REMUS WAS POURING himself a glass of water as he spotted Claudia outside the window. She was standing straight up as she looked ahead at the horizon, the seawater washing up and drenching her feet.

He couldn't see her face, but he knew that she was smiling.

And then, the girl backed off a few steps, and fell down onto the ground.

Now, normally, Remus would immediately grow concerned because she had been in pain for weeks and her body could shut down any time if she was only unlucky, but the way she fell onto the ground, her legs stretching up towards the sky for a moment before she dramatically put them down as well like a little child, told him that she was just being her good old self.

He chuckled to himself slightly with that look in his eyes that no one could possibly describe in words, and then he downed the glass of water in just a few seconds before heading out the front door of the little cottage that was owned by the Lupin family right there by the sea.

You see, Claudia had for the past few weeks pretty much been in bed the entire time. She had stayed at Potter manor, and Inez's dad had come every day to check up on her and do his healer stuff.

But then, after a while, Claudia got to sitting up instead of laying down. She got to talking instead of whispering. And then, eventually, she got to walking instead of sitting.

So, Remus simply asked her the question he had been wanting to ask her for a while.

He asked her if she wanted to come home with him.

And she said yes.

So, Claudia, despite still being in the slightest of poor health, followed the boy and stayed with him and his family instead at their tiny yet perfect cottage by the sea.

And how was it possible that she could do that in the first place?

Well, it was all thanks to Daktari - Inez's dad who had also saved her life.

You see, the man was highly respected by Charles Maple, so when he arrived at Maple manor and announced to the family that Claudia was to stay with him and his family for the rest of the summer, Charles didn't budge.

And he knew that Daktari knew something. But, the healer didn't mention a thing or even keep his voice strained.

But, his eyes told a different story, and Charles could tell that there was hatred in them.

But, honestly, being set free of his daughter for a little while seemed acceptable since she was such a burden to him, and since she would be staying with people he believed to be reasonable.

Of course, Charles had no idea that the Harpers were blood traitors, and that Claudia was staying with a completely different family.

But he had no use of that knowledge anyway, Daktari decided.

So Claudia arrived at Lupin cottage, where she would spend her last few weeks of summer with healing, baking with Hope, playing chess with Lyall and going on walks with Remus along the beach.

Inez's dad visited every night to check up on her, and honestly so did everyone else, so Claudia didn't find herself all alone anymore.

And at the night she would fall asleep; safe and warm in Remus' arms.

And all was well again.

Claudia felt free there. With the sea just nearby, the fresh air and most of all being there with Remus caused that. Everything was perfect. And it made her body feel better, just as it did with her mind.

"What're you doing?" Claudia could hear Remus ask in an amused tone as one of her hands covered her eyes and the other one drew circles in the sand.

"Relaxing," she replied with a small grin, removing the hand that covered her eyes and spotting him looking right down at her.

She reached up her hand to him, and he immediately took it and intertwined their fingers.

"Lay down with me," she said.

"But I'll get covered in sand," he replied.

"But that's the beauty of it, isn't it?"

Remus laughed a little, and then he let go of her hand and sat himself down next to her.

"Lay down," she said, sitting up too and pushing down at his shoulders so that he finally was laying down as well.

"Why are you so obsessed with me laying down?"

"Because," she replied with a small giggle, and honestly Remus was going to sarcastically ask her if she was high or something, but then he realised that the more Claudia was safe, happy and free, the more she was herself.

The more she was the person she used to be. The person who was full of light.

The person who wanted to live the longest, and not the person she had slowly turned into, who wanted to stop living.

"Where is everyone?" She asked.

"Daktari's coming later tonight, and I think Inez is too," Remus replied. "And mum and dad are out running errands. Oh! And James just owled me, he'll be here tonight as well along with the others."

"That's good," said Claudia, who was back to drawing circles in the sand as she stared at the sky.

"How're you feeling?"

"Good," she smiled, turning her head to look at the boy who was already looking at her.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded, and as if she was shy she looked back up at the sky again. "It doesn't hurt much anymore."

Remus smiled, "Then I guess you'll be able to handle the news."

Claudia immediately grew concerned after he said that, but the happy tone of his voice and the smile on his face as she turned to face him again only told her that the news were good ones.

"What news?"

"Well, you know how we got our Hogwarts letters this morning?"

"Yes..." Claudia said expectantly.

"And we're seventh years."

"I'm aware," Claudia said impatiently.

"And in seventh year-"

"Oh, just get on with it!" Claudia exclaimed, causing Remus to chuckle.

"I was going to tell you..."

"What?"

"That you have sand on your face," the boy grinned, removing a few grains of sand from her face with his thumb as she rolled her eyes.

"Remus!"

"What?"

"The news!"

"Oh, right," he chuckled. "James is the new Head Boy. And Lily is the Head Girl."

Claudia blinked.

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"Yes, and now I'm waiting for you to tell me the actual news," Claudia said.

"But I did just that?"

"Remus, I'm sorry, but that can't be true," the girl chuckled. "There's absolutely no way James Potter is head boy. If anyone that would be you."

"Well, it's not me," Remus shrugged. "It's James."

Claudia blinked again.

"You're serious?!"

"I'm Remus, actually-"

"James is Head Boy?! And Lily Head Girl?!"

"Yes," Remus replied with a small chuckle as the girl quickly sat up and laughed happily to herself. "I know the news are good, but-"

"Don't you see, Rem?!" She exclaimed. "Oh, this will only mean one thing!"

"What? That they're-"

"Going to fall in love, yes!"

"No, no, no," Remus chuckled. "I don't think so."

"You're wrong!" Claudia replied.

"I am not!" Remus exclaimed, him too sitting up. "Trust me, I've known them since I was eleven! Lily is too proud to ever give in and James is too flustered around her to even make sense of himself!"

Claudia sighed, "You know what?! Let's make a bet!"

"No."

"Yes," Claudia said with a roll of her eyes. "Ten galleons they'll end up together before Christmas."

"That's a very generous time offering," Remus smiled. "You know, it took us like seven months to even kiss and a full year to get together."

"But you and I had horrible communication skills!And if they do get together it would've taken them seven years!"

"I don't think that's how it works," Remus pointed out.

"You're wrong," Claudia said sternly, and then she plopped herself down onto the ground again just like that.

And, for the next few minutes or so, Claudia and Remus stayed in the sand, talking about everything on their minds from the final year at Hogwarts that was ahead of them to the book that they had read and just recently finished together as nothing but the sound of waves and laughter was heard.

"Want to go for a swim?" Claudia asked the boy after a few moments of silence, during which the two had only stared at the now setting sun.

Well, Claudia had stared at the sunset. Remus had been a little too busy with looking at her instead.

Remus nodded, smiling sheepishly at her and leaning forwards as he brought her into a kiss that made her smile just as goofily as him.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing," Remus shrugged, standing up on his feet and extending his hand for her. "Let's go."

And just like little kids, the two ended up in the sea in their swim clothes, splashing water at one another, laughing so much that their stomachs ached and, of course, feeling nothing but freedom.

Eventually, however, Remus wanted Claudia to go inside and take a nap. This was something the girl didn't agree with, so the whole thing ended up with him throwing her over his shoulders and running inside as she yelled at him to put her down.

But, all in all, Claudia found that fun too, and Remus knew that due to the happy giggles she let out just as she always did when he would tickle her just to hear her laugh.

Remus carried her all the way up to his room - that honestly kind of was hers too - and then he forced her into bed. Eventually, the girl got to sleep, and then she woke up with a smile as the voices of all her favourite people in the world was heard from downstairs.

And that smile didn't go away. Not even for a second as she got dressed and moved her way downstairs, where she immediately was engulfed in a warm hug from Hope.

"How'd you sleep, lovely?"

"Perfect," Claudia replied, breaking the hug and immediately getting practically attacked by James.

"Claudia! Did you hear?!" He questioned quickly and excitedly.

"I did, yes! Congrats!" She smiled, not forgetting to wink at Lily, who was also there, as James brought her into a hug.

The red headed girl gave Claudia a questioning look, but received not explanation whatsoever. And, soon enough, the large gathering of people were sitting around the kitchen table, eating Hope's wonderfully made dinner and chatting so loudly and quickly that Claudia just two years prior would've walked away with her plate so that she could eat alone.

But now she was there with the people she loved so much. The people who had made life worth living again.

And the boy, who was sitting further down across from her and winking at her every time they made eye contact. The boy she wanted to live every day with until her last breath.

And Claudia found herself wishing that she could stay there forever.

If only she could.

END OF PART XII
__________________________________

and so it goes - part xii.

let's go back home!

time for the final year!

are you ready for it???

cause i sure am!

<3