Callie and Regulus swayed there in silence for a few more minutes. Drinking each other's presence as though it might be their last. Because they both had no idea, maybe it was. They couldn't risk any second.
Speaking of risking any second, Regulus broke the silence with a question.
"What did Bubbles tell you you should do?"
Callie was back leaning on his chest. "That I should follow my heart. And let my brain guide me on my way."
She felt Regulus nod. "Which path does your heart want to take?"
"My heart wants to go to that cave. And take that locket. And destroy it. Then fight Voldy. Because, Reg, if we surrender to him, I can't ensure you'll be safe. And I want to make sure you're safe. All of you. I don't care what happens to me, I just need you safe."
"I understand. And I need the same; you, safe. And even if the Dark Lord can ensure that I won't let you go there. I know him well enough to know he won't waste a chance of erasing a hindrance. That hindrance being you."
"I know you'd say that. I also know the Marauders will say that. We can fight against him, you know?"
"I do. And that's what we'll do." Regulus finally broke the hug and stopped their sway. He held both her arms and they stared at each other's eyes. "If you won't see him at sunrise, he'll search for you. He'll search everywhere for you. And he won't like it that you chose to disobey him."
"Then? What should we do?"
"We have to leave now. I don't know what time is it but we still have some time before sunrise. If we get out of here, retrieve the locket, and destroy it, he'll be weak enough to be defeated. And you know exactly how to defeat him, right?"
Callie nodded. "Yes."
"I'd love to hug you longer but we should go now."
She chuckled and they left, hand in hand.
They found their way back, the Marauders were still how they left them, asleep and snoring. But sleep had to wait until the war was over.
Regulus woke up Remus and Sirius whilst Callie took on James and Peter.
She shook them too hard that they had no other option but to groan and open their eyes. James even turned back.
"Wake up, we have to go," she hissed at them.
"Go where?" Peter asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Slytherin's locket. We should get it now."
James tilted his head to her. "You're not going to You-Know-Who?"
"Why would Callie go to him?" Remus asked, sitting up.
"He said she should or else he'd hurt us," Regulus answered.
"But he can't hurt any of you if too he's weak to do so. We have to destroy the locket before he can get us," said Callie. "I'm really sorry, Remus, I can't give you the rest you deserve but if we stop now, they'll catch up to us and we're good as dead."
"No, no, I understand it."
She nodded in understanding. "You all should prepare. We have to leave as soon as we can."
The boys groaned as they get up. They took Callie's things and collected them in one place. Meanwhile, Callie searched for a bottle she put in her bag before and her wand.
She took them out and she filled the bottle with water with a spell. "Aguamenti." Callie made sure the bottle was full.
Her heart began to drum knowing what one of them would go through. Her hand began shaking and Regulus noticed it.
He walked towards her and held her hand. "What's wrong?" he asked, putting his other hand on her shoulder.
"I just- I'm scared." She looked up at him and her eyes were a fortress of tears. "I'm scared. It's all too real now. We're near the end and the nearer we get, the more dangerous it becomes."
"We'll take care, okay? We'll be more careful. Just tell us what we have to do."
Callie nodded. She had to collect herself. She knew she had to. If she would lead them, she had to be brave about it, she had to be confident about it, and she had to trust them. If every single one of them is as brave as a lion, she must be too.
"Okay."
They walked back to the others whilst Callie fished for her phone in the bag, Sirius and James carrying her books and clothes. Remus insisted he'd help but they both shove him——in a friendly manner——to keep him from working.
"Here goes the plan: we are going to this cave." She swiped on her phone and showed them the cave.
"Where is that?" Sirius asked.
She shook her head. "No exact location. Just England, Great Brittain. It's on the seaside." She swiped to show them the next image. "This is inside the cave where we have to exactly go."
"How are we going there?" Peter asked.
"We need to apparate."
"Apparate?" they asked almost at the same time.
"I know it's not easy to do and with very little information I have about the location, going here wouldn't be easy. But we have to get here. This is what the cave looks like. If any of us can apparate here, even just one of us."
"I can try," said Remus, although a little weakly. The Cruciatus Curse must have gotten him.
"Moony, can you hear yourself?" Sirius asked. "You're not yet ready to cast a spell, what more apparate?"
"If any of us, other than me, can, then please do. If any of you knows how then bring us there. But if none of you could, we're all left with no choice but to let me do it."
"Moony's right," James agreed. "Does anyone else know how to apparate?"
Definitely not Callie. Regulus hadn't learned that yet. The rest of the Marauders couldn't. The Apparition class hadn't begun yet but Remus probably did an advanced reading that was why he knew why.
"Are you sure you're fine, Remus?" Callie asked when no one answered.
Remus nodded. "I can do it. But I'm not sure I could be any more help after I apparate us."
Callie shook her head. "Doesn't matter. We just need to get there then we'll carry on. Pete, can you take care of Remus once we get there?"
Peter nodded in agreement. Callie knew he might not handle the travel well nor pass the defences Voldemort put. But she wasn't belittling him. She explained the plan further and they were all ready and set.
Callie put the water bottle in her bag and secured it along with her wand and the stone. They all held onto Remus as he prepared himself for his feat.
"Just so you know, those who travel through apparition the first time usually throw up," Remus warned.
Sirius shrugged. "We haven't had any contents in our stomach, so what's to throw?"
He just shook his head and focused.
Destination. The cave. The seaside cave Callie showed him. That was the location.
Determination. Remus gathered his will. He had done that thrice, bringing objects with him. He could apparate and bring people, five people with him too.
Deliberation. They might get hurt but he knew they wouldn't. He just had to do it the way he had always done it.
And just like that, the six were gone in the woods, leaving a burnt tent and disturbed land.
And the next thing they knew, they heard the roar of the sea as it hit the rock of the cave. The sky was ash. It may not be raining but it sure felt like it was with the ocean's mist spraying down on them.
Remus fell to his knees in tiredness. Peter quickly aided him. But not too long, he and the rest threw up anywhere around the entrance of the cave.
"Oh, God!"
"Merlin!"
"Told you," said Remus, eyes half opened with his back onto a rock big enough to support him. He had a tired smile.
"No more apparition after this." Callie always wanted to try it. But not anymore. "Let's get this over with." She wiped her mouth and Regulus came, helping her up.
"You all right?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I am."
"Okay."
"James?"
Hearing his name called, James looked at her. His heart pounded knowing what he should do next.
James Fleamont Potter was never one to fear anything. Except for the death of Lily and Harry and what they were about to do.
Nevertheless, he nodded and the four of them met right in front of the entrance to the cave.
James offered his hand. And even though Callie didn't want it, she fished a knife in her bag and gave it to James. He wanted another round of throwing up. But they had to get this over with.
He swallowed, laid the knife on his palm, and closed his hand into a fist. James closed his eyes and Callie did so. Sirius looked away and Regulus held her hand. In one, swift move, James slit his palm earning a hiss from him and a collective gasp.
"In order to be passage, payment must be made," said Callie when they were going through the plan. "Payment intended to weaken any intruder."
"Where?" James let go of the knife and it clung onto the rocky ground.
Callie pointed at a rock near him. "There."
James painted the blood on his hand onto the stone. It began to crumble, making them all step back. Callie fished a clean cloth of hers from her bag and wrapped it around James' injured hand.
That was what they agreed upon. Everyone was talking roles. Remus took the role of apparating them, Peter took the role of taking care of Remus and James, and James took the role of blood sacrifice.
A hole opened and showed them a way in. Callie swallowed as she could almost see in her eyes how Regulus drowned in that sea of inferi. How Harry was almost the same. Except there was Dumbledore who saved him. And now, Regulus wouldn't be alone in that cave.
"Be safe," said James.
Callie, Regulus, and Sirius nodded at him before they entered. "Lumos."
"Careful," said Regulus as they walked through what seemed like shreds of glass.
"Lumos maxima!" Callie cast and lit up the cave.
There, the brothers saw the cave, the one Callie had been talking about.
"Is this... is this where...?" Sirius wanted to ask if that was the lake his brother died in, at least in books and movies Callie loved.
She nodded and held tighter on Regulus' hand. She wanted assurance he wouldn't drown there again. And he gave that by running his thumb circles on her hand.
"Let's go." She said.
Callie searched for the part of the shore where Dumbledore stood from her memory. And when she found it, she stood there and held out her hand just like he did. They waited a few seconds until the water below her hand bubbled like it was boiling. And another second passed by, and a chain shoot itself in Callie's hand.
She pulled it without hesitation, and Regulus and Sirius came aiding her. They pulled the chain too. From the depths of the lake, a small boat rose. Small yet they assumed it would be enough to fit all three of them.
When it was near enough, Sirius jumped in first. The brothers helped Callie get on. And lastly, Regulus. They sailed towards the small island inside. Every inch they got nearer, the thicker the lump in Callie's throat grew. She might not have seen Regulus die, but she couldn't bear the thought. And there they were, retracing the steps of the dead boy in the books and movies.
Callie shook that thought off. The books, and the movies, were all fiction. And she knew the boys she was sailing with were not fantasy. They were not bits of her or anyone's imagination. They were real. And she would change their faith from the fiction she knew.
They arrived at the small island. Sirius got out first, then Callie, and then Regulus.
The three stared at the tallest crystal stand on the small island. They might not see it, but Callie knew the Horcrux was inside.
"Is this it?" asked Sirius. But he was not pertaining to the locket beneath the green potion, he was pertaining to the potion itself, to the Drink of Despair.
"Yes," Callie answered, swallowing.
"Okay. I'm ready," he said.
That was Sirius' role, to drink the Emerald Potion or the Drink of Despair.
Of course, Regulus said no. He disagreed the most in the group. He wouldn't want to let his brother drink such a potion. But Sirius insisted.
"The potion has to be drunk! Who else will drink it?" Sirius said in a heated argument between him and his brother while Callie was explaining what to do.
"I will!" Regulus shouted back.
"No, you will not." They never heard such authority and sternness in Sirius' voice. It was much like a brother's authoritative voice.
"Who are you to say no?"
"I am your brother, Regulus. And I do not allow you to drink that potion."
"I am also your brother, Sirius. And I don't want you to drink it!"
"Your want doesn't matter right now, Regulus. We have no time to spare. We have to get going." Sirius turned to Callie. "I will drink it. And the both of you are in charge of making sure I drink all of it."
"You're insane!"
"Maybe it runs in the family!"
"Merlin, Sirius, are you listening to yourself?!"
"I know well what I'm saying! And I know well what I'm about to do! Regulus, you faced this before. Maybe not in this world and somewhere else but you once died, alone, drinking the Emerald Potion. Do you think I, your brother, will let you go through that again?" He shook his head. "No, Regulus. Not again. Not in this opportunity. Not in this world."
That was why, Sirius ended up with the shell in his hand. He used it to take the potion but suspended his hand midair, looking at Callie who chose to look around and at Regulus who was trying not to break.
This will be over soon. Sirius kept that in his mind.
He took the shell to his lips and sipped everything in it. It didn't take two seconds for the effect to be felt.
At first, it was stomach pain. It was as if his guts were taken without anything to numb him. Then the fear began crawling all over his body.
No. No, he could do it.
With his shaking hands, trying to hide his gasps, he took the shell and immediately sipped another round. But that next round didn't let him hide anything.
Sirius whimpered in pain and he let go of the shell. He fell to his knees clutching his stomach.
"Sirius?" Regulus called and Callie looked back. "Sirius!" Regulus ran to him, but was careful not to fall, Callie following behind.
"Sirius!" Callie exclaimed too.
The delirium was catching up. And then the fear. But the intense pain in the stomach hit him like a rock. The thirst, oh the thirst. It felt like his throat was burning like in the desert.
"Sirius, can you get up?" Callie asked although obviously the answer was no. "D-drink," she stuttered. She couldn't believe she'd ever do it. "He has to finish the drink." Callie cried.
"No. I'll share it." She immediately stopped Sirius.
"Don't, please."
"Callie, my brother's in pain. I'm not going to induce more of it on him."
"No, Reg. If both of you drink the potion, I'll be left alone. I can't- I can't do it alone. Please."
He didn't want to leave his brother like that. But Callie was right. She, alone, wouldn't be able to handle both of them. So, even though his heart cried at what he was about to do, he took the shell and the potion.
Callie laid Sirius on her legs and tried whatever she could to at least soothe him.
"Here." Regulus' voice broke but none of them chose to notice it. He put the shell on his brother's lip and Sirius drank the potion.
It was torture for all of them. Forcing pain in someone they love. Sirius cried, with tears, and yet they couldn't stop even though they want to.
"I'm sorry." Regulus pushed another potion. Another, and another, and another. And with every sip Sirius took, Regulus would apologize.
All three of them were showering the cave with tears. Hearing Sirius beg them to stop was more than just torture. If there was anything worse than that, it was that.
"I'm so sorry, Sirius," Callie cried beside him.
The routine kept going on and on and on until Sirius stopped. He stopped crying and resisting. Callie was the first to notice it the one hugging him. He was calm, as though nothing happened.
She looked up at Regulus. "Locket. The locket."
Regulus nodded and quickly approached the stand. Meanwhile, Callie hurried to get the water bottle from her bag. Sirius was breathing heavily, still leaning on her. She opened the bottle for him and let Sirius drink.
"There."
Sirius had never wanted water and had never felt relief in his life more than ever.
"I have it," Regulus said and hurried back to them. He was careful not to get near the lake. Callie warned them that disturbing the water of the lake would trigger the inferi. They didn't want that.
"It's over," Callie whispered to Sirius. "We did it. You did it."
"I did?" Sirius asked breathly.
Regulus nodded and held his brother's hand. "You did. I'm sorry."
Sirius chuckled weakly. "Please. I'm sorry."
"I don't want to interrupt the brotherly bonding of apology, but we have to get out of here now. We have to go back to our camp and destroy the locket." Callie reminded Regulus never to wear it so he didn't. "Then we can come back to Hogwarts and plan on how we'll end Voldemort."
"Okay," said Sirius.
Callie put the empty water bottle back in her bag. She and Regulus pulled Sirius up. They carefully board the boat, sail across and walk back outside. When there was enough light, she hid her wand in her bag.
"We got it," she announced and Regulus showed the locket in his hand.
"Let's head back now. I'm better," Remus announced and got up.
"Okay."
They all exited the cave just like earlier. They held onto Remus and in a blink of an eye, they disappeared.
When they opened their eyes, they threw up once more, Sirius having it the worse. But it was James who noticed the wrong. They were back in their camp. But they were surrounded by Death Eaters and in front of them was Voldemort.
It was Peter next, then Remus. Regulus immediately took Callie's hand as soon as he saw the masks and lastly, Sirius who was weak in every part of his body.
The sun was climbing up. Orange tint filled the sky. And Callie still wasn't in the Manor.
"I will give you one last chance, Caledonia," said Voldemort.
How did he know my whole name? As far as Callie could remember, she only gave her nickname to Bellatrix and her full name to... to the Marauders and Regulus.
"Surrender to me. And I will consider not harming your friends."
But Callie held onto Regulus' hand, not even lifting a toe. That spoke to her conviction.
"I see. And you, Wormtail? Why don't you come with me?"
Wormtail? Did he say Wormtail? Peter?
No, no. That couldn't be right. Peter knew Callie wouldn't help him. She made that clear to him that she'd keep them safe. So, no, he wasn't pertaining to Peter.
But Peter took a step. And another and another and another towards Voldemort. And he stood, beside him.
All their stomachs vanished into thin air.
"Pete." Callie's eyes blurred. She wasn't even sure if she whispered that or if that was just in her head.
"I'm sorry, Callie," Peter mouthed from the other side.
Peter betrayed them.
°°°
A/N: Ugh... I'm supposed to post this a few days ago but I wasn't really feeling very well the past few days. And I know, I said update will be more frequent, but after more thinking, I decided against it. But rest assured there will be an update weekly.
Have a good day or night!