November 19-20, 1990

The night air was bitingly cold as Sirius, Callie, and Remus trekked from the Potter's house to the graveyard. The little town of Godric's Hollow was already gearing up for Christmas. Wreathes hung on the occasional door and lights strung across the courtyard in front of the chapel. With the days getting darker and the nights longer, Christmas was a more than welcome light on the horizon.

"Remind me again why we're carrying shovels," Sirius asked. He stopped by the gate of the church's cemetery to adjust the strap of the satchel slung over his shoulder.

"Because this one is buried," Callie reminded. She checked the map in her hands and compared it to the layout of the graveyard before them. "Some of the other Horcruxes have been warded against magical interference, so we may have to use Muggle means of accessing this one, too."

Remus looked over her shoulder and pointed at the symbol in the corner of the page. "What's the symbol? The triangle with the circle and line through it."

"It's the mark on the grave. Dumbledore said if we find this mark, we'll find the Horcrux."

Sirius joined them and looked at the map over Callie's other shoulder. "Nowhere in my job description does it say 'Grave Robber.'"

"Try something new," Callie replied. "It'll be good for you. Spread out and look for this symbol. Remember, it'll be very well protected."

She started off between the tombstones. Remus took the other end of the cemetery. Sirius stood watch. It was tedious work, scanning every grave for an unfamiliar sign.

Callie had insisted on leaving a very specific section of the yard out of their investigations. She knew none of those tombstones bore the mark; she was too familiar with them. And she didn't want to become distracted. But her mind wandered during the search and as it did, her feet carried her to the place she'd hoped to avoid. Two very familiar names met her gaze as she surfaced from her thoughts. Fleamont and Euphemia Potter.

The names were etched deep into the granite slab. She read them a second time, then a third. The dates underneath the names and the little dash in between seemed so cold an honor to the memory of two people who had meant so much. Her eyes sank below the slab to the ground. Beneath her feet, her parents lay silent, still as the stone above them.

A hand closed around her shoulder and she jumped. Her wand was halfway out of her pocket when she registered the tight smile and worried eyes of Remus. She sighed and pocketed her wand. Drawn as if by magnetism, her gaze returned to the names of her parents. She stared at them for a moment longer before turning away. She gave Remus a reassuring smile and moved forward. Remus left her side again and continued his search.

Sirius stayed close by and vigilant. The odds of exhuming one of the last of Voldemort's Horcruxes without Death Eater intervention was zilch. He didn't like this one bit, bringing Death Eaters so close to the Potter's house. But if this was where the bloody thing was, there was nothing for it. He kept a firm grip on his wand.

Callie passed another grave, letting her eyes scan over the surface before sliding off again. They'd been at it for nearly an hour, and still nothing.

Something pulled at the corner of her mind. She stopped and listened. A soft, hissing whisper, easily mistakable for the wind. But it definitely wasn't the wind. It was Parseltongue. She stopped and looked back at the grave she'd just passed. Something felt off about it. The surface was just a little too smooth.

"Revelio."

The surface shifted until it became old and worn. "I've got something," she called. Remus and Sirius abandoned their posts and joined her. Remus held his wand out and lit it, illuminating the faded words on the grave: Ignotus Peverell. The date on the grave was nearly impossible to read, but they thought they could make out a year beginning in 12. Beneath the name and dates was the very faint image of the triangle Dumbledore had instructed them to find.

"Well, he's been gone for a while," Remus commented dryly.

"Let's get this over with," Sirius said. "This place gives me the creeps."

Callie straightened and took a step back. She attempted to remove the dirt over the grave with a spell, but the earth rose mere inches before being pulled back down. She nodded. "This is it, alright." In her experience, most Horcruxes had to be uncovered by simple, Muggle means. As if Voldemort had either not thought to protect them from Muggles, or else wanted to humiliate whoever found them.

Remus and Sirius both took shovels and began overturning the earth. The ground was frozen and they had to hack at the dirt to get it to come loose. Callie stood guard, scanning the shadows for movement. They took shifts, rotating every half hour. Dawn rose before they were able to finish. They retreated back into town after covering their work with concealment charms. No sense in drawing attention. They were careful to ignore the Potter house completely; even concealed by strong spells, they didn't want to risk suspicion.

They booked a room at the only inn in town after a hearty breakfast at the pub across the street. They all three shared one room to be safe, too concerned about an attack to risk splitting up. Callie took one bed, Remus the other, and Sirius the floor. Remus was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Sirius had resolved not to sleep. It was too dangerous. Was it good for his health? Probably not. But he'd rather be sleep deprived than lose Callie or Remus. He lay down on the floor so they wouldn't suspect that he was staying awake. They didn't need to worry about it.

"Not sleepy?" a voice whispered. Sirius glanced up to find Callie looking at him over the side of her bed. She was lying on her stomach, hands curled over the side of the mattress.

He smiled tiredly. "No, not in the least," he lied. "You?"

"Actually, I was going to stay up and keep watch. You can have the bed if you like; you should get some sleep."

Sirius refrained from making a comment about the bed being more comfortable with her in it. She had to stop setting him up like that. Instead, he said, "I'll keep the first watch. You go to sleep."

She shook her head. "It's too cold," she whispered.

Sirius grinned. "Are you one of those people who must to be a certain temperature in order to fall asleep, even after a night spent digging up a grave?"

She shrugged. "What can I say?" But that wasn't it. The sight of her parents' graves had rattled her. She wanted to sleep, but she knew her dreams would be haunted.

Sirius gave a dramatic sigh of mock regret. He stood, careful not to wake Remus, and moved to the side of the twin bed. "Well, we can't have you freezing now, can we?" He pulled up the blankets and got in beside her.

Her eyes widened. "What are you doing?" she hissed. "What about Remus?"

"What about him?"

"What will he think when he wakes up and sees the two of us in bed together?"

Sirius shrugged. "He'll probably think you were cold." Callie hesitated. Eventually, she sighed and crawled under the blankets next to him. She sat up against a pillow, blankets across her lap. Sirius chuckled and snaked an arm around her. She shot him a glare as he pulled her into his side. "Relax, Potter. God, you're tense."

"Probably because we're hunting a Horcrux," she muttered. He didn't respond. Her eyes drifted across him to Remus. His shoulders were bunched and his breath came unsteadily in his sleep. "Is he alright?"

Sirius looked at his friend. "Yeah," he said. "It's just that the full moon is coming up." Sirius had missed the last one. He always hated missing a full moon; Remus' recovery was worse if Padfoot wasn't there to calm the wolf. James could handle Moony on his own if need be, but it was always better with two. And the Wolf had been more agitated lately. He missed Wormtail. He couldn't figure out where the rat had gone.

"It was kind of him to help us," Callie whispered, drawing him from his thoughts.

"Remus is like that. He's always been selfless."

Sirius' hand trailed absently up and down her arm. She tensed at first, but after a moment the tension leaked out of her body. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while. He felt her shift her weight so she was more comfortable against him. He knew instinctively that she wasn't far from sleep.

"You're sure you're okay taking first watch?" she asked, speech slurred.

Sirius indulged in a private smile as he glanced down at her. Her eyes were already closed. "I'm sure, love," he answered softly. "Go to sleep."

Remus woke mid-afternoon with a pain in his back. He groaned softly in annoyance and rolled over. The mattress was springy and uncomfortable and he couldn't get back to sleep. Maybe he'd just take the next watch and let Sirius rest. He was positive his friend had stayed up to make sure they had no unwanted guests. Sirius could put up whatever front he wanted, but Remus knew when he was worried. He opened his eyes. Yeah, he would take next watch. Merlin knew Sirius needed sleep as much as anyone else, no matter what he said.

His eyes fell on the bed beside his and a slow, genuine smile crept over his face. Callie and Sirius were both half-sitting in bed. His arm was around her, her head rested on his shoulder, and his cheek was pressed against the top of her head. Her hand rested on his chest. They were both fast asleep. They looked so peaceful. Sirius must have been peaceful to let himself fall asleep like that when there was a real possibility of danger.

It had been a long time since Remus had seen Sirius relaxed. The man knew how to front it like the best of them, but Remus had known Sirius for too long not to notice the telltale signs of tension that clung to his body like a shadow. Sometimes it still surprised Remus that the relaxed, carefree Hogwarts heartbreaker carried so much worry now. It was unnatural.

Now, Remus smirked to himself. Sirius had laughed only months ago when Remus suggested to him that maybe there was more than just friendship between him and Callie. He'd laughed harder when Remus bluntly informed him that he was probably in love with her. "Love?" he'd scoffed. "No, I don't think so, Moony. She's just a friend."

Well, all Remus had to say about that was Sirius Black better not lie to his face ever again.

Merlin, he wished he had a camera. This would make for some excellent blackmail material.

Snow was falling when the three of them ventured out after dinner. It fell softly, muffling the sounds of the village. The graveyard looked more dismal than ever in the snow. Sirius and Remus carried the shovels in tired arms. Callie carried the satchel slung over a shoulder. They found their worksite easily and removed the concealment charms. Remus lit the tip of his wand and balanced it on the headstone for light. Callie took first watch again. She handed the shovels down to them after Sirius and Remus climbed into the hole they'd dug the previous night. Remus noticed the brush of Sirius' fingers against Callie's as he took his shovel from her hands. He hid a smirk.

They'd dug up an extra six inches when Callie stopped them. "Quiet," she hissed. "There's someone coming."

Sirius scrambled out of the hole, pulling his wand out.

"What are you all doing out here?" a familiar voice asked. "It's freezing." Marlene sidestepped an off-center tombstone, moving into the dim circle of light cast by Remus' wand.

"Mar!" Sirius exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I popped by James and Lily's and they said you were all out here. Thought I'd come and help." She looked down into the hole and waved. "Hello down there."

Remus smiled and waved back.

Marlene took Sirius' abandoned shovel and lowered herself into the grave. "So what are we after?"

Callie glanced at Sirius. She could sense a subtle difference in his demeanor when Marlene showed up, and she couldn't tell whether it was positive or negative. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. Marlene started to dig and Sirius looked at Callie, silently asking if it was alright to let her in on the secret hunt. Callie shrugged, telling him to do what he thought was best.

"We think there's another Horcrux buried here."

Marlene didn't look up from her work. She tossed a shovelful of dirt onto the ground above. "Which one?"

"Gryffindor's pin," Sirius replied.

"What, like a tie pin?"

"I've destroyed a bloody cup," Callie said. "A tie pin doesn't seem that far out of the realm of possibility. But it's probably more like a broach."

Marlene shrugged and tossed another shovelful of dirt out of the hole.

It was halfway through the night when they finally struck the coffin. Marlene's shovel found it first. The sound it made was hollow and dismal. Remus' brow furrowed in confusion as he looked down at the bottom of the grave. Rotten wood wouldn't sound like that. Sirius and Marlene cleared the last layer of earth from the box. Sure enough, the wood was solid oak. They dug around it, freeing it from the ground. Remus and Callie lowered ropes into the grave and Sirius and Marlene secured them to the box before climbing out. The four of them lifted the coffin from the grave and set it on the ground beside the pit.

Sirius sniffed and made a face. "Is it just me, or does something stink?"

"It shouldn't," Remus replied. "Not yet, anyway. This man should have been dead for hundreds of years. The decomposed flesh would release gas, but we haven't broken the seal yet. There shouldn't be any smell until the lid comes off."

Sirius made a face. "Lovely."

Callie could hear it more distinctly now. The whispering. This was it, beyond a doubt. She lifted one of the shovels. "Everyone, get ready," she ordered. "There's bound to be something nasty protecting this thing." She waited for them to stand back and hold their wands at the ready before slamming the shovel into the wood. It shook, but didn't break.

"Should've brought a crowbar," Sirius muttered.

Callie struck it again. On the third blow, it cracked. A hiss burst from the coffin, releasing gas into the air. Callie gagged and covered her nose. Whatever was inside the box reeked. She coughed and took a moment to steady herself before striking the lid of the coffin again. It gave way, splintering inward. The shovel stuck in something soft. It made a squelching sound when she wrenched it free.

"There's something inside," she said.

"Yeah, got that from the stink," Marlene replied.

She bent toward the open coffin. "Careful," Sirius warned. She lifted her wand and cast Lumos. The beam of light fell onto an open-eyed face.

"Recognize him?" Remus asked.

She shook her head. "No." The face stared up at her with vacant eyes. The skin was peeling back in places, cracked with decay. She scanned down the body. Its bony hands were folded over its chest. The clothes were frayed and depressed in places where the flesh below had rotted. It was perfectly still.

Sirius leaned over the coffin to take a look and breathed a curse. "It's Macdonald."

"Who?" Callie asked.

"Arthur Macdonald. He worked in the Department for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts. Went missing a few months back."

"He looks in decent shape," Remus muttered.

"Is it in there?" Marlene asked.

Nothing caught the light the way a piece of metal should. Callie couldn't see anything that resembled a bejeweled pin. She bent over the body, breathing through her mouth. She'd have to search it. As much as her stomach turned at the thought, she knew she didn't have a choice. Her hand reached out over its chest.

The corpse twitched. With a startled cry, she scrambled away. The body sat up in its coffin, drawing rattling breaths. As they watched, it turned its head slowly and fixed Callie with a dead-eyed stare. From its mouth, forced through ruined lungs, spilled the hissing language of Parseltongue.