Broken Pasts (The Mortal Instruments Fanfiction)

Chapter 2: Bitter Introductions

Rose plastered a smile on her face as she held out her hand for the girl to shake. She could see out of the corner of her eye Jace giving her a warning look.

 The red head girl shifted nervously and shook Roses hand and stuttered "It's uhh nice to meet you too, my names uhh Clary. Clary Fray."

Rose smiled but it was obvious she was faking it. She walked away from the two and leant against one of the walls lined with books and watched as Clary looked around the library in amazement, until her eyes fell on the desk with a thin man with gray-streaked hair and a long beaky nose behind it.

"A book lover I see," he said, smiling at Clary. "You didn't tell me that, Jace."

Rose rolled her eyes; of course reading would be Hodges first conversation starter.

Jace chuckled. Rose could see that he had come up behind Clary and was standing there with his hands in his pockets, with that infuriating grin of his. "We haven't done much talking during our short acquaintance," he said. "I'm afraid our reading habits didn't come up."

Clary turned around and shot him a glare causing Rose to snigger.

"The look on your face when you walked in," Hodge said, standing up and coming around from behind the desk. "Somehow I doubted you were impressed by me."

Clary stifled a gasp as he rose. She thought he was strangely misshapen, one shoulder seemed to have a large hunch, but as he approached she saw that it was actually a bird, perched neatly on his shoulder, a glossy feathered creature with bright black eyes.

"This is Hugo," the man said, touching the bird on his shoulder. "Hugo is a Raven, and, as such he knows many things. I, meanwhile, am Hodge Starkweather, a professor of history, and, as such, I do not know nearly enough," Hodge glanced over at Rose pretending to look at the books bound in leather and velvet. "And as I'm sure you know that is Rosaline over there. From past experiences I do not doubt that she has already introduced herself and I apologise for that."

Rose shot Hodge a glare and walked towards the fireplace and perched on the arm of a red armchair.

"Clary Fray" Clary said as she laughed a little, and shook his out stretched hand.

"Honoured to make your acquaintance," he said. "I would be honoured to make the acquaintance of anyone who could kill a Ravener with her bare hands."

Clary shifted uncomfortably, “I wasn’t with my bare hands. I was Jace’s, well, I don’t remember what it was called, but-“

“She means my sensor,” Interrupted Jace. “She shoved it down the things throat. The runes must have choked it. I guess I’ll need another one, I uhh should have mentioned that.”

Before Hodge could reply, a sharp laugh sounded through the room. Clary had been so enraptured by the books and distracted by the books that she hadn’t seen Alec sprawled in an overstuffed red armchair by the empty fireplace with Rose perched on the arm of the chair. “I can’t believe you buy that story, Hodge,” he said.

Clary was taken aback by the two by the fire place. Rose had long blonde cascading hair whilst Alec had jet-black hair like his sister. They both gazed at Clary in hostility with their piercing blue eyes.

“I’m not quite sure what you mean Alec.” Hodge raised an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting that she didn’t kill that demon after all?”

Rose stood up, her piercing blue eyes fixed on Clary. “Of course she didn’t,” She laughed.

“Look at her; she’s a Mundie, Hodge, and a little kid, at that. There’s no way she took on a Ravener.” Alec said, making his way towards Hodge and Clary.

“I’m not a little kid,” Clary interrupted, folding her arms over her chest. “I’m sixteen years old, well, I will be on Sunday.”

“The same age as Rose and Isabelle,” Hodge said as he raised his eyebrow. “Would you call them a child, Alec?”

“Isabelle and Rose have been raised shadowhunters,” Alec said dryly. “This girl, on the other hand, hails from New Jersey.”

“I’m from Brooklyn!” Clary was outraged. “And so what? I just killed a demon in my own house, and you’re going to be a dickhead about it because I’m not some spoiled-rotten rich brat like you, Rose and your sister?”

Alec looked astonished. “What did you call me?”

Roses face had flushed a tomato red colour and all of the kindness she had towards Clary (which was not much) had suddenly disappeared, before she could snap at Clary she saw Jace trying to contain his laughter.

“She has a point, Alec. I mean she obviously killed it; she was lying on the floor in a pool of blood with a dying demon practically on top of her. I watched as it vanished. If she didn’t kill it, who did?” Jace said.

“Maybe it got itself in the neck with its stinger. Ravener’s are stupid. It’s happened before-“ Started Rose who was now standing closely to Alec.

“Now you’re suggesting it committed suicide. Rose, I know you haven’t had any experience with demons, but I thought you might at least know that from all the books you read, by the angel are you really that dumb?”

Rose’s mouth tightened. “Actually I have had experience; I killed my first demon the other night while you were out saving that Mundie.” Her lip quivered. “It isn’t right for her to be here Mundie’s aren't allowed in the institute, and there are good reasons for that. If anyone knew about this, we could be reported to the Clave.” Rose looked at Jace, how could he say that about her, did he really think she was that dumb? She tried to shake the thought out of her head.

“That’s not entirely true,” Hodge said. “The law does allow us to sanctuary to mundane’s in certain circumstances. A Ravener has already attacked Clary’s mother-she could well have been next. It was only right of Jace to bring her back here, I'm sure you would understand if it was you Rose, am I right?"

And just like that Hodge had overlooked Rose killing her first demon, just to prove his facts. Rose stormed out of the library, tears threatening to escape her eyes. She slammed the library door and headed to her room. How could Hodge and Jace treat her like that, it was common of Hodge to act like that but never Jace he was always the one who defended her. She felt a tear roll down her cheek, she quickly wiped it with her sleeve and hurried to her room, her golden hair flying behind her.  Just as she was about to enter her room someone caught her wrist. She wiped her head around to see no other than the golden eyed boy she had grown up with. Jace.