black coffee | remus lupin [2]

93. see you later

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"I HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE TO REMUS," Claudia said to Regulus and Nicolas, looking at them with desperate eyes.

The boys shared a look, and then Nicolas shook his head slightly, "No, Claudia. I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why?" Claudia asked, and she was surprised to hear Regulus utter the same word just seconds after she did.

Nicolas sighed, clearly disappointed to find that Regulus wasn't on his side in the matter.

"It'll be harder to leave for you," he said. "And...we still don't know if we can trust him. After all, Dumbledore has a traitor-"

"Don't," Claudia warned. "We've been over this before. He isn't a traitor. He wouldn't sell us out. And besides, I don't think I can leave without saying goodbye. Because...what if something happens?"

"Nothing's gonna happen."

"But what if something does?" The girl insisted, staring at her stepbrother with a pointed look. "I couldn't stand myself if I...if I didn't say goodbye in case something happens to me. Or to him. Who knows when we'll be back? And what we'll do once we are? I mean, even if we actually manage to kill the Dark Lord, I still have a father who wants to kill me. And maybe we'll end up in Azkaban for all I care, considering that we're technically Death Eaters. I just can't-"

"She's right, Nico," said Regulus. "I think paying him a visit won't do any harm. We don't even know where we're going anyways, so how is Lupin supposed to sell us out if he is in fact the traitor?"

"He's not."

"I know, but I'm just saying," Regulus said to Claudia, squeezing her right shoulder. "All I'm saying is, Nico...maybe we can spare a few minutes. I...I think we both know how much it sucks when someone leaves without saying goodbye."

Nicolas nodded slowly, clearly moved by Regulus' last words as he tore his eyes away from the both of them.

"Alright," he said. "But you have to be quick."

"Of course," said Claudia, and so she grabbed the two boys once more and brought them to Potter manor - or to where the house was placed under a bunch of protective charms, that was.

"Wait here," she said quickly, leaving the two boys stranded in the bushes, glancing around anxiously.

Claudia made her way past the spells and onto the porch, knocking on the door a few times before it opened.