A NOTE LANDED on Claudia's desk. It had been a few days since the situation in the hospital wing, and both Claudia and Remus were back to normal, for the most part at least. She opened it only to find another message:

Please talk to us, we don't understand
- J.P, S.B, R.L, & P.P

Claudia didn't even turn around to acknowledge the note, she simply just discreetly threw it to the ground without looking at the boys.

This had been going on all class. It was the first class of that Friday, DADA, and it was the first time the Marauders had seen Claudia since she asked them to leave her alone.

Remus had seen her of course, when she was excused from the infirmary and told to spend the rest of the day resting in her dorm. She ran out of there after accidentally glancing at Remus, which caused Pomfrey to sigh and pinch the bridge of her nose.

But, now she was back out of her dorm and in class. So were the rest of the boys; and they had been sending notes to her all class.

Hi, want to talk?

Please?

Why are you ignoring us?

Claudia shrugged it off and continued to write down notes with her quill, ignoring the looks that came from the four boys as well as Betty and Inez.

Betty and Inez were pretty much losing their minds when Claudia didn't return that night. But, then Betty ran into Sirius and he told her all about it; including what she said to them.

And he had sounded hurt when he told her. Because they all were, they liked Claudia and they wanted to be her friend.

The blonde girl thought it was weird, but Claudia was always moody when she was ill and she had said that she didn't want to be around them before because of James.

But James was certain that Claudia didn't eactually like him - or at least that's what he thought the second her face softened at the sight of another boy.

If Claudia fancied any of them, James knew it would be Remus.

The normally oblivious boy saw it like it was obvious.

Inez sounded more understanding when Betty told her all about it, so Betty figured something was going on. But, she wasn't one to pry so she went on with the James story.

But when Claudia ignored the four boys in class like they were the plague; she knew something was up.

"Claudia," Betty whispered to her. "What's going on?"

Claudia stared right ahead of her as she pondered for a second, and then sighed heavily. "Can you please make sure they leave me alone?" She whispered back in a small voice.

"Why? Because of James?" Betty whispered concernedly.

Claudia stopped for a second again before she nodded her head. "That and my brothers' dislike for them, it's just useless to be around them and it ends up with me getting hurt emotionally by James and my brothers' scoldings anyways."

"Okay, I'll tell them to leave you alone," Betty smiled reassuringly, not believing her at all. "I love you, Claudia."

"Love you too," she whispered back as she continued with her notes; only for another note to land on her desk.

"Should I do it now?" Betty asked as she saw the note, but Claudia merely shrugged.

"Hang on," she said as she opened the note.

Are you alright?

This was a different one. A different handwriting, a different kind of note. The first note when someone asked her how she was.

Claudia turned around for the first time that entire class and looked at the four boys. They all sat up straight with hopeful looks on their faces, except for Remus who had a worried and questioning look on his face as he rested his head on his arms over the desk.

Claudia couldn't help but to give him a faint smile and a nod, assuring him that she was fine.

And then she turned back around, as she missed the questioning faces of his friends and the breath of relief that Remus took.

The breath of relief he wouldn't be taking again for a while.

"You can do it later," Claudia whispered to Betty, who nodded intently.

After class, Claudia hurried out of the classroom up to her dorm to avoid all the boys, since James and Sirius were already going towards her the second they were all dismissed.

Betty and Inez were barely even able to notice her leave, but they had different plans after the lesson anyways.

"Come on," Betty said to Sirius as she grabbed his arm and Inez ushered the rest of the boys out. They all walked to a deserted corridor as Betty dropped her soft hold on Sirius and spoke straight to them:

"You guys need to leave Claudia alone."

The Marauders all looked at her like she just said the most ridiculous thing they had ever heard.

"And why?" Sirius said in a confused tone. "Because of James? I thought you said she was just moody because she wasn't feeling well?!"

Betty sighed as Inez looked around awkwardly in an attempt to not accidentally reveal that that wasn't the case, and as she did so she met eyes with Remus, who was grimacing slightly at those words. Inez moved her eyes from his and knitted her eyebrows in confusion.

"Yeah, I was wrong. And yes, because of James," Betty nodded. "And because her brothers hate you."

"Hate is a very strong word," James said offendedly.

"Oh please, you hate them too," Inez sighed. "Just, grant her wishes please. Leave her alone."

"But doesn't she like us?" Peter chirped up.

"Of course she does," Betty sighed. "But that doesn't matter, because when Claudia makes up her mind on something it's impossible to change it."

"But she likes us? And has fun with us?" James questioned with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, I guess," the blonde murmured.

"So why ignore us because of me, and because of her brothers? I would gladly go on a date with her, but I don't think she actually wants that," he said lowly as he took a sideways glance on Remus.

It was Remus' turn to be confused.

"I don't know, but please just leave her alone. It's what she wants," Betty said with a desperate tone, smiling sadly at her boyfriend.

"But," James said and then hesitated.

"But what?" Inez asked in an annoyed tone.

"It's not living if she isn't allowing herself to have fun," Remus said with a small unnoticeable waver of his voice. "She's not living."

"I don't think that girl has lived to live in years, I think she just lives to get by," Inez whispered.

Though what she whispered didn't make sense, it was like a bomb had been dropped right into the hallway. But not for Remus, he had realised this some time ago. She was, in fact, not living like she was supposed to do.

Because Remus had noticed her before, and something changed when she came back for her second year - and it got even worse in third year when she left school early.

He had seen her since the moment they stepped onto Platform 9 3/4.

Betty was the last one to speak before they parted their ways, in a rather sorrowful tone:

"Just... let her be."

Remus knew couldn't do that. He knew he needed to, but he knew he somehow psychically couldn't.

Because Claudia Maple was like a book.

She was a book split in pages and chapters. Pages and chapters that went from introductions, rises, climaxes, falls; and then eventually one day to an ending.

She was not an average book, because Claudia Maple had faced falls more than the average person. More climaxes too. The only thing she was yet to face was an ending.

She was a book that no one had been able to read just yet. The story and everything said had been held intact by the girl herself. She didn't allow it to be seen by anyone else's eyes.

For now, Claudia Maple stood on a shelf; collecting dust and doing it all alone. But despite that, she had the wonderful scent of a new book, and a wonderful story to unveil.

And Remus Lupin knew, that he were to do anything just so he could read the closed book that was Claudia Maple.

Even so, three words repeated in the boy's mind as he walked to his next class with James. Three words he knew he couldn't follow, but knew he had to try to follow, at least for a little while.

"Let her be."

END OF PART I
___________________________________

and so it goes - part I.

we're only getting started...

and claudia is soon to go "home"...

AND THE LOVESTORY IS SOON TO EVOLVE!

moonsyrup 4 life<3
(i hope you like my ship name lmao! feel free to make a better one cause it kind of sucks!!!)

also i hate my writing sry it's baaaad bad hehe

also i just wanted to say i <3 wolfstar but this is a remus story and there's no way i'm putting sirius thru unrequited love, that shit hurts too much

well, i'm not putting him thru that with remus...

and maybe it's not sirius who's dealing with it...

who the hell knows??

i sure don't

or do i?