Snape tuned her over her head rolled to one side he grabbed a piece of glass and held it to her nose it fogged up, throwing the glass aside he looked her over her cheek was red where he had hit her and she had a cut above her eye.
"Please wake up." He said shaking her a bit.
At that moment Draco walked into the room he saw the glass and broken potions bottles, and then he saw his potions master hunched over the still body of Claire.
"Claire! What did you do to her!" Draco yelled.
Snape stood up and covered his mouth, "Shut up you stupid boy, we had an argument." He said grabbing a potion off a different shelf. He tipped the contents of the bottle into her mouth and Claire moaned a bit.
Claire opened her eyes and saw Snape over her, "YOU! Get the hell away from me now!" She said trying to get up, there was a pain in her side as she tried to sit up. Claire fell back on the cold stone floor, she saw Draco by the door he looked at her terrified.
"You really need to get away form me now." Claire said turning her head to Snape.
"Excuse me?" Snape said.
Claire slowly lifted her self off the ground, shards of glass clinked to the ground as her ribs crunched and hurt. She stood up straight wincing with the pain, she limped passed him and Draco.
Draco reached out to help her and Claire pushed his hands away, "Don't touch me please." Claire said.
Slowly she struggled up to the stairs; she didn't want to think about what Snape did to her. Claire knew she'll never trust him; she had never been hit like that before.
Madame Pomfrey gasped as Claire struggled into the door, "My dear what happened to you?"
"I fell down the stairs to the dungeons, I broke a few ribs." Claire said.
"Your face it's all bruised, my dear did some one hit you?" she asked sitting her down.
"I uh…no I fell on the side of my face." Claire lied to her.
Madame Pomfrey pursed her lips then set to work at removing the bruise and fixing her ribs.
Claire slept in the hospital wing that night, by the next day every one had there own story about Claire and Snape.
There would be no classes for the next two weeks, and Claire was really happy about this she wouldn't have to face Snape, but he found his own way of talking to her.
"Miss. Black…" came a gruff voice from behind her.
Claire turned to see Professor Moody decorated with a wreath; Claire raised her eye-brows in response.
"Come with me…" He led the way to his office.
He motioned to the chair and sat down him self pulling out his flask and taking a long swig.
"Sir what is it you need?" Claire asked.
"Well you are a rude one I see why Snape smacked you one across the face." Moody said.
"Well I don't trust him and I sure as hell don't trust you, I think it rather suspicious you and Bagman trying to help Harry." Claire said, "Why him huh? Is there some sort of big plan for Harry?"
"You shouldn't dig too deep into these things Black; you've never been trusting person have you?" He asked.
"No since my mother lied to me about my father, I trust very few people now." Claire said standing up and walking around the room inspecting his things.
"Only started here last year too, already the one of the top students of your year too." Moody said. "Dumbledore speaks very highly of you and your mother, it's a shame she didn't continue on as an Auror, she was damn good at her job."
"My mother was an Auror, I never knew that." Claire said turning from a broken sneekscope.
"You bet caught a lot of dark wizards with her partner James Potter, who's back in the department; yep there's a plaque I believe honoring your mothers work for the good of wizard kind." Moody said, Claire detected the sound of anger in his voice.
"I find there are more and more things everyday that my dear mother never told me." Claire said.
"Yes well we are in the same boat, my father never told me much either; he hated me you see, but put up with me for the sake of my mother." Moody said.
"Well I see…your parents must be long gone now aren't they?" Claire said.
"Yes, yes of course they are dead." He said drinking more from his flask.
"You said you wanted to…" Claire started but the trunk near her tarted screaming and rattling, as if some one were locked up in there.
Claire looked at Moody then walked over to the trunk, she was just about to open it when Moody grabbed her arm, "No. no Miss. Black, there are things in there no young girl should see." He said.
"You showed us the unforgivable curses sir, what is wrong with me seeing this" Claire said staring him down.
"Not for you I trust Remus would not be happy if you were hurt by one of my experiments." He said releasing her arm.
"Potter is a good contender, but I see your boyfriend Diggory making exceptional progress, seeing the main support he has from a very powerful person." Moody said as jealousy played across his face.
"Sir if I didn't know, I would say you are jealous of Cedric?" Claire said.
"Yes well he's very well liked its only natural for him to be successful and most desired among his fellow wizards." Moody said.
"I'm not sure I understand sir." Claire said but Moody flashed an angry face at her.
"Look at the boy he gets a beautiful girl, the best tasks and I…I have to be an ugly worthless beat up old man…where's my glory huh Miss. Black tell me why do the young stupid ones get put before me who is most loyal." Moody swigged more potion and sat back down in his chair.
"I don't know what you are talking about, but I have to go now." Claire said walking out.
"What is he talking about, is he wanting to relive his younger glory years? Why is he jealous of Cedric?" Claire puzzled over these questions the next few days. It was at last the day of the dance before Claire pushed the questions out of her mind.
She focused now on getting ready for that night. She had showered that morning and was now reading a book and drying her hair out.
Pansy was being pleasant with her, and Claire found this rather weird. "Do you think Draco would like me to have red lipstick or pink?"
"I'd go with the pink Pansy!" Amy said.
"Well Claire what do you think?" Pansy asked.
Claire looked up in surprise, "Well personally I think if you went light on the red, and applied some clear lip gloss it would look really nice, that pink you have looks very hoochy."
"Oh really as if you know any thing about make up." Amy said.
"On the contrary I know quite a bit, my mother was a makeup artist for seven years." Claire said.
"Well there you go Amy, so she knows quite a bit about makeup." Pansy said. As she tried out Claire's suggestion. "Oh wow Claire you're right I look great!"
Claire felt her hair and stood up to her mirror and began pinning up her hair. After a while she was left with a half bun and a few tresses hanging about her face. Claire applied her own lip gloss and a blue mascara with a black eye liner. She slipped into her midnight blue gown and tightened the back with her wand.
Pansy looked at her in awe, "Wow Claire you look good, Cedric Diggory is going to die."
Claire whipped around to look at Pansy, "Don't even joke about something like that." She turned back and stepped into her slippers and looked at her self one more time than left.
She walked up the hall for the dungeons and as she passed the door Snape waked out. Claire stopped and froze in her tracks.
"Black I wanted to apologize for what I did…it will not happen again." He said stiffly.
"I don't think I need Occlumency lessons any way sir." Claire said.
"You great-grandfather knows of what happened, but he insists that we continue our lessons." Snape said.
Claire pursed her lips then spoke, "Fine then we continue tomorrow Professor." She stormed off and out of the dungeons, where she saw Cedric.
Cedric turned to see Claire walking out from the dungeons; he smiled at her and pulled her over to where they were. She saw Ron looking rather proud dipite his awful dress robs to be on Fleur Delacour's arm. Claire smiled at him he winked back.
"Ron how on earth did you manage to ask Fleur?" Claire asked whispering in his ear.
"Took a lot of guts Claire a lot…" He said.
So the couples were as followed as McGonagall lined them all up, Viktor and Hermione, Fleur and Ron, Claire and Cedric, followed by to Claire's annoyance Cho and Harry.
The all went out to the sound of all the students clapping as the champions readied for the dance. Claire grinned at Harry as he looked rather nervous he might have thrown up all over Cho (Claire secretly wished this would happen).
Soon the rest off the schools were on the dance floor and every one was laughing and dancing. Claire couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun then it hit, her mother use to dance with her to all their favorite muggle artists. She and Cedric danced a couple of slow songs together the left to go be some where private out side.
She saw Hermione laughing and enjoying herself as they walked out, she even saw Greta and James dancing.
"Where are we going?" Claire whispered giggling.
"Some where we can be alone…" They walked out but in the Great Hall a new kind of love was happening and every one there became witness to Hogwarts first proposal…
Greta sat down fanning her face and turned smiling at James. "You are crazy you know that James, I haven't had this much fun with someone in many years." She said smiling.
"Well there is something I wanted to talk to you about, before you even asked I've talked to Harry about this and I have his approval…now from you I need the okay." James started.
"What on earth James, you need your sons approval for…oh my god James seriously!" Greta screamed.
"Hey can I ask the question?" James said looking at those who were watching, Greta nodded, "Greta Dumbledore will you marry me?"
She threw her self at him kissing James, as he was surprised by this response, "Well say some thing…" he said
"Yes you fool…when can we leave!" Greta said.
"What!?" James said surprised.
"Leave I mean now you and I back at the hotel in Hogsmeade!" Greta said sliding her hand up hi leg.
"Whoa! What now!" He said, looking around he caught his son smiling and laughing at them. "Damn…let's go!"
They got up and hastened out the door.
Harry watched them leave, he turned laughing with Ron who was equally amused.
"Well at least there'll be a wedding this summer!" Ron said, "Free food!"
Hermione came up to them, "Harry did you see your father and Greta leave quickly, like a pair of teenagers really."
They all laughed and went out to the dance floor.
Claire sat down with Cedric the snowy scene was lovely and illuminating, she turned to him smiling and moved her hand up his arm he slightly hissed in pain, "Are you okay, Cedric did you do something to your arm." Claire asked as she went to lift his sleeve.
"It's…no my arm is fine don't worry about it really Claire." Cedric said pulling his sleeve back down.
"You got a tattoo, gees I never knew you were a rebel." Claire said.
"What? I don't have a tattoo I hurt my arm a few days back that's all." He said.
Claire raised an eye-brow, "Okay sorry, I didn't know."
Cedric leant in and kissed her, they stayed that way for a while she felt very happy at that moment and wondered privately if they would ever get married.
She smiled as he took the kiss deeper, she loved every bit of him and she made sure he knew it. Then just as it was getting good The bush they were hiding behind moved and they jumped as Snape had come around the other side.
"Miss. Black and Mr. Diggory as I expected…get back in side they want photos of the champions, NOW!" He said the got up and hurried off to the Great Hall.
There you have it the story only gets better after this one!