THE STUDENTS of Hogwarts woke up to a beautiful snowfall on the Saturday of the first trip to Hogsmeade, despite it only being the end of October. To say that the timing was impeccable would be an understatement.

Even so, Claudia woke up in a terrible mood, because she was to spend the day with Evan Pig Rosier.

She was reluctant towards even eating breakfast, because her attempts at finishing her mashed potatoes the night before were useless, and now she was even closer to the dreaded "date".

But, her friends dragged her along anyways, Betty also having a loss of appetite due to her nerves for her date with Sirius. Those were different types of nerves than Claudia's however.

When she told her friends about what she had agreed to, they all looked at her like she was stupid. Claudia had never really explained just how bad things could get with her brothers, and she had never ever spoken about what could happen with her father and stepmother if she crosses the line.

Betty, Inez and Pandora didn't understand her reasonings at all. She said that she simply just wanted him off her back, and that she knew that he and her brothers could easily prank Lily and Pandora, and that she didn't want that. She left the Marauders out of the conversation completely.

The girls were all concerned for their friend when she didn't even eat her pancakes and syrup that morning, and also because she didn't even bring her book with her to read.

"Okay, I'm off to meet Sirius," Betty announced nervously, which caused Claudia to forget about her problems for a few minutes as her old famous pep-talk returned.

"Have fun! And make sure he gets to know just how brilliant you are, Betty!" She finished the talk with as she returned back to her moping.

The time had arrived for her to meet with Evan, so she reluctantly stood up and spoke her goodbyes to her friends.

"Have fun you two," she faintly smiled to Inez and Pandora, who were planning to buy books and drink butterbeers.

"I would say the same to you, but I think we both know the only thing I can wish you is that you survive," Inez said as she smiled reassuringly to Claudia, who left the two to meet the Slytherin boy by the entrance.

The Marauders all stood by the entrance as Betty approached Sirius. They were all talking lightly as Claudia walked past them and pointed finger-guns at her head as she caught Betty's eyes. Betty laughed and then sighed, as she saw Evan immediately putting his hand on her lower back when she approached him.

"She's going with him?" James asked Betty in a surprised tone.

"Yeah... she said it was to get him off of her back and make sure he doesn't prank her friends but I personally think that's a load of bullshit," she stated.

"Why do you think that?" James asked.

"There's always stuff she isn't telling us," she sighed. "A bit of a mystery, that one. But I love her to death either way."

•••

Claudia finished her first butterbeer in the matter of less than five minutes. She was nervous, and not in a first-date kind of way, but in a help-me kind of way.

The way it all started was annoying. Evan placed his hand on her lower back as soon as she walked up to him, and he immediately reminded her that she was to be as nice as possible if he was going to do his part of the deal.

He walked with his hand on her lower back the entire way, which caused her to feel completely uncomfortable, since he could just move it lower if he wanted to.

Then, he wanted to go to Madam Puddifoot's. Claudia would have loved to have Betty nearby, even Sirius for all she cared, but she didn't want to be in that tacky place nor did she want to distract them from their date.

So, the two ended up at The Three Broomsticks, where the Marauders, Inez and Pandora as well as Lily and her friend Marlene were also sat with their respective butterbeers.

The safety-net of her friends and the Marauders, who all were relieved when they saw her enter the pub, was however not helping in the situation. Evan walked first; meaning that he picked the table. They sat down far away from Inez and Pandora, as well as far away from Lily and Marlene.

The only people that had Claudia in plain sight were the three remaining members of the Marauders.

Evan made it even worse by seating himself next to her instead of in front of her, which according to Claudia was the worst possible thing that could happen since his access to her was even more open than before.

So there she was, hastily drinking her butterbeer and trying her hardest not to vomit by his touch, since his hand immediately found it's way to her knee like always.

"So then Nolan told her tha...are you even listening to me?" Evan said to the light-brunette who kept her eyes on the table.

"Hmm." She hummed as she met his eyes. Those cold eyes.

"I guess you're not much for talking," he pointed out.

"Not with you," she said lowly under her breath.

"I guess we can do other things than talking," he suggested as he leaned in for a kiss.

She dodged that like the wind.

"I'm gonna go get a new butterbeer!" She shreeched as she ushered him out of the booth so that she could get away.

"No, hang on!" He said annoyed.

"I'll be right back!"

"I'll pay," he suggested, still annoyed.

"I'm a Maple, pretty sure I can afford a butterbeer by myself," she stated as she turned back around and rolled her eyes.

James followed Claudia the moment she stood up as his friends sent daggers to Evan, who was way too busy with fixing his hair to notice their angry gazes on him.

"Hey," he said to the girl who was waiting for her butterbeer by the counter. Claudia looked at him with a surprised face as she replied:

"Hi."

"We're going to help you out," James said.

"What?" She asked, confused.

"We're going to get you away from that prick."

"No, thank you but h-"

"We're doing it either way because you are clearly not comfortable with him."

"James, no," she said as she shook her head. "It will only get worse if I don't stay on this date."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you," she whispered as her eyes left his. "And besides, who knows what he'll do to you if you do something to him."

"That's why we'll do it so he doesn't see who it was," James stated confidently.

"Please, just don't," she sighed. "I don't want you in trouble."

"And we don't want you in trouble. So we're going to help you out and make sure he doesn't get a second date." He said as he walked back to his friends.

Claudia felt rather panicked over their decision as she payed for her butterbeer and walked back to Evan. She sat across from him this time, which caused him to roll his eyes impatiently.

"You really aren't easy, are you?" Evan stated.

"Excuse me?" She said in an offended tone.

"I believe you and I could be great together. I would want you despite the fact that you're a filthy halfblood!" He hissed.

"What?" She exclaimed. "Well, I'll let you know I do not believe in that, and I don't want you even if you're a noble pureblood!"

"But I think you do."

"No! Are you mental?" She yelled, a little too loudly, in pure frustration. "I came here for one reason and one reason only, to get you off my back. I'll gladly stay here and drink another butterbeer and talk random crap with you for another thirty minutes but after that you and I are done!"

"I don't think that's what you want, I'm pretty sure I do things to you Maple," he said with a smirk as he leaned in over the table.

"The only thing you do to me is disgust me," she hissed, her breath stopping as he cupped her face with his cold hand and began stroking her bottom lip with his thumb.

The Marauders were boiling at this point. Remus especially, who met Claudia's scared eyes.

Claudia could see how badly he wanted to help her. It was weird, because they had only spoken a rare few times, but that was an expression she could clearly read as Evan's hand kept caressing her face. He wanted to save her.

Remus saw how her eyes pleaded for them to not do anything as she looked right at him.

But they did it anyways.

__________________________________

a/n
alexa play getaway car by taylor swift