The night before they were due for the train, Calliope stood at the shore of the lake behind her house. She removed her necklace and kissed the pendant.

"I love you, Mama," she whispered.

Calliope chucked the necklace into the water.


Unbeknownst to her, Bellatrix watched the entire thing from the back patio. She frowned and disappeared inside before Calliope turned around. The next morning, Bellatrix sat at the edge of the lake with her legs pulled to her chest. Moments later, Travers broke the surface with a happy grin. He cancelled the spell around his face and held up a gold chain proudly. Bellatrix relaxed and gave him a thumbs-up. Travers made his way out of the water and passed her the necklace before he sat down. Bellatrix flicked her wrist, removing the muck from around it, and shook her head. She knew her girlfriend would want it back sooner rather than later, so she planned to keep it close until Calliope needed it. Travers pushed back his wet hair and nudged her shoulder.

"Next time, tell your wife to throw it somewhere less murky, yeah?"

She smiled wryly and said, "I'll be sure to pass along the message. And she isn't my wife."

"Not yet." Travers inhaled deeply and looked around. "So. This is what freedom tastes like?"

"If you think this is freedom, just wait until the war is over."

Travers laughed. "Bells, we were locked in tiny little boxes with soul sucking demons for company for nearly fifteen years. This, my friend, is freedom. Or at least the first step."

"I'll give you that," she said. "But the moment this war is over, I'm taking my girlfriend away from here. Maybe to an island somewhere."

"Before or after you're married?"

"Obviously after. Cissy would never forgive me if I left before giving her the chance to pull off the biggest wedding of the century."

"Must be a Black thing," Travers joked.

"Oh but it is."

"You think I can be your best man?" he asked.

"Of course not. Because then I would have to deal with Lucius, Remus, Severus, Rookwood, Mulciber, and the rest of the merry men."

"But how many of them are your ex-boyfriend?"

"What on Earth are you talking about?"

"Remember, Trav and Bells forever? We carved it into a tree."

"We were twelve," she deadpanned.

"That counts for something."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and looked out onto the lake. "If anything, my sisters will be standing with me that day," she said.

"Fair enough. Long as you don't pick any of the guys, I'm okay with that."

"Long as it's alright with you then," she said sarcastically.

Travers winked and leaned back on his hands. He tilted his face toward the sun and exhaled deeply. "I'm not sure I told you this yet, but happy looks good on you, Bells."

"I know."

The two sat side by side until the sun was high in the sky. Rookwood and Mulciber joined them later. Bellatrix felt something settle in her chest. The four of them had grown close in Azkaban. They shouted at one another now and then to remind them what they were fighting for, to force one another to stay strong, and it became the sanest thing the group ever did together. Travers especially, when Bellatrix was too weak to whisper her own name, made sure the morale remained high. Bellatrix shifted and laid her head on Travers's shoulder. He kissed the top of her head.

"If this is my deathbed," Travers said.

"I will not go down without a fight," the three of them responded.

"And if this is my final breath?"

"I will not go quietly."

Travers howled at the sky, and Bellatrix, even as stupid as it was, howled with him. The four of them screamed and shouted until they collapsed in laughter. The ache in her heart with Calliope's absence numbed a little, and she clasped the necklace in her hand a little tighter.


Calliope sat with her legs tucked beneath her near the window as the train rumbled through the countryside. Luna sat at the other end of the bench while Neville stretched out over the two of them with his head in Calliope's lap and his feet in Luna's. Neville had his ankles crossed, and Luna used his legs as a prop for her book. On the other side, Harry fiddled with his glasses while Ginny slept on his shoulder. Ron had his arms crossed as he glared at Neville. Neville twisted so that his head was tucked into her stomach, and she glanced down at him.

"Pervert," she teased in a whisper.

"I don't have a death wish," he grumbled.

Calliope snorted and removed the band around her hair. She'd gotten it straightened enough where it was manageable, and she fluffed it out before she ran her fingers through Neville's hair. Their relationship took an interesting turn after the insanity that was the games. Bellatrix noticed but said nothing. Draco, at first, was a little jealous, but was quickly reminded that no matter how close she got to Neville, he would always be her blood brother. Draco, Neville, and Blaise formed a small little trio of their own while Tonks took a shining to Daphne, which meant she would have to play nice with Astoria as well. The twins made their alliance with Luna, and Calliope was the sun that they all gravitated around occasionally.

Sighing, Calliope closed her eyes and ducked off into her mindscape. She rebuilt the walls around her memories, her thoughts, and focused on sealing the cracks. She was going back into the lion's den, no pun intended, and she didn't want to trust that they wouldn't push harder. Once she was satisfied, she admired her work. It would do for the moment. Morning before she left, Calliope and Bellatrix laid on the bed together as the sun rose, eager to spend as much time together as possible. Calliope had confessed she grew tired of waiting and had plans on breaking away from Harry and Ron. Bellatrix warned her that her isolation would get the attention of Dumbledore and the others. And it wouldn't help if she grew closer to Neville and Luna, so Calliope warned the others that they needed to strengthen their minds.

There would be no eye contact with anyone who wasn't Severus. No being alone with the Headmaster if possible, and they would avoid eating together. They were friends in private, but Draco, Blaise and Daphne had their parts to play in public. A sharp pain to her hip had Calliope exiting her mindscape, and she opened her eyes, looking down at Neville.

"You okay?" he whispered.

"Sorry. Got a little lost in my head."

"Must be pretty crowded up there," he joked. "I've been calling your name for the last five minutes to see if you wanted to go for a walk? I need to stretch my legs."

Calliope didn't believe him for one minute. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "You're going to look for the snack cart, aren't you?"

Neville smiled sheepishly just as his stomach growled. She nodded, and Neville jumped up. He stretched and apologized when he realized he'd knocked over Luna's book. She waved him off and tucked her book into her trunk. Only Calliope saw the small spell she placed on the lock to keep people out of it.

"While you all go foraging for snacks, I think I might pay a visit to Colin," she said.

"Snacks? I'm coming too," Ron said quickly.

"Oh, I could go for a snack too," Ginny said.

"Guess we're all going on a snack run," Harry said, patting his legs as he stood.

"Who's going to watch our stuff?" Neville asked. "We can't all leave."

"How about you guys tell Colin to come to the compartment and I'll stay?" Luna said, already sitting back down.

Calliope sighed, knowing Luna was probably going to see Draco, but she pushed the thought aside and agreed half-heartedly to the unwanted company. Neville held out his elbow, and Calliope slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. He led her out into the hall with Ron, Harry, and Ginny on their heels. Calliope peeked into a few cabins before she found Colin.

"Hey, Luna wants to talk to you about something. She's about four cabins down. She knows you're coming," Calliope said.

Colin was out of the room before she finished speaking. She said her hello to Dean and Seamus, but barely spared a glance to the Patil twins and Lavender. Padma was one of the people who teased Luna, and the witch was high on her list of people to 'accidentally' kill during the upcoming battle. Neville gently led her away from the compartment, and he bent down to whisper in her ear.

"You were starting to growl," he teased.

"I was not," she huffed.

Neville grinned and continued their walk. Behind them, she could feel Ron's eyes boring into the back of her head. She turned around, met his gaze, and raised an eyebrow expectantly. He turned red and looked away. Calliope really couldn't understand him. She knew he liked her, but until he actively grew up and realize she wasn't interested, she would continue to treat him like the child he was behaving as. The group saw the cart at the end of the hall, but unfortunately, Draco and Blaise blocked their path. Draco saw them first, and his face twisted into a scowl. Blaise kept his face neutral.

"Oh, look, it's Harry Potter and his merry brigade of spineless Gryffindors out for a little stroll," Draco greeted.

"Piss off, Malfoy," Ron scowled.

Draco sniffed and looked Ron up and down. "Which brother did that robe come from?" he asked. "Or was it your father's?"

"It's mine," Ron gritted out.

"Leave us alone, Malfoy. We only want to get to the cart," Calliope intervened.

"Leave us alone, Malfoy," he mocked. "Granger, one would think that becoming an orphan would make you a little more tolerable."

Calliope's flinch was genuine, but she was prepared for it. Draco warned her he would have to throw that in her face at some point. In fact, they all spoke in lengths about not taking anything the other said to heart. There would be no punches pulled. Neville shifted and draped his arm over her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Mia," Neville said. "He's all bark and no bite."

"Mia?" Ron hissed behind her back. "Since when do you call her Mia?"

Draco gasped and made a show of looking between Ron, Calliope, and Neville. "Oh, well what do we have here?" he asked. "Did the Weasel miss his chance?"

"What on Earth are you talking about?" Calliope huffed.

"Come now, Granger. We all know he's in love with you. He's like a lost, pathetic, miserable looking puppy whenever you're around. Staring at you all googly-eyed and probably pumping one out whenever he's alone," Draco joked.

Calliope made a face as Draco laughed. Fucking dumbass. Why did he have to put that image in her head? Ron lunged forward, and Harry caught him around the waist. Ginny slapped Draco, and it took a lot of restraint on Neville's part to keep Calliope from snapping the girl's wrist. Even Blaise twisted slightly to catch Calliope in case she lost her temper.

Draco touched his cheek and growled, "The next time you put your hands on me-

"What, you going to run to your daddy?" Ginny mocked.

"No. I'll break your wrist myself," he said darkly.

That time, it was Ron who reacted. He pushed Draco against the wall, and with Harry and Ginny distracted with that, Neville wrapped his arms around Calliope as her eyes flashed red. Blaise looked around, keeping an eye out for the snacks lady, and subtly moved closer to Calliope.

"Calm down," Neville whispered in her ear.

"Then get that idiot off of my brother," she hissed.

Neville twisted and grabbed the back of Ron sweater. He yanked hard, and Ron stumbled back into Harry and Ginny. Blaise stepped forward between them and whispered something into Draco's ear. Draco relaxed, but not after he subtly glanced Calliope's way. He gave her a short nod, and Calliope closed her eyes to gather her magic. Ron was fuming, Harry's glasses were crooked from trying to get Ron away from Draco, and Ginny was torn between going after Draco or staying with her brother. Calliope opened her eyes again, and Neville nodded before he let her go. She adjusted her robes and scowled at Draco. He blinked once, the sign he needed to speak to her privately, and Calliope opened her mind to hear him say-

I'm okay, sis.

Calliope's scowl lessened in intensity before she looked away.

"Potter, do keep your pets on a tighter leash," Blaise snarked.

"Says the boys licking the boots of a snake-faced coward who spends his time chasing a child," Neville replied coolly.

Calliope made a mental note to tell Tom what Neville said, but Draco sneered at all of them.

"I would rather follow Him than put my faith in a weak, pathetic boy who jumps at his own shadow," he snapped.

"Careful, Malfoy. Someone might think you care," Calliope said.

"Not on your life, Granger," he growled lowly.

Draco and Blaise bullied their way through the group. The Slytherins walked away while Harry cleared his throat.

"I'll kill him," Ron growled.

"Join the club," Ginny muttered.

"Nice defending, by the way," Ron said to Calliope. "Glad to know you have my back."

Calliope blinked in confusion and asked, "I beg your pardon?"

"Where were you win he was saying all that crap about me being in love with you? Or teasing me about my clothes?"

"The same place as Harry," Calliope deadpanned. "Or did you notice he didn't say anything either? Plus, what exactly was I supposed to say? No, you don't stare at me all googly-eyed? No, you don't bitch and moan at me? I wasn't going to defend you over something that was true!"

"I don't stare at you all googly-eyed!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, you kind of do, mate," Neville said.

"But you're the one hanging all over her!" Ron shouted. "Maybe you're the one pumping one out over her at night!"

"Lower your voice," Calliope hissed. "And though it is none of your business, like I told you before, I'm not dating Neville or Luna or anyone else you imagine me with."

"Then why are you all over him?"

"Because he's my friend," she gritted out. "We grew closer over the summer."

"How close?"

Calliope twitched and turned on her heel. Neville right behind her. She clenched his fists and stayed silent the rest of the way.


"Hermione?" Harry called out hesitantly.

"What?" she said, keeping her gaze on the landscape.

Harry shifted in her peripheral, and Calliope sighed. She turned and looked at him, expectant. He blushed and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I wanted to share what I – we – learned yesterday, but I wasn't sure you were ready to hear it," he muttered.

"Okay."

Harry scooted forward and said in a low voice, "So, apparently, Bellatrix has a soulmate."

"Yes. A husband, right?" Calliope asked, a bored tone to her voice.

"No, something else. Sirius- Sirius said she's bonded with the Dark Lord's daughter."

"Hold on, the Dark Lord has a daughter?" Neville exclaimed.

"That's what I said. Who would want to sleep with him?" Harry shuddered.

"What's her name?" Luna asked.

"Calliope something. Can't remember her last name."

"Was there no picture?" Neville asked.

"No, just the name attached to Bellatrix's," Harry said.

"Why is this important?" Calliope sighed. "It is no business of ours who Bellatrix beds."

"Bitch shouldn't be bedding anyone but a Dementor. It's bloody mental anyone would want to touch that," Ron huffed.

Neville draped his arm around Calliope and subtly tugged on her hair, reminding her to keep herself in check, and she exhaled, glancing out of the window.

"It's important because Sirius mentioned something about a prophecy," Harry whispered.

"What does the prophecy say?" Luna asked.

"He wouldn't tell me," Harry sighed. "Just that the connection between Bellatrix and Calliope was already foretold."

"Bunch of sick, twisted arseholes, if you ask me," Ron huffed. "Bellatrix being with some teenager. It's disgusting."

Harry cleared his throat and said, "There's a plan in place."

"I beg your pardon? What plan?" Calliope asked.

"They're going to use that slimy dungeon bat to get close to Bellatrix," Ron grumbled.

"It's a good plan," Harry exasperated.

"No, it isn't," Ron argued. "We're supposed to trust him to keep us updated on Bellatrix Lestrange's love life?"

"Black, or whatever last name she goes by now," Harry corrected.

"I still think it's stupid."

"Sirius thinks Severus can convince Bellatrix to remove her prophecy from the Department of Mysteries," Harry explained. "They can set up a trap and capture her while she's there."

"We could also get your prophecy as well," Ginny said to Harry.

"What prophecy?" Calliope asked, confused.

"Um. Sirius wasn't supposed to tell me this, but apparently, I have a prophecy as well," Harry muttered.

"The plan is to have Severus convince Bellatrix to go after some random prophecy, and you're hoping Sirius will tell you in advance, so you can meet him there to get your own? Do I have that right?" Calliope asked.

"When you say it like that, it sounds stupid," Harry said.

"Jeez, you're acting like Ron," Ginny said. "It's a good plan."

"It's a plan," Calliope corrected. "The only good thing is that it shows Sirius is finally pushing the Order to do something instead of wait around for You-Know-Who to strike first."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked.

Calliope dug deep for some Hermione courage as she said, "I'm tired of depending on a bunch of adults who spend more time keeping secrets from us than keeping us involved. We're in this War now too, and I'm sick of sitting still."

"Don't you trust Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

Calliope just looked out of the window. Neville stretched out and laid his head on the back of the bench. Luna went back to her book, and Calliope ignored the probing, concerned eyes of Harry as she wondered how much longer the Headmaster will keep playing puppet-master.


Severus needed a way to warn Calliope and Draco about what Dumbledore let happen. He had just left the last-minute staff meeting, and the urge to strangle that horrid woman grew each time she cleared her throat to speak. Her voice ground his nerves, and he could tell Minerva hated her as well. There was a knock on his door, and he sighed.

"Come in," he drawled.

The door opened and closed.

"Please tell me you have a drink."

Severus waved his hand toward the cabinet where he kept his firewhiskey. Flitwick plopped down on his couch and drank straight from the bottle. Severus knew better than to keep just one bottle in his office.

"God, that woman," Flitwick exhaled. "What is Albus thinking by bringing her here?"

"Torture," Severus drawled.

Flitwick snorted and laid back on the couch. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. Dolores Umbridge was not an issue, but rather a nuisance. He was afraid of testing Calliope's patience, especially when Bellatrix was not within shouting distance to calm her down.

"This is going to be a long year," Flitwick sighed.

"Indeed."