N O V E M B E R  1 9 7 6

.・。.・゜✭・.・✧・゜・。.

IT FELT LIKE THE ONLY TIME Clara ever saw Marlene and Lily these days was in passing during breakfast or in the corridors between classes. Of course she and Marlene still had potions class together, but after Professor Slughorn split them up it really felt like she barely saw her. And yes, Lily and Clara were in the same house but it seemed like the redhead always had prefect duty on the evenings Clara was free. Maybe she was just being too clingy but she'd felt increasingly lonely this term.

Thankfully, the three of them had finally been able to set aside some time to study together in the library. Though admittedly, Marlene was doing more gossiping than studying. It didn't bother Clara though, because as much as Clara was worried about her finals next month, she really just wanted a chance to catch up with her friends – preferably somewhere where the elderly librarian wouldn't hush them every three seconds. But they had to go by Lily's wishes, who had only agreed to hang out on the condition that Clara would help her with a potions assignment that all three of them knew the redhead didn't really need any assistance with at all.

"So, have you told Fabian about your little crush yet?" Marlene whispered across the table at her, wiggling her brows.

"I knew it was a mistake telling you, you're the biggest blabbermouth I know." Clara groaned.

"Am not! I reckon I've kept nearly all of your secrets over the years."

"Nearly being the keyword there, Mar."

"Fine then, how about you Lily?" the blonde looked towards the younger girl with an innocent grin.

Lily looked up from her textbook with a confused frown, "What about me?"

"Decide to give James a chance yet? Sirius tells me he thinks you're close to breaking down and saying yes to a date."

"Absolutely not." she insisted, although the blush on her cheeks had not gone unnoticed to Clara and Marlene.

"Dating James couldn't possibly be that bad. Look at it this way, if you two get married you and Clara will be sisters." the blonde teased.

"You're doing an awful lot of matchmaking for someone who's single." Clara stepped in, mostly to prevent Lily from going through any more torment.

The jab didn't bother Marlene, rather her smile only grew, "Well that's simply because no one at Hogwarts is interesting."

"Oh, really?" Clara raised a brow.

The girls had had countless conversations about crushes and relationships over the years, so Clara knew that wasn't the truth. It had been nearly three years since Marlene had confided in Clara that she didn't find the boys at school attractive – not because they weren't interesting – but because she found herself drawn to the girls in their classes instead.

Over the years, some of their classmates had been able to figure it out – either by Marlene's rejections to numerous boys' advances or simply by hearsay. The blonde wasn't exactly secretive about the information, though she didn't shout it through the halls either. Still, Hogwarts wasn't exactly the easiest place for her to find a partner. Some students were rather judgmental, so if anyone else among their peers felt similarly to Marlene, no one had been brave enough to make it known.

Ignoring the doubt in her friend's eyes, Marlene replied with a Cheshire-like grin, "Well, I personally can't wait to hear about how excellent of a kisser Fabian is."

"I highly doubt I will be kissing him any time in the near future." Clara dismissed.

"No? That opportunity may be coming sooner than you think." the blonde mused, gesturing for Clara to look over her shoulder.

The brunette spun around in her seat to see the Prewett twins walking into the library. The two of them somehow looked even more out of place amongst the walls of books than the Marauders did. They glanced around the room, looking as though they'd never stepped foot inside it in their entire seven years of schooling. Obviously the two of them were looking for something or someone before their eyes finally fell upon Clara. With wide grins, both boys sauntered up, flanking her on either side as they leaned their hands against the table the girls sat at.

"Just the person we were looking for." Gideon grinned.

"And why is that?" Clara asked in an uninterested tone.

"Well, we heard a bit of a rumour and decided to come straight to the source."

"A rumour? About me?"

"Oh yes, and might I say I certainly hope it's true." Fabian teased.

"Out with it then." she said impatiently, hoping the boys would soon leave.

The twins shared a mischievous look with one another over her head before taking turns explaining the situation to her.

"We've heard..."

"From a very trustworthy source..."

"That you..."

"May or may not have a little crush on my dear twin brother here." Gideon finished.

Clara's eyes fell on Marlene who immediately threw her hands up in surrender, "Why are you looking at me?"

"Don't blame McCurly, we'd never reveal our sources anyway." Gideon intervened.

"So, it's true then?" Fabian asked.

Rather than looking at Marlene accusatorially, she instead kept her gaze locked on her best friend's brown eyes purely out of the safety she felt within them. Clara simply knew that she'd probably die of embarrassment right on the spot if she so much as glanced at either Prewett twin.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

A snort escaped from Lily before she quickly covered her mouth and apologised. Both twins had a satisfied look on their faces thanks to the redhead's wordless confession on her friend's behalf.

"Well, that's all the confirmation I need, wouldn't you agree Gid?"

"Definitely."

"I have to go... to the greenhouse." Clara announced, quickly shutting her Herbology textbook and shoving it back into her bag as she stood from the table, "I have plants to water."

With cheeks as red as her Gryffindor tie, she pushed past the twins as her eyes remained glued to the ground hoping to make a quick escape from quite possibly the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to her. That is, if her mind didn't wander and reminisce on Sirius's false declaration of love for her at the beginning of term. That nearly did kill her.

"Oi, Lara!" a booming voice called out for her as loud footsteps drew near, "What's with the quick get away?"

Fabian quickly fell in step with Clara as she expertly weaved through the current of students travelling in the opposite direction through the corridor. The girl seemed to be walking on auto-pilot on her way back up to the common room.

"It's embarrassing, Fabian." she muttered quietly.

"Hold on," he said, grasping her arm to stop her in her tracks and turn her to face him, "You're embarrassed? What about me?"

Her brows knit into a frown as she gazed up at him, "What do you have to be embarrassed for?"

"I've had a crush on you since I was thirteen that everyone, including you, knows about. I think that's a bit embarrassing, don't you?"

"That's completely different." she said sternly as she shook her head.

"How so?"

"Because I never confronted you about it in front of an audience." she frowned, glancing quickly at the students passing them, hoping they were paying no mind to their conversation.

"I hardly consider your best friends to be an audience, especially since it seemed like they already know."

"Know what? I never said I fancy you."

"Don't have to, I can tell." he grinned.

Clara rolled her eyes and began turning away from him to continue her track back up to Gryffindor tower.

"Go to Hogsmeade with me." he said suddenly.

Clara froze and turned back around to face him. A small group of third year Hufflepuff girls looked quite smitten with Fabian's public declaration, as if they hoped a boy in their year would be brave enough to ask them on a date in front of everyone.

"Pardon?" she asked as her brows knit together.

"On Saturday, go to Hogsmeade with me. I'll buy you a butterbeer."

She hesitated for a moment, looking into his blue eyes, searching desperately for any hint of disingenuousness or mischief within them before responding, "Sure."

"Oh, c'mon Lara– wait, what?" Fabian's cocky demeanour immediately dropped as his eyes widened in shock. He truly didn't think he'd get this far.

Clara let out a chuckle, "I said sure."

"Oh, well... brilliant! Saturday then." he said with a wide grin.

"Saturday." Clara repeated with a nod.

"It'll be great, meet me in the common room at eleven."

"Alright," she smiled despite herself, "See you then."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✧・゜・。.

Clara had completely skipped breakfast on Saturday morning, instead finding herself in Ravenclaw Tower sitting on the floor of Marlene's dorm as the blonde did her makeup. She was very patient with her friend throughout the whole process despite feeling as though she'd been shellacked with a thick coat of paint by the end of it. The only objection she made was when Marlene pulled out a tube of red lipstick.

"I'm not wearing that. Lipstick is your thing, not mine. I'll just get it on my teeth or something and make a fool of myself."

Marlene rolled her eyes, "No you won't, now hold still."

Clara swatted Marlene's hand away while dodging the incoming red tube, "Absolutely not."

"But imagine everyone's face when you walk into the common room with Fab who's got lipstick all over his face after a steamy snogging session." Marlene teased as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"That actually sounds like my worst nightmare. Besides, who said anything about snogging?"

"I reckon you've got to kiss someone before you leave Hogwarts, it's honestly getting to be a bit depressing."

"Thank you for that, Mar." she replied sarcastically.

Clara had gone seventeen years, eleven months, and eighteen days without ever kissing a boy. But who's counting? That fact on its own felt like enough of a social faux pas that it could be used as effective blackmail against her. All these years she had been so focused on her studies that boys and dating fell by the wayside at each and every fleeting opportunity it had come up.

"Fabian seems like he's a willing candidate. I say you plant one on him right at the start just to get it over with." Marlene advised with a laugh.

Clara couldn't deny that over the last several days since he had asked her out, she'd considered the possibility of kissing him. There were certainly worse options to have a first kiss with after all.

The fact that one of the more popular boys in her house had shown interest in her at all was a shock in itself, let alone the fact that he'd been patiently pursuing her for four years now. There was no way he'd deny an opportunity to kiss her. Still, she couldn't help but feel nervous about the whole logistics of everything.

Would he ask her first or take her by surprise? Clara had never been good with surprises. What if they awkwardly bumped teeth? What if she ate something for lunch that gave her bad breath? Oh Merlin, what if he tried to use tongue?

Clara was almost certain she'd make a fool of herself, her kiss would probably be comparable to that of a dead fish. If she could only just come to terms with that before seeing him but as she glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room, she realised she'd nearly run out of time.

"I should probably go." she sighed as she picked herself up off of the blue rug.

"I can't wait to hear all about it." Marlene grinned as she leaned back on her hands and gazed up at her friend.

"I won't be surprised if I catch you hiding in the bushes watching our every move." Clara replied with a laugh.

"You know, that hadn't even crossed my mind, what a brilliant idea! Oh, maybe I'll even tell Gideon and we can spy together!"

"Goodbye, Marlene." Clara waved as she left the room before she could accidentally give her best friend any more outrageous ideas.

When she stepped foot inside the Gryffindor common room with minutes to spare, she glanced around the room in search of Fabian before her eyes fell on a mop of auburn locks. The boy grinned at her as he approached wearing a burgundy sweater that clashed with the orange hues in his hair.

"Don't you look lovely, ready to go?" he asked.

Clara narrowed her eyes at him slightly, something about him seemed off.

"Where's your brother?"

He laughed and shook his head, "What do you mean?"

"I'm not stupid, Gideon."

The boy smirked and raised an eyebrow, "Now why would you think I'm Gideon?"

"You part your hair on the right, and you don't have a scar on the bridge of your nose."

"You're an observant one, aren't you?" he smiled approvingly, "Fab's still upstairs."

"I don't appreciate being tested, by the way." she poked at his chest.

Gideon rubbed his sternum and chuckled, "Noted."

The other twin emerged from the steps, wearing a jumper that was a much nicer colour than the one his brother wore. Although the deep emerald green ensemble looked a bit more homemade than what Gideon had on.

"What are we talking about?" Fabian asked with a raised eyebrow as he approached them.

"Your brother tried to make me think he was you."

"No, I just wanted to see if Fab was right about you being able to tell us apart, that's all." Gideon said innocently.

Fabian let out a chuckle, "I told you, Lara has yet to let me down."

Clara rolled her eyes, "Don't let it go to your head. Can we go now?"

"So eager." he grinned as he extended his hand out to her.

The walk to Hogsmeade was much shorter than she remembered it being, or maybe she simply wanted the excuse to hold Fabian's hand as they talked about everything and nothing for just a little bit longer. This sudden change of heart she had for the boy had blindsided her in a way she didn't expect. Weeks ago, she never thought she'd be revelling in his presence, let alone feeling a twinge of sadness when he released his hold on her hand to open the door to the Three Broomsticks for her.

The immediate warmth of the inn washed over her and she let out a deep sigh, not even realising how cold she'd been. Late fall was quickly turning into winter, meaning it would soon be her birthday, then final exams. Soon, the holidays and a new year would emerge, likely feeling just the same as every single year before.

"Want to grab a table and I'll get us some butterbeers?" Fabian asked as he pulled his knit cap away from his auburn curls.

His freckled nose was tinted pink from the bitter wind outside and his hair was ruffled messily on his head. The boy looked utterly adorable without even trying. A slight grin formed on his lips before Clara finally realised she'd been staring – so distracted that she had barely even registered his question. Coming back down to Earth, she finally nodded and glanced around the room in search of an empty table.

On cold days the Three Broomsticks was always rather busy, seeing as it was the only place in Hogsmeade students could get a hot meal for a decent price. She eventually found a small booth in the corner of the inn, away from most of the students who were happily digging into their steak and kidney pies and drinking their pumpkin juice.

Once seated, Clara unfurled her Gryffindor scarf from her neck and shed off her coat before glancing back towards the bar. Fabian was on his way back with his knit cap tucked under his arm and two butterbeers in hands. The same charming smile that was always painted on his face shined a little brighter as he took a seat across from her. Almost as though he'd been envisioning this moment for years.

"Thanks, Fabian." she beamed as he set the drinks on the table and pulled off his coat.

"It's no problem."

"So, what's Gideon up to today since I stole you away?"

"I reckon he's hanging out with some guys from the team. Probably pacing around Dervish and Bangs eyeballing that Nimbus 1500, if I had to guess. Mum refuses to get for him but he keeps asking."

"What do you fly with now?"

Clara may not be very interested in Quidditch, but thanks to her dad and brother she had enough knowledge on the topic stored away to carry a conversation about it. The boy across from her may very well be the only person in the world how could make her every want to discuss the sport.

"We use Cleansweeps. My sister's husband got them for us this last Christmas." he replied, "Arthur's a nice bloke."

"I didn't know you had a sister."

Fabian took a sip of his butterbeer and gave her a smirk, "You never asked."

It was true, Clara knew very little about Fabian and Gideon's life despite knowing them for seven years now and it was all because she simply didn't take the time to get to know them. Clara tried to shake the thought from her mind. She could easily make up for lost time now and Fabian didn't seem too bothered by the years of her avoiding him. At least not now that she'd finally given him a chance. She reached for her butterbeer, preparing to ask him all about his family when the glass shifted away from her grasp across the table. Her brows furrowed as she reached for it again and it shifted further away, as if the glass and her hand were opposite ends of a magnet.

"What the–?"

Snickers could be heard from a table behind them and Clara whipped around to see four meddlesome boys looking right at her and Fabian. All of them were trying to stifle their laughter, but it was Sirius Black who had his wand pointed towards her glass. The boy gave her a cheeky smile with a wave before she rolled her eyes and turned back to Fabian.

"Should've known." she muttered, now giving up on her attempt to drink the sweet beverage that seemed destined to forever be just out of her reach.

Fabian chuckled and slid the glass back over to her, "Why don't you ever try to get back at them?"

"Messing with them will just put an even bigger target on my back. Being James's sister is enough for them to single me out as is. Trying to prank them will just make them go at me even more."

"Well, I'm not James's sister." he whispered as he pulled his wand from his pocket and discretely waved it towards the boys' table.

Immediately all of the Maurader's knit caps were pulled down over their eyes, blinding them as a devilish grin formed on Fabian's lips. Despite their best efforts to pull the hats away from their eyes, the fabric stayed put. It was pure chaos as Peter fumbled for his wand only for it to fall to the ground and roll out of reach. Sirius pushed James out of the booth causing both boys to tumble over Peter who was on the ground feeling around for his wand in vain.

A loud roar of laughter broke out as countless students watched the scene unfold. Even Clara had to cover her mouth to stifle her own giggles. Only Remus had remained calm enough to reach for his own wand and use a counter spell on his hat before looking to the ground and taking in the sight of his friends, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

The tallest Marauder glanced towards Clara and Fabian and narrowed his eyes before giving them a slight nod as if to commend their work. Or maybe he was merely acknowledging the imminent prank war they had just unintentionally declared. At that, Fabian flicked his wand once more and the remaining boys' sight was suddenly restored.

Sirius glared at the two of them, clearly the least amused out of the four. James had to drag him up by his collar or the boy may have sat on the ground fuming for the rest of the afternoon. Peter finally found his wand underneath a nearby table and all four of them quickly fled from the inn, no doubt already coming up with a plan to get both she and Fabian back later.

"They're going to get you, you know." Clara said as she finally took a sip of her butterbeer.

"I'd love to see them try." he winked.

The next hour was spent getting to know each other. Clara learned that Fabian not only had an older sister and a brother-in-law but also two young nephews named Bill and Charlie. He told her that they grew up on some farmland just outside of Devon in a small village near other Wizarding families. He told her how their dad owned a small broom repair shop on Diagon Alley and that the Cleansweeps Arthur had gotten them last year were the first brand new brooms they'd ever had. He told her that, while he secretly dreamed of being a Beater for the Chudley Cannons after finishing school, what he truly wanted to do was take over his dad's shop with his brother.

Her favourite story of all was when he told her how exactly he got that curious little scar on the bridge of his nose. The blemish that had become a beacon for her – the one sure fire way to identify her favourite twin. The story, so it goes, involved a pair of knitting needles, his older sister, Molly, and a rogue dung bomb on Christmas Eve morning in 1968.

After nearly snorting butterbeer from her nose in laughter, there wasn't a single doubt left in her mind. She was falling head over heels for the charming and silly ginger boy sitting across from her. Fabian was modestly ambitious and there wasn't a single hint of him ever being ungrateful for the hand-me-downs he'd gotten, nor any resentment towards the hardships his family may have ever faced throughout his life. It seemed like he really did love the simple life his family had in the country and it only served to make Clara feel quite insecure about her own upbringing.

She didn't want him to think of her as a snooty rich girl, it honestly came as a surprise to her that he didn't already see her that way. If there was one thing she really tried to hide, it was that part of her life. She never bought the fanciest supplies for school – she'd been using her mother's old quill set for years. She never bought the most expensive robes at Madam Malkin's. She even bought most of her books secondhand. Clara hated to think that maybe he considered her rejection had been because she had deemed him unworthy of her time. That his poverty had played a part in her dismissal. A sinking feeling flowed through her at the thought.

Fabian was more than worthy, he was everything she wasn't. He was good, protective, patient, funny as hell, and kind – so, so kind. If only there was a way to turn back time because Clara was now realising she'd do anything to gain back the seven years of his friendship that she had missed out on. If she could turn back the clock, she'd give him every ounce of attention he deserved, because Fabian was worthy of it.

"What do you say we head back to the castle?" Fabian suggested after what felt like an eternity of her getting lost in her insecurities.

Clara nodded without a word and began wrapping her scarf back around her neck before standing up from the table. Just like before, the two of them walked hand in hand back towards the castle. In the warmth of his calloused hands, no doubt roughened by years of playing Quidditch, she felt her insecurities slowly fade away and again she wished that the walk had lasted just a bit longer despite how numb her ears and nose were from the cold.

As they finally reached the portrait hole, Fabian pulled her off to the side, "I had a really lovely time today. Thanks for taking a chance on me."

The shy blush growing on Fabian's cheeks set off a flutter of butterflies in Clara's heart, "I think it was about time, don't you?"

He let out a laugh, "Turns out I'm a lot more patient than I let on. But I think you're worth the wait."

Clara smiled as she looked down at her shoes, her own cheeks flooding with heat now. Part of her wished she had been brave enough to take a chance on him years ago. If she felt this happy simply being near Fabian now, she wondered how different her life would have been if they had decided to go on a date much sooner. If they had been close for years, she wondered if she would have still achieved six O.W.L.s in her fifth year, or would all of her attention have been consumed by his floppy auburn hair and charming smile?

Maybe she would have been a much more easy going person if she'd taken a chance on Fabian sooner. No doubt she would have been more confident, just being near him made her feel like she could take on the world. But easy going people don't place at the top of their class with a nearly guaranteed job at St. Mungo's hospital right after finishing school, do they? Maybe confident people do, but nerve only gets you so far without any other preparation.

As Clara was lost in her thoughts, she felt Fabian's hand reach forward to tuck a dark strand of hair behind her ear. She looked up at him to see a shy smile forming on his lips.
Oh Merlin, was he about to kiss her?

Now that the moment seemed so close, it was almost looming over her intimidatingly. It was tempting and taunting her, making a scenario she'd only ever imagined before finally become a reality. Fabian leaned forward only a little bit before Clara stopped him.

"I've never kissed anyone before." she blurted out before she could stop herself.

Immediately, she scrunched her eyes closed tightly, cringing at her own ability to completely ruin a moment. Fabian stood up straight and let out a laugh. Cautiously, the girl opened one eye to look back up at the boy who still gazed at her with warm admiration, just like always.

"We don't have to kiss if you don't want to." he offered.

"No, I do!" she said almost too enthusiastically before clearing her throat, "I just don't want it to be bad."

The boy shook his head, "I don't see how that could be possible."

"I'm probably not very good at it."

"Well, if you want someone to practise on, I'm more than willing."

Nerves shot down every inch of her body as she bit her lip anxiously. This boy would be the absolute death of her, and she didn't even want to fight it, "Practice makes perfect." she said much less confidently than she intended.

Fabian chuckled before putting the knuckle of index finger beneath her chin to tilt her head up to him. With the most delicate touch she thought she'd ever feel in her life, he pressed his lips against hers softly yet deliberately. As if being actually put under a spell, Clara's eyes closed as she fell into his embrace. Butterbeer still lingered on his lips. The sweet taste mingling with the smell of cinnamon and broomstick polish was something she never wanted to forget. Something she knew she'd always identify with Fabian.
Their kiss lasted not a second too long or too short, and thank Merlin, he spared her the use of tongue. That, she was certain, would be a fumbling mess on her part. Fabian pulled away with a smile and her eyes fluttered open as if she was waking up from a dream.

"Any notes for me?" Fabian asked with a smirk.

"I, um, no notes." she stammered as she came back to reality, "It was good."

"Just good?" he raised an eyebrow at her as if she'd just insulted him.

Clara chewed on her lip and playfully pushed against his chest, "It was perfect, you git."

"That's more like it." he said as he reached for her hand and pulled her towards the Fat Lady's portrait.

The woman in the painting gaze at them with an accusatory glare, just as she had looked at thousands of young couples over the years who would sneak into quiet nooks to steal a kiss or two between classes or after curfew.

"Figgy Pudding" Fabian said to the Fat Lady.

"I hope you two aren't planning to continue galavanting around the castle partaking in such activities. Gryffindor has a reputation to uphold, you know." she scolded, ignoring the boy uttering the correct password.

As the sheer embarrassment of the situation took over, Clara had her face buried in Fabian's shoulder as the two of them were being told off. Receiving a lecture from a painting was certainly not part of the first kiss scenario Clara had pictured in her mind.

"Figgy Pudding." he repeated.

The Fat Lady frowned at the teens once more before she finally allowed them inside. Once within the safety of their common room, Clara pulled away from him.

"Same time next week?" he asked.

"For the kissing or the Hogsmeade date?"

Fabian let out a laugh, "Both I suppose, although I was hoping we could kiss a bit more often than only once a week. Practice makes perfect, remember?"

Clara bit back the wide grin that so desperately wanted to form on her lips, "Same time next week for the date, we'll see about the kissing."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Even though Clara and Sirius are endgame.... I LOVE FABIAN PREWETT