"Your boyfriend is waiting."
Clara lifted her head from his pillow and squinted in the direction of Pansy Parkinson's cheerful voice.
"What?" she asked groggily, "What boyfriend?"
"The lovely Gregory Goyle, my dear."
This woke Clara up completely. She sat up and looked around, examining her surroundings as though she had woken up in an alternate universe. Pansy tossed her friend a lacy black bra from her trunk.
"Might want to wear that, just in case things get heated later," Pansy winked.
Clara threw the lingerie back and groaned.
"What's this with Clara and Goyle?" Daphne Greengrass asked as she entered the dormitory.
"Oh my God," Clara collapsed back on her pillow and pulled the covers over her head. Pansy roared with laughter.
"So you two went public and never told me? I'm so hurt," Pansy whined.
Clara pushed the covers off and rolled out of bed.
"Daphne, there is nothing with me and Goyle. I don't know what he's saying, but I literally just talked to him for five minutes, if that."
"Well, he's telling everyone in the common room that he's waiting for his girlfriend," Daphne shrugged.
"Damn it," Clara started pulling on her uniform. She hurriedly brushed through her hair before grabbing her bag.
"Let's go meet up with our beaus," Pansy sighed romantically.
"I'm going to throw you in the lake and hope the giant squid takes you," Clara threatened before opening the door to the common room. It was full of Slytherins preparing for the day. Draco and Goyle were standing next to the dormitory door, and their sudden appearance made Clara jump.
"Hello, dear," Pansy kissed Draco on the cheek. Clara ignored the boys, looking towards the couches where several students were finishing their essays at the last possible minute.
"Hi, Clara," Goyle's voice was higher than usual, and she assumed he was trying to sound excited.
"Hello," Clara gave him a tight smile and began to make her way through the crowd ahead of the group. She was barely three feet from the door when Goyle sprinted past her and opened the door for her.
"Ladies first," he gestured, the awkward smile plastered on his face.
"Thanks."
The day dragged on. Clara knew she should be grateful to have something to focus on besides her mother, but Goyle was overbearing. In every class, she could see him watching her out of the corner of her eye. It didn't matter if he was across the room. His eyes were glued to her. It did help Clara remember to take notes, though. She was obsessive, bent over her parchment all through the lessons, scribbling down as much information as possible. Maybe, she had thought, if she spent all day with her hair draped around her face and her eyes glued to the paper, Goyle would get the hint. It didn't work. In Charms, Clara dropped her quill, only to have Goyle run across the room and pick it up for her. After every class the boy would return to her side and they would walk behind Draco and Pansy to the next classroom. The only time Clara and Pansy had to themselves outside of class was in the bathroom.
"You know, Clara, you're allowed to tell him to bugger off," Pansy said from the other side of the partition.
"Do we have to have this conversation here?" Clara asked, shifting uncomfortably.
"Clearly. The boy won't let you breathe."
Things got increasingly uncomfortable for Clara at dinner. She slid into her normal spot beside Pansy and was immediately followed by Goyle nearly sitting in her lap.
"Hello," he grinned, showing his yellowed teeth. Clara just nodded. The situation was made much worse by the fact that the boy wouldn't talk to her besides simple greetings. It lulled Clara into a false sense of security, thinking he would be turned off by her lack of interaction, but it seemed to make him even more enthralled. In a last attempt to kill the attraction without hurting his feelings, she grabbed corn on the cob from one of the platters in the middle of the table. It was dripping with butter, and she slurped as she ate it. Pansy was watching her curiously. After annihilating the vegetable, Clara took her pinkie finger and began to pick out the stray bits of corn from between her teeth. She made quite a spectacle of the process and noticed Draco had stopped eating, a look of disgust on his pale face. Satisfied with her work, she looked to Goyle, only to find him watching her lovingly. He picked up his napkin and wiped her chin. Clara thanked him quietly and turned to Pansy, who was biting her lip hard to keep from laughing. Appetite now gone, she excused herself from the table and stood. Goyle immediately did the same.
"You still have a full plate," Clara noted, "Go ahead and finish."
"If you're sure," he said softly, before patting her shoulder. He sat back down and immediately stuffed most of a chicken leg in his mouth.
"I don't feel too well, I'll join you," Pansy laid her napkin in her plate and stood. The two girls walked silently out of the Great Hall. Pansy cracked up the second they were alone.
"Oh my God, Clara. Have I told you today that I love you?"
"Is he an idiot?" Clara asked Pansy, exasperated.
"Well, yeah, I think so."
"How awful is it that I have to see that woman in the morning, but I'm actually more irritated with something as stupid as this?" Clara nervously twisted her hair.
"I mean… it's kind of good, isn't it? You've been so stressed out, and now here's a much smaller issue to distract you," Pansy offered. Clara considered this and nodded. They continued their walk in silence, until they were interrupted by Professor Lisney's voice echoing down the corridor.
"In here," Clara pulled Pansy into a broom closet around the corner.
"What are we doing?" Pansy asked through the dark. Clara shushed her and they listened.
"Eliza, there is nothing we can do. You are our Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. It is a required class. There is simply no other solution," Clara recognized Professor McGonagall's stern voice.
"What if she doesn't come back to class?" Professor Lisney asked.
"I'm afraid that will be her problem, not yours. She will fail." They were silent for a moment.
"I don't know what to do," Clara heard the sadness in her mother's voice.
"It is a difficult situation for both of you, but I believe you will work it out," Professor McGonagall comforted. The light footsteps moved away and the two girls stayed in the closet until the corridor was silent.
"What was that about?" Pansy wondered.
"I guess she wanted me to transfer out of her class," Clara answered.
"Surely she would know that wasn't an option, though?"
Clara shrugged, "Maybe in certain situations, they can remove students. I don't know what they'd do… maybe private lessons with another Professor?"
"That's possible. So… are you okay?" Pansy asked, eyeing her friend.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be? I don't want to be in her class. It doesn't make a difference to me if she doesn't want me in it, either."
The Common Room was still mostly empty when they entered. Clara spread out over one of the sofas while Pansy went to the dormitory to gather their assignments. After they were set up, Pansy sat next to Clara and crossed her legs.
"So. What are we going to do about that boy?" she grinned.
"I could just tell him to leave me alone," Clara said quietly.
"That was my thought, as well. But then I realized how dull that would be, and who knows if he'd actually listen?" Pansy's eyes glimmered. They always did when she had an evil plan.
"I'm not going to murder him."
"Jesus, Clara, no. No murder. I promise."
At this moment, the Common Room door swung open and Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle strode in. Draco plopped down by Pansy, his hands immediately going to her hips as he attacked her face. Goyle sat awkwardly close to Clara again. Crabbe sat in an armchair across from them, looking uncomfortable. The couch was now too full, and Clara could feel Draco's hand on Pansy's hip as the two girls were pressed together. Goyle was looking at Clara again, and she resolved to slap him if he tried anything. She tried hard to focus on her reading, despite the fact that Pansy's leg was now thrown over Draco's and it wouldn't be long before they would have to take their show to an empty classroom. Noticing where Crabbe's eyes were looking, she reached down and pulled Pansy's skirt down to cover her panties. After rereading the same line at least a dozen times, Clara gathered their things and retired to the dormitory.
"See you tomorrow!" Goyle said happily. Clara just lifted her hand in a half-hearted wave.
Clara jerked awake as the dormitory door creaked open. She saw Pansy tiptoe in, and noticed she was only wearing her skirt and white shirt. The rest of her uniform was in her arms. Even in the darkness, she could tell Pansy wasn't wearing a bra, and she had missed most of the buttons on her shirt.
"How was it?" Clara asked quietly. Pansy jumped, her clothes landing on the floor.
"God, don't do that," she whispered, "And it was fabulous. But I think we broke up."
Clara raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"I don't know. We were there, having a fantastic time, and as soon as we…we finished, he looks at me and just says, 'I don't know about us'."
"What the hell is his problem?" Clara might not have been crazy about the guy, but he wasn't going to hurt her best friend. Pansy just shrugged.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah. I'd accepted that he wasn't going to be the same Draco from the summer, and that's not right. I don't want to be someone who's only nice when they want sex," Pansy explained.
"Good. I'm sorry, though."
"It's fine, really," Pansy smiled, "I do wonder what this is going to do for you and Goyle, though."
Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were no where to be found the next morning. Pansy was genuinely unconcerned, and Clara tried not to be too hopeful that this would be the end of Goyle's infatuation.
"Well, it could go two ways, I think," Pansy was saying as they walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts, "either he will never speak to you again, or you will become the Romeo to his Juliet."
"On the bright side, they do die at the end," Clara smiled, making Pansy giggle. They had spent the morning talking about Draco. Pansy was attempting to get Clara's nerves under control by telling her of the now embarrassing demeanor Draco had had in Italy. He had been saccharinely romantic. Clara heard of the beautiful, expensive necklace Draco had given Pansy, only to have his mother yell at him in front of her after finding out that he had stolen it from her jewelry box.
"It's so much worse when you consider that he's bloody rich," Pansy shook her head.
The girls entered the classroom and walked past Draco and Goyle. Pansy's walk turned into a strut, her hips swinging. If she had looked back, Clara was sure Draco would have been staring.
"Welcome, students," Professor Lisney said after the desks were filled, "Last time, some of you missed out on practicing the Patronus charm. Today, you will have your chance."
Despite herself, Clara was excited. This was one of the more fascinating spells she had heard of. She felt the Professor's eyes on her and glanced up. The woman was looking at her happily.
Remember, don't call her any names, Pansy scribbled down on the parchment. Clara smiled. Her mother went through a short review of the spell before calling for the students to line up single file. A small Gryffindor boy was first to go.
"Expecto Patronum!" he cried, brandishing his wand with no result.
"Come on, Mr. Finnegan! Just imagine the happiest memory you can think of… put yourself back in that frame of mind," Professor Lisney encouraged. He repeated the spell, and this time small wisps of white burst out of the end of his wand.
"There we go! Stick with it."
After several tries, the class let out a collective gasp as a small white fox jumped out of the wand. It ran a few strides before dissolving into a mist. Clara joined in the applause.
"Wonderful job! You should be proud," Professor Lisney smiled warmly. The Gryffindor walked back to his desk with a massive smile plastered across his face. It took a while to get down the line, as each student struggled before being able to produce any sort of result. Finally, it was Pansy's turn, with Clara behind her.
"Alright, the Slytherins have yet to produce a corporeal Patronus. Make us proud," Professor Lisney enthused. Pansy closed her eyes for a moment, before lifting her wand, "Expecto Patronum!" . The white mist immediately flew out of her wand.
"Lovely first try."
Pansy's Patronus formed a bit more on every attempt, and finally, a cat was visible for a moment before vanishing into mist.
"Yes!" Professor Lisney yelled, "It can be improved, but that was the best we have seen from the Slytherins." Pansy turned and smiled at Clara encouragingly. She was a mix of emotions. Trying to think of her happiest memory while standing next to the woman who caused all of her worst memories was a challenge, but she wanted to show her mother what she had missed out on by leaving. She took a deep breath and concentrated on the memory she had picked from when she was ten years old, the first time she walked through Diagon Alley. For the first time, she felt like she belonged.
"Expecto Patronum!" Clara thought she saw a pair of wings flap for a split second. Her mother confirmed this, her mouth open in awe.
"Brilliant, Miss Rowley."
Clara smiled and walked back to her desk without a glance to her mother.
"Damn, Clara," Pansy looked impressed.
"Determination makes it much easier," Clara told her, "I just knew I had to show her I could do it. It just makes me want to work even harder, knowing that she would leave us over me being powerless."
"Well, go with it, then. It works."
While Draco made a conscious effort to avoid both Pansy and Clara throughout the day, Goyle kept risking wistful looks at Clara. She did her best to ignore him. The two girls stuck together all day, and ate dinner with their fellow Slytherin girls.
"Personally, I think you're much better off without him," Daphne was saying, "We put in far too much effort to show people that Slytherins aren't all bad to have him prancing around with you."
"Maybe if he finally got in Potter's pants, he'd be a less hostile person," Tracey grinned. Suddenly Pansy's eyes lit up, "All we need is some Polyjuice-" "No," Clara interrupted, "Definitely not."
"I'm only joking," Pansy looked taken aback.
"You are my best friend, and I know that you're not joking."
"We can do it without your help, you know," Daphne conspired.
"I'm sure you could. It's a terrible idea, though," Clara said, frowning at the girls.
"We wouldn't do anything bad," Pansy explained, "Just… have a little fun."
Clara looked at her friend. Her expression was mischievous, bordering on insane. They had known each other long enough, and Clara knew when Pansy was set on doing something.
"I don't know. Think about it for a few days first, please?" Clara asked. Pansy pouted before agreeing.
After they had returned to the Slytherin common room, Clara and Pansy relaxed on the sofa. They had finished all of their assignments, and Pansy was reading up on Polyjuice Potion.
"God, why does it have to take such a ridiculously long time?" she sighed.
"To give you time to think about your actions," Clara said, smiling. Pansy stuck her tongue out and continued reading. They stretched out, taking up the entire sofa. No need to make room for the boys now. Clara felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Goyle standing over her.
"Oh, hello," she greeted him, emotionless.
"May I sit?" he asked awkwardly. She sat up and moved over. Pansy was watching them curiously. Goyle sat and turned towards Clara, who tensed. He reached out and took her hands.
"My darling," he started, "I don't think it's going to work out between us."
Clara was able to pull off a very convincing horrified expression thanks to the boy's proximity.
"Oh… that's alright."
"It's not you… it's just, Draco is my best friend. It's a friendship thing. I'm sure you understand," he nodded towards Pansy.
"Oh, completely! Yes!" Clara said a bit too excitedly,"It's fine, really. Friends are the most important thing."
"Yes. Alright. Well, I'll see you around," he stood and paused, before bending over and kissing Clara's cheek. Pansy was in the midst of a severe coughing fit. Goyle walked away sadly.
"I think it's time for bed," Pansy grabbed Clara's hand and dragged her to the dormitory. Clara immediately washed her face before collapsing on Pansy's bed.
"I need a bath," Clara groaned, "An acid bath."
"So it's really over now," Pansy said, her voice raspy from the excessive coughing. Clara buried her face in the pillow as Pansy changed into her pajamas.
"I might be a lesbian," Clara said as she turned to lie on her back.
"You may be. But I wouldn't say that being repulsed by Goyle makes you a lesbian. It just makes you human," Pansy stretched out on the bed and resumed her Polyjuice Potion research.
"At least I didn't get detention again. She didn't even try to make me talk to her," Clara smiled.
"Exactly. You're free of Goyle and things are looking up. Now help me figure this bloody potion out."