WHO: Harry D and Klara P WHAT: A meeting WHEN: Last week before Christmas sometime. WARNINGS: None STATUS: Closed and Completed Gdoc
Klara sat in the middle of a snow pile, a branch of evergreen in her fingers, she was coaxing it to grow into a wreath. She had found it broken in the ground and decided to give it a purpose.
The long-haired girl looked smaller and younger than she really was, one long leg tucked under her. A patch of green beneath her, acting as a blanket shielding her from the wet ground.
***
Harry was wandering, trying to stay out of trouble, and pretending that he had not been told to go amuse himself. He spotted her and peered her way, curious about what she was doing. Seeing her work, and seeing the plants respond to her, his eyes lit up. He moved toward her with long easy strides, not trying to be quiet.
“Hi!”
***
Klara looked up and waved. “Hello!” She didn't stop, though, working to finish the wreath before setting it down next to her. She liked the plants here, they listened and were eager.
“Can I help you, sir?”
***
Harry hunkered down near her and he concentrated. ”Inkatus.” And sparkles, gentle and harmless, sprinkled down on her wreath, making it glitter. “I do some magic. Is yours magic?”
He was curious. He felt a little less silly and more interested now. And for a moment, was not noticing she was cute.
***
Klara kind of smiled at the glitter. “No not magic.” She looked over the wreath then back to him. “I'm a mutant. This is my gift. I speak to plants!”
She gave him a smile then stretched her hand out over the grass, coaxing a flower to grow from the ground.
***
“Oh? Like Jean Grey! She is one, too.” he stared in wonder at her magic… er, mutant power. “That is so cool!” he nodded, eyes alight. “Did you have a teacher, or?”
This was so cool!
***
“Among others, yes.” she smiled faintly. “Though I don’t know her.” she shrugged a bit. “No, I just thought it was normal.” she shrugged a touch “I’ve spoken to plants since I was a child.” said the barely sixteen-year-old.
She spoke like her childhood had been many, many years ago instead of just a few.
***
“I know how that is. Ever since I was a kid, I could do little things, move stuff, but I didn't know it was anything until big things moved and other wizards found me.” He shuddered. Until Justin had found him.
“A good wizard eventually started helping me learn how to do magic right, but I am still learning.”
He finally turned more toward her and smiled, realizing belatedly how close he was and how cute she was, and turning bright red.
“Ah. Hi. I’m called Harry.” He offered his hand, dropping his eyes.
***
Klara ran her fingers over the grass and nodded listening. “I was an abomination, it wasn’t until, oh, a few years ago someone told me what I was and that I wasn’t cursed.” she shrugged a little. “It wasn’t until my teammates saved me from the factory I was working in that I had a name for what I could do.”
She didn’t notice, but she was pretty blind in the awkwardness of youth. She never had to worry about it. She took his hand and smiled. “I am Klara Prast. It is a pleasure, Harry.”
***
“I’m glad you know now that you are not bad or wrong. A lot of people think wizards are bad in my world.” He nodded. He’d already seen many of them.
“It's nice to meet you, too, Klara. That’s an awesome name.”
He grinned. “Do you go to school here?”
*** She smiled gently - “I am still working on it. I was taught from a very young age I was wrong. While I know I am not, it is still a work in progress.” she curled her fingers in the grass beneath her and smiled again, wistfully.
“Oh, thank you. It means Clear or Bright - though I do not think I am either.” she looked up at him then shook her head.
“No, I am homeschooled here. I’ve never been educated - so putting me in school was too terrifying.”
***
Harry nodded. “I’m sorry that you had to go through that.” He didn’t., quite, see the parallels, but he felt a certain kinship with her anyway. “You are definitely cool.” he nodded again.
“I dunno, it sounds like they got you in one with that name.” he grinned a little, wiggling his fingers at her. Then he sobered and nodded again.
“I can see how that would be. I am glad to return to school, myself. I was homeschooled for years, but before that, I was in public school. It will be kind of a homecoming if it turns out I am not too odd shaped for school.”
*** “Don’t,” she said simply as she waved a hand. “I went through worse.” the girl had been married off at like, nine. She had been through way worse.
“Oh yeah?” she smirked a little then shook her head. “Then you might be mistaken. I see nothing clear or bright about me.” Klara smiled faintly.
“I am sure you will do fine.” she assured him, before nodding “I wasn’t homeschooled, my family just didn’t send girls to school. Not in my day, really.”
***
Harry blinked then nodded. “Okay.” Unknowing of that, he thought her very brave, anyway and grinned. “Wish I could introduce you to Ebeneezer, I think you would like him.”
Harry paused, unsure, then nodded again. “Do you wanna come to the house and hang out sometime? My guardian, Sigrun, makes killer meals.”
“I might be. But I don’t think I am. But you could be, right? Maybe.” He paused again. “Probably not, but maybe.” he grinned.
“Maybe we can talk school stuff sometimes too. When and where did you grow up?”
***
“Who is Ebenezer?” She asked, head tilting a little bit, smiling though.
“Oh I couldn't do that, Harry, it wouldn't be proper.” There was that old school thinking, she'd justified being out in public with males as not as big a deal but going to their homes? Mmm.
“I was born in the late 1890’s, in Bern, Switzerland.” Yeah, Harry, if you were getting technical, she was a lot older than you were.
***
“He’s my magical master and guardian back in my world like Sigrun is my guardian here.” Harry sort of missed the man, but also not really. It had been a lot of work, there. He didn’t miss that, so much as a purpose.
Harry blinked. “Uhm? What do you mean?” He was completely clueless. At this point, he had not really learned a lot about old school thought and customs.
“Wow! I, from just a few years ago! Holy cow. This must all be a little wild for you.” His eyes were wide now. But still not meeting hers for long.
***
“Oh, that’s wonderful. Is he a good man?” she asked then smiled “and why do you think I would like him?” her brow furrowed as she tried to figure that out. She wasn’t sure what half of it meant, but… whatever.
“Going to a man’s home is improper behavior,” she said plainly. “It is not something proper ladies do.” Which went to show just how old she was feeling right now. “Sorry - It’s an old habit, I … I was married and that was not something I was allowed to do.”
“It is … not as bad as you would think. I was brought to the early 2010’s by a team who rescued me, I was adjusting rather well before this place grabbed me.” she said softly.
***
“He is, yes. And he has a nice smile and a good sense of humor, and is kind, and he would love your powers.” He nodded, flushing a little.” He was kind to me when I first got there, a few years ago.”
“Ohhh. I’m sorry. In my time, it is okay, mostly, as long as there is supervision. My guardian, Sigrun Gard, a woman, would be there.” He nodded. “That sounds wild.”
He blinked again. “I’m glad they rescued you and got you safe.”
***
“I am sorry, then, that I cannot meet him. He sounds like a good person.” She smiled warmly at him.
“It is alright. I suppose it would do no harm to visit you, as long as your guardian was around.” She realized how silly it all sounded in this era, but it took time to get over that.
“As am I. They are good people, my team. I am glad they took a risk and came back for me when they did not need to.”
***
Harry nodded. “He is, yes. So is Sigrun, though. She is nice. She acts mean and strict some, but its a cover. She is actually fair and kind.” He smiled to her, thinking Sigrun might take to this young girl.
“I get that. She’ll be home in an hour, so we can hang out here until then. I have a roast from a recipe cooking in a crock pot, at home, so you can meet her, and have some, too, if you like.”
Harry smiled to hear that. Sounded like good people. “Good. That means they are a good group.”
***
“Alright, that would be acceptable.” She smiled warmly as she looked at him. “I'm looking forward to meeting her.” She was, too, she liked meeting people here.
“They are. They're very good to me. It's lovely for me, they were a better group than my husband and my employer.” Yeah, she was already married. Once.
****
“Good.” he nodded to her. “You’ve come through time, and now to a new world. I’m pretty sure, legally, that you are no longer married.” He nodded again, mind deciding. If someone came after her, well, he would help stop them.
“What do you do for fun?”
***
“Probably. He's long dead by now I would assume.” He hadn't been a mutant, he'd been a regular human. He would have been long dead. “It is still hard to grasp.”
A faint smile. “Grow my plants. I never really had time for anything else. I worked a lot, you see.”
***
Harry nodded, and cocked his head, and listened. “I can imagine. My time jump wasn’t much at all and it still threw me for a loop.”
“Yeah? Cool. I like to watch the stars, and movies sometimes.” He nodded again.
***
“I'm strangely good at video games. “ she admitted laughing, then looked up at him “shouldn't we head to your guardian’s?” She was looking forward to that.
***
“Yes. Let’s go. I can’t wait to introduce her.” He smiled wryly, stood and offered her his hand.