maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

34. wait and see!

"NOW, ARE YOU up for a surprise?" Remus asked Claudia as they stood in the passageway.

"No," she replied. "I'd prefer it if you told me beforehand," she said as she thought about the fact that he probably didn't know that she couldn't be seen with him.

But, the thing was that he did know that. And he could practically read her mind in that moment.

"I wasn't going to talk about this," he started with a sigh. "But I know. Not everything, of course, mainly because Sirius won't talk. He hasn't told us anything, really, but I already knew for the most part. I know they're hurting you, Claudia."

"No, Remus-"

"You don't have to pretend. I know, and I know you can't be seen with us. And I'm sorry I found out, but I want to help you."

"Don't," she said with a shake of her head. "I don't want to talk about this."

"I know," he said with a sad smile. "But I just need to ask you two things, okay?" She nodded.

"Are you alright? Has it healed?"

"I'm fine," she said with a faint smile.

"And has it healed?"

"It's going to."

"That doesn't sound good," he said worriedly.

"It's fine. Honestly! Don't worry about it, I've got this," she said wiggling the serum in the air. He looked a little more relived at the sight of that.

"Can I open the envelope now?" She asked excitedly.

"Yeah," he chuckled, and she immediately opened it with a wide smile as if she was a child on Christmas. "It's not much, but-"

"Bookmarks!" She exclaimed happily as she picked up the different bookmarks and observed them. They were all white and plain, she thought, until Remus chuckled.

"Turn them around," he said, so she did.

They were, in fact, not just plain white bookmarks. They were photo bookmarks. Five different ones including one of her with Betty and Inez, one of her with Pandora, one with all three of them, one with her aunt when she was twelve, and one with her and her mum when she was a baby.

"How-"

"I, uhm, we asked Betty if she had any photos you would like. And she said she did, so we made these. Do you like them? Because if you don't I ca-"

"I love them!" She said with one of the widest of smiles he had ever seen her carry. "Thank you, Remus."

"No worries."

"Can I tell you a secret?" She asked, to which he nodded.

"This is my favourite gift this year," she said and then she hesitated for a second. "I have another secret."