Lupin watched as the small girl settled back into bed, but this time he stayed with her. If she went into another of her 'nightmares' as he was veginning to call them, he wanted to be there to wake her from them. She lie on her side, with her back facing him, her breathing soft and steady. Her whispers broke through the night, like a harald's song, as the spell which had prevented her speach was lifted.
"Mr. Lupin?"
"Hmm?" he asked softly.
"Do you like living alone?"
Remus answered quietly, "No."
"Me-" She yawned loudly, "either."
"Sleep now," Lupin instructed.
"You won't leave me, will you?"
"No."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise," Lupin stated softly, leaning back in his chair. He watched as long he could, tucking her in after she fell asleep, before falling asleep himself. In the morning he shrunk one of his robes to her size, then fixed her some breakfast, all the while waiting apprehensively for a reply from Dumbledore. She couldn't be here this night. It was a full moon...she'd be killed if she stayed.
"You're nervous," Calisto stated, looking up from her oatmeal. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm just waiting for a letter," Remus explained.
"From Albus Dumbledore?"
"How- Wait, you were reading my mind again?" She nodded. "I wish you wouldn't. Somethings-"
"Aren't meant to be seen," she finished. "I know, that's what I was told by someone else I was once close to. I'm sorry. Is the letter about what to do with me?"
"Partially," Remus explained. "It also has to deal with some other things that don't have much connection with you."
"Your letter is here." Moments later an owl tapped on the window, causing Calisto to grin broadly. Remus smiled back, letting the owl inside. And as soon as he removed the letter from its leg, it took off again, soaring out of sight. He opened it up, read it, re-folded it and looked at Calisto.
"Dumbledore would like to meet you," he explained. "Today. He said he would meet us at Hogsmede...as he has some other business to attend to."
Calisto nodded silently. She knew what was going on. She was being passed from one person to another...again. 'Why?' she wondered. 'What could there be here that is so unsafe?'
"Have...you ever flown?" She glanced at Lupin with a look of horror and shock. "I'll take that look as a no. We could take the train, but it would take much longer. And don't worry. All you have to do is hold on."
"Right," she agreed nervously as he dropped a cloak aroun her shoulders. It was darned all over, like his own, yet it was still very warm. Practically shaking from head to toe, she climbed onto the broom behind Lupin, wrapping her arms around his waist tightly as the took off into the clouds.
"Calisto," Remus squeaked. "Calisto, I can't breath!"
"Sorry!" she gasped, loosening her grip.
"Its alright," he chuckled softly. "Is this your first time on a broom?"
"Yes!" she called up. "I wasn't allowed on them back home. Too afraid of heights."
"Don't worry, I won't let you fall," he reassured her.
After what seemed like forever of continuously reminding Calisto that he had to be allowed to breath, they finally arrived at Hogsmede, outside of a place called the Three Broomsticks. Remus helped Listo regain her balance as she hobbled inside, still shaking. Several people were inside, most of them being students, out of school for the weekend. But, in the far back corner, a long silver beard caught his attention. Dumbledore was talking to Severus Snape, the potions master.
"This was, Calisto," Remus instructed softly, taking her hand. Such a small child would easily get lost in the chaos that was students. He pulled her over to the back corner, where Dumbledore greeted him like a very good friend. Snape just stood there with a look of disgust on his face,
"And what's this?" Snape sneered, looking down at Calisto. She shrank closer to Lupin, as if trying to hide.
Dumbledore, however, regarded her with much more kindness. "Hello, m'dear.I'm Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts." He smiled, and by looking into his eyes, she couldn't help but trust him. "I do say, you look as though you've been through quite a bit. Would you like something to eat?" She shook her head no. "Are you sure?" She nodded.
"Calisto, its okay," Remus added reassuringly. "No one here is going to hurt you." But the glare in Snape's eyes seemed to make her want to think otherwise. "Headmaster, we should discuss things quickly...before I have to go."
"Of course," Dumbledore agreed. "This way." He lead them into a back room, where a trapdoor opened with the flick of his wand.
"You aren't letting HER down there as well?" Snape demanded increduously. "How do you know she insint a spy?!"
"I'm not a spy!" Calisto growled.
"You see, Severus?" Dumbledore replied, as if she had proven his point and her own case. "I have no reason to believe she would a be a spy to Voldemort. Afterall, I don't even think she has any idea of who he really is, am I correct, Calisto?" She nodded. "You see then, Severus. She is completely safe." Snape looked like he would have loved to have made a remark, but he bit his tongue and followed Dumbledore into the cellar. Remus and Calisto joined them, into the damp, crate filled basment. A single overhead light dimly lit the small room.
"I was afraid something had kept you up," came a new voice. Calisto squeaked loudly and jumped several feet as a man with long, shabby black hair and a gaunt face came forward from the shadow. But her squeak seemed to have startled him just as much as he'd startled her!
"Sirius, forgive us for being late," Remus apologized.
"Now that everyone is here!" Snape pressed. He seemed as though he'd rather not even be here amidst the strange group.
"Of course," Dumbledore agreed. "Severus, what can you tell us from the front lines?"
Snape glared daggers at Calisto before answering. "Voldemort has been attemtpting to find some new way of increasing his power, thugh he won't reveal how, even to his inner circle...yet."
"Could that have something to do with the disappearences?" Sirius asked, holding up a few torn-out articles of the Daily Prophet.
"Possibly," Dumbledore said, deep in thought. "But I don't see how the two quite connect."
"He uses the people he kidnaps and drains them of their magic energy," Calisto said, from where she was sitting on the ground, in a nonchalant sort of way, like it should have been normal, everyday news.
"I beg your pardon?" Dumbledore asked.
"Hmm?" Calisto asked, suddenly confused.
"What did you just say?" Snape demanded coldly.
"I didn't say anything."
"Yes," Snape snarled slowly, "you did."
"No," she replied airly, "I didn't. I think you're going nutters. I would have remembered if I'd said something." She lifted a plate, placing it vertical on the ground and began to spin it like a top. All the adults looked at each other, exchanging silent thought. Suddenly the shound of shattering glass filled the room, as the plate, and several bottles of wine and mead, exploded. Callisto had also backed into the farthest corner and was shaking like a leaf.
"Calisto?" Remus called. "Calisto, what's the matter?"
"H-he's h-he-here," she stuttered, looking at the ceiling with eyes wide with fright.
"Who?" Dumbledore asked kindly.
Shakingly, she pointed to the articles in Sirius' hands and mumbled, "the killer."
"Mr. Lupin?"
"Hmm?" he asked softly.
"Do you like living alone?"
Remus answered quietly, "No."
"Me-" She yawned loudly, "either."
"Sleep now," Lupin instructed.
"You won't leave me, will you?"
"No."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise," Lupin stated softly, leaning back in his chair. He watched as long he could, tucking her in after she fell asleep, before falling asleep himself. In the morning he shrunk one of his robes to her size, then fixed her some breakfast, all the while waiting apprehensively for a reply from Dumbledore. She couldn't be here this night. It was a full moon...she'd be killed if she stayed.
"You're nervous," Calisto stated, looking up from her oatmeal. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm just waiting for a letter," Remus explained.
"From Albus Dumbledore?"
"How- Wait, you were reading my mind again?" She nodded. "I wish you wouldn't. Somethings-"
"Aren't meant to be seen," she finished. "I know, that's what I was told by someone else I was once close to. I'm sorry. Is the letter about what to do with me?"
"Partially," Remus explained. "It also has to deal with some other things that don't have much connection with you."
"Your letter is here." Moments later an owl tapped on the window, causing Calisto to grin broadly. Remus smiled back, letting the owl inside. And as soon as he removed the letter from its leg, it took off again, soaring out of sight. He opened it up, read it, re-folded it and looked at Calisto.
"Dumbledore would like to meet you," he explained. "Today. He said he would meet us at Hogsmede...as he has some other business to attend to."
Calisto nodded silently. She knew what was going on. She was being passed from one person to another...again. 'Why?' she wondered. 'What could there be here that is so unsafe?'
"Have...you ever flown?" She glanced at Lupin with a look of horror and shock. "I'll take that look as a no. We could take the train, but it would take much longer. And don't worry. All you have to do is hold on."
"Right," she agreed nervously as he dropped a cloak aroun her shoulders. It was darned all over, like his own, yet it was still very warm. Practically shaking from head to toe, she climbed onto the broom behind Lupin, wrapping her arms around his waist tightly as the took off into the clouds.
"Calisto," Remus squeaked. "Calisto, I can't breath!"
"Sorry!" she gasped, loosening her grip.
"Its alright," he chuckled softly. "Is this your first time on a broom?"
"Yes!" she called up. "I wasn't allowed on them back home. Too afraid of heights."
"Don't worry, I won't let you fall," he reassured her.
After what seemed like forever of continuously reminding Calisto that he had to be allowed to breath, they finally arrived at Hogsmede, outside of a place called the Three Broomsticks. Remus helped Listo regain her balance as she hobbled inside, still shaking. Several people were inside, most of them being students, out of school for the weekend. But, in the far back corner, a long silver beard caught his attention. Dumbledore was talking to Severus Snape, the potions master.
"This was, Calisto," Remus instructed softly, taking her hand. Such a small child would easily get lost in the chaos that was students. He pulled her over to the back corner, where Dumbledore greeted him like a very good friend. Snape just stood there with a look of disgust on his face,
"And what's this?" Snape sneered, looking down at Calisto. She shrank closer to Lupin, as if trying to hide.
Dumbledore, however, regarded her with much more kindness. "Hello, m'dear.I'm Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts." He smiled, and by looking into his eyes, she couldn't help but trust him. "I do say, you look as though you've been through quite a bit. Would you like something to eat?" She shook her head no. "Are you sure?" She nodded.
"Calisto, its okay," Remus added reassuringly. "No one here is going to hurt you." But the glare in Snape's eyes seemed to make her want to think otherwise. "Headmaster, we should discuss things quickly...before I have to go."
"Of course," Dumbledore agreed. "This way." He lead them into a back room, where a trapdoor opened with the flick of his wand.
"You aren't letting HER down there as well?" Snape demanded increduously. "How do you know she insint a spy?!"
"I'm not a spy!" Calisto growled.
"You see, Severus?" Dumbledore replied, as if she had proven his point and her own case. "I have no reason to believe she would a be a spy to Voldemort. Afterall, I don't even think she has any idea of who he really is, am I correct, Calisto?" She nodded. "You see then, Severus. She is completely safe." Snape looked like he would have loved to have made a remark, but he bit his tongue and followed Dumbledore into the cellar. Remus and Calisto joined them, into the damp, crate filled basment. A single overhead light dimly lit the small room.
"I was afraid something had kept you up," came a new voice. Calisto squeaked loudly and jumped several feet as a man with long, shabby black hair and a gaunt face came forward from the shadow. But her squeak seemed to have startled him just as much as he'd startled her!
"Sirius, forgive us for being late," Remus apologized.
"Now that everyone is here!" Snape pressed. He seemed as though he'd rather not even be here amidst the strange group.
"Of course," Dumbledore agreed. "Severus, what can you tell us from the front lines?"
Snape glared daggers at Calisto before answering. "Voldemort has been attemtpting to find some new way of increasing his power, thugh he won't reveal how, even to his inner circle...yet."
"Could that have something to do with the disappearences?" Sirius asked, holding up a few torn-out articles of the Daily Prophet.
"Possibly," Dumbledore said, deep in thought. "But I don't see how the two quite connect."
"He uses the people he kidnaps and drains them of their magic energy," Calisto said, from where she was sitting on the ground, in a nonchalant sort of way, like it should have been normal, everyday news.
"I beg your pardon?" Dumbledore asked.
"Hmm?" Calisto asked, suddenly confused.
"What did you just say?" Snape demanded coldly.
"I didn't say anything."
"Yes," Snape snarled slowly, "you did."
"No," she replied airly, "I didn't. I think you're going nutters. I would have remembered if I'd said something." She lifted a plate, placing it vertical on the ground and began to spin it like a top. All the adults looked at each other, exchanging silent thought. Suddenly the shound of shattering glass filled the room, as the plate, and several bottles of wine and mead, exploded. Callisto had also backed into the farthest corner and was shaking like a leaf.
"Calisto?" Remus called. "Calisto, what's the matter?"
"H-he's h-he-here," she stuttered, looking at the ceiling with eyes wide with fright.
"Who?" Dumbledore asked kindly.
Shakingly, she pointed to the articles in Sirius' hands and mumbled, "the killer."