maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

76. hypocrites & agreements

"I guess so."

"That is if you promise again that you won't hurt him, won't take advantage of him, won't question why I was with James Potter in a broom closet and won't put Regulus in danger."

"I promise. And that is if you promise not to tell anyone, and to make sure Potter won't as well. Not even to his dear little friends."

"I promise," Claudia said. "Well then, I guess I shall be off since were in an agreement."

"I guess so," Nicolas said as the girl turned around and started walking, only to stop abruptly as a small smirk formed on her lips.

Claudia turned around and walked sharply back to the boy, carrying that mischievous smirk on her lips.

"I'm not done," she said. "I will tell everyone, and by that I mean everyone-"

"Claudia..."

"-If you don't get off my back," she finished. "If you let me hang out with whoever I want, without telling a single soul and without even so complaining about it, I won't tell anyone. If you let me wear what I want, read what I want, listen to what I want and most specifically let me be with who I want to be with. If you don't agree to this, your secret will be out."

Claudia hated that she was basically blackmailing him, but she had finally found a loophole. A way to escape for a little while, and a way to finally be in public with Lily, Mary and even Remus if things could finally turn out good again.

She knew that the only way her father would find something out was through her brothers. Because whenever one of their friends had seen her do something that she wasn't supposed to do, they had come skipping right up to Nolan or Nicolas - and that's how things passed on.

So, with Nolan out of school and with Nicolas under an agreement - Claudia could finally get a taste of freedom.

"You know I can't agree to that, Claudia," Nicolas said with a frown, thinking back to the conversation he had had with his brother back in July.

"I guess you have to, then," Claudia said. "Because otherwise you'll be in big, big trouble. Trust me, brother, you don't want to know what it's like to be me."

Nicolas pondered for a few seconds before he nodded reluctantly with a sigh, "Alright. I leave you alone, you don't tell a single soul about me and Reg. Have we got ourselves an agreement?"

"We sure have," Claudia said as she reached out her hand for him to shake. "Welcome to the other side, Nico. You best be here to stay."

•••

"So, you're telling me you pretty much blackmailed Nico?" Regulus asked Claudia as they hung out in his dorm, Claudia helping Regulus with History of Magic as they did so.

"Yeah, and I apologise sincerely for using your secret to do so," Claudia replied.

"It's fine," Regulus chuckled. "I bet you scared him to death."

"Pretty much," Claudia snorted. "You should've just seen the look on his face."

"Trust me, I would like that very much."

Claudia smiled a little at the very amused boy before she cleared her throat, "So..."

"So..."

"How did it start?" She asked curiously.

"Uh," Regulus chuckled. "It was my birthday at the start of the year. I, uh, I had a really bad day. Like really bad. It was after...you know, and I was just in a terrible mood. But Nico, he stayed with me when everyone went to bed and then we just...kissed."