Neville stood with he and Calliope's things. So much for that essay. Maybe the Luna could help. Neville looked up when a shadow fell over the table.
"Seamus?"
"What was that about dude?" Seamus huffed.
"Excuse me?"
"You know Ron likes her," he said.
"What does that have to do with me?"
"You can't go after the girl your mate fancies. That's rule one!"
Neville cocked an eyebrow and said, "I am allowed to hang out with who I want. And as Hermione said, we are not dating."
"Looked like it to us," he said.
"And that means nothing to me. If Ron wants her so bad, then he needs to speak up."
Neville walked off and snickered under his breath. While he may have alienated some of his oldest friends, he knew for a fact Calliope would not be happy with his little message to Ron. Neville also knew that by dinner, there would be a storm brewing in the Gryffindor house.
But first, he needed to find Luna.
Calliope sat in front of the Headmaster's desk, refusing yet another lemon drop, and stared hard at the floor. McGonagall replayed the event for him through her mind, and the Headmaster was so thrown it took him a minute to respond.
"Miss Granger, I had no idea you felt that way," he said.
"I apologize for my outburst, but I really do not want to talk about it," she murmured. "I will apologize to Ginny later."
"You cannot keep these things bottled up, my dear. It will only hurt you in the long run."
"With all due respect, Headmaster, you are the last person I want to talk to about this," she sighed. "You and Professor McGonagall and Harry and Ron all expect me to bounce back from this summer like it did not happen less than three months ago. I lost my parents, and while Harry is the Boy Who Lived, he has an entire world rallied behind him. I have Neville and Luna. That… that is enough for me right now."
"But Harry and Ron have been your friends since you arrived!" McGonagall exclaimed.
"Friendships change, Professor," Calliope sighed. "And I hope you respect that."
Calliope stood and looked at the phoenix behind the Headmaster's head. She refused to look him in the eye. There was no guarantee in her frazzled state he wouldn't slip past her guards.
"Ginny caught me on a bad day. As I said, I will apologize when I get the chance, but I would really like to leave now."
"Actually, there is something else I would like to talk to you about. Professor Umbridge has requested an ancestry test be given to the students as a way to get them to learn about their history. I am hoping you would gather the first-year muggleborns in your house and speak with them about what this entails."
"Oh. Why me, sir?" she asked.
"I trust you to give them the information they will need. My options are quite limited within that house. Bless him, but I fear what Mr. Creevey would tell them."
The Headmaster chuckled, and Calliope gave a short nod despite the fact Umbridge made a very bold move in response to what happened.
"When is this test supposed to be given?" she asked.
"Tomorrow. Professor Snape has already made the arrangements."
"Very well. Now, may I leave?"
"Oh, of course."
Calliope turned and made her way to the door. She made her way down the stairs at a neutral pace and opened the door, only to run right into Luna.
"Oh, Hermione! My apologies," Luna exclaimed.
Down the hall, she could spot Draco and Blaise chatting while Neville hung with the twins on the other side of the hallway. Calliope spotted Severus turn the corner, and she scowled. She walked to the stairs that would lead them to the seventh floor. Calliope knew for a fact the others, sans Draco and Blaise, would be behind her. She passed Severus and gave him a sharp look. He mouthed an apology. Draco and Blaise winced as well. Calliope truly angry with him, as he probably had no warning either, but he was closest.
Calliope made her way to the seventh floor, walked in front of the wall, and nearly tore the door from its hinges as she went inside the Room of Requirement. The room was a mini-training room/lounge. Calliope whipped out her wand and cast three consecutive Bombardas at the dummies. They exploded into hundreds of tiny pieces. Still not satisfied, Calliope spun around, her eyes finding Luna, and she cast a quick Confringo at her head.
Luna cast it aside with ease. The two fell into a familiar rhythm as they dueled one another. The twins and Neville stayed out of the way. Wordless spells flew across the room, splintered the stone walls and destroying the furniture. Eventually, Calliope caught Luna in the chest with a Petrificus Totalus. The blonde went down, stiff as a board, and Calliope blew her hair from her face. She cancelled the spell and helped Luna off the floor.
"Feel better?" the blonde asked, wiping off her clothes.
Calliope grunted. The destroyed furniture re-assembled itself, and Calliope plopped down on the couch. Luna sat beside her while Neville and the twins sat opposite them in the chairs.
"Thank you, Hogwarts," Calliope said.
Her response was a tray of snacks and five glasses of firewhiskey.
"Oh, bless your soul," Fred whispered, reaching for the liquor.
Calliope rubbed her temples and said, "Umbridge requested an ancestry test."
Fred and George paused, while Luna and Neville gasped.
"Wait, what did you do?" Neville asked.
"Threatened her life and hinted that she wasn't who she said she was," Luna said.
"Oh. How are you going to get past it?" Neville asked.
"She can't," Luna said. "If she doesn't take the test, Umbridge will find another way. If she takes the test, Umbridge and the Headmaster will know the truth. Especially since her existence was announced pre-emptively."
Calliope closed her eyes and opened the channel she shared with Bella.
Bella, love. Are you home with my father?
No, darling. At Malfoy Manor with Cissy and Travers.
Will you call him to you and stay there? Please? It is urgent.
Are you hurt? Do I need to-
No, no, my love. Just need to talk to you all.
Very well.
Calliope opened her eyes. No sooner than she made the mental request, a fireplace with floo powder appeared. Calliope stood and stripped off her robe. She handed it to Luna and walked to the fireplace.
"How-
"The castle and I have an agreement," Calliope said, offering no more than that.
"Stay here?" Neville asked.
"If you want. But I know Ron will be suspicious about his brothers going missing for so long."
Fred and George scowled, but said nothing as she was correct. Calliope threw the powder into the flames and stepped inside.
"Malfoy Manor."
Bellatrix and Narcissa were waiting for Calliope in the living room. Calliope ran into Bellatrix's arms, and they both breathed in the other's scent. Narcissa gave them a moment, looking away toward the door as Travers re-appeared with Tom in tow. Calliope broke away from Bellatrix and turned to her father.
"Umbridge requested an ancestry test for everyone under seventh year," Calliope said.
Tom paused and made a face.
"Shit," Bellatrix said.
"Indeed," Narcissa mused. "That presents a very, very big problem."
"Damnit. She can't take the test without revealing she knows who she is, and she can't not take the test because it would make them suspicious," Bellatrix sighed.
"I did prepare for this. Calliope, it will be time for you to put your acting skills into place. Cissy, please prepare a missive for Draco, as he will need to play along as well."
At what point does a name become nothing more than a nuisance?
"Hermione?"
Gauthier, such a potent name with a rich history. Black, a name belonging only to those who prided themselves on immense power and danger. For the first time, the two were together as one. Gauthier & Riddle, a formidable combination. But to be bound to a Black? It was almost… One could not simply merge the past with the present to prepare for the future without challenges. One could not move past the pain, the wretched and awful heartbreak that suffocates memories without a few missteps. This was her misstep. Giving into her anger, allowing herself to be backed into a corner, preceded by her desire to be reunited with her lover. It was a misstep, a dangerous one at that.
"Hermione?"
She somewhat looked forward to pricking her finger, watching the red seep into her parchment. She wanted Umbridge to hover behind her, beady eyes soaking in the information. She needed to watch the horror cross that woman's face.
An elbow lodged beneath her rib cage. Calliope startled, and her inner thoughts evaporated. When her vision and mind cleared, she was back at Hogwarts. When the hell did she get to the Great Hall?
"Are you alright?" Fred asked carefully.
Calliope realized she had the attention of her twins, Neville, and Luna, her family in all but blood. Blood. The very thing that could threaten their lives.
"Yes," she lied.
"Try again," George murmured.
Calliope rolled her neck around and shook off the darkness creeping up her spine. "I do not want you all to do this," she whispered.
"Too late," Fred said.
"Our things have already been moved to the manor," George added.
"As have mine," Neville added. "Grandma has decided to take a short vacation to Scotland to visit an old friend."
"Quaint," Luna quipped.
"Convenient," Neville snorted.
"Lucky," the twins said in unison.
Calliope allowed herself a smile but twisted to the left and met Ginny's burning gaze head-on. Ginny threw her fork down and stormed from the table. Harry and Ron stared warily at Calliope before Ron ran after his sister. Harry remained there. Dean and Seamus bent down and whispered in his ear. Harry nodded but still didn't lift his head. The entire table was torn between being angry at Calliope or not caring enough to gossip about whatever drama was going on. Again, the Great Hall blurred as Calliope imagined Ginny, her lithe body beneath those robes writhing in pain as Calliope etched her name into her very bones. Calliope shuddered and licked her lips. She craved the blood that pulsed in those veins, seeping out onto the concrete, staining her fingertips. Calliope ached for a moment alone so she could rip her hair from its roots.
"Breathe," Luna whispered in her ear.
Calliope gasped as her lungs filled with oxygen. She groaned and leaned into her best friend. Luna smiled sadly and rubbed her back.
"How close are you?" she asked.
"Too close," she said, almost in tears.
Luna placed her hand on Calliope's shoulder and squeezed. Neville and the twins pretended not to hear them. Calliope closed her eyes. Behind the safety of her mental walls, Calli flicked through the frozen images of Bellatrix. Her heart slammed against her ribs. She suddenly grabbed the side of her head. All she could think about was Bellatrix. The smoothness of her lips. The sweet nectar between her legs that drip down her thighs.
"Fuck," Calliope whimpered under her breath.
I was wondering when it would hit you.
Calliope dropped her head to the table. Luna ran her fingers through her hair, but otherwise left her alone.
When what would hit me?
The lust.
Please do not tell me that.
Go back to your dorms then.
No, because it will not be enough. The urge to come to you and fuck your brains out is overwhelming.
Think of your trip to Hogsmeade next week. Sneaking away to have a quickie…your back scraping against the brick wall as I pound into your precious-
"You're moaning," Luna whispered.
Damned witch. Always ruining the fun.
"Tell your girlfriend to leave you alone," Luna chuckled in her ear.
Keep those images in your mind until then, darling.
Calliope felt a kiss brush across her mind before the connection closed. She lifted her head and glared at Luna. The blonde shrugged.
"You were this close to orgasming as the table, and we both know that is not a good look," she joked.
"I hate you."
Luna grinned and went back to her conversation with the twins. Once again, Neville and the others refused to acknowledge what was going on. Calliope dropped her head back to the table again and sighed. Her brain was all over the place, but it had never strayed far from the test she would be taking in nearly three hours.
The entire school was about to discover who she was.
And chaos would ensue.
"Blaise, are you ready?"
"I made my bed. Happily, might I add."
"Good. Because she will kill you if you aren't."
"Noted."
"My nerves are shot."
"I have Firewhiskey in my cloak."
"This is why I love you, moon bird."
"Waiting is the worst part."
"You say that as if it's your name and face that'll be spread around the Wizarding World by dinner."
"There is a plan in place, Daphne."
"Oh, that doesn't sound ominous at all. Pray tell, what is this plan?"
"Need to know only if needed to know."
"Give me one reason I shouldn't slap that stupid smirk off your face, Draco."
"Cissy, are you drinking?"
"Oh, piss off, Lucius. They are taking ancestry tests today at Hogwarts."
"I see. Pour me a glass."
"Is that what you're wearing?"
"Too much?"
"Yes. You look like, well, you know who you look like."
"Aw. Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"Fine. Remove the corset?"
"And the leather pants. Honestly. Where did you even get those?"
"I stole them, Neville."
"You give me headaches. You know that, right?"
"I wish I could be there with her."
"She's a big girl."
"That doesn't help."
"It will be fine, Bells."
"Yes, I suppose you're right. Doesn't mean I won't worry. My girlfriend can be a bit dramatic."
"Pot and kettle."
"Oh, shut it."
Calliope held her head high as she made her way to potions. Neville walked slightly behind her. The twins had mysteriously disappeared after their second class. Calliope knew they were up to something. Luna had already taken her test and said Umbridge let them take the results back to their room after she got a look at every single one.
"What do you think yours will say?" Neville asked.
"Give me one reason I should not throttle you," Calliope gritted out.
"Because you're Hermione Granger, Goddess of patience and- ow! The fuck was that for!"
"You know why."
Neville rubbed his shoulder. Calliope blew him a kiss as they entered the classroom. Umbridge made her presence known with her typical throat clearing.
"Welcome Miss Granger, Mister Longbottom. We actually have seating arrangements for today's class," the woman said in that cheery, teeth aching voice.
Calliope took one long glance around the room and found Harry alone at the front with an empty seat beside him.
"Let me guess, I am in the front next to Harry," she said flatly.
"Why, yes, actually. I would hate to break up such a lovely duo."
"How nice of you," Calliope drawled.
"And Mister Longbottom, you are back here next to Mister Weasley."
"Obviously," Neville sighed, still rubbing his arm.
Calliope kissed Neville on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "This should give you something to talk about with Ronald."
Neville glared at her as she giggled and walked to the front of the classroom. Calliope spotted Severus hovering near his private workspace. He barely spared her a glance, but she knew he was aware of her presence.
"Good afternoon, Professor Snape," she greeted cheerfully.
Severus sighed and said, "Please have a seat, Miss Granger. I am in no mood for your childish games."
Calliope almost laughed. Instead, she ducked her head and sat next to Harry. He stared at her, torn between confusion and hesitation. She refused to speak to him first, as he'd made it clear throughout the day that he and Ron weren't exactly speaking to her. For a moment, they sat in silence.
"I'm having a hard time forgiving you for what you said," he eventually murmured.
Calliope, knowing what was coming, gave up on the pretense of being his friend and shrugged. She truly did feel sorry for him, but she wanted nothing more than to get him and his self-righteous brigade out of the picture.
For good.
