TW!!! Mentions of abuse.

CHAMPAGNE GLASSES HAD formed its own little group on the table next to Claudia. She was standing in a corner, hiding away from everyone and everything as her eyes scanned over the stupid ballroom where every guest of the Nott family were dancing around.

You see, mere hours after saying goodbye to Remus, Claudia had ended up in the Nott manor simply for just one reason: Regulus Black.

And, so far, she had not seen a glance of the boy. So instead, she had stayed put where she was as she made sure that Evan Rosier couldn't find her.

Because as she saw the wicked boy, she knew that he wondered where she was considering that his eyes were always somewhere other than on the girl he was dancing with.

Claudia sighed slightly to herself, because it had been a full hour and the boy of the hour hadn't shown up. But she wasn't going to give in quite yet and apparate way.

And that decision proved to be a good one - at least according to her - as she finally caught sight of some black locks of hair in the crowds.

Regulus was standing with his parents, keeping his head low and his eyes on the ground due to the fact that he most certainly didn't wish to be there.

However, a tiny little part in him was happy to be there as he finally spotted Claudia, who had tapped on his shoulder three times after he had failed to notice how his parents had walked away and how a certain boy with blonde hair watched him from afar.

"Claudia," he said, and the girl was pleased to find just the little hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"Regulus," Claudia replied, holding out her hand to the boy. "Walk with me?"

"Now?"

"Yes, now," Claudia said with a smile, but she wouldn't deny that she felt immediately sad as the boy seemed determined to say no.

But then, the choice of saying no he had made inside his head changed, because he spotted Evan checking Claudia out from afar, even though he was dancing with some girl.

"Okay," Regulus replied quickly, ignoring the confused look on the girl's face as he accepted her hand and immediately became the one who led the way out into the large garden, where they took to strolling around in the warm summer eve's air.

"So..." Regulus said after a while as Claudia caught a glimpse over her shoulder at the window of the ballroom where people were still standing. "What're you doing here?"

Claudia shrugged, knowing just why he asked that, "Wanted to see you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you," she nodded. "Regulus, I've been meaning to-"

"If it's about what happened before summer I would prefer it if you'd just let it go," he said sternly before she could get another word in. "Please."

Claudia frowned, "Regulus..."

"What?"

"It's okay," she said, giving the boy a soft smile as she placed her hand on his shoulder and stopped walking.

"What?"

"It's okay to be upset," she said softly.

"About...?"

"About everything," she shrugged. "About life. About growing up. About...about Nicolas."

"Claudia, no," Regulus said, and the girl could've sworn that Regulus would've sprinted away from her if she wouldn't have had her hand on his shoulder. "Do not talk about it."

"Why not?" She asked in a whisper as they boy groaned a little and moved his gaze between her and the window where his parents were in clear view as they spoke to another group of people.

"Because it does not matter," he replied coldly. "Okay? Don't try to make conversation over something completely meaningless."

The girl gave him a deeply sad look, "What do you mean 'meaningless'?"

"Claudia-"

"What you two had wasn't meaningless," she said. "You and Nicolas. It was not meaningless, okay? You may tell yourself that but I'm standing outside of this and I could clearly see that whatever you two had was so special and that you're both incredibly saddened now that it's over-"

"How do you know?!" Regulus asked, and this time around his voice was plenty louder. "Did he tell you?"

"Merlin, no," Claudia sighed. "Nicolas doesn't tell me anything at all, Regulus. I figured it out by myself after he told me that he hadn't spoken to you in a while."

Regulus nodded slowly, turning his eyes down to the ground. "Good."

"Good?"

"Good," he repeated. "There's no need to ever mention it again, alright? It was all a mistake. Nico and I...whatever we were was a mistake, nothing else."

"Reg-"

"It was a mistake!" He yelled almost impatiently, turning around on his heel as if ready to go and then suddenly turning around again and nearly scaring the girl who was only trying to give out a lending hand. "It was pointless and meaningless and-"

"You're lying to yourself when you say that," Claudia said calmly. "You and I both know that, Regulus. It wasn't any of those things, and you-"

"Oh, let it go, Claudia!"

"Let what go?"

"You weren't there! You barley even know any of us! You never knew a thing about whatever it was that we were, so don't stand there and tell me off whenever I try to point out the truth! It was pointless, and meaningless, and I am glad that it's over, trust me! And you cannot understand it, Claudia! Because you're in a bloody relationship that makes sense and that you do not have to hide from the world!"

Claudia simply stared at the boy for another few uncomfortable moments as she took notice of the strange change within him. She couldn't point out truly what it was that was different with him, but she knew that something had changed him.

For the worse.

And she found herself growing a little angry, because she was in a relationship that she had to hide from the world in some ways. Regulus may not have realised it, but Remus and Claudia couldn't see each other unless they were incredibly careful. They couldn't go to each other's homes. They couldn't walk around Diagon Alley hand in hand.

And Regulus didn't realise that then, but Claudia understood the situation far more than he knew.

But, the difference was that if anyone, Claudia could understand Nicolas. Because he was the one who had to protect Regulus from everyone else, and that was what Claudia had done over and over for so long when it came to Remus.

She had broken his heart before. She had tried to fight him off, tried to get him to leave her. Because she saw herself as a contagion.

All as Remus saw her as an antidote to every pain there was.

"How could you say such things?" Was all she asked after he had finished speaking, or, more like, yelling.

Now, one might assume that Claudia would say it in a rather scolding tone, but no. She said it softly and worriedly, as if she knew that this shell that Regulus had built for himself wasn't going to protect him.

It maybe would for a while, but not in the long run. And she knew it because she had changed shells a million times.

"I don't care anymore," Regulus sighed. "About him. It doesn't matter to me. It was just a stupid, stupid mistake. Nothing more."

"But, Regulus," Claudia said sadly. "I don't think he thinks that."

"Of course he does!" Regulus chuckled bitterly. "He's the one who realised it first. It just took me a while is all. We were just a mistake, and it never would've been good for any of us in the long run!"

"I don't think it was a mistake," Claudia said, because she believed that maybe her opinion could matter.

But, in all honesty, Claudia didn't really know what she wanted anymore with the conversation they were having. At first, her intention was to comfort Regulus and tell him yet again that she was there for him, but now she just wanted to fix whatever it was that had been maimed inside of him.

She wanted the light to come back. Yet, she was afraid that it may have been far gone already.

However, Claudia had felt herself drift off into the darkness so many times over, and she knew deep inside that it wasn't impossible to be brought back if one just tried and hoped as much as possible.

But the thing was, Regulus Black was set on not trying and not hoping. Instead, he was set on finishing school, marrying some girl and most of all making his parents proud of him without even so caring for the old him that had loved his brother so dearly and had taken such a deep liking to a person of his own gender.

He wanted to change, and not even Claudia could change that by now.

"I don't think it was pointless or anything of the sort," she continued. "I think it may have been love. Or at least a deep affection. And I think you're being ridiculous if your intention is to bury yourself in a hole for the rest of your life and forbid yourself from feeling. Because even though you say such things, I know you're sad. I can see it somewhere in you."

Regulus said nothing, he simply glanced at her with an unreadable look on his face.

"I came here to tell you that I'm on your side," she then said, speaking far more softly than before. "I wanted to tell you that I'm here if you need someone. I wanted to tell you that you can talk to me. But, in all honesty, if you're only going to blame me for not understanding you, I guess I can-"

"Don't leave," Regulus suddenly blurted, and Claudia could clearly see that the boy she adored so dearly was still inside of him even if put away on a shelf for now, collecting dust.

"Okay," she nodded. "I'll stay. But you have to promise me that you'll come to me if you need anything. Anything at all, okay? If you need to talk, or something, or-"

"I'll come to you," he said, and honestly he didn't know if he was lying or not when those words left his mouth.

Claudia smiled, but that smile disappeared as soon as it came - a tradition it seemed - as a familiar yet haunting voice called out after them from the manor.

"Regulus!"

It was Bellatrix Lestrange's voice, also known as Regulus' cousin, an avid follower of the Dark Lord and the most scary person Claudia had come face to face with as of recent.

The woman with big black curls came walking towards them in a fast speed, tripping over her own feet at least twice in the process yet simply laughing that scary laugh to herself the entire way.

"Ah, my baby cousin," she grinned as she arrived, and then she took notice of Claudia and gave her a small nod that either meant respect or hatred.

Claudia couldn't tell. And, in all honesty, she couldn't care less.

"Claudia Maple," Bellatrix then said as the grin returned. "Well, you two have places to be!"

"What?" Regulus asked, not really caring for making an effort to be kind because Bellatrix didn't care and he was far too grumpy as of late to act polite.

"He's here," she said, and then she let out a small giggle that sounded far too menacing for Claudia's liking.

"Who exactly is here?"

"The Dark Lord, of course!"

Claudia could feel her heart sink in her chest as she quickly asked, "Why is he here?"

"Oh, for the marks of course!" Bellatrix exclaimed. "I've heard that you two haven't got them yet, so get yourselves inside so that he can begin! You mustn't keep him waiting!"

And just like that, the woman ran off, tripping over herself again and seeming far too excited for what was to come in the next few minutes.

And Claudia and Regulus stood; Claudia with an internal panic and Regulus with a wave of nervousness upon him.

"Claudia..." Regulus said quietly since she hadn't spoken a word in what must've been minutes. "Maybe we should-"

"No," Claudia interrupted, and then she grabbed his arm and apparated away.

And where did they end up? Well, in the hallway of Number 12 Grimmuald Place, just like she had planned in just a few minutes time.

Regulus choked on air as they landed, and then he moved to look at the motionless girl with an almost angry look on his face, "What did you do that for?"

"You should thank me," she replied. "I just saved your arse from getting that mark."

Regulus frowned, "And what difference does it make? I'll get the mark either way!"

"You won't get it on my watch," Claudia said sternly. "That's the point."

"But my parents will be furious with me-"

"You're gonna tell them that I sprained my ankle amd that you helped me home."

"And how exactly did we get home? I'm not 17 yet."

"I'm a strong witch," she replied. "I managed to apparate us. And then you were a fine young gentlemen and you helped me, and then I apparated you home after I was fine again. No harm done, and you mustn't tell them a thing!"

"Claudia, what the hell?!"

"What do you mean "what the hell?!'" She questioned, and for just a split second Claudia wondered if maybe there was a possibility that Regulus actually wanted that mark.

But not on my watch, she thought to herself again.

"Nothing," the boy said hurriedly. "Are you going back?"

"Merlin, no," she chuckled.

"But won't they be furious?"

"It's the better option," she replied confidently, and then soon enough she disappeared again and found herself in Maple manor.

But, unlike what she had expected, Claudia didn't land in an empty house.

No, because when she arrived, she came face to face with the icy blue eyes of Louisa Maple.

"Oh," Claudia breathed as the woman immediately looked furious.

"'Oh' indeed," Louisa said with a glare that could kill. "What're you doing here?"

"I-I-"

"Oh, we knew that you would leave," she chuckled. "Of course! But you won't get away that easily, young lady!"

"What do you-"

But Claudia didn't need to finish that sentance. No, she had no use of her question being answered because as those words left her mouth, she saw Louisa's wand resting on a table nearby.

And then she saw how Louisa saw just where she was looking, and the next thing she knew, the woman was walking to pick up her wand as she herself picked up to a sprint.

The girl ran out of the manor as soon as she could, and then she threw off her heels as she sprinted through the damp grass, realising by a miracle that she had her wand.

Yet, before she could turn around and actually - for the very first time - protect and defend herself, a sharp pain entered her chest and she fell into the wet grass without the ability to control whatever happened next.

And what happened next?

Well, Claudia had of course forgotten what it felt like the moment a streak of black had came her way all those months ago at the winter's ball in 1975.

Yet, it all came back to her that very night as the sky around her turned black, and so did her skin.

You see, whatever that damn spell was, it wasn't taken lightly this time.

Before, that portion of her back the curse had hit had smelt burnt. Now, her entire body did.

Before, only her back had been covered in black veins. Now, her entire body was.

Before, everything had hurt. Now, there was no way to even fathom the pain she felt as a million streaks of black tore into her skin, turned her inside-out and set her on scolding hot blue flames.

Scream after scream after scream erupted from Claudia's fragile little voice, and it could've broken so many hearts if only she wouldn't have been alone on the wet grass with no one around but a wicked woman who couldn't have cared less if she had killed her.

She was all alone.

Claudia's flesh felt as if it was on fire and the strangest thing happened as all the good in the world disappeared.

Smoke came out of her body.

It was like a cloud of grey and black that formed around the girl and burned her skin even further as if it was toxic. As if it came out of her body only to hurt her further.

It was a billion needles, a million knives, a hundred burning beds and death ten times over.

Again, again and again.

And Claudia couldn't see.

And Claudia couldn't scream.

And Claudia couldn't breathe.

And Claudia was gone.

Yet, the cursing didn't stop and the smoke didn't go away up in the air and the black veins did nothing but spread all over her so that her face was covered to every last bit and a strange black liquid came out of her nose and mouth.

And inside the poor girl's head there was nothing but darkness.

And somewhere far away, Mary Johnson looked to her wrist and found the orange glow from her bracelet flicker.

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a/n: this is unedited because i'm exhausted but anyhow this also sucks but i have exams all week and i felt the need to get this out of the way so hopefully it wasn't THAT bad! wrote this practically half asleep so... 

<3