Forever A Marauder

Twenty-Nine: Remus

REMUS

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Remus was not regretting the one night he had gotten so exhausted he forgot to take off the telepathic ring from his finger.

'Something bad's happened with Calysta. Come A-S-A-P!' James' voice entered his sleeping mind and it made him awaken with a start. Had he been dreaming? Remus rubbed his eyes with his thumb and finger while his other hand propped him up in a seated position.

'Did you really talk to me James or did I dream it?' Remus said back after reciting the spell in his mind. With no reply, Remus shook his head and laid back on his side, figuring James was asleep. He was looking at the shrinking crescent moon from his window before he sighed and snuggled into his pillow.

'Yes. You have to get here. Sirius and Lily are desperately trying to calm her down but Calysta is still really freaked out about it..' James' voice came again as soon as Remus closed his eyes. He raced out of his bed, nearly tripping on the tangled sheets.

'What's happened?' Remus demanded, his mind racing as he threw on a more decent pair of pants and black shirt. Calysta had a level head on her shoulders; it would take an awful lot to scare her into the state James said she was in.

'Death Eaters. I don't know, she's not explaining a lot. Maybe you could get her to tell more.' James' voice breathed. Remus thought it was a bit odd how the 'voice inside his head' could make itself sound so real.

'I'll be right there.' Remus told James, the voice disappearing afterwards.

~~~~~

Remus Apparated as soon as he looked presentable on such short notice. He raised his hand to knock on the dark-stained door of the Potter's house. The door flew open as soon as his hand lowered back to his side. Upon opening, Remus faintly heard a few voices speaking in soothing tones from upstairs.

"Thanks for coming. Cal will appreciate it." James guided Remus into one of the spare rooms and sat on the bed next to the trembling girl. Sirius looked at him helplessly, a hand on his girlfriend's back.

"Lily found her first when she tumbled out of the fireplace. I should have been there." Sirius sighed, turning his face away from Calysta. Calysta waved a small wave at Remus.

"Has she calmed down a bit?" Remus asked, glancing down at Calysta now and then. She looked like a child as she partially curled into Lily's side.

"Yeah, for the most part." Sirius ran a hand through his hair; Calysta followed his movement with her blood-shot eyes. Remus pursed his lips and angled himself so he was looking her in the eyes.

"Calysta, you have to do what I tell you, alright?" He said calmly. Calysta nodded.

"Okay, Remus." Her voice was higher pitched than usual.

"Take a deep breath and hold it until I tell you to release it." Remus instructed. Calysta obliged, her chest puffing out with air from her lungs. Remus waited a moment, letting Calysta struggle a little to keep it in, all with anxious eyes on him and Calysta. "Release." She blew out heavily.

"I don't now what happened." She started to say, placing her hands on her knees as she sat up from Lily's arms. "One minute I'm asleep, the next I see Voldemort and my mom standing in my room!" She shook her head, her eyes unfocused, leading past Remus' shoulder.

"What happened next?" Remus continued, placing an encouraging expression on his face. Calysta shivered and Sirius tucked an extra blanket over her shoulders.

"Voldemort asked me if I remembered my deal with him and I told him I did. Then he...he took out his wand and placed it on my arm." Calysta choked. Remus' stomach did a flip. Did she have the Mark? Remus gulped but tried to hide it from her. Calysta tilted her head as if confused then laid out her arms on her lap. No Mark.

"That cut looks-"

"Horrible," Lily and Calysta said in unison. Calysta wiped under her eyes with one hand while allowing Remus to study the curved, scabbing cut. It was going to be an ugly reminder when it healed. Remus probed it with his fingertips and reeled back instantly when she winced.

"How'd you get out?" Sirius whispered, white as a ghost.

"I thought Peter was coming too...?" Calysta suddenly broke out of topic. Remus looked to his side, where he realized through distraction that he wasn't present.

"He probably took off his ring." James suggested. Calysta blinked and brought her attention to her lap as she fidgeted with a charm on her necklace; a silver moon and small star. Remus smiled inwardly at the fact she still wore the simple thing frequently.

"Do you remember how you got the cut?" Sirius asked again, resting his hand on top of the opposite arm, without the wound. Calysta now stared at his hand; then nodded.

"I was in pain...from the wand leaving the mark there. It was cold, then burning hot. A voice yelled out over everyone else, ordering them to get down. I jumped backwards in fright, and the room filled with smoke. I was grabbed around the waist and dragged towards my fireplace. The person threw Floo powder in and sent me here, and I was flying out of the fireplace," She finished sniffing loudly and using the back of her uncovered hand to swipe under her nose.

"Who was it?" Remus asked, rather interested in who the person was.

"I didn't see. It was a guy though. The voice was too deep to be a woman's." Calysta explained.

"Do you think it was the same person who got you to the fireplace? Or do you think there was a team of people? Perhaps undercover Aurors!" Lily inquired. Calysta shook her head.

"An Auror would have stopped it before Voldemort even got close to me. They wouldn't have risked him gaining any followers. No one else would help me though. They're all on the wrong side." 

"Well, clearly someone was on the right side," Lily stated. The room went quiet for a while, everyone thinking to themselves.

"That's an unfinished Dark Mark." Sirius suddenly broke the silence, his comment very chilling to Remus. Calysta looked thoughtful.

"Be happy it's not a complete one." She said after a pause. Everyone silently agreed. Remus' mouth twitched. He bowed his head and pinched his eyes closed.

"How'd they even get in? I thought your house had wards." Remus half-groaned. Calysta narrowed her eyes like she was thinking to herself.

"He's the most powerful wizard in the world right now. He can probably break down a ward." Calysta pointed out. James released a breath he must have not known he was holding until now.

"You can join the Order, Cal. You know who the Death Eaters are. And we can better keep you safe with us."

"Headquarters is still at the place I told you when I first shared the information about the Order?" James made a guilty cough and averted his gaze.

"We moved it." James spoke quickly after seeing Calysta's glance his way. "In case it was...tortured out of you." Calysta nodded, her face returning to normal. No longer scared or angry.

"I want to be a full part now. Death Eaters can't force me to do anything from now on." Calysta said harshly, like she was giving an order.

"Of course you can. You're a founder." Sirius said, cheering up a bit. Calysta smiled faintly. Remus tilted his head and returned the gesture.

"Is there something you're not telling us?" He whispered, suddenly getting that feeling something was missing. Calysta moved her eyes from his face. She shook her head. Then her expression fell again and her head nodded slowly.

"What is it?" Lily asked her, touching her knee gently.

"I swear I knew the voice of that man who saved me." She told them, her voice barely a whisper. Their breathing halted and they awaited an explanation, if she could give one.

"Who are you thinking?" James went for it first. Calysta shrugged, looking disappointed.

"I can't say for sure. But it bothers me that they knew to send me here of all places." She left it at that. There was nothing else she could have gave.