NOX° SIRIUS BLACK

Chapter Forty-Two

      She grinned in response.

       Calypso wasted no time in throwing her bathing suit on under a random shirt she grabbed and she dashed from Ravenclaw Tower to return to the Great Lake. There were no rules regarding whether or not students could swim in the lake, but usually students waited until the warmer months to go splashing about. The Giant Squid would come up to them occasionally and let them pet its tentacles or students would dip their toes in the water in order to cool off.

      "Get in!" Sirius called out to her, already in the water and swimming around.

     "I'm coming, I'm coming," Calypso waved him off and set the book she brought with her down next to Sirius's towel and his clothes. She stripped out of the clothes she brought to wear over her suit before walking to the water.

      She dipped her toe in and immediately snatched it out, squealing from surprise.

     "The water's freezing! How can you stand it?" She asked with a laugh. She looked up at Sirius and saw him standing straight in the water so that the top half of his body was out of it, but he was staring at her with an expression on his face that made her toes curl. His eyes dragged slowly up to her face before he blinked and lightly shook his head.

    "It's not that bad if you jump right in." Sirius said with a mischievous look on his face as he slowly moved towards her. Calypso held her hand up to him.

    "No, no . . . Sirius, stop!" Calypso laughed when Sirius grabbed onto her ankle. He tugged her forward and she flew into the lake head first. The cold water and the harshness with which she was thrown in stung her body for a brief moment before she broke through the surface, pushing her long hair out of her face. "I hate you."

     "Sure you do." Sirius chuckled. Calypso splashed him with a big wave of water and he did the same to her. They played around in the water until Calypso decided to get out, shivering from the cold. She and Sirius dropped down onto their towels after Sirius used the Hot Air Charm to dry them off instantly.

     "You know, it actually is kind of nice like this." Calypso said after she tugged her shirt back over her head and sat down beside Sirius. He turned to her with a curious expression, waiting for her to elaborate. "I know there's a lot of other students who stayed behind, but I like that it feels like the two of us are in our own little bubble away from everyone else."

     "I like it too." Sirius said, his eyes shining brightly. "In fact, I think we should do it more often. Spend time with just the two of us, I mean."

     "We spend time together everyday." Calypso laughed. Sirius smiled sheepishly.

    "I know that, but . . . in just two short years we'll be done with Hogwarts and we won't be able to see each other as often anymore. Doesn't that . . . I don't know, feel weird to you?"

     "Of course it does." Calypso frowned. "I hate thinking about it because it'll be so weird not being able to just walk to Gryffindor Tower whenever I want to see you, but I'd imagine we wouldn't end up very far from one another, no matter what happens."

     "Yeah, but what about later in life? Who knows what's going to happen twenty years from now when you've met some lad and settled down?" Calypso laughed.

    "What about you? You'll probably meet some girl and settle down with her."

    Sirius shook his head.

   "No. There's only one girl for me." Sirius said. Calypso raised her brows, surprised by this.

   "Who?" She asked.

   "It doesn't matter," Sirius sighed. "I don't think she feels the same way."

   "Oh, don't be ridiculous. You're Sirius Black. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't absolutely adore you." Calypso nudged him, trying to get the frown off his face. Instead, Sirius sighed, feeling frustrated, and stood. "Where are you going?"

    "Come on," Sirius held his hand out for her to take, "I want to sneak into the kitchens."

     Calypso took his hand and let him pull her behind him. His grip on her hand was tight and he didn't let go of it until they arrived in the kitchens.

    That night, Sirius dragged Calypso to the Gryffindor common rooms where he had arranged a spot for them to sleep in front of the warm fire. He had set up a mountain of blankets and pillows for them, with his favorite blanket lying in the spot beside her. Calypso yawned, exhausted from running around all day with Sirius, and rubbed her eyes. 

    She plopped down in place closest to the fire and wrapped herself in the blanket Sirius brought down for her. She took a small phial filled with a dark blue liquid. Sirius frowned at it curiously.

    "What's that?" He asked.

    "I've been having trouble falling asleep ever since . . . well, ever since what happened to my dad, so I normally take this before I go to sleep." Calypso confessed. She hadn't told anyone that except for her grandmother. Sirius's brow turned down even more and worry appeared on his expression.

    "Do you have nightmares?" Sirius asked.

    Calypso solemnly nodded her head.

    "Whenever I don't take it, I have the worst ones." Calypso said.

     Sirius reached across and squeezed her hand. She smiled at him softly before taking the top off the phial and downing it. Immediately, drowsiness overtook her and her head dropped onto the pillow, her eyes fluttering shut as she fell into a dreamless sleep.