black coffee | remus lupin [2]

12. freckles & golden specks

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

HE KNEW THAT HE COULD recognise that laughter anywhere. And he was right.

She looked different. Not in a bad way, of course, but just...different. That was one of the things Remus thought about as he lost himself in a trance with her face as the only subject on his mind.

She looked older. More mature. Tougher. As if she had finally realised just how strong she was.

Her hair was shorter, resting a little further down from her shoulders than the usual near-waist length. Her eyes were more hooded with the help of some eyeliner, and he swore he could even see the glimmer of something silver on her nose, as if she was wearing a nose ring.

She looked beautiful. In that summer dress with those block heels that made her look just a little taller than she actually was, Remus found himself in a trance as so many things went through his mind.

She looked okay. For the most part, that was. She was a little pale, and a little skinnier than she was at Hogwarts, but not as skinny as she had a tendency of being every time she returned from the manor. That made him feel okay.

But, Remus quickly recovered from his thoughts about her appearance. That didn't matter to him, for what truly mattered was the fact that so close yet so far from him stood Claudia.

He hadn't seen her in a year, and now he was standing there with his eyes glued to hers.

He could've sworn that he was dreaming.

Claudia's smile dropped along with her hand, slowly but surely as Fred and George got distracted by other things and got carried away by their parents.

Her smile didn't drop because she was sad or disappointed, however. She was just in plain and utter shock as she saw those warm eyes again.

He looked different. She could've sworn he was a little taller, and she knew for sure that his hair was a little lighter thanks to the summer sun, and that his face was more defined thanks to the fact that he was a full year older.

She had forgotten just how perfectly handsome he looked. Yet, his appearance wasn't what mattered to her. No, all that mattered was that he was standing right there.

He was real. And he looked as if he was okay.

Now, all Claudia had to do was to figure out what the hell she was supposed to do next.

Was she supposed to just walk up right there and hug him? Was she supposed to wave at him and smile a little and then leave? Was she supposed to talk to him?

Was she supposed to just ignore him?

She couldn't figure it out for herself, so she was lucky that someone decided it for her.