Whispers

Forty-One

Calliope watched the rest of the battle as if in the third person. 

She watched the death eaters carrying Harry's body to the castle. She watched the defiance shown by the fighters of Hogwarts, she watched Harry's final duel with Voldemort and saw Voldemort's body finally fall to the floor with an anticlimatic thunk. 

George's arm kept her tethered to earth. She was very sure that if he had not been clinging to her then she would have crumpled to the floor at the same time Voldemort did. But when George released her she was free to go where she wanted.

Her legs did not crumple, but neither did they take her forwards towards where a crowd was gathering around Harry, who was quickly obstructed from her view by cheering people. Calliope felt no inclination to cheer or follow George and join the crowd. The crushing weight of Fred's loss finally overtook everything and left her using the wall for support.

Sirius watched her from amidst the crowd and broke away from the celebrations to help Calliope sit herself down on the floor and he sat with her for a while, muttering words of comfort as her head rested in his lap. It astounded him that no tears fell from her eyes, which instead stared directly forwards, unseeing and unknowing.

Several people approached and offered comforting words. Molly Weasley wrapped Calliope in a blanket and had her drink a cup of tea, but Calliope hardly noticed. George sat with Sirius and Calliope for a long time, his face was tear-streaked, but he reached out and held Calliope's hand as the pair mourned in silence.

When the Weasley's carried Fred's body out Calliope flinched away from it, averting her eyes as she cringed into Sirius' chest. George noticed this and he and Sirius exchanged a look.

"It's time to go home now Callie," Sirius said.

Calliope shook her head violently, still unable to speak. Sirius hugged her tighter and rocked back and forth slightly as if she were a child.

George stroked the back of Calliope's head and got to his feet. He offered Calliope his hand. She looked up at him and shook his head. When she spoke her voice was completely even, which neither George or Sirius had expected.

"I'm going to stay here for a while," said Calliope, "you go. I'll be... okay."

Sirius too got to his feet, stretching his cramping muscles out, "we're not going to leave you here."

"Then stay with me," said Calliope, "but I will stay here."

Sirius sighed, "you go home with your family George, I'll stay."

"Are you sure?" George asked.

"Yes, go," Sirius said. George sniffed and glanced at Calliope one more time.

"I'll see you soon Callie," said George.

"Yes," Calliope agreed. George left the hall, walking slowly with his eyes down, promising himself that he would never cross the threshold of the school again without Fred because the place would only ever remind him of the loss now.

Sirus stared down at Calliope for a few more moments. "I'm going to go and get some blankets." He told Calliope, "will you be okay?"

"Yes."

Sirius was gone.

When she was alone again she was able to arrange her thoughts well enough to warrant some actions. Her body moved in mechanical gestures. She pushed herself to her feet and left the great hall. To say she was numb would have been an understatement. Calliope felt the way that one may feel after the pain of losing a limb had passed and a person was left not quite whole. She could feel the phantom tendrils of the bond, but the other half of it was beyond the veil. Unreachable.

Her legs carried her down the long drive and out of the gates, which stood open. It was only once she had begun the walk to Hogsmeade that she realised where she was going and disapparated. The ministry of magic passed by in a similar blur to the grounds of Hogwarts and soon she had reached her goal.

She stood before the veil of death, staring at the rippling air that formed the only way for a human to directly reach death. The veil was not a new sight, but she saw it with new eyes. She saw the reality of death better than she had before Fred had died. She understood exactly where she would go when she crossed through the veil. And she embraced it willingly as she took her final step.

Calliope's eyes opened and there he was. A smile spread across her face as she fell into his surprised arms.

"Callie, what in Merlin's name are you doing here?" Fred demanded.

Calliope didn't answer as sobs wracked through her body and she hugged Fred tighter.

"Hey, don't cry. What happened?"

"You died!" Calliope sobbed, "you died and left me all alone!"

"You came through the veil." Fred's comforting arms froze as he realised what she had done, "you shouldn't be here Callie, you have to go back."

"No, I don't-"

"Go back Calliope," Fred said sternly, in a voice that sounded strangely like Arthur Weasley had when he was chastising his sons. Fred turned her around and began pushing her towards the doorway behind her, through which Calliope could see the death room of the department of mysteries.

"I won't." Calliope pushed him away and whirled back around to look at him.

"Yes you will, you have to live!"

"Not without you. You don't understand Fred, I'm not supposed to live without you. Death has always made more sense than life. You died Fred, a few hours ago and I didn't feel a thing-"

"What?"

"You heard me. I went numb like banshees, I couldn't feel anything. That's not who I want to be. You remember Euan and Io, Io died because Euan died. I can't physically live in a world without you Fred and I won't do it."

Fred was speechless. He moved forwards and pulled Calliope back into a tight embrace, holding her close to him, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. Calliope shuffled around so that she could look into his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Fred pulled her into a kiss. It lasted a long time and conveyed everything that he didn't say. He understood. The kiss tasted like saltwater as the tears flowed freely down Calliope's cheeks.

"I love you Fred."

"I love you too Calliope."

Then Calliope shoved him through the veil.