black coffee | remus lupin [2]

52. biscuits lead to fights

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LILY HAD WITH JOY baked some biscuits and it turned out that she had accidentally made too many. That led to Remus going to his parents' cottage with a box of biscuits with him.

Of course, he expected the usual. Remus was certain that his father would be sitting by the kitchen table with the Daily Prophet in his hands and that his mother would be in the kitchen cooking or baking something.

What he didn't expect, however, was for Claudia to be there in the kitchen with the two, helping Hope make whatever it was that she was making.

He entered the cottage without knocking or making any effort to announce himself. It was, after all, his childhood home, so he saw no reason to do so.

But he most certainly wished that he had as he entered the kitchen and nearly toppled over himself at the sight of Claudia laughing with his mum as she stirred something in a bowl.

"Claudia," he said, causing his mother to jump, Claudia to freeze and Lyall to smile happily.

"Hello, son," his father said, putting the Prophet down onto the table to direct his entire attention to Remus. "Didn't know you would come here today."

"And I didn't know that Claudia would," Remus replied, looking like he had seen a ghost.

He did, after all, have no idea on how to approach this. He had been a full on dick to the girl, and she had lied to him, so the last thing he felt was appropriate was to act as if nothing had happened.

Then again, his mum and dad were there. They couldn't exactly have a deep conversation in the middle of the kitchen with them.

So why would it end up turning into just that?

"Why are you here?" Remus asked Claudia, who had mostly just looked between everyone with an awkward look on her face.

"I...I came to visit your parents," she said quietly, looking everywhere but into his eyes.

"Yeah," Hope nodded, looking wearily at her son and Claudia. "That's right. Since you two are in a spat I thought I would take matters into my own hands and invite her myself."

"We're not in a spat," Remus said quickly.

"Then what are we in?" Claudia asked flatly.

"You tell me," Remus replied. "What are you and I in, Claudia?"

"A spat," she said. "Possibly a fight. An argument. Call it what you want, we're not exactly on good terms."

He nodded, his head hanging low as Hope and Lyall looked at one another out of worry for what was to come.

"Then let's have it out," Remus said finally, looking up into Claudia's eyes.

"What?"

"We need to talk," he shrugged. "Let's talk."