black coffee | remus lupin [2]

33. the ship is still sailing

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

THE DAY BEFORE CLAUDIA HAD to involuntarily go to Maple manor, she was invited to Potter manor for a good old dinner and game night with her friends.

It was a great distraction, she thought, even if it involved a night of forcing herself to distract herself from other things. And by other things, she was thinking about Remus.

Merlin, was she ever going to get some peace and quiet without having to worry about at least something?!

Anyhow, the night started of just like it always did. Wine, food, laughter and rosy cheeks.

It wasn't until dinner was consumed and the glasses were empty that Claudia properly even spoke to Remus, who was in his room upstairs as she came inside with Stevie the kitten in her arms.

"Hey, come down. Everyone's waiting for you," she said, but was immediately met by the boy simply holding up a hand as if to quiet her down or hold her up.

She noticed that he actually was speaking to someone on the telephone that was placed on his nightstand, a small little smile playing at his lips.

"Yes, it's Claudia, mum," he said, nervously taking a glance at her as if he was back to being a young schoolboy telling his mum about the girl he had just met. "I'm not sure. I can ask her if you'd like, but please don't be too pushy."

"Ask me what?"

Remus chuckled slightly, and so did Claudia since she could hear Hope making some sort of cheery sound through the phone.

"Yeah, yeah, mum," he said, bringing the telephone down from his ear and holding onto the end of it so that Hope wouldn't be able to hear whatever he was going to say next.

"What are you going to ask me?"

"She wants to talk to you," he said, unable to hide the joyous smile on his face. "She wants to talk to you really bad."

Claudia chuckled, "Then I guess I'll talk to her."

"Just a warning," said Remus. "She's a bit..."

"Hope?"

"Yeah," he laughed. "You know what I mean. She knows we're just friends now, but I don't think she'll accept that."

"Neither does anyone else," Claudia shrugged, putting Stevie, who was fairly grown by now, down onto the floor. "Doesn't mean that it isn't still our choice."

"Yeah...right," Remus said quietly, suddenly very interested in the floor. "Well, I guess you can talk to her then? Do you want me to stay, or..."

"You can go," said Claudia with a faint little smile. "Tell everyone else that I'll be right back, alright?"

"Right," he said, handing her the phone and picking up Stevie before leaving the room and shutting the door, leaving Claudia to wonder if he stayed on the other side of it or not.