maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

33. hugs & surprises

"WHERE'S INEZ?" Claudia asked Betty as the blonde sat down next to her on a random Friday morning at breakfast.

Actually, it wasn't really a "random Friday morning". It was January 30th, also known as the birthday of both Lily Evans and Claudia Maple.

Claudia was officially 16 years old.

"She said she was coming soon," Betty shrugged. "Oh! I told her, by the way."

What did she tell her you may ask? Well, let's just say that Betty and Sirius' relationship had...escalated.

'I love you's' were exchanged and other things as well, things Claudia was trying to avoid thinking about as she ate her pancakes.

Claudia, Betty and Pandora spent the breakfast eating and chatting happily. It was just how Claudia wanted her birthday to be:

Like it wasn't actually her birthday.

She never received anything from her father. Her grandmother would usually send her a card, but she didn't this year. She felt the big hole of her mother more every year, and that was what made her despise the day so much.

Because every year Claudia got older, but her mum stayed 34. Time went on, but never for her mum. She was just...gone.

"I'll go check where Inez is," Claudia eventually said as she finished her pancakes. "See you in Defence."

"Bye, birthday girl!" Betty called after her, laughing as Claudia rolled her eyes.

"Did you hear that?!" James said excitedly to Remus, who was too busy looking at Claudia.

Since they had seen her gash, the four boys had repeatedly tried to talk to her, much to her dismay. Sirius had made sure it was done safely by checking the map whenever they came up to her to make sure her brothers weren't around.

And that got him thinking.

He had been consistent on not telling them anything, weirdly enough. He didn't know what to say or how to say it, but in a way he thought they knew.

Remus was the only one he had talked to about it, and it was clear that he understood just how bad it was. He had seen her in the Prefects' carriage after, and her shaky hands and the fact that she was the only one sitting straight up showed that whatever he had seen on her back was hurting her in plenty of ways.

Still, Sirius had not told a single soul of what happened that day almost six years before the moment on the train.

"Hear what?" Remus asked as Claudia finally left the Great Hall.

"It's Claudia's birthday!" James exclaimed.

"I know," Remus said without thinking, causing James to smirk.

"How do you know?"

"Because Betty just yelled it?" Remus replied confusedly.

"Right. Well, anyways, do you know that it's also Lily's birthday?" He asked.