Runes

"Please, Clary." Magnus pleaded again down the phone, "What about all the favours I've done for you in the past? And I've never asked for anything back, nothing unreasonable anyway, I just want one small favour, just a little thing." The fact that Magnus was begging a 16 year old girl made him feel sick, he almost always merely took what he wanted, and disregarded the fallout, but what he needed this time wasn't something he could take, it was something he had to ask for.

"What can be so important, Magnus?" Clary asked, "Why ask me? I'm sure Alec or Jace, heck, even Izzy would help you, why ask me?" She continued sounding confused.

"I can't, it's not possible, to tell you what I need right now. I cannot ask anyone else, because you are the only person that can help me. Do you think I would have asked Alexander, if I could rather than talking to you? Alec is far more," Magnus paused and laughed quietly under his breath, "Compliant, than you or any of the other Nephilim brats are."

Clary snorted, "Magnus I wish I could help you, but seeing as you won't tell me what you want, you just called me, Jace and Isabelle brats, and I'm about 90% sure you just made a reference to yours and Alec's sex life, I can't do anything. I'm sorry, I'm hungry, I'm going to make myself some dinner, goodnight Magnus." She pulled the phone away from her ear, intending on hanging up, but from the other end of the line she hear Magnus shouting,

"No, no, no, wait, Clary I'm sorry! Please!" Clary paused, she couldn't recall a point that she'd ever hear Magnus apologies,

"This better be important!" She told him. Magnus breathed a sigh of relief,

"I'll portal to your place in 5 minutes, into your bedroom, so clear away all your bras and whips, please." Clary spluttered,

"I don't have any whips!"

"Well I assume Jace was taking them to your place after he asked to borrow mine and Alec's, rather than some secret girlfriends, and seeing as you mother and Luke are in Idris this week, what better for a teenager and her boyfriend to do?" Clary continued to splutter, "I'll be 5 minutes, Clary, once you've finished expelling saliva all over your phone, tidy up, please." He hung up.

The air near Clary's bedroom door shimmered ever so slightly as she was closing the last of her underwear in the cupboard, and Magnus stepped out. To Clary's surprise he wasn't dressed as elaborate, and as eccentric as he ordinarily did, he was wearing a tight black t-shirt, a pair of loose black denim jeans, a pair of black baseball boots, his hair was clean without any kind of gel, sprays or glitter and he wore a single arm brace with a blade tucked into it for protection; the only way anyone who didn't know Magnus would know that he was fond of fine clothing from the way he was dressed was the fact he was wearing purple glittery eyeliner, which brought out the yellow in his strangely cat-like eyes.

Once Clary had recovered from the shock of seeing Magnus so plain, she walked over and slapped his arm,

"Don't you dare tell anyone about the whips, okay. It was an experiment, and it didn't go well. You can probably have them back, I doubt we'll be using them again." Magnus smirked,

"So whips and chains aren't your thing, darling?" He simpered, "Word of advice, you might not like being tied up and stuff, but Jace looks like the sorta guy who prefers it a little rougher, so I'll let you keep the toys, for now." He winked ad then strode across the room and sat on the chair at Clary's desk. "Anyway down to business, my dear."

Clary walked around and sat on the edge of her bed opposite the warlock, "What do you want then, Magnus?" She sighed, still trying to digest what he'd said about Jace and the whips,

"As you might know, Alexander has invited me to take dinner with his family, I'm assuming you and Jace will be attending," he looked at her for confirmation, she nodded, "in the past I have toyed with many a man, woman and Downworlder's affections. But I have never allowed myself to get to close, and therefore I have never done the whole teenage rigmarole of meeting the parents, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, or how I'm supposed to act." Clary laughed at the warlock,

"You've come to me for advice on meeting the Lightwoods?" She asked, her eyes streaming,

"Yes." He snapped, "I thought seeming as you're a marginally attractive young woman you might be able to help. But if its just a joke to you, then I'll ask Isabelle and see how much of a disaster the night will end up being." Clary stopped laughing when he called her 'marginally attractive' and stared at him intently,

"If you want my honest opinion, Magnus, I'd say asking Izzy would be your best bet. She knows guys and her parents a whole lot more, my experiences with guys are pretty limited to Jace and Simon. Isabelle has a certain pull with guys, they all like her, she probably knows how you should act to make a good impression on her mum and dad, and she wouldn't screw it up for you, she likes to see Alec happy, and with you, he is." She smiled at him, "But what I would say is those clothes look weird on you, I'd stick to your own flamboyant clothes, you don't want to be selling Maryse and Robert a lie that you're normal now, would you?"

Magnus smiled,

"You think is happy with me?" He asked,

"I know he is, he hasn't given me a single dirty look, or had a go that I'm leading Jace astray, since the two of you got together back at Idris." Magnus was smiling like a small child who'd been given ice cream, "Now if that's all you wanted, I need to carry on looking for something to wear to this bloody dinner." She stood up as if to see Magnus out.

"Uh, no actually, I still need a favour that I know for definite only you can help me with, I'll even help with your outfit for tonight if you help me?" He said, not moving from his seat. Clary sat back down, "If the Lightwoods like me after tonight they will allow Alexander to stay at my apartment for the night. And obviously, seeing as that will deem the night a huge success, we will be having sex, a lot. As well as using runes to make sure Alec doesn't become tired, nor have his muscles ache from over use which I already know of and have used many a time before, I need something to help him keep wanting it, to increase his sex drive for the night." Clary raised a confused eyebrow, the disgust at the mention of her boyfriends brothers sex life, clear of the rest of her face, "Clarissa, don't be dense. I need you to create a rune that will increase Alec's sex drive, and maybe another that I will make it more enjoyable." He stared at her expectantly, she shook her head as if to clear it,

"You want what?" She asked, Magnus rolled his eyes,

"2 new runes, if you please, Miss Fairchild. One that increases sex drive and one that increases sexual pleasure."

Clary nodded, confusedly.

"I-I think I can do that." She said after a few moments, "That-that shouldn't be difficult." She stood up and reached across Magnus snagging a notebook and marker pen from the desk, before settling herself back on the bed. She sat with the notebook on her lap and the pen poised with the lid off for a few minutes trying to work out how she would go about creating the runes shed been asked,

"We haven't go all day, Clarissa." Magnus commented after 5 minutes,

"You want to do it?" She snapped, rolling her eyes, the warlock sighed. Slowly, she concentrated on breathing evenly, then let her eyes slide shut. Clary conjured the image in her mind of the last and only time she'd spent the entire night with Jace; they'd stayed up all night, experimenting with a load of different positions, discussing what they enjoyed what they didn't, working out the things they liked giving and receiving to one and other, as she went through the memory the way you'd leaf through a photo album, her hand which held the pen, began to draw. The lines swept high and then round curving, pointing, joining, touching, smiling. The rune complete, Clary opened her eyes, gasping like she'd just been woken from a dream, she looked down at what she'd drawn, it look a lot like a pair of birds, their faces and beaks linked together like the infinity symbol.

Clary looked up at Magnus and held out her note pad,

"Passion, pleasure and drive." She told him, he took the pad from her and studied it,

"It's pretty complicated to draw," he commented,

"Isn't that what it's essence is? Sex, love, romance passion, they're complicated as heck. Maybe it saw that and reflected it?" She suggested,

"Oh Clarissa you romantic," he said teasing, "But, I suppose." Magnus stood up, tore the rune from the note pad and folded it into his trouser pocket.

"Now you've gotta hold your end of the deal," Clary said, "I don't know what to wear to this dinner." The warlock sighed and walked over to her wardrobe, inside was a pitiful collection of dresses and skirts that Clary had collected over the years and a few that Isabelle had let her keep. Magnus sighed again,

"Nothing in here will do." He resigned, "but I think I have a dress back at my apartment that would match your eyes and hair," he looked over at Clary's dresser, "and your make up collection will not be enough to compliment the dress." He tutted, "You'll have to come back to my apartment and I will dress you." He decided.

"But, Jace is meeting me here." Clary protested,

"Oh I'm sure he'd happily meet you at mine, it's not like its extra work for him, it is in fact less. Now, come come, create a portal we only have 6 hours." Clary raised an eyebrow,

"What do you even know about makeup?" She asked,

"Honey, I've been around for the best part of 700 years, I realised I was queer as fuck as I entered year 300 and I was at the opening of Maybeline New Yorks first make up branch. I've built up at least 60 years of modern make up artistry, and I wear enough of it myself, this much perfection takes time." He explained, sass dripping from every word. "Now can we go, I've gotta make you look presentable, and try and talk to Isabelle, and then change out of these fantastically ordinary clothes, all in the next..." He checked his watch, "5 hours and 48 minutes." Clary took her steele out of her back pocket and drew the portal rune on her bedroom door. It shimmered much like the air had when Magnus arrived, she looked at him,

"I haven't completely got my aim right with these things, I always end up a little bit off, so you'll have to go first and drag me along." She told him. He rolled his eyes and waltzed over to the portal, gripped Clary's forearm and walked through quickly.

Magnus's dressing room was large and had a full wall-sized mirror opposite the door, all items of clothing were split into categories and then organised by colour. In the small wardrobe by the door there was a small collection of dresses and heels, along with jewellery and accessories. Clary was standing in the centre of the room in just her underwear, her discomfort obvious in the way she stood, arms bent to try and cover as much of her torso as she could, legs crossed, as she watched Magnus rummage through his dresses, a frown pinching her lips.

Magnus cast a look over his shoulder as he searched and tutted,

"Clarissa, I don't find you particularly attractive, I won't stare." He told her, when she didn't take her arms away from herself he tutted again and then threw her a knee-length camisole dress, "Put that on until I find the dress, oh lord now I remember why I stopped doing this professionally." He muttered to himself while Clary quickly threw the cami on.

He finally turned around with a dress draped over his arm, Clary gasped,

"It's beautiful." She assessed, it was black and pinky-red, with lace, the shoulders were lacy, which lead into a opaque black bodice, that flared from the waist with layers of pink silk and a single layer of black lace roses. The petticoat underneath was white and looked like it was made of stiff lace. Clary walked across the room and to feel the silk, she smiled at it, and them at Magnus, "Oh my god, thank you so much Magnus! It's so beautiful, I might even look as nice as Isabelle, Jace will think I look like a woman for once instead of a guy!" She gushed.

Magnus pushed her back to the centre of the room,

"I don't know why you put that cami on, I don't take a long time to make decisions, unlike you. Now off." He ordered. Slowly, Clary pulled the camisole dress off and dropped it on the floor, "Clarissa that is impolite, go hang that back in the wardrobe, honestly 4 days with out your mother and Luke and you act like you were raised by wol- elephants." He said as she waked to the wardrobe, hung the cami on the spare hangar and walked back to where the warlock stood.

"Arms." He told her. She put her arms in the air and Magnus pulled the dress down over her. Once he'd zipped it up he walked around her adjusting it so it hung right, plumping the petticoat, tilting her shoulders to see how her posture affected how the dress looked, how the dress looked on Clary and her surroundings. After almost 10 minutes of Clary feeling self conscious, he smiled,

"I think the dress looks lovely on you, dear." He said walking back to the cupboard, from it he pulled a tight looking half-length leather jacket, and a pair of thigh high black leather boots with a pair of skin coloured tights, "Put these on." He instructed her. She did as she was told, as she was going to turn around to look at herself in the mirror, Magnus who had been rummaging through a chest of draws next to the only chair in the room, made a noise as if to say don't do that,

"No looking, I will make you look beautiful, but you can't see the working progress that's not fair." He debated,

"Okay, okay, I won't look... Want me in the chair." Clary asked, Magnus nodded and continued digging, pulling out products that Clary didn't understand, BB and CC Creams, primer, skin base, thickening paste, she regarded the growing pile with apprehension. Awkwardly she lowered herself into the chair adjusting her jacket and pulling at the dress to make it sit right as she waited for Magnus to finish pulling out the products he needed. Just as he was about to start smothering her face in a multitude of products Clary remembered that she had to tell Jace, out of the pocket she'd put it in, she pulled out her phone and messaged Jace that he should meet her at Magnus's apartment.

Clary stood in front of the mirror with her eyes closed, waiting as Magnus tilted her face to the left and right, changed how she was standing so that she was stood straighter, her arms resting right atop her dress correctly. He finally stood back and Clary could hear him sigh as if to show relief at finishing.

"You can open you eyes if you want." He said, his smile obvious in his voice. Slowly Clary cracked her eyes open, immediately her eyes were drawn to her own in her reflection. The were framed in a soft dark pink, that was contrasted with a stark black and lashes that could knock a man down. Once she'd digested how majestic her eyes were she focused on the rest of her face, the way Magnus had made her face look slimmer, more adult, made her lips look fuller, and larger, a dark cherry red, the lightness of the blusher made her look cute rather than mysterious and grown-up, but it all seemed to work together. He'd twisted her hair back into a messy bun shape, but left it all very loose, with strands of curly hair framing her face, and twisted into the bun were sparkly clips that glinted in the light. She assessed herself overall, she looked like a lady, worth enough to attend a dinner with the highest members of The Clave, but she amended that taking dinner with Jace and his family was honour enough for her.

When she'd finally taken in how different she looked se finally turned to Magnus smiling,

"I feel so pretty." Was all she could say. He laughed,

"Darling, you look more than pretty, you're beautiful, ravishing, if Jace doesn't fall down on his knees and worship you, you'd better be glad you kept those whips." She almost skipped towards him and hugged him tight,

"Thank you!" She squealed, he squeezed her,

"Well, someone has gotta be your fairy-godmother," he said letting go, "Now after," he checked his watch, " 3 and a half hours of dressing and sitting you're probably hungry, go to the kitchen, take what you want, wear my apron so as not to spoil your dress and use a straw to drink anything, so you don't smudge your lipstick, they're in the cupboard in the corner." He said before she could ask. She smiled and nodded, "I'm going to get changed out of these terribly ordinary clothes, and then I'll join you." He said, walking towards his biggest wardrobe. Clary left the room and found the kitchen, and then began making herself pancakes, because beautiful ladies divulged in pancakes when they felt beautiful.

Magnus and Clary were sat watching Americas Next Top Model when the buzzer went announcing Jace's arrival downstairs, he'd changed from his ordinary clothes to a pair of tight sparkly, purple skinny jeans, a white shirt embroidered with gold thread, a purple tail coat, edged with black leather. His hair was flecked with glitter and purple, his eyes were blended black and purple, and up and down his arms were an assortment of gold chains and gemstones. He'd spent the best part of an hour on the phone to Isabelle, being instructed as to how to act around her parents, and he felt a whole lot more confident in meeting them than he had before.

Magnus turned to Clary,

"Right this is what I want you to do," he said, "When I buzz him in, I want you to stand at the top of the stairs holding the cutlass that's by the door, on its strap, and look fierce, fierce like Tyra Banks was just telling all those models to be. I want Jace to see you and fall on his knees, begging for forgiveness." He looked distant for a second, then shook his head,

"Uh, Magnus I'm not fulfilling some weird fantasy of yours am I?" Clary asked, worrying what sort of gratification he would be getting from it, he smirked,

"Admittedly, I saw it on a stage performance in the 18th century, but you'd look scary and beautiful and Jace," he buzzed again, "however impatient he might be, needs to be hit full force with your radiance." He walked over to the buzzer, and picker up the door phone, "Jace, my darling ... Yes, Clarissa is here... She was helping me with a small request ... Darling, it's nothing to weird.. I'm sure she'll tell you if you asked... Okay... Okay I'm buzzing you in now..." He put the phone down and turned to nod at Clary, she grabbed the cutlass from the rack by the door, and flung the strap over her shoulder, adjusting it so it hung properly in between her boobs. She then went out the door and stood the the top of the stairs leading a little on the handrail, as she tried to make her face look as fierce as she could make it.

When Jace reached the stairwell that Clary stood on top, he slowed down. As he climbed, his eyes were drawn to a figure leaning on the hand rail, her hair was drawn up and curly, her face was angular and soft, the knee high boots she wore made her look like she meant business, the dress and jacket she wore made her look dark and gothic, but beautiful, all held together with a majestically deadly cutlass, she look fierce, and like she'd stab you in the heart and then hold you till you died. He fell to his knees a few step from the top,

"Clarissa Fairchild, I-" lost for words he took her hand and ghosted his lips across the back. When he stood up, she was staring at him, a smile playing on her lips. He climbed the last few steps and pressed his lips softly to hers

When the broke apart, they turned to Magnus who was stood by the door,

"Thanks again Magnus, I feel so pretty." Clary told him, he smiled,

"It's okay, Clary darling." He told her,

"Alec picking you up? Or are you Portaling in?" Jace asked the warlock,

"Alexander is currently walking here, we thought it'd be romantic, I suppose, to walk together to the Institute. Jace nodded,

"You've made Clary look, incredible," he said, "Thank you." Was all he could said to show his gratitude. Clary took the cutlass off over her head,

"Jace and I aren't likely to need this tonight." She said laughing as she handed it back to the warlock, he laughed with her,

"I know," he pulled her a little closer, "Remember what I said about Jace in your bedroom Clary, no need to be self-centred and think they're just for you." He smirked, she laughed awkwardly and stepped back.

"Think what? What for who? Why were you in Clary's bedroom? Clary?" Jac interjected sounding a little worried. Clary turned to him laughing,

"Don't worry Jace, you'll see later." And she started her decent down the stairs, Magnus's laugh carried behind they as Jace followed her still asking.