Different

fights

Claire wasn't used to feeling so warm and calm. Usually she was almost always quivering from anxiety and sometimes the cold, but she was too tired to even more at all. She could faintly hear whispered voices around her, but her eyelids didn't seem to want to open. For a panicked second Claire believed that she was in a coma, but the voices suddenly got closer and much clearer.

"She should be waking up any minute now," Madam Pomfrey said softly, the sound of the curtain being closed assuring Claire that she was still in the hospital wing. "She seems to be exhausted, the poor girl."

"But is she okay?" Remus asked, his voice shaky. Claire had tried to convince herself for years that she didn't need her dad, but in that moment she wanted nothing more than for him hug her and assure her that she was okay.

"Well...I don't think so," Madam Pomfrey said. "I found these when I was changing her out of her wet clothes."

Claire flinched a little at the nurse's cold hands pressed against her wrist. While she still couldn't force herself to wake up, Claire cursed herself for not putting on a disillusionment charm before the game. Her bruises from Thomas were almost all gone, but the worst ones still littered her skin. Since she had been wearing so many jackets, Claire didn't bother to cover them.

"Are they..." Remus stopped midsentence to take a deep, shaky breath. "Does that...does that look like someone is-is hitting her?"

Madam Pomfrey didn't answer but based on the soft curse that Remus let out and the sound of him sitting down heavily, Claire guessed that she had nodded.

"I'm very sorry, Remus," Madam Pomfrey said quietly. "I know why she couldn't live with you when she was younger due to your condition, but she's older now. Is there any way she could live with you?"

"It's much more difficult than just my condition," Remus admitted, his voice thick. "I-I don't know if she will ever be able to live with me. But she can't live with Evan Rosier anymore. Not if he's hurting her badly enough that she still has bruises."

"She needs help, Remus," Madam Pomfrey whispered. "From what I understand, this wasn't the first panic attack she's had. And she clutched onto me like someone who had never been held before. Not to mention how the rest of the school treats her."

Madam Pomfrey was quiet for a moment, allowing Remus to digest her words.

"I never...I never wanted this to happen," Remus finally stuttered out. Without even being able to see him Claire could still tell he was crying. "I've tried protecting her, but I've just made everything worse."

"You can't blame yourself for this," Madam Pomfrey said assuringly. Remus cleared his throat, the sound of his chair scraping the floor hitting Claire's ears.

"I need to go talk with Dumbledore. Let me know when she wakes up please," Remus requested. Claire listened as both Remus and the nurse left, leaving her alone once again.

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When Claire woke up next, she woke up completely. She still felt warm and calm, but she was able to open her eyes and move. Clare yawned and rolled over on her side. This seemed to get Harry's attention since he jumped and dropped his book.

"Merlin, you scared me!" Harry exclaimed.

"Hmm," Claire mumbled, cuddling closer to her blankets.

"You scared all of us," Harry whispered, staring at his blanket. "Hermione was practically crying when I woke up cause she was so worried for you."

Claire didn't say anything in response, only cuddling closer to her blanket as if she was trying to crawl into it and never come out.

"Professor Lupin was here... he asked me about your bruises," Harry admitted. Claire's head shot up, her eyes wide with worry.