maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

69. acidic smoke

TW! abusive behaviours & a tiny mention of suicide.

20 DAYS. There were 20 days left before Claudia would finally return home to Hogwarts; and this time around she didn't really know what to think of it.

Previously she had always waited for the 1st of September like a child who was waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas - but this year she wasn't.

She wanted to go home, sure, but she didn't really know what she was going to face. She didn't know how bad Nicolas would be, how much the Marauders would hate her and how awkward things would be between her and the girls.

But, that didn't change the fact that she would finally be free of her father - and nothing in the whole wide world could be better than that.

The girl was in her bed that night as she looked through her O.W.L results - that so luckily had been passed on to her grandmother by her father, without him even taking a single glance at the letter.

Transfiguration - O
Charms - O
Potions - O
History of Magic - E
Defence Against the Dark Arts - E
Astronomy - E
Herbology - O
Arithmancy - E
Study of Ancient Runes - O

Claudia was satisfied with her grades. Sure, they probably could've been a little better according to the perfectionist that she was - but nonetheless they were good grades, especially considering the rollercoaster that had been Claudia's last few months of fifth year.

In all honesty, the girl was surprised that she didn't flake every single exam - and even further surprised that she only got Outstanding and Exceeds Expectations as her results.

Footsteps alerted the girl as she proudly went over the results, which caused her to immediately shove the letter under her pillow as the familiar face of her father appeared inside the room.

And, to no surprise at all, Claudia's heartbeat immediately sped up - because, to no surprise at all, she was terrified to be in a room alone with him.

"You may come with me to my office," he said as he glanced around the room - not even caring for the bloody dress that lay on Claudia's dresser.

"Right now?" Claudia asked with a frown.

"Yes," he replied. "We must have a word."

Claudia internally cursed since "having a word" was an equivalent to another night spent in horror. But, she followed him nonetheless as her hands shook and her hands searched for her mother's necklace that hung around her neck.

Charles closed the door behind the two of them before he turned around and gave Claudia an unreadable look.

"Your grandmother and I have made a decision," he said slowly as Claudia prepared for the worst. "You are to marry Evan Rosier the summer after you've graduated."

Fuck no!

"What?!" Claudia exclaimed as something far worse than what she had expected happened. "I thought I wasn't going to get betrothed yet?!"