maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

101. mothers & movies

"SO, CLAUDIA, HOW does shopping for some nice clothes sound?" Beatrice, Peter's mum, asked the girl as they, alongside Euphemia and Hope,
sat around a table drinking a Muggle drink called coffee during their girls day out in Muggle London.

At first - when Hope had brought her plans up to the girl - Claudia had wearily looked around at all four boys silently asking them if going to such a public place as London was a good idea. But, it had proved to be alright since her father, according to the Daily Prophet, was away doing something useless in other parts of England.

And, besides, the Maple family wouldn't voluntarily be caught dead in Muggle London.

"Sure," Claudia said. "Though, I've got enough clothes as it is-"

"One can never have too many clothes," Hope smirked. "And, besides, you've clearly got a sense of style!"

"This jumper's Remus'," Claudia replied with a small smile.

"But the pants-"

"Are my friend Betty's."

"Okay, but the shoes!"

"Alright," Claudia chuckled. "They're mine."

"I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable here or sound rude," Euphemaia spoke slowly. "But do you need more clothes of your own? Because we would be happy to-"

"Merlin, no," Claudia interrupted, smiling gratefully. "Thank you, but I've got plenty of clothes. I just don't wear them because they're kind of ugly. My father doesn't like Muggle thi- I mean clothes, so I mainly just have the boring stuff my stepmother buys me."

"Well, that pretty much just sounds like you need a whole new fun wardrobe," Beatrice smiled.

"Oh, we don't have to go shopping just for me-"

"Claudia, we've all been forced to become mothers of boys," said Hope. "Which means that we've never gotten the chance to drag a teenage girl of our own out in all the stores possible and force her to try everything on. But now we do."

"But-"

"No objections!"

"Alright," said Claudia. "Let's go then."

"I've got to go to the loo first," said Beatrice, causing Euphemia to nod.

"Me too!"

The two women left, leaving Claudia alone with Hope, something that hadn't happened yet until then.

The whole situation of being left alone with your boyfriend's mum left Claudia in a position of drinking a little too much from her glass of water as she nervously, and rather awkwardly, smiled to herself.

"There's no need to be nervous, sweetie," Hope said after immediately noticing just how nervous Claudia was.

"What?"