Song:
Call Out my Name (The Weeknd)
"So call out my name..."
Callisto left the small note next to Narcissa's bag and walked out of the dorm, knowing that the blonde wouldn't hear her through the sound of the water running in the shower. Her hand was securely wrapped around the painted pill box, her fingers flipping the white cap open absentmindedly as she made her way to the Hospital Wing. Callisto's eyes fell on the small group of Gryffindors walking to their classes and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she noticed the identical red sweaters they were all wearing above their school uniform. Unlike them, she hadn't even bothered to properly pull out her winter clothes, seeing as it was pretty hot inside the castle for mid-October. Though she did remember both Remus and Narcissa expressing their concerns about her "completely fucked up temperature perception".
The girl hesitantly opened the infirmary door, a wave of heat washing over her. A series of beds were on her left and right, all empty except for two. In the first one, there was a first year with both her hands in white plasters as she slept soundlessly, while in the second one there was a boy with his back turned on her. Not wanting to wake them up, she knocked the door leading to the matron's office and waited for her to open up.
"Good morning, dear! Can I help you?" Madame Pomfrey asked, her pale blue eyes shining with kindness. Callisto was slightly taken aback by how polite and caring she sounded, recalling the healer working at Durmstrang.
"Uhm... I-I just came for my refill." She stammered, showing her the empty box. The healer's eyes widened with recognition and she took the small bottle, observing the written instructions on the back.
"I'll be right back, Callisto." She said, giving her a sympathetic smile. "Just sit on the bed, and I'll come check some things up."
The matron disappeared in her office and Callisto sat back on the bed. Soon enough, she heard the distinct sound of someone stirring in their bed and she glanced to her right.
"Morning!" She mused as Remus' eyes flattered open and he looked around the room, not noticing Callisto until he heard her voice.
"Listo? What are you doing here?" He questioned, his voice sounding groggy from sleeping. He didn't look okay, she noted, observing the dark circles under his tired eyes and his pale complexion, that exuded a sickly aura. He, on the other hand, was confused. Callisto seemed just fine and as far as he could tell, she wasn't in any pain.
"I like the scent of premature death that is abundant in hospitals." She enunciated, looking him dead in the eye. "I just came to take a few painkillers. It's that time of the month again..."
Remus fought the urge to reply something along the lines of "You too?", and nodded, stretching his arms out. Callisto's white lie had passed undetected and she leaned back on the bed, satisfied at the outcome. It was a solid excuse and nobody would really ask for more information on the matter.
"Does it hurt a lot?" She blinked in surprise, not expecting him to break the silence first. "Lily says it can be painful..."
"Not right now." She responded briefly. "Are you sick? Because you look like shit."
"Always the charmer..."
"To everyone but you." She observed, the tone in her voice reminding him of the seer irony behind those four simple words. He felt his cheeks heating up at the mere thought of being that intimate with her, something that unfortunately didn't go unnoticed by the girl. "Why are you blushing like that?"
"I'm not blushing." He muttered, averting his gaze to the sleeping first year opposite from them. He sounded exactly like Peter when he tried to convince him that he hadn't secretly been taking his dark chocolate, even though Remus could see the wrapper sticking out from his nightstand drawer.
"I think you are." She stated, getting up from the bed and taking the seat next to him instead. "Am I getting to you or are you going to try and deny that?"
Remus looked up at her, immediately recognizing the glint in her eyes. It was the exact same as she leaned closer to him while he had cornered her in the duel, before she caught him completely off guard. Just like that night, he felt the same frustration that made him want to either kill her or kiss her. Quickly dismissing the second thought as an unwanted byproduct of the revelation that she indeed was the mystery girl, he rolled his eyes.
"Me? Not so much." He began, unable to hold the snarky comment back. "Luke Pucey? Yes, I think you do."
"No need to be jealous, darling." She She teasingly said. "I'm not going to tear you two apart..."
"Your compassion is beyond measure." He deadpanned, scolding himself for expecting a more serious answer.
"One of my many redeeming qualities." She agreed, her head snapping to the right as the matron came out. Her eyes fell on the pair, but she kept her tongue back and walked over to Callisto.
"I'm going to need a bit of your blood." Callisto extended her arm, wincing lightly as the thick needle prickled her finger. A few drops of crimson blood poured in the light yellow vial and the matron wiped the blood pooling around the small wound. With a small, sympathetic smile that Remus was used to receiving every time the full moon was close, she walked back to her office.
"Why did she smile at you like that?"
Callisto raised an eyebrow, "Like what?"
"Like there's something seriously wrong with you."
"That's rich coming from the boy who looks like he's about to faint." She drawled, her eyes running over his pale face. Remus' gaze snapped away from her. He felt as if she could see right through him; through all the lies and excuses, her eyes were searching for the truth in his.
As if Madame Pomfrey has sensed the atmosphere growing heavier with every second that passed, she came in the ward. Callisto took the small bottle in her hands, the rattling of the pills making Remus flinch lightly as she placed it in her pocket.
The matron murmured something to Callisto, not loud enough for him to understand even with his enhanced hearing. The only words he made out were "blood" and "cure", which on their own didn't say much. All he could do was observe as Callisto's face progressively lit up, her lips tugging up in a smile.
"You can keep him company until breakfast ends, but then you have to go to class."
Poppy disappeared back in her office with a knowing smile and Callisto sat on the chair next to him, crossing her legs, "And then they were two."
"Glad to see your arithmetical skills are as sharp as ever." Remus observed, unable to hold back his tongue. Instead of a pissed off expression or her angrily storming out of the ward, she just laughed. Her laughter was almost musical in his ears, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she brought a hand to cover her mouth. She always did that when she laughed, he noted.
"People describe you as really nice and kind, but up to now all I've seen is a colossal asshole." She remarked, turning to glance at him. "Should I be offended or complimented?"
"Oh, I am really nice and kind." He snickered, his head pounding lightly. "Just not to you."
Callisto sighed, "You wound me, Lupin."
"And what do you want me to do about that?" He questioned sarcastically, not missing the smirk on her lips as she leaned closer to him. His senses started to crumble one by one as the intoxicating smell of her perfume mixed with a hint of coconut invaded his nostrils and she gingerly pushed a stand of his hair back, preventing it from falling in front of his chocolate eyes. Her touch was soft and feathery, almost inexistent, if it weren't for the goosebumps erupting on his skin. But the breath got hitched in his throat when he felt her hot breath fanning on his neck and her voice drowned all other sounds.
"You could always kiss it better." Even behind her sultry tone, he could detect a hint of sarcasm. She pulled away slightly, her eyes locking with his as he tried to stop his cheeks from flushing red. It was no avail. The moment her finger traced his cheekbone lightly, it was like she was pulling him in a magnetic state, where all control was lost. The incessant desire to kiss her again popped in his mind, as he took a shallow breath.
"Get well soon, Remus."
The spell broke the moment her hand left his face and without as much as a smile, she walked out of the room, the distant sound of her heels and the lingering scent of her perfume almost making him forget that she had called him by his name. Closing his eyes, he tried to recall how it had tumbled off her lips so beautifully that night.
That night... If he had the chance to remember, would he take it? Her demeanor towards him hadn't changed in the slightest, despite her recalling the events, but would he be able to do the same? Maybe he would feel too awkward about it and their friendship would be ruined. Well, if what the had was considered friendship anyway. No, he wouldn't take the chance. Things were better this way.
He let his head rest on the pillow, his mind replaying those two minutes. Her leaning closer to him, her velvet voice, her slender fingers running over his cheek...
As if he had initiated a domino effect, images of her pressed against the tree trunk, her lips curling up slightly as they were inches apart from each other, flooded him. He rubbed his eyes, jaw clenching in frustration.
What the hell was she doing to him?
"Do you think he's noticed us?" A familiar voice said, making his head snap up. Instead of being greeted by the faces of his friends, all he saw was three pairs of shoes and three pairs of shocks standing up on their own.
"Good morning." Remus greeted, as the invisibility cloak slid off the three boys.
"How are you feeling?" Peter questioned as he sat on the chair. James and Sirius shot him a murderous glare as they now had to cramp up in the second chair.
"You really don't want to go there." Remus huffed, fixing the position of his pillow.
"What did Blondie do?" Sirius snickered, recalling the image of Callisto sauntering out of the ward, her pink hair bouncing as she hummed a tune. The three boys had been visiting the Hospital Wing often enough to know that nobody was this cheery leaving that place.
"It's my fault." Remus responded dryly. "I mean, she is bloody frustrating on her own, but this time it's me with the problem."
"See? I told you Remus was more problematic than me!" James intercepted, throwing his hands in the air. "He even admitted it!"
"And that's what makes him less problematic than you."
"Ladies!" Peter called, motioning for the to shut up. "Let the Wolf Whisperer talk."
"The what?" Remus blurted out, confusion written all over his face. "Fuck it, I don't want to know. Anyway, my mysterious hookup was Callisto."
"Ironic," James sighed. "The wicked witch of the west is Cinderella."
"Since when do these guys know?!" Sirius huffed, pointing at James and Peter. "I thought only Lily and I knew..."
"'Padfoot, you told us."
"That is a terrible accusation!" Sirius continued awkwardly. "A terrible accusation I won't further address..."
Peter clapped his hands, "Can we focus? Moony, elaborate."
"I haven't told her that I know, and I'm not planning to." Remus explained. "But she does those little things and it's fucking frustrating. She is very frustrating."
"Sexually?"
"Oh my God, Padfoot!" Remus groaned, cursing himself for leaving his wand at his dorm. "It's not like that!"
"Don't blame the messenger, Remus." James taunted, trying to bottle up all the enthusiasm at the prospect of Remus having a small crush on the Slytherin. "You want a rematch."
"Yes, she did play dirty in the duel." Remus thoughtfully mumbled.
"Not that kind of rematch you unaware-wolf!"
"He means sex." Sirius exclaimed loudly. "Think of it as a crock pot. If you don't diffuse a bit of the tension, then you're going to burst."
"No, this is absurd." Remus refused, shaking his head. "It's just the full moon..."
"Blaming the full moon for being horny is like blaming Lady Gaga for World War II!"
"Blaming the full moon for being horny is like blaming Lady Gaga for World War II!" Remus repeated, mocking James' words. The bespectacled boy just sighed, rubbing his temples. Out of the four, Remus had always been the most stubborn when it came to certain matters and it just so seemed that Callisto Claire had been added to the list.
"Fine." James gave in, turning to glance at an equally defeated Sirius. "I just hope you know what you're doing."
"I do."
He really bloody didn't.
~ ~ ~
"OI, CALLISTO!" A masculine voice called, making Callisto stop right on her tracks. She spun on her heel, coming face to face with the smiling face of Luke Pucey. His dark brown hair was slightly wet, falling in messy curls in front of his dark brown eyes. How the two have come to know each other was a rather interesting story. Narcissa had decided it was time for some bonding with Lucious' friends and Callisto was soon dragged in the small group of Slytherins that consisted of Lucious Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Antonin Dolohov and Severus Snape. It just so happened that this day, Luke Pucey and Noah Higgs joined. Although the two Slytherins weren't in their close circle, they were considered friends and just like that she met the charming boy.
"Yes, Luke?" She responded, watching in amusement as he tried to catch his breath.
"Do you think you could have a Wit-Sharpening potion ready for me by Wednesday?"
"That's tomorrow." Callisto pointed out, mentally running over everything she had to get done. Between homework and finishing some of the orders, she didn't think there was any time left for another potion.
"I know, but it's urgent." He pleaded, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Please, Callisto."
"Ugh, fine!" She gave in, watching as his eyes lit up and he engulfed her in a hug. His arms were wrapped around her waist, the scent of his aftershave lingering around her. It was nice and warm, yet didn't hold the same allure of chocolate, old books and woody cologne. "You're paying double, though..."
"You have a deal." He murmured, chuckling lightly. Callisto broke the hug, handing him her bag so that she could add the new order in a small notepad. She placed the paper against the wall, not noticing Luke's eyes raking over her.
She closed the pen, putting it back in her pocket, "Why do you need it that much?"
"I have a test tomorrow." He explained as they both strolled out of the Castle. "Care of Magical Creatures is harder than it looks."
Callisto's nose scrunched up in disgust, "God, I hated that class..."
"It's not that bad." He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "I just didn't have time to study with Quidditch practice. Are you coming to the first match?"
"Am I willing to sit on a bench for god knows how long while watching a bunch of guys and girls chase after flying balls?" Callisto pondered, pursing her lips together. "No, I don't think so."
"Oh, come on, Claire!" He nudged her shoulder teasingly. "I'd like nothing more than seeing you in the crowd."
That was a blatantly stupid thing to say. In his shoes, she'd much rather win the lottery or get awarded by the ministry instead of seeing her face, but then again how bad could the match actually be?
"When is it?"
"Saturday." His eyes lit up as she nodded hesitantly.
"I'll be there."