black coffee | remus lupin [2]

117. baby sister

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THE DARK LORD WAS DEAD. Staring at his dead body in silence, Regulus realised what he had done. At first, it terrified him. What would they do to him now? But then he realised that there wasn't really anything to be afraid of anymore.

Voldemort was dead. Claudia's father was dead. All the other Death Eaters would either end up in Azkaban or be too scared to continue Voldemort's legacy.

It was over.

"I destroyed them," Regulus heard Nicolas' weak voice explain. He was right by Regulus, laying still on the ground. "The Horcruxes. Every last one."

Regulus looked down at him, still in shock but allowing himself to finally feel some relief.

"No easy feat," Nicolas continued with a small, weak chuckle. "Not at all."

"How did you...?"

"I'm sorry," Nicolas said, glancing at Claudia who was struggling to get near to them, worry etched on her face.

"Nicolas..." she began, but he interrupted her.

"I had to rat you out," Nicolas continued. "They found me in the woods. I had to tell them something or they'd get all of us and we wouldn't be able to continue finding the Horcruxes. I thought that...that you could get away. I'm sorry, I-"

"It's okay," said Regulus, watching Claudia as she now sat herself next to them, still looking awfully worried. "Everything worked out just fine."

"I would never want to hurt you," said Nicolas, looking from Regulus to Claudia.

"We know," said Regulus, freezing suddenly as Nicolas let out a yelp and began twitching. "What's happening?!"

"I don't know," answered Claudia as Nicolas began to scream out of agony.

Claudia, who herself was still in a great deal of pain, looked down only to find that the black veins that covered Nicolas' body earlier were now a bright red, and that a red smoke began to lift from him as though it erupted from his skin.

"Claudia! We have to do something!" Regulus yelled desperately.

Claudia didn't know what to do. She stared at Nicolas for a moment, trying to think of something. She knew that Voldemort had cursed Nicolas with the spell that once almost killed Claudia. It was the same that she too was cursed with just minutes before.

But her veins weren't red. They were black. And sure, she felt as though she was boiling inside, but clearly not in the same way that Nicolas was.

He continued to scream and Regulus continued to plead for Claudia to do something. But she couldn't think of anything.

"Nicolas," she said finally, holding onto his shoulders as he continued to twitch and yell, looking as though he couldn't breathe. "Have you been cursed with this before?"

He didn't answer, and so Claudia asked again. Fighting through the pain, Nicolas managed to utter a quick "yes".

Claudia closed her eyes for a second, and then asked a second question.

"How many times?"

"Too many to count," he uttered through gritted teeth, trying to calm himself down but failing miserably. "Claudia, I-"

He stopped talking and began screaming again. Claudia could hear how somebody was entering the house, but she didn't care enough to see who it was, although she could hear Ella's terrified voice.

"Nicolas," said Claudia. "When I was cursed with this last time I almost-"

"Too many times kills the heart," he answered. "I know. She told me."

Claudia closed her eyes again.

Louisa. Louisa told him. Because she was the one who had done this to him so many times that this time...he couldn't take it.

"I know what's going to happen," Nicolas said, his breathing unsteady. "I know it-"

"Nicolas-"

"I know it!" He yelled, squirming.

"What?!" Regulus asked. "What's going to happen?!"

Claudia ignored him. She and Nicolas stared at one another.

"Please," Nucolas pleaded. "Make it easier. I know you know how. Surely you do after all these years."

"Nicolas, I can't give up-"

"Please," Nicolas repeated, his voice so desperate she had no choice.

Claudia nodded. She had never used the spell that he was talking about. Even if she'd thought about it a million times, which Nicolas somehow knew.

Maybe because he'd thought about it too.

She uttered the words silently as Regulus continued to try to figure out what was happening.

The screaming and twitching Nucolas suddenly began to calm down. He became silent and still instead.

"What's happening? Where does it hurt?" Regulus asked.

"It doesn't hurt anymore," said Nicolas quietly, looking Regulus in the eyes and taking his hand. "I promise."

"What-"

"I'm sorry for everything I've done," Nicolas continued. "I am. But i loved you."

"Why are you-"

"I love you," said Nicolas, and Regulus realised what was to happen.

"It's okay," Regulus said, looking more defeated than ever before. "It's okay."

Nicolas nodded and shut his eyes for a few moments, squeezing Regulus' hand.

He turned to Claudia, his eyes becoming closer and closed to completely shut, and his breathing becoming slower and slower.

He just looked at her. Didn't say a thimg. And Claudia did the same to him.

And then Nicolas lifted his hand.

"My baby sister," he said, his hand on her cheek as though he was comforting her, trying to dry her tears when in reality he was the one close to death.

His hand left her cheek and she took it, held onto it strongly as she searched his face for any sign of hope.

But she realised that it was over.

And then, in just a few seconds time, those wild eyes of Nicolas Clarke stopped blinking.

And falling out of Claudia Maple's grip was her brother.

Claudia froze. She pretended as if the world around didn't exist any longer; she said nothing and she didn't even look up.

She had no idea for how long she sat there. It felt like an eternity. She sat there, held Nicolas' hand and felt no emotions whatsoever.

But then she felt it. In his hand. Something hard and small.

And suddenly she was leaving the house, ignoring the calls after her as she examined the stone that she had found in Nicolas' cold hand.

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