October 2, 1998
She pressed her hands against the door; the only interruption in those grey stone walls. She willed it to open, but as always, it remained firmly shut. Calandra breathed a deep sigh and moved past it.
She walked the length of the room, then turned and walked it again. Over and over. She walked the same steps that she walked thousands of times before, thinking of what came next in those memories.
She was coming up on the time that changed their lives forever. The time that entangled them all together and twisted their fates until they were all interwoven. She swallowed and tried to look at the brighter side of it.
The bravery. The strength.
But she couldn't ignore the darker side.
The worry. The fear.
They came hand in hand.
May 17, 1978
"Where have you been?" Calandra asked, putting her book back on the shelf. The library was pretty quiet. She'd been using this time to try to revise for her Astronomy NEWT.
"Dumbledore's office." Sirius said, shucking off his robe and loosening his tie. He sat on the edge of the table and propped his feet up on a chair.
"What did you do this time?" she asked turning back to the shelf full of planetary maps.
"Nothing. We went on our own." Sirius said. "You're looking at the newest member of the Order of the Phoenix."
"What?" Calandra wheeled around and stared at him.
Sirius smiled. "Yep. James and I just signed up."
"You're not even out of school!" Calandra said.
"So?" Sirius crossed his arms. "You know that the other side's recruiting students left and right."
"I know…" Calandra broke off. "Everything is just so dangerous. People are going missing."
"I know." He said. "And you know who they're targeting."
She nodded.
"Muggleborns, half breeds, and blood traitors." He listed. "Pretty much everyone I care about."
He slid off the table and stood in front of her. He lifted her chin until she was looking him in the eye.
"You'll never be safe as long as someone like him is out there. Do you really think I could stand by and not try to fight him?"
"What did Dumbledore say? When you approached him?" she asked.
He moved his hand to rest on the shelf at her shoulder. His shoulders grew a bit tense and he ran a hand through his hair.
"He wasn't really jumping for joy, but he welcomed us in. He kept reminding us how serious the endeavor was and how young we were. He seemed surprised Moony wasn't with us."
"Really?" Calandra asked. "Why?"
"Don't know." Sirius said. "Seemed pretty keen on seeing him, though. We got our first assignment."
"Already?" her voice rose.
"I've already been helping the Prewett's; have been for almost two years, ever since they left school. This one is just more official." He shrugged.
She turned and held both of his shoulders.
"Look at me." She demanded. "You have to be careful. No, don't try to interrupt me. You have to be careful. I know you. You can turn the most serious of conversations into a joke. Don't think for a second that I don't know you'll have the time of your life with James on this mission. Just promise me you'll be careful."
He nodded and she dropped his shoulders.
"If something doesn't change, there's going to be a point where it won't be a laugh anymore." She said.
"I'm not doing it for a laugh." He protested.
"I know." She held up a hand. "I know. But, like I said, I know you. Don't get caught up in the thrill of it. You're an amazing wizard, Sirius. You're smart and brave and creative and intuitive. But you've got an eye for making a laugh out of things. Don't let them blindside you because of it."
He crossed his arms and looked at her coldly.
"Seeing the brighter side of things isn't a weakness." He said.
"I know that." She said carefully.
"How else am I supposed to live my life? Tell me, Cal. After all the absolute shite I've seen, I have to have a laugh. If I didn't, I'd go mad!" he ran his hands through his hair.
"I know that!" She repeated.
"Then why are you trying to keep me from having a laugh with my best mate while we try to help the wizarding world?"
"Because I don't want you to end up dead!" she said through clenched teeth, eyes darting between his. "You can go have as much fun as you want with James. You can save the world and poke fun at all the Death Eaters you want while you do it. Turn their hair blue while you stun them or whatever. But I don't want that to be the reason you end up dead! You don't get to die on me like that, Sirius! I want you to be there when the world is a better place. When it's all over. That's where I want you smiling and laughing. Not falling over from a killing curse while you take a jab at You-Know-Who."
He took a deep breath and pulled her to him. She felt him drop a kiss to the top of her head as the tension left his shoulders.
"I know." He said. "I know. I promise. I'll be careful. You're not getting rid of me any time soon, White."
"Good." She said firmly. "Now, where's this mission? Can I help?"
"London. In a few weeks." He said grinning. "As a matter of fact, you can. I'll need your help with a few levitation charms."
She cocked an eyebrow at him.
"We're taking my bike." His face broke out in a smile.
June 29, 1978
"Think of it, Alice." Calandra said, packing up her things. "After this we won't come back."
"I know." Alice said. "It doesn't seem real does it?"
"No. I feel like I just got here." Calandra said.
"Mum's making us a celebratory supper." Alice said. "Then we're helping you move into the flat over the weekend."
"You don't have to." Calandra said.
"Of course we do. That's what family is for." Alice said and took the pictures off the wall behind her bed.
She looked at them for a few moments and Calandra peered over her shoulder at them. Her own face shown out of almost all of them, laughing and grinning and occasionally pulling faces at Alice.
"I'm going to miss you, Callie." Alice said suddenly.
"I'm not going away, Alice. I'll be close by. And you can floo over anytime. You're already worked into the wards."
"It won't be the same, though." Alice said.
"No." Calandra agreed. "But it will still be good. We're heading to France together in a few days. I'll come visit when we get back. We'll have girl's night every week. And anytime you need anything you let me know. We made those journals for a reason."
"We should've made them ages ago." Alice said. "Instead of tiring out our owls so much."
Calandra laughed and pulled Alice in for a hug.
"Want to stay up late gossiping about everything and nothing, then sleep in the same bed tonight?" she asked.
"Just like old times?" Alice cocked an eyebrow.
"Just like old times." Calandra nodded.
July 2, 1978
"Well, what do you think?" Sirius spread his arms wide.
Calandra looked around and the boxes and bags that surrounded them. She smiled at his excited face.
"I can't believe James didn't give me a hard time about it." she said. "I figured he'd want you two to set up some bachelor pad."
"Prongs has his own place now, too." Sirius said. "He was all fired up to stay here until he realized that having his own place meant he could have Red over anytime he wanted without me taking the piss at him."
Calandra raised her eyebrows and looked back at the flat.
"Besides," Sirius said. "We're not really bachelors and you've been half living here for two years."
"Yeah," she smiled. "Wonder what it's going to feel like 'whole living' here now?"
"Good," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "It's going to feel good."
