James and Sirius grunted as they set Callie on her bed in the shrieking shack. Destroying a Horcrux probably took a toll on her emotions causing distress and her mind to shut down; Remus theorized that.
He saw how everything left her when she knelt down and grabbed the fang to stab the diadem. Her face showed them nothing, he saw it, with his own eyes, being the closest to her. He didn't even see her waver. It was as if... she was murdering someone.
Remus shook his head to take the idea off his head. He was sure Callie wasn't the type of person to kill. It probably was just the adrenaline rush of seeing a Horcrux and Voldemort's soul that near in real life.
So after Callie fainted, he told Sirius and James to bring her back to the shack while he and Peter buried the then an inch small broken diadem before following behind.
It didn't take long after she woke up, still feeling tired that she couldn't lift a finger.
"How do you feel?" James asked on her side. Sirius was on the edge of the bed, Peter behind him, and Remus was standing near James.
"Fine." Even speaking became a bit difficult for her. "Is it done?"
"Mhm." Peter nodded. "You did it. You destroyed it!" he cheered albeit not too loud.
"I did?" Callie started getting up, regaining the energy she lost due to her fainting.
"Yeah. But you passed out as soon as you're done," Sirius teased, earning a tomato face from the girl and a chuckle from the rest.
"You should get more rest," Remus recommended. "We'll get back to bring your meal."
Callie nodded. Even if she was stubborn, she couldn't bring herself to disagree. She was tired from her outburst.
The boys started getting up and leaving her room. As soon as they did, silence reigned, disregarding the birds' songs and the wind bristling from outside.
She could barely remember what she did. Peter said she destroyed the diadem. Wasn't it Remus?
They took the diadem from Filch's office, went into the Dark Forest; she decided Remus should destroy it, since it was him who found the headpiece, so he stabbed it... and then... it broke, and Voldemort's dark soul went out... and then... What happened next? It was all a blur. That was all that she could remember right then.
Slumping back in her bed, Callie decided she needed more rest.
°°°
Two days later, Hogwarts students were expected to come back to the school after finishing their Christmas break. It had also been two days since the first Horcrux was destroyed. And Callie was anxious.
Voldemort might have already known that someone had destroyed his soul. And he might be on the hunt for her. Which she hoped, with all her heart, was false.
Regulus knew about what they did. She told him so through a letter she sent the afternoon of that day after regaining her energy. He expressed how impressed he was with what they pulled off. He had read books about the Horcruxes while he was in their manor. And truth be told, destroying Horcruxes would take a lot.
Callie never suspected that Regulus would tell Voldemort what she had been doing. She trusted him. No matter if there was proof or not. There was just something inside her chest that told her "trust him because he was worth trusting for".
Speaking of which, Regulus walked to the castle and to the Slytherin's common room at a pace much faster than everyone else. He kept his trunk closer to him for the items Callie requested were in there. They need the utmost security.
He was excited to bring them to the girl——albeit he wouldn't admit it out loud or otherwise. He didn't know why either. Probably because of the bond he formed with her through letters? Was there even a bond to begin with? Regulus didn't know.
It was a relief for him that neither of his parents found out about what he had been doing. And a much relief when the Dark Lord didn't see through his intentions.
He was successful in getting the diary, hiding it, and concealing it from anyone's eyes. Getting Bellatrix's hair proved to be quite tricky. He had to be swift on getting even a strand. He couldn't get one from her brush. He tried, but it was clean; there wasn't even a strand. But in the end, he managed to take three strands and keep them in a vial.
After setting his trunk in his room, he headed out, immediately, greeting no one. Of course, it wasn't a surprise for anyone. Regulus Black wasn't the lad to beam a smile when he sees you.
He went straight to the Whomping Willow, which was also the entrance to the Shrieking Shack. He slid down, that time, managing to get on his feet before his butt could, though his knees buckled a little. He was getting used to it.
Regulus was careful with his steps, as always. He feared he would disturb her. But before he could enter Callie's room, he heard a voice that froze him in the shadows.
"Do you like my brother?"
It was Sirius.
Regulus recomposed himself and took a peak. It was just Callie and his brother. They were sitting on the edge of the bed. But his question struck him again.
Sirius went into her room as soon as students started pouring into the castle earlier. He figured Regulus wouldn't come there as soon as he arrived——he was wrong——and he had been wanting to ask that question a long time ago, but just got to do so at that time.
Callie's face went as red as a cherry as her mind understood what he asked. "W-What? Wha-What are you talking about?" She tried to laugh it off but it came out nervously.
"Come on. You can't deny it. And even if you do, I won't believe you."
"I-I-uh...it's...well..."
"Just say it. It's just the two of us," Sirius encouraged in a sing-song manner with a sly smile.
Callie contemplated at first. Even if she was caught, it wasn't easy to do what he was asking. "You'll tease me for sure!"
"So you do like my brother? But why?"
Regulus raised both his brows in surprise, still concealing his presence.
If there was something redder than a ripe cherry, that was Callie's face at that time. "Please don't tell anyone! I'm begging you!" she asked, almost tearing up with both her hands together, facing Sirius like a lost puppy.
"Sure," he shrugged as if it wasn't that big of a deal. "I mean, you are pretty obvious. Your look like a red apple whenever you're near Regulus. You do when you first saw him. You have a separate section of his images even if some of those didn't really happen-"
"Alright, alright, I get it! Just...just don't tell anyone."
"Yeah, yeah. Now, back to my question."
"Well..." Callie briefly stopped, thinking about what answer was the best to say. There were a ton of reasons she could give including just how handsome his fancast actor was or how lovable his fanfiction versions were.
"He is a hero," she began, which caught both brothers off guard. "I've told you about his bravery, correct? About how he has high morals, respecting a house elf that most filthy rich wizards look down upon." She chuckled. "How he sacrificed his life to weaken Voldy. He didn't let Kreacher tell anyone what he did to save your family from 'disgrace'."
"He's a kind man, Sirius. A very kind man whose story deserved to be told. He deserved to be idolised by young wizards. Be in a card in chocolate frogs. He deserved so much. He was walking through the wrong path, yes. But soon, he found his way. Because deep within him, he's brave, respectful, and nothing but a good man."
She looked down at her interlaced fingers on her lap. "It was just unfair how his life ended that fast. Worse part? You never knew of his heroic act. No one did. It's unfair." She sulked like a kid. "And every time I am reminded of that... it hurts?" Callie was unsure if the words were right.
"Funny, because it didn't hurt as if I have bruises. It hurt as if there were knives impaled on me?"
There was silence after.
It did not dawn on Callie yet what she said. And even if it did, she did not regret saying that. Even if that was cheesy and cringy, that was what her heart was telling her.
Regulus was still struck in the shadows. He had no idea how to move. He even forgot that he was breathing and that he had a beating heart. He was just struck there, in disbelief at everything Callie just said.
"Wow." Finally, Sirius destroyed the silence. "I only asked why you liked him. You gave me a whole speech." He smirked and she chuckled.
"But how could you feel all of that? When you knew us as just...fictional characters?"
Heck, she even stayed in their world to save them. She didn't know them personally, but she was so willing to do everything for them. He couldn't understand it, and neither did Regulus who remained listening.
"Well, I love all of you. There's nothing you wouldn't do for anyone you love, right? You guys..." she looked down at her fingers, "you did more than you think. You healed me when I was at my lowest. You may not know it but when I was in the downward spiral, the lot of you pulled me back up again. This is the least I could do as a payback."
"Isn't that too much?"
"I don't think so, no. Especially that you didn't deserve your fate that I know. No one does but Voldemort and his followers who could never do what Regulus did. He went through the length of turning his back on the person he looked up to since he was a child, sacrificing his life because he realised what that noseless wizard will do. It takes a lot of courage to do that. And Regulus has an overflowing one."
There was another round of silence that reigned over them. Sirius just watched the girl fiddle with her fingers with a small smile.
She was young, yet the way she thinks... It made him smile.
"I don't think you like him," he said out of the blue snapping both Callie and Regulus.
"W-Wh..." Callie stopped in her word and thought about what Sirius meant. "What do you mean?"
"You love him."
Her cheeks grew pink once more.
"I- I... I do...?" Even she, herself, didn't realise it. She had always considered her feelings for Regulus as a fictional crush. She didn't know when something was real love because she hadn't experienced falling in love with anyone.
The pink tinge seized. "I don't think so. I'm too young to call it love. I'd stick with like."
"Oh, come on! You talk about him with that look on your face. You put him in a different spotlight than anyone else. Only a fool could not see that you love him. Apparently, my brother is a fool. And so are you! As someone who made the Great James Fleamont Potter realise his feelings for the ever so Greatly Lily Evans, I could not be wrong with yours."
Callie blushed again, pulling the hem of her shirt in embarrassment. If she really did love him, she was screwed. Regulus probably wasn't interested in the concept of love, so she figured she'd only fall into heartbreak for the first time in her life.
"Great, my first heartbreak was from a fictional character."
Meanwhile, the speechless Regulus Black had his eyes covered with the shadow of his hair. His lips were thin and straight, but his hands were balled into fists.
Without presenting his presence, he exited the shack and went back inside the castle.
°°°
A/N: School's not giving me enough time to write anything :_) Plus Physics is killing me :_)