Chapter Text
Claire saw him come in before he had a chance to notice her, his bright copper locks singling him out from everyone else— only this time, he was supporting someone whose hair color matched his, so much so that she could only tell the difference between the two of them because of the length of the girl’s hair.
“What do you have for me today Jamie?”
“Dislocated shoulder,” he replied, bringing in Brianna MacKenzie, Gryffindor’s seeker, her face pale and sweaty, both from the match and the injury, Claire deduced, taking a first look at her.
“She caught a bludger by Fergus,” Jamie explained, helping Brianna settle into the bed.
“I need to reset your shoulder, Miss MacKenzie, and I’m afraid it’s going to hurt,” she told her earnestly, instructing Jamie to hold her firmly as she did so.
After she was done, she heard the girl breathe a sigh or relief, as she searched for a sling to hold her shoulder in place and the pain remedy she always used when she set bones.
“It’s going to taste nasty, but it’ll help with the pain,” she told Brianna, handing her the cup. As the girl took the first sip, she started coughing, a grimace on her face.
“I did warn you,” Claire observed, a sympathetic look on her face.
“Why is it that we have magic, yet we don’t have a spell that sets bones?”
“Ye canna fix everything wi’ magic lass, that’s why we have Madame Beauchamp.”
He’d spoken before she could reply, and Claire was caught a bit off guard, as she’d almost forgotten he was still in the room, her attention focused on Brianna.
She turned to Jamie then, suddenly finding herself taken aback by the intensity of his gaze on her. She had meant to thank him, but not finding the words, just stood there, captivated by the sheer blue of his eyes.
“Ehm . . . Can I go now?”
Brianna’s voice shook her out of her reverie, and she abruptly cast her eyes off Jamie’s, busying herself by checking if Brianna’s sling was securely in place before sending her back to her common room.
“You’re free to go, Miss MacKenzie, but come back in a few days so I can remove the sling. Remember to stay hydrated, and no quidditch until that fracture is healed,” she told Brianna, her tone gentle but firm, already anticipating an argument from her. After all, she’d come to know her a little in the 6 years she’d spent at Hogwarts.
“But I can’t skip practice!”
Claire looked from an upset Brianna to Jamie, her gaze settling on him, hoping he would be able to get through to her. But if anyone could reason with the students, it was definitely Jamie, with his kind yet authoritative manners.
He’d arrived at Hogwarts only a few months before, and taken up the post as flight professor. She knew he’d had a brief career as a quidditch player, which was interrupted by an injury he hadn’t really spoken of, but Claire knew it had to be a serious one to give up the sport in favor of becoming a teacher.
She’d come to know him a little in the time he’d been there, but they hadn’t yet progressed past their playful banter whenever he brought in injured students— even if she did enjoy his presence and quick wit.
“I know she’s important to the team, but she has to rest for at least a week before she can play again.”
“Ye’ll listen to Madame Beauchamp,” he admonished her, his tone firm yet warm.
Brianna gave him a nod, and as Jamie helped her get out of the bed, she thanked Claire and left the infirmary, while Jamie lingered there a moment longer.
“Thank ye, Claire,” he told her, locking eyes with her once again, as he made to leave as well.
“You don’t need to thank me, Jamie, it’s my job,” she replied, a small smile escaping her lips. After a moment, she added, “and thank you for what you said before. I guess it’s nice to hear I can still be of use even if we do have magic,” she admitted, struggling to keep her eyes on his. How come she never noticed how blue they were before?
“Quidditch is a verra dangerous sport, so I promise ye’ll never be without patients.”
“It’s good to know that my job is secure then,” she replied, playing along with him.
“See ye next time, Claire,” he told her, giving her a smile of his own, as he made his way out.
As she watched him leave the infirmary, his back to her, she had to suppress the urge to go after him, his intense gaze when he’d looked at her still in her mind. He never said a great deal to her when they spoke, and she felt the sudden ache to know more about him, to ask him questions about his past and how he’d ended up at Hogwarts. Little did she know at that moment, she was about to get her wish.