mirrorball

chapter one

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Clara zipped her bag and tossed it onto the bed. It ruffled the light blue sheets a bit, but she had a feeling Mr. and Mrs. Granger wouldn't mind. 

She combed her hands through her hair and looked around the room once more, looking for anything she might've missed. The room was spotless, of course. Clara was not a messy guest. She went towards the bag once more, ready to leave before a shimmering light caught her eye.

A tiny bracelet sat on the desk and the sun reflected off of its silver exterior gently. Clara walked over to the desk and picked up the jewelry. An olive branch. A peace offering. Clara's heart skipped a beat as she recalled the moment she'd first received the gift. Her heart had been doing that frequently as of late. It seemed that every time she thought of Harry Potter there was a sudden jolt in her pulse.

Clara put the bracelet into her pocket and grabbed the bag off of the bed. A quiet knock sounded on her door before it opened slowly. 

"You ready?" asked Hermione. Clara only nodded in response and left the room alongside her friend. It had only been a little over a week of Clara staying at the Granger's residence, but already it was time to start their journey. Clara was anxious to begin, but she was also dreading every second of it. She worried greatly that staying with Harry for every minute of every day would end horribly, but it was something she had to do. And she still hadn't forgotten about her desire to make his life a living hell. Although that desire had diminished a bit.

Without his constant stares, glares, and awkward encounters after their break up, Clara had actually found her anger replaced with sadness. It was a new experience for her, and she wasn't baring it well. Even so, she decided taking out her emotions on Harry might be devastating to their ultimate mission, so it could wait until after they had found and destroyed all the horcruxes.

The girls silently walked down the stairs, Hermione's wand in her trembling hand. They reached the bottom of the staircase and stood there for a moment. Clara's gaze crept to Hermione's parents who were sitting peacefully in the living room. They were watching the news and had still not noticed the two girls. 

"Do you want me to wait outside?" whispered Clara. Hermione nodded to her, a tear already streaming down her cheek. Clara gripped her bag tightly and left the house. She waited, just as she said she would, right outside the house. It really was a lovely home.

There was a small garden in front of it which was dutifully tended by Mr. Granger and the sun seemed to shine perfectly on the front windows. The two cars parked outside were in perfect condition, and had obviously been cleaned recently. 

Hermione shut the front door quietly and walked towards Clara. The two girls continued on their journey. They had just made their way to the other block when Clara grabbed Hermione's hand and held it in her own. Hermione paused for a second and looked at Clara with confusion. She only smiled at her friend, and Hermione smiled back, a shy, sullen smile, and kept walking. 

Only hours later, they were entering another Muggle household: Harry's. One by one, figures began to pop into sight as their Disillusionment Charms lifted. Dominating the scene was Hagrid, wearing a helmet and goggles and sitting astride an enormous motorbike with a black sidecar attached. All around him other people were dismounting from brooms and, in two cases, skeletal, black winged horses. The back door opened quickly and Harry hurtled into their midst.

Clara's mind went black when she saw him. He still looked exactly the same, it had only been a week. Still though, there was an obvious sadness that had enveloped him, and it made Clara frown just slightly.  She shook her mind free of the thoughts and returned her attention to the task at hand.