NOX° SIRIUS BLACK

Chapter Six

           Peter was the next person to arrive at Potter Manor. Calypso had been staying with James and Sirius for a week and there was certainly never a dull moment. They'd ventured out into town and wreaked havoc on the Muggles and other wizarding families they came across. After a week with only each other for company, Peter and Remus were to join them, but when Peter arrived Calypso could tell something was wrong.

           "Please don't hate me. It was an accident, I swear." Peter started out looking rather nervous when he spoke as he entered Potter Manor. Calypso frowned, concerned, while James and Sirius narrowed their eyes at him.

            "What is it, Pete?" Calypso asked, confused. Peter sighed ashamedly and reached into his pocket, pulling out a crushed mandrake leave. "Oh, Peter."

           "Merlin," James exhaled a deep sigh as he placed his head in his hands.

          "What're we gonna do?" Sirius asked, sounding exasperated.

          "Well, we can't do this without Peter. It has to be all of us together. That's the whole point of us becoming animagi." Calypso said.

          "But we've come so far." Sirius groaned.

          "I could practically taste victory." James said wistfully.

          Peter blushed profusely, embarrassed that he messed this up for them.

         "I can get us some more from the Herbology classroom, no problem. But we still have to figure out how to make the potion that we need at the end, so . . . maybe this was a good thing. It gives us time to actually think through what we're about to do and really be prepared." Calypso said.

         "I feel really bad guys, I'm so sorry." Peter apologized again. Sirius clapped him on the back.

         "It's fine, Pete." He reassured him.

          "We can try again over summer break. It'll be easier then." Calypso suggested. She removed the mandrake leaf from her mouth and threw it away. She skipped over to her trunk and pulled out pumpkin pasties, happy to be able to eat them once again.

           They asked Peter about what happened. Turns out, he choked on the mandrake leaf when he was sleeping and was forced to spit it out. Remus arrived soon after Peter finished the story.

          "Remus!" Calypso exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. Sirius and James exchanged a glance when Remus blushed before Calypso pulled away. She furrowed her eyebrows, wondering why he was so red in the face.

          "How've you been, mate? It's been too long." James asked. He pulled Remus into a hug as Calypso slipped beside Peter and Sirius while they, too, greeted Remus.

         "It's been a week, James." Remus said.

          "A lot can happen in a week. For example, Calypso got hit with the Cruciatus Curse." James said. Calypso hit James on the back of his head.

          "Thank you for that." Calypso said sarcastically. James merely smiled at her.

          "By who?! Merlin, Calypso, are you okay?" Remus asked frantically. She waved her hand dismissively.

          "I'm fine, Remus. Really." Calypso said.

         "Who did that to you? Have they been apprehended?" Remus asked.

         "Apprehended." Sirius repeated.

         "My father did it, so there's no point. He'll walk free and then he'll hurt me even more. Or he might even hurt one of you guys and I can't have that, now can I?" Calypso asked before turning with a mischievous look on her face. "I'll be back in a bit."