Breaking Protocol {Percy Weasley}

Chapter Forty-One

Clara let her hair down, her long locks swaying along her back as her and her roommates entered the Great Hall. Erika was determined to find Penny before they ran into Percy, but when the four girls spotted Penny sitting not at the Ravenclaw table, but the Gryffindor table with Percy, they hesitantly made their way over to the two.

While Niki looked uncertain about the whole situation, Clara could not stop smiling. She was unbelievably happy by the fact that Percy wasn't going to be disappointment in her anymore, and the fact that her hair doesn't grow at a normal rate was even better. She couldn't wait to see the look on Percy's face when he saw her. She didn't care that the ends of her hair was still pink, Penny could fix that for her no problem.

"Bonjour, Percy." Said Clara, creeping up behind her boyfriend. Percy jumped in his seat, turning to look at Clara. She smiled widely when Percy's eyes widened and he reached for Clara's long hair.

"You...You changed it back." He whispered. "Well...almost all of it." He said, examining the pink at the ends. Clara rolled her eyes as Niki mumbled some very harsh swear words under her breath.

"Bloody idiot, he is." She heard Niki whisper to Erika who elbowed her in the rib cage.

"Why did you do that?" Penny asked loudly. All four girls looked over at her, Percy even gave the blonde girl a look and Penny cleared her throat. "I-I mean this is great! It's all fixed now." She forced a smile and Clara smiled back at her.

"Oui. I'm sorry I changed it, Penny. I really did like the new look you gave me, but I--"

"YOU gave her the haircut?" Blurted Percy, leaning forward and narrowing his blue eyes at the girl. Penny's face inflamed with embarrassment and she nervously tucked her hair behind her ears, looking away from the five staring students.

"Well, I--"

"I can't believe this." Percy said, cutting off the girl. "All weekend you've been comforting me, giving me advice and being there for me, when all along you caused this problem!" Clara rested her hand on Percy's shoulder.

"Perce, it wasn't her idea. It was mine--"

"But you were glad to ruin her hair, weren't you, Penny? I know you, you're smart. This was just your fantastic idea to split up Clara and I, wasn't it?" Percy scoffed, getting up from where he sat at the table, grabbing Clara's hand.

"Percy Weasley!" Hissed Erika.

"Percy." Said Penny, her eyes watering. She scrambled to her feet. "Please, I--"

"I don't want to hear from you, Penny." Growled Percy. "You know, for a moment there, I thought we could be friends again, but I was wrong. I should have stuck with what I said in the letter. We can't be friends--We shouldn't be friends. I'm with Clara now and you have to accept that. Your pathetic attempts at--"

SLAP!

Percy's head whipped to the side as Erika's hand slapped across his face. He quickly recovered, staring at Erika with wide eyes and over at Clara who looked just as shocked as he was. "Don't you dare talk to her like that." Seethed Erika.

Penny heaved a sob, wiping at her face before running out of the Great Hall.

"Do that again, and I'll slap those freckles right off your face." Growled Erika before her and Michelle ran after Penny. Niki, however, stood there, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I see right through you, Weasley. " Said Niki. "Clara is like a sister to me, and anyone who hurts my family usually regrets it very, very quickly." And with that, Niki stalked off toward the Hufflepuff table for breakfast before class started.

"Oh, Percy." Said Clara, resting her hand against the red blotch on his cheek. Percy grabbed Clara's wrist, taking it away from his cheek.

"It doesn't hurt." He said. "I just...I don't want anything to separate us ever again." He brushed her hair out of her eyes. "I haven't been so sure about anything in my life, until now."

"What do you mean?" Asked Clara, frowning.

"Clara, when you cut your hair, I was furious." He was saying, but there was a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I thought you were rebelling against me, that you were, in a way, trying to distance yourself from me and I was so afraid."

"Percy, I was not trying to--" Percy put his finger on her lip, shaking his head.

"I know that now. But you...you changing everything back for me showed me how much you... you would sacrifice for me. And the fact that I was so bloody afraid to loose you...it...it terrifies me h-how much I..." Percy sighed, obviously struggling for words. "I love you so much and this is so new to me. I...I don't know how to deal with these feelings--"

"Percy." Clara laughed, wrapping her arms around Percy's neck. "Love shouldn't scare you."

"It's not love that scares me." Percy said. Clara pulled back from the hug, studying Percy's face. "Loosing you is what terrifies me."

He got down on one knee, holding Clara's hand in his. He swallowed hard, staring up at Clara who stared wide eyed at Percy.

"Percy...what are you doing?" She asked. Percy's hand began to shake as students around them began to tune into their conversation.

"Clarissa Delaunay. Will you promise to be mine, and give me the honour of spending the rest of our lives together?" Clara's mouth went dry as Percy stared up at her with his brilliant blue eyes. "Will you...will you marry me, Clara?"

"I...what?" Clara stared down at her boyfriend with wide, terrified eyes. Students were beginning to point and whisper to each other, slowly gathering around them. Clara got down on her knees as well, taking Percy's head in between her hands.

"Percy, you are crazy." She whispered, tears welding up in her eyes. Percy just smiled, wiping away a tear that found its way down her cheek.

"No, Clara. For the first time in my life I know what I need to do. I've been searching forever for this exact thing, I just didn't know it until I met you. You've changed me, Clara Delaunay, and I couldn't be happier about it."

"But...proposing to me? Percy, do you know what this means?"

"Yes. I do. It means that for the rest of my life, I can have you by my side and no other thought makes me happier." Percy took in a deep breath, smiling. "So what do you say?"

"I..." Clara sighed, her eyes studying Percy's. Of course she wanted to spend the rest of her life with someone like Percy. For the first time in her life, Clara found someone worth loving. She never had a serious boyfriend before, only boys who were merely looking for some fun and thought that playing Clara's heart strings like a guitar was entertaining. But Percy wasn't like that. What they had wasn't puppy love, it was real, undying love for one another.

Clara sighed, resting both her hands on Percy's shoulders and giving him a firm look.

"Non." She whispered. "Percy... non, I'm sorry."