maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

32. the porcelain doll

CLAUDIA COULD FINALLY breathe again. From the moment she separated from her family, everything felt better. Lighter. Easier.

As she walked through the heavily crowded Platform 9 3/4, a hand was softly placed on her shoulder, causing her to jump.

"Claudia!" Betty exclaimed as the girl, who was expecting a final warning from her father, turned around.

"Are you alright?" The blonde immediately asked. "You kind of... don't look so well."

It was true. She was still sleeping badly, still not eating, still not going outside and still not smiling.

But, she was going back to Hogwarts and things would be somewhat good for a while.

"I'm fine," Claudia said with the first smile she wore in weeks, besides the one that appeared every time she re-read Remus' letter. Betty then pulled her in for a hug, causing her to be forced to hold in a wince as she placed her hands on Claudia's back.

Which was still hurting like a bitch.

She had continued to clean it, bandage it and hope for the best - but nothing worked. It hurt just as badly as it had been ever since an hour after the curse had been casted on her. And, it was bigger.

Like, it was physically fucking growing.

And more gross too. It was now black, and Claudia swore it was like her skin was becoming an ashtray.

She tried her hardest to not think too much about it; she sat in chairs like a perfect lady so her back wouldn't touch the wood, slept on her stomach despite it being extremely uncomfortable, and showered in super cold water so it wouldn't burn, despite it being freezing.

That day she had pulled a black sweatshirt over her head in hopes that no trace of it would be shown.

As the pain became more bearable during their somewhat long hug, Claudia opened her eyes and immediately saw him.

Remus.

He was looking right at her with a faint smile, out of pure relief, as well as just a soft and comforting look.

Claudia didn't technically give him a single expression back, but if one would've studied her face they would've seen how it slowly became more relaxed, more like she wasn't pretending.

More like she stopped being that same old porcelain doll.

And then, Claudia's eyes flickered to a woman next to him. She was quite young, but still old enough to be who she was.

And that was Remus' mother.

She looked kind. Beautiful. Like she would take Claudia in with open arms. Which she would definitely do.

The woman looked at her son, and then looked at who her son was looking at. And then, a big smile came upon her face. She waved to Claudia, and in a way of returning it, Claudia smiled.