Claire Duval

Claire Béatrice Duval is the protagonist of From the Sidelines and the art teacher at Mystic Falls High School.

She is best friends with Jenna Sommers, and is good friends with Sheila Bennett.

Claire is a member of the Duval Family.

History
Claire was born on January 2, 1981, in Mystic Falls, Virginia. Her father, Henri Duval, was a piano teacher, and her mother, Marcia Fuller, is a history professor. Claire has an older sister, Diane.
 * -|Childhood and Youth=

She grew up in Mystic Falls, spending many summers in southern France where her father had extended family. Her father being a musician, she was raised surrounded by music, learning how to play the piano and inheriting her father's love for jazz. Her mother gave her her fascination for local and international history, as well as her fondness for the night sky. It was through her mother that she discovered classical art. While in elementary school, Claire met Jenna Sommers, and the two became fast friends. Through her father she made the acquaintance of the Bennett family, eventually striking up a friendship with Sheila Bennett.

After finishing high school, Claire traveled abroad to study fine arts at Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy. Following graduation, she lived in Florence for another year, finding employment at a local art gallery. She returned to the United States in 2006 and was hired as the art teacher at Mystic Falls High School after the retirement of the previous one. In April of 2006, her paternal grandmother passed away, and in February 2009 her father died of cancer.
 * -|Late Teenage Years and Early Adulthood=

In September 2009, Claire met Damon Salvatore on the first day of school, although the encounter was brief and no introductions or conversation took place. At that time Claire began having nightmares, which she attributed to the strange animal attacks in town. William Tanner's death served as a catalyst, helping her recall long-forgotten memories concerning accounts of such attacks in the past, for which she found proof in newspaper articles that her mother had collected for her research in the town's history. These, along with the mother's personal notes, led her to begin doubting that the attacks were indeed caused by wild animals.
 * -|2009=

Personality
Claire is a collected individual, not given to impulses. She appreciates honesty and frankness, and likes to hear both sides of an argument before passing judgement. This has made her a good listener and more understanding as a person. Ever a realist and a pragmatist, at times these traits lead people to consider her cold and distant. An extroverted introvert, Claire highly values the friendships she has, and in the right company can become bubbly and spontaneous. She has a witty, though often sarcastic, sense of humor.

Physical Appearance
Claire is a slim woman, standing at 5'6", with an olive complexion, blue eyes and wavy brown hair that reaches just past her shoulders.

In terms of fashion, she dresses simply but smartly, favoring skinny jeans, light-colored blouses, shirts, cardigans, low heels and ankle boots. She wears minimal makeup, preferring lipgloss to lipstick. Her staple accessories comprise silver rings and stud earrings. On formal events she dons dresses, usually trading her studs for simple dangle earrings.

Claire and Diane
Claire and her older sister have always been close, despite their five-year gap in age. They are each other's confidantes, and even though living in different states, they speak on the phone almost daily.

Claire and Jenna
Claire and Jenna met in elementary school. Their relationship grew quickly, and te two became best friends. They spent a lot of time with one another as children, sharing secrets and making plans for the future, and considering each other's house as their second home. When Claire left for Italy, they kept in contact as much as time and distance would allow, making up for the months spent apart during the summer. When Jenna left Mystic Falls, they spoke on the phone on a weekly basis, and when she returned to town after Miranda and Grayson Gilbert's deaths, their relationship became more solid.

Claire and Sheila
Claire met Sheila through her father. He and Sheila had become acquainted because of their mothers, who had formed a close friendship when Claire's paternal grandparents first came to Mystic Falls. As the years passed and Claire grew older, she came to see Sheila as more of a mother-figure rather than just her father's friend, and began to enjoy spending time with her. Henri Duval's illness and passing brought them closer, as did their teaching occupations.

Name

 * Claire is a feminine given name, the feminine form of French clair, which means "clear, bright"; from Latin claurus.
 * Béatrice is a French feminine given name which means "she who makes happy", from Latin beatus ("happy, blessed").
 * Duval is a French last name that means "of the valley"; from French du ("of the") and val ("valley").

Trivia

 * Claire's zodiac sign is Capricorn.
 * She was raised a bilingual, speaking fluent French due to her father's French family.
 * Claire has a black cat named Cicero, that she found as a stray kitten in the alley below the Mystic Grill.
 * She is a skilled piano player, having fallen in love with her father's art from an early age.
 * After her father's death, Claire inherited the music studio he owned and worked in near the Mystic Falls town square.
 * Claire lives at 1751 Covington street.