All edits and changes have finally been completed. I'm sorry that chapter 9 is a little behind where I had intended it to be, but I wanted it to be perfect. I haven't done my usual pre-post edit on it because I wanted to go a head and get it up, so I'll probably be doing that in the next few days.
Thanks to SiriusFan13, who not only harassed me, but has also agreed to be more motivation for me to write (see my bio for more details!). As always, please let me know what you think, reviews are always appreciated. Enjoy the chapter.
Calida seemed to be alright after her exploit beyond the veil, but she kept having moments of weakness where she would just collapse for no apparent reason. There was also a bit of mental trauma as she seemed to have developed a fear of black cloth, much to her brother's insane amusement. She had also been given several blood replenishing potions, which brought her a lot of strength back.
The one thing that no one seemed to understand was that Calida could now sense anytime a death had occurred or was occurring within several feet of her, and she made a mental note to ask Sirius about that when she got to speak to him.
It turned out to be two days later before she was actually allowed to leave her room. However, even by that point it seemed that Sirius was yet to wake up. So Calida killed time by wandering the hospital, and picking up useful bits and pieces about healing spells.
There was only one place that Calida was not allowed to go, and it was a new wing that had been set up for the victims of Death Eater attacks. Even though she couldn't go into this new wing, it wasn't hard to figure out who was in there and what happened to them just by watching the hysterical family and friends who entered and exited at all hours of the day and night.
One of her more amusing exploits resulted in getting to watch as a young healer was forced to run after her third year Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, who was chasing after an old woman wearing a hat topped with a stuffed vulture, and brandishing a quill and some photographs of himself. Calida couldn't help but to give kudos to Harry and Ron for their work on Lockhart. He had always irritated her; something about how smug he was even when he couldn't perform the simplest of defensive spells.
She was laying in bed on her fourth day when a healer came in and informed her that Mr. Black was awake and she was welcome to see him at anytime she wished. Calida decided it was best to wait until Potter and his friends, who had come to see Sirius, left before she went to speak with him.
Draco stopped by and kept her company while she waited for Sirius' various visitors to leave. They played several rounds of Exploding Snap, and a couple games of Wizard Chess. They were forced to abandon their chess game when to two sets of pieces began attacking each other at random.
There was a knock on the room door and they quickly cast glamour on themselves as Draco unlocked the door. Calida smiled as her brother entered. She knew it was him, despite the change in appearance by the way he was smirking at her.
"Sirius is all alone now." He informed her.
"Really? I can finally go talk to- ow!" Calida rubbed her temple where a castle just thrown by Draco's queen had hit her.
"Yeah, just be sure you don't let him know too much about you."
She jumped up out of bed and wrapped a robe around her, not wanting to wander the halls in the light hospital robes they provided.
Sirius was in a room three doors down from her own. Calida knocked softly on the door and waited for a reply.
"Come in!" a voice inside barked.
She opened the door and stepped inside closing it behind her. The man glanced up from his copy of the Daily Prophet.
His eyes were questioning as he looked at this unknown visitor, and his shaggy black hair fell across his gaunt face with a kind of unmatchable elegance. His face was still sunken and haunted from his time in Azkaban, but a kind of fire seemed to dance behind his shining blue eyes.
"Hi," she said, walking slowly to take a seat in the chair beside the bed. He watched as she curled her feet under herself and stared back into his eyes.
"Who are you?"
"I'm…" she paused unsure of what to say. She would eventually have to tell him that she had nearly passed through the veil, and Calida had no doubt that he would know right away that meant she was a Death Eater. She took a deep breath and sighed.
"While we're here," she gestured to the blank hospital walls around them, "will you trust me?"
His eyes searched her face as she stared determinedly back at him.
"Why are you here?" he asked her.
"I was there when you came back from the veil." She said softly.
Sudden understanding blazed in his face and Calida flinched as he lifted a wand. He cast a quick silencing charm on the room and turned to face her, resting the wand on the bedside table.
"So," he growled softly. "You're the escaped Death Eater."
Calida flicked her hand at the door locking it, and then touched her fingers to her temple, unraveling the glamour spell upon her.
"You're young," he commented lightly.
"Yes."
"Why?"
She didn't have to ask what he meant, he was referring to why she had joined the Dark Lord.
"Because," she whispered to him. "The Dark Lord has provided for my family since before I was born. I've met muggles. They treat us like freaks. We're best off if we just keep to ourselves."
"And you think murder and torture are the best way to go about keeping to yourselves?"
"I think that mudbloods won't leave our world just because we ask nicely."
He sighed deeply and looked back at her.
"I'm not going to pretend that I approve of your methods or like you're ideas."
"I'm not asking you to," she said. "I went through something after my trial that no one else has ever been through. No one…except you."
Calida thought she saw a bit of sadness in his eyes as he looked back at her.
"So…do you know what happened? Everyone I've seen doesn't know anything but rumors." His voice was light, but she sensed a bit of pain deep within it.
"Well, I don't remember it exactly, I wasn't in the best state when I escaped," she was surprised to see him smile.
"I've been there, escaping Azkaban is no easy feat, and I daresay escaping during your trail wasn't any easier." He gave a short bark like laugh and she continued.
"I was having trouble, and I didn't know who was on my side and who were Aurors. Actually, I didn't know anyone on my side was there. My brother said they showed up shortly after I entered the Death Chamber.
"I got hit with a freezing charm and started to fall through the veil. Next thing I knew I had a hand in each of mine. I didn't know which way was farther through the veil and which way was back to…the room, so I just held on and waited.
"It felt like I was in some kind of eternal see-saw, and then I hit the floor. I remember seeing you on the floor next to me, and then I passed out."
"Who pulled us out?"
"Bellatrix Lestrange."
Calida jumped as his laugh echoed around the small room. She shot him a puzzled look and he managed to choke out,
"Bella is the reason I fell through the veil to begin with."
"That explains why she's been so upset," Calida laughed with him.
There was a knock on the door and Calida hastily replaced her glamour and unlocked the door.
A man was peering around the edge of the door. Despite his relative youth his hair was flecked with grey and his face seemed to have several scratches on it. She started and jumped out of her chair backing into the wall.
"Professor Lupin!" Calida could have kicked herself. Only Sirius was supposed to know who she was, and now she would have to explain. Her former teacher was peering at her through confused eyes, glancing cautiously between her and Sirius.
"Come on in, Moony, and lock the door behind you," Sirius said casually.
Lupin did as Sirius asked yet stayed with his back pressed against the door watching the both of them.
"Who's the guest Padfoot?" His voice was soft, yet there was a sternness in it, and a bit of unease since she knew he didn't recognize her, but she had called him 'Professor Lupin.'
Calida groaned as Sirius motioned for her to remove the glamour. She closed her eyes waiting for the blow to fall, but the room stayed silent. Slowly she opened one eye to glance at Lupin.
"Hello, Calida," he said with mild surprise.
"Hi, Professor," she mumbled back at him.
His eyes seemed to search her and she knew he was remembering their last meeting.
"How are you?" he asked her.
She looked up at him, confused.
"You're not going to turn me in?" she blurted out. Sirius promptly began laughing.
"Moony, turn someone in, never," he said in a playfully scandalized voice.
"Not today," Lupin commented. "Death Eater or not, you showed me mercy, and I will remember it."
He flicked his wand and conjured another chair beside the one Calida had been sitting in. She let herself float back to the chair as Lupin motioned for her to sit down.
"Mercy?" Sirius questioned.
"Later, Padfoot."
Sirius merely shrugged and went back to reading an article out of his copy of the Daily Prophet.
"Pathetic," he growled. "After everything they put me through there are only two lines about my innocence."
"You were innocent?"
Sirius blinked at Calida.
"You think I'd stay here if the Ministry was still after me?"
"Well," Calida laughed.
"How long have you been here?" Remus asked mildly.
"It's been almost a week. I think I'm leaving tomorrow. I've been wanting to talk to Sirius though."
A dark look crossed Remus' face and he nodded.
"I'll leave you two alone then," he said and stood.
"You don't have to Professor."
Sirius burst out laughing and Remus smiled.
"Told you you'd end up being a teacher some day Moony! Peter owes me ten galleons!"
Sirius abruptly stopped laughing and Remus gave a sad smile.
"He used to be a friend of ours," Remus explained. "He sold our best friends to Voldemort."
"I'm sorry," she said softly. Calida felt the twang of guilt that was now becoming familiar. She couldn't imagine betraying her own friends, or her family. It was a different situation entirely when you knew the people who were suffering.
Lupin turned to leave the room.
"Don't go, Professor."
"Haha, there's no need to call me Professor any more, Calida."
She blushed and muttered quietly as Lupin settled back into his chair.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Sirius asked setting the paper aside.
"The veil."
He nodded sadly.
"It changed you too then?"
"Yeah, but I wasn't in it nearly as long as you, or all the way. It's just…weird. What is that veil anyways."
"I believe," said Lupin softly, "That this might be one of those situations in which legends contain more fact than we attribute to them."
Both Calida and Sirius looked at him inquisitively.
"After what happened to Sirius, I started doing some research, trying to figure out what had happened. When it was quiet in there, I could hear whispers behind it. It took forever to find a book that said anything about it, but eventually Fenrir brought me exactly what I needed." He shuddered slightly.
"I don't really like Fenrir."
"You've met him?" Lupin looked at her.
"Only a few times. He likes to smell me."
Sirius laughed bitterly.
"Sounds about right. Anyways, I read through the book and came across a bit about Founder's cave."
Sirius jerked his head around to look at Lupin, who simply nodded.
"Um, what's Founder's cave?" Calida remembered hearing of it once, but she'd never heard the whole story.
"Well, it was about a thousand years ago, around the time that Hogwarts was set up, that was when the foundations of the Wizard's Council, the forerunner of the Ministry of Magic, was put into place. No one has ever said where it was, but some of the early council members found a cave.
"Now, according to legend this cave is what brought about the Department of Mysteries to begin with."
"How?" Calida was listening with rapt attention.
"Well, seeing as how you've been there," Lupin gave a wry smile, "you know what kinds of collections they keep there. When they found the cave there was a stone archway in it, and there was a black veil hanging in the arch. Well the veil was one of the first things added, to a room they affectionately call the Death Chamber."
"And so anyone who goes through it dies?" Calida was starting to get panicked feeling. She didn't like the idea of having come back from the dead.
"Not exactly."
At this Sirius perked up and sat straighter in bed.
"So what is it?" he asked.
"The veil is well, the line between life and death, but by passing through it, neither of you died. You see, because your soul was still connected to your body, you didn't die, you just entered death."
"What do you mean 'entered death'?" Calida felt like she was trying to hold water in her cupped hands. She could hear what Remus was saying, but it just seemed to slip through her fingers.
"Think of it like this," his voice was calm and patient, one of the qualities that had made him an excellent teacher, "rather than seeing life and death as conditions, think of them as places. When your body dies, your soul moves into death. You and Sirius didn't die. You went through the veil whole, so you were just in death."
Calida took a deep breath, it might sound crazy but this seemed as good a time as ever to ask the question.
"Sirius," he seemed to realize that his mouth had been hanging open and closed it as he looked at her. "This is going to seem like a weird question but… can you feel death?"
Lupin glanced between them with his brow furrowed, but Calida saw something flash behind Sirius' eyes.
"I thought I was imaging it," he said with a rather hollow smile. "We can feel when someone has died nearby, or when someone is dying," he supplied to Remus' look.
"Like… like a dementor?"
"Kind of," Sirius had more experience with dementors than she did, so Calida was only too happy to let him field that question. "I can't feel when people are happy or sad or anything like that. But it's like…like being able to feel their soul slipping into death, or feeling some remnant of them lingering where they died."
Calida nodded, impressed at the way he had managed to put the feeling into words. She also didn't miss the look on Lupin's face that told her he was resisting the urge to say something. Sirius, however, seemed able to read the question in his old friend's face.
"It feels…when they're near…it's…"
"Cold," Calida finished.
"And you feel kind of…"
"Detached, like you're not really connected to your body anymore."
Both of them shuddered.
"On a lighter note," Sirius clapped his hands together, "tell us how you managed to escape."
Remus smiled. "I always knew you were talented, but do tell Calida, how did you manage it."
She hesitated for a moment, thinking hard on how much she should let them know.
"Well, when they came to take me back to Azkaban after my trial, I ran. I tried to get to the atrium so I could apparate but there were Aurors everywhere and I ended up turning down the hall to the Department of Mysteries."
"I've seen a few of the people who were at your trial. They said you could hardly stand, let alone cast a spell." Sirius had a mischievous glint in his eyes that made it impossible for Calida not to smile back.
"I got bit by one of the new Azkaban guards." She held out her hand to show them the scar across her palm. "I was trying to make friends with them when they brought in some hysterical woman, I jerked my hand and the Griffin bit me. Took nearly an hour for the Aurors to leave so I could heal it. I lost a lot of blood."
"And you still managed to get as far away as you did?" Lupin looked impressed against his will.
"Well, I had cleverly hidden my wand- no I'm not saying how, and well, I've been taught to sort of… feel magic, if that makes any sense at all."
"It does," they both said.
"Harry explained to us how he's seen Dumbledore do something like that," Sirius broke off.
It was easy to tell that Sirius hadn't fully been able to accept the loss of Dumbledore yet, having only just woke up. Remus on the other hand had two tears sliding silently down his cheeks, his blue eyes bright with sadness.
"Dumbledore was a great man," she said softly.
"Did you know about the plan?" Sirius was very blunt when he wanted to know something she decided.
"No. From what I've been told, very few people knew about it at all. I knew that the Dark Lord wanted him dead, and that he was looking for a way, and I knew that Draco was up to something, but I never really connected the two. Not until the morning after it was all over anyways."
Something must have shown in her eyes when she mentioned Draco.
"Draco isn't capable of murder is he?" Lupin asked her softly.
Sirius snorted and quickly turned his laugh into a cough as Remus glared.
"I don't think he is. At least, not some people. He's young, not really detached enough for murder. You have to be rather detached from guilt to perform the Unforgivables you know."
"That's why you didn't kill me."
Remus gave her a soft smile.
"You were a wonderful teacher, you taught me way more than any of the others, and you had a sense of humor."
"I imagine Voldemort wasn't very happy you let me go."
"I don't think he cared to be honest. He was far more upset with me for letting Potter get away."
"I'm glad he did though," Sirius broke in. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to hold civil conversation with you."
They all laughed.
"I like you guys," she said softly.
Both men smiled gently and Lupin placed a hand on her shoulder.
A scream echoed from within the hallways. Calida quickly recast her glamour spell and opened the door a crack. They were on the fourth floor in one of the areas for Spell Damage, a short way down the hall from the new section for the victims of Death Eaters.
There was a woman standing at the end of the hall screaming.
"She deserves privacy, it was the Death Eaters! My daughter has every right to privacy!"
"I understand that miss, but for something like this we have to take her down to the second floor."
"It was Death Eaters!"
"Yes, but the injury is creature induced. This ward is filling up almost as fast as we can empty it, we need all the space we can get, and your daughter will be better cared for on the second floor."
Calida closed the door and sank down into the floor against it. Both Remus and Sirius looked at her with concern. She knew that even through her glamour they would be able to see she had paled.
"I know her," she whispered. "The woman out there, she's one of my best friends' mother."
Remus led her down the stairs in a kind of confused haze. She couldn't understand why it would happen, she was a pureblood. Her parents must have done something to anger the Dark Lord.
She sat side by side with her former teacher while the healers came and went for almost an hour before they finally led her mother up to get a cup of tea.
"I'll stay here and watch for anyone, you go see her."
Remus opened the door and gave her a small push in the middle of her back.
Quickly, Calida locked the door and cast a silencing charm. The room had only one occupant, and that was the one she wanted to see, so she also removed her glamour spell and looked over at her friend.
"Tuccia, what happened to you?" she asked in a horrified whisper.
"Calida?"
"Please don't tell anyone you've seen me here."
"I won't, but why are you here?"
"I was here for my own umm, well I'm sure it was mentioned in the paper," Tuccia nodded and gave a weak smile, "and I heard your mother yelling. What happened?"
"I was relaxing outside and fell asleep. I was tired but I didn't think it would be a big deal because it was so early in the day. But then when I woke up I realized it was night and…"
"It was a full moon wasn't it?"
Tuccia nodded.
"I could hear the werewolf growling, and I felt it drooling on my shoulder. I hoped if I stayed still, it might think I was already dead."
"They've got sensitive noses Tuccia, you'd have stood a better chance if you had run."
"That's what I keep getting told." She laughed bitterly.
"Hang on a second."
Calida recast her glamour, slightly becoming aware that casting and removing the spell was starting to exhaust her. She opened the door and poked her head out.
"Oi Lupin, come in here."
Lupin walked in the room, with a slight look of confusion. Calida locked the door and turned to see the look of comprehension that had dawned on Remus' face.
"Professor Lupin!" Tuccia cried. "I…I-"
Lupin held out his hand to silence her.
"I am more than happy to answer any questions you have, but as my presence is not as er- dubious as that of Miss Aderas, I think you should spend this time with her. I will return when you two have had ample time to visit."
With that he turned and left the room, locking it behind him. Calida stared at Tuccia with both confusion and concern. She felt oddly detached from the entire situation. Tuccia had been one of her best friends all through school, and yet, even as she stood by her bed in St. Mungo's Calida caught her thoughts wandering to Sirius floors above them, or else, to the Malfoy family, with which she suddenly seemed to be close.
She looked into her friend's eyes and knew that Tuccia was thinking the same thing. Two months since they had left school and already they felt like strangers. Calida knew that Tuccia and her family would not approve of the new lifestyle that she led, and so it must be kept secret from them. In doing so, a wedge had been driven between them, she realized that would stretch to Rian as well.
She was even starting to feel rather separated from Hector. Both of them being Death Eaters seemed to have forced the two of them into completely different aspects of the Dark Lord's service.
Calida stared at Tuccia, her mouth open, but unsure of what to say. For a brief moment it was like they were back at school, the light that flickered behind Tuccia's eyes was so familiar. Understanding blazed between the two of them. Despite all their assurances to the contrary, in leaving school, they had also left behind their friendship.
"I'll just go then," Calida said quietly.
Tuccia nodded, silent tears welling in her eyes as Calida shut the door behind her.
Remus noticed immediately something was wrong, he rested a hand on her shoulder, looking at her with concerned blue eyes. She felt the tears sting her own and silently slide down her cheeks. A small shake of her head let Remus know that for now, she wasn't ready to discuss it.
"Calida, sweetie?"
Calida looked up and saw her mom.
"I know that you're supposed to go home today, but we want you to stay here another night."
"What? Why?" She sat up in bed and her head gave a small throb.
"We're moving out of the manor. Your father and I are getting everything out of the house today."
"What?" Calida jumped up out of bed so suddenly that her vision blacked for a moment.
"What do you mean getting everything out of the house?"
"Don't worry, your brother is going to be helping, we'll get everything."
"I have to go, I have to help."
"The healers don't think that you should be doing any particularly taxing magic just yet. They said you lost a lot of blood."
"Of course I lost a lot of blood I got bit by a griffin. I have things I have to get, I have to move. I have to go help."
"No. Your father and I will get everything."
"But-"
"No."
"Where are we going to stay?"
"With a man named Clore."
"What? His house isn't big enough for us and the Malfoys!"
Her mother laughed.
"We're magic dear, space isn't a problem. Now you just rest, your father and I will be back tomorrow to get you."
With that her mother left and Calida sank into the floor beside her bed.
"This- is- not- good," she groaned, hitting her head against the frame of her bed with each word..
A young witch in bright green robes came in carrying a silver goblet.
"Your mother said you were rather upset. Drink this and you'll feel better."
"What is it?"
"A sleeping potion, you need to rest up today so you can go home tomorrow."
She downed the potion in one gulp and instantly felt it start taking effect. Her last thought before she drifted off was he's going to kill me.
Calida was more than ready to go home. It seemed that while she was asleep her brain had been working tirelessly on the problem of how to get to and move the cup. They had to have been tipped off about a raid, that's the only reason that she could come up with for the sudden move.
She changed into her usual robes and checked her appearance in the mirror. She still thought she looked rather pale, but for the most part she was feeling better. The scar on her palm stood out vividly and she sighed.
Calida decided that she would visit Sirius one last time before she went home. She liked his company, but knew that her situation would prevent her from being close to him from this day on.
She wandered the halls feeling slightly lost and wondering just how she was going to get the cup out of her room, especially if the Ministry raided the house. There would no doubt be someone standing guard over her room when they noticed the level of security that she had on it.
Finally, the door to Sirius' room opened and Potter and his friends walked out. Her stomach did a sort of flip and she decided that now was not the best time to try to attack Potter. So she just watched as he and his friends walked down the hall. Calida stepped forward towards the door to Sirius' room and noticed a piece of paper laying on the floor.
"Hey Potter!" she called. He turned around and looked at her. Calida bent down and picked up the paper. "You dropped this," she said.
He took two steps forward and snatched the paper staring at her suspiciously. She smiled and turned carefully trying to catch a glimpse of the paper as she did. All she saw was "To the Dark Lord" and then Harry had hastily folded it and stuffed it into a locket that hung around his neck.
Calida stored the information away in the back of her mind for later use. She didn't know what it had to do with the Dark Lord, but she thought he might be interested in it. And why was Harry wearing a locket. She giggled at the image of Potter wearing the tacky necklace as she opened the door.
Sirius looked up and smiled at her.
"I go home today," she said cheerily.
"Ah, I guess this is good-bye then."
"Er, listen," she blurted before she could stop herself. "You're the only person who understands what I went through with the veil, do you think, that well, maybe we could keep in touch?"
A smile flashed across his face, seeming to take years off, making him look like the handsome man he must have once been.
"Sure. Some casual correspondence can't hurt, as long as we're not trading information," he smiled mischievously, "I don't see why we shouldn't write to one another."
"Let me know when you get out of this place then. And, good luck."
"You too, take care of yourself. And," he glanced around nervously and motioned for her to come forward. "If you decide that you don't want to do it any more," he motioned towards her left forearm, "we can get you out of it."
He took her hand as she nodded and then pulled her forward into a one armed hug.
"There you are, dear." Her mother had just slipped in the door. "It's time to go, we've got your room all set up, I think you'll like how it was arranged. We should be fairly comfortable."
"Bye, Sirius."
"Bye, Alyssa," he said with a wink (Alyssa being the false name she had been checked in with).
Calida walked down the steps with her mother into the lobby of St. Mungo's. Her mother gave her a quick smile then turned on her heel and disapparated.
She looked once more around at the filled waiting room where many witches and wizards sat with a variety of different and very unique problems. Then with a resigned sigh she turned on her heel.
Clore's house was much the same as it was the last time she had been there, although now her mother was waiting at the end of the walkway for her. Calida's time of rest and relaxation was over, it was now time to return to the Dark Lord's service.
She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
I hope to have chapter 10 up within a week. Continue to harass and review!
I've also decided that I'm going to start another fic with much much less emphasis on origional characters. I have several stories in mind that I could write, but I'm going to leave it up to you all to decide. My three considerations are A) the life story of Draco or Lucius Malfoy (if oyu chose this one specify which Malfoy) B) The life of Severus Snape or C) my own story of the marauders.
I know these stories are all fairly common, but since I lack longer fiction involving some main characters, I'd like to pick something that might get more people looking into my work.
Please leave your vote in the reviews. I'm not sure how long I'll wait for them, so don't delay!