maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

138. the beach

REMUS WAS POURING himself a glass of water as he spotted Claudia outside the window. She was standing straight up as she looked ahead at the horizon, the seawater washing up and drenching her feet.

He couldn't see her face, but he knew that she was smiling.

And then, the girl backed off a few steps, and fell down onto the ground.

Now, normally, Remus would immediately grow concerned because she had been in pain for weeks and her body could shut down any time if she was only unlucky, but the way she fell onto the ground, her legs stretching up towards the sky for a moment before she dramatically put them down as well like a little child, told him that she was just being her good old self.

He chuckled to himself slightly with that look in his eyes that no one could possibly describe in words, and then he downed the glass of water in just a few seconds before heading out the front door of the little cottage that was owned by the Lupin family right there by the sea.

You see, Claudia had for the past few weeks pretty much been in bed the entire time. She had stayed at Potter manor, and Inez's dad had come every day to check up on her and do his healer stuff.

But then, after a while, Claudia got to sitting up instead of laying down. She got to talking instead of whispering. And then, eventually, she got to walking instead of sitting.

So, Remus simply asked her the question he had been wanting to ask her for a while.

He asked her if she wanted to come home with him.

And she said yes.

So, Claudia, despite still being in the slightest of poor health, followed the boy and stayed with him and his family instead at their tiny yet perfect cottage by the sea.

And how was it possible that she could do that in the first place?

Well, it was all thanks to Daktari - Inez's dad who had also saved her life.

You see, the man was highly respected by Charles Maple, so when he arrived at Maple manor and announced to the family that Claudia was to stay with him and his family for the rest of the summer, Charles didn't budge.

And he knew that Daktari knew something. But, the healer didn't mention a thing or even keep his voice strained.

But, his eyes told a different story, and Charles could tell that there was hatred in them.

But, honestly, being set free of his daughter for a little while seemed acceptable since she was such a burden to him, and since she would be staying with people he believed to be reasonable.

Of course, Charles had no idea that the Harpers were blood traitors, and that Claudia was staying with a completely different family.

But he had no use of that knowledge anyway, Daktari decided.