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last online May 4, 2024 6:17:54 GMT -7
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Jul 23, 2016 21:57:09 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2016 21:57:09 GMT -7
This.... was the day Claire had been dreading.
Not that she had anything against Calex. Quite the opposite. He'd been an Auror when she started the program. In fact, he'd been the one that introduced her to his brother, Casey. She admired Calex. She cared for him like a brother. He would have been her brother if things had been different. If Casey... If he hadn't died. Since his death, Claire hadn't spoken to the oldest Jakebson. First because of her injuries, and then because... she just didn't know how to face him and Blaise. But she wanted to make sure that she approached them, before they approached her.
So, after taking a day or two to 'readjust' to being at Hogwarts. It was her excuse to avoid seeing them. Once over, she couldn't come up with a better excuse. So, she found herself at the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The class the former Auror now taught. He wasn't in the classroom quite yet, but she knew he'd be here soon enough. So, she sat down at one of the desks. Her old desk, to be exact, slowly tracing the familiar carvings across the top of it from generations of students before her. At least she heard the door open and turned on the bench to spot Calex slowly walking in. "Calex..." She started, but stopped, unable to decide just what to say next.... Instead she tried to smile.
@jaeger
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last online May 4, 2024 6:17:54 GMT -7
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Jul 24, 2016 0:17:54 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2016 0:17:54 GMT -7
"okay okay .. if it gets you off my back, you can try out" calex said with a good natured roll of his eyes as he walked down the empty hallway toward his classroom. blaise had been in his ear for the last five minutes about the pro's of him being able to try out for the quidditch team. he'd tried for as long as he could to talk his son out of playing the game he had grown up loving but it was clear now he had lost the battle. he reached out to ruffle the hair on his son's head as they walked into the classroom, blaise ducking his hand as he pushed open the door and both of them stopped short. there sitting in the classroom. claire. calex turned to close the door behind them. "Calex..." the news breaking that his brother was dead had been one of the worst moments of his life, second to only hearing about his wife's death. "claire" he said as he turned back, watching blaise, usually energetic and like a bull in a china shop, walk toward his late uncles fiancee and he smiled slightly when blaise wrapped his arms around claire's neck, not really giving her a choice on whether to accept the hug or not. "aunty claire". calex ran his hand over his face as he sniffed slightly and walked over to where she was sitting. he knew how she felt. understood what she would be going through. he hadn't blamed her for the lack of contact. he too had been distant when he'd lost riley. he sat on the desk in front of the one that she was sitting in, giving her a moment to hug blaise and gather her thoughts together.
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last online May 4, 2024 6:17:54 GMT -7
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Jul 24, 2016 14:53:00 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2016 14:53:00 GMT -7
Calex's greeting mirrored her own to no surprise. She may have lost her fiance, but he'd lost a brother. Not only that, Calex's wife had died several years ago. If anyone knew what she was going through, it was him. She swallowed as Calex closed the door behind him, but didn't say anything else yet. He seemed just as at a loss of words as she was. Thankfully, Blaise was not. She shifted on the bench so that when he came over to hug her she was able to hug him back. She almost choked on emotion when he said 'Aunty Claire'. "Hey Blaise." She softly responded. She didn't let go of him for several moments. Just hugged the boy, and slowly felt her emotions begin to setle. It was strange, that something so simple could help so much. No tears fell thankfully.
At long last though, she finally pull away from the hug just enough to run a hand over Blaise's hair and smile at the boy. "Did you grow during the summer? You're going to catch up to your dad at this pace." She teased lightly, before finally looking at his dad. Calex. He was waiting patiently. "They've stationed me at Hogwarts this year..." She finally admitted. Even though Poet had explained why they'd made the decision to her, she still wan't sure. Still felt... strange about it.
@jaeger
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last online May 4, 2024 6:17:54 GMT -7
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Jul 24, 2016 20:51:52 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2016 20:51:52 GMT -7
"Did you grow during the summer? You're going to catch up to your dad at this pace." calex smiled and chuckled lightly when she said he was going to catch him. he was already afraid of that, well not afraid but dreading the day he might have to look up to talk to his son. "i want to grow taller than dad is and uncle casey .." calex swallowed slightly as blaise mentioned his uncle. it was hard to hear his name still, but getting slightly easier, for him at least. he hoped it wouldn't hurt claire too much. it was then calex reached out to pat his son on the shoulder. "good luck with that kid" he said lightly before he looked at claire. neither his son or her seemed to want to give up on the hug and it was nice. blaise hadn't been all that affectionate in a few years and while calex understood it it was nice to see he didn't shun it from everyone. "They've stationed me at Hogwarts this year..." he nodded slightly. he had been privy to the fact that there would be a greater ministry presence this year but he hadn't gotten around to meeting up with all of the aurors. he knew most of them of course, from his years working the same job as them but it was nice to catch up with them, even under dire circumstances. "it'll be good to have you here"
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last online May 4, 2024 6:17:54 GMT -7
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Jul 24, 2016 23:01:26 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2016 23:01:26 GMT -7
Claire's eyes stung when she heard Blaise say Casey's name. She did well to hold back the tears that came almost immediately. She tried to smile instead. "Well, if you keep growing like this, you'll pass them for sure. Just remember us little folk when you're that tall." Claire wasn't necessarily short. She was, in fact, on the taller side for a woman, standing at 5'9. But she knew she had to make the joke, or risk those tears falling. Thankfully they stayed in. Blaise didn't pull away, which she was grateful for. In the two and a half years she and Casey had dated she'd managed to wrangle a hug out of the boy a few times, but never this long. "Have your classes started? I hope your dad's better at teaching now then when he was an Auror. I think he put me to sleep a few times during training." More teasing. She had to keep it lighthearted for Blaise. Just like how she didn't want her siblings to see her struggle, she didn't want Blaise to see it either.
She smiled just a little when he said it'd be good to have her at the school this year. Of course he meant all the Aurors, but she knew he also meant her in general. Poet had been right about one thing, she'd be around people she cared about. And while her siblings didn't know what was going on, Calex did. "It'll... be good to be around." She swallowed a little, before finally letting go of Blaise. "Blaise, could you give me and your dad a few minutes to talk? I promise it won't be long, and then he'll be all yours." She ruffled his hair lightly, and smiled at him. Hoping the boy would understand. Just some topics would be easier if she wasn't worried about being strong for Blaise's sake.
@jaeger
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last online May 4, 2024 6:17:54 GMT -7
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Jul 29, 2016 8:56:33 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2016 8:56:33 GMT -7
"Well, if you keep growing like this, you'll pass them for sure. Just remember us little folk when you're that tall. Have your classes started? I hope your dad's better at teaching now then when he was an Auror. I think he put me to sleep a few times during training." calex raised a brow and rolled his eyes slightly in good nature as claire told blaise he had often put them to sleep while she had been going through her training. he smiled slightly as blaise answered her. "he does. only sometimes though. when he's talking about something really really boring." calex used his foot to nudge blaise lightly. "punk" he said softly as he glanced over the boys head at claire again to really study her. she looked healthy enough, though he knew as well as anyone it didn't matter how one looked on the outside, it was how they were feeling on the inside. "It'll... be good to be around. Blaise, could you give me and your dad a few minutes to talk? I promise it won't be long, and then he'll be all yours." he saw blaise nod slightly as he stepped back from his aunt and dropped his arms by his side and put such a smug look on his face, that for a second calex couldn't help but think he was looking right at his son's mother. the thought choked him up a bit, still after twelve years when he caught sight of something blaise did that was so like his mother, it shocked him. "it's okay. i got what i wanted from him. love you aunt claire" blaise said as he turned to head for the door and slip out of it. calex watched him go and smiled slightly. "so like his mother .." he said softly as he turned back to claire to offer her an explanation. "he's finally convinced me to let him play quidditch" he said as he folded his arms again and leaned them forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "tell me honestly .. how are you?"
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last online May 4, 2024 6:17:54 GMT -7
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Jul 30, 2016 11:00:20 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2016 11:00:20 GMT -7
Claire actually laughed as Blaise spoke, and Calex retaliated. "Well thank goodness he teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts! Could you imagine him teaching History of Magic? I don't think I'd ever be awake." The joking really was helping. Just to lighten her mood, and make her forget, if only momentarily of the grief and pain that had become such a normal part of her every day life. She smiled though, and placed a hand on Blaise's shoulder before he left. "Thanks, Blaise. I'll see you around, okay? Love you too." She knew she'd be keeping a close eye on the second year. There were a total of three students she wanted to protect this year. That she'd do anything to protect. Blaise was one. Addilyn and Grey were the others. Though... she knew she'd done a terrible job being a big sister the past few months. And how she'd handled her first meeting with Addi.... She wasn't even sure they'd want her protection.
After Blaise had left, she turned in the chair to look at Calex, just in time to catch him say something about Blaise's mother. Claire hadn't known her, obviously. Calex's wife had died long before Claire had entered Casey's life. "Quidditch will be good for him." she responded. She'd never played on the Gryffindor team when she was in school. She was focused on her students too much. Now though? She wished she'd at least tried it. And then... the question.
Claire swallowed. Just thinking about how she was really doing... Well, it brought back the feelings and emotions. "I don't know." She admitted honestly. "I.... feel empty. All the time." She added.
@jaeger
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last online May 4, 2024 6:17:54 GMT -7
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Aug 14, 2016 10:21:12 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2016 10:21:12 GMT -7
"Well thank goodness he teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts! Could you imagine him teaching History of Magic? I don't think I'd ever be awake. Thanks, Blaise. I'll see you around, okay? Love you too. Quidditch will be good for him." calex was brought back to the presence with a shake of his head and a small laugh. he wasn't so sure but it would be good for him. he'd never have to hear the complaining about not being allowed to play quidditch again, unless of course his son misbehaved badly enough to have himself taken from the team, which while calex knew he could get himself into some trouble, he wasn't an out and out bad kid which eased his mind, slightly. "it'll be good for my ears too. their tired of the whining" he said with a smile, joking of course. "I don't know. I.... feel empty. All the time." he nodded lightly when she said that. he knew all too well how alone and empty someone could feel after loosing someone they loved. it had taken him two years to pull himself out from under the black cloud that had descended on him after riley's death. his family had played a large part in pulling him out though blaise had made the most difference. "that'll pass claire" he said softly as he leaned forward and rested a hand on her arm. "i know it doesn't feel like it and you might not want to hear this .. but it will get easier. it'll never go away. i can't tell you that. but it gets easier. you start to think back fondly instead of sadly" he said with a swallow, thinking of how casey had been the one who had stayed with calex most of the time during the hard times he'd had. he had owed casey so much .. and now he'd never get the chance to let him know how much it had meant to hm.
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last online May 4, 2024 6:17:54 GMT -7
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Oct 11, 2016 16:05:42 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2016 16:05:42 GMT -7
It'll pass.
That's what he said. But right now? It didn't feel like it would. She felt like she was broken into a million pieces, and nothing would fix it. But Calex knew. He'd been through the same thing. He was, in a way, going through the same thing now. She'd lost her fiance, the man she'd wanted to spend the rest of her life with, and he'd lost a brother. She couldn't imagine losing Grey or Addi, but if it felt like this... Well, she didn't know if she could handle it.
"They don't know." Claire started, but stopped, choking on her words before she could tell him who 'they' were. She closed her eyes, her hands clasped tightly together. In so much that her fingers were changing color slightly. It took several moments for her to manage to continue speaking. "My family. Casey and I.... We never told them. About us. My parents wouldn't have approved. They'd consider him a distraction to my career. We were going to tell them though.... About the engagement. When... Grey and Addi-" She stopped again, her voice cracking with emotion she was holding back. When Grey and Addi got off the train. That was what she was trying to say. They were going to tell her family that day at King's Cross. The day he died. So instead of holding his hand as they told her parents, she'd held him as he died. Somehow she managed not to cry, but the pain was written all over her face.
"Please. Don't tell them if they ask. I... I haven't been able to tell them."
@jaeger
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