The Quiet Kind Of Beauty -Marauder Era

Chapter 26

Clara had never felt so many things at once.

She was embarrassed that Daniel finally knew the truth about who she was. She was terrified that he knew of the turbulent relationship between her and her father. Felt the terror seize her bones as she wondered whether or not her breakdown affected her betrothal. Yet, in the midst of this war, there was relief. Relief that she didn't have to pretend anymore, relief that perhaps, in some naively hopeful way, that Daniel might actually be able to help her.

Engulfed by Daniel's strong arms, Clara finally felt as if she was seen. She sank in the warmth of his embrace, feeling as if a missing part of her had finally been restored, even just temporarily.

Her sniffling had subsidized, but the signs remained as her cheek pressed into his shoulder. The red, puffy eyes, and splotchy face. The tremor in her hands.

"Has he ever hit you?" Daniel asked seriously, voice just above a whisper.

Clara closed her eyes, and forced herself to shake her head no. She didn't even know why she lied. "Can we talk about something else?" She asked, voice nasally.

"Clara, you have to tell me -" He started, his voice slowly starting to raise.

Just like that, Clara felt herself closing. "Let me clean up the broken china." She diverted, pulling away to focus on the tiny pieces strewn across the floor.

She could tell Daniel wasn't happy about it, but she forced herself to get up, not meeting his eyes. With a wave of her wand, the broken fragments were swept up and disposed of, and it was like nothing ever happened.

An awkward silence ensued, heavy with tension.

"What did you mean when you said you couldn't do it anymore?"

Clara forced herself to take a deep breath, before spinning to face him, a dainty smile etched on her face. "Would you like a tour of the house?" She asked, already reaching for his hand. "I'll show you around."

Before he could protest, she was pulling him back into the manor, through the halls and up the stairs where he had prevented the catastrophe. It took him a while to realise that she had no intentions of giving him a tour. Rather, he found himself in her bedroom, a bright red slowly painting the tips of his ears.

"W-what -" He spluttered, looking at his feet. From the edge of his vision, he could see Clara's shoes, a few feet away. He cleared his throat and tried again. "What are we doing here?" He asked, still not able to meet her eyes.

"Relax," Clara said gently, moving backwards slightly to give him room. "I'm giving you a tour,"

"But this is your bedroom,"

"My bedroom is the only place of the manor that I actually feel welcome in." She said. Daniel found himself marvelling how quickly she was able to maneuver her emotions. Her many layers left him breathless. "I want you to see it," She said finally. 

~*~

It turns out that Clara's bedroom was as carefully concealed as she was. On the surface, her room was crisp and tidy, everything in its place, color-coordinated, arranged by size. Looking closer, Daniel could see her emotions reflected in the subtle dissarrary. Her bookshelf was missing a book (it was on her dresser), her school trunk still lay, unpacked, at the foot of her bed... Daniel felt like he was in one of Bruegel's paintings.

As he looked around, Clara sat on her bed, watching him shift through her belongings, nodding to give him permission every time he felt as if he was intruding.

"Tell me about your family," He said at last, while running a hand over her books. "Do you have any siblings?"

"I have many siblings. Mostly sisters, but a brother as well. I'm the youngest," She replied.

"Where are they?"

"My older sisters are all married. I don't talk to them as much as I'd like to, but I understand they're all busy."

"Do you have a favourite?"

Clara laughed quietly. "Actually I do. Does that make me a bad person?"

Daniel shrugged, and turned to face her, leaning against her bookshelf. "Just because you like one person more than someone else doesn't mean you dislike the other person," He said simply.

Clara stared, before nodding. "Well, my favourite sister... her name is Rose. She has two of the most beautiful children, and her husband is incredibly kind..." She trailed off, smiling. "Out of anyone in my family, they've supported me the most."

Daniel felt himself smile as well."What about your brother?"

Her smile faltered. She looked at the ground. "My brother's name is Aaron. I haven't seen him in six years." Silence. Then, she stood up, and walked to her nightstand. The drawer slid open soundlessly, her fingers shuffling around before pulling out a silver ring. "This used to be his," She explained, holding the ornament out towards him in her palm.

He took it from her hesitantly, his fingers brushing against her open palm. The ring was heavy, glinting in the afternoon light. The silver face was engraved with a hawk, its wings spread wide, and bordered by tiny, deep blue gems.

"The family emblem," Clara said, bitterness seeping into her tone. "A hawk in flight, amplified by the sapphires it tries to reach,"

"It's a lovely ring," Daniel noted, unable to understand the direction of the conversation.

"So was the person who wore it." She sighed. "I'm going to wash my face, I'll be right back."

As her footsteps padded away, down the hall, Daniel felt as if he was moving on autopilot. He whipped out his wand, tapping the tip of the instrument to the ring and mumbling a quick duplication spell. Within seconds, two identical pairs of rings sat in his palm. Down the hall, he could hear Clara's footsteps approaching, and he shoved his wand and the original ring into his pocket.

"Thank you for sharing this with me," He said honestly, holding out the duplicated ring for Clara to take.

~*~

Daniel left at two o'clock. Before his departure, he had grabbed Clara's hands and kissed them gently. "Happy birthday, Clara. I hope you have a great rest of the day."

"Thank you," Clara reddened immediately, her skin tingling in the spot where his lips had been.

"I'll be in touch." He said, meeting her eyes. Face red, Clara could say nothing, so she nodded. A minute later, she stood alone with Bailiwick in the entrance.

"Your father left an hour ago," He notified quietly. "Something came up at the ministry. He told me he would not be home until late at night,"

Clara her head against the wall tiredly, but relief flooded her voice. "I see."

With the house to herself, she found her curiosity returning, the door to her father's study already in her mind's eye.

~*~

In his home, Daniel turned over Aaron Campbell's ring between his fingers. The sapphires gleamed in the setting sun.

He set the heirloom on his desk and took a step back. With an air of finality, he pointed his wand towards the expensive piece, and cast a tracking spell.

—-

Boom! A chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Tune in next time, when Clara finally finds the secrets she's been looking for in her fathers study, and Daniel has a chit chat with a new friend.

Ps, I hope you all had an amazing holiday! If I don't update before New Years, I wish you all the very best in 2018 :).