Claire Parkinson

Alina swallowed the lump in her throat as Claire ushered the girl, her head turning slightly away from her friend. “Madam Pomfrey isn’t exactly the best guard.” Her voice was soft as she stared at the ground next to the bed. Even with how close she and Claire have been over the years, there was something embarrassing about the bandages covering her right cheek. “I’m fine,” she found herself saying, the words feeling odd for how many times they’d passed her lips. Alina knew no one believed her when she said it, but she had to try to make them believe it. “I’m just not too keen on being stared at.”

“She is the worst guard.” Claire rolled her eyes. She sighed as the other claimed to be fine, she doubted if that was anything close to the truth. But she also didn’t know how to make her tell her to truth without being her signature annoying self. She figured that was not what Alina needed right now. “Not staring, I promise.” she said with a smile but I can hang out here for a while if you want the company?” 

rita was quik to wipte at her eyes, and used her want to dispose of the ashes at her feet. “nothing,” she assured her friend as she turned back towards claire. “just…family stuff.” she muttered, “…what are you on about, then?” she asked a moment later.

“Well, I think I have bad news for you.” Claire sighed. She didn’t want to make her mood worse but this wasn’t something she could just hide from her. “So it looks like Sirius Black is planning a wedding for himself with Mary MacDonald?” she told the other. “Vivian just said we are planning the entire wedding reception.” 

{ @finestra-starters​ }

Everything was still a bit of a shock–the pain, the memory, the situation as a whole–but it was all she could think about. She had bandages wrapped around her ribs that needed to be changed every few hours, as well as the one on the right side of her head, covering her from cheekbone to neck. There were various other cuts and marks on her arms and legs, but none as serious enough to be wrapped or cover. When she was brought in to the Hospital Wing, she’d been in so much shock that the pain hadn’t registered until Madam Pomfrey applied a salve to help it heal. Once she had calmed down enough for them to wrap her wounds, they told her that she couldn’t tell anyone about Blaise being a werewolf and left her to get some rest. While Alina understood why they’d asked that of her, it made her oddly upset. Halfway through the day, Madam Pomfrey came by and helped her sit up before tending to her other patients, leaving Alina to sit and stare at the wall opposite of her. “I don’t want company,” she said when she heard someone walk up, her voice hoarse. “So if you’ve come to stare at the injured girl, you can go ahead and leave.”

“Fuck off.” Claire told the girl Alina was talking to before she hurried over to the blonde. “You’d think they’ll be a little more strict about who they allow inside the hospital wing.” She shook her head in exasperation, they wouldn't be having this problem had they been in Ilvermorny. Hell, Alina won’t have been fucking attacked by a wolf had she been there. “We should complain against the school, they are so lax with security. This is a place supposed to keep us safe.” she rambled on before a small sigh left her lips. “Are you feeling any better?” 

Corban took the bottle, taking a long drink. “Wait, sorry did you just say Sybill?” His eyebrows shot up and he almost choked on his drink. “Yeah, as in bang her. Bloody hell, Claire, she deserves far better than me.”

“You want to bang everyone, Cor, just go with it, okay?” she rolled her eyes. “No, what she deserves is better than your whining. Now get going and plan what you are going to do with her this Saturday night. I’d plan it out for you -- but I doubt you want me to because I’ll make it way too elaborate and romantic for you to handle.” 

“One drink, that’s it.” Phineas rolled his eyes playfully, taking a sip of the firewhiskey with a grimace. “If I make any dumbass life choices today I’m fully blaming you,” He warned her before gritting his teeth. “What a fucking asshole, where the fuck is he?” Phineas searched the party.

“You always make dumbass life choices, so no. I am not going to take the blame.” she grinned. “I don’t know where he is, but as a big brother you should throw him in the lake and drown him of course.” 

“I, thanks,” Winnie cheeks flushed darker. “Guess all that practise paid off, right?” She joked lightly, eyebrows knitting together as the other summoned a box. “Oh, Claire — you didn’t have to get me anything.”

“Yes, it did.” she chuckled. “Thanks for putting up with me through this. I knew you had it in you.” She beamed at her proudly before leaning in to kiss her cheek and leaving her to meet the rest of her team. 

Amelia shrugged, starting to look through some of the other clothes Claire brought to try to act casual around their discussion. “Trying to get more experience means that I at least have some. I don’t,” she told her. It was easy to be open to Claire about these things. “How are you suppose to tell someone likes you? Or when you are suppose to kiss them or not kiss them? Also, how do you even kiss someone? And why? Touching each other lips just seems weird and wet.” She didn’t realize she was babbling now.

“How have you not kissed anyone before.” Claire said mostly out of surprise. “I mean -- you are gorgeous, so many boys must have been after you.” she mused. “You are thinking too much into this Amelia, you should let your heart take the steering wheel and tell you head to shut the fuck up.”