ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏᴜʀᴛʜ ᴡᴀʟʟ | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴜᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴇʀᴀ

xxviii. dementors

Callie opened her eyes at the same time the birds chirped around. She felt them swell but kept them open. She finally found the will to sit up and she did as she rubbed her eyes.

There was a snore coming from across from her. Callie knew it was from James. It was the same snore she heard from him in the hospital wing; that was how she knew.

She stood and walked out of their tent. Her room was on the farther right side. Across from her was Peter, then Regulus beside her and across from him was Remus. Then beside Regulus was his brother with James across from him.

Callie jumped on her skin when she saw Peter walking back inside hugging a paper bag. He, too, jumped in surprise seeing his friend awake so early.

"Merlin, you scared me, Callie," he breathed out.

"I could say the same. Where were you and why are you up so early?" She pertained to the bag he was hugging.

"Oh, I-I went to the market to buy us food. I figured we'd need this."

"Thanks," she smiled fondly. Taking the paper bag from him. "Shall we cook them breakfast before they wake up?"

"Sure."

Soon, they began. It was quiet all throughout with Callie humming a tune. From time to time, she'd stare at Peter with a smile. She might have not said it but she was grateful beyond words that Peter trusted them. It was vital to keep their friendship intact for her.

Peter was fearful. But she couldn't help but be proud seeing how far he'd come. If Peter was a coward, he wouldn't be out there with them, fighting Voldemort.

"What we'll do after this?" Peter asked, his back facing her as he stirred the pot for a mashed potato.

And then he was also invested too with their plans? Her smile widened before going back to preparing the plates. "We'll go to Little Hangleton. There's a Horcrux there that we have to destroy."

"And then?"

"Then we'll destroy it. Just like what we did to the rest."

She saw him nod and remained silent again.

After maybe more than half an hour, as per Callie's estimation, James came out of the tent, rubbing his eyes. He put his hands away in his pockets and walked to them. His eyes were now wide open as though he just took a nap.

"Mashed potatoes," he mentioned, voice a little deeper as he just got up from bed.

"Peter bought some for us." Callie smiled. At the mention of that, Peter looked at her with a swelling heart.

She had really been good to him from the beginning. No one did that to him. James would be the closest but Callie just hit differently.

"You should wake them up," Callie told James. "We better get out of here as soon as possible."

James nodded and walked back into the tent, muttering good luck to himself. Sirius wouldn't be easy to wake up.

Callie knew the dangers they might face if they stay there longer. It might already reach Voldemort what they did. It wasn't safe for them anymore, especially Regulus. And if her gut feeling was right, Voldemort would have dispersed his Death Eaters in search of them. That was why, even though they were hidden in the forest, it wasn't safe to be near Diagon Alley.

Peter put the mashed potatoes on the plates Callie prepared and she added bread and water.

Not too long, Remus came out, squinting his eyes. Then Regulus who was fixing his morning hair, and then a grumbling Sirius murmuring about how he should've still been in bed. Then James whose energy bar was filled as though he hadn't just woken up.