The Quiet Kind Of Beauty -Marauder Era

Chapter 35

They decided to keep their realizations to themselves.

"If we're right about all this, the fewer people that know, the better." Clara said, capturing her bottom lip between her teeth. "We don't know what will happen if we get the others involved."

Aaron looked troubled. "I agree. But I don't know how long we can keep them from being suspicious."

Clara felt her eyes slip close. "They're a smart bunch." She said fondly. "I don't doubt they'll catch on..." She opened her eyes again and sighed. "But I want to keep them away for as long as I can manage."

Aaron didn't say much to that, and the two settled into a silence, both well aware of what the other was thinking.

"Well." Clara broke the silence gently. "I'm going to go back to bed. We'll talk about this in the morning."

There was the sound of sheets shuffling as Clara rolled out of the sheets and onto her feet. Aaron was still sitting on the ground, his back pressed into the mattress. He looked preoccupied, but Clara couldn't blame him. Her thoughts didn't sound coherent to herself, either.

"There's one more thing..." Aaron's voice called into the darkness, as if the words had forced their way out. Clara stilled by the door, hand resting on the doorknob, and turned expectant eyes onto her brother.

Aaron stood up, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Clara had never seen him so unsure of himself.

"What is it?" She asked, concerned.

"I -" He hesitated. "The reason... the reason I was kicked out..." He choked, running an anxious hand through his hair.

Clara could see himself trying to force the words out, and was all to familiar with the sensation. She stepped towards him, and rested a hand on his shoulder. It hit Clara that this was the first time since their childhood that they had come close to a hug. Aaron, in a defeated sort of way, stopped struggling with himself to look down at her, hair hanging in front of his eyes.

"You've gone through so much," She said softly, feeling her own voice choke up. "There are things that are just hard to talk about, no matter the person you're talking to. You don't need to tell me everything today, or even tomorrow. Just know that when you do feel comfortable enough to bring it up again, I'll be here to listen."

Aaron stared.

"Okay?"

He nodded, slightly detached, and Clara let her hand drop.

Aaron's eyes misted despite himself, his nose turning pink in the same way that Clara's did when she cried.

She'd be lying to herself if she said she was strong enough to watch her older brother cry. The two siblings turned away from each other at the same time; Aaron to wipe his eyes on his sleeve, and Clara to open the door and escape to her own room, her own tears mercifully concealed by the darkness of the night.

~*~

Clara awoke the next morning feeling lighter than when she had gone to sleep. In fact, her rest was so good, she woke up feeling slightly disoriented underneath all her sheets.

There was someone shaking her awake gently. A hand pulled the sheets off of her face, and Clara squinted in the sunlight. She raised a hand to block the light groggily.

There was a snort. "Clare, you really ought to see your hair right now."

Clara amazed at how fast she sat into a sitting position. Apparently, Sirius was also not expecting this sudden burst of energy, otherwise he would have moved his head away from hers. They collided, forehead-to-forehead.