maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

71. mother's daughter

CLAUDIA WOKE UP on the first day of classes with a booming headache. However, a small smile lived on her face nonetheless since she was in a warm bed in the best place in the whole world.

The four Ravenclaw girls got ready quickly before they headed into the Great Hall, where a wonderful breakfast was served as the students of Hogwarts laughed and chatted about their summers.

"Want pancakes?" Asked Inez with a knowing smile, that quickly faltered as Claudia shook her head.

"I'm not feeling pancakes," Claudia shrugged as she sat down, taking a quick glance towards the Gryffindor table - only to find Remus not sitting there.

She really needed to stop doing that. Looking for him in crowds was the worst possible way to ignore his existence, and she did it despite that.

"We've got defence first, right?" Betty asked as she filled her plate with fruit.

"Yeah," Claudia answered.

"What does your father think about you taking it this year?" Inez asked Claudia cautiously.

"He doesn't know," Claudia grinned. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Or me.

"You sure he won't find out?" Betty asked.

"Nah," Claudia said as she shook her head. "He doesn't care. And if he would have, my grandmother would just lie and say that it's a mistake and that I'm not taking the class."

"Really?" The three girls asked as they found themselves incredibly surprised over how Margaret Maple had suddenly allowed Claudia to be a normal teenage girl - well, to a certain extent that was.

"She's been getting soft or something, I don't know," Claudia shrugged.

"That's good," Pandora pointed out. "I wonder what the new professor is like."

"Yeah," Claudia mumbled as she thought about the confusing glances she had received from the new professor during the welcoming feast.

Eventually the four girls finished their breakfasts, and since they all took Defence Against the Dark Arts together they headed off to class alongside each other - three of them chatting happily as one of them zoned out.

But, what Claudia was thinking about as she zoned out was something she couldn't even remember the moment she walked into someone.

And, of fucking course, it was Remus.

"Sorry," she mumbled, not meeting his eyes as she walked past him.