Claire could barely handle potions with the man, now she was back doing Occlumency. As it turned out she was very good at it, by the end of March Claire was a skilled Occlumens, and she surprised even Snape when she fully shut him out of her mind.
"Very well these lessons shall no longer continue Black; you may go and remember clear your mind of all emotion every night." He said.
"Thank you sir." Claire said she left quickly and went to the Common room.
When she got there Draco was perched like a king on the comfiest chair Claire scowled at him as all of his friends crooned around him, she sat down at a table nearby and pulled out her Astronomy book.
"Oh Claire there you are!" Came the familiar voice of Kara or Hera.
She looked up to see it was Kara she always had her black hair pulled up in a tight pony-tail.
"Yes what is it?" Claire asked.
"Guess where I hear you'll be living this summer, and it's not with that were-wolf." Kara said.
"There is no way I'd live with any one else, you are clearly mistaken." Claire told her.
"Well there is where you are wrong, my brother David works for Fudge and because Fudge hates you he's sending you off with the Malfoy's!" She screeched with laughter.
Draco looked over at the sound of his family name, his cousin Kara was laughing maliciously and Claire looked rather perturbed.
"I won't be going there you are such a liar Kara." Claire said.
"Me lie…would the fact that my brother is a secretary for Delores Umbridge, who is the undersecretary for the Minister, why would I not know about the ministers affairs." Kara said, "He tells grandmother every thing…"
Kara stared her down, she may have been a Lestrange but she looked every bit a Black as her mother was, but Claire was a Black too, and what's more she carried the last name and was a pure-blooded as Kara, who looked at her as if she was scum.
"Kara why are you like this, I am your family we are related blood to blood, only I am a true Black and that's the way it stays…" Claire started.
"Black…that blood was tainted the moment Sirius became a Gryffindor; yet you decent into Slytherin may just save the Black family from complete extinction." Kara said.
Claire wondered if she knew about Regulus…Claire stopped short of telling her, did every one think Regulus was really Remus' child.
"Your mother was no better, too bad though you weren't a boy mothers aunt Walburga Black was a most revered woman when she married your grandfather Orion Black, of course you wouldn't know this having no father around." Kara said "Come with me I want to show you something…"
Kara started to walk away to the exit, Claire followed her.
They walked to the library and Kara walked deep in the shelves to a shelf marked "Pure-Blood Wizarding Family's".
"Won't your sister get mad at you for talking to me?" Claire asked.
"Hera is sick with the flu, besides Claire I like you, she doesn't nor my brother, but if I said any thing to them the family will disown me like your father." Kara said "I am known as a blood-traitor, I like muggles…I have a crush on some one who is muggle-born."
"I see that is why you were talking to me that way in the common room." Claire said starting to like Kara more.
"I've been keeping a correspondence with my aunt Andromeda, she says my situation is just like when her and my mother were younger, my aunt has helped me a lot through this she says there isn't much I can do as far as keeping my family from finding out how wrong I think it is that they all revere You-Know-Who." Kara said "Aha here it is."
Kara extracted a volume of four books "The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black."
"Here you should be… Regulus Renaud Black, your brother?" Kara said.
"Oh umm…" Claire thought well she could trust Kara now, "Yeah my mother and father got together before she died, and that brought Regulus who she said was Remus Lupin's son so she wouldn't have to live with the Malfoy's and they would take him away from her."
"Your mother was smart, The Malfoy's and my family for that matter are all hungry for the Black fortune." Kara said. "I happen to not care, Claire listen to me your brother will be safe…trust me."
Claire nodded and Kara held out her hand, "A bond between families that shall never be broken, I Kara Druella Lestrange vow to respect, trust, and honor my cousin Claire Calisto Black."
Claire took her hand and shook careful to repeat what she said, "I Claire Calisto Black vow to respect, trust, and honor my cousin Kara Druella Lestrange."
There was a flash of blue light, and Claire had no clue what had just happened.
"You see now we are bonded for life, if either one of us betrays the other we die." Kara said.
"Okay so tell me Kara who's this Muggle-Born boy you have a thing for?" Claire asked.
"Well okay he's a half-blood his name is Patrick Finnigan." Kara said.
"Oh my goodness that is Cedric's best friend." Claire said.
"What really…Oh I had no clue he plays beater for the Hufflepuff team I just stare at him so much." Kara said dreamy eyed.
"I could introduce you…" Claire started.
"Oh goodness no Claire remember my family would kill me if they ever knew." Kara said.
"I'll tell you what Kara if your family ever disowns you, you are coming to live with me Remus is a kind caring man he's letting James and Harry stay with us till his father rebuild their home, Kara you deserve to be happy not stuck at you sisters side, there are two of you Hera can be the one to be all evil and spiteful." Claire said, "Be your own person Kara, have your own thoughts."
"She's right Kara…" Draco came out from behind a shelf.
"Draco you were listening to us." Kara said angry.
"Yes I was look I won't say a word I swear, I let my father tell me what's right and wrong I don't think I've ever thought for my self once." Draco said coming closer to them. "Listen to Claire, I am my parent's only child but I am a traitor to my own blood as well."
Claire watched him, "What do you mean?" she asked.
"I won't ever tell you because I have no confidence in my feelings." Draco said.
"What are we all going to do?" Kara said.
"I keep my thoughts well hidden from my father, your parents are in Azkaban Kara they can't do anything to you, and your grand-mother is a spineless bitch." Draco said.
Kara and Claire laughed, Draco laughed too and then the stopped some one was nearing where they all were.
"It's Ron, Harry, and Hermione, go that way." Kara said.
Claire dropped the book as Draco took her arm and they ran up the row over to the next one. They hid as Hermione was talking about wizarding families. Draco was close to Claire it was the second time he had gotten too close, at the Quidditch World Cup he had laid on top of her to hide them selves from who he thought were Death Eaters. He smelt of Heather and some really nice cologne. Claire shook her head and forced her thoughts to Cedric.
"Okay…hey here's the volume I was looking for, I was wanting to find out more about Dumbledore's family, really we know nothing about them and I need some light reading…hey the Black family volume four, wow this is thick wonder who dropped it, I'll get this one too show it to Claire she might like this." Hermione said.
"Okay we got the books lets just go…oh hi you must me one of the Lestrange twins which one are you?" Ron said.
"Oh no Hera…" Kara hissed.
"Let's go that way and separate down the isles okay." Claire said.
They took off down random isles and Claire turned to see Draco was still following her. "Draco go away we needed to separate." Claire hissed at him.
"Yeah from Kara." he whispered.
"Draco go, please I'm going to see Cedric." Claire said.
"Claire can you really trust him?" Draco asked.
"What is that suppose to mean?" Claire asked.
"Look he's been acting strange; I think he might be up to something." Draco said.
"You really don't give up do you?" Claire said
"Not where you're concerned, I didn't want to say it in front of Kara." Draco started, "But I love you Claire, when ever I see you with Cedric I wish it was me."
"Draco I am flattered by this, but I am your cousin, our parents are cousins." She said.
"I know that, but your grand-parents were first cousins and they were married, Claire wait please." Draco said.
"I really have nothing to say to you, my feelings don't run any deeper than friendship and family, Draco you don't understand I love Cedric." Claire said.
She knew she cut him deep, he looked hurt and Claire went over to him.
"Draco I just can't involve my self with a member of my family, and neither can you." Claire said.
"It's not fair you would be perfect for me, you and I would be the most important people in the wizarding world." Draco said.
"I don't want importance Draco, I am not for you you'll see that one day soon, please don't let the idea of us consume you." Claire said.
"It's that were-wolf isn't it?" Draco said vehemently.
"Excuse me…" Claire said.
"The way you talk about that man I'd swear you were in love with him, you know what I should just tell father about your brother." Draco started.
"No please don't do that I'll do any thing you want," Claire hissed at him as she tried to stop him leaving.
"Anything Claire…anything to stop my father turning your brother into a man with pure-blood pride." Draco said.
"What no Draco I told you I…" Claire started.
"You said anything, dump Diggory and be my girlfriend and I won't alert you're my father about your brother." Draco said.
"Your evil Draco, what happened over there all those kind and thoughtful things you said, what are they out the window now." Claire said.
"No they aren't…but sometimes you got to blackmail, lie, cheat, and steal to get what you want." Draco said.
"If I say yes you have to swear you won't tell your father about Regulus." Claire said.
"Agreed we'll even do that bond thing so if either one of us breaks it we die." Draco said. "Now I vow to never reveal that Regulus is a Black and you vow to be mine forever."
"What forever!" Claire said.
"Well let's see dear father you may want to recheck Regulus Lupin because I read in the family tree book at school…" Draco said.
"Alright fine…" Claire said she held out her had and choked back tears as she took his hand.
"I Draco Malfoy vow to never reveal the secret of Regulus Renaud Black." He said his grey eyes boring into Claire's blue eyes.
Claire was shaking and crying, "I Claire Calisto Black vow to be Draco Malfoy's forever." She strained to say the last word. The blue light flashed and that was it.
Draco grinned and moved closer to her kissing her, "There we go now your brother will never leave the safety of your darling Lupin." Draco said, "Remember end it with Diggory tonight if you can…" he said walking off.
Claire sank against the book shelves, she was crying now saddened by the vow she just made, and then she remembered… "Tom…Tom talk to me please are you there?" She whispered.
She felt light headed again and fell lying on the ground as the library disappeared and the dormitory came into view….
"Claire you're upset…I was worried about you." He said the same grin on his handsome face.
"It's Draco Malfoy he made me take a vow to be his forever, if I didn't he would have told his father about my brother who is registered as a Lupin." Claire said to him.
"That's terrible but Claire what about me?" Tom said.
"Tom for some reason you are a memory in my mind, I've never actually physically touched you…" Claire said.
He looked at her and his eyes darkened, "Is that so, suppose you better do what he asks your life is on the line…Potter's calling you." Tom told her.
"Tom wait I didn't mean…" Claire opened her eyes she looked into the eyes of Harry.
"Claire are you okay…when I saw Draco leaving he looked so smug I wondered what happened." Harry said.
"Harry I found George he said he would take her." Ron said coming up with George looking worried.
"Claire…are you alright?" He said feeling her fore head.
"I feel…really ill." Claire said.
"Come on put your arms around my neck, I'll carry you to the hospital wing." George said, he lifted her effortlessly and carried her out of the library.