Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace ((Clay))

[Raelee Gray]

Rae took a large step backward, her heeled boots clicking against the cement flooring of her office. The building used to be an outlet department store, but one of those small ones that weren’t very large. The walls were white, or they had been before Rae had gotten a hold of some paint and brushes. Now they were pieces of art. Each wall depicting a different reason for music in the world. The wall on the left of the entrance door was a gigantic peace sign with hundreds of different artists' names in the centre of it and around it. The wall in front of the entrance door was wallpapered with faces of millions of people. In the centre of the wallpaper was the word 'united' in big white letters that were far too fancy for Rae to have done on her own. The wall to the right of the entrance door was a giant album, platinum, and around it were quotes from some of the best musicians. The last wall, which was the wall the door was against, had an arch over the door and around the arch was a saying that had inspired Rae when she had began to go with everything. "Don't let the world bring you down. It's already at its lowest." Rae smiled, proud of herself for once, and then walked over to the wall with the giant platinum disc. In front of it was a big circular desk. It was a silver colour, chrome probably, Rae wasn't sure, and on it was a new computer, and CD cases filled with thousands of different CDs. They weren’t in any specific order, but Rae knew where each and every one was.

This was her desk. The rest of the building didn't quite look like a record label. Off to the side underneath the United Wall was a record player, and cubbies filled with vinyl records – her own collection. Nette had helped a bit with that, but there were few records she was willing to part with. Along with those things was a couch and some lounge chairs. It was pretty much a listening area where everything was calm and relaxed. Underneath the peace wall was a pool table and a vending machine filled with anything and everything you could imagine. Because the artists didn't record at the label's office, Rae wanted it to look friendly. It still had an adult feel to it, though, because the décor was very modern and her paintings were all black and white – minus the platinum disk on the wall behind her desk. It looked like a good place to work and at the same time it look professional. Rae sank down into her chair and picked up the phone that had just been hooked up that afternoon, dialling Weetzie's number. After a ring or two, she got the answering machine – which was what she expected because Weetzie was back at school – "Heya, this is Weetz, I'm not in. Speak words." Rae's smile nearly split her face, "It's finished! Tell me when you can make it into London! I have to show you!" She then hung up and grabbed her purse, needing to blow off this energy that she was harbouring.

The office was empty, silent, and then Rae burst back in like a tornado – like a hurricane – whipped out her wand and was gone with a pop. She reappeared in Hogsmeade, in her cottage, her heart beating faster than it ever had before in her life. She wanted to share her news with someone, anyone, but she couldn't think of who. Dixie, as happy for her as she would be, wouldn't be as thrilled as Rae would like her to be and Ashley was in school like Weetzie. Resigned with the decision that she would have to wait until later to share her news, Rae headed into Hogsmeade with the thought of getting a drink for herself to celebrate. It was busy, but not with students because – as mentioned before – it was a school day and not a weekend. Rae walked through the crowded streets with a bounce in her step and in her golden hair, as if nothing could bring her down, and nothing would. The most terrible thing could happen to her right now and she'd still be buzzed off the accomplished feeling that was thrumming through her veins. She weaved and bobbed through people and then finally reached the Three Broomsticks, pushing the door open and stepping into the dim atmosphere.

She waved a hello at Rosmerta and then slid into an empty seat, ordering a red currant rum and some appetizers. There was laughter and conversation filtering through the room, but no one Rae knew. She wasn't happy that she was alone, but she was okay with it – she understood. Her green eyes took in the scene around her, dancing over to the door as it opened and a figure stepped inside. Recognition clicked in her mind and she waved over at Clay Daniels, her smile bright and welcoming, "Come join me! I'm celebrating!"

[Clay Daniels]

As Clay tiredly drug his feet along the worn paths that meandered through the small village of Hogsmeade, he couldn't help but feel as though he were in one of those stories where the main character wakes up, realising that all of the curves that life threw their way were all just part of some giant dream. That's what his life felt like these days. A dream. It wasn't one of those fantasy dreams either- the ones where everything that's happening is exactly what the person had always wanted. And, at the same time, it wasn't really a nightmare of a dream either. It was simply one of those dreams that just felt so surreal and awkward. Yes, that was it, awkward. Clay couldn't seem to catch up with his life as it sprinted ahead of him, and as a result he felt like he was awkwardly trying to run yet getting nowhere. No matter how much it felt as though he were moving forward - taking life as it came - he felt like he was getting nowhere as he watched it all circle around him like he wasn't a part of it.

Since discovering he had a daughter, leaving his home in Paris, and getting a new job in London, Clay's life had been one major change after another. It was only natural that it felt like it wasn't real. But it was. Oh, it was as real as he had ever experienced, and there he was, stuck in the middle of it all. Clay was determined to get "unstuck" though, and part of that transition into his new life would begin with buying himself a house. He needed something big enough for himself, Maddie, and of course, Dapper. Though, at the same time, Clay couldn't help but think in the back of his mind that he might look for something that might fit one or two extra. Something inside of him seemed to make him think that he would be staying in England for a while now, if not for the rest of his life. And, despite loving London and getting to spend time with his parents and Devon, Clay was the type who needed a bit of his own space. Which, incidentally, made Hogsmeade a perfect spot for him to settle.

After about two hours of walking and browsing, Clay did find a place that he thought would work. He'd have to think on it a bit longer, but he was pretty content that he had found his new home. It was a nice little house that was two stories. Sure, the second story wasn't a necessity, but it was something he knew he'd appreciate later in life, especially once Maddie got older and if he ever got married and had more children. Clay had always pictured himself as a father of, say, four or five children. Though, he had never pictured his fatherhood coming so soon in life. Nor did he expect it to come in such a bittersweet way. But, there he was, in his early twenties, a toddler of about two as his only companion in life. Clay didn't mind though, in fact he really did find himself happy with what he had, once the dust settled and he could actually comprehend the newness of everything life had brought him.

Hot and ready for a good rest, Clay decided that he'd make one final stop before heading back to London for the evening. The sun was casting a beautiful orange glow as it just started to make it's way past the tips of the nearby treetops. Nothing would help him to unwind after a long day better than a cold butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks. He remembered the place from his Hogwarts days, and he was excited to pay it another visit. It wasn't even ten seconds after he opened the door that he heard his name being called. It caught him a bit off guard since he didn't expect to run into anybody hew knew. But of course, it was Raelee, and had he remembered that she, Dixie, and Adam all lived in Hogsmeade, he might have expected that it'd be one of the three hollering his name in greeting.

"Hey Raelee," he said, smiling as he happily took a seat across from her. "Or should I call you Rae?" he questioned. Naturally, everyone seemed to shorten his name from Clayton to Clay, and he had heard other people call her Rae. He just wasn't sure if she preferred it or not. Perhaps she didn't mind. "And what seems to be the occasion?" he asked. "Maybe I can join in. I've got a bit of my own reason to celebrate," he added. "Got myself a nice little house just a few blocks from here. In fact, I think it's less than five minutes from your house," he said once he realized that the place was so close to where he had joined Dixie and first met all of her friends during winter hols. "A cold butterbeer please," Clay said when the waitress took his order.

It was only a matter of seconds before his drink was delivered, and so Clay raised it as he motioned for Rae to do the same. "I'd say a toast is in order then," he said with a smile. "To good fortune and good friends!" He tapped his glass against hers and then took a long gulp, letting the cool, refreshing liquid quench his thirst.

[Raelee Gray]

Rae cringed noticeably at his use of her full name. She didn't hate it when she was called Raelee, but it wasn't done often and she rarely answered to it. Dixie was the only one who called her by Raelee and got away with it. Her name didn't make her who she was, but she made her name and Raelee was who she had to be when she was around her parents, not who she really was. Her smile stayed radiant, though, when Clay asked about calling her Rae. Relief flickered across her face, "Yes, please. Raelee Gray is the girl my parents tried to raise into a proper young woman. Rae is who I am." She shrugged, her curls bunching up on her shoulders before she moved a hand to fix them, and then smiled even more when Clay took the seat opposite her – clearly happy to join her. She hadn't thought about how awkward it might be for him to join her, because she hadn't really been thinking at all. She had wanted company and Clay was there and he had been good company before, so she doubted that would change at all. And yet at the same time she couldn't help but think about what Dixie and Ashley had said to her they had dyed Ashley's hair, about asking Clay out on a date. Suddenly, Rae felt very obvious and she hoped she really wasn't.

"Oh?" She replied, having been tuned into the conversation perfectly, "That's fantastic! Have you told Dix, yet? She'll be ecstatic, I'm sure." Rae's smile faltered a little from the nervousness she felt clench at her stomach. It had suddenly become obvious to her that she had no idea what she and Clay had in common besides Dixie and that was something she wasn't quite sure how comfortable Clay was with talking about. Rae and Dixie hardly talked about her time in Paris and Rae wasn't sure if it was because Dixie had felt something for Clay or if it was because she just chose to try to keep the memory of her fleeing as far from her as possible. Dixie was too complex of a person for Rae to break down into easily. "Hogsmeade's a great place to live. Even if you choose a primarily muggle life as I have," Rae's smile brightened again and she fidgeted in her seat slightly as she tapped her foot anxiously. It was a habit she had had since she was a little girl. Her parents had tried to break it but they just couldn't. Rae needed to get her energy out somehow and if she couldn't get up and run around like a normal 10 year old, they had to let her tap her foot. It wasn't like she disturbed people while doing it. She didn't tap it on the floor, rather, she just let it bob up and down in the air.

Their drinks arrived and Rae chuckled at his toast before clinking her glass with his and taking a drink. Setting her glass on the tabletop, Rae looked up at Clay and smiled brightly, "Now that you've told me your news, mine seems insignificant." It didn't feel insignificant, though. Rae felt proud of herself and was really floating on air because of it. She had never felt more accomplished in her lifetime, "My new record label is finished. I just signed all the papers today, added the last touch of paint, rearranged the furniture, and everything. It's, like, this huge step forward." Rae's smile was so wide it could have split her pretty little face, but after a moment she looked modest and shrugged, "You should come by and see it when you have a spare moment, give me your opinion. Merlin knows, Dix will give me a designer's opinion, Adam will tell me it's magnificent, I need a rather unbiased opinion." She didn't know how that came across to him, but she hadn't meant it in any negative sense. Rae hated being negative, she had tried to seem positive since the accident and so far it seemed to be working – after all her life was going in a positive direction.

Rae lifted her drink to her lips again and took another swig, trying to keep her drinking in a slight moderation. She set the glass back down again and closed her eyes a moment and then reopened them for reasons unbeknownst to her. A nice smile settled across her face at Clay and she tilted her a bit to the side, "Do you know how big of a mystery Paris is to me?" The question would undoubtedly seem odd, and so Rae situated herself in her chair so her left leg was crossed over her right and she was leaning back in the chair, "I mean, Dixie never talks to me about it and I doubt she talks to Adam about it. I'm wondering if it's because of, like, this huge secret." She smiled, friendlily, and looked at him pseudo-suspiciously, "Were you guys part of a ministry conspiracy while there?"

[Clay Daniels]

Clay was glad whenever Rae explained that she preferred the truncated version of her name. It seemed to flow a lot easier anyways. He also could relate to what she was saying about her parents and how her full name made her feel like the person that they had wanted her to be, rather than who she really was. Similarly, Clays' mother always insisted on calling him Clayton, arguing that it sounded much more gentlemanly. Clay was never one to worry about such formalities. He found himself to be gentlemanly enough without needed an extra syllable added to his name every time somebody needed to address him.

At the mention of his newly found house, Rae had asked if he told Dixie about it. "Nah... I haven't really talked to Dix much. We've both just kind of been busy with our own lives, ya know?" Clay gave an apologetic smile as Rae commented on how his news made hers seem insignificant. "Nonsense!" he said. "I'm sure that your reason is just as good as mine if not better." To his relief, it didn't take him any attempts to get Rae to be willing to share what she was going to share in the first place. He'd have felt quite terrible if she ended up just brushing off her own reason to be excited. "A new record label, all by yourself... insignificant? How many drinks did you have before I got here?" he asked with a laugh. "Only someone that was out of their right mind would find an accomplishment like that to be insignificant." He took another swig of his beverage, nodding as he sent a look toward Rae that indicated he was impressed by her work. Who'd have known that the infamous Raelee Gray that Dixie had told him about in Paris would be like the woman sitting in front of him. Sure enough, Dixie hadn't said anything bad about Rae before, but Clay had inadvertently always pictured her perhaps a little worse just from hearing things from Dixie's crushed and depressed point of view. Then again, Clay had always learned not to judge people. This was obviously a good reminded of why.

"I'd love to stop by," he said with a genuine sense of interest. "I can't say I am much of a musical guy. I mean, I listen to music on occasion. Nothing very serious though." As he talked with Rae, he wondered why he hadn't ever got to know her when they were at Hogwarts. Though he was a few years ahead of her, Dixie had told him that Rae was in Ravenclaw like he was. Oddly enough, Clay had no recollection of her. On his defense, he did have a lot going on in his life back then, with the death of his grandfather and all. Plus, he was quite often buried in his studies, determined to graduate with a good chance of pursuing Magical Law Enforcement. The studies had paid off, but apparently his lack of a prior social life was catching up with him. Nowadays, Clay was starting to realize that he needed to get out more, have more friends. Leaving Paris seemed to be a good move after all.

Pushing the thought of his blooming social life out of the way, Clay laughed as Rae mentioned Paris, eluding to the mystery that apparently surrounded Dixie's time there. He wasn't surprised that Dixie wouldn't say much about Paris though. Now that she had Adam again and her life seemed to return to what she had likely been hoping for, there really wasn't any reason she would need to bring up the few months that she spent running away from it all. If anything, she probably would prefer to forget it even happened. Clay knew that wasn't entirely true, but he didn't blame her for wanting to move on. She was given a second chance, something that wasn't always guaranteed. He was happy that she was embracing it with the spirit he sensed in her since moving back from Paris.

"There were no huge secrets," Clay said, realizing that nobody but Dix knew about Maddie. Perhaps there was more of a secret than he wanted to admit, though Maddie was actually the reason he returned home. Most of Dixie's time in Paris was spent without Maddie there. It was in that time that Clay actually allowed himself to open up quite a bit. Part of him always could sense though that Dixie's heart would always be back with Adam. Ironically enough, Adam's heart was in the hands of Rae. "It was a rather unusual experience though," he admitted. "I mean, imagine, a person that you don't even know, showing up without even the slightest bit of notice - of course I did get a letter from Devon, however I didn't think it really meant anything. Anyways... like I was saying, can you imagine the surprise it was for me?" He laughed, smiling as he took another drink. The irony of the entire situation was just now becoming quite clear to him. "But there I was, quite a sad loser who was so surrounded by my job, and this beautiful girl shows up in my life. To top it off, she was heartbroken and confused." He gave Rae a wide-eyed look, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess that's about when you and Adam were left back here in the shadows of quite a sticky situation." Clay didn't want to sound insincere, and he certainly didn't want to bring up anything that would be a sore subject for Rae.

"It's funny how fate works, yeah?" He tilted his head and admired the sense of happiness that he could detect in Rae's eyes. She truly was quite proud of her accomplishment with the record label. It was very obvious. Inside of himself, Clay couldn't help but feel a bit of pride for her as well. Surely she must have been just as crushed and confused with the whole Adam and Dixie situation as well. She had a good heart, he could sense, and surely it must have had it's share of breaks from all that had transpired. "But what about you, Rae? I mean... how do you do it? It has to be hard seeing them together. Yet, you seem so strong, so confident, so happy. What's your secret? I wish I could find that kind of happiness." As he said it, he realized that he had a happiness that was at least on some level like that. He had Maddie. She was his light. She was his world for the most part. There was a piece of him though which was searching for more. There was something missing in his life, and he was pretty sure he knew what that was. It was only a matter of time before he knew that he could work to fill the last piece of him that needed fulfillment. His time would come, he had a good feeling about it.

[Raelee Gray]

Rae nodded at Clay's comment about being busy with their separate lives. She understood completely. She had thought that Dixie being back, and actually being civil toward her (which was more than Rae had thought she would be), that they'd have loads of free time together and they'd be hanging out constantly – like they used to. She hadn't been counting on real life catching up with the both of them. What with Dixie trying to get her line running and Rae trying to get her label up, things were definitely harder than either of them thought it would be, that was for sure. Plus the new predicament in Dixie's life that was completely unexpected that it's knocked the brunette off her feet and out of her mind totally. Rae tucked a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear and listened to Clay say that her news wasn't insignificant. She shrugged modestly, but her eyes and her smile lit up her face in a proud sort of way. She laughed when he made a joke about drinks and looked down at the red currant rum in her hand, "Just this. Nothing else." She told him with an honest look on her face, but a smile still on her lips. She didn't like people to think of her as drinking all the time or too much – not since the accident. She caught the look in Clay's eye and it made her smile even more. It wasn't often that someone seemed impressed by what she did. Most people were impressed by Dixie – and since they were always together, Rae had just gotten used to it. Now, it was nice to feel like she was being accepted or praised by someone about something she did.

"Oh, well, it's totally cool," Rae told him with a bright smile as she took another drink of her rum, "I just want an opinion on the artwork on the wall, not really the building itself that is nearly completely artistless at the moment." She rolled her green eyes to the floor and shrugged before looking back up at Clay, "It's not much of a label without some musicians." There was a pause and then she said with another bright, happy smile, "And besides – you don't have to be an expert on music to know good music." She held his gaze a moment and then looked away again, lifting her drink to her lips once more. She knew good music, she wasn't an expert, but she knew good music when she heard it, and she knew that she wanted to get good music out there – and she would do that at any possible chance she received. She was just glad that Weetzie O'Keeffe was willing to take a chance with signing onto a newly formed label. She knew that Weetzie was crazy and that any other vet in the music business would tell her just as much, but Weetzie really didn't seem to care. She just wanted to make music and that was good enough for Rae. After all, she had spent a good majority of her life listening to music, to idolizing it, and when Nette had come into her life, things had just taken a rush toward music again. The woman was a music fanatic.

Nette coming into Rae's life had completely turned her world upside down. It was a good majority of the reason why she wasn't really well known in school. That and because Dixie had stolen all the limelight. If anyone did know her, she was always 'the girl who hangs out with Dixie Holden' and never Rae. Rae hadn't minded so much then, and she didn't mind now because she was shining in her own way – but still… no one knew her, even those in her own house; like Clay. She mentioned Paris to him now, subtly suggesting that there was some huge scandal there that Dixie wasn't sharing with her, but knowing that if that were the case – Dixie would have told her sooner rather than later. She listened to his answer, listening to his tone of voice as if he were a song that held meaning behind the lyrics and melody. She smiled when he called Dixie beautiful, but the smile faded slightly when he mentioned her being heartbroken and the fact that herself and Adam were back in England with the remnants of a disaster. She didn't speak, though, until he asked about how she dealt with it all. Then her heart did this constriction thing and Rae had to take a swig of her rum again. This answer wouldn't be easy.

"How do you deal with it?" She asked in return, her tone not accusatory but genuinely curious, "I'm sorry," she said as she looked down at her drink and then back up at him, the smile back, "They're meant to be, you know? I've known Dix forever. Both purebloods, our families were in business together, we grew up together. She's been through some tough times and when she met Adam… everything just clicked for her. Everything she had ever been through, every bad thing, just… it didn't matter anymore." Rae looked down again, her smile fading again, "She's never told me this, you know, but I can see it when she looks at him. It's like…he's this light in this dense fog for her and without him she breaks," she looked back up at Clay and shrugged, "It's the same for him. So yeah, sometimes it really hurts 'cos, let's face it," Rae chuckled dryly, "No one likes being the rebound, but over all? Seeing them both happy is enough to keep me going." She took another drink of her rum and paused a moment, mulling over what she had just said in her mind before looking at Clay again, "It's not like I'm in love with Adam, so don't think that. I just don't do well with feeling…like everything that happened between us was just…because." Her eyes remained on Clay again, hoping he didn't think she was lovesick over her best friend's husband, and then finished off her drink and set the glass down, "But, that's how I deal with it. How do you? Or do you even need to?"