November 2, 1980

"Want to do anything special for your birthday?" Calandra asked as she lined up a stack of books on the shelf.

"Mmmm." came Sirius's noncommittal reply.

"I can invite the boys over. Make special dinner. Mix margaritas so you can all can get deliriously drunk together."

"No thanks." Sirius said.

"You want to go out? See a film? Sneak into a concert?"

"Nah."

"You want to go out with James and get into some trouble, then come home and unwrap your presents? There's petrol in your motorcycle."

Sirius looked up.

"Well, I was thinking of a quiet night in with you, being showered with affection, but that offer does sound intriguing. What presents would I be unwrapping after painting the town red?" he gave her a knowing look.

She smirked at him.

"That will just have to be a surprise."

"What are the rules for my night of devilment?" he sauntered over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"No dying." She said.

"That's a given." He replied pecking her on the lips.

"No arse tattoos."

"I wouldn't dream of doing that without you."

"Have fun."

"That's it?" he asked.

"You deserve a bit of fun, don't you think? It's been ages since you and James just got to out and have a boy's night."

She watched his eyes light up. He theatrically dipped her and planted a kiss right onto her smiling lips.


November 3, 1980

The journal on the table glowed a brilliant blue and Calandra hopped up from where she sat on the floor to grab it. She stepped over the pots of paint and cups of half drunk tea and snatched it off the table, flipping it open. She scanned the last page she wrote in and flipped to the next one. Alice's handwriting scribbled across the page.

The ministry needs a duplicate portrait of The Minister from 1790 to hang in an Auror office. I told them I knew of an expert who could get the job finished by the end of the week. It pays twenty galleons. I'll bring the original home with me tonight.

Let me know if you need any potion ingredients from Diagon Alley; I have to go this evening. Also, Frank's making your favorite tonight, it'll be ready by 8. Loverboy is welcome, too!

Love you-Alice.

Calandra smiled and wrote out a reply.

I'll have it finished in two days' time! Thanks so much! I'll bring dessert!

Love you- Callie

XOXOXOX

Twenty galleons. Alice was always looking out for her. Calandra glanced to the bowl on the table where she kept a pile of coins. There were a suspicious number of galleons already there, when she specifically remembered dumping mostly knuts and sickles. Sirius's work, no doubt.

She had a vault at Gringotts with a bit of gold in it, placed there by her mother years ago, but was reluctant to use it. Calandra still did not know how her father kept finding her and every time she pulled money out of that vault, he always managed to show up soon after.

Sirius had told her to forget about the vault. Just let the goblins seal it and never go back. He had enough money for the both of them fifty times over, but Calandra didn't feel right using his gold. At first, when she'd objected, he'd rolled his eyes and told her to stop being ridiculous. But, after he saw how much she hated it, he'd never said another word about it.

He'd done other things, though. Sirius was always the one to buy supplies for potions. He'd come home a couple days a week with a box of dried daisy petals or jars of frog spawn. Calandra always put in the grocery order at the local market, but Sirius usually picked it up and deposited an unusually large amount of coins in the bowl on the table that should've been just change out of the money she'd given him to use.

He'd watch her as she worked out a budget for herself for weeks at a time and claim that he also needed some of the items on her list, then offer to pick them up the next time he was out.

It might have been harder for him to get away with it if Calandra wasn't stuck inside so much. About every fourth time she dared venture outside their flat, or a select few other houses, her father always managed to contact her. A note here, a picture of her there, sometimes sending people after her. He always managed to find her.

Calandra hated it. She read through every book she could find on tracing magic. She cast every concealment spell she could on herself when she went out. Nothing worked, though. He always found her, and try as she might, she couldn't make herself stay inside all the time.


November 5, 1980

Calandra woke to the sound of music and the smells of coffee and bacon. She stretched and rolled out of bed, wrapping a robe around her as she went. She padded through the living room into the kitchen and bit her lip to keep from laughing.

Sirius stood in front of the stove, a spatula in hand singing along to The Police. He'd tied his hair back with the sash to her dressing gown and wore a flowered apron. She leaned against the wall and watched him flip the bacon and pull two pieces of toast from the oven.

He grabbed a pan and carefully turned the knob on the stove, making sure that the gas flame appeared. She smiled. He still worried when it came to muggle ways of cooking. Always thinking he'd burn the house down. He put butter in the pan and grabbed a blue bowl from the counter. She watched him pour eggs into the pan and stir them around. He jumped when grease from the bacon popped out of the pan.

"Bloody." she heard him mutter and chuckled. He wheeled around and shot her a smile.

"Happy Birthday. Enjoying the view?" He asked.

"Immensely." she replied, walking toward him. "Need help?"

"Nope." he said popping the p. "I've got it all covered. You're supposed to still be in bed. How am I supposed to treat you to breakfast in bed, when you don't hold up your end of the bargain?"

"You can do it some other time." she said wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Hmpf." he grumbled. "A bloke wakes up an hour early, makes breakfast, and she doesn't even appreciate it."

"Who says I don't appreciate it?" she smirked at him. "Your bacon is going to burn."

He jumped back and moved the pan off the heat. "Merlin, woman, stop distracting me. I've got a job to do."

She rolled her eyes at his wink and moved to pour herself a cup of coffee. Sirius made plates with the breakfast food and sat them down on the table. She just realized he'd set it with champagne glasses and had fresh flowers in the vase there.

"This is all very sweet." She said with a smile. "Thank you."

"Well," he said holding out her chair. "I am quite the romantic."

"When you want to be." She laughed as she sat down.

"And what, pray tell, is that supposed to mean?" he said sitting down.

"I'm just thinking back to my birthdays before." She said taking a bite of toast.

"Matching tattoos aren't romantic to you?" he questioned pouring champagne in their glasses.

"Not all that much." she admitted. "They were fun, and I love them. However, it's not really moonlit strolls and roses is it? But I don't need all that."

He raised a haughty brow.

"Three rebuttals. One," he held up a finger. "We did take a moonlit stroll to that little shop."

"Two," another finger. "There were roses all over that man's arm. It's beside the point that there was also a mermaid, a skull, and what appeared to be two pigeons fighting each other."

"And three," the final finger. "I put something of your choosing on my glorious body, marking it forever."

He handed her a glass of champagne. "I think that is pretty romantic."

She scooted her chair over to him and ran a finger on the tattoo that peaked out from behind the apron.

"You know," she said thoughtfully. "You're right. They are dreadfully romantic, aren't they?"

He smiled smugly and forked eggs and bacon into his mouth.

"What say we go get another in a few days?" she asked sipping her drink.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked laughing.

"You can decide this year." She said, then narrowed her eyes at him. "Within reason."

"I'll have to think on it then. Since I don't think I can convince you to tattoo 'Sirius Black is a sex god' on your arse." He laughed when she rolled her eyes at him.

She propped her feet up in his lap and crunched a piece of bacon happily.

"Finish up!" He said downing his champagne. "You've got presents!"

She swallowed her bite and smiled. "Presents? As in more than one?"

He raised his eyebrows at her and snagged her last piece of bacon. "Blacks don't do anything by halves, love. Besides, they aren't all from me."

He picked up their plates and set them in the sink. "Fawcett's owl came while you were still asleep."

"You know she's a Longbottom now." Calandra pointed out, standing and stretching. "Has been for well over a year."

"Yes, the poor thing." Sirius said with mock severity. "To be stuck with a name like that."

He pulled off the apron and flung it on the counter. "Consider yourself lucky that you'll never be saddled with a name so ghastly."

"If that's your proposal, Black, I'm a bit disappointed." Calandra said heading to the table in the living room where the small pile of presents was stacked. "Here I thought you were quite the romantic."

Sirius climbed over the back of the couch and sat himself on it. "Trust me, White, you'll know when I'm proposing. It will blow your mind."

"I'm sure it will. Be a pity when I say no won't it?" she smirked at him.

He batted his hand at her.

"You won't be able to resist my charm." He said smugly.

"When could I ever?" she laughed and sat with him. "So, tell me, what is from who?"

He waved his wand toward the gifts and a large red wrapped package floated over to her.

"That's from Moony. It came with Fawcett's owl."

"Hmm." Calandra said. "Why didn't he just send it here? Was it too big for his owl to carry?"

Sirius shrugged and didn't say anything.

Calandra tore the paper off to find a box full of her favorite things from Zonko's and Honeydukes. She laughed and opened a pack of Pepper Imps. Sirius propped his feet up on her legs and floated another parcel over to her. A small cardboard box tied up with golden ribbons lay in her lap. Calandra slipped the ribbons off and opened the box. A small piece of parchment lay rolled up inside. She pulled it out and noticed a small square notecard under it.

She picked up the notecard and smiled. Sirius leant up to read over her shoulder.

"Hope you enjoy this part of your gift. Owl me to set up a date for the other half." He looked over at her. "Your yearly tradition of dinner and some weird muggle activity?"

Calandra nodded. She and Alice had been having birthday celebrations of dinner and roller skating since they'd come of age. She unrolled the parchment in her hand and read the small text written on it. Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized what it was. She looked around the flat and nodded. She looked over at Sirius watching her and held up the parchment.

"It's a containing spell." She said. "A completely soundproofing one. I can use it on the flat."

Sirius smiled at her. "You can sing. Without silencing yourself."

She nodded. She'd never be able to top that. Alice had given her another priceless gift. She looked up as another gift floated over to her. She carefully set the parchment aside and opened up the blue box on her lap.

Inside lay leather pants, a pair of boots, and a small bottle of green liquid. She lifted out the card that lay in the box and opened it up. Inside were a small stack of pictures. She flipped through them. There were some of her and Sirius dancing, one of them toasting champagne, two of them laughing together, and one of Sirius gazing across the table at her. All of them were from the Potter's wedding.

Calandra read the card from Lily and set it aside. She lifted out the other items and found a small white piece of paper sticking out of one of the boots. She unfolded it and read the familiar scribble.

"Happy Birthday, Cals!

Have fun with your gifts both inside the bedroom and on the bike. I know, I know; the trousers and the boots could be considered more of a gift to Pads (we know his fixation with leather) but you both can have fun with them! The potion is all for you, though! Dose a little in his drink and enjoy.

Love,

Your Favorite Potter

P.S. Please take pictures.

P.P.S. Please incinerate this note before Sirius can read it."

Calandra smiled and stole a glance at Sirius. She danced her fingers across the page and turned the last line and his extra notes invisible. Sirius laughed when he read the note and conjured up frames for the pictures. He sent them flying toward the mantel and sat up.

"These two," he said pulling forward a very small packet and a larger box. "Are from me."

He handed her the small packet first and she opened it to find a tiny orb of glass. She held it in her palm and peered at it. The inside was inky blue, almost black and a bright spark of light flickered in the center of the orb. She looked up at him, curious.

"It's the brightest star in Canis Major. A replica of it, that it." He said a bit nervously.

He'd given her a star. His star.

"You can make it into jewelry, or keep it like that, or…well, really whatever you like-" She cut off his rambling with a kiss.

"It's absolutely wonderful. I love it." He smiled at her then nodded towards the other bundle.

"Go on, you've got another."

She drew the box into her lap and tore off the paper. She lifted the flaps of the box and stared. Anima Nell'arte rested in the box. She reached in and pulled the old volume out. She flipped it open and stared down at the inside cover. Handwriting filled the left corner and she caught the name at the end of the paragraph. Lorenzo Romano. The magical painter from Italy she'd studied when they'd visited. She blinked and felt tears in her eyes. She heard Sirius cough beside her.

"I know you've wanted to paint your mother," he said hesitantly. "But the paintings we know how to animate aren't quite what you want. So, I tracked down this. I know you loved the other book you have of his and thought maybe this would help."

She set the book and the small orb down carefully on the table and turned to him. He leant a bit away from her, giving her space. His grey eyes searching her face to see if he'd overstepped. As if that were possible. She flung her arms around him, kissing his face.

"That's the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me." She said between kisses on his cheekbones. He laughed and rubbed her back. "I love it! Thank you!"

"I'm glad," he said when she leant back. "You want some tea? So, you can dig into your book?"

"You know," she said. "As much as I love these gifts, I think there's something else I want for my birthday."

She winked at him.

"Oh," he said raising his eyebrow. "Do tell."


November 6, 1980

The motorbike flew down the winding lane, a silver and black streak against the green hillside. Calandra's hair flew out behind her in wild curls.

"We really should be wearing helmets, you know." Calandra said as they came to a stop sign.

Sirius harumphed. They shot forward again and Calandra grabbed ahold of his jacket. The world passed by in a blur of grays and green and she got lost in it. She let the colors wash over her and breathed in the fresh air.

"Hold on." Sirius turned his head to her. "We're going up."

She reached around and locked her arms around his middle as they flew up into the sky. This was the best part of riding with him on the bike. The road below them shrank to a thin line as they floated among the clouds. Calandra shifted and hooked a foot in front of Sirius's. She poked her head under his arm, and he lifted it, letting her swing around until she was in front of him, and they sat face to face.

"Fancy meeting you here." Sirius said, kissing her nose. "Do you come here often?"

"Here above the clouds?" Calandra asked, looking around. "Not as much as I used to, no."

"We should do this more, then." Sirius said. "Date nights can be snogging, dinner, more snogging, a ride on the bike, even more snogging, then a ride on me."

Calandra laughed.

"Only if you let me drive the bike." She said with a grin.

Sirius narrowed his eyes at her. He screwed up his face, then smiled.

"Deal!" he said kissing her forehead.

"Really?" Calandra said in surprise. "You'll let me drive it again?"

"Of course. You think I'd pass up a chance to cop a feel." He winked at her.

"No! None of that. That's what got us into the mess we were in last time!" she insisted.

"Relax," he said with a laugh. "I put a few extra charms on the old gal. And I promise, I'll be quite tame, I learned my lesson."

Calandra scoffed.

"I doubt you've learned any lesson at all." She muttered.

"I'll thank you to remember I sat just as many N.E.W.T.'s as you did." Sirius said haughtily.

"Yeah," she said swinging back under his arm to sit behind him as they descended. "And how many O's did you get?"

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" he asked chuckling.

"Me getting a better mark than you in Astronomy. Absolutely not! You'll have to live with me gloating over that fact for the rest of your life."

"You know, the only reason you got an O and I didn't is because you actually tried, right?" Sirius asked as the wheels touched back down on the pavement.

"Whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night, Black." Calandra said.

Sirius gunned the motorbike up on one wheel. Calandra laughed and wrapped her arms around him to keep from sliding back. She pressed her cheek against his back as he switched gears and sped down the lane. The familiar scent of leather, cigarettes, and caramel filled her head. She breathed it in and loved the feeling it always gave her. The feeling that she'd come home.