January 21, 1999
The evening was absolutely beautiful. Calandra looked out at the small crowd of people that gathered in the orchard of Uncle Alphard's country estate. They'd thought about using a few other places, but this one seemed to be the most appropriate. It was neutral territory and absolutely perfect. Besides, both she and Sirius had a soft spot for the mad old man.
Neville had come out to help them the previous week. The house was already taken care of, so he'd helped them clear out the gardens and the orchard. The three of them made quick work of it; she, Sirius, and Neville. Calandra and Neville traded stories, with Sirius chiming in on both parts. Calandra told Neville of her school days with his mother and Sirius recounted the scrapes he and Frank got into with the Order. Neville told them stories from his childhood and of everything Harry got up to at Hogwarts, with Sirius adding his side into some of the stories. As the daylight faded, the conversation centered mostly around Frank and Alice and how they were faring.
Her friends were doing well. They still didn't talk, but Neville said they made eye contact a lot more than before. Calandra visited them multiple times every week. She brought lots of items from their past and spoke of things she knew they were once familiar with, and it seemed that they were slowly starting to recognize some things. Alice actually laughed out loud once, when Neville told her a joke that Calandra told him had always been his mother's favorite.
She'd approached Neville last month about moving his parents into a private ward with specialized healers she'd met with and approved of. She handed him the keys to her father's vault and told him to use up every single galleon. He'd protested at first, but Calandra assured him she'd never need the money. Later that very same week a large eagle owl deposited a sack of galleons in her lap. Calandra suspected it was Harry's doing, but he never let on. She'd used some of the gold to buy supplies and painted a portrait of Neville and his parents. She'd taught Neville the spells that activated her paintings and he'd moved most of them to his parents' new room at St. Mungo's. The one of Alice reading a story resided in his own home.
They settled into easy conversation as Calandra showed him the little twinkling stars Sirius had flung up into the trees. They danced in little their little glass balls and bathed the orchard in tiny, shimmering lights. Neville had smiled and told her he'd like to add something, too. He acciod the bag he brought with him and pulled tiny plants out of it. They were Flutterby Bushes. He planted them for her on either side of the path that led to the orchard and gave her a modified aguamenti charm that would make them grow quicker.
The effect was wondrous. The bushes swayed and glittered in the breeze, barely waist high now. The flowers that covered the ground of the orchard sent up sweet perfume, music played softly, and the stars above them twinkled brightly, suspended in the trees. But most wonderful of all, were their guests.
The entire Weasley family had made it out for the special occasion. Sirius had personally invited them all. Actually, he'd invited almost all of the guests, most of which were admittedly Weasleys. There were so few people left in her life, she could count them on one hand. She watched as a sea of ginger hair rippled throughout the rest of the guests. George Weasley reminded her so much of James when he was young. She smiled when she saw him charm his brother's hat to change colors.
Harry's friend Ron chatted with Hagrid and Neville, who stood close beside his parents. Alice and Frank didn't speak to anyone. They just sat in the comfortable chairs Calandra had placed for them right in front of the wildflowers that popped up from the orchard floor.
Sirius stood laughing with Charlie Weasley. Calandra had met him for the first time earlier that day and immediately liked the young man. He had an easy-going personality and absolutely lit up when he told them about his work. Dragon taming. Calandra shook her head at the thought. No wonder Sirius got on so well with him.
Harry stood with Andromeda Tonks off to one side conversing with the oldest Weasley and his beautiful wife. Sirius had wanted his favorite cousin here and Calandra had readily agreed. She'd brought along little Teddy and the young boy was busy climbing all over Harry. Calandra smiled at the little one. His hair had been changing all night, from vibrant blue to green to red to white blonde to black. Andromeda said he was his mother made over, but Calandra knew that when he fell asleep his face would look almost exactly like Remus's.
Another figure stood with the group, close to her sister. Calandra had insisted on inviting the Malfoys. She told Sirius in no uncertain terms that she'd have never gotten him back if it hadn't been for them. He'd been so torn. She could see it plainly on his face. In the end, his affection for her won out over his disdain for his family. He'd even reached out to both of his cousins to arrange a meeting before the evening.
"Are you mad?" he asked incredulously.
"No." Calandra grit her teeth. The accusation still stung, even though she was no longer trapped inside that grey box.
"They hosted Voldemort right in their home." Sirius exclaimed.
"Lucius Malfoy hosted Voldemort in their home." Calandra corrected. "You heard what Harry said. Both of them defied him."
"Only when they knew he couldn't win." Sirius spat.
Calandra ran a hand down his arm.
"You know that isn't true." She said softly.
"What about Harry and Neville?" Sirius asked. "How do you think they'll feel about it?"
"I've already spoken with both of them." Calandra said easily. "I'm sure they won't be overly friendly, but they assured me they were fine with it."
"Why, Cal?" he asked. "You know how I feel about them."
"I know." She nodded. "And I think it's time to fix that."
Sirius let out a harsh sigh and ran his hand through his hair.
"They won't change." He said. "She's always been just like the rest of them."
"You thought that about Regulus, too." Calandra said gently. "I told you what he did that night. He could've found you. He didn't on purpose."
Sirius drew a deep breath and Calandra forged ahead.
"And that doesn't even touch on what Harry told us. About everything Regulus sacrificed."
Sirius swallowed thickly.
"He was just a kid Sirius. Probably the same age as Regulus was when he got branded. Let the kid heal."
Sirius pursed his lips.
"How would you want people to treat him if he was Regulus?" she asked softly. "Blame him for everything his family was? Or let him prove he can do better?"
Sirius ran his hands through his hair and nodded. He looked down at her with soft eyes.
"You've gone soft on me, Cal." He said against her hair.
Sirius didn't let that stop him from threatening colorful curses, though. He only agreed on their invitation to the events of the evening on the condition that he could hex them to oblivion if they misbehaved, and made sure all the guests knew of that fact. Calandra really didn't care if Narcissa attended or not. She was glad Andromeda had the chance to see her sister, but really only wanted to give the young Malfoy boy the opportunity to heal and move forward. She was glad he came.
He stood close to the group where his mother was. Roped into conversation with Professor McGonagall, Arthur Weasley, a young blonde girl named Luna, and Harry's friend Hermione. Harry had actually asked if they minded Luna coming after Calandra told them she'd be inviting the Malfoys. He said Luna could talk to anybody and he was right.
Sirius practically demanded that McGonagall be in attendance, not that Calandra had objections to it. He'd coordinated with Harry and Hermione to inform her of the news of his resumed life on earth and invited her to dinner. She'd burst into tears as soon as she walked into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place and saw Calandra and Sirius holding hands. She'd hugged them both within an inch of their lives and laughed until she cried again at Sirius's antics.
"Now Minnie, I know I asked you to marry me seventh year." Sirius said. "But I don't want there to be any bad blood between you and Cal here, so I'm officially letting you off the hook."
McGonagall set her lips in a thin line, quaking with silent laughter.
"If you'll recall, Mr. Black," she said. "You missed an engagement window with me narrowly due to the proposal of a young James Potter just minutes before."
Sirius smiled and she went on.
"I'll tell you now, what I told the both of you at the time."
She smiled and reached for his hand.
"You're a bit young for me, so I'll have to decline. But I'll forgo a detention if I receive an invitation to your nuptials one day."
"Consider this a personal invitation, Minnie." Sirius said.
Calandra felt an arm wrap around her and looked up into a pair of beautiful grey eyes.
"You look lovely." He said into her ear.
She turned to him and brushed his hair back from his face.
"Funny that," she smiled. "I was thinking the same thing about you."
He pulled her into his arms, and she leaned into his chest, marveling at the feeling of his arms around her. Calandra knew that she'd never take his embraces for granted, not after everything they'd been through.
"Sirius?" she said.
"Mmmm."
"I think, tonight, I'm going to dance the night away, get a bit drunk with my best friend, go home with the most handsome wizard here, and charm the trousers right off him."
Sirius smiled down at her, then looked around.
"Hmmm. I'm not as young as I once was, love. I might have a bit of competition from a few of these blokes."
"They can't hold a candle to you." she leaned up and kissed him.
The ceremony was simple. Calandra charmed the instruments to play soft music and everyone took their seats. Ginny Weasley placed Alice's chair off to the side of the aisle, at the front of the assembly and Luna lead Frank to the soft chair reserved for him. Darkness was approaching, but the ceremony glowed with warmth. McGonagall positioned herself at the front of all the guests, and Sirius stood in front of her with Harry by his side.
Each guest held a small orb of glowing light, except Frank and Alice. Their orbs floated next to their chairs. Upon closer inspection, names of family and friends who had died shone brightly on the orbs, as if carved into the light itself. Most of the attendees chose their own orbs, carrying those they loved with them back to their seats.
Sirius held James's gently in his hand then, with a smile, flipped it like a coin to have it rest on his shoulder. Next to him Harry held Lily's. Molly and Arthur held Gideon's and Fabian's, respectively. Neville placed Regulus Black's beside his mother's chair and Dorcas Meadows's beside his father. He held Alastair Moody's himself. George spun Fred Weasley's round and round in his hand, never taking his eyes off it.
Teddy Lupin let his orb hover in his hand, bouncing it up and down and laughing as it twirled around his head and came rest on his palm. His father's name shone brightly out at him, Remus Lupin. Andromeda held her daughter's orb in her lap, gazing down at the name written in light. She handed the orb with the name Ted Tonks to her sister. Narcissa Malfoy did not hesitate when she accepted and cradled the orb in both hands.
Calandra saw one of the guests hesitate to get up and pick an orb or summon one. She took the orb that rested just above her bouquet and, with a wave of her hand, sent it floating over to the boy. He looked surprised as the ball of light hovered above his lap. Tentatively, he reached out and placed his hands around the orb. She watched him read the name, Thalia White, and look back at her. She smiled and nodded.
The music swelled and a curtain of ivy toward the back of the chairs fanned open. Guests turned in their seats. Little Teddy scampered up the aisle holding a charmed bouquet of daisies that sent petals cascading in his wake. Neville stepped in the aisle, his mother on his arm looking younger than he'd ever seen her in light cotton robes of sky blue. Her eyes never left her son's face as she walked slowly alongside him. He led Alice to her chair and sat in the front row near her.
Calandra stepped out from behind the ivy and her world narrowed to one thing.
Sirius.
Those grey eyes.
She met his gaze as she stepped forward. All the years, all the pain, all the loneliness, all the heartache, all the loss. It just faded away. She was thirteen again, facing him in a duel. She was fifteen again, meeting his eyes over a cauldron. She was eighteen again, running towards him in the snow. She was twenty again, kissing him in the kitchen.
She stood in front of him and softly placed her bouquet in Alice's lap. She turned and reached for Sirius's hands; a smile stretched across her face. He held onto her for dear life. McGonagall spoke, and the words warmed Calandra's heart, but she couldn't hear them. She was focused only on the man in front of her.
Sirius nodded at McGonagall and cleared his throat.
"I have loved you since you transfigured Alice's inkpot into an octopus and McGonagall blamed James and I for the mess it made, back in fourth year. I didn't realize it back then but looking back it's so obvious."
McGonagall smiled and the rest of the crowd chuckled.
"I spent my entire detention thinking about all the pranks I wanted to pull with you, not on you. I came up with a lifetime's worth that night. And when I finally figured out what that meant, I made it my mission to convince you to partner up with me."
Her face hurt from smiling so much.
"I've waited all my life." Tears sprang to his eyes as he spoke. "And half of yours to be able to do this."
"You breathed life into me, and I promise you; I'll spend every single day pouring every ounce of love I have back into you. I love you."
Sniffles went through the crowd. McGonagall said Calandra's name.
She swallowed.
"I grew up never wanting to get married. Never wanting to love someone, out of fear for what they would do to me. I had my entire life planned out completely avoiding love. Then you came along. You were impossible to avoid."
Sirius laughed along with the crowd.
"And impossible not love." Calandra added.
"I've spent the last seventeen years dreaming of you; of a life with you. Wishing and praying and hoping. After today, I don't have to dream anymore. I'll be living it."
A tear leaked out of her eye and she swallowed.
"I'd do it all over again. Even if I knew I'd only get one day to spend with you, I'd choose you. I love you. More than life itself. I love you."
He nodded.
She didn't hear McGonagall's words, didn't even know if she said any. She didn't see the crowd wiping away tears, didn't see the orbs float up to hover in the night air like stars. She didn't even hear the music. All she knew was the love in Sirius's eyes and the feel of his lips on hers. The night was full of light and the stars sang above them. She was home.
