Song:
The adults are talking (The Strokes)
"And then you did something wrong and you said it was great."
Ever since Narcissa had reminded her of the bet, it seemed to haunt her with every step she made.They had played the same exact game before, but never had she felt that guilt deep in her chest every time she saw Remus or thought about him. It had reached the point that she would be tortured by the bet's presence in her dreams and she'd often wake up in a mood grumpier than ever. At least, she thought, Nick's messages hadn't included any bet related shenanigans for some time. Maybe he had forgotten about it and she could continue whatever was going on between her and Remus without the weight of her past decisions on her chest.
"Can we please go inside?" Narcissa insisted, wrapping the thick, black coat around her body. It was very close to Christmas and the weather hadn't been the kindest to them as the snow had been falling for what seemed to be ages. "I'm freezing."
"I'm not." Callisto smugly answered, sticking her tongue out mockingly. Although everyone seemed to feel the cold deep in their bones, she was just fine with wearing only a thin, dark blue t-shirt. She didn't really know when exactly she had grown that resistant to the cold, but it wasn't all fun and games. She would often wake up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and desperate for the cooling wind. "Okay, sure..."
Narcissa let out a sigh of relief, walking faster than before closer to the entrance of the Castle. "What are you doing on Christmas?"
"I don't know yet..." Callisto replied, going over her options. Just like every other Christmas she expected to receive the formal invitation to the Lawson's ball, followed by a letter from Nick. After the ball was over and she completed her mandatory stay of four days, she's return back to her aunt's until she had to embark on the train again and return to Hogwarts. Her stay at the Lawsons was always a chore, but she was focused on the bigger picture. Nick and her would have to put on the happy couple facade for a little bit more and then Nick would receive his trust fund. That day seemed like a far away dream but soon enough it would be reality. "Why?"
"Well, the Manor's pretty empty." Narcissa began, dusting the snow off her clothes. "And mother's been wanting to meet you ever since I mentioned you're in Slytherin."
Callisto's eyebrows knit together for a brief moment as she tried to find a valid reason why Narcissa's mother would want to meet her that much. Nonetheless, she pushed the suspicion aside and smiled.
"Sure. I'll just have to write to my aunt first to ask her."
Callisto knew already Elena's reaction. Her aunt was very sceptical about her hanging out with blood supremacist families, as she was afraid that their bad behavior was going to rub off on her. She already felt bad enough for the facade she had to put on every time she was out in the street; she didn't need Callisto being exposed to more prejudice. That was the reason why she was very against hers and Nick's plan in the beginning, but after getting to know the boy a bit more she had decided to not interfere with their ploys unless things got out of hand. So, it was needless to say that she wouldn't be ecstatic about her niece spending her Christmas in a manor full of everthing they stood against.
The two girls walked in the corridors of the castle, buried in deep thought. It would often happen that they would walk in silence with similar frowns on their faces and nobody breaking the silence. This time things were different though.
"I forgot to tell you," Narcissa began, smiling awkwardly. "I have plans with Lucius tonight and I need the room empty."
"Oh, so what time should I be back?" Callisto questioned, not noticing the blush on Narcissa's face. "Stop looking at me like I peed on the floor and then licked it clean, Narcissa."
"First of all, that's gross." She remarked, rolling her eyes. "Second of all, I meant the whole night."
"WHAT?!" The blonde screeched, frustration pouring from her mouth. "Where the hell am I supposed to sleep then? In the stable?"
"Go to Regulus' room." Narcissa boringly proposed, shaking her head. Every time they had the same antiques up until Regulus came to drag Callisto out of the room and feed her with cookies and tea stolen from the kitchen. "It's not the first time he puts up with you."
"Nott and Greengrass are sleeping in Reg's room tonight!" Callisto argued, shaking her head. "You owe me one."
"Get with Lupin first and I'll give you more than one."
~ ~ ~
Callisto stood in front of the portrait, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor as the Fat Lady opposite from her sat with a satisfied grin on her face.
"Wrong." She enunciated, shifting her positon a bit and drinking some of her wine. "Go back to your dorm now, sweetheart."
"I can't!" Callisto exclaimed, sighing in frustration. "I just explained to you that I can't go back and you know I don't have the password, so just let me in!"
The Fat Lady snorted, shaking her head. "That's sad."
"Not as sad as being a stupid portrait who would drive away even Voldemort himself with her vile singing."
"Excuse you?"
"I said," Callisto sneered, stepping closer. "That it's not as sad as being a stupid portrait who would drive away Voldemort himself with her vile singing. Are you completely stupid or did you burst your own eardrums?"
"I wish my eardrums were burst." The lady retorted, her eyes narrowing. "Maybe then I wouldn't be forced to hear to your excruciatingly squeeky voice. You don't have the password; I can't let you in. Now leave before I call the headmaster!"
"Oh yeah! Go get Dumbledore! See if Dumbledore can-"
Her words were interrupted as the portrait swung open to reveal the short frame of Peter Pettigrew. Callisto barely managed to stiffle her laughter as she saw the bright red sweater that resembled a fire tracker, poorly matched with a lavender purple pair of pajama pants. From the awkward hairstyle he was sporting to the lack of shoes on his feet, it was obvious that the little banter had woken him up.
"Suck on it." Callisto stated, sending a victorious smile to the Fat Lady before marching inside the common room. She carefully inspected the area, her nose scrunching up lightly as she took notice of the wrappers on the table. "Turns out I will sleep in a stable..."
The lights in the girls' staircase switched on and Peter flinched before lifting Callisto from the ground and carrying her up the boys' staircase with a speed Callisto never thought he possessed in the first place. She closed her eyes and every muscle in her body tensed as she saw the wooden door right in front of them, praying that Peter would stop the frantic running before they crashed on the door. Just as she expected the collision, the door burst open and Peter dropped her on the ground. Callisto opened her eyes, feeling the pain spread on her butt from the fall.
"What are y'all looking at?" She questioned, inspecting Sirius, Remus and James. They were all in their beds, staring down at her like they had seen a ghost. Her eyes rested on Remus who was under the covers of his bed, his dark brown hair resting messier than every before on top of his head. He seemed tired, Callisto observed. In fact, he didn't just look tired. He looked like death.
"What are you doing here?" James asked, the hint of worry lacing his voice well masked under fake annoyance.
"My dorm is occupied and Reg is sleeping with Nott and Greengrass." Callisto explained, getting up. "I was about to go ask if I could stay with Lily for the night, but that stupid portrait wouldn't let me in."
"Shocker." Remus noted, shaking his head. Immediately, his face contorted in pain but just the moment Callisto noticed the effect the simple movement had on him, he brushed it off with a small cough. "So, where are you staying now?"
"Lily's room of course."
"You can't go there." Sirius smugly replied. "McGonagall caught Longbottom in Fortesque's dorm two days ago and she's inspecting the girls' dorms every night now. That's why Wormy brought you here."
"Fuck..." Callisto mumbled. The astronomy tower was the last place she could think of and granted, it wasn't ideal. "Then I'll just crash in the Astronomy tower."
"Why don't you stay here?" Remus proposed, feeling his cheeks heating up. He shouldn't have proposed that, but the words escaped his mouth before he thought much about it. There were so many things that could go wrong with her in the room and they all seemed to flood his mind at the same time. What if he ended up puking and she got disgusted? What if he got diarrhea and she wanted to use the bathroom at the same time? What if he ended up confessing in his sleep that he thought she was the most beautiful person he'd seen in his entire life? What if all three and million more things ended up happening?
"You can sleep with Moony." Sirius' voice interrupted his thoughts. He blinked fast, praying that he didn't turn ten shades darker at the prospect of Callisto sleeping with him. Merlin, what was wrong with him? He felt more than comfortable with having sex with her and yet, the thought of them actually sleeping together made his brain go haywire. Was it because it was more intimate in a way or had the upcoming full moon turned him into a complete fool?
"If I hear a single suspicious sound coming from this bed, I'm going to jump off the window." Peter warned, eliciting a clear chuckle from Callisto.
"It's Lupin that can't keep his hands to himself."
"Do tell." James cheered, looking at Remus with an excited look on his face. "I always knew you had it in you!"
"Technically..." Peter started, snickering. Sirius' palm rapidly landed on his mouth, his face turning red as he tried to hold in his laughter.
"As I was saying," Sirius spoke, the little smirk that was so identical to Regulus' plastered on his lips. "Callie can sleep with Moony. Right?"
"Uh..." Remus paused, trying to ignore the vomit thoughts swarming in his head. "Yeah, sure. If you don't mind it."
Did she mind it? She usually preferred to have her space when it came to sleeping, but she wasn't in a position to be picky right now. Plus, wasn't sleeping with him like that a bit too intimate? She had left the first time and he had left the second one and it seemed to work out just fine. Maybe she could sleep on the floor, but wouldn't that be considered rude? Yes, it definitely would. He had been very nice to share his bed and she couldn't really bring herself to refuse the comfort of a warm bed and sleep on the stone, cold, hard ground. Besides, she had this curiosity of what it would be like to sleep next to him and not wake up to see him gone or hurry out of the dorm. Yes, sleeping on the bed sounded ten times more appealing now, if that was even possible.
"I don't mind it." She uttered, trying to shake off the awkwardness as she approached the bed. Remus moved to the side and fetched a second pillow from Sirius' bed, placing it right beside him.
"Hands to yourself though." He warned, smiling cheekily. She turned and looked at him, annoyance flashing in her eyes before she lay down on the bed and covered herself with the heavy blanket. "Thank you, Remus. You're so nice for sharing the bed with me.", He mocked.
"It's definitely neater than what I remember..." Remus scoffed at the remark, turning his back on her. If he planned on getting any sleep, facing away from her would be the only way. Plus, there was something borderline stalkerish about him observing every little feature of her face while she was sleeping. Maybe, he could just turn around one more time to get a last glimpse of her face before they slept. That wouldn't be creepy. It's not like he really wanted to see her. He just wasn't comfostable laying like that; nothing more to it.
"Guys," Peter's whisper snapped him out of his daze. "Are you sleeping?"
"I don't know," Sirius grumpily mumbled yawning. "Are we?"
"What if McGonagall asks to see our dorm?" Peter asked, his voice a bit louder than before. "I don't want Minnie to see my underwear..."
James snickered, "With a bit of luck she'll notice just the underwear and not Elphie."
"You're all disgusting." Callisto mumbled, staring at the ceiling. A small smile appeared on Remus' lips and for once he was thankful that his body ached too much to properly laugh or turn to face her like he wanted. Silence fell in the dorm again and he felt his eyes growing heavier and the his body getting progressively warmer as he started to drift off to sleep.
It was only just before he finally managed to fall asleep, when he heard Callisto's voice whispering in his ear, followed by a gentle hand touching his shoulder briefly.
"Thank you..."
~ ~ ~
"Look at them!" Those were the first words Callisto heard, as she was abruptly shaken from the her peaceful state of dreaming back into reality. Her eyes flattered open, and she immediately closed them as a splitting headache erupted from the base of her head. "All lovey dovey..."
"I really love how Elphie is falling off the bed." James remarked. Callisto rubbed her eyes with her fingers, wincing lightly as she tried to open her eyes again. Before she was able to utter a word, she was kicked off the bed and she landed abruptly on the ground, her head hitting the floor with a loud thump.
Laughter roared from Peter, James and Sirius as she stayed on the ground, not moving an inch. Instead, a long groan came out, followed by a string of incoherent mumbling.
"Shut up." A sleepy voice that could belong to none other than Remus erupted from the bed, as he shifted his position. The day before the full moon was always the worst for him. He didn't feel quite as physically exhausted as he did the day after, but the dread of breaking every single bone in his body to turn into what he hated the most in the world was ten times worse than a few scratches and bruises. "Where is Listo?"
"You suck." Callisto stated, getting up. "You all suck."
Sirius mockingly winked at her, "Mhmm yes daddy."
"I need breakfast, please." Peter pleaded looking at Sirius with wide eyes. "Please breakfast please! I can't do this without breakfast!"
"I can!" James chimed in. "In reality, I-"
The sound of tapping on the window cut James' sentence short, as they all turned to look at the source of the sound. Outside, there was an owl, tapping impatiently the glass with its beak. I wasn't James' nor Peter's owl, Remus noticed. In fact, the owl outside the window was bigger in size and dark grey. Like the owls of many pureblooded families, there was a crest hanging from the owls neck, the plum color of the crest contrasting the bird's feathers.
"Who's owl is that?" Sirius asked, eyeling Callisto up and down. Just like Remus, he had immediately noticed how different the owl looked compared to James' and Peter's and his heart had skipped a beat once he saw the crest. He thought his family had gotten a new owl, but then he saw the color of the crest and all his fears disappeared as fast as they came.
Callisto got up and opened the window, the owl landing flying inside and immediately landing on her shoulder. The girl winced as the owl's claws dug into her skin, probably leaving small wounds that she'd later have to tend to. Just as she expected, on the leg of the owl there was a folder, only that instead of it looking like an absolute mess like always, the folder had no crumples and the wax seal was placed perfectly on the center of the folder.
The owl let out a cry just as the seal of the letter broke and flew out of the window.
"Is it from your aunt?" Sirius asked suspiciously, his gaze observing the owl as it disappeared in the cloudy sky.
"No, it's from a friend." Callisto answered, opening the letter. She liked to joke that purebloods were like printing machines, the letters resembling the fonts in muggle newspapers. Nick was the exact opposite. There were always messy sribbles and smudges, usually accompanied by small scetches that screamed grace. Her eyes skimmed quickly through the letter and by the time she had reached its end, everything had changed.
Our dearest Callisto,
I hope this letter finds you well and in good health. Although both Aleksi and I were saddened to hear that you had to change schools, we were glad to find out that not only are you further developing your skills as a potion maker, but you also have kept good contact with Nicholas. Distance is a challenge for every couple, but with the love you two hold for eachother, it should be easily defeated. After further reconsidering of the current affairs and what is best for my son and you, we have decided that it would be in your best interests that the marriage takes place as soon as possible.
Nicholas and your aunt, Elena, are going to pick you up from the train as soon as you travel back London and you will be immediately transported to the Manor, where the wedding ceremony will take place on Christmas Eve.
Milena Lawson.
~ ~ ~
Hello peeps,
One thing i have to say, this chapter is going to cause a shit storm so buckle your seatbelts and enjoy the drama unfolding in the next few chapters.
Until next time,
El.