busy bees | claire

[edward remus lupin]

If I could just slow down

And scribble on missing pages

September 16, 2015
Claire Evangeline Slater

Finding a lost item with the owner’s name so neatly identified was rare. However, the problem in this case was finding the individual within the halls of Hogwarts. Teddy should’ve trusted his prefects more, but at the same time, it wasn’t exactly a lost textbook or missing scarf. For the first time, Teddy was responsible for clearing the train once they’d arrived. As a Prefect, this was also his duty, but knowing others were following behind him for the final checks. On this final sweep, Teddy found a thin book. Well, it was smaller than a standard novel, and flipping carefully through the pages, Teddy saw it was all pictures.

He stuck it in his back with care. The pages felt thin and would likely be prone to tearing. But he wanted to ensure he and the Prefects arrived to watch the sorting ceremony on time. For the next fortnight, Teddy asked his prefects if they knew who “SLATER, C” was and if this student was in their house. Many shrugged, but perhaps only the Headmistress knew every student’s name. Because of his great memory of faces and names, Teddy had yet to meet every single student, although they might know him simply by reputation.

But, finally, one of his Prefects informed Teddy that a Slater was a student in Arithmancy. That Prefect’s younger sibling was in Slater’s year, apparently. So now, Teddy was determined to track down this Gryffindor Claire Slater. Making his way toward Gryffindor Tower, Teddy figured he’d ask one of his Prefects to send for her so he could finally return this book. In the meantime, Teddy couldn’t help but examine its pages. What intrigued him more than the story was the art itself. In his downtime, Teddy had practiced sketching his surroundings in the style of the book. It was crude and a work in progress, but he knew practice would help him build that skill.

Approaching the last corridor to the Tower’s entrance, Teddy stopped as he heard footsteps and voices approaching. A boy and a girl, by the sound of it. As they entered his view, he spotted a Slytherin and a Gryffindor. Years ago, such a sight seemed unfathomable, but things were different in this generation. The boy was skinny, with a mop of curly dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. He seemed to stop once he spotted Teddy. Teddy smiled politely, just as he would’ve done were he not Head Boy. The boy excused himself a little awkwardly to the Gryffindor girl. But, this was easier than finding a prefect. ”Excuse me. I was wondering if you could help me. I’m looking for a Gryffindor student. I believe I have something they lost.”

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[Claire Evangeline Slater]

never enough.

FOURTH YEAR WAS TERRIBLY IMPORTANT FOR Claire. Well, all of Claire's time at Hogwarts felt utterly vital suddenly. She had done perfectly well in third-year, but suddenly the workload felt heavier. She was a bit older too, and certain she was much more mature, or so her mother kept reminding her. Do well, don't get distracted, remain in Arithmancy despite it having no relevance to Auror exam requirements, but looked terribly good on her exam transcripts. Or it would, if she passed well enough, as she ranted to Rhys on multiple occasions after the Welcome Feast. Bogged down by enough books to brain a troll with, Claire had spent her first few nights in the library with her head down over a piece of parchment as she made a very detailed study schedule for herself and Rhys, should he deign to join her.

This, of course, was mostly used as a desperate distraction from what really ailed her. A fact she'd conveniently not told a single soul. She'd lost her mint condition copy of issue #213 of Morgana's Mighty Adventures. Having used every knut and sickle to her name, that comic book had cost Claire a summers worth of odd jobs and a whole three weekends babysitting the Arnold's boggie-nosed four year old, and walking their ancient old crup with two missing tails. She had saved the reading of it for Hogwarts, in part because her parents loathed her interest in comics and she did enjoy having something interesting to keep her attention while travelling on the train. She'd read it on the train alright, she'd also left it on the train!

Claire despaired, burying her nose in her textbooks and thinking of all the silly things she'd ever done ever in her life. Rhys had even noticed she was especially morose, which was rare since he couldn't see past his own new three haired 'moustache'. It was not a great time to be in Claire Slater's head or company. Hurrying back from the library with an armful of borrowed books on Defence Charms and 'Numerical Divination', Claire had lost all hope of ever retrieving her beloved comic. She'd never find out if Morgana succeeded in slaying the beast from the Netherworld and retrieving her soul once and for all.

Juggling her books, Claire didn't expect much in the way of company while heading back to her common room, beyond Rhys who insisted he walk her there just to talk about some inane social faux pas. In fact, she'd dismissed the taller boy in Puff robes entirely while trying to poke her head up and spy the portrait without tripping over her own feet and replying to Rhys about how he definitely wasn't two foot taller since last summer. Her replying goodbye to Rhys was half-hearted as he buggered off, having tuned him out some three hallways back thinking about her book. It wasn't until he spoke, a reed of a figure with the kind of croaky voice only a teenage boy could have, that Claire was forced to acknowledge him.

"Hm?" Claire turned her head dumbly, giving him a cursory, narrowed-eye glance. Funny face, she thought, with features a bit big for his head, Puff robes that hung lazily over one shoulder. And a very familiar comic book held carefully in his long fingered hand. Claire dropped her stack of books promptly on his toes. "My comic!" She cried, snatching the book from his hands and clutching it to her chest like a Niffler with an armful of gold. "Good Godric, where did you find this?!" She crowed, petting the cover reverently. 

edward remus lupin

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[edward remus lupin]

If I could just slow down

And scribble on missing pages

September 16, 2015
Claire Evangeline Slater

Teddy winced. The weight of the books on his feet made him wonder if these books were charmed to appear much smaller than they were. Instinctively, he jumped back, and for a moment, he thought the comic fell from his hands. Inspecting the floor, he saw only the student’s books covering the floor and the comic in her hand. The look in her eye changed completely. From looking aloof and bored to acting like the Triwizard Tournament trophy was in her hands. Furrowing his brow, Teddy took a moment to wiggle his toes in his shoes. It didn’t help he was still breaking these in. Those few weeks before he began his final year, his gran had gone on and on about how he was growing much too fast, and she’d had to buy him new shirts and shoes the previous summer and if he would ever stop growing.

Nearing six feet, Teddy figured he was done. From what he was told, he had already surpassed his father’s height, but his grandmother mentioned how his grandfather had been tall. ”Erm—I found on my sweep of the Train.” Standing awkwardly for a moment, Teddy stepped forward to collect the books that had fallen closest to him. ”I take it you’re Slater? Claire Slater, right? I’m Teddy.” Some might call it silly for the Head Boy to introduce himself to anyone, but Teddy never forgot his manners. And it felt fair as they had never properly met before.

”I made sure it didn’t get torn or anything, but I wanted to ask you about it. I read a few pages, I hope you don’t mind, and I was wondering where you got them.” Indeed, the comic book appeared immaculate. Early on, Teddy learned how easy it was to lose one’s carefully written Transfiguration essay because one carelessly stuffed it in their bag. His hair was a darker sapphire blue that day, which didn’t contrast as much with the yellow of his House. The comics were interesting; the story did grab his attention, but he was less interested in the story than the artwork.

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