Different

hippogriffs

Claire could tell that third year was going to be the worst year yet. Sirius Black, a mass murderer, had escaped from Azkaban during the summer and was missing. Because of this there were dementors all over the school grounds and an odd tension in the air.

The first day of school was always anticlimactic for Claire but this year it wasn't.

"Potter!" Pansy shrieked once Harry and his friends entered the Great Hall. "Potter! The dementors are coming! Woo!"

Claire rolled her eyes and hesitated before going to sit with Harry.

"Look who it is," Fred said.

"We very much enjoyed watching you get angry yesterday," George said teasingly, making Claire blush.

"Red is a good color on you," Fred agreed.

"What are they talking about?" Harry asked, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked between the twins and Claire. He knew that the twins didn't prank Claire but he didn't know that they ever talked.

"N-nothing," Claire lied. Fred and George just snickered at her.

"What are you doing here, Lupin?" Ron asked rudely.

"Ronald, be nice," Hermione chastised. "Would you like some breakfast, Claire?"

"N-no, I'm good," Claire stammered. "Are you okay, Harry?"

"What? No, I'm fine," Harry said, looking slightly embarrassed. "And not to be rude, but what are you doing over here? We made an agreement back in first year not to talk at school due to the whole rivalry thing."

"What are you talking about?" Claire asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

"You agreed that we probably shouldn't talk to each other much here," Harry explained.

"I never agreed to that," Claire argued, getting angry with Harry. "I don't care what House you're in."

"I don't either, Claire, but-"

"It seems like you do," Claire interrupted, standing up with an angry look on her face. "I've needed you more than ever these past two years and you cared more about an outdated rivalry than me. And it seems like you still do so until you get over that I'll stop bothering you."

Claire stormed off after that, leaving a shocked Harry behind. With a huff, Claire sat down at the Slytherin table to shocked looks.

"Who knew she had it in her?" One of the seventh years whispered to another one.

"It makes sense if you consider who her mum is," one of their friends whispered back.

"Don't listen to them," Draco said softly as he sat across from her. Pansy was glaring at them from across the table, but they both ignored her.

"You never finished telling me about my mum last night," Claire reminded him. Draco's eyes flickered to where Professor Snape was sitting and he cleared his throat.

"I'm not...I don't think I should be the one to tell you," Draco said. Claire didn't respond because she couldn't imagine what could be so bad that no one would tell her.

"Let's just go to class," Claire mumbled.

Claire couldn't focus for her first two classes. Unfortunately, their third class of the day was Care of Magical Creatures with the Gryffindors, which was never good because Draco and Harry hated each other.

"I can bother Potter for you," Draco whispered to Claire as Hagrid guided them into the Forbidden Forest. Harry kept glancing back at the girl with a worried look that transformed into an angry look when he saw Draco talking to her.