Breaking Protocol {Percy Weasley}

Chapter Twenty-One

As darkness crept over the snow covered hills, Clara found herself curled in the corner of one of the window seats once again, a book propped open in her lap. However, despite how much Clara wanted to read, her mind didn't allow her to focus long enough to complete even one full sentence.  Instead, she found herself staring at the stone wall across from her, a blank yet saddened expression etched into her face.

She had said goodbye to Erika and Niki who, along with most of the Hogwarts students, left for their homes after dinner. Professor McGonagall had gone around earlier that morning collecting names from those who were going to be staying at the castle during the holidays, and Clara was glad to say she was not one of those people on that list.

Clara loved how homey the Hogwarts castle felt to her, with all the Christmas decorations strung up, and how friendly all the Professors looked to her...well almost all of them. But she didn't feel at home no matter how much she tried to trick her mind into thinking this was her home. Clara was home sick. She missed her old school, the beautiful garden she used to go for walks in, something Hogwarts could never even begin to compare to. She missed her friends and the French traditions around Christmas time, but more than anything Clara missed her mother and father. She wanted to see them so much her heart physically ached.

Clara understood Michelle really did want her to join her for Michelle's first time meeting the rest of the Weasley family. Michelle figured Clara kept refusing because of Percy, but Clara just didn't want to waste a day that she could instead be spending with her parents.

But sleeping over in the same house as Percy Weasley didn't seem all that appealing to Clara either. Seeing Percy in the halls still pained the girl, and Clara still had dreams of what her and Percy could have had. She could still feel the sensation of his lips on hers, his fingers trailing down her exposed skin, his warm breath against her ear, and the memory of his smile still sent a surge of warmth through her body.

Clara shivered.

She really did miss Percy.

Sighing, Clara looked down at her book once more, her eyes scanning over the familiar french print. But she found her eyes trail from the cream coloured pages to the darkened night outside the window. Resting her forehead against the frosted window, Clara allowed a tear to fall from her tried eyes, skipping her cheek and splattering against the window pane.

It was all too much for Clara. Moving away from everything she ever knew, being put into a school where she couldn't speak her native language with the students, not being able to understand the meaning of some English ways, and most of all, not having her parents for support. Clara fooled herself into thinking she was fine, fooling her mind into thinking she could survive, but Percy's betrayal woke her up.

Of course she was upset with what Percy had done, what sane girl in her situation wouldn't be? But it only brought on buried emotions, bringing forth the depression Clara's mind tried so hard to ignore. And Christmas being Clara's favourite time of year only brought on more loads of sadness because the English didn't celebrate Christmas the same as the French, not completely. That only reminded Clara that she was never going to be home again.

The faint sound of footsteps in the distance alerted Clara and she quickly wiped away her tear streaked face, just in time for Fred Weasley to come in sight.

"Ah, Clara. My favourite French girl." Fred said, joining her in the window seat. Clara hiccuped a laugh, turning to face the window again as Fred settled closely beside her.

"I'm the only French girl you know." Clara pointed out, making Fred chuckle lightly beside her. He patted her gently on the knee.

"But that doesn't mean you're not my favourite." Fred joked, nudging her shoulder with his. "What's gotten into you, anyway? I haven't gotten as much sass from you lately."