maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

51. stop!

"Do you know?" Sirius asked.

"Know what? You're confusing me."

"We mean like, do you know something you're not really supposed to know?" James asked.

"I know a million things that I'm not supposed to know..." Claudia said, trailing off as she noticed just how anxious Remus seemed to be, considering he was anxiously cracking his knuckles and not saying anything.

So, she reached out and grabbed his hand without saying a single thing, and then she turned back to face James who was the one in the middle.

"What exactly are you on about?" She asked him as she felt a tingly feeling come over her, due to the fact that Remus was anxiously drawing circles on her palm in order to calm himself down.

"Just...do you know something about...someone that you're not supposed to know?!"

And that's when Claudia realised something.

"Shit," she whispered, which caused all of them to panic even further.

"Shit? What do you mean shit?!" Sirius asked.

"He knows."

"Who...what!" James questioned in a shout.

"He knows, of course he fucking knows," she said with an almost scary chuckle.

Claudia hadn't thought about it until then, but the night before Nolan had implied that he knew about her friendship with the Marauders.

Betty fucking told him.

And Claudia was dead meat. Or, that's at least what she would be the second she returned to Maple Manor.

"Who knows what?!"

"I..."

"Claudia!"

"I...I think I'm going to be sick," she then mumbled, running off to the bathroom the second she paled and realised that the hungover was going to get worse.

Oh, how it got worse.

But, Remus was right behind her, holding her hair back and running circles on her back at the same time as she hated her younger self for even so touching the Firewhiskey.

And, when she was done vomiting and over the incredible embarrassment of doing so, which involved apologising to the boy a million times, she finally regained herself and went back to her overthinking.

"Remus, I have no idea what they're talking about," Claudia said in an almost guilty tone. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise, love, it's nothing. They're just being dramatic is all," Remus said softly as he caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"Now, will you tell me what's going on?

Claudia sighed before she nodded. "I think I need to tell all of you."

•••

Claudia had decided to return to her dorm that night. She had told the boys about Betty and Nolan, and their reactions were mixed to say the least.

James was furious.

Peter was confused.

Remus was both furious and suspicious.

And Sirius was heartbroken.

And for the first time in so long, Claudia had decided to be nice to him, because despite what he did, he was heartbroken. And she never wished for anyone to feel that way.