maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

125. no one does it like maggie

"NO ONE DOES IT LIKE MAGGIE," was something that one of Margaret's old best friends, Leta Lestrange, used to say.

And she really was right.

Because, you see, no one knew how Margaret had managed to easily shut down all those horrid people every time they had been so cruel to Leta all those years ago.

And no one knew how she had managed to shut down the ball on that Easter night in 1977 and make everyone go home.

All they knew was that that was exactly what she had done.

And even the Dark Lord agreed to this - something that made no sense to everyone. Not even Margaret herself understood it, but Merlin was she grateful for it.

Because, after one of the worst nights of her life, Claudia at least didn't have to get the Dark Mark, and nor did Regulus.

The manor was now empty. Well, the Dark Lord was still in a room somewhere having a good old chat with Charles, and the rest of the family were around, Regulus as well.

Evan, however, had left, no punishments served.

Yet.

The clicking of the cane alerted the poor girl who had been staring at a relieved message from Remus, who was still unaware of what had happened and what Evan had done to her, this because Claudia had lied and written to him that everything was fine.

"How are you feeling?" Margaret asked quietly, gazing nervously at the girl who had her knees curled up to her chest with her hair wet and her eyes tired.

"Perfect," Claudia answered sarcastically, something that Margaret chose to ignore as she neared her and sat down on the armchair nearby Claudia's bed.

"You listen to me very carefully, now, young girl," said Margaret, attempting to keep a firm yet soft voice. "Throughout your life, men will try to get to you."

The girl gazed up at her grandmother, feeling no sense of interest whatsoever in listening to whatever the woman had to say, considering that she just wanted to sleep and never wake up.

Because what could she possibly say to make her feel better?

Claudia felt the urge to take a million showers or set herself on fire or even rip off her own skin just so that she could get his touch off of her.

But nothing could help. Not even the words of a concerned lady who had done nothing to make things better for the girl during all the years of agony she had been forced to live through.

"Men will try to get to you, and they will do things that will make you feel tainted every now and then," Margaret continued. "They will make you feel ignorant. They will make you feel dull, and unworthy. They will make you feel weak. But you are not any of those things."