Oddball

Times for Clara- had changed. After graduating (finally) from Hogwarts, things had started to turn around for the better. She got happier- the days got a little brighter with each awaiting horizon, and she was pretty sure she had never been so grateful in her entire life. A position at St. Mungo’s for a new healer opened up just in time, hers for the taking. 

And it turns out there was purpose in her life once again. Since her departure, she and Jay had moved in together, and with this new beginning came new experiences, once impossible in her eyes. They’d even gotten a puppy (due to her practically begging, of course.) The job kept her busy and on her feet, but no complaints were voiced with serious intent. 

When her day comes to an end and the woman is packing up her things to leave, a text notifcation dings loudly to alert her.

[sms recieved: dork ♥♥♥] Hey, I know you’re tired, so I made food.

A fond smile breaks out across her face as she puts her bag over her shoulder, quickly typing a reply.

[sms sent: dork ♥♥♥] You’re a saint, I love you. I’ll be home in twenty.

Her device is slid into her back pocket, eager to catch the bus so she could get home. Both the new pup and Jay were equally a handful, often leaving her exhausted at the end of the day, but.. happy. Her trip home is uneventful, and soon she’s walking up the stairs to their flat, halting when she comes to the door. An odd pink tinted fog is creeping between the cracks, and she can only guess what this means. A sigh passes her lips, head shaking in slight irritation while she slides her key into the lock to open it.

"Jay? What’s going on? What did you do? I swear if you damaged one piece of furniture in this apartment you’ll be sleeping on the couch while Nyx takes your spot for the next month." Clara calls as she swings open the door.

Removing his wand, and with several waving around and finites, the glamor disappeared, revealing a large bouquet of roses and a set candlelit dinner on the dining table.

Chuckling nervously, Jay removed a small ornate box from his pocket and knelt on one knee. "We've come so far since hogwarts, and... And I appreciate everything that you've did and will do for me. So... I want to make this official, get your grandparents off my ass too. So... Babe. Marry me?" He ended, opening the box and revealing an ornate ring. "It's my mother's. This means everything to me."

The nervous few seconds when he watched her expression change from shock to glee and finally tears. Her acceptance brought him off his knees and he brought her into a spine straightening hug. Several long kisses later, he leaned back and gazed at her.

Coincidentally, Jay wasn’t the only forgetful one. Though it wasn’t her fault she fell asleep longer then expected. Now able to ease some of her exhaustion, she wakes up incoherent, and very much confused as to what had happened over the last few hours. There’s a degree of panic in her eyes until she remembers, a sigh leaving her lips as she falls slack against the couch. Gaze flickering to the clock, she stands and then groans. Three hours had passed. And since there was no sign of her boyfriend anywhere, she could only assume he’d either a) drowned in the shower or b) forgotten. She opted for b. Standing, she wraps one of the blankets from the love seats around her shoulders so she could walk to the Gryffindor common room. That was the best option to check first she decides.

In a sleep drunken haze, she makes her way down the moving staircases and attempts not to fall to her death. The Fat Lady’s portrait comes into view and she yawns. Thankfully there’s a few students already entering, so she follows behind quietly, careful to not gain the attention of the portrait so she wouldn’t get caught. There’s no surprise in her eyes when she files in to see Jay completely passed out on one of the couches, snoring a bit loudly, and looking more childlike then normal. Clara laughs, covering her mouth with her hand before rolling her eyes.

"I cannot believe.. Alright I guess you deserved a rest." She murmurs, walking across the carpeted floor to kneel down next to the sofa he’s taking his nap on. For a moment she just lets his slumber continue and decides he looks very cute indeed. "Jay.." She cooed softly, a palm resting against his cheek. Her thumb runs over the skin affectionately, speaking his name once more.

Burying his nose into the crook of her neck, he could almost purr in contentment. "Sorry I dozed off..." He started, "I showered and the sofa proved too large of a seduction."

Taking a long deep breath, the scent of her shampoo lingering in the air close to her, he grinned. Bouncing off the sofa, and landing on his feet, a vibrant smile took over as he gazed at her.

She then pauses and lets the sentence end in silence. “But I get if you’re not ready for that. Because I know you weren’t exactly the stick to one girl type before we started going out. But.. I think if we’re able to do this, able to be the way we are with each other, then it couldn’t be anything else. My past relationships have always been puppy love, infatuation, they never meant more then the time they existed, but this- this is different Jay.”

"Mark said not to say it too fast, makes you lose power in the relationship." He sighed. "I'm such a dumb person. Mark also was telling me about the push pull thing, gotta keep up the power play or something. I don't know how to do that..." He looks down, knowing fully well he was setting up and framing his friend. "I guess we should really punish Mark, huh?"

Twirling her around, he pulled her close just as he finishes the song. His lips meeting hers as he pulled her in. Allowing himself to discover how silky soft her lips are once again, his arms unconsciously tightened around her, eager to close as much distance as possible between the lovebirds.

That hesitation was broken by his sigh, pulling her gently as he stepped forward, his hands release her hands, wrapping them around her instead.

He kissed the side of her head, the familiar scent of her shampoo filling his nose. He held her tenderly, like she was a fragile doll , yet still with enough pressure to ensure she felt loved.

He would have hugged her there and then, the only reason stopping him was the grime and sweat accumulated on his over the days he had been here. He had cleaned himself magically, but the lack of a proper shower made him hesitate.

It had been a total of two weeks and seven hours since she last saw Jay, and it was no surprise that her mood had decreased greatly over that time span. Not even Luka’s constant coddling could cheer her up, which said something greatly about how the whole thing had affected her. Nights were often restless and sleep was a rare occasion she quite missed. Clara rubs her eyes, yawning softly as she holds her coat to her chest, feet trailing lazily down the corridor.

It was a Saturday, and mostly everyone was still tucked away in their beds. Her sketchbook had been brought along, but she had no heart to even place a pencil to a piece of paper. So instead she wandered aimlessly, hoping that maybe she would have a sudden epiphany or pass out. Preferably the second one. Eyes drift down the hallway,  a sudden flash of white cutting in and out of her vision.

But those few seconds were enough to see that ever so recognizable figure, and she drops her coat and art supplies to the ground, feet picking up to a run. Could it be? Now she’s wondering if she’s gone insane, seeing hallucinations of her boyfriend to cope with said insanity. But it was too good to possibly dismiss. Clara follows the direction of where she thought the mysterious apparition (could she call it that?) had gone to.

A movement catches her eye behind one of the pillars along the hall and she rushes toward it, coming faced to face with a wall. Fists clench at her sides and hands raise feel the wall for a moment then push forward. The stone lurches open, and she comes to realize that the figure she had seen was in fact, who she thought it was.

His clothing looked as if it had just been thrown on with no thought whatsoever, buttons in the wrong holes and there was a significant difference in his appearance, though she couldn’t pinpoint what exactly it was. But.. it was him, in the flesh. Not a ghost or figment of her imagination. Real. Alive.

“J-jay?” 

A silence and then-

Brisk walking back, he finally turned on his phone, completing an old tradition of his, texting his best friend on his accomplishment. "Hmm.. Clara sent a lot of text, I wonder why." He mumbled, finishing his sandwich, it was only after texting mark that he realised. The fact he was no longer single and quite possibly have a murderous girlfriend hunting for him. Deciding to return back to the room to bottle his potions, before possibly hiding in Mark's dorm for perhaps eternity.

"J-jay?" Her familiar voice reached his ears, and his heart clenched. He watched the emotions of relief, joy and longing dance in her eyes, and he felt his heart ached of her. How worried she must have been. Then, those same eyes switched to the flaming embers of anger, his eyes promptly looking towards his broom and the open window. He winced, hearing her shout, having the decency to at least look guilty.