The Bet // Remus Lupin Fanfiction

11

"ATHYYYY!!!!", Clare screamed while entering the hufflepuff common room making me jump.

"Woah what's wrong?", I asked.

"I-I need your he-help", she panted.

She was doubled over and was breathing heavily.

"Okay... Calm down first and then tell me what do you need help with", I said.

"There is no time to calm down!", she exclaimed, grabbed my hand and started dragging me to the dorm room.

"Relax Clars. What's so bloody wrong?", I asked bewildered by her behaviour.

"I want you to teach me everything about the Vanishing spell", she demanded and sat on her bed dragging me along to sit beside her.

"Right now?", I asked and she nodded.

"Okay.. But it will probably take about four hours at the least which means it will be way after midnight when we fini-"

"I don't care Athy. I want you to teach me before tomorrow!", she said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Why?", I questioned and she blushed.

"I- uhm", she stuttered and avoided eye contact.

"What is it?", I asked with a smirk.

"Just teach me already!", she whined.

I shook my head. "I am not teaching you if you are not telling me", I blackmailed.

She finally gave in.

"Fine!", she huffed. "I saw Peter in the library studying it. He is struggling in performing that spell so I offered to help and he accepted. I said I'll teach him tomorrow evening. The only problem is I don't know much about it myself", she told me and I laughed.

"Clars, why would you offer to help if you can't do it? It's stupidity, even if I consider your love for the marauders", I shook my head with a smile.

After talking to Remus last night, everything was back to normal. The smirks and eye rolls returned. The guilt subsided. And Clare was back to being the marauders number one fan considering that I already took my revenge and so it was now fair and justified.

"It's not because he is a marauder", she mumbled and I look at her astonished.

"You actually like Peter?", I asked, astounded by the discovery.

She timidly nodded with a shy smile.

"I do. I have for a very long time actually. I couldn't help it you know. He is just so sweet", she said with dreamy eyes.

"Good thing you chose the best marauder", I grinned.

"Anyway, let's get back to the work in hand. Teach me everything you know", she said and started rummaging through her bag to take out her transfiguration book, a parchment and a quill.

"Wait a minute. Can I tell L?", I asked.

"Oh she already knows", she shrugged.

"WHAT?!", I looked at her in disbelief.

"Yeah I told her when she told me about her "winter break of the third year" secret", she smiled.

"Oh I see. A secret for a secret huh?", I smirked and she nodded.

"Why was I being kept in the dark then?", I questioned and she awkwardly smiled.

"Well you don't like the marauders much so..."

"I like Peter. Not in that way, of course, but I always thought he was the only normal person among them", I defended.

"Yeah yeah whatever", she waved her dimissively.