The Story of the Marauders

Thirty-Six: Sirius

"Calysta, what's this?" Sirius lifted a glass container's lid and picked up the wand inside. It felt light in his hand; it was empty like normal wood, not magical at all. Sirius turned it over in his hand, studying the stains and scratches along the length of it. Calysta leaned her head around the door frame curiously. "It's..."

Sirius suddenly turned it on its end and look at the bottom of the wand. 'R' was carved into the bottom roughly. He recognized it instantly. Sirius almost dropped the wand. "Regulus?" He turned to look at Calysta, who appeared deeply pained.

"Sirius, I don't know where to begin with this," Calysta pursed her lips and her eyes fell to the ground. Sirius gently placed his brother's wand back on it's pedestal and backed away from it as if it were dangerous. He fell into the cushiony chair nearest him, releasing the deep breath he had been holding. Calysta sat next to him on the end of the sofa near the chair.

"I remember him going missing when we were twenty, just before James' and Lily's wedding," Sirius thought carefully. "Then after a year in Azkaban, the Daily Prophet announced his death courtesy of an anonymous tip," Sirius looked up into Calysta's eye. "You...were the tip..."

Calysta gulped visibly but shook her head subtly. "It was actually Kreacher," She cleared her throat. "The day Regulus found me was the day that I went to the Ministry to ask to see you," She said bitterly. "Damn Minister said you were highly unstable." She mocked a rude tone with a twisted expression. Sirius reached for her hand and Calysta met his action with the same.

"After the Minister was done convincing me not to see you—threatened me, really— I came back home with Remus. He left before I did, so Regulus was able to blindside him. I arrived home to a hostage situation in my study room."

"Regulus did that?" Sirius asked, disbelieving. Calysta continued.

"Yes. He demanded I help him retrieve an object that belonged to the Dark Lord. A Horcrux, a locket that contained a part of his soul," Sirius leaned forward on his elbows in interest. He'd never heard of such a thing. But he let Calysta continue, deciding to ask later.

"Did you?"

"Of course I did. Sirius, he looked to helpless. He was clearly desperate, and I wasn't over your prison sentence, so my guard was down. I agreed, but Remus was utterly adamant about not helping," She laughed shortly, no humor behind it. She proceeded to tell Sirius everything. Not missing a single detail. She described the crystal cave and how Kreacher was used as a guinea pig for the spells on the place, Regulus discovering the Black family ring on her finger, and the Drink of Despair. Sirius would have never heard anything about it if he didn't find Calysta again. He may have even found a new shred of respect for his brother.

"Kreacher took my hand to leave. I looked back at Regulus. I couldn't help him, no matter how hard I was set on doing so. I just couldn't save him. But he smiled at me. He smiled..." Her voice wavered. Calysta sniffed hard and cleared her throat, blinking tears back. Sirius grasped her forearms and pulled her from the couch onto his lap. He raised his head to look up at her. She began to laugh quietly through her previously sad expression. "Now that I think back on it, I'm glad he smiled at me. He was just trying to make it easier. For both of us, I think."

"Thank you for helping him, Calysta. He was nothing but a pest all his life but...he was still my brother." Calysta nodded in reply and placed a hand on his neck, guiding his lips to hers.

"Calysta, I need to discuss something with you," Sirius mumbled weakly. Calysta pulled her face away from his expectantly, eyes faintly closed and hands resting on his shoulder and chest. "I think that the Aurors will look for me here."

"Why would they?" Calysta asked, concerned. Sirius' jaw muscles clenched as she stared him with a scrutinizing gaze.

"I don't know. They will look everywhere! When I was spotted in Dovetown, it wasn't on purpose to draw them away from the school, like we planned. It was an accident. Calysta, they were already searching there," Sirius said. Calysta pondered this for a while.

"Then where will you go? You can't leave again!" Calysta grabbed the material of Sirius' robes. Clean robes; it felt great-- beyond words-- to feel clean after so long in a dusty cell.

"I could hop around again. Far away from here," Sirius stated. Calysta gasped.

"Don't you dare try to leave me again," Calysta exclaimed. Sirius leaned his head on his own shoulder and rubbed his face on the material.

"Then come with me," He whispered. "We can travel the world. Think of it as a vacation," Calysta was silent a while.

"We have to tell Remus," She decided. Sirius tiredly engulfed Calysta in his arms from around her waist and laid his head against her body. Calysta giggled softly and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"We could use that time to bring back what we once had. Before all this. But I want you to be sure. You are still free, and Harry will need you," His voice faded and he breathed into Calysta's neck. The purple fire had eventually changed back into the normal color of gold and orange.

"Harry would understand. He can reach us, and I can come back at any time." Calysta finally hummed breathily. Sirius sat up, slipping an arm under Calysta's legs. She yelped in surprise when Sirius stood and carried her up the stairs towards her room. Once inside, Sirius laid them both down on top of the messy sheets. Calysta laughed aloud, curling into him.

"Calysta, marry me." Sirius kissed her forehead gingerly. Calysta smiled and held up her left hand to him.

"I already did,"

"Not officially," Sirius countered. Calysta rolled her eyes playfully.

"That sounds wonderful, then," She whispered. Sirius smiled wide and peppered her neck with kisses.

"We'll get to it as soon as possible. But for now--" Calysta pressed her lips to his strongly, cutting him off. Sirius returned it. Calysta gasped when he flipped her underneath him. Calysta traced the rune scars on Sirius' chest under his robes.

"I still want to know how you got these," She smirked.

"All in good time," Sirius laughed and kissed her again, slowly slipping his hands under her shirt.