maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

108. an unexpected visitor

JAMES WAS RUNNING UP the stairs. This was something that was normal, because every time James Potter took the stairs he ran. However, this time around, there was an unusual nervous pit in his stomach as an unexpected visitor stood by the front door and waited for James to come back with the person that he was searching for.

And that person was Claudia.

James didn't even go to Claudia's room first, even though she had said to Remus that she would be sleeping in there as revenge for him cheating on their race.

James knew that she was with Remus anyway.

So, he knocked loudly three times, covered his eyes and entered Remus' room.

"James?" Remus questioned as he entered the room, covering Claudia's bare legs with the comforter. "What're you doing here this early?"

"Claudia, come down," James said quickly, throwing one of Remus' sweaters her way. "You have to pack."

"What's going on?" The girl questioned, pulling the jumper over her immediately since she was cold anyways.

"Nicolas is here," James answered quickly. "Your father knows that you're not at Hogwarts."

"What?!" Claudia yelled, getting out of the bed quickly and not even caring that she was just in her underwear as she ran down to her room and picked up some pants, only to start packing like crazy as James and Remus helped.

"How did he find out?!" Claudia asked, her heart racing and her palms sweating as she packed down her Christmas gifts.

"I don't know, he didn't tell me," said James. "Peter and Lily are with him now. He said that you need to hurry."

"So he's helping you?" Remus asked, throwing her the pair of heels that he had brought down from his room.

"Hopefully," Claudia said nervously.

"Do you trust him?"

"Honestly? I have no idea."

But she was pretty much convinced that she did.

At least for now.

"Well, it's no use to ignore the only chance of solving this," said James. "Got everything?"

"I think so," Claudia nodded. "You'll just have to bring it with you if I forget anything."

"And I'll take care of River, alright?" Remus said, smiling assuringly at her. "You'll be fine."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Claudia mumbled, taking the handle of her trunk, only for Remus to take it for her instead.

"Let's go."

The three descended down the staircase, finding Nicolas standing there with the very familiar permanent frown on his face.

However, something was different about him. Claudia couldn't quite put a finger on it. Maybe it was the messy clothes that he wore because he had gotten dressed as soon as he had heard of her father's suspicions at breakfast, or maybe it was the dark circles under his eyes that the boy normally didn't sport quite so much as now.