June 23, 1985
Calandra didn't sleep the entire night. She thought long and hard about what she should write. She scribbled a few things on the parchment trying to figure out a way to get everything she wanted, then crossed them all out. Finally, she settled on what she thought would work.
She wrote a letter to her father and carefully folded the parchment to perforate it. She made sure the edges of the letter were as clean and straight as they could be, then she folded it up and laid it aside.
Dear Father,
I'm writing this letter to you from St. Mungo's, where I've been staying for the past little while due to an unfortunate accident. The healer assures me I am recovering, and I would like to reach out to you. I want to make this letter as clear as possible.
I will do anything you want if you allow them to let me send one letter to a friend. I'll send it to you to revise, I'll take any potion you want, I'll make an Unbreakable Vow, I'll marry Evan Avery, I'll stay here for as long as you want me to. My only request is one letter.
You can keep me in any box you like. I'll follow any rule you give me. All I ask is one letter. Just one.
I patiently wait your reply.
Your Daughter,
Calandra White
Calandra took a deep breath as she thought about the contents of her letter. The beginning proved she could play his charade. She knew he wouldn't let her out. She'd not even asked for it. She knew he wouldn't petition the Wizengamot. That would have been laughable. She knew he wouldn't give her anything that allowed her freedom. But he might give her one letter.
If he did, it would be enough. She could contact Alice and let her know what happened. She'd write it in code if she had to. Alice would figure it out. If he gave her this, she could get him out. She could explain everything to Alice and tell her she loved her and get Sirius out of Azkaban.
She unfurled the scraps of parchment in front of her and pulled them close. She brought the quill to the parchment and drew broad lines across the bits of paper. She started with something easy. Eyes she always got right.
Something came alive in her as she filled in brows and pupils. She bit her lip and flicked lashes onto the page. There, staring up at her was the eyes she used to wake up to every morning. The eyes that held her whole world in them.
She let out a shaky breath and pulled another scrap of paper forward. Tiny fingers to tiny hands that held her heart and squeezed it tight. Chubby little hands that liked to pat her cheeks and reached out for her. She laid her finger against the little hand on the page and could almost feel its softness.
One more scrap of paper lay on the table. Calandra carefully smoothed it out and ran the quill across it. She drew curves and edges and gentle lines. She bit her tongue as she painstakingly held the quill steady enough to draw the details. She leant back and stared at the picture.
She finally got it right.
Alice's smile shone on the page. It filled the room with warmth and washed over Calandra's soul as the most healing balm she'd ever felt. This bit of ink on the page was a far cry from the beautiful color that was her friend's smile, but even in black ink on a yellowed parchment it made all the difference.
She lay on the bed and held the bits of parchment in her hands. With her head against the pillow and the pictures of pieces of the things she loved close to her face, she felt almost peaceful that night. She studied the images closely as the night wore on. Her eyes hardly ever left them. It was only when she heard the doorknob turn the next day, did she lay the drawings aside.
She sat up on the bed and addressed the healer as soon as she walked into the room.
"Thank you very much for the parchment and quill," she said quickly. "I have the letter, right here, for you."
She patted the folded-up piece of parchment. The healer nodded and set potions on the bedside table. Calandra scooped them up at once and took them, lest they spill and ruin her only chance at communicating with the outside world.
The healer pocketed the letter and the quill, then left the room without saying a word. Calandra pulled the bits of parchment from under her pillow and stared at them until she fell asleep.
June 30, 1985
She was back to pacing the room again. Calandra chewed on her nails and walked from wall to wall turning over scenarios in her mind on what her father would say. There had been no reply. She'd asked the healer every single day if her father had written her, but no letter had come for her.
She spent hours studying the bits of parchment she'd hidden. She traced the curves with her fingers and blinked back tears at the piercing gaze in those inky eyes. They grounded her. She felt real again. She felt like she was a person and she might actually be able to get out of here one day.
It all depended on that letter. If it ever came.
July 7, 1985
"Something arrived in the post today for you," the healer said.
Calandra shot out of bed and almost smacked the healer in the face with her forehead.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry. What is it?"
The healer held out a thick envelope.
"It's still sealed." Calandra said in surprise.
"We aren't authorized to check your mail."
Calandra drew the envelope close to her chest and waited for the healer to leave. The old woman looked at her, waiting. Calandra narrowed her eyes and sat up straighter. The healer busied herself with vials of potion and set them on the bedside table. Calandra noticed that the woman took her sweet time today.
Calandra drank the potions and held the vials out to the healer. The old witch sighed and swept out of the room. Calandra waited until the door was firmly closed, then ripped open the black seal on the envelope. A copy of the Prophet fell out.
She shook the envelope, expecting a letter to accompany the newspaper, but nothing else was in the package. Calandra spread the pages of the Prophet open and scanned it. It was just the announcements pages. She read each one carefully, searching for some clue as to why her father sent it to her.
Aurors were looking into an explosion in Brighton. The muggle police had suspects in custody, but the Aurors decided to comb the area and check for rogue Death Eater activity. Anyone with helpful information was urged to come forward.
A couple ministry officials had drafted new clauses on what exactly was considered Muggle Artefacts. One of the members of the Wizengamot retired. There was a job opening in Magical Transportation.
Calandra read on down the paper. Announcements of engagement and weddings filled the page. Local news of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley sales littered the bottom of the print. It was just an everyday newspaper. She flipped the page over and read down the obituaries.
Bellamy Klestus. Died June 31st, 1985 peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends. He leaves behind a host of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who promise to uphold his famous gobstone legacy.
Rebecca Millon. Passed away July 2nd, 1985 in the care of her beloved house elf Zip. She leaves behind her a life-long passion for charmed teacups and bequeaths her estate to her house elf.
Roger Ritter. Died July 1st, 1985 while in the field studying Manticores. He is survived by a host of family and friends who loved him dearly. Family asks if anyone should like to pay their respects, please do so in the form of donations to Roger Ritter's Manticore Charity instead of funeral gifts.
Cecelia Strafford. Died July 6th, 1985 due to complications from childbirth. She is survived by her loving husband, Steven and newborn baby Cecelia. She will be dearly missed.
William Vance. Left this world July 5th, 1985 while resting at a friend's house. Mr. Vance had been ill for quite some time and it was his last wish to view a program on a muggle television set before he passed. He died with a smile on his face while watching commercials for toaster ovens.
Calandra White. Passed away July 7th, 1985 in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries from complications of permanent spell damage.
She went completely numb.
If Alice was looking for her somewhere, she'd stop now. Who bothers looking for a dead person? He'd finally found a box he could keep her locked in forever; a coffin. The only problem was, she wasn't dead.
