black coffee | remus lupin [2]

95. tom riddle's past

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

1981 HAD ARRIVED WITH NO CELEBRATIONS, and it didn't take long for January to nearly pass them by too. By the end of the month, Claudia, Regulus and Nicolas had been moving from place to place, always staying in the woods and always trying to figure out where to find Tom Riddle's ring.

They were all feeling tired, and particularly hopeless. Even so, every day that they listened to Henry's radioshow Phoenixwatch, they were reminded of all the people, strangers and not, whose lives were terrible because of the war.

People were hiding, going missing and dying left and right. And if they could do something about that, they would.

So, as Claudia sat bored out of her mind and flicked through a boring book, she thought about everything that could motivate her to not pack her things and leave.

She wondered where Regulus and Nicolas were, and so she closed the book and got to her feet.

Nearing the entrance of the tent, Claudia could hear the two boys speak. She didn't know why she stopped there to listen to their conversation like a creep, but that's exactly what she did.

"It's her birthday tomorrow," she heard Nicolas say. "I think we should do something for her."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Regulus responded. "We need to get her a cake."

"Maybe we could Accio one," Nicolas suggested.

"Maybe," the boy with dark locks responded. "But I don't think we'll be able to accio a pancake cake."

"A pancake cake?" Nicolas laughed. "Really? Is that a thing?"

"Yeah, it is," Regulus laughed. "Made her one last year. It has cream and jam and you can even put chocolate mousse between the pancakes if you want."

Nicolas laughed once more, "You made her one from scratch?"

"Yeah," Regulus said, and Claudia could hear him smile through his words. "But with magic, of course."

"That's sweet."

"Oh, shut up," Regulus sighed.

"I just think it's sweet," said Nicolas. "I mean, the things you do for her...you must really love her."

"Are you jealous?"

"No!" Nicolas exclaimed, which only caused Regulus to laugh.

"I'm only joking," the boy said. "But, yeah...I'd do anything for her. She's my best friend. I've never had anyone care about me as much as she does...except for you, maybe. My family definitely doesn't care as much as she does. Especially not my brother."

I doubt that, Claudia thought to herself.

"I think I'd be dead without her," he said.

"I think she'd be dead without you too," Nicolas responded.