moony ~ remus lupin

Chapter Eight • Nick's Invitation

Claire was fighting through quiet sobs as she asked Remus again, "Why didn't you tell me?" Every once in a while they would hear shuffling by the door, but Remus and Claire ignored James and Sirius. Remus lifted his hand and was about to start explaining but the second he barely had his hand lifted she flinched and mumbled, "Please, don't."

Claire turned to the side and squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh, my god-" He said, lowering his hand. "Did- did you- Claire, did you think I would hit you?" She looked back at him, crying not just in sadness but in fear. Remus took a step closer and took her in his arms. "I would never hit you." Claire began to sob into his shirt as he held her. "I'm so sorry," He said quietly. "I never wanted to hurt you." He kissed the top of her head and began to rub her back as she cried in his arms.

"Please forgive me, Claire." The door to her room opened about and inch and Remus could see James and Sirius trying to peak their heads in. They both looked at him, confused after they heard Claire's cries. The both got up off the ground and opened the door completely to see Claire wrapped in his arms. "Did you fucking hit her?!" James yelled, walking up then. "No! James, I didn't hit her." James sighed in relief and they walked over to her other side and hugged her as well. They stood there all together as Remus and Claire cried in each other's arms.

"I think you broke her, Remus," James joked, pulling away from them. Claire and Remus giggled a little bit at his words and Remus loosened his grip on her. "Do you forgive me?" He said whispered. She barely nodded before he lifted her head by her chin, the same way she did to him the day after the first full moon. He looked down at her, slightly smiling as James and Sirius watched them from her bed.

Claire stood up on her tip-toes and gave him a soft kiss, indicating her forgiveness. "You're still not allowed to hang out with Ravenclaws anymore," She said, brushing the hair out his face. Sirius clapped his hands, causing James to follow as Remus and Claire turned to face them. James got up from the bed and said looked Remus right in the eyes. "Remus Lupin, as Claire Wellwood's adopted brother I now give you permission to officially be her b- b- boyfriend." Claire and Remus laughed at James and she hugged him.

Mrs. Potter came through the door a few seconds after, looking around at everyone. "Claire, there's someone at the door here to see you. I let him know that you'll be down in a second," She said quietly. Remus turned her around and wiped the last few tears off of her face with his thumb and asked if he could go down with her. After a unanimous vote they decided to all go down together. As they came down the stairs Mrs. Potter led them outside to meet the visitor. They all walked outside, James and Sirius mocking them and fake kissing as they stepped outside.

They walked around the front to the driveway to see none other than Nicholas standing there. "Oh boy, an outfit change," Sirius said. Nick was now wearing a white button up shirt, a red tie, and slacks. "H-hello, Claire!" He said through a voice crack. Sirius started to laugh again but quickly covered it with a cough. "Hey," Claire said as Remus hugged her from behind. Nick cleared his throat and pulled out a bunch of cards with paragraphs on them. "Please, call me Nick," He began before Remus quietly said, "She didn't call you anything else." As he softly chuckled. "I have a question for you," Nick said, looking from her to the cards every two seconds.

Claire nodded while Remus rubbed his thumbs up against her sides. "I, Nicholas Hall, wanted to know if you wanted to spend Christmas with my family and I. Would you except the invitation?" Sirius had to lean behind James so he didn't laugh as James was struggling to hold in his chuckles as well. "Listen, Hall. Claire's already got a boyfriend," Remus said sweetly to him.

Nick's smile vanished with Remus's words. Suddenly, a wave of anger took him over. "Do I know this 'boyfriend'?" He said, putting quotations around boyfriend. James and Sirius couldn't help it anymore. They were cracking up, behind Remus and Claire. "Yes. Yes, you do," Remus said, trying to hold in his laughs as well. Claire softly slapped his hand as if to tell him to be serious.