A scream tore at Clara's chest but died in her throat, unable to escape. Staring at the swirls on her back made her brain whirl, thinking of every possible thing that could've made them. Could it be a scratch? They were too precise and solid to be an accident though. Marker? No one had ever seen her back exposed. Question after question, answer after answer; she was getting nowhere. It could be a prank, she thought. The pumpkin juice at lunch did taste a little funny. James and Sirius, she sighed.
~*~
"Take them off,"
Sirius look up from his pillow drowsily. "Take what off?" He questioned. Clara switched her weight to her other foot impatiently, tugging at her washed hair.
"Those marks. Take them off," She repeated, tugging at the cardigan draped around her in annoyance.
Sirius looked thoroughly confused as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, "What marks?"
"Just give me the antidote!" She exploded, thrusting her hand out, "I don't have the time for your games, Sirius! "
"I would if I knew what the bloody hell you were talking about!" He snapped back.
Clara forced a deep breath and counted to ten. Calm down, she told herself, or he won't tell you anything.
"I'm talking about the prank you and James are playing on me," She said slowly, calmly.
"But we aren't playing a prank on you, Clara," He said innocently. Annoyance pecked at her chest.
"Sirius, I'm really not in the mood," She said through gritted teeth, waving her hand in his face. "Just give the cure to me."
"But I don't know what you're talking about!" He exclaimed.
"I'm talking about these!" She yelled, pulling the thin cardigan off her back and pointing at the dark marks on her back.
Sirius stared at the pale skin and the contrasting marks, the heat rushing to his face. Apparently Clara realized that she still had her dark purple tank top on, because the skin around her neck turned a deep shade of red. Hastily, she pulled the cardigan back on, turning back to face Sirius, who's heart was racing. He was as equally as red as her.
"That," She said, her voice sounded strained, "is what I'm talking about. And now I'd like the antidote," She stared determinedly at Sirius' worn down shoes, concentrating on the streak of red against the dirty white.
"We," Sirius cleared his throat, "we didn't do that,"
"You didn't?" She repeated, her head snapped up, her round eyes widening a fraction. This was the first time, Sirius noticed, that she had left her hair open in a long time. Sirius shook his head firmly.
"The lines are too solid for it to be drawn on. Even a spell wouldn't have made them that complete," He said.
"But then what are they?" Clara muttered, grabbing something small and circular off of the bed on her left. She paced to the door and back, playing with the small object in her hands as she thought.
"Maybe it's a scr-"
"A scratch? I've already thought about that. They're too solid and exact," She murmured, chewing on her lip.
Sirius rubbed his face tiredly, breathing deeply.
"I'll figure it out," Clara said, noticing his fatigue. "You should eat dinner and then get some sleep," She added softly. She played with the hem of her shirt for a bit, contemplating whether or not to tell him about the marriage proposal.
"Oh," Sirius cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. I already ate dinner, I'm just waiting for the others to get here. We have a few things to do, and then I'll sleep," He said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Clara nodded, and her confession died away in her mind. Judging from his actions, the way he rubbed the back of his neck, he did not want to be asked where they were going. Sirius stared at Clara.
"What?" She asked, looking down self-consciously.
"Aren't you going to ask me where we Marauders are going?" He asked.
Clara shrugged. "You obviously don't want to be asked."
"How did you tell?" He inquired.
"You started scratching your neck, which is a sign of discomfort and a sign that tells someone if you're lying or not." Clara replied.
Sirius chuckled. "You really are brilliant, Clara,"
Clara grinned slightly, "Not brilliant, just observant," She corrected lightly.
A grin stretched the corners of Sirius' lips as he laughed quietly again. He regarded Clara as she smiled back, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, which were clouded and distant; she had other things on her mind. Things that were more important than him. The thought made his insides deflate. Another minute had passed between them. He had been staring for too long. Clara opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but seemed to think better of it, because she snapped her mouth shut.
"Well," She said quickly, "I'll leave you and the others to whatever you have to do. See you later, Sirius," Eyes averted, she stepped back and turned around, dropped the shiny golden snitch onto one of the four beds, rushing to the door. Sirius struggled for something to say. Something, anything. C'mon, Sirius. He scolded himself.
"Hey, Clara!" The words jumped out from his mouth just as she was closing the door. She looked up, startled. He struggled for the right thing to say. "You look nice; you have no reason to be self-conscious." He said finally. Clara flushed a bright red, and looked down.
"Thank you, Sirius," She said sincerely. Unable to say anything else, he nodded, and watched as she disappeared in a brown blur. Once outside the dormitory, Clara found herself smiling uncontrollably. It felt good to know that you appeared attractive to someone. More so when that someone is as good-looking as Sirius. No, she told herself firmly, you can't think that way. Not when you have such a big problem. Still, she couldn't help but keep that pleased smile on her face as she made her way back into her and Lily's room. After quickly changing into a new t-shirt, she grabbed her mint copy of Transfiguration: Year Seven and plopped into her unmade bed, and flipped to Advanced Human Transfiguration.
~*~
"Why are you in such a cheery mood suddenly?" Lily questioned nearly an hour later. Clara's smile widened, her eyes trained on the words in front of her.
"Oh you know, suns shining, birds chirping," She answered cheerfully. Lily glanced outside wearily.
"It must be a boy." Lily decided.
"And how can you confirm that?" Clara said.
"Easy," Lily snorted, "you're smiling like you do whenever Sirius are around each other. It's quite obvious that it was-" She stopped mid sentence.
"What?" Clara asked, darting her eyes to her emerald ones.
"Did you two kiss?" She asked, completely serious.
The heat rose to Clara's face and she hurled a pillow at her best friend screaming, "Lillian!"
"No I'm serious!" She shrieked, deflecting the throw. She straightened, patting her hair down. "We've all started to expect it coming from the way you two have been acting lately."
"And how have we been acting?" Clara demanded, bright pink.
Lily shrugged. "You know, like couples," Clara covered her face with her hands.
"We do not act like a couple." She mumbled.
"Hogwash," Lily said. "But really, do you like him?"
Clara was taken aback. "Like him? I-I don't know.. I never really.." She trailed off, stumped. How did she feel about him? "Maybe I do." She said finally.
"You look at him like you do," Lily smiled. "It's like how people have said James looked at me," She blushed faintly. "Sirius looks at you the same way."
"But he can't," Clara murmured, "I'm not pre-" She stopped, thinking about what Sirius said earlier. You look nice; you have no reason to be self-conscious. "I'm not pretty," She decided firmly, "or like any of those other girls he's been with, actually."
Lily sighed, "But that's the thing, you're not like them. You're smart, caring, and affectionate; everything they're not, and you are definitely pretty, believe me," Clara pulled the blanket around her off and poked the skin that drooped on her stomach in revulsion.
Lily rolled her eyes, "You're weight and body shape is just fine, Clara," She assured, "And besides, nobody's perfect."
"Sirius is." She had spoken without thinking and acknowledged her words right after she said them.
"Aha!" Lily cried gleefully, "So you do like him!"
"Lily!" Clara hissed, turning a deep shade of red, "Quiet down or someone's going to hear you!"
Lily waved her hand dismissively. "We all suspected it," She said. "But now this proves it!"
"Lily," Clara moaned, "keep it down!"
"First admit that you like him."
"Fine," She huffed, "I, Clara Louise Campbell, fancy Sirius Orion Black. Happy?"
Lily squealed loudly. "I knew it!"
"So I've heard," Clara answered dully.
She stopped squealing for a moment and examined her. "Your middle name is Louise?"
Clara rolled her eyes. "Go to sleep, Evans."
"Fine, but we're bringing this back up tomorrow morning," She informed.
"Sure, whatever you say," Clara muttered dismissively.
Lily let out one last squeal. "Mrs. Clara Black. I can't wait."
To be honest I hate this chapter so much. I started off with absolutely nothing and then I end up with this.
I'm sorry for the late updates. I'm in India for a vacation and my schedule with sleep and everything has been messed up.
Anyways, comments would be appreciated nonetheless. And so far I've gotten, like, two people's opinion about the music idea, so I'd really like if more people told me what they'd like.
***Sorry for the bad grammer/spelling, I kind of rushed through this chapter**