PRANKSTER [1] ↝ C. DIGGORY

fifteen

"Clary, go on and get ready, dear." Molly insisted for what seemed like the hundredth time, reaching for the old apron her eldest daughter wore as the two Weasley women worked on baking Christmas cookies. "I can manage the rest from here."

To make Christmas a bit more festive this year, Molly and Arthur decided to throw a small Christmas party for some of their friends that worked with Mr. Weasley at the Ministry of Magic. To Clary's delight, among their friends were Jacob Scamander and Amos and Anne Diggory, which would allow her to spend the evening with Vasantha, Newt and Cedric, as well as her siblings.

"Are you sure?" Clary asked. "I don't mind helping for a few more minutes."

"Go," Molly insisted, taking the apron with a warm smile as Clary nodded, turning to run up the stairs.

Clary walked into the bathroom and proceeded to turn on the shower, giving herself a once over in the mirror while she waited for the water to heat up. Her hair and face were dusted in flour from baking, as she wasn't yet of age and had to help out the muggle way. To make this more fun, her mother had agreed to bake them the same way, though now that Clary was no longer with her Molly was no doubt using magic to finish them. Clary quickly washed away the flour from her hair, stepping out of the shower and pulling on a black shirt and skirt, her hair managing to find its way back into the usual braid as to keep it out of her face.

"Clarissa, your friends are here." Percy said, knocking on her bedroom door.

Clary turned to face her older brother, dressed up in a nice suit and tie to speak with the Ministry workers that would be joining the Weasley family for the evening. While the rest of the family had opted for a more casual but dressy appearance, the boy looked as if he were about to step into a job interview, trying to re-smooth down his jacket every few seconds to ensure his appearance remained impeccable. He watched his sister with an impatient glance briefly before turning back and waltzing down the steps, eager to speak with the likes of Mr. Diggory and the others. 

Clary pulled one of her knit cardigans from her mother out of her closet, pulling it on before making her way downstairs to greet the crowd. Newt, Vasantha and Cedric sat on one of the couches, watching the adults milling about, their eyes lighting up with friendly smiles as Clary joined them. Fred and George sat on the other side of the room, stuffing their faces with the Christmas cookies Clary and their mother had spent the afternoon baking.

"There she is!" Vasantha exclaimed as Clary sat on the couch between her and Cedric. "We were beginning to think you weren't going to show. Thought you might've had better things to do."

"She did, anyway." Cedric said, gesturing back in Vasantha's direction. "I know you had nothing better to do than hang out with me all night."

"Oh, piss off." Clary said with a laugh, looking past them to where Percy was chatting it up with a couple of Ministry employees Clary didn't recognize. "Merlin's beard, he's really laying it on thick, isn't he?"

"Bugger," Newt said, shaking his head.

"Just think, one year from now he really will be dressed up with the officials, but he'll actually be one of them." Clary said with a shudder.

"Has he already got something lined up?" Cedric asked, and Clary shook her head.

"Not to my knowledge, but depending on how well he does tonight then he might have something."

"Oh, there you all are!" Molly's cheery voice came in the mix, and Clary looked up to see her mother's beaming smile as she took in the four teenagers on the couch. "Newt, Vasantha, so lovely to see you two! And Cedric, looking handsome as always."

"Lovely to see you, Mrs. Weasley." Cedric said with his usual grin.

"Well, go on, get yourselves some food." she said, coaxing the kids from the couch and towards the kitchen. "Supper's ready."

"Yes, Mum," Clary said, leading her friends over to where her twin brothers were still eating the Christmas cookies. "Oi!" she exclaimed, hitting each of them in the arm. "Save some for the rest of the Ministry, would you?"

"You snooze, you lose," Fred said with a shrug, popping another one into his mouth.

Rolling her eyes, Clary stepped away from the boys, joining the food line with the other Ministry of Magic workers eager to try some of the Christmas dinner Molly had prepared. They stepped in line behind Cedric's father and a man Clary didn't recognize, the former turning around to beam a proud smile at his only son and his friends.

"Well, well, well," Amos said, eyeing where Clary stood behind Cedric. "is that little Clarissa Weasley?"

"It is," Clary said with a smile. "how are you, Mr. Diggory?"

"Very well, thank you." he said. "I haven't seen you since Arthur brought you in to the Ministry for the day, years ago!"

"Bring Your Kid to Work Day," Clary agreed. "I was seven."

"You've all grown up so much," he said, looking back and forth between Clary and Cedric, and then to Newt and Vasantha behind them. "I hope you're keeping him in line, you three." he told them, gesturing back towards his son, which caused Clary to explode into a fit of giggles.

"More like I'm keeping her in line, Dad." Cedric assured his father.

"Cedric, please, let the man speak." Clary said, elbowing Cedric lightly in the ribs.

"Unbelievable," Cedric said, rolling his eyes with a laugh as soon as they had made it through the line, bidding goodbye to Cedric's father as the kids made their way back toward the couch. "Out of all of us, my father paints you as the angel, and me as the troublemaker."

"What can I say?" Clary asked with a shrug. "Your father's a great judge of character."