maple syrup | remus lupin [1]

141. i know a thing or two about betrayal

IF THERE WAS one thing Claudia could wish for as she sat in front of her grandmother in what was now the new professor's office, it simply would be that she would be anywhere else in the world but there.

Which, of course, was the one wish that couldn't come true in that moment.

"Don't you have other classes?" Claudia asked Margaret.

"Not quite yet," the elderly woman responded.

"Well, I do," lied the girl, who actually had a free period next. She immediately got to her feet and walked towards the door to open it, only for Margaret to slam it shut again with a flick of her wand.

"Sit."

Claudia sighed, "Grandmother, I'm sorry, but I really don't see the point in me being here. Just give me detention already so-"

"Oh? So I'm back to being your grandmother now?"

Claudia sighed, refusing to meet the eyes of her grandmother who looked rather amused but sounded rather hurt.

"Look," said Claudia as she sat down again and finally met Margaret's eyes. "I get that you're trying to tell me to behave, or whatever, but-"

"I wasn't going to tell you to behave," Margaret responded. "And I wasn't going to give you detention either."

"So why am I here?"

"You're here because I simply needed a little chat with my granddaughter," Margaret said, wearing a look that Claudia couldn't quite read.

"About what I said during class? Because I get it if you're trying to keep people calm about the war or whatever, but sugarcoating the truth isn't going to help. And, besides, we're all seventh years. We should know what is going on out there, because we're about to be apart of it in just a few months. Some of us already are. It's fine if you wanna lie to the younger kids, but don't do it to us. We all already know."

Margaret sighed, "I am aware that my views can have a tendency of differing from yours, Claudia, but-"

"That doesn't mean that you should ignore what is happening. And just because you believe in that stupid 'family protects family' bullshit doesn't mean-"

"Be very careful what you say now, dear," Margaret said slowly, and Claudia could tell that the woman was growing a bit impatient with her for continuously criticising her.

But Claudia wouldn't stop. Because Margaret knew just who had killed Fayola, because she had yelled that to her through her sobs over and over last summer when Charles had brought her back to the manor after she had found Fayola's body. And, besides, Margaret also knew just who had killed her own son.

And, despite all of that, the old lady was sitting right in front of Claudia with the position that used to be Fayola's and with her son still living freely despite his crimes.