NOX° SIRIUS BLACK

Chapter Twenty-One

     Christmas break rolled around and before Calypso knew it, she found herself seated in her usual compartment with the boys on her way back to King's Cross. She wasn't looking forward to spending the holidays alone with her father while Ophelia stayed with their mother and Alex. Calypso cycled through the books she brought with her and joined in conversation, but in the back of her mind she was plagued with worry. What if her dad used an Unforgivable on her again?

        The train pulled into the station and Calypso let out a sigh as everyone filed off the train. She turned to each of the boys and gave them hugs.

        ''Write if you need anything — anything.'' Sirius told her seriously when she turned to him.

         ''I will.'' She promised. She threw her arms around Sirius and he hugged her tightly. They'd see each other again in a few weeks when she'd go to Peter's, but those two weeks felt like a lifetime away.

          Calypso pulled away from the hug and smiled sadly at the boys. She turned around and caught a few glimpses of the other people at King's Cross that were greeting their parents. Dorcas hugged her mum; Marlene was chatting animatedly with her dad about something; Lily and Snape were pushing their carts through the groups of people; and Alice gave Frank a shy kiss on the cheek.

          Calypso reached into the cage and gave Mercury a head rub before she caught sight of her father, standing tall and dressed in black robes. Calypso made her way over to him, keeping her head down and avoiding direct eye contact.

           They didn't speak to one another as he took her cart from her and led her to their car. Their driver, Callahan, smiled kindly at Calypso when she slid into the backseat, sticking close to the window to watch as the greenery passed her by, already wishing she could be back at Hogwarts with her friends.

       The car ride was completely silent as they drove to the far end of the town of Wiltshire. Wiltshire was filled with other wizarding families, like the Malfoy's, but Krane Manor was secluded from the rest of the town and hidden from the prying eyes of their Muggle neighbors. 

         ''Go to your room. Minnie will bring you dinner.'' Icarus said after they made it into the house. His tone was curt and left no room for argument, not that Calypso would have.

          Calypso grabbed her things and walked upstairs to her bedroom. She missed her room at her mum's house. There were no starry ceilings here or splashes of color; the walls were bare and everything was neat and tidy. The best part about the room was the bookshelf which was overflowing with books that Calypso would read to keep her occupied for the two weeks she would spend at Krane Manor. There were more books, spilling out of her dresser and pushed underneath her bed, so Calypso browsed the shelves until she found something she liked.

            She pulled the book, Wizards Are From Neptune, Witches Are From Saturn by Irsis Pius, off the shelf and sat down on her bed to read. She didn't know how long she sat there, flipping through the pages, until her favorite house-elf, Minnie, entered with beef pasties and roasted potatoes.

             ''Hello Miss Calypso, your father wishes for you to stay upstairs to eat.'' Minnie said. Calypso nodded her head and took the plate of food from Minnie. The house-elf turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Calypso alone in her room.

        An owl swooped in and Calypso raised a brow, wondering who would've sent her a letter this early. She normally would have assumed it was Sirius since he always sent her letters whenever they were away from each other, but this owl wasn't one she recognized.