Breaking Protocol {Percy Weasley}

Chapter Nineteen

Clara looked out her dorm window at the flakes of snow that fell, covering the Hogwarts grounds.

Clara always loved snow, how elegant and peaceful it looked. Back home it barely ever snowed. Canadians would call it just a sprinkle of snow, and that was all the French ever got. Every year Clara would wish for more snow, but that never happened.

Here at Hogwarts, however, the snow didn't seem to ever end, and Clara didn't want it to.

"How long are you going to sit there for?" Came a voice, interrupting Clara's peaceful thoughts. Sighing, she glanced over at Erika who was in the process of curling her hair with her wand.

"Till Christmas." Clara responded dryly. Erica snorted and sat down beside her.

"Well you have thirty five more days to go. Do you want me to bring you any food?" Erika said, smirking.

"I think I will starve." Clara said, turning to look out the window again.

"Okay, now that isn't funny." Erika huffed.

"I am joking with you." Clara said, rolling her eyes. Erika glared at her as she finished with her hair.

"Well don't joke about such things. You know how scared we all were last time--"

"Oui, oui. I know." Clara said, cutting off another one of Erika's rants. Clara coughed, rocking in her spot as the coughs wrenched through her body. Cursing, she sniffed, grumbling about how the winter got her sick.

Erika wrinkled her nose before standing up from the window ledge and making her way over to her bed.

"You barely ever leave your room on the weekends." Erika was saying, rummaging through her trunk of clothes. "The girls and I are going down to Hogsmeade today. George is dragging Michelle to Zonko's Joke Shop, so Niki and I will most likely hit the Sweetshop because we're running low on our candy stash, and probably swing by Gladrags Wizardwear because some warm socks would be nice this winter."

Clara looked over at the blonde as she pulled out a few clothes and threw them onto her bed. "Why doesn't George just go with Fred?" Clara asked, drawing a picture with her finger in the fogged up window.

"George said Fred had other plans." Erika said, smirking. "Some...girl. George didn't seem bothered by it, but he didn't want to go alone."

"So he dragged Michelle with him?" Clara asked, coughing again as she swung her legs over the window ledge. Erika bobbed her head.

"Mhm. Cute little thing George is, I can see why Michelle has a soft spot for the ginger." Erika giggled as she threw on a black coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck.

"I suppose a walk is much needed." Clara said, jumping down from the window ledge. Erika made a squealing noise, clapping her hands together.

"Yes! So you're coming with us?" Erika asked, grabbing her a wool hat and pulling it over her ears. Clara sighed.

"I...I do not think I want to go that far. Maybe just a petite walk." Clara stated as she decided to get dressed into something other than her pajamas for the day. Erika sighed.

"Very well... I'll pick up some sweets for you and tonight we can binge eat and talk about our problems." Grabbing for her winter boots, Erika made her way out their dorm room.

"Our problems? Erika...your life is...it is perfect." Clara said quietly. Erika stopped, turning to face Clara with a sly smile playing on her lips.

"We all have problems, Clara. Some are more apparent than others." Erika winked, before turning away. "Pain is inevitable, darling, but suffering is optional."

And with that, Clara was left alone.

Percy wiped away the streams of tears that were drawn from his eyes by the freezing winter wind. He really did despise being outdoors, especially if he wasn't being productive. But this journey was necessary.

Finally approaching the Hogwarts castle, Percy was glad to be out of the wind. He had taken a trip by himself, as usual, to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop for some new quills. It was something Percy and Penny used to do together.

But Percy knew their Scrivenshaft journeys were no more.

Taking the familiar path to the Hogwarts library, Percy sighed as he settled into the comfy library chairs and pulled his books from his shoulder bag. He was just getting into the flow of writing when coughing from the other side of the bookcase next to him dragged him from his thoughts.

As the coughing died down, he was finally able to focus on his work. However not much time passed before it started up again.
Percy did not take kindly to interruptions when it came to working. He gripped his quill out of frustration when the coughing interrupted him for a third time.

"Will you stop coughing?" Percy growled, loud enough for the culprit next to him to hear him. They were silent for a moment, before a raspy voice replied.

"You want me to stop coughing?" She said, laughing dryly. "Well there goes my plans for coughing my lungs up, what ever shall I do?"

Percy recognized the slur of the French accent and his grip on the quill loosened.

"Clara?" He called, looking to see the Chesnut hair from in between the books. She was quiet and still for a few minutes before she turned in his direction.

"P-Percy?" She responded, her voice hoarse and uneven. Clearing her throat, Percy saw a glimpse of her brilliant silver eyes before she got up from her seat.

"I'd love to stay and...eh...chat. But I've got to go and watch milk spoil. Maybe we can meet up never." Clara said, coughing a few more times into the crook of her arm before she gathered her things.

"S-stay?" Percy whispered. Clara froze in her spot for only a moment before she shook her head once and proceeded to collect her things.

"I...I do not stay for those who leave me whenever they get the chance." Clara said. "You made it clear that you are not over your ex-girlfriend."

Percy could feel the emotions tugging violently at his heart strings as Clara once again walked away from him.

Sighing, Percy turned back to his writing, reading over his previous works.

The sorrow of love is so much and the pain is so deep,
I have hurt my precious angel so much I cannot sleep.
I love her so deeply and I regret all the pain,
and I know it's my fault, no one else can I blame.
Walls are closing around me and I sink slowly each day,
yet I cling to a hope that seems so far away,
that she will return to me and I can feel her embrace,
I miss her so badly and the beauty of her face.
For like an angel from some heaven, she came into my life,
now I plead one last time, for one last chance to make it right.
Yet I feel it won't heal, how I've ripped us apart,
but I must let her know what's inside this broken heart,
that Clara Delaunay is the key to my heart.
I write these words with tears in my eyes,
for I love her so much I sit here and I die.
I'm so lost without her, don't want her to go,
not without me saying what I need her to know.
That I've always loved her and I miss her each day,
yet the hope that she loves me drifts further away.