RAVENCLAW HAD LOST THEIR final quidditch match against Gryffindor.
It's sucked, Claudia thought, but the smile on James' face as he came up to her afterwards and teased her for having lost against him and his team made it all a little better.
And, honestly, it seemed to help Inez too, who was sort of hating her existence a tad bit. But, Marlene had a knack of making her feel better, and so did apparently a happy James Potter.
Claudia and Inez left their group of friends to hit the showers, and then they walked back to the school in silence as they both took in the fact that they had just finished their careers in the Ravenclaw quidditch team for good.
But, it proved to be that Inez wasn't done with quidditch just yet.
"I think I wanna play quidditch in the future," she said dreamily as they walked. "After the war."
Claudia smiled, "I've been waiting for you to say that."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. You'd be perfect for it! Inez Harper, a world famous quidditch player. Oh! It would be amazing!"
Inez chuckled, "I'm glad you think so."
"I'll be front row at all your games," Claudia smiled, ignoring the little voice in her head that told her that she most certainly wouldn't. "Along with Betty and Pandora, of course."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Inez chuckled.
"What do you mean?" Claudia asked rather nervously.
"Well, Betty might be going to France as you know," she began.
Which was true. The blonde girl had all her hundreds of brothers there, and she was in fact fully french, so she had thought about returning to the country she was born in.
But, she also wasn't sure. Time would only tell.
"And, as for Pandora," Inez grinned. "A little birdie named Mary told me that she overheard her and Xenophilius having a conversation about moving in together."
"No way!" Claudia exclaimed with a smile that she painted on.
She seemed to be doing that a lot recently. Painting on smiles, that was.
Because everyone were planning on how to move on. Betty would maybe leave to France, Pandora and Xenophilius were moving in together and James and Lily were getting bloody married.
And Claudia was just stuck as she absentmindedly counted every day and minute she had left until she would leave them all behind.
"Yes way! And, that reminds me, what're your and Remus' plans for when we leave school?"
"Oh," Claudia chuckled nervously. "Well, I...I don't really know."
"You haven't talked about it?"
"No, of course we have! It's just...I don't know, we haven't really planned anything past the summer. We're staying at his house by the sea all summer, but after I'm not really sure."
"Getting your own place I suppose," Inez grinned, laughing slightly as she nudged Claudia's arm with her elbow.
Yet, she noticed how Claudia was merely smiling in a way that made her look both like she was nervous and in pain.
And that caused Inez's smile to go away.
"Claudia?"
"Yeah?"
"Is something wrong?" Inez asked suspiciously.
"No," Claudia chuckled with a smile to hide it as they walked through the entrance. "Nothing's wrong. I've got to go have tea with my grandmother now though, so I'll see you later at the party!"
"Later!" Inez called after the girl who quickly walked away.
And then she realised that something most definitely was going on.
Something not so good.
•••
Claudia was heading back to the Gryffindor tower as she went over the weird conversation she had just had over tea with her grandmother.
She hated that woman's guts, sure, but she really was the only one Claudia could rant to. So, there she was, cursing Evan's name and begging for Margaret to do something so that she could stay with Remus.
And, well, Margaret didn't say anything. She merely looked sorry for the girl.
But, what Claudia didn't know was that her grandmother deep inside wanted nothing more than for Claudia to stay with that boy who had proved himself to be her Prince Charming.
She wanted it just as badly as she had wanted to stay with her own version of him when she was younger.
But still, no one other than Evan Rosier wanted to marry Claudia. And the bloodline had to be cleared, so there was no way Claudia could run off and marry Remus.
Not on her watch. Even if Claudia had threatened to kill herself if they wouldn't let her stay, which she didn't, Margaret just couldn't let it happen.
And why hadn't Claudia threatened with her own life? Well, she actually had.
To Evan she had. She said that there would be no point with it all if she wasn't alive no more. But, the boy didn't really give a shit, so he simply responded that he'd kill Remus himself if she even so hurt herself to prove a point.
And, well, if Claudia wasn't around, no one could stop him.
So, she had to stay alive.
However, against what one would believe, Margaret had a few ideas.
You see, it worked so that after three generations - on the fourth - the blood of the children would be considered pure again. That's why Claudia had to marry someone pureblooded, so that they could eventually restore the family name by letting Claudia's kids take her surname.
And, well, Evan Rosier was pureblodded, and he had enough family to ensure that his family name wouldn't die out.
And, well, Margaret Maple hade made an oath to her late husband to protect the family name.
So, she had to.
The only way Margaret could help her was by finding another pureblooded boy that would agree to marrying her.
And, surprise surprise, that's exactly what she was up to.
Because, if Margaret had her way, Evan rosier would never lay a hand on Claudia ever again. Honestly, if she had her way, the boy would be dead.
One would just have to hope that she wouldn't find another suitor too late.
However, she didn't tell Claudia of her plans. She didn't wish to bring her hopes up, but she also didn't wish to kill all hope she had instead.
So, instead she opted for listening, and then saying some gentle and surprisingly kind words that strangely enough comforted the girl.
"Love is a strong thing, my dear," she had said. "If anyone knows that it is me. If it's true and faithful, it will never go away. Not really."
Claudia had given her a look of helplessness, and that was what had made Margaret continue.
"Newt used to live by this philosophy," she had said with a hint of a smile on her lips. "I bet he still does. And you wanna know what that philosophy was?"
Claudia had nodded slowly with a million questions going about in her mind.
"That worrying means you suffer twice."
"What does that have to do with this?" Claudia had asked quietly. "And...and who was Newt?"
"It has everything to do with this, dear," Margaret had answered with a smile of both pity and recognition.
It was like she had been watching her younger self in the mirror, you see.
"If you worry to much about the future, you won't enjoy what you've got with that boy now. Instead, you should savour every last moment. Live every day you've got left as if it's your final one. And I assure you, Claudia, your 'final day' with him won't be your final one. You'll find your way back somehow."
"I don't believe that," Claudia had said with tears in her eyes.
"You should. You wanna know why? Because I know that I will see Newt again, just as you will see Remus again. And, to answer your second question...Newt was my Remus, if I were to phrase it in a way you would understand."
Claudia had gaped at her, "Newt?"
"Newt."
"I'm sorry for asking this, but are you talking about Newt Scamander? The man who wrote Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? The famous Magizoologist?"
"That's the one," Margaret had answered carelessly as she took a sip of her tea to hide that smug little smile that was playing on her lips.
Now, the last thing Claudia would've ever expected was that Margaret's, well, to put it simply, ex-boyfriend would be Newt bloody Scamander, but it was a strange yet nice surprise.
Claudia had always loved his work, and he seemed so sweet and kind that it honestly made no sense why he would have history with another one of Claudia's dysfunctional family members. But, sure, he had probably - by the butterfly affect - been the reason why Claudia was alive since he turned Margaret into more of a softie in her younger days.
Anyhow, the whole thing did still make Claudia rather upset, considering how Margaret wasn't - to her knowledge - going to set her free from Evan, and that the fact that she had to leave Remus still seemed to be the case, and, of course, the fact that Margaret's little reminder about love didn't exactly help.
Newt Scamander was, after all, married to someone else. And, Margaret had married someone else. And, they weren't together.
So, Claudia saw absolutely no comfort in those words Margaret had said when she had basically compared her situation with Newt to the one Claudia was going to have with Remus.
For the girl didn't want to marry anyone other than him. And, she hated to admit it, but she definitely didn't want Remus to marry anyone but her.
"Claudia!" She heard a familiar voice call after her as she walked. It was Lily. "Wait up!"
Claudia turned around as she gave the redhead another one of her fake smiles, due to the fact that every time she saw her or James she was reminded of the fact that they were going to get married, and Claudia was not.
Claudia was jealous. Honestly, it wasn't their fault that she felt that way. But she still did, and that wasn't going to change because she wished she was as lucky as they were.
"Hi," Claudia greeted as the girl came up to her and changed to her pace. "Going to your dorm?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "You?"
"Nah, I'm going to Remus'."
"Okay," Lily nodded, and then a strange and unusual silence came over the two as they continued their walk to the Gryffindor tower.
And it was because Claudia didn't know how to talk about the engagement without getting a lump in her throat, and because Lily felt annoying for bringing it up.
But despite that, Claudia did it anyway.
"I'm going to ask you something, and I need you to promise not to hate me."
"Okay," Lily said with a nod. "I don't think I could ever hate you, but fire away."
If you only knew what I'm going to do in two less than two months, Claudia thought to herself, and then she spoke in a quiet and rather nervous tone.
"Are you sure?"
"Sure about what?"
"About getting married."
"Yes," Lily answered without missing a beat, which nearly caused Claudia to feel ashamed for asking such a thing.
"I'm sorry, I-"
"I get it," Lily smiled as she placed a friendly hand on Claudia's shoulder. "We're extremely young. And we've only been together for like seven months. But I've known him for so many years, and you know...like you said, you just know when it's right. And I know that it is, Claudia! I mean, I've always wanted to get married. And I've always wanted kids-
Kids?!
"-and I just don't see the point in waiting if I know for sure that I love him and he loves me," she smiled. "I mean, my Patronus even matches his, and I'm pretty sure Ingannamorte said something about that meaning that you're soulmates. Just like you and Remus!"
I need a break, Claudia thought.
"Anyhow, I know it's hasty. Trust me, I know. My parents still haven't recovered from the news, and my sister isn't even coming so that's...forget that. Anyway, I just don't see the point in waiting for any reason. I love him, he loves me...and it's bad out there, Claudia. I can't be sure that we have all the time in the world with how things are with the war and everything. We're both ready to fight in it, you know, and that is risky. We know that. But we also know that we love each other, so why not get married?"
"I understand," said Claudia with a smile.
"I knew you would," Lily smiled back. "I mean, a lot of people are hurrying up with getting married and having kids and all of that because of the war, so I don't think it's stupid. And you know me, I'm not one for making stupid decisions!"
"I guess you aren't," Claudia chuckled, and then the two entered the common room, only to find James in there as he ranted about his team winning earlier that day over and over to Sirius, who was taking a nap, and Peter, who was extremely interested despite that he had heard the same things a million times before.
"Hi," Peter greeted with a cheeky smile, nodding towards the stairs as Claudia questioned where Remus was.
The girl bid goodbye, only for Lily to call after her yet again.
"You're coming to the party tonight, right?"
"Of course!" Claudia responded, giving James a confused look as he raised his eyebrows. "What?"
"If you say so," he grinned.
"What is the meaning of that?!"
"Nothing," he shrugged innocently as he leaned his head on Lily's shoulder. "I'm just saying, you and Remus have a tendency of being like two grandparents by falling asleep before the party even starts."
"That happened one time!"
"Actually, I counted, and it has happened three times," Sirius said from where he lay on the couch with a throwpillow covering his face.
Claudia sighed as she walked up the stairs, "Whatever."
•••
A few hours later, Claudia was on the floor in front of Sirius' full body mirror as she did her makeup for the party that was already going on downstairs.
She and Remus had actually fallen asleep, but they did wake up this time around which meant that they had a party to go to.
Remus danced into the room as Magic by Pilot kept on playing downstairs, his hair still slightly damp from the shower he had just taken. He buttoned up his shirt in the process, and then, as he arrived behind Claudia, he sat down and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
"You smell good," Claudia commented as she continued to do her makeup, not commenting on the kisses Remus was leaving on her neck but also not ignoring them.
"That's good," Remus mumbled, and then he got back to kissing her even more until she giggled a little, which caused him to stop and smile at her.
"Your makeup is pretty," he said. "How did you learn to do that?"
"I used to beg my mum to do my makeup all the time when I was younger," she smiled. "So I would watch and learn. And after she passed I learned everything from Inez."
He nodded as he continued to watch her with interest as she curled her lashes.
"Wanna try?" She suddenly asked him.
"Try what?"
"You can try to do my eyeshadow if you'd like," she offered, moving herself from his hold to pick up the eyeshadow pallet that was nearby.
"Oh, I don't know how," Remus said nervously as he tilted his head.
"It's not that hard," Claudia smiled. "You get to pick the colours, and then you use this brush and apply little by little so that it doesn't get too much. Wanna try?"
"Okay," Remus said with another nervous chuckle, accepting the pallet and the brush.
They sat there for a while in silence as Remus did her eyeshadow with great focus and determination to make it perfect. And, honestly, for being a first timer, it most certainly was well done.
Claudia complimented him a million times after he finished, and then she did her mascara by herself so that he wouldn't turn her blind. When she finished, Remus helped her to her feet, only to pull her in by the waist and kiss her passionately.
She accepted the kiss immediately, and it went on for a while until Claudia slowly broke it and whispered, "Easy now. You're smudging my lipstick."
"I was planning on doing that anyway," Remus chuckled, causing Claudia to laugh and kiss him once more before they headed down the stairs.
"Let's get really fucking pissed tonight," Remus said out of nowhere as they walked down only to find Sirius already having another one of his infamous drunk performances, standing on top of a table.
"Nice choice of words, ballerina," Claudia grinned.
Remus laughed, "No, I just meant, let's get really drunk tonight! I mean, not so drunk we can't function, but so drunk that we make our final party at Hogwarts one for the books! Not one where we stay for an hour and then fall asleep like old people!"
"Did James talk to you too about that?" Claudia asked knowingly.
Remus blushed slightly, "He may have."
"Thought so," Claudia grinned. "But I agree. Let's get really fucking pissed."
And so, they did. No, it wasn't as if they got so drunk that they embarrassed themselves completely or put themselves in danger or even made the night one that they would forget, but they did drink so much that they couldn't stop dancing, laughing, and sneaking off every now and then to do what they did.
And, well, that night - the one where their final party at Hogwarts was - was a night they would remember forever.
No matter what.
And, well, the morning after was also one they would remember forever, for their heads ached and their stomachs did too.
In fact, most seventh years were groaning and complaining as they all sat during the last thirty minutes to get breakfast on that Sunday morning. They complained about every sound that was made, every light that was on and every smell of the food in front of them that made them nauseous.
And, it was definitely not the morning the huge group of both Ravenclaws and Gryffindor wanted Albus Dumbledore to ask for them to come to his office.
"I have a feeling we're going to get expelled," Sirius whispered to James.
"Why?"
"We held the party," Sirius stated nervously.
Yet, he was all wrong about that. Because Dumbledore didn't care at all about the fairly loud party. No, they were on their way to his office for a completely different reason.
And that was the Order of the Phoenix.
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