Against the Odds

the picture

"Why is everyone looking at me?" I ask leaning over to Pansy. She shrugs and continues walking on. We walk into the Great Hall and meet the boys for breakfast. Mattheo looks at me before looking at his food.

Last night we kissed and now I don't know how to feel. Up until this point I thought I knew I was happy. Happy with Fred. But this has thrown me through a loop.

I add fruit into my oatmeal and take a bite. I look around to see a picture being passed around all the tables. I furrow my eyebrows as I try to make out what's on the picture. I look back at Fred and see him drop his fork as the picture reaches his hand.

This cannot be happening right now. I reach back to the Hufflepuff table behind me and grab the picture out of some girl's hand. I stare at the picture as I see me kissing Mattheo. My eyes widen and jaw drops as I try to comprehend what's happening. I look back at Fred and see him quickly walking out of the room.

"Oh no," I say slowly standing up, "No no no." I swing my legs over the bench and begin walking away. "Clara, where are you going?" Blaise shouts. I ignore him and begin running out of the Great Hall.

I stop as I reach the hallway and look both ways. Fred must have run wherever he was going. I begin running towards Gryffindor towers as that's where I think he is. I reach the portrait and say the password. I've come here so often over these past few weeks I've been trusted with the password. The portrait stays still as I say the password again.

"I'm afraid the passwords have been changed," she says, glancing down at me. I groan loudly and anxiously spin in a circle. "Hey!!" I yell, hitting on the edge of the portrait, "Let me in!!!" "Stop hitting me," she snaps.

"Clara what are you doing here," Hermione says, rolling her eyes as she cracks open the door. "Hey, I really need to talk to Fred," I say flustered. "Clara, I really don't think this is a good time," she says. "Mione please, this is important," I beg. She begins to close the door and I push back. I push the door open and run through the opening.

I look around the common room, seeing who's in here. Ron and Harry look at me with their eyes wide and jaw on the floor. "Clara you can't be in here!" Hermione persists. I ignore her and run up the stairs towards the boy's dormitory. I reach Fred's door and take a deep breath.

"Fred?" I say lightly knocking on the door, "Fred I really need to talk to you." I can hear people in the room begin to stir but no one says anything. "Freddie?" I say, my voice trembling.

"You have some nerve showing up here," Lee says, opening up the door. "Lee, I really need to speak to Fred," I say, trying to look around him at Fred. "No Clara you really don't," He says, closing the door slowly. "Lee please," I say lightly, pushing the door. He looks back, I assume in the direction of Fred and then looks back to me. He opens the door back up and I quickly walk through the doorway.

I look over at Fred who has his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes. "Fred," I whisper. He looks up at me momentarily, his eyes red and puffy from crying. He takes a deep breath and and buries his head in his hands.

"Fred I'm so sorry, it was never meant to happen like this and I-" I start but he cuts me off. "When was this?" He asks. I take a deep breath, "Last night," I whisper, looking down at the ground. He lets out a shaky breath and shakes his head. "Hermione and George have been trying to tell me you were trouble but I didn't want to believe them," he says looking up at me.

"No Fred," I say, a tear rolling down my cheek. "But it's true," He scoffs. "No Fred this was never supposed to happen," I say, wiping the tears from my face. "I don't want to see you anymore," he spits. My jaw drops and I cover my mouth with my hands. "No Fred no please, just listen," I say, kneeling down next to him. "Clara please leave," he says, not even looking at me. "Fred," I cry. Lee places his hand on my shoulder and helps me up.

He (kindly) guides me to the door and slowly closes it. I begin to sob and shake my head. This cannot be real. I run down the stairs and down to the common room but avoid looking or talking to anyone. I quickly make my way to the Slytherin common room and lay on the couch. I cuddle up with a pillow and cry.

I can hear people shuffling in and out of the common room but don't move. I have classes to get to but Lord knows I'm not in the right state for that.

"Clara," Draco says, placing a hand on my shoulder. I abruptly turn to face him and practically jump off the couch, watching the rest of the group file in. "What is wrong with you," I say, shoving Draco in the chest. I can feel the tears forming in my eyes again. "Calm down, this isn't' our fault," Draco says, a little snarky. "Don't act like you really care! You're just happy Fred finally broke up with me." I shout.

I begin to breathe heavier as tears begin steaming down my face. "Clara look at the bright side, you said you wished things ended differently with Mattheo, well now they can," Pansy chimes. Tears stop flowing from my eyes and I wipe my nose. "How'd you know that?" I ask, taking a step closer to her, "How'd you know I said that?" I ask more aggressively this time.

Her jaw drops and her eyes quickly dance around the room as she tries to find an excuse. I look around to each of the boys as they look around at each other.

"Oh my gosh," I say, dragging my hand down my face, "It was you guys, it was you guys the whole time?" My voice finally breaks. "You guys were seriously so unhappy with me finally being happy that you had to break us up?" I say as clearly as I can through the sobs.

"Clara please," Mattheo starts. "No!" I yell at all of them. I take a step back and take a deep breath looking into Mattheos eyes. My eyes begin to well with tears and I drop my hands to the side.

"Was anything you said even true? Or was it just some set up to get me and Fred to break up?" I say, wiping tears from my eyes. "Of course it was true Clara," he says, almost sounding like he's going to get emotional.

"I don't even," I say, fumbling over my words. "Ugh," I groan, and run off to my dorm.