The Love Of A Wizard

CHAPTER 24
Confessions


My Dearest Dumbledore,
I am writing to confess to you that last night we eliminated the threat of certain muggles to your Minister of Magic. Two wizards were there, one was Bellatrix Lestrange. It pains me that I was unable to eliminate that particular person. For I very well could have. I thought you ought to know, and alert Fudge he is no longer in danger from these people anymore. I hope you are well.

Yours truly,

Claudia Moore.


There, that would do nicely. Claudia tied the letter to an owl borrowed from Tonks and sent it out the window. Tonks was sitting on Claudia’s bed, ears streaming down her cheeks. Claudia turned to her an spoke softly.
“Now that that is out of the way. Tonks, what is going on?” Claudia came and sat next to her.
“It’s Lupin. He…he said we can’t carry on together anymore.” He voice was cracking and fresh tears flooded from her eyes. Claudia frowned.
“But why? Did he say?” Tonks gave a half laugh.
“He says it is too dangerous. He is going undercover with the other werewolves who work for You-Know-Who.” Claudia’s heart skipped a beat. Oh no…
“But…oh Tonks! I’m so sorry.” She hugged her friend and sat in silence and let her cry. Tonks sniffed and tried to compose herself.
“Claudia, do you and Severus ever…you know…talk about it?”
“Talk about what?”
“His being a spy. How dangerous it is.” She looked at Claudia pleading for some sort of resolution and Claudia could not give her one. If there were ever two people more different, it was Remus and Severus.
“Yes…sometimes. We try to not dwell on it. You see, Severus and I have to steal whatever time we have together. It would be a sorry way to spend that time if we sat around and talked about how scared we were.”
“Are you? I mean, are you scared? For him?” She asked.
“Everyday. Sometimes I can’t sleep at night because of it. But I try to help Severus find some sort of happiness here, with me, because he really doesn’t have any. Not out in the real world anyway.” Claudia felt her eyes stinging. She blinked hard and took a deep breath.
“Will you, when this is over, will you and Severus get married?” Claudia frowned. They had never talked about what would happen after this. Only once, in the note that came with her ring did he ever mention anything after the war. Claudia glanced down at the ring on her right hand. Tonks followed her gaze and nodded.
“I saw that and thought that maybe you were engaged.” Tonks said.
“No. No this isn’t an engagement ring. Just something he got for me. Come to think of it, marriage has never come up before. I really don’t think that I, or Severus, are really marriage material. After all, I have already done that and he…well…he doesn’t seem the traditional type.” Claudia let out a little laugh and Tonks did too.
“No, I suppose there is nothing traditional about Snape, is there” Tonks asked. Claudia, still laughing, shook her head.
“In everyway you can imagine, he is not traditional. But…we are happy when we’re together. That’s something.” Claudia looked at her friend and saw the rejection stamped on her face. She shook her head and tugged Tonks to her feet.
“Come on. I’ll make you some tea. I think Molly is coming today.” Tonks stopped short at the door.
“Claudia, one more thing.” They faced each other.
“What about Sirius? Did you…I mean, I know he had feelings for you. Lupin told me. Did you, have feelings for him?” Claudia felt a wave of nausea grip her and she looked down. Did she? That is one question that had plagued her dreams at night. She looked back into Tonks’s eyes.
“I think…yes. I did. I do actually. But it isn’t what you think. I love Severus. He and I are a lot alike.” Here Tonks snorted. “But Sirius, he reminded me of my late husband, Joe. Emma’s dad. He was fun and vivacious. Devilishly handsome and far too cocky for his own good. I think, had things been different, Sirius and I could have been happy. But, Sirius was not happy either. He had so many things he had to do that he really didn’t have time for romance.”
“And Severus does?” Tonks eyed her with an eyebrow raised. Claudia shook her head.
“Again, Severus and I are in the same place in life. He and I are willing to take whatever happiness we can get, and not expect more tomorrow. I love him for that. Whatever happens, happens. Do I want to continue on with him? Of course. But I, like Severus, know that duty comes first.”
“Don’t you have a duty to be happy? Not just steal it when you can?” Tonks asked. Good question, Claudia thought.
“I am happy Tonks. That’s what everyone is having a hard time understanding. I’m just sorry that…that Sirius never got a chance to understand that as well. He could have, among other things, been able to find a bit for himself. Someone whole and just as vivacious as he was.” Claudia looked away.
“No, you’re wrong. Sirius could and would have been happy with you.” Claudia met her eyes and felt her tears boiling behind her eyes.
“I have made my decisions in life. I have to accept the way things are. Severus and I are right for one another. Sirius is gone. There is nothing any of us can do to change that.” Claudia allowed tears to fall now. Tonks wrapped her arm around Claudia’s shoulder and they walked downstairs together.

A few hours later, Claudia was making lunch and heard the fireplace spring to life.
“Incoming!” Someone yelled and Claudia laughed. She heard familiar voices in the room and she went to greet her guests.
Molly, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny were being greeted by everyone. When Molly saw Claudia she rushed to her hugged her.
“Oh Claudia dear! I was so worried about you.” Claudia hugged her back and rolled her eyes. Something that did not go unnoticed by the twins. They flashed a smile at her.
“I know Molly. I’m alright. I’m sorry about…you know…the other day and all.” Molly fussed over Claudia’s hair and sniffed.
“I still don’t understand you muggles. But, well…I suppose we have to accept our differences and move on. Where’s Tonks?” Claudia lead Molly into the kitchen for tea.
“She was here, but she had to go. Listen…have you talked to Remus?” Molly nodded sadly.
“He refuses to see reason Claudia. I have tried, and I will keep trying. That man is a glutton for punishment if you ask me. All his friends gone. Finally, Remus is special in someone’s eyes and he pushes them away.”
“It sounds like he’s afraid.” Claudia said.
“Of course he is! We all are. Why do you think he was so adamant that you not go anywhere the other day?”
“Oh? He was the only one?” Claudia joked. Molly waved her hand in dismissal.
“Not the point. It’s a shame really. He is such a nice, handsome man. He deserves a little happiness.” Yeah, don’t we all, Claudia thought.
“Um, Claudia dear? Something I wanted to ask you. Yesterday, when Remus was talking to Severus, he called you his girlfriend. Is it true?” She tried to sound casual, but Claudia knew she was bursting to ask this question. Claudia smiled.
“Yes Molly. Severus and I have been together for sometime now.” Claudia smiled again at the look of utter astonishment on Molly’s face.
“Oh! Well, I guess…I mean…” Molly was at a loss of words. Claudia laughed and poured more tea.
“I know. I know. It comes a great shock to everyone to know that Severus Snape actually has a soft side. But he does.” She looked at Molly and whispered. “He’s quite romantic actually.” Molly’s eyes grew two times larger.
“Really? I would never have thought it. I was so sure that…well, doesn’t mater now does it?” Claudia felt Molly’s remark was probably going to have something to do with Sirius. I guess her and Tonks have talked about more than I realized. Claudia thought.
“Oh! I almost forgot. My son Bill and his,” Here she rolled her eyes. “fiancé are coming too.”
“Oh my Molly! You don’t like your future daughter-in-law?” Claudia asked.
“Let’s just say we have our differences. You’ll see when you meet her.” Molly nodded to Claudia, a knowing nod, and Claudia laughed. She couldn’t be that bad, could she?

Well, she was. When Bill and Fleur arrived, all males present went plain stupid.
“I ‘ave never been inzide a muggle ‘ome before. Are there alwayz zo many people living togezer?” She asked. Yeah Molly. I understand now.
Clearly, Molly and Claudia were not the only ones who disapproved of ‘Fancy Fleur‘. Ginny walked around with a permanent scowl on her face whenever she was around. Claudia had to turn around and laugh when Fleur was walking past and Ginny walked right behind her imitating her overly exaggerated feminine walk.
Of course, even the muggle men were not immune. Claudia thought Bones and Rod were going to pant themselves to death. Chester turned into a bumbling idiot. Antonio turned up his charm, much to Bill’s dislike. Nick even followed Fleur with his eyes whenever she moved. Zulu, seemed the only one immune to her. He looked at her as if she was a cockroach come to dinner. Claudia was amused all the same as they sat and ate together. The whole time Ginny making Claudia laugh, at Fleur’s expense.
After dinner, Claudia asked Ginny to help her in the kitchen.
“I vill ‘elp too Claudia.” Fleur stated.
“No thanks Fleur. You go ahead and enjoy yourself.” Ginny followed Claudia closely into the kitchen and they doubled over in silent laughter. Claudia thought Fleur’s feminine ways were overly exaggerated and comical. Apparently, Ginny had the same idea. Molly walked into the kitchen with a stack of plates following her in the air. She looked reproachfully at the two laughing females and they turned to start doing the dishes. But Claudia saw Molly as she turned to go. She had the look of someone who didn’t want anyone to see her secret smile.
Nick popped his head into the kitchen.
“Claudia, a moment.” Claudia frowned. She left Ginny to the dishes and was passed by Fleur and Molly as they were heading into the kitchen. Claudia walked into the living room and saw everyone with grave looks on their faces.
“What’s up?” She asked. Nick spoke first.
“Claudia, Bill here tells me that we have lost yet another friend.”
“Who?” Claudia’s hart was racing.
“Emmeline Vance.” Bill said. “Someone was able to tell You-Know-Who where she was and they captured her. They killed her shortly after that.” His voice was flat and void of emotion. The twins were sitting together and watching the proceedings.
“She’s dead? Poor Emmeline…” Claudia bit her lip to force away her tears.
“What I don’t understand is, why the hell isn’t Dumbledore doin’ anything to stop all this crap. I mean, ya’ll are getting’ picked off one by one, and before long, there won’t be anyone left.” Bones said. Claudia had to agree with him. So far, the Order was not doing a great job in being proactive.
“That’s not all.” One of the twins said. “We heard dad say that bridge that was busted up, wasn’t an accident. It was them.”
“What? The bridge on the news?” Claudia asked. They nodded together.
They sat and looked at each other, each lost in their own thoughts.
“So let me get something clear.” Nick spoke. “We take out the threat to Fudge, so he can stay on as Minister of Magic. You say, this Voldemorty killed those people when the bridge collapsed in order to blackmail him? And he still hasn‘t done anything about this?”
“Yes, but…it seems that Fudge was sacked. There is a new Minister being appointed as we speak.” Bill said. Claudia groaned. More death. More destruction. What was Dumbledore doing?