maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

115. the professor & the headmaster

MCGONAGALL AND CLAUDIA were the first two people to notice the way Ingannamorte somehow managed to quickly walk out of the hall despite the way she was panicking after having to see him again.

The professor immediately went after, Claudia doing the same. However, no form of communication was made between the two which inevitably caused McGonagall to go in one direction - aiming towards Ingannamorte's office - and Claudia going in another direction - aiming towards...finding her.

Despite McGonagall having the smarter plan, Claudia was the one to find the professor.

She did that simply by running past one of the girls' lavatories, hearing the sound of heavy breathing and strained whispers.

"You're fine, you're fine," Ingannamorte repeated to herself from where she sat curled up in a ball on the floor of the empty lavatory, trying to calm her breathing but having no success in doing so.

Claudia knew just what was in front of her as she walked inside. Because, let's face it, she had been there what felt like a million times before, and, as of recently, she had had the best help she could've possibly wished for.

Because she had Remus.

So, as she crouched down in front of the professor and repeated everything Remus had told her about handling situations like that one in her head, she somehow knew just what to do as the one voice who could calm her down spoke in her head.

"I'll always be there to help you if it happens again," Remus had said. "But if you're ever alone I want you to try and remember these things, okay?"

Claudia had nodded intently, and so Remus had continued.

"Go away from the situation you're in that caused it."

Check.

"Focus on your breathing. Let that become the thought that takes over."

"Focus on your breathing," Claudia said to the professor. "Try to shut everything else out, okay? I know it's hard but you're gonna be fine."

And so, Claudia helped her find her way back to somewhat normal breathing patterns, and she succeeded.

Check.

However, something strange happened when Ingannamorte looked up into Claudia's eyes and was reminded of so much pain.

And that something caused her breathing to lose its stability yet again.

"Try to use some sort of method. My mum taught me this one when I had a panic attack once when I was a kid, okay? Maybe it'll help. You're going to try and name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste."

"Try this, okay?" Said Claudia to the professor after realising that she needed to continue. "You're gonna be fine. Just...try and name five things you can see."