Collateral Damage

Claire had eventually come to; her potions were given to her and over the course of the next few days, her health perked up. Gradually she could sit up in bed on her own, and then she was able to walk around her room by herself.

Remus, who was watchful of her in the hidden dormitory, did his best not to seem too intrusive. He would sit with her a small periods of time and then allows her time to rest. They would each their meals together, Remus would bring the food from the kitchens, and they would eat in her room. On some days, she was not well enough to eat with him. His heart fell those days. He enjoyed having someone to talk to that talked about more things than just the war. He shared stories about his time at Hogwarts, and she shared stories about hers. She would tell stories about Tonks, her fellow Hufflepuff, who was three years Claire's junior.

While he enjoyed all of these moments, he felt conflicted. He knew he had to start to distance himself from Claire, but part of him didn't want to scare her away either. Remus still had not told Claire of his decision that they should remain friends and nothing more. He did not want to bring it up with her, fearing the worst. He assumed that the second he mentioned those words to her, she would feel as if she wasn't desired, and subsequently reject him completely. Remus knew, however, that each day that her strength grew was a day closer to telling her of his decision.

Walking around the hospital wing with her once, to stretch her legs, Remus decided that the day she started to treat patients again would be the day to tell her. As they made their way towards an open window, the sun was shining brightly on this last Hogsmeade weekend and many students could be seen lounging about on the grounds. As Claire let go of his arm that she was using for support, she leaned on the windowsill, trying to take in as much of the fresh air and sunshine that she could. Remus turned to look at her and smiled when he saw how content she was just being in that windowsill in the sunshine. A small smile crept across her face, the sun making everything from her hair to her goldenrod robes brighter. Subconsciously, he gently placed his hand on the small of her back as he leaned in to look out the window, then he pulled his hand away just as quickly as he placed it there. Mentally, he cursed himself for not being able to control himself. Claire noticed these actions and looked up at him. It was all Remus could do to look away, blankly staring into the horizon, the sun brightly shining in his eyes. Wordlessly, Claire rested her cheek against his arm. He looked down at her, her hair softly touching his royal blue robes. Not being able to bear it anymore, Remus turned to face her once more. Again, she looked up at him, this time more startled at his sudden movement.

"Claire," he began.

All of a sudden, there was a flash of movement in their peripheral vision and screaming could be heard. Both parties turned to look out the window. Down on the lawn they could see a crowd of students forming in a circle around two other students. Someone broke away from the circle and ran towards the school. Seconds later, Professor McGonagall came running out from castle. From their window they could see someone who looked liked an injured Ginny Weasley talking to Professor McGonagall rather frantically. Next to her was a bloodied Seamus Finnegan, being supported by two other students. All of a sudden, McGonagall directed something to the students who were holding Seamus up and then she and Ginny started to run back into the castle. The rest of the students on the grounds started to do the same and in the horizon students were seen coming back to Hogwarts in droves.

After that split second, Remus and Claire turned away from the window.

"I must go, the Order," started Remus.

"I must get Madam Pomfrey, those injured," added Claire.

"Might be needed, and..."

"Might not be the only ones, and..."

"I must go," they both said at once.

Remus dashed off towards the door and down the passageway as fast as he could, and Claire shuffled along behind him, on her way to Madam Pomfrey's office. Remus had almost made it to the end of the passageway when Moody found him.

"Remus, you must come to Dumbledore's office immediately, there's been an attack at-"

"Hogsmeade, I know. I saw some of the students coming back," Remus said, striding down the hallway with Moody at his side.

"There's more than just an attack, but it will have to wait," Moody replied, grimly.

Remus's blood ran cold and he gave Moody a sideways glance. He tried to remember the last time he saw Harry, and if Harry was one of the students in the crowd with Ginny and Seamus. He knew that racking his brain would be of no use, his gut told him that Harry was deeply involved.

In the hospital wing, Claire and Madam Pomfrey were trying to prepare the wing for the casualties. Even if it was just Ginny Weasley and Seamus Finnegan who were injured, it was good to be prepared for whatever might happen. Claire was having difficulty keeping up the pace of preparing the Hospital Wing; she repeatedly became light-headed from the exertion. Still, she managed to procure ten vials of a numbing balm, a disinfecting potion, as well as bandages. Since she was unable to reach the top shelf in the store cupboard she Accio-ed a large quantity of the sleeping draught. The rest of the potions and elixirs were located in Madam Pomfrey's private stock, which she was retrieving. Claire placed the partitions between the beds, as well as at the end of the beds. It would save the other patients the possible horror of seeing one of their classmates seriously hurt. Madam Pomfrey bustled back into the room a step ahead of Ginny and Seamus; Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom were supporting Seamus.

"Just put him on the first bed," Poppy directed. "Ginny, I want you to go into that bed, Miss Desjardins will tend to your injuries."

"But my brother! I have to go back out there!" Ginny protested as Claire was gently pushing back towards the designated bed.

"Miss Weasley! You are in no shape to go back out there and you will do as I say. I can not afford to supervise you while I am trying to tend to you comrade," Madam Pomfrey sternly told her.

Ginny resigned herself to the partitions reluctantly and sat down on the bed. Claire began to tend to the young girl's injuries.

The air in Dumbledore's office was filled with an anxious energy. The Headmaster was pacing around his room while Snape and McGonagall were fervently discussing their options. Remus came into the room and sat down. There were quite a few members of the Order present, crowding the small office.

Dumbledore turned to them and said, "If you don't mind, I would like to pass along all that we know of right now. Twenty minutes ago Harry, Ron, and Hermione were walking down the main street in Hogsmeade. Apparently out of nowhere, Bellatrix Lestrange, along with her husband Rodolphus Lestrange, appeared. Harry and his friends, including some of the DA started dueling with them, the result being that a few students were injured in the crossfire. They have been taken to the Hospital Wing for treatment. Witnesses have said that Harry continued to duel with Bellatrix, with Ron and Hermione on either side of him when all of a sudden Rodolphus came up from behind, grabbed him, and Disapparated away. Not only was this incredibly risky on Rodolphus's part because there was a good chance that Harry could have been spliced, but since Ron and Hermione were so close to Harry when they were standing next to him, they were touching him as well. That means that when Rodolphus Disapparated, he also took Ron and Hermione with him. Their families have been contacted, and shall be here shortly. We have no idea of the location of their captivity, as Severus was even unaware of this surprise attack."

After he finished, Dumbledore sat down in his large chair and looked back at the Order sitting in front of him

Severus then began to speak, "I do not believe that this attack was planned by Voldemort. Personally, I believe that it was an attempt by Bellatrix to make up for her mistake last June in the Department of Mysteries. Voldemort would obviously be involved now; however, I do not think it was his plan to attack in such an obvious way."

"Severus, I do not doubt that you are right. This attack was far too risky to be something that Voldemort would have planned. There was the chance for too many things to go wrong. However that does not stop the fact that we do not know where they are right now, and thus, cannot help them. What I need you to do, Alastor and Remus, is to go to Hogsmeade. If they come back, it will be to that location."

With that, Moody and Remus stood and departed the office. They made their way to Hogsmeade in silence. They saw Arthur and Molly Weasley turn up the stairs towards the Hospital Wing, stone-faced. All Remus could feel in his stomach was the fear and dread for Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

When they reached Hogsmeade, they saw some of the destruction that some of the curses had caused. There were broken windows in some of the shops; it appeared that the shopkeepers hid during the duel. As they walked through the middle of the street they heard a large crack, the sound of someone Apparating, all of a sudden. Moody and Remus spun around and were shocked with what they saw. A weary and disheveled Hermione and Harry supported what appeared to be an unconscious Ron. Harry looked up at Remus just before his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed. Hermione fell as a result of Ron's lifeless form falling to the ground also; she could not hold him up on her own. Remus and Moody ran over to them and checked for pluses.

"Ron's a-alive," Hermione said weakly, looking up at Remus. "He... he, was p-put under the Cru-Cruciatus Curse. Harry started to fight V-Voldemort, but then their wands wouldn't work, and... and then Voldemort threw his wand down and pulled out another wand, and then tried to curse Harry, but he dodged it, and landed near Ron and myself and then I grabbed Ron and so did Harry, and we stood and I Disapparated away with the two of them. I... I had been studying over the Christmas and Easter break so I could take my test in the summer. I had never Apparated before."

Remus looked at Hermione and nodded. "You'll have to tell Dumbledore that story too, but we have to get you all back to the castle right now. Can you stand?"

Hermione nodded, and started to stand weakly. Remus supported her as she started to walk back to the gates. Moody had transfigured two stretchers for Harry and Ron and was directing them back within Hogwarts boundary.

Back in the Hospital Wing, Ginny had been tended to and was sitting with her mother on her small hospital bed. One of the screens had been pulled back so Arthur Weasley could stand. No words were being spoken, as they were all too worried about where Ron, Harry, and Hermione were. When Ron and Harry were directed into the Hospital Wing, Hermione followed with Remus, Moody, and Dumbledore. Molly jumped up and rushed to Ron.

"Ron! What happened to him? He's not... is he?" Molly looked up at Dumbledore with tears in her eyes.

"No, Molly, Ron's alive. He is unconscious as a result of going under the Cruciatus Curse. We won't know the full extent of his injuries until he wakes up. Hopefully, he will fully recover."

Molly gripped Ron's hand and she and Arthur looked at their son, grief-stricken. Claire brought a blanket over to place over Ron's torso. Molly then turned to Dumbledore and inquired about Harry.

"According to Hermione, as well as Remus and Alastor, Harry arrived conscious, however he passed out shortly after he returned. I believe his duel with Bellatrix and then Voldemort drained him of energy, but I will have to wait for Madam Pomfrey to assess him."

Madam Pomfrey then came over and checked Ron, repeating what Dumbledore said about not knowing the extent of his injuries yet, and that there was nothing that they could do until he woke up, if he did. This prognosis caused Molly to weep into the blanket covering Ron. Arthur stoically placed a hand on her shoulder. Remus had gone over to sit with Harry, who was starting to stir. Claire was tending to some of Hermione's cuts and bruises. Madam Pomfrey then walked over to Harry just as he woke up. She checked out his condition and diagnosed that he was drained and exhausted and that he should rest immediately. Dumbledore insisted on privacy and made Harry relay his story to him. Remus left Harry and made his way over to Hermione, who was staring straight ahead. Claire was sitting next to her, with a worried expression on her face.

"I heard them say that there's a chance he won't wake up," Hermione whispered, her voice cracking.

"We don't know that yet, he could very well wake up in ten minutes," Claire said, trying to comfort her.

Hermione looked at Claire and then at Remus who were both sitting on the bed on either side of her. A large tear started to fall out of Hermione's eyes, and in a few short seconds she was crying into Remus' shoulder, sobs racking her body.

"Shhh, he'll be alright. He's a strong lad, he'll pull through," Remus comforted.

"But what if he doesn't? I love him so much and I couldn't bear to lose him," Hermione bawled into Remus' cloak.

Remus looked over at Claire, who was gently rubbing Hermione's back; Claire looked back up at him.

"Hermione, let's just wait and see if Ron wakes up before shedding tears. I'm sure Ron wouldn't want you crying just yet," Claire responded in a comforting tone.

Hermione lifted her head, there were still large tears in her eyes, and her breathing was hiccupped. The tears had streaked faint red marks down her face, and her hair was as disheveled as ever.

"Come on, let's take you over to see Ron, you can sit with him and his family." Claire stood and took a hold of Hermione's arm to help her out of the bed. Claire and Remus helped Hermione shuffle over to Ron's bedside. When Molly saw her, she rose and hugged Hermione and made the girl sit next to her on the bed. They all just looked at Ron's unconscious form. As Remus and Claire turned to leave them in private, Remus pulled the partitions around the family. Looking over to Harry's bed, Remus saw Harry's silhouette through the partitions. He appeared to be sleeping. Remus sighed; Harry was far too young to deal with such responsibility. Also, Hermione and Ron should be able to be happy together without the fear and pain that comes when loved ones fight in a war.

Looking over at Claire as she wearily walked to her quarters in the secret dormitory, her hand using his arm for support, Remus knew what he had to tell her.

"Claire," Remus started.

"Yes, Remus?"

"Seeing Hermione's reaction to Ron's injuries today had me thinking - we've already gone through something like that, and we weren't even dating. I don't know if I can bear going through that again, let alone if we were intimate. Being in the Order requires us to put it ahead of almost anything else, and I don't think we can afford things like what happened with the Berkleys to happen once more. Maybe we should just be friends for now."

Remus looked into Claire's eyes when he was finished his speech. He knew his face gave it away that he didn't want to mean what he was saying. Claire looked back up at him with understanding in her eyes.

"I know. I was thinking the same thing. It would be easier this way, and better for everyone else."

Her eyes lied, too; Remus saw that this was not the answer that she wanted to give. However, any chance to continue the conversation with her had to end there because they were at the door to Claire's quarters. She let go of Remus's arm and opened her door.

"Good night Remus," Claire said, as she looked up at him.

"Good night."

Remus looked down at Claire, fighting the urge to kiss her. Instead he just smiled weakly and as she smiled back, closed the door gently after her. Remus turned and was making the short trip back to the Hospital Wing to sit with Harry. On his way he saw Dumbledore approaching him from the opposite direction.

"Remus! I've been meaning to have a word with you."

"Yes, sir."

"I think it's time now for you to go on your mission."