The feast passed in a blur. Clara ate very little, and mostly just picked at the mashed potatoes on her plate. Thoughts were running through her head faster than she could process them.

How would she tell her dad?

Should she tell her dad?

Would her mother recognize her?

Surely she'd recognize her name.

What if she didn't?

Would she talk to her?

How would the other students react?

"Clara, come on," Pansy had grabbed her friend's hand and was trying to pull her out of her daze. She stood up and followed the mass of Slytherins down to their common room, relying on Pansy's guidance.

"Talk to me."

Clara suddenly realized that they were in an empty corridor. She slowly made her way to a stone bench and sat.

"I don't know what to do," she told Pansy.

"Well… maybe there's another Eliza Lisney in the world."

Clara shook her head, "No. I've seen her, Pansy, she didn't leave till I was eight. I remember enough to know that that is my mother."

"Maybe… maybe she won't know you?"

"I don't know. My dad says I look just like she did at 16. Plus, how many Clara Rowleys have you met?"

Pansy sighed.

"I can't do anything about it tonight. Tomorrow when we find out our class schedules, I'll deal with it."

"Will you? Sweetie, I love you, I really do, but you're the least Slytherin Slytherin I have ever met. Can you promise me that you won't just… shut down?"

"I won't. Besides, I expect to have my evil twin to counteract my general lack of…"

"Balls?" Pansy finished. Clara gave a small laugh and nodded.

"That works."

After a hot shower, Clara changed into her pajamas and returned to the girls' dormitory. She climbed under the emerald green blankets and tried to quiet her mind. Instead, her thoughts returned to the note she had found in her father's bedroom. Instead of sadness, she felt as though she should focus on how wonderful it would feel to show the woman who had abandoned her as a child over her lack of magic that she was now quite talented. Second only to Transfiguration, defensive magic was Clara's strongest subject. She tried to imagine shocking her mother with elaborate shows of skill, but instead dwelled on how it would feel to meet the woman after nearly 10 years. Her father would be expecting a letter to confirm that she had made it safely to school and gotten settled, but she didn't know what to tell him. After what seemed like hours of tossing and turning, she heard Pansy sigh from her bed a few feet away. Before she could turn and see what was wrong, she felt her best friend climb into bed with her and wrap her arms around her.

Clara had managed to get a few hours of decent sleep. The two girls had woken up at the same time and remained silent as they got ready for the day. Pansy knew when to stop and let her friend think. They had walked up to the Great Hall together and sat at their usual spot at the Slytherin table.

"Where's Draco?" Clara asked, breaking their silence.

"Oh, he's around. You need me more today."

Clara smiled and poured herself a bowl of cereal.

"Rowley, Parkinson," Professor Snape had walked up behind them with their schedules, "Morning."

"Good morning, Professor Snape," Clara greeted the Head of House.

"We had Defense together…" Pansy was comparing their schedules while Clara ate.

"When?"

"Um… first class of the day."

Clara nearly choked on her Owl-O's. Pansy grimaced.

"Are you joking? Please tell me you're joking," she shook her head as she took the sheet of parchment from Pansy's hand.

"Oh, it's bloody perfect. God, this year is going to be so bloody fantastic."

Pansy rubbed her friend's back, "It'll be fine. I'll be right there with you, whatever happens."

With a sigh, Clara laid her head on the girl's shoulder.

"Um… we may want to get a move on. The class starts in 20 minutes."

Students shuffled past them as they slowly made their way to the third floor. Pansy never let go of Clara's hand. Once they had reached the classroom, they paused outside the door. After a quick hug and a reassuring smile, Pansy led Clara to their usual desk.

"Welcome, Sixth years!" Professor Lisney smiled after all of the students had arrived and seated themselves. Clara kept her head down.

"Please go easy on me, this is my first class. Glad to see all of you Slytherins. I myself was a Slytherin in my days at Hogwarts. Now, just to make sure I remember all of your names and faces, when I call your name, please stand."

"Bloody hell," Clara's head made contact with her desk.

"Bulstrode, Millicent." The large black haired girl stood.

Pansy rubbed her best friend's back reassuringly.

"Crabbe, Vincent."

"Should I stand?" Clara asked Pansy in a whisper.

"Of course, you'll just stand out more if you don't."

"Davis, Tracey."

Clara sighed.

"Goyle, Gregory."

She didn't know if she should be thankful that she was near the end of the list or not.

"Greengrass, Daphne."

Pansy was eyeing Professor Lisney. She decided that the woman looked pleasant enough, but that she was not going to let her say a single bad word to Clara.

"Malfoy, Draco."

The blond boy stood, before looking back at Pansy. He gave Clara a disapproving look.

"Nott, Theodore."

"Oh, God," Clara was sure this was what a panic attack felt like.

"Parkinson, Pansy."

Her stood.

"R-rowley, Clara?" the woman's eyes were large.

Clara stood, keeping her eyes on her desk until Pansy poked her in the side. She made eye contact with her mother, who seemed to instantly make the connection. It took her a moment to recover.

"Zabini, Blaise." She sat down the parchment and looked around the room. Her eyes lingered on Clara, who was now staring at her.

"Well, it's lovely to meet you all," she said before sitting at her desk, "If you would turn to page 14 of your books, we will start today's lesson on Dementors."

The class passed slowly, but without incident. Clara had already read the chapter and spent most of the class writing notes to Pansy on the parchment between them.

She obviously recognized you.

I know.

Are you going to say anything to her?

Of course not.

Are you sure?

Yes. She didn't care what I thought when she left, I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of winning me back.

Good.

"Well, I think we've covered a good amount today. Class is dismissed, enjoy the rest of your day. Oh, Miss Rowley, could you come see me before heading out?"

Clara's breathing stopped and she looked to Pansy.

"I.. I'll wait for you?" she gave Clara's hand a quick squeeze, "I can take your books."

"It's fine. I'll carry them. I'll be out in a minute," Clara stood and walked over to where her mother sat.

"Miss Rowley," her face lit up, "Clara."

"Yes, you wanted to see me?" Clara replied curtly.

"Yes… do you recognize me?"

Clara waiting a moment before answering. Saying no would hurt her, and she wanted to hurt this terrible woman who had broken her father's heart.

"Yes."

Damn it, Clara.

"I hoped you would. How… how is your father?"

"He's grand." she replied, keeping her voice monotone.

The woman nodded, "And how are you?"

"I'm here."

"I see you've become quite the witch," her mother tried and failed to hide the look of pride on her face.

"I have, no thanks to you. Did you need anything else?" Clara asked.

"Oh… um, no. I suppose that was it. Have a good day, Clara."

"You, as well," Clara sighed, already turning to leave.

"I'm glad to see you."

Clara ignored Professor Lisney's words.

The day's classes passed. Pansy and Clara sat together when they could, but very little was said. Clara wasn't going to discuss her mother, not yet at least. She was still trying to figure out how she was going to make it through the year. At dinner, Clara willingly sat with Draco and Pansy. The front of the table no longer seemed appealing, with it's clear view of the staff table and her mother happily chatting away with her fellow Professors.

"Potter made a complete ass of himself in Potions, it was brilliant," Draco was saying while his groupies laughed. Clara had noticed, despite the distractions, that if there was one subject Draco liked to talk about more than his father, it was Harry Potter.

The one positive that had come from the day was that Pansy was largely ignoring her boyfriend. Once Clara had met up with Pansy outside of Defense Against the Dark Arts, the girl had been sloppily making out with her Draco.

"Excuse me, can I borrow my friend?" Clara had asked, already at the end of her rope after talking to her mother.

"So, that's your mum?" Draco had grinned as soon as he had released Pansy from his tentacles.

"Yes. Do you care?"

"I do when she's that hot."

Clara had almost slugged him. Pansy grabbed her hand and pulled her away, without a word to her boyfriend.

Later that night, after most of the students were in bed, Clara and Pansy sat together on one of the dark leather sofas in the Slytherin Common Room.

"She actually expected me to be thrilled to see her, I think," Clara had just told Pansy all about her awkward meeting.

"I mean, I understand wanting to see you and know that you're alright."

"I know," Clara groaned, "But I need time before I can have a real conversation with her. I had hours between finding out that my mother was going to be my bloody teacher and seeing her for the first time in years."

"Yeah. I get that."

"Pansy?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for making today a little less terrible."