The library had been Clara's safe haven from the first day on. It was where she could retreat to when she felt close to tears and bury her nose in a book. Only today her haven appeared to be more of a fridge. The heating was out, which wouldn't have bothered her hadn't it been November. After spending several hours freezing despite her warm coat and not getting any work done, she decided it might be better to go home and warm up before she caught a cold.
As she walked through the streets, shivering in the snow, she passed a small pub in a back road that she hadn't really taken notice of before. A hot cup of tea or coffee would be really nice now, she thought. Clara spun around on her heels and entered the pub, a wave of hot air blowing into her face. She still kept her coat on and approached the bar when she suddenly spotted her professor sitting on one of the bar stools in front of a glass of what looked like strong alcohol. At least she wasn't the only one having a bad day.
Clara considered leaving or finding a spot in the darkest corner of the pub so he wouldn't notice her but it was too late for that. Professor Doctor Smith, or the Doctor, had already seen her and was now waving at her to come closer. She approached him carefully.
“Miss. . . Oswald?” he asked uncertainly, his voice even raspier now.
Clara nodded.
“Listen, I'm sorry about earlier,” the Doctor said with a slight smile, clutching his drink in both hands, “Your grade is fine. Don't worry about it.”
She wasn't sure what to reply. Should she thank him for giving her a grade she obviously didn't deserve? Sit down? Leave?
“In fact, I gave everyone an A+. Couldn't be bothered with grading last night. Take it as a matriculation present.”
“Uhm, thanks,” Clara said hesitantly. He looked absolutely miserable. Should she ask him if he was okay? Other people's problems always seemed to distract her from her own, “Are you all right?”
The Doctor looked up from his glass and stared at her for a moment. The he proceeded to take of his glasses and rub his eyes as if tired.
“Do you want me to leave?” Clara asked. She wasn't really comfortable in this situation. The Doctor was such a strong presence, it intimidated her.
“No, no,” he shook his head, “Why don't you sit down?”
Clara unbuttoned her coat reluctantly and took the seat next to him, praying for a bartender to show up soon and save her from awkwardly sitting at the bar with nothing to hold on to.
“Do you want something to drink?” the Doctor asked her and she noticed his gaze wander over her figure. She nervously fiddled to close her coat again.
“Tea would be nice. I'm freezing,” she admitted.
The Doctor snorted and took a sip of his drink. “Scotch does a better job at warming you up, trust me. It's also very useful if you're having a really, really bad day.”
“Okay, I'll have one of those then.”
He waved at the waiter who immediately refilled his glass and also brought one for Clara. She took a sip carefully and made a grimace as the alcohol burned in her throat. But the Doctor was right, it was warming her up instantly.
“So, what screwed up your day?” he asked after a while.
Clara shrugged. She didn't really feel like talking about Danny. In fact, she had told no one at university so far, not even the two friends she had made. She was so sick of their stares, of everyone feeling sorry for her. She thought that maybe if no one knew about Danny and treated her like they would any other person she could get over it and forget.