"Mate, mate." Sirius tapped James as lightly as he could to wake him up. His voice was low like a whisper. His hair hung on his sides trying to wake up James laying on the Gryffindor Common Room's couch. But he has to be careful not to wake up Lily who was deep asleep in his friend's arms.
"Prongs!" he hissed but James just whined and hugged his girlfriend tighter.
At that point, Sirius' patience was thinning as a broom's strand. He pressed his lips together to contain himself. He wouldn't like Lily knowing their plans. So, he must internalize the urge to scream at the top of his lungs and destroy James' eardrums.
"Wake up, James! We have to go! Sun'll come up anytime soon and if you won't move we'll leave you."
James finally let go of Lily and opened his eyes. Though it stung, he tried adjusting. Still dizzy from sleeping, he sat up.
He kept rubbing his eyes and taking glimpses of the whole room by blinking more than he should. But in no time, he was able to open his eyes and scan the room.
There was no one in the room but he, Sirius, and Lily on the couch. He didn't even realise they fell asleep there. All he could remember was Lily's lips on him and her warm skin when they cuddled up on the couch.
"Where's Moony and Wormtail?" he asked.
"They ran errands. Moony's taking an enchanted tent. And the rat's getting us breakfast from the kitchen."
"What time is it?"
"Four in the morning."
"Callie?"
"Haven't seen her since last night." Sirius took his coat and put it on. "We should go, Prongs. Moony, Pete, and Reg'll meet us in the shack."
James looked back at his girlfriend. "Give me a minute."
He ran up to their room and took a parchment and a quill. In that, he wrote everything he wanted to tell her, in case he never made it back.
"To my beautiful flower,
I love you, Lily. With all my heart. With everything I have. I want you to know that. I know you do but I don't want you to ever think it'll fade. I love you, always and forever, my Lily flower.
I will be gone for days, maybe even weeks. Maybe months. But I don't want you to worry. I will keep safe as long as I could. I'm with Sirius, Remus, and Peter. I'm with my trusted friends so there's nothing to worry about if you haven't heard from me for days.
But there's one thing I'll ask you. Just one. Don't tell anyone about this letter. It's safer for you, for them, and for us.
I'm doing this for us, alright? For you, for Harry, for our family. I hope you understand that.
And even if I'm gone, know that I'll never be truly gone. Because I'm with you, always and forever.
I love you, my Lily flower
James"
He ran down the stairs with his jacket and carefully hid the paper in between Lily's hand and elbow. He stared at the right side of her eyes, brushing her red hair. And finally, he planted a deep, long kiss on her temple, hoping and praying that won't be the last.
Then he stood and took his bag. The Invisibility cloak's inside and anything else he thought they might need.
"Do you have the polyjuice potion?" James asked Sirius.
Sirius showed his bag and shook it. "Safe and sound."
"Good. Let's go."
They exited the common room, with James giving Lily one last glance.
It was still quite dark. Sun hadn't risen and wouldn't until a few more minutes. They were still careful as there was still a possibility of getting caught. They couldn't let that happen, could they?
The early morning breeze was cold. They thanked themselves for bringing protection against the ice-like wind.
As they walked to the Whomping Willow, they noticed a familiar figure standing. It was Regulus, Sirius confirmed when they got near enough to make out his face.
"Morning," Sirius greeted.
Regulus looked back at both of them. "Mm, morning."
Sirius raised his brows in surprise. Huh, his brother just greeted him back.
"Let's go in." James slid in first. Then Sirius made Regulus before he went in himself.
They walked straight to the room to find Peter and Remus helping Callie pack up. And Callie seeing Regulus made both their hearts thump harder and louder and faster. And yet, they were both such great actors they hid it like how pirates would hide their treasures.
"Is everything in here?" Remus asked, closing Callie's small pouch. Quite small yet everything Callie owned in that room was inside. Her wand, her robe, her map, the time turner she stole in Filch's office, clothes the Marauders and Regulus gave her, Regulus' books, and his letters.
Yes, she never threw them away nor did she give them back to him.
Her phone's in her trousers (James' actually, she had to wear a belt because of how wide it was on her). The battery percentage already dropped to 41%. She hadn't been using it and would only listen to music at times or check every inch of it again for anything that could help their mission.
"Yeah. Pete, you sure my quill's in there?" Callie turned to him.
"Hundred percent sure!" He gave a thumbs up.
Her hands rested on her hips and looked at them. "Great. Everything settle for you lads?"
"Absolutely," Sirius replied.
"Everyone sure they don't want to go back to the castle and forget about all of this?"
"Yes," "Absolutely," "Yeah," "Very sure," "Mhm," the boys answered at once.
"All right." Callie heaved a sigh. And then let it go. "Let's go."
They exited the shack, with Sirius taking the lead. Everyone was already out of the willow but Callie and Remus. She looked back at the cave-like entrance of the shack once more before sighing.
"I'm going to miss this place." Yes, Callie had taken the last few more photos of herself in the shack. That led to her phone's battery percentage dropping.
"We'll be back here," Remus comforted. Though they both know that was uncertain.
Callie climbed up, James and Peter helping her up. Regulus prompted to do so but the two Marauders got to her hands first.
"Up, we go," James grunted.
When Remus was also up on the ground, he dusted himself off and Sirius spoke.
"Let's take the nearest exit."
Exiting the palace grounds through the front gates would lead them to detection. That, they could not afford. Hence, they walked towards one of the Marauders' exits that they found not too long ago. It was an exit that would lead them to Hogsmeade, exactly as they had planned.
They just found a tunnel right outside the castle, just by the bushes, a few days after meeting Callie. It was a different one from Regulus' secret passage.
And speaking of Regulus, he would steal glances at her. Callie was behind Sirius who was in the lead. So it was easier for him to watch her moves.
Sirius brushed away the bushes to reveal a dark tunnel. If one wouldn't look closely, one wouldn't notice it was a hole.
James slid in first, then Peter, then Callie who was assisted by the two. Then Regulus, who insisted without using words. Then Remus and finally, Sirius.
"Lumos Maxima," James cast. He had his wand just in his pocket. He reached it faster than anyone. With his chant, the passage lit up. They were able to see the way better. He took the lead then.
And as though he had the passage etched in his mind, James turned in every direction without thinking twice. It was a good five to eight minutes walk, Callie didn't keep track of the time.
At the end of the tunnel, they saw a stair that led up. They went straight and up.
When James' head almost hit the ceiling, he stopped and handed Callie his wand without looking. "Hold for me."
Callie did. She kept her left arm raised so that James would see whatever he was doing. She tilted her head to see.
He knocked on the ceiling. The stone sounded thick and deep. But as he ran his knuckles further, they heard the shallow and thin sound of the wood. James knocked harder so that the wood covering the exit would move. It must have been stuck like that for quite some time.
He then raised the wood and threw it on the front above but as quietly as he could. Then he continued climbing up, the rest following him until they all got out of the passageway.
"This is Hogsmeade?" Callie gaped. "Wow."
James, with a smile, took his wand from her. "Nox."
She takes her phone out without looking at the bag. Callie took pictures of every angle available.
Orange started painting the early morning sky. Callie knew they should get going. People at Hogwarts would know in a few that these boys were gone. They might go off and look for them.
"Can we eat before we go?" Peter asked. The aroma of biscuits and bread from the nearby bakery made his mouth water.
"I suppose we'll need breakfast," Callie said, bringing her phone back into the bag. She knew what kind of adventure they'd go to. They would need all the strength and energy they could store in their system. "Let's go."
The group walked to the said bakery where Peter smelled the food. They sat by the corner and bought. What Peter took from the kitchen should be used only when they have no more supplies, Regulus suggested.
They enjoyed the silence, the calm before the storm.
Callie breathed out a shaky sigh. The lump in her throat gave her the challenge to swallow. But she still did. She'd need that energy for her next step; she might just be in death-like danger. Breaking into Gringgots wasn't like sneaking into her sister's room to take a piece of chocolate she hid.
After the short breakfast, they led Callie to a clothing shop. Callie had enough clothes in her bag. But none of that would be something Bellatrix Lestrange would wear.
The six dispersed to look for clothes. Sirius was searching for his, James for Lily, and the rest for Callie.
A black dress would be an ideal one. Callie preferred long-sleeved ones.
She took one dress from the rack but the ruffles made it look too sweet for someone like Bellatrix. So she put it back and kept searching.
"What about this one?" Peter raised a dress.
Callie looked over to examine it. "No, Pete. It's lacking the elegance she would want."
"And this?" Remus showed what he found.
"No. Not with the ribbon." Merlin, no. Bellatrix would never wear that kind of ribbon.
Regulus smirked as he looked over the rack. For someone who knew his cousin, he might be the man for the job: dress hunting apparently.
He found one black long-sleeved dress. The sleeves were made of lace fabric whilst the bodice was tight and should fit Callie right. The skirt was floor-length in silk layered with chiffon.
She would wear it, he thought.
"What about this, Callie?" he asked from across the racks.
The girl looked up to check what he had. "Oh, that's good."
Taking that as approval, Regulus walked to look for the shop owner and pay.
He didn't have to do that anymore. The shop owner appeared in front of him with a smile, "How may I help you, good sir?" Regulus jumped in surprise
But he seemed to have no idea who he was talking to. That was good.
"I'd like to buy this." Regulus showed the dress.
"Oh, what a beautiful dress. Perhaps this is also for a beautiful lady?"
"Yes, yes it is."
Callie tripped upon hearing the answer. She was just browsing by the racks when she overheard the conversation.
The owner raised his brows in approval. "It should be. The fabric of this dress was harvested in the lands of France, made only for the most beautiful woman to wear."
"I had known no woman more beautiful than her."
Callie tripped once again.
Was Regulus talking about her?! No! No, he couldn't be! She knew she wasn't as beautiful as the girls he met! They would've had aristocratic beauty! She didn't have that. But who else could Regulus be pertaining to? The dress was for her.
No, probably that was just an excuse so the owner won't question them much. That sounded better.
"Then this dress shall be hers," said the owner.
Regulus nodded then looked on his sides. "Does it perhaps have footwear to accompany it?"
"Oh, yes it does! A moment, please." The owner went to the back of his shop and Regulus waited.
Callie pretended to be searching for more dress but she was actually listening with her face scorching red.
The owner came back after a few moments. He had a box in his hand and showed it to Regulus. He opened the box to show a pair of black short boots. The same patterned lace fabric used on the top of the dress was on top of the leather skin of the boots.
"This is perfect. I'll buy both."
And so he did. He gave the galleons the owner asked and in return, he put the dress in a bag and gave it to Regulus.
He turned around to meet Callie. "Here."
She accepted it though hesitant. "Thank you."
After Sirius and James bought what they found, they exited to begin the next step.
The sun had begun greeting everyone. Wizards and witches were also starting to fill up the grounds. The coldness had also worn off yet they kept their jackets on.
"Where's the nearest fireplace?" Callie asked.
Remus pointed at an Alley. "Right there."
That was the next part of the plan. After escaping Hogwarts grounds, they'd go to Hogsmeade through one of the Marauders' tunnels. They'd buy clothes that Bellatrix would wear, then use a fireplace and the floo powder to get to Diagon Alley.
And that was what they did.
"You know how to travel through the floo powder, right?" Sirius asked for confirmation.
"'Course I do. Say the place I want to go, then throw the powder on the floor and poof, I'm gone." Even though Callie knew not to mistake Diagon Alley for diagonally, she couldn't shake off the worry. It'd be her first time travelling through magic! She could've said something else and then found herself with her arms on Hogwarts and her legs on Grimmauld Place.
But there was no time to waste.
After James, Peter, and Remus took off first, she took a handful of the powder and placed herself right in the middle of the hearth. With one big inhale and exhale, she yelled, "Diagon Alley!" and threw the powder on her feet.
Callie closed her eyes and hoped to be still in one piece.
She felt fire eating her up. But it wasn't quite hot nor did it hurt. It just felt as though there was a fire. But she dared not to open her eyes nor move a muscle even a centimetre bit.
When the tingling of fire was gone, she opened her eyes and saw Remus, Peter, and James all have proud smiles on their faces. As it sunk in her that she successfully transported herself to Diagon Alley with all her body parts completely intact, she ran out. As soon as she was out, Regulus followed next. He walked out. Then Sirius came.
The brothers dusted themselves off before they carried on.
They walked further with Remus on the lead and shortly, they saw the Gringgots Bank. Callie swallowed.
This is it Callie. You can do this. Just get Helga Hufflepuff's cup, and destroy it, the Voldy's half-dead already. Callie grimaced at how she phrased her motivation. Half-dead? Who uses the word half-dead?
"Shall we?" Regulus asked.
Callie looked up at him. Her eyes shifted from shaking to firm. "Let's shall."