maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

40. pillow

"WE SHOULD PROBABLY get going," James said shortly after Claudia had fallen asleep on Remus' shoulder. "It's getting late."

"Awe, he thinks 2 am is late," said Sirius. "I'm wide awake, I probably don't need to sleep."

"Says the guy who's going to pass out the second we get back," Peter said nonchalantly as he picked up all the sweet wrappers that were scattered around them.

"Should we wake her up?" Remus whispered, referring to the completely dozed off Claudia.

"I don't know," Sirius said. "Betty told me she hasn't been sleeping much recently. Like barely at all. And that she won't tell her why. So maybe you could carry her, Moony?"

"I can't carry her the entire way," he whispered. "I'm too weak."

"Did you just call her heavy?!" James said in an angry tone.

"No!" Remus whisper-shouted, and then lowered his voice again. "The full moon's coming up. I can't carry her all the way because everything hurts."

"How about we just take turns?" Sirius suggested.

"Yeah, we'll take turns and we'll let her sleep in our dorm," James decided as he stood up.

"Why not her own?" Peter asked. "We could just wake her up when we get there."

"No, then we'll have to walk there too, and I'm too exhausted for that. You'll let her sleep in your bed, won't you Moony?"

Operation sleep in the same bed: commenced.

"Yeah, sure." Remus replied as he carefully scooped Claudia up in his arms. "Let's go."

James grinned in triumph as the four boys began to walk back to the Gryffindor tower.

Eventually, when they were nearing their destination and Claudia had been passed around to carry like an adorable puppy, the girl woke up.

"Remus," she said groggily as she opened her eyes.

"Sorry to disappoint you darling, but I'm just poor old James."

Remus felt like a winner when his name was the first word that came out of her mouth when she woke up.

"Can you put me down?" Claudia asked, ignoring the comment since she was too tired to deal with that.

"Of course M'lady," James said with a grin as he placed her back down. She wobbled a little as he did so, both since her head was aching and she had definitely been placed down too quickly for the liking of her iron deficiency.