maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

92. plans & pretty dresses

"THAT WAS YOU?" Claudia asked Remus after he had told the story of how they had first met.

She felt bad for not really remembering it that much, and especially for not remembering that it was him she had met on that platform, but she had her reasons.

And, in all honesty, their first meeting probably had been more important to Remus than it had been to Claudia. He had, after all, made his first friend in the form of Peter thanks to her. Maybe even Claudia could count as his first friend.

Remus felt embarrassed to know that he had never forgotten about the girl who had made his first day at Hogwarts a little less terrifying. Ever since they met, Remus had taken notice of Claudia from afar.

He had continued to find her ever so interesting, the way she was always happier and more confident than everyone else. She was a lot like James in that way, one could suppose, but there was a certain spark in Claudia Maple that no one else possessed.

Remus liked that spark. He liked it a lot. So, he spent his first four years at the school taking notice of her.

He wouldn't have dared to confess it at the time, but Remus had always had a crush on Claudia. It was something that he couldn't control.

And, when Claudia returned her second year, Remus noticed immediately that something was off.

She was rarely in the Great Hall, and if she was she would have her nose stuck in a book, eating only pancakes. She would not even attend class some days, and the spark had disappeared for the most part.

She was there, but she wasn't really there.

If one would speak to Claudia, she would be kind, gentle, and as encouraging and funny as she always had been - however, something had gone missing the day her mum died.

Time went by and Remus kept her in the back of his his mind. It was impossible not to. And, when Peter mentioned her one night during dinner, and he caught her stealing that book, Remus suddenly felt as if he could help bring her old spark back.

It was only recently that Remus had realised that maybe there had always been something there.

There had been two versions of Claudia Maple, and maybe Remus Lupin had fell in love with both.

"Yeah, it was me," Remus said, bringing her closer to him as they sat on the coach in front of the fireplace.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Claudia asked softly, running her fingers through his hair. "I feel bad for not really remembering it that well."

"It's fine," said Remus. "It wasn't exactly special or anything-"

"But it was special," Claudia interrupted. "But, uh, ever since my mum died I sometimes struggle remembering things."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know," Claudia shrugged. "Maybe it's just my brains way of rewiring or something. Its way of coping."