Callisto

14

After Mr and Mrs Montague had gone with their son, Dumbledore left the Malfoys to talk. Callisto fidgeted on her chair as Narcissa wiped her eyes with her handkerchief.

"Oh darling," she said, her voice choked. "Why didn't you tell us about him?"

"Because...." Callisto started, and her voice faltered. "Because I was scared. I thought....Father would want me to fight my own battles."

"Not like that, Callisto," he said, and she was shocked to hear him use her name. He looked at her, his grey eyes sombre. "I should have realised your happiness came first," he said. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything."

School was very quiet for the rest of the year. Montague didn't come back to school, and it seemed the shine was gone from Jaron's crown, as none of the girls fawned over him quite so much anymore. Callisto had been worried the Slytherin girls would kick up about her being in the dormitory, but they didn't mind at all. The mood around the castle was subdued, in mourning after the shock of Cedrif Diggory's death.

When the end of the school year came in June, Callisto was packing her trunk. There was a lot more to go in it than before. She had turned seventeen last month, and had a large collection of birthday cards she wanted to keep, tucking them carefully into a side pocket. There was soft flutter of wings, and an owl flew through the open window, dropping a note with Narcissa's handwriting.

Callisto, turn on the radio quick! Your father's going to be on at two!

It was quarter to now, so she did as instructed, gathering with her friends in Adele's dormitory. Ravenclaws technically weren't supposed to be in here, but it was the last day and rules were lax. Sarafina was leaning back against her girlfriend's legs, and Callisto was painting Louisa's nails silver when he came on.

It was a quick interview about Ministry laws, but they listened, Callisto painting carefully with the little brush along Louisa's thumb. She almost missed the question.

"Do you have any children yourself, Mr Malfoy?"

"I have two," he said, his voice buzzing through the speaker. "A daughter and a son, and I'm extremely proud of them both."

It seemed like it had been a lot longer ago than December since she had seen her parents, and as the train pulled into the station, Callisto looked out the window to see them both, which was unusual as it was usually only Narcissa.

When the train stopped, they fetched their bags, and on the platform the girls said their goodbyes.

"Have a good summer, yeah?" Adele said. She had, of course, finished Hogwarts, and was planning to start a course in September. "I'll write, and you're all invited to my eighteenth in August."

"I'll miss you all," Callisto said. "So much."

"I'll miss you all too," Louisa sniffed.

"You'd better all write," Sarafina said. "I'm going to go nuts stuck with my mother all summer"

"You can come and stay with me for a bit."

"And me."

"And definitely me."

They had a tight hug before Callisto took her trunk and walked away, waving behind her. She knew things would be tough for all of them. Sarafina's mother had yet to find out about Adele, and Callisto herself had yet to tell Grandmother Druella about her transformation. But as she walked towards her parents, who welcomed her with open arms, she thought things would not be so bad after all.