She looked back and forth between the two of them. "So, how long have you been together?" She asked politely. Clara blushed immediately.
"No, we're not together!" Clara said, shaking her head.
"Definitely not together," the Doctor agreed, looking a little red himself. Jo raised her eyebrows.
"Oh. I'm sorry, you two just seem so close! I shouldn't have assumed." Jo apologized, choking back a laugh. The two were so insistent that they weren't together, yet it was written on both of their faces that they liked each other!
"I'd better go pay the bill," Clara excused herself, grabbing her purse and the slip of paper off the table. She made her way to the cash register, glancing back a few times. Jo was intently telling the Doctor something. Her back was to Clara so she couldn't tell what it was. Whatever it was, though, the Doctor seemed embarrassed about it.
Clara paid the bill quickly, accepted her change, and headed back to the table. The coffee was wearing off, and she was really feeling tired from her incredibly long day. She was ready to curl up in bed and sleep for days.
"Just tell her," Jo finished whatever she was saying.
"Tell who what?" Clara asked curiously. Jo simply shook her head and the Doctor remained silent. The Doctor stood up.
"I guess we should get going, then," he said, sighing a little. His cheeks were still a little pink. "It was so wonderful meeting you Jo." He shook her hand warmly. She stood, as well, and smiled at the pair. Clara gave her a hug.
"Don't give up on that book." Clara wagged her finger at Jo. "I'll bet you anything that one day, every kid in the country will know Harry's name." Jo laughed at that.
"It was lovely meeting you. Thank you for everything."
The two left, making their way to the TARDIS. It took a while; they had walked quite a ways when they had wandered London.
Eventually, they made it. They slipped in when no one was looking, and left the small street in London. As the TARDIS hovered in the Time Vortex, the Doctor stopped pushing buttons and flipping switches.
"What's up?" Clara asked as he stared at her intensely.
"Nothing," he said, his voice hoarse. He cleared it. "I just wanted to tell you something." Clara sat in the captain's chair and patted next to her for him to sit. He complied, turning so he could face her.
"What is it?" The Doctor swallowed visibly. Clara couldn't think of anything that would make him so nervous.
Without a word, the Doctor leaned in and kissed her softly.
A/N: There you go! The moment you've all been waiting for (or, at least, I've been waiting for this)! I hope you like how it played out- I know I do. Leave me a review and let me know if you liked it.
What do you think of J.K. Rowling being in here? I really liked it, and I'm happy I worked it in. If you want to know what Jo was saying to the Doctor, basically she got him to admit he liked Clara and convinced him to tell her.
Until next time, sweeties!