maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

11. escapes & snowball fights

With no Evan Rosier in sight, Claudia followed the boy to where Remus and James stood, both laughing like crazy over another one of their successful pranks.

"Mission accomplished," Peter chanted as he nodded to the girl, whose hand left his, something that didn't go unnoticed by Remus.

"Thank you," she said genuinely, as she began to walk off, but James stopped her as he grabbed her arm.

"Yeah?" She asked with her eyebrows raised.

"You think he'll know it was us?" James asked with a grin, genuinely wondering since she had expressed her concern over that.

"No," she replied honestly. "Maybe. But he couldn't see and the smoke wasn't red so I would say you're good. He isn't the brightest, that one."

"That we know," James chuckled, causing her to smile. "Wanna go back with us?"

Claudia thought for a while as her mind wondered to her brothers. Rumour had it that they were both on separate dates with two Slytherin girls at Madam Puddifoot's, so they would most likely not be there to catch her walking with them.

"Sure," she nodded with a shy smile as James grinned and started walking, not forgetting to link his arms with the Ravenclaw who laughed at his noble facial expression.

But, the group couldn't walk far as the voice of a certain girl with red hair called after them:

"Potter! What the hell did you do?" Lily scolded the boy as she ran up to them. "Madam Rosmerta is furious!"

"Meh, let her be. She'll come to her senses once she knows why we did it," James said confidently, not forgetting to let go of Claudia's arm at the sudden appearance of his crush.

"Why did you do it?" Lily asked sternly with a sigh.

"To help out Claudia here," James shrugged, calling her Claudia for the first time which brought a small smile to her face. "Didn't you see who she was with? That pig Rosier!"

"Oh," Lily said as her face softened. One could almost assume that she would smile at the boy, but instead she turned her attention to Claudia. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Claudia smiled at her friend as she gave her a quick hug, and then she met eyes with Marlene McKinnon, who was awkwardly standing there shifting her feet.

"You know Marlene?" Lily said as she nodded to her friend who smiled shyly.

"Yes! You're the girl who punched my stepbrother in second year, aren't you?" Claudia said with a bright smile, recalling the fact that a twelve year old had managed to punch Nicolas, who at the time was a year older.

Two girls her year had punched both of her brothers. She herself hadn't done it, but the clock was surely ticking for that to happen.

"Yes, that's me," Marlene said awkwardly as if she was expecting Claudia to be mad at her.

"You're my idol!" Claudia exclaimed as she hugged the girl, who immediately went back to her old extrovert-ways.

"And now you're mine!" Marlene said excitedly as the small hug broke.

"Claudia!" Inez yelled from a distance. She was running up to the girl without Pandora on her heels, and without warning, Inez tackled her friend in a hug as she came up to her.

"You survived," she sighed in a relieved tone. "I swear the way he looked at you when you entered the pub, it was as if he was ready to kidnap you! Me and Pandora watched the entire time, until Xenophilius Lovegood showed up and then I was all alone! And then the smoke came and I couldn't see you, I'm so sorry!"