✌︎︎𝙲𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚊 𝙿𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜✌︎︎

Turn Back?

TW: Mentions of alcohol, mild violence.

Clara spent the next few days at the Malfoy Manor with Lucius and - at times - Regulus. Life seemed good to her, a thwarted, twisted kind of good.

"I'm glad you've finally come to your senses, Clara," Lucius mentioned as he, Narcissa and Clara sat at the dinner table.

Clara gave a faint smile, "it's better to be on the side we all know will win."

Narcissa shifted in her seat uncomfortably. At times Clara would catch Narcissa staring intensely with a face of deep thinking. Her presence at the manor seemed to set off something in Narcissa's nature; she flinched when Clara first called her by the nickname used in her days at Hogwarts.

"I'm thinking of going back though," Clara spoke in a low, uncertain voice. Lucius's head snapped up from his plate immediately. "I mean back home," she reassured Lucius.

"Has no one been wondering where you've gone?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. "It's almost as if someone knows your plan..."

Clara laughed, "I have been receiving letters, Lucius, I've just ignored them."

Narcissa stood up from the table abruptly, making both Clara and Lucius jump slightly in their seats. "I'll be in the garden." She announced, leaving without clearing the table.

"You all right, Cissy?" Clara called out behind her.

A loud crash was heard, a vase was dropped in the hallway and the two in the dining room heard loud footsteps approach. "Don't call me that anymore!" Narcissa hissed and turned to leave again.

Clara looked at Lucius with widened eyes, "I've never seen her like that, is she all right?"

Lucius let out a deep sigh, "she's been acting really tense ever since we left Hogwarts, worrying about the future and all that,"

"Poor thing!" Clara exclaimed, "don't you think she should be away from all this?"

"Nonsense, she'll be fine."

"But you're admitting to it yourself, that's she's unwell-"

"Clara!" Lucius suddenly shouted. "Enough, please," Clara looked down awkwardly. "I'm being nice enough to let you stay in my house, you can at least respect my privacy."

"I'll be leaving; don't you worry." Clara stood up and marched out of the room. She decided she was going to go back to the Potter mansion, she didn't feel safe anymore with Voldemort visiting the manor so often.

It was the day the rest of the Marauders would finish their seventh year at Hogwarts, the last day of their N.E.W.Ts. Clara had planned to arrive on the exact day, hoping her parents fury would lessen with the presence of James amongst them.

"Clara Vulpecula Potter! Where have you been?!" Fleamont gasped, pressing his palm to his chest.

Clara apparated to the front door of the Potter mansion, mere minutes before James and Sirius would arrive.

"Hey dad, sorry I was uh helping out a friend!" Clara smiled and hugged the confused man. "I'll be upstairs, James should arrive any second!" She left before Fleamont could even think about what was happening.

"Hey mum!" Clara chirped as she passed Euphemia who was walking down the staircase, leaving the poor woman in shock.

"Miss Potter?!" Euphemia exclaimed.

Clara stood with her arms folded as her parents greeted both Sirius and James, tears streaming down their cheeks.

"Oh, James!" Euphemia pulled James into a bone-crushing hug. "My little boy is now a man!"