NOX° SIRIUS BLACK

Chapter Sixty-Two

         Sirius trudged down the empty corridors of Potter Manor, making sure to keep his footsteps light so as not to wake up the three other sleeping members of the Potter family on the second floor. This wasn't the first time he'd walked the halls at night since they'd been released from Hogwarts under the guise of an 'early Easter break' when — in reality — too many parents had petitioned Headmaster Dumbledore to let their children come home early in light of the recent events.

            Sirius tried to push everything to the back of his mind when he was around Euphemia and Fleamont, although he was sure that they could see right through the forced grins Sirius would place on his face. This was one of the last Easter's Sirius and James would get to have whilst living under their roof and Sirius didn't want to holiday's plagued by what happened. But, when Sirius found himself alone at night he couldn't help but let his mind wander to Calypso and what she had done.

         He could still recall the feeling of panic that he felt when Lily burst into the Gryffindor common room only a few hours after Sirius had last seen his girlfriend. He'd never seen Evans look so distraught with tears streaming down her face as she made a direct beeline to where Sirius lounged by the fireplace with Remus and Peter, alone for once in the quiet common room. Lily was sobbing and shaking so hard Sirius hardly understood what she blubbered out at first. It wasn't until he managed to make out the words "Calypso" and "gone" that he realized what she had done.

           Calypso, feeling the need to play the hero, had managed to make her way to Krane Manor to save her sister and Alex. They'd managed it, according to Lily — Alex, Maverick, and the third prisoner no one had expected to find, Aerin Talbott, were recovering at St. Mungo's after the Prewett's and Lily safely rescued them. But, in all the chaos, they hadn't been able to save her.

          Sirius knew he shouldn't blame the three of them for allowing Calypso to go through with a plan that he thought was far too risky for the four of them to handle on their own. He could only guess that Calypso must have felt like giving herself over to the enemy was her only hope in saving her family since Dumbledore wouldn't let the Order go after them.

        Dumbledore seemed to be taking Calypso's disappearance and capture seriously since he devoted most of the more experienced members of the Order into finding her. Three weeks had passed and there was no sign or trace of Calypso, Rhea, or Voldemort.

       Sirius felt rage burrow inside of him when he thought about what they were doing to her. And then he was hit with a fear so paralyzing that he felt as though he couldn't breathe.

     What if they never found Calypso again? What if she became another person who disappeared and was never found again?

      A sliver of light appeared under the crack of the door at the end of the hall and Sirius let out a small sigh as the door creaked open and James stepped out of his room. His messy brown hair seemed to be even messier than usual and without his glasses on, he squinted out into the darkness of the hall and barely made out Sirius's figure.

        "Can't sleep?" James yawned, stretching slightly to signal that he had just rolled out of bed. Sirius glanced down at his feet, embarrassed for having woken him up. Sirius couldn't bear to see the look of painful understanding that he saw whenever he looked at James. Sirius was surprised by how hard it was for him to spend time with James, Peter, and Remus without Calypso around. It felt like a part of them was missing — like they were a chicken running around without its head. "Come in here."

        Sirius sighed, knowing James wouldn't take no for an answer and he trudged into the boy's room. Sirius plopped into the chair that was slightly askew at James's desk and facing one of the pictures of the five of them that James had displayed in his room. Sirius's eyes immediately harrowed in on Calypso — his heart slightly squeezing when he saw her wide, dimpled smile and bright eyes staring back at him.