Breaking Protocol {Percy Weasley}

Chapter Forty-Six

It was a week after Clara's birthday, and she was sitting alone in her usual window seat, a book propped open her in her lap. Her eyes were focused on the words, however, nothing was processing in her mind. She was still hung up on the fact that her mother didn't bother to write her anything for her birthday. She understood that maybe her mother was too busy on the day of, but after a week of still not receiving anything Clara abandoned all hope and just felt depressed.

"Hello, my beautiful girlfriend." Came Percy's voice. Clara looked up and smiled crookedly when Percy took a seat beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Bonjour, Percy." She said.

"Did you get the letter my mother sent you?" Percy asked. "I bet mum would have sent it to you the morning of your birthday, but she didn't know it was your birthday until I told her."

"Oui." Clara laughed. "It was very sweet. I sent one back but...your owl didn't seem to know what was going on around him. Hopefully it made it to Molly."

"Oh, don't worry." Percy chuckled. "Errol may seem as dumb as a brick, but he always brings the letter to the proper destination."

"Good." Clara said, looking out the window at the shining sun.

"Where's your owl?" Percy asked. "Felix, right?" Clara nodded.

"He must still be at home. He's the only way mama can send me a letter." Clara said. She sighed, resting her head on Percy's shoulder. "I don't understand where I went wrong." She said. Percy frowned.

"How do you mean?" He asked, resting his head atop hers.

"When did I become my mama's disappointment?" She said. "It was just her and I for the longest time. Mama and me against the world. She was my everything and I was hers...and now, she barely talks to me."

"I'm sure she has her reasons for not writing to you--"

"You saw her, Percy." Clara said, turning to face the boy. "She's hateful, unreasonable, and just down right awful. She wasn't always like that...sure she didn't always love her life but it's like I was the one that walked out on her, not my father."

"Clara...your mother doesn't hate you." Percy said, running his fingers through Clara's long curls.

"How can you possibly know that?" She asked, suffocating pain stabbing the back of her throat as she talked.

"Because a mother always has a special bond with her child. It's unnatural to not love them." Clara snorted.

"Easy for you to say." She muttered. "You have a mother that's straight from a perfect fairy tale. Molly is an outstanding mother."

"She has her moments." Percy said. "But my mum isn't perfect. No one is."

"That's for sure." Clara mumbled.

"Hey." Percy said, hooking his finger under Clara's chin and moving her face towards his. "You are wonderful in my eyes."

"But...not perfect." Clara muttered, looking away from Percy. He shook his head.

"No. You aren't perfect." Percy said, causing Clara to look back up at him. "But I don't love you because you're perfect. That's not what love is. Love isn't finding a perfect person, it's seeing an imperfect person perfectly."

Clara smiled.

"There's your beautiful smile." Percy said, kissing her lightly on the lips. "Now, I don't want to see you sad anymore Clarrissa. I forbid it." She giggled, punching Percy lightly in the arm.

"I'm allowed to be sad." She said. Percy shook his head.

"Not while I'm around." He said. Clara laughed, shaking her head.