"I'M SO SORRY," Betty said for the millionth time as the three girls lay on Claudia's bed in their shared dorm, listening to "A Song For You" by Carpenters.
"I know you are Betty, please stop apologising!" Claudia sighed as she poked her best friend on the cheek in an attempt to make her smile and drop her guilty face.
"But it was not okay of me to tell him!" She said, referring to her accidentally telling Sirius that Claudia "fancied" James.
Claudia had returned from the library where she met Remus, only for Betty to blurt out what she did in pure guilt, which caused Claudia to laugh since she was just about to tell her that she knew.
Claudia wasn't mad. He was her boyfriend after all, and he did seem to be pretty stubborn on making her tell him the "truth". She knew it was bound to happen, and it was Inez's fault in the first place - not that she blamed her either. She didn't even blame Sirius, it wasn't exactly unpredictable that the gossip made it to all the boys.
"He's your boyfriend! It's fine, please stop talking about it," Claudia said as she threw herself back onto a laying position on her bed, her head on Inez's stomach.
"Okay," Betty sighed. "But-"
"Stop!" Inez chuckled. "This is like the first mistake you've made in your entire life!"
"That's not true," Betty scoffed.
"It is," Claudia chimed in. "You're an angel compared to Inez and I."
"Not true! Claudia, you haven't even kissed a boy!"
"Ugh, don't remind me of that! And, it is true! You're an angel."
"No, tell me one mistake you've made!" Betty said as if she was trying to prove something.
"Well, I've done countless of pranks-"
"Years ago," Betty interrupted.
"I did one very recently on the Slytherins if you remember! I've also punched my brother, been drunk, threatened the Marauders... why is that name so ridiculous by the way?"
"Dunno, they're boys," Betty shrugged. "But, still, you're practically an angel, Claudia!"
"Yeah, yeah. You are too, doll," she said in an attempt at a Southern accent. A very successful attempt, surprisingly enough. "Inez is honestly an angel as well, we're all practically perfect!" She said dramatically.
"Don't forget what Inez did at that one Slytherin party..." Betty smirked.
"We don't talk about that!" Inez yelled. "Not now, not ever!"
Claudia and Betty bursted into giggles at Inez's already embarrassed face and the tone of her voice, as Claudia realised something.
"Patrols, again." She sighed as she stood up from the bed and began brushing her hair. "Why on earth did Dumbledore make me a prefect and not you, Betty? I'll never understand."
"He thinks I don't know english that well," she shrugged. "Since I'm french."
"Why would that be a reason? And why does he think that?"
"No idea, I just don't think he likes me that much. He's spoken to my parents, and you know how they are with their English."
"But it's ridiculous to assume you don't know English that well because of them, you've lived here since you were nine!" Inez said.
"I know, that's just my assumption," she shrugged. "Every time he speaks to me he articulates his words like I'm eight years old. He draaaags them out."
"To be fair, Betty, he kind of speaks like that." Claudia said.
"Like what?"
"Like he's better and smarter than everyone," she said as she pulled a sweater over her head.
"True," Betty and Inez chorused.
"Or," Inez said thoughtfully. "He wanted Claudia as a prefect because she's a Maple."
"That could be it," Claudia said with a slow nod of her head.
"But I'm an Arnaud and you're a Harper," Betty said. "We're all hella prestigious... that sounded so horrible!"
Claudia and Inez chuckled. "Or he wants you with someone," Inez said factually.
"Wants me with someone?" Claudia repeated in a confused tone.
"Yeah, I heard he had a bet with McGonagall that this year's Head Boy and Girl we're going to get together this year, and that's why he gave them their postions in the first place. To get them together! And it worked too, apparently."
"They're together?" Claudia said in a shocked tone.
"Rumour has it they are," Inez said with a smirk.
"God, I wish I had a friend who's a prefect to gossip with," Claudia said airily.
"You've got Lily," Betty pointed out and Claudia nodded.
"Yeah, right," she said, leaving out the fact that she and Lily also weren't talking because of her brothers.
When Lily came up and asked her about it Claudia said that she couldn't be around her, and that she couldn't tell her why. Lily, being as understanding as she was, understood and accepted it. They both missed each other, but Claudia knew that it was for the best.
"And Remus," Betty continued with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Claudia said, referring to the wiggle of Betty's eyebrows.
"Nothing, just figured you two were friends now."
"Oh," she said. "Well, he is a very nice boy but I don't think we are to be honest."
"Then what are you?" Inez asked.
"Acquaintances," Claudia stated with a nod. "Well, I think that Slytherin girl is waiting so I better get going."
And at that, Pandora suddenly bursted into room with a very red face.
"Hi," they all said simultaneously.
"What's happened to you?" Betty asked, referring to Pandora's big smile and red cheeks.
"I've got a boyfriend," she smiled.
"You what now?!" Betty and Inez chorused.
"I'm together with Xenophilius. I have been for a while, figured I'd tell you now since it's been lasting for a while."
"What the-"
"That's great, Pandora! I'm going now, bye!" Claudia interrupted.
"Wait!" Said Inez. "Aren't you surprised?"
"Oh, I knew," she grinned as she left the three girls alone to their boy-talk.
•••
Claudia didn't even get a minute of peace as she exited the Ravenclaw common room only to be met by a recipe for disaster; Nolan and Nicolas Clarke.
"Wha-"
She didn't get a chance to say a word as Nolan grabbed her arm with a tight grip and started dragging her away from the safety of the Ravenclaw tower, Nicolas following the two with big steps.
"I guess I didn't warn you enough," Nolan hissed.
"Wha-"
"Evan saw you with that Lupin boy yesterday," he continued.
"Why is he always following me?" Claudia said in an annoyed tone with a roll of her eyes, and that's when Nolan stopped.
"You are embarrassing your family name! Do you not understand that?! Talking with filthy halfbloods and mudbloods, it wouldn't be a surprise if you ended up just like your mother! Yo-"
"Don't you dare bring up my mother Nolan," she said calmly with a glare that could kill.
"Don't you dare interrupt me!" He snapped as he abruptly threw her to the ground in the middle of the corridor. "See this is a warning," he said and aimed his wand at her:
"Mucus ad Nauseam!"
And suddenly, Claudia's cold from about a week ago felt like child's play.
He had casted the Curse of the Bogies on her, a curse that came with the affects of a nasty cold and a runny nose.
In all honesty, Claudia found the description of "a nasty cold and a runny nose", to be a rather restrained description. Because what she felt was that times a thousand.
Her nose was running like a waterfall, and everything felt swollen and sore. She was also sneezing like crazy.
"Seriously?" She said in between sneezes, as she tried to stand up so she could get to the Hospital Wing before she would collapse.
Yeah, a nose that runny could end up with a collapsing Claudia.
"Nolan," Nicolas said warningly.
"Come on, Nicolas!" Nolan ushered his brother, who stood frozen in his spot as Claudia tried to stop her runny nose. "We'll go easy on her this time, try something you too!"
Nicolas didn't move. He didn't wish to get in trouble, especially not by casting a curse on someone. So, he stood and watched as Nolan rolled his eyes and raised his wand yet again.
What happened next made everything worse with a simple flick of Nolan's wand.
Claudia's eyes swelled shut as they began getting irritated.
Nolan had casted the bloody Conjunctivitis Curse on her.
And now, she was unable to see.
The girl was unable to see at the same time as she needed to treat her runny nose; because otherwise she would collapse.
Claudia whimpered in pain as her eyes grew red and itchy, at the same time as her nose created a waterfall in her palm and she felt herself growing dizzy.
"Nolan," she said shakily as she sneezed once more. "You need to help me, I might collapse."
"Oh, please sis. Like I would care about you," he said with a smirk. "Ready for the grand finale?"
"Locomotor Wibbly!"
And then, Claudia's legs wobbled and she fell to the ground from the wall she was at that point leaning on.
"Nolan," Nicolas said calmly to his laughing brother. "We could get in trouble, we need to help her."
"Absolutely not, brother. Come on, let's go," he said as he grabbed his brother, who didn't move. "I said let's go!"
Nicolas shared a look with his brother, and then he looked over to the girl that was attempting to move by touching the walls. He looked like he was a second away from helping her, until his mind took over and he allowed his brother to take him away from there.
As the two boys left, Claudia tried her hardest to figure out how to get to the Hospital Wing - but it seemed impossible.
Firstly, she had no idea where she was.
Secondly, she was blind.
Thirdly, she couldn't walk.
And finally, she was feeling worse by the second.
So, there Claudia Maple lay as the only thing she could do was hope. Hope that someone would find her.
And slowly, the girl got weaker from the cold.
And eventually, she collapsed.
But, hope is the only thing stronger than fear, and it was a good thing that Claudia spent her last moments of consciousness with hoping; because her wishes came true.
A boy appeared out of nowhere and scooped the girl up in his arms as he started running towards the Hospital Wing.
And once again, Claudia Maple's arse was saved by Regulus Black.
And it wouldn't be the first time.
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