A near hour after the incident at the three broomsticks Claire found herself in her great-grandfather's empty office with Cho in a chair next to her. Claire scowled staring at the floor and Cho whimpering silently about her nose which had stopped bleeding and was now an ugly red blimp on her face. Claire looked around then at the moment she sank back in her seat, Dumbledore walked into the room. He didn't say a word as he sat down; Claire hated silence she knew it all to well her mother was the same way when she was mad.
"Well Miss. Chang you were not the instigator in this situation, you may go to Madame Pomfrey to have your nose fixed." He said.
Cho noiselessly stood up and left the office, Dumbledore turned to Claire who looked down at her lap.
"What you did today was very unacceptable; I really don't understand why you must fight every one who angers you?" Dumbledore started.
"But I…" Claire said.
"Not that I am surprised, Claire I had this same talk with your father, he had fought with another boy in his case seventh year Lucius Malfoy." Dumbledore said.
She could see the hint of a smile in his eyes as he stared out the window.
"More importantly, Professor Snape will start Occlumency lessons with you soon." He told her.
"What! No I did not agree to that I don't even know what Occlumency is." Claire said.
"Well there is the other option that you will be sent home for the holidays, and will not partake in the Yule Ball at Christmas?" Dumbledore said.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing; her own grandfather was black mailing her into hanging out with Snape.
"Alright…" She mumbled and looked back down to her lap.
"Right he will inform you of your first lesson tomorrow, you may go." He said.
Claire got up and looked at her watch in was almost dinner she ran to the Great Hall and came over to Hermione, Harry, and Ron.
"Did you get a detention?" Ron asked earnestly.
"Worse! some weird lessons with Snape." Claire said pushing her self a space between them.
"Well?" Hermione asked putting food on her plate.
"Any idea what Occlumency is?" Claire asked her.
At that moment Professor McGonagall came along the table, "Miss. Black?"
Ron nearly spat out his food when he saw what McGonagall was carrying, she was holding a scarlet envelop.
"Oh dear Mr. Weasley eat slower," She started "Miss. Black a letter from Miss. Chang's parents, read it quickly and kindly return to your house table."
She trusted the letter in her hand.
"Open it quick!" Ron and Harry shouted together.
Claire looked around them opened the seal to the letter.
"CLAIRE BLACK! HOW DARE YOU EVEN THINK OF ATTACKING OUR DAUGHTER IN SUCH A VICIOUS MANNER, JUST LIKE THAT CRIMINAL FATHER OF YOUR'S BEATING EVERY THING THAT MOVES!" The envelope screamed.
Claire sank under the table and hid from the whole hall, who were either laughing or staring. Claire saw Cho over at the Ravenclaw table looking rather pleased with herself; Cedric was making his way over to the table.
"Claire come on…" He mumbled walking out with her.
When they were out side the snow was falling around the grounds, the sky reflected the bright red and orange sunset over the looming mountains across the lake.
"Hey I know you were probably embarrassed by that letter, it was a howler your friend Ron got one in his second year." Cedric said.
Claire crossed her arms she was so annoyed that Cho's parents had to send and angry letter like that, they weren't even there.
"Well it was very embarrassing and I am not very happy about that stupid letter." Claire said.
"Mr. and Mrs. Chang had no right to send that letter." He said.
Cedric moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist; Claire leaned back into him sighing slightly.
"Are you nervous for next February, you know the second task?" Claire asked him.
"Well I have the egg figured out, it will take place in the lake the mere-people will take some thing important to me down to the bottom of the lake and I have an hour to get it back." He said.
Claire froze she remembered the vision and moved away from him to the edge of the lake. Flashes of the under water ruins, Hermione, Ron, and the blond girl flashed through her mind.
"No…this can't be happening…" Claire muttered.
"Hey Claire…are you okay?" He asked putting a hand on her shoulder.
She shook her head, he turned her to face him and saw she was crying.
"Claire what is it just tell me…" He said.
"I don't want you to die…" she whispered.
"I won't die trust me, what ever you might have seen it was just a dream, that's all it was a silly pointless dream." He told her.
Claire nodded.
As the days went by she couldn't understand how she could ever feel depressed, there was so much going on. Girls were swooning and boys were walking about nervous.
Hermione and Claire were getting in a few last minute study moments before the holidays started, when Viktor came over to their table after telling off the girls that had been following them.
"Hi Viktor!" Claire said as her sat down.
"I saw you and Cedric, you too look very happy now." He said. Side glancing at Hermione.
Claire saw this and smiled to her self, "Yes Cedric and I are very happy, so who are you taking to the Yule Ball?"
She saw Hermione stiffen behind her book, and Claire grinned at Viktor.
"Vell I vos going to ask Miss. Granger here, vell Hermyone vill you go?" Viktor asked.
Hermione peeked over the book and smiled at him, "Alright Viktor, I'll go with you…"
"You two must already know one and other?" Claire said.
"Vell Claire, Hermyone and I talk a lot here in the library." Viktor said.
He stood up and bowed, "Good day to you ladies." And he walked off.
"Okay now I need details…what about Ron?" Claire asked raising her eye-brow.
"Well he hasn't got the guts to ask me." Hermione said haughtily. "And I'm not about to sit around waiting for him, if hasn't got the nerve to ask me now then forget it."
"Well said Hermione…lets just hope they don't expect us to be going with them." Claire said.
"Well they know you'll go with your boyfriend, so that rules you out, Harry wouldn't have asked me because he thinks Ron likes me." Hermione said.
"What Harry is a boy, boy…how on earth could he pick something like that up?" Claire asked.
"Well he has not told me this verbally but he seems to catch on to things… What, what is it Claire?" Hermione said.
"Catch on to things… maybe if I caught on more look at the clues Claire come on, who is behind." Claire looked at Hermione and covered her mouth.
"What?" Hermione asked
"I just remembered Cedric figured out the clue in his egg, I think he…bath Mermaids!" Claire was saying random things now. "Hermione remember at the party when the egg screeched when opened?"
"Yeah why?" Hermione said.
"Well along time ago I saw this film with my mom on movie night; it was called Splash, well any way when the main girl tried to tell the guy what her name was she just screeched." Claire started, "That girl was a Mermaid which means…oh this is good Harry needs to hear that screeching under water an it should tell him a clue about what the second task is!"
"Claire that was just a movie…I don't think that it's real." Hermione said.
"I'm asking Madame Prince for a book on Mermaids." Claire said.
"Come this way I know where there is one…" Hermione said.
After proving to Hermione about Mermaids the two of them went to the dinning room, it was the last dinner before the holidays started and every one was excited for the ball.
"Hi Ginny are you sad your going to miss the ball?" Claire asked her.
"On the contrary Claire, I was invited." Ginny said.
"By who?" Hermione and Claire asked together.
"Okay, but don't tell Ron or Harry." Ginny said, they nodded and Ginny leant in, "Neville asked me."
"OH! How cute!" Claire said.
"Well it was nice of you to say yes Ginny." Hermione said.
"Well like you I wasn't going to wait around." Ginny said.
"Those boys are dense," Claire said casting an annoyed glance down at Ron, who raised his hands and shrugged. Harry not paying attention.
When Claire got to the Slytherin table Draco cornered her, "Who are you going with?"
"Who do you think numb nuts, my boyfriend." Claire said.
She pushed him aside and walked to her seat beside Pansy, and started to eat not saying a word to those around, Claire turned looking just in time to see Hermione get up and run from the table.
Claire threw her fork down and got up after her.
"Hermione! Waite!" Claire said catching up to her.
"Oh that Ron, he makes me so…" Hermione started.
"Mad…what did he say?" Claire asked.
"Oh it's too bad Claire is going with Cedric we could all go together…and then he says good thing no one has asked you Hermione, want to go together?" She said imitating Ron.
"Oh Hermione he's just a silly boy, he's not worth you getting mad, think you have the most desired dance partner next week, and Ron is just going to have to eat his awful Maroon pajamas." Claire said hugging Hermione.
"Your right, I'm going back to finish my dinner." She said as they stood up.
Harry and Cho were walking out of the dinning room, "Alright Harry I'll go with you, I think it would be fun you and I, see you around." Cho walked up the stairs.
"That hoesbag!" Claire screamed and stomped her foot, "First Cedric now, Harry does she ever quit!"
Hermione cowered away at Claire's anger, and sneaked off to the dinning room.
Snape came out not long after Hermione left; he walked up to Claire who was still scowling.
"You know if you keep doing that you face will stay that way…" He said. "Get to my office we start tonight, Occlumency is an important tool you will use."
He started walking toward the dungeons, Claire following close behind.
"I don't know how much I want you prying around my thoughts." Claire said.
"I don't care what you want Black, what you don't want me to find out more about your infatuation with Remus Lupin?" He said snidely.
"I told you that out of confidence, I said I respect and care about him, he's done a lot for my family in my father's absence." Claire snapped at him.
"Of course Black, I see." He said sarcastically.
Claire pursed her lips and walked passed him and sat down in a chair.
"Stand up I did not offer you a seat, for this lesson you'll have to be standing you will clear you mind of all emotion, being a woman this should be an easy task for you." He said.
"Dose this mean it was difficult for you?" Claire asked knowing he'd get angry.
"I'll not have you speaking to me in that tone Black, now ready your wand." He said in a snappy tone.
Claire tried to clear her mind and thought of nothing till Snape shouted, "Legilimens!"
The feeling that came over her was that of discomfort, her mind felt like it was being opened like a book and Snape saw a memory that Claire held he would have never expected to see…
Claire five years old was running into the kitchen of their home, she had grown up two streets from Harry Potter and never knew it. The sun was shinning out side and she was giggling and laughing about some thing. Then a beautiful blond woman came in holding a container of sun screen.
"Claire if you want to go to the zoo today you need sunscreen." Helga said picking the laughing little girl up and playfully throwing her in the air.
"Mum I met this really mean boy at school today…" Claire said holding still, "He made fun of my yellow sandals."
"What those are cute sandals, they make you look like you have little buttercups on your feet." Helga said tickling her feet.
"Mum tell me about daddy….pulease!!" Claire whined.
"I tell you about daddy every day aren't you tired of hearing about him?" Helga asked.
"Never…and I know you never get tired of talking about him, you love him too much." Claire said.
"Well you just read me like a book, you must me a seer." Helga said teasingly.
"Tell me, tell me!" Claire said.
"Ok I'll tell you… Your father was a mischief maker, just like you, he had your hair colour, your cute nose, and he was a very nice man." Helga started "He was tall, handsome, loved to dance, and most of all he loved you very much."
"He loved you too! Mommy, how did he die?" Claire asked.
"It was a terrible accident, he was…well how he died isn't important darling that point Claire is that he lived, and he was the most wonderful man ever." Helga told her.
"Why did you never marry?" Claire asked.
Helga's eyes filled with tears she had cried before, Claire started to cry too.
"There was no time…no time darling, I wanted to goodness knows I wanted to." Helga sank to the floor.
"Mommy I'm sorry…I'm sorry I made you cry, I'm sorry daddy died too, I wont ask again I promise MOMMY, are you okay…
Claire hit the floor she hissed as pain shot through her hands and knees, "I thought she was going to die, but it was her suppressed magic I know that now, she had been so upset over every thing, I never did ask about my father again after that, not until the night I heard his name on the radio."
"Yes I see that's lovely to hear Black, but it took almost the entire memory for you to shut down your mind." Snape said.
"It was for my own selfish reasons, I miss my mother can't you see I want her back, she has been there for me always…and now she's just a memory, haven't you ever felt that way? HAVEN'T YOU?" Claire said crying.
"I have…but because of stupid mistake…why am I telling you this." Snape said going over to a shelf.
"Because you have kept your self so locked up and scared, when some one comes around feeling the same sort of loss as you… you shut them out too." Claire said standing up.
"What do you know you're just a silly…" He started
"A silly what Professor, Girl! Child! goddamit I see it written plain on your…" Claire started but Snape had come closer to her in a wave of fury.
"Shut up you stupid girl be silent!" He yelled smashing a glass cabinet by her head.
"No you shut up…I'm right you know it that is why you are yelling at me, who were they professor who did you…" But Claire was silenced Snape had hit her across the face hard and fast.
Claire stumbled back seeing only stars as the contents of the shelf fell on her Claire hit the floor.
Snape panicked he had hit her too hard he knew it he knelt beside Claire who was not moving or responding, "Oh no I've killed her…"
Oh nooooo! reviews are appreciated...lol