The Quiet Kind Of Beauty -Marauder Era

Chapter 10

After nearly three hours of research, Clara snapped her textbook shut. She had poured over all seven of her Transfiguration textbooks for a little snippet of information about how to get rid of the swirled lines on her shoulder blades in vain. Feeling frustrated and restless, she soundlessly slid out of bed to get a drink of water, hoping that it could quench her frustration.

The beam of the bathroom light brought tears to her eyes, and she rubbed them, feeling more annoyed than ever. Grabbing the small glass from beside the sink, she turned the faucets so warm water flowed into the glass and examined her reflection in the mirror for must have been the hundredth time that day. Dark circles had settled under her earlier vibrant eyes, making them look duller than ever and her hair annoyingly framed her face, strands which had escaped from the loose bun she had knotted behind her head after her hair had dried. Warm water spilled onto her cold skin and she shut the water off, shaking herself from her thoughts. She hated nighttime; it let the emotions and thoughts of the day overwhelm to her to the point of not being able to sleep until the first rays of light of the next day had materialized. So, she substituted sleeping with studying, sitting awake until the early hours.

Leaning on the countertop, she drank the warm water thirstily until it was nearly empty before she took a breath. Her head immediately became clearer and her shoulders relaxed. Taking in a deep breath, and walked back to her bed, setting the glass down at her feet before laying down again. The clock over the door beeped twice; two in the morning. Clara grunted in irritation and brought her pillow down on her face and screamed into it and was suddenly glad that Lily was a heavy sleeper. Okay, Clara, she told herself, go to sleep. But no matter how hard she tried, the hours ticked by and she was still awake. The crushing events of the day lugged her farther and farther away from her sleep. And then finally, at around three in the morning, sleep slowly began to greet her until realization struck her face like an icy wave, startling whatever drowsiness she had begun to feel away. Oh my God, she thought, I'm actually being forced into marriage at seventeen, and I'm going to have a date with my 'fiancé' on Friday.

This Friday; as in two days. She flipped onto her stomach and covered her head with her arms the way actors do in movies when there was an explosion behind them. After a few minutes she pushed herself back up and sat down before swinging her legs out of bed. Grabbing her wand, she pushed her feet into a pair of red slippers and put on the same cardigan she had on in the evening before she slipped into the deserted and dark hall.

"Lumos." Her whispered carried itself down the hall, and the tip of her wand ignited in a blinding blue-white glow. Feeling crabby, she tip toed down into the dim common room and sat down on the largest couch, extending her short legs in front of her. She stared at the scorched pieces of wood in the fireplace and sighed.

"Prongs, hurry up he's not going to stay awake for very much time!" A familiar voice hissed urgently. Clara jumped and bolted up, looking around wildly, but the room appeared to be empty.

"I'm trying, Pads," James' voice grunted, "The damn cloak keeps getting tangled in my legs!"

"Well then take it off!"

"Fine!" And suddenly James materialized by the bookcase on the other side of the room and she almost fainted. James and Sirius were beaten; multiple cuts were seen anywhere skin was exposed, and their hair was a dishevelled mess. Remus was being supported by the both of them, but he was by far the worst out of the three. His skin was a chalky white, causing the crimson blood on his face to leap out at Clara, and he was shirtless, but wrapped in a blanket from the waist down.

"I'm going to kill Peter," Sirius growled. "The little prick could've helped."

"He ran off the moment Moony turned," James grumbled, "The coward."