Cross my Mind [Caroline]

[Deleted]

@caroline

209

hello nurse!

so lie to me and tell me  we'll make it through the night

Clara knew she can work too hard, believe it or not. She also knew she couldn't control her alcohol limit to save her life. It was a Monday morning, Clara had chosen to drink the night before at the Three Broomsticks. And drink she did. Her new friends at the Three Broomsticks bought her several new drinks that had a ridiculous amount of alcohol in them. She couldn't just leave the drinks there and waste them, she had to drink them.

The professor, with Gatsby happily prancing next to her through the castle grounds, walked slowly into the castle and ignored the kind greetings of her students as she passed by. My head is killing me. She stopped in front of the doors to the hospital wing. "Alright Gatsby, if I don't make it out alive, you know what to do." Gatsby barked and trotted back to the hut, but not without taking a pit stop in the Great Hall.

Clara pulled the doors opened and walked past the beds, her hand rubbing the top of her head as the pain from last night was shooting through. "Any nurse here? Dumb professor thought she could handle too many drinks last night and needs some assistance."

❖ NOX ❖

[Deleted]

As it was still in the first week or so of school, not much had taken place in the Hospital Wing. Besides the usual handful of first years that came in claiming they had a "tummy ache," of course. But this crowd always came around the first few weeks of school, and Caroline Blacksmith knew by know that it was just a regular case of homesickness. Aside from them, there had been nothing. Thankfully, no Quidditch matches yet. And nobody had been hurt since the train.

The train. Caroline had taken the news especially hard, since she loved children a lot and her job was to protect and help them. When she had heard about the incident on the train, she had wanted to break down and cry but she knew she had to be strong. Strong for the other students, her coworkers, and especially for the poor Potter boy whom she had spent the first day and a half with, trying to get him to eat and sleep again. He seemed to be taking it the hardest of all. The poor thing.

Most of the time, Caroline just hung out in her office at the end of the Hospital Wing with her hornbill, Billius. She did muggle crosswords, watched muggle movies on her muggle device, and read muggle books. She was a halfblood after all, and her father was a muggle. He was always sending her muggle things to look at and watch or read. He was a school teacher, so he was defnitely always sending her books. Caro didn't mind though, for she was fond of muggles and the literature they found intriguing.

Caroline was in the middle of actually reading a particularly sad muggle story about a young girl watching her family die in a horrible wreck when she heard someone enter the Wing. She closed her book and stared ahead for a moment, waiting for them to speak. "Any nurse in here?" The voice, obviously female, called. And obviously, Caroline's two other nurses were not in sight. Caro stood up and swiftly exited her office, making her presence known in the large Hospital Wing. She stopped upon seeing Professor Bates, the resident Care of Magical Creatures professor.

"Oh, Clara," Caroline smiled at her. She then walked over to a small cart full of pill containers and bottles of medicine underneath a large window as Clara said she needed some assistance, due to an intake of "too many drinks last night." "A headache?" Caroline asked, as she dug through the cabinet of medicine.

@xap

[Deleted]

@caroline

165

noot noot

so lie to me and tell me  we'll make it through the night

Clara's face lit up at the site of the head nurse. It seemed there weren't many female faculty at Hogwarts, but the blonde thought so only because she didn't venture into the castle much unless it was for meals. "Yeah, a headache." She followed the head nurse, Caroline to the cabinet. "Some guys at the Three Broomsticks had me try some new drinks. Who knew the drinks could be stronger than what I'm used to." She laughed and then winced as the pain shot through her head again.

"How's it been here? Have any of my students come to you yet?" Clara gave the head nurse a sheepish smile. "I know my students aren't stupid with their new pets, but there's always one student who will find a way to get harmed by a pygmy puff." The blonde enjoyed the head nurse's company. Gatsby was a fan of her bird, who he'd often try to chase around the wing. "Oh and Gatsby sends his regards."

❖ NOX ❖

[Deleted]

Caroline felt Clara was a close friend of hers. They typically went out for drinks with one another on occasion and usually had a good time. But as Clara lived and work in the hut and Caroline worked up at the castle, they didn't see one another much during the school hours. As Clara spoke about men buying her drinks, Caroline chuckled to herself and shook her head. "Men do have an odd way with thinking buying a woman a drink will make her easy," she said, simply. After a bit more shuffling through the cabinet, Caroline pulled out a small, white container and opened it, shaking out two little capsules and handing them to Clara with a smile.

"No creature-induced injuries yet, luckily. But you know your students are a joy compared to my Quidditch players," Caroline shuddered at the thought of the season starting soon. "If any of your students end up in here because of a pygmy puff, you'll be hearing from me," Caroline said, although of course the idea of a student being harmed by a pygmy puff was amusing. Caroline went over to another cart near her office door that held a tray with a teapot and china on it. Caroline tapped the teapot with her wand and steam was suddenly rising out of the spout. She poured tea into two of the cups and then carried them over to Clara, handing her one. "Although my money is on the Finnigan boy," she winked, gingerly taking a sip of her tea.

At the mention of Gatsby, Billius squawked from inside Caroline's office. At this, the former Hufflepuff rolled her eyes. "No, Billy, Gatsby isn't here," she called to the hornbill, who then let out a pitiful coo. Caroline looked back at Clara. "Billius misses the ol' pooch, that's for sure," she smiled.

@xap

[Deleted]

@caroline

228

noot noot

so lie to me and tell me  we'll make it through the night

"Oh no, I didn't even think of it like that. Oh bloody hell, they were trying to get me to sleep with them, weren't they?" Clara might know everything about centaurs, but she didn't know a single thing about men and their ways of mating ways. "I'm so stupid! Ow." She took the two capsules from Caroline and smiled back at her. "Thanks." She walked over to the sink and popped the pills in her mouth, then took a cup and filled it with water, chugged the cup to make the pills go down easier.

"Don't forget, some of my students are Quidditch players." She thought of the Gryffindor team especially, Elodie, James, and Ronan were among the three that she could think of, two of which she knew quite well. Clara took a cup of tea and nodded to the nurse. "Definitely Ronan. Karma will get him back for naming his pygmy puff Quaffle. If I see a pygmy puff flying across the grounds, I'll have a word with him and our gameskeeper."

She took a sip and put the cup down, laughing at the bird inside the nurse's office. "Oh I can tell. He went to keep guard back at the hut for me. In his defense, Gatsby was only a puppy when he met Billy. Poor thing only knew how to be around large centaurs."

❖ NOX ❖

[Deleted]

At Clara's surprise about the men, Caroline shook her head but smiled nonetheless. "Men are pigs, Clar," she said, wrinkling her nose a bit in disgust at the very thought of men. Caroline had never personally liked men. She had friends that were men of course, but she could not recall a time in her life that she felt attracted to a man. She watched Clara swallow the pills down with some water, then shrugged proudly to herself. "Muggle medicine," she grinned. "Works wonders for some things." Caroline was a halfblood, raised most of her life by her muggle father. She was familiar and very accostumed to muggle products.

Caroline sighed. "Ah yes, the best of both worlds," she gave a nod at Clara as she took a sip of tea. The Gryffindor team had especially given Clara some grief in the few years she had been Head Nurse. She was familiar with most of the Quidditch players, as many had been to visit her due to game related injuries. The Gryffindors, however, practically had their own beds reserved for them. "Definitely Ronan. Karma will get him back for naming his pygmy puff Quaffle." Caroline set her cup down and hit her palm to her forehead. "He didn't?!" She asked, incredulously. Another sigh came out of Caroline's mouth. "Good Heavens, that boy has got a mind," she shook her head once again.

Billy came fluttering out of the office when he heard his name and sat himself between the two ladies. Caroline smiled at him and began stroking his back gently. "Gatsby guarding any mysterious new class projects?" She asked, her brows raised in anticipation.

@xap

[Deleted]

@caroline

279

yoo what she hiding

so lie to me and tell me  we'll make it through the night

Clara pouted at her friend. "In my defense, they couldn't even out drink me." The professor had a higher tolerance for alcohol ever since she started traveling. Clara liked foreign drinks and foreign drinks liked Clara. "Muggle home remedies are the best, too." She took a sip of her tea. "My mother is a florist in London and the older ladies love to come in and tell her their home remedy secrets. Works better than some of our stuff, to be quite honest."

Clara shook her head at the thought of her students abusing their assignments. "Yes. He even said it with a straight face too. I saw right through the boy. Boy's gonna make Gryffindor lose the House Cup this year. Even students like Elaine or Vivian would treat their pet's better." The blonde was very bias with the Gryffindors, but some of her students who were in other houses often took her by surprise. Elaine was definitely one of them. Although not Slytherin's number one fan, she respected Elaine's hard work she put into her class. "So be very cautious if he comes in with a hurt pygmy puff," she scoffed, "the nerve of some kids."

She watched as Billy flew over to the two of them. "New projects," Clara sipped her tea and laughed, "Nope, none at all." She placed her cup down and watched the bird carefully. "I mean, there is one that might be in the hut right now... just one." Clara was no stranger to the black market of magical creatures that occurs in Knockturn Alley. If she was lucky, she would be given a great deal - and this one was indeed great.

❖ NOX ❖

[Deleted]

Caroline let a laugh escape her lips. "Ha! I'd like to see the man who thinks he can outdrink us, try." Caroline, too, enjoyed a drink every now and then. She could really hold her alcohol when it came down to it. "It really does," Caroline nodded in agreement to the muggle remedies working better than the wizarding ones. In many cases, this proved to be true. Caro had learned that first hand with many illness that the students came to her with. "You'll have to throw a few my way," she said, sipping her tea. "I've been trying to learn about some new plant remedies. I'll have to plan a visit down to Longbottom's greenhouse," Caro pondered for a moment. While she did love spending her time taking care of the students, she still loved to spend her free time learning new things to help better her medicinal skills.

The more Clara spoke ill of the poor Finnigan boy, the more Caroline shook her head. She was very familiar with him. "I'll be sure to give the boy a particularly nasty medicine if he finds his way back in here," she winked at Clara as she once again sipped her tea.

At the mentioning of a just one new project, Caroline set down her cup of tea, folding her hands on top of her lap in interest. "So that's what dear Gatsby is guarding today," she said, a look of amusement on her face. "Out with it, now. What is it?" A smile appeared on Caroline's face as she urged her friend to tell her about the new project.

@xap

[Deleted]

@caroline

312

ayyo

so lie to me and tell me  we'll make it through the night

Clara smirked at her friend. "Men wish they could out drink us, my dear." Spending after hours with Caroline meant testing their limit. Clara couldn't out drink the head nurse, but the blonde loves to talk herself up to make it seem as though she could handle more. "I'll definitely try. I think my mother may keep a book filled with all the home remedies. She says it would be a best seller in our world. I'm sure Longbottom wouldn't mind some company," she grinned, "He has a great mind. I know where his daughter gets it from, that's for sure." She admired Professor Longbottom as much as she did his daughter. She didn't know his wife that well, but Clara had a feeling she might like her.

Clara smiled and blushed, looking away from Caroline and to her tea cup. "Thanks. I'll make sure to keep a few extra goodies the centaurs might find for you." She was no stranger to the centaurs in the forbidden forest. Having the career of the care of magical creatures professor brought the privilege of entering the forbidden forest often.

The blonde shifted in her seat as Caroline gave her a look that even Clara can't look away from. It wasn't anything special, but it was a smile that could get Clara to do anything for her friend. "I shouldn't tell you, but I'm really excited." Her eyes quickly checked the door and then back to the nurse. "I managed to get a chimera egg!" She squealed in excitement. "You believe that? I've been trying for years while I was on my trip, but someone in Knockturn Alley had one and boy, was that not cheap. It's going to hatch in a few days and Gatsby is just making sure no students try to peek inside the hut. Can't have anyone telling the headmaster now."

❖ NOX ❖

[Deleted]

Caroline smirked at the magical creatures professor. It was true, men always did try to impress the two witches with their intake of alcohol. When it came to drinking, Caro was a pro. She was right up there with the wizards on the busy nights at the pub. But being around all those men meant having a few try and hit on her, of course. Good thing Caroline was true to her roots and never really gave them the time of day. Caro knew what she liked and it certainly wasn't men.

"Excellent, tell her I'd really appreciate it," Caroline sipped her tea once more. "I'm sure Longbottom wouldn't mind some company," Clara said and Caroline grinned in return as well. "I'm sure anyone who can get along with his plants is good in his book," she nodded. "I do admire the Longbottom girl. For someone who is so willing to get up close and personal with a lot of creatures, I've never once had her in here. And that makes her alright in my book," Caroline chuckled to herself. While Caroline did love each and every one of her patients, she did admire the ones who weren't always getting hurt and ending up in her care once a week. In other words, the Quidditch kids.

"Oh, you know I love the centaurs' goodies," Caroline nearly jumped excitedly out of her chair. One thing being friends with Clara brought was connections. And those connections were particularly with the creatures of the Forbidden Forest. Caroline tried to stay out of the forest herself, perhaps because she was forbidden from it for so many years, but she always made sure to get in touch with Clara before she trekked out to the centaurs.

Caroline eyed the blonde anxiously as she looked around for anyone that may have been listening. "I managed to get a chimaera egg!" Clara finally spilled the beans. Caro raised an eyebrow at this. A Chimaera?" She repeated. She racked her brains for what that could have been. "Hm... remind me again what those are?" Caroline asked, making a puzzled face.

@xap