The Art Of Falling/ JAMES POTTER

13

Christmas break was finally here. Students and their parents crowded the king's cross platform 9 3/4. Cally watched everyone run up to their parents before turning to her friends.

"My parents are waiting for me at platform 10, so I should get going. See you all after Christmas?" she said before hugging and saying goodbye to each one of her friends.

She was just about to go through the brick wall when someone called her name. "Cally! Hey, sorry for holding you back but i have to tell you something before the Christmas break starts."

She laughed at the boy's quick words. "It already started silly. I'm just having you on sorry, go on." she smiled, encouraging the boy to talk further.

"Well, I- Uh— Don't answer now. But i was going to ask if you wanted to go on a date sometime and maybe you know... I just needed to get it off my chest before Christmas. Think about it, have a great holiday!" he quickly said before leaving, not letting the girl even process what he just said.

Cally stood where she was for a few minutes. Her cheeks were burning, not sure what to do at the moment. That was until someone pushed her through the brick wall. "Beep beep, you're blocking the way." Sirius said, holding her shoulders from the back and leading her. James and the Potter's were walking right behind her.

Just as she was about to open her mouth and reply, a voice called for the girl "Annie! Over there!" a man with chestnut brown hair waved over. She turned to the group of people behind her, pointing at his father.

"That's me, see you in a few days?" she asked with a smile. "See you in two days Annie!" James shouted to the girl who was already a few meters away, waving at them.

The Potter's watched as Cally hugged her father, with the biggest smile on her face. "Wait, so that's why you've been calling her Annie? I always thought it was to annoy her." black haired boy asked his friend as they also made their way over to the exit.

"That's how I learned it when i was a kid, but now i'm using it just to annoy her." James snickered. "Very proud of you mate." Sirius nodded in approval. Both the boys laughed before disappearing from the sight of the Clark's.

~•~•~•~

     Cally was excited to be home. Christmas was very special for her. She liked to think of every new year as a new start. It was cliche, but comforting. However, this Christmas was far from comforting.

      The Clark residence was awfully quiet. The house that once was filled with sounds of joy was now filled with deafening silence. It drove Cally crazy how one person could make such difference in making a crowd. Three was the perfect amount of people to make a house into a home, and two was the loneliest number after one.

      Rhoda Clark —now Gardner, has moved to America. Cally didn't know how to feel. She was having a war inside, her emotions were fighting over which would make the girl more miserable. She didn't know if it was anger, rage she was feeling. Or maybe it was despair. Oddly enough, it was relief.

       She was relieved that her mother left home, no, the whole continent. She was relieved, and a little bitter by feeling of betrayal, but mostly relieved.

        Cally never felt this light before, the air never felt this fresh in her lungs. She didn't realize she was holding it in all this time. Only now has she remembered all the signs of her parents not getting along.

       Leonel Clark and Rhoda Gardner never really got along. When Cally was still attending muggle school, she would wish the weekend never came, so she wouldn't have to walk on eggshells around her parents and be afraid of any possible fight breaking out.