Chapter 20: Call for Calamity

Calamity sat up in the darkness, the bed empty where Sirius normally slept. She lay back down, trying to replay whatever had woken here, but she couldn't recall. It slipped away from her, elusive. Still, she was awake. She rolled over and looked at the clock. Five-thirty. Well, she might as well get up and start to get ready anyway.

She turned on all the lights as she passed them- the bedroom, the bathroom, the hallway, the kitchen, the parlor. In the moment before the light flooded the room there was a nanosecond of terror. Despite all reasons, Calamity couldn't help but consider the possibility that someone would be sitting in the darkness- waiting. She started the coffee maker. She supposed this was the symptom of war. There was a tapping at the window and Calamity looked up to see a familiar owl- one from James Potter.

She opened the window and it flapped in, taking a perch on the table and droppign a letter. It waited, looking at her expectantly. Ah, yes, a tip of some sort! Calamity opened the drawer and took out a biscuit. The owl nipped at it, but still watched her, even as it finished eating.

"Oh, you're waiting for me to read it,eh? Alright."

She opened the letter.

Calamity,

We're still here in Belfast trying to get in contact with anyone we can. Moony's connection apparently got spooked because we haven't seen hide nor hair of him anywhere. Padfoot won't say much about what happened before we arrived. All he says is it was a setup. Hopefully you can get more from him when he and Wormtal get back tonight. Sorry for keeping him a bit longer than expected- but I reckon he'll be yours for a while. Dumbledore seems to think he ran into something big and should take a break. Of course, Padfoot isn't pleased with that.

Any way, won't keep you too long. Tell Archimedes you've read the letter and he'll be on his way.

Stay safe!

-Prongs

The coffee machine made a beeping sound signalling the coffee was ready. Calamity stood and poured herself a cup, looking at her watch again. She'd have to get breakfast on her break.

"I've read it," she told the owl taking a sip of her coffee. "You can go."

The owl gave a hoot in response and flew away.

Sirius returned the next night with Peter, both looking exhausted. Sirius rubbed his eyes determinedly and offered Peter some fire-whiskey. Calamity thought they both looked like they were about to fall over without it, but she got down the glasses anyway, kissing Sirius on the cheek as he thanked her. Calamity picked up her book giving the two some silence. They both sighed, sinking into the couch.

"Padfoot," said Peter finally. "Will you tell me what happened now?"

Calamity felt Sirius' eyes glance her way, but she determinedly kept reading. She'd let them decide what and when they were to share Order business. She trusted them not to share what wasn't allowed.

"It was a set up," Sirius said determinedly.

"You keep saying that, but what do you mean?"

"I mean, I went to where Moony told me to go and instead of his connection, I met a deatheater."

"But how could they know you were there?"

Again Calamity felt Sirius' eyes fall on her. She lowered her book, meeting his gaze. He seemed to have more to say to her, but was restraining hismelf in front of Peter.

"It was a set up," Sirius repeated.

"You can't think Moony set it up," spluttered Peter.

Calamity watched Sirius as he took a looked at her with a frightened expression.

"Did you tell James your thoughts," asked Calamity.

"Yes."

"And what did he say?"

"He said Moony would never betray us and that Bellatrix was probably already stationed there. She probably saw an opportunity and took it."

"But you don't believe it," Peter squeaked.

"I just can't forget," Sirius said running a hand over his tired face. "That night at Hogsmeade when the deatheater was trying to recruit him and he's been so elusive lately."

"Didn't James say Dumbledore had him working to bring other werewolves to our side," Calamity asked. Sirius looked up, a smirk pulling the corner of his mouth. "the Order's side," she corrected quickly.

"But what if," Peter said slowly, eyes still wide. "he is getting converted to the Dark Lord's side."

"The Dark Lord," Sirius said incredulously. He slammed his hand down on the table, making the cups rattle. "What a dumb name."

Calamity watched Peter, who shrank back slightly at the noise.

"I think you're both tired," Calamity said finally. "I think James is right."

"Maybe," Sirius said. He looked tired again. "I hope so."

James was right about one thing: Dumbledore did not call on Sirius for another mission until fall rolled around. Even that mission was short. That was fine because Sirius was frantic enough as it was preparing for Lily & James' wedding. Calamity couldn't help but smile as he rushed about helping to set up every detail. More than once Calamity awoke to see Sirius practicing his best man speech by wand light, muttering under his breath as he messed up or crossed something out. By the time the wedding came, Calamity was sure she had the speech memorized. She straightened Sirius' ties as he nervously smoothed his hair.

"Blimey," James said with a laugh, though he looked a bit green. "I can't tell who is more nervous: you or me! I'm the one getting married. I need you to be in your right mind so I don't get cold feet."

"James Potter get cold feet on Lily Evans," Calamity said stepping back to look at her handsome boyfriend. She glanced at James. "I'd bet all the gold in Gringotts you never have that problem."

James smiled appreciatively and waved her away as he and Sirius huddled together for a final conference of his vows.

Calamity moved towards the main room of the chapel, decorated in red and gold trimmings, the aisle lined with lily & rose petals. It was a small, modest wedding with only a few close friends and family. She waved to Mr. and Mrs. Potter as she sat next to Remus and Margaret. Peter sat on Remus' other side, fussing with his bow tie.

"Here," Remus said kindly brushing away Peter's hands.

"Thanks Moony." Peter looked aorund the room. "Hagrid, Mcgonagall, and Professor Dumbledore made it," he observed giving a nod to the other side of the aisle where the three had taken seats behind Mr. and Mrs. Potter.

"Sure did," Margaret agreed. "But I don't see Petunia."

"She declined the invitation," Remus said giving the bow tie a final tug in place.

Calamity turned to him sharply. "She didn't!"

Remus nodded solemnly. "Wanted nothing to do with it."

Calamity stood, almost hitting Remus with her arm in her haste. "That won't do," she said firmly.

She found Lily in the bride's room, dress still unzipped and hair only half done. Lily stood up in suprise as Calamity stuck her head in the room.

"Can I help," Calamity asked.

"Oh Calamity," Lily said with a blush across her cheeks. "It's fine. Really." Her eyes filled with tears for a moment, but she turned back to the mirror.

"Let me just get this," Calamity offered. She zipped up the back of Lily's dress.

"Oh, I was having trouble reaching it," Lily admitted. "And I can't find my wand anywhere!"

Calamity moved to the bathroom, peeking in and spotting the wand in the shower. She brought it out and handed it to Lily.
"You're brilliant," Lily said. She flicked her wand and gentle ringlets replaced her wet hair. "How do I look?"

Calamity took a step back.

"Just like Jackie O."

Lily blushed, her eyes dancing. "Stop it."

"Queen Elizabeth couldn't look as good," Calamity smirked. "If you want to keep it British."

Lily laughed and looked around.

Calamity spotted the bouquet before Lily asked for it and handed it to her from the dresser.

"Honestly you're a life saver," Lily said. She took a deep breath looking at herself in the mirror. "This is crazy, isn't it?"

"Oh, I think you've done crazier things," Calamity said."I heard you've faced faced You Know Who twice."

"Three times, actually," Lily said with a smile. It faltered for a moment, touching a ringlet in thought. "But, to get married in the middle of a war? James and I could die at any moment."

"Can't we all,though," Calamity asked. Lily glanced at her quickly.

"You know Petunia didn't want to come. She said that she didn't see any reason for us to pretend to have anything in common now that mum and dad are gone and the funeral over."

Calamity said nothing as Lily sniffed.

"I suppose Vernon wouldn't know what to do in such a situation. Honestly, it's for the best," she added. "Petunia would have wanted a huge affair. She would have thought this wedding was meager."

"Sounds like an idiot to me," Calamity said. "Anyone who would cut off their own family simply because they are different is an idiot as far as I'm concerned."

"How's James," Lily asked.

"A wreck. Looks like he's going to throw up."

"And Sirius?"

"He looked as nervous. You'd think he was getting married."

Lily laughed. "At least they can go through it together." She glanced at Calamity again.

"Calamity," she asked hesitantly. "I'm so nervous. Could you...would you be my stand in for Petunia? You won't have to give any speeches and I know it's last minute. I thought I'd be able to do it without her, but..."

"Of course," Calamity said with a smile. "But I can't pretend to think it's a meager wedding. It's lovely so far."

"A new and improved Petunia," Lily smiled.

When Calamity reached the door to the chapel she saw a look of surprise cross Sirius' face. Then it broke into a schoolboy's smile as she walked to the front. He gave her a wink and she winked back- their secret encouragement moving around James Potter who was oblivious to all of this because Lily Evans was standing in the doorway. From that moment, the wedding went flawlessly- whether it was small or large- the world ceased to exist for anyone other than Lily & James Potter. The reception was equally as beautiful. Despite all his nervousness, Calamity thought Sirius' speech went off without a hitch- with laughs and sighs to be heard in the crowd. Later they danced into the night and for the first time in months, the faces in the room looked as they had at Hogwarts- carefree and laughing. But all good things come to an end and soon the new couple were shooed off as Sirius and Calamity helped clean the chapel, pausing in their magicking to kiss and laugh at the antics of the night.

A week later Calamity was still considering this day as she walked to St. Mungo's. She was especially fond of recalling the marauders huddled in a circle drunkenly hooting and hollering of the pranks gone by. She smiled to herself, pulling her scarf a bit tighter as a cold breeze blew passed.

Suddenly she was pulled into an alleyway. She fell onto her butt, but not before whipping out her wand.

"Expelliamus."

Calamity's wand flew from her hands, leaving her on the ground looking up at the figure holding her wand directly at Calamity's heart.

"You're a healer," demanded the voice. "He said you'd be a healer."

"I'm a healer," Calamity agreed. The figure moved from the shadows and pulled back her hood revealing the wild darting eyes and billowing hair of Bellatrix Lestrange. Even with her look of panic, Calamity could not help but notice the familial similarities between her and Andromeda. The jaw and eyes- thought Bellatrix' features were darker and, at the moment, more wild. Bellatrix recognized her a moment later.

"The blood-traitor's girlfriend," she hissed. She turned her head and spit, as if even the thought of Sirius disgusted her.

Calamity thought it best to remain silent. If this were the moment she was going to die she didn't need to add anything to the mix. Bellatrix looked around the alley as if hoping for another option. No one passed.

"You'll have to do," she snapped. Calamity felt Bellatrix' free hand wrap around her wrist. She felt the familiar pull of disapparation, as if she were of being compressed and transported through time and space.

When Calamity felt the land under her butt again they were no longer in the alleyway. Instead they were in the middle of a dense forest. There was the smell of moss and wet dirt.

"Get up," Bellatrix snapped.

Calamity stood slowly.

"Come on." Bellatrix hurried forward a few steps, then realized Calamity wasn't following. She turned back, eyes more wild than before. "I said come on! Can't you hear?"

"I can't go anywhere until you tell me what's going on," Calamity said. She checked her watch. She was late for her shift. Hopefully Christopher would realize it and reach out to someone.

Bellatrix let out a sound- almost like an animal. "We don't have time for this. He's dying! He needs a Healer."

"Who," demanded Calamity, but she instinctively moved forward. Bellatrix tugged at her hair with her free hand, teeth gnashing the air. Calamity felt sure that she would fall into a fit if she kept going on like this.

"Reggie," Bellatrix managed to snarl.

"Where is he," asked Calamity. She was now moving more quickly, passing Bellatrix who stood stock still for a moment, before rush in front and leading Calamity.

They ran in silence until they reached a large crumbling manor, curtain drawn. Tall bushes blocked the entryway and hid the bottom floor from sight. Bellatrix waved her hand and the bushes parted. They rushed through two flights of stairs. On the second landing Calamity could hear cries of pain echoing down the hall. Bellatrix winced at the sound.

"Go,go," she demanded. She practically threw Calamity her wand. "Save him. Go help him."

Calamity hurried to the door and pushed it open.

Regulus' skin was purple, tears streaming down his face as he held his stomach, tossing back and forth releasing the screams of pain.

Calamity rushed to the bed, putting her hand on his forehead. It was on fire. She looked around, her eyes catching sight of something odd on the table. She froze staring at it. It was a letter on the table, the ink still wet, labeled To Clara.

Regulus let out another howl, piercing her ears with his pain. She snatched the letter and stuffed it into her pocket.

There was a basin of water across the room. She accioed the cloth over and put in on Regulus' forehead. Regulus moaned and hissed.

"Regulus, it's fine," said Calamity using her calmest tone. Regulus' eyes popped open. His pupils were large, the white of his eyes an odd off-yellow. He grabbed her wrist suddenly.

"Tea," he said.

"You want tea?" She was trying to multi-task: listening to Regulus while also wracking her brain for what could possibly give him such symptom. A hex? A cursed item? Some sort of plant ingestion?

"He- in the tea," said Regulus. He howled in pain again, bringing his legs to his chest and pulling away from Calamity. "My insides are burning! I'm dying. I'm dying."

Calamity knew what it was. She dug into her pockets hoping she had the anti-posion. Nothing.

"Bellatrix," she yelled. "LESTRANGE! GET ME SOME ANTI-POISON. I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME IN THIS HOUSE."

Bellatrix hurried in, handing the vial to Calamity, but then leaping back and watching the bed as Regulus released another howl.

"I'm dying," he crowed.

"You're not helping him," hissed Bellatrix. She whipped out her wand and pointed it at Calamity. "I brought you here to heal him!"

"Hodl this," demanded Calamity handing Bellatrix her wand.

Calamity pulled the cork out of the vial. She grabbed Regulus' face, pulling it towards her as she used one hand to plug his nose and the other (vial still in hand) to force open his mouth. She poured the anti-poison carefully into his opened mouth. With both hands she forced his mouth shut.

Regulus tossed violently, trying desperately to spit out the anti-poison and get away.

"You're making it worse," snapped Bellatrix. She rushed forward. "Let him go! LET HIM GO! Crucio!"

Calamity felt a wave of pain so intense it was all consuming. Hot knives were piercing every inch of her skin and she felt a pressure building in her head as if it would burst at any moment. She could feel screams escaping her, but the screams didn't reduce the pain. As suddenly as it had come, the pain stopped. Calamity was laying on the floor, her limbs sprawled as she tried to catch her breath. The room was silent for everything except Calamity's heart beating in her ears and a few moans from the bed. She pushed herself up and felt a throbbing in her leg. It had hit something hard during the Cruciatus Curse.

Bellatrix was leaning over the bed, peering at Regulus as if nothing had happened.

"Are you alright, Reggie? You scared me, you little git," she cooed.

Calamity couldn't help through the haze to marvel at the turn of tone. It sounded fond- like a mother to her toddler. As if sensing her thoughts, Bellatrix turned to Calamity, eyes flashing again.

"Get out."

"I need my wand," Calamity said, using the bed post to help her stand, though she swayed uneasily. Her leg sent a shot of pain through her as she tried to put her full weight on it.

Bellatrix' features darkened again. She held up her own wand and pointed it at Calamity as she backed slowly from the bed towards a window.

"Go to the forest and disapparate. The grounds are protected and untraceable."

Bellatrix threw Calamity's wand out of the window into the garden.

"Get out before I change my mind."

Calamity didn't need another warning. She hobbled from the room, fog slowly clearing from her mind with each jolt of pain from her leg as she took the stairs. She found her wand in the garden and pushed it into her pocket, using her arms to help her move determinedly to and through the forest. She leaned against trees every so often to regain her strength. Would she even be able to disapparate? She slid to the base of a tree contemplating this, looking at her watch. She'd been missing from work for four hours. Surely by now Christopher had noticed and gone looking for her. Hopefully he had sent an owl to someone- anyone.

She looked around the forest, the manor long out of sight. Still, she didn't like the idea of being so close to two known deatheaters in a protected manor. Surely other deatheaters knew of it and might show up at any moment to call or plot. Calamity pulled up her robe to see her leg- it was purple and bruised. Not broken, but certainly not completely whole, either. A simple binding charm would allow her to put more weight on it and perhaps even allow her to get up her strength to disapparate.

She reached into her pocket for her wand, pulling it out. The letter fell onto the ground next to her. The To Clara seemed to shimmer even in the dim lighting.

Calamity muttered a spell and a splint and wrapping appeared around her leg. She made a soft sound of pain at the pressure it put on her injury. She'd have to wait a few moments before moving. She muttered a chameleon charm and felt herself disappear into her surrounds.

More comfortable than she had been in the last four hours she reached for the letter and opened it.

Dearest Clara,

My apologies on the unorthodox reunion. I attempted to contact you in a more traditional way, but I'm afraid with all the excitement around your friend's wedding Sirius forgot to deliver my first letter to you. I'm giving the boy the benefit of the doubt because I enjoyed meeting him in Belfast. It took quite a bit to plan this meeting but, unfortunately, I won't be able to see your work in person. Just as Bellatrix left to retrieve you I was called to attend to some unpleasant business. I know you will recognize poison when you see it. It's got a bit of Venomous Tentacula Juice in it, but I added a little extra something to make it my own. Point is, I know you'll be able to save Regulus in time. Even if you can't, it's a great learning experience for every Healer. Let's plan a dinner, or perhaps a casual meeting in the park. I hear Victoria Park in London is a delight and a must-see. I admit I've had little time for sight seeing since I arrived. Let's plan to meet by the lake at the end of the month. I'll find you.

All my love,

Dad

P.s. I've estimated this little adventure will take about five hours. Hopefully I'm back before that, but you never know with these events. At the five hour mark this letter will take you back at the alley I told Bellatrix to go to.

Calamity leaned against the tree and released a breath. She closed her eyes, doing her best not to think about anything for the remaining time she had. When the five hour mark hit she felt a pull behind her bellybutton, images and colors whipping passed her until she found herself sitting in an alleyway instead of a forest. A large stray black dog was sniffing around the alley. Calamity muttered another charm and watched her hands reappear. The dog yelped and rushed from the alleyway, knocking over a trash can in it's hurry. She crumpled the letter and shoved it into her pocket as she stood, gingerly putting weight on her splinted leg.

"Calamity!"

She looked up to see Sirius rushing into the alley. He pulled her close to him and she hissed with pain as he nudged her injury. He pulled back concerned.

"Are you okay?"

"You're late," she said in a tone she hoped was teasing. Sirius didn't smile.

'Where have you been?" He looked at her leg closely. "Bloody hell, Calamity. What happened?"

"Let's go home and talk about it. I need to talk to Dumbledore." she was suddenly very tired. Sirius inspected her leg again.

"Allow me," he said. He knelt down and offered his back.

"Sirius, you don't have to," she said. "I can walk."

"No,no," Sirius said. "You deserve it. Besides, it's not for free. I expect a full report on what the hell made you disappear for five hours. You had me tearing apart London. The muggle police are not happy with me either, I might have a warrant out for my arrest."

Calamity climbed onto his back and he stood, careful not to hit her leg as they moved.

"Well to start," Calamity said. "I'm resigning from St. Mungo's and to finish, I got a letter from my father."

A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!