Hey, I just wanted to put it out there - so that there will not be any misunderstandings - that I plan to make some time leaps. I will not be basing the entire story in Hogwarts, seeing as I have a bigger plan going on. This will be a VERY Weasley story - but I want to include the entire clan! I mean, come on - we need Molly!
Breakfast with the twins, Percy, Hermione, Ron and Harry - plus Máni and Crookshanks, of course - had been pleasant.
Honestly, Percy was the only one that was her age. But who cares? The twins made her laugh, Percy... Well, Percy tried. He was pretty awkward and prudish, but there was just something very sweet about him. Claire couldn't help it; she liked a lost cause.
Percy walked with her to Charms, conveniently since they shared the class. Her little monster had padded off, probably to inspect the castle grounds, no doubt.
"I wonder if the class will differ from the ones you've had at Beauxbatons." Percy mused, probably trying to seem like less of a silent creep.
"Maybe? I have already seen quite the difference, so it's probable."
"How so?"
"In Beauxbatons, everyone is more... Polite." She smiled wryly while Percy cracked up a bit.
"That sounds wonderful!"
"I thought you'd think so. How you Anglais act around your professors - it's just so weird not to show them the proper etiquette!" And so they kept talking until they got to the classroom and class started. Percy had, of course, vehemently agreed about the respect thing. It was nice to pull him out of his quiet shell - and honestly, he was rather funny when he went off on a rant.
The school day ran by pretty quickly, especially as she only had three or four subjects a day. That was the perk of being at the N.E.W.Ts level. This year she had cut back a lot on her subjects, but she still would be graduating in the core classes Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, Potions and Transfiguration. And then, on top of that, the electives Care of Magical Creatures, Study of Ancient Runes, and, just to put some icing on the cake - Ancient studies. That was nine classes, definitely more than a lot of the other students did, but not as much as she had done last year. It would be hell, but at least she had the opportunity to work in many different areas.
"So, what are you doing after you're done here?" Percy said, yet she was starting to call him Perce - the glorious effect of the twins taking action already.
"Honestly, I have so many ideas - it's killing me! I want to be a Hit Wizard, a Potionmaker, a Shopkeeper. You name it." She smiled almost bashfully, staring down at the half-finished parchment she was working on for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Percy laughed, scribbling a little on his own notes.
"Well, at least you will have the grades to go for anything. I will start working at The Ministry of Magic - I've already had a summer job there, so that's pretty much in the bag." He was so sure of himself, and it was amusing.
"Maybe I'll make you help me with my applications."
"Yes, we should have a proper career day - researching options and -"
"Perce - don't go ballistic now! We need Claire to stay sane for a few more months!" Fred popped up, slinging himself down on one of the free chairs around the table. George followed suit, taking up an entire couch.
"Why a few more months?" Claire mused, a smile on her mouth as she balanced her quill between two fingers.
"Because that's how long it takes to be Weaslyfied!" Fred grinned.
And so they had continued for a few weeks - all strung up on their homework and general twin mischief. Honestly, Claire had expected to spend this year being the crazy reclusive cat lady - but that was obviously not happening.
Of course, Máni trotted after her a lot, but that was also because she spent time with the twins. And the twins bribed Máni a lot with all kinds of fish and poultry.
It was now the beginning of October, and Halloween seemed to seep into the very pores of the castle. The entire place was completely decked out, and so was Hogsmeade - where they were currently spending their Saturday evening. It was nice, yet a little colder than she liked it to be. Maybe that was just the spoiled French in her - warmer climate, please! She truly missed the Pyrenees, but she wouldn't leave her new friends for anything. It wasn't that she had gotten to 'bond' with them for months and months, but something was refreshing about all of those Weasleys.
Claire was currently at Zonko's with the twins, browsing through all the new stuff and probing the manager every five minutes to figure out what was new, bizarre and generally cool.
"I swear, George and I will open up our own store." Fred put one hand on his heart while George clutched his brother's shoulder while looking like he had an emotional moment.
"It will be bigger than Zonko's..." He sighed, faking a sniffle.
"It's such a... Oh..." Fred sighed, and Claire snickered and turned around.
"You guys are too much; you know that, right?"
"But you love us!" They said in choir.
"Love and hate are natural to the French, mon amís." She purred, turning on the full power of her french.
"Ey, no French, Frenchie!" George objected.
"Greit, elsklinger." She mused as she started to walk out of the store.
"And no Norwegian!" Pipes Fred. Claire just ignored them and walked out of the store, laughing merrily in her own lonesome.
The crisp autumn air contrasted with her recollection of all of her other falls. She had been back in Norway, her mother's homeland, but she could not remember how it was during this time of year. All she remembered was the lakes and wast forests back in the eastern parts. When it was sunny, it was glorious - but otherwise, it was a rainy mess. It had been grand, though.
Marseille had been better - but that was another thing altogether.
Now her parents had moved to London - it was quite the leap. Claire wasn't too sure how they were dealing with London and the cats - honestly, who's gonna believe that those twenty-some cats were Maine coon?
The twins linked their arms with hers from both sides, making her a squished Weasley sandwich.
"You know, we could just dye your hair red..." Fred started.
"And then you would be an attractive Weasley!" George finished, both boys so proud of their own idea.
"Hogwarts does not need another redhead!" Claire squealed as they pulled her up in the air from both sides. Damned twins!
"But you'd fit in so well!" George laughed, and his brother joined in.
"My oh my, two freaks and one wannabe Weasley." A drawling, slightly stupid and generally nasty voice mused from the corner of The Three Broomsticks.
Claire recognized the black-haired, overly troll-like Slytherin boy to be Marcus Flint. He was at least a year older than her, but he had been dumb enough to redo his fifth year.
"Ey Flint, have you heard the joke about the forest troll and the wizard?" Fred said with a mischievous grin. Flint's eyes narrowed a little. If that was due to his lack of intellect or him getting the joke - she did not know.
"But hey, we'd hate to offend your mom." George shrugged, gaining an angry growl from the said idiot.
Flint turned his gaze to Claire, knowing he would get nowhere with the twins.
"So, are 'ya trying to become a Weasley now?" He said with a nasty grin, his shifty bug eyes squinting as he hoped to make her upset.
Claire had other plans, though. She made the twins let go of her arms, which they willingly did. The almost malicious grin on the twin's faces was rather amusing.
Claire walked slowly towards Flint. Her bottom lip was prettily plumped, and her wide blue eyes were like a doe.
"But Flint..." She mused. "Aren't I pretty in red?" Her French accent was a little overdone, but it had its effect. Flint seemed to lose his ability to speak - his eyes went dumber.
"Yeah - I mean.." He started, stuttering and falling over his own words. "I mean, you're pretty in everything!" And with that, Claire smiled triumphantly and turned on her heels.
"And don't you forget it, boy!" She laughed.
"I mean, it was wicked!" George spilt some of his butterbeer. His brother was red-eyed from laughing. "She just walked up to him,"
"Pulled those eyes and all pouty - " George couldn't continue; he just burst out in laughter again.
"And then she said, 'but Flint, aren't I pretty in red?'" Fred started laughing again, and Ron stared at Claire with his mouth open.
Ron had never really gotten over his shyness and general awkwardness regarding Claire.
"And he went all pink, sputtering about her being pretty in everything!" Both twins high-fived her, and Claire bopped her head from side to side with her lips pursed.
"Who needs hate when you can fight them with love?" She giggled, and Hermione shook her head with a bemused smile.