June 28, 1981
Calandra read and reread every book she could get her hands on regarding tracing magic. Nothing in them helped. An article in the paper about St. Mungo's new experimental techniques regarding blood curses piqued her interest. Sirius seemed to have the same idea when he read the paper and offered to help.
Armed with bottles of blood replenishing potion they went to Alice's and told her what they were doing. She was scared that something would go wrong, but offered to help them, nonetheless. It didn't matter, though. Even with Sirius's blood running through her, the letters came.
They tried it again a few weeks later, this time with better understanding of how to do it. Alice stepped in, pulling her sleeves up and holding her arms out. She said that they needed someone new to determine if it would really work or not. Sirius had balked at the idea, but conceded when Alice listed off reasons they should try a different person. It was all in vain. He still managed to find her.
Calandra went through all of her belongings three times over to see if there was anything left from her time at her father's house. She tossed aside every piece of clothing she was wearing every time he'd found her over the years. She threw out every single pair of socks she had, not knowing which ones she'd had on. She was going through Sirius's sock drawer to see if there were any of hers mixed among them, when she came across her mother's wand.
Fear washed over her. Calandra held the cherry wood in her shaking hands and thought about the odds. Could her father trace her through her mother's wand? She poured over spell books looking for the answer. James brought boxes of books that were in his parent's house to Sirius for her to check, but none of them held any answers.
Calandra ended up sitting on the floor with books all around her; parchment, notepads, ink pens, quills, and pencils scattered among them. She held her mother's wand as if gripping it tight enough would magical answer her questions. Without a definite answer Calandra couldn't take the chance. She whispered an apology and snapped the wand into.
...
August 14, 1981
The paper was depressing. Every day held a new story of someone missing, someone injured, or someone dead. But they couldn't not read it. Sometimes there was actual information to glean from all the hearsay. Calandra sat with Sirius on the couch and flicked through the prophet. Sirius read the articles while Calandra scanned the obituaries, then they'd switch.
Calandra caught a familiar name and sadness washed over her.
"The McKinnons." She whispered. "All of them. The whole family; Matthew and Marlene and their parents."
Sirius draped his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder.
"Peter's going to be gutted." She said. "He always seemed to be sweet on her."
Sirius put his paper down and read with her, his head leaning against hers. There were other names; so many other names. She counted herself incredibly lucky that his name wasn't among them. That Alice's wasn't there. That Frank and James and Remus and Lily and Peter and Mary weren't listed there. She squashed away the question that always lingered in her mind and focused on the words on the page.
How long would it be before those names would be listed?
...
August 28, 1981
Sirius had gone with her to visit Alice. He said he wanted to meet with Frank and discuss Order business, but Calandra had the suspicion that he was just reluctant to let her go anywhere alone. He'd been going with her more and more, even when she'd visit Alice. But he'd have come today either way; they were giving Neville his birthday present and having a celebratory dinner afterwards.
Calandra sat in the nursery and clapped her hands as Neville took wobbly baby steps toward her. He fell into her arms with a giggle and she tickled him, singing praises. He grabbed hold of the toy wand she'd brought him. He swished the little thing around and bubbles flew out of the end of it. Alice stood up and ruffled his hair, excusing herself for a moment.
Calandra grabbed Neville's new toys and danced them around him, letting his baby babble wash over her. She marched the stuffed animals up and down his chubby legs, happy to live in his little world, until a voice rang out from the hallway. Someone shushed loudly.
Calandra scooped Neville up and moved toward the door; it was cracked open and when she stood close she could hear the conversation from the hall. Sirius and Alice spoke in furious undertones, not quite whispering at each other.
"When's the last time she's seen the light of day outside that secret flat of yours?" Alice demanded.
"She's not a prisoner, Alice!" Sirius retorted. "You know what's waiting out there when she leaves."
"He hasn't tried to contact her in months." Alice bit out.
"Why do you think that is? As long as she stays somewhere he can't find her, she's safe. I'm trying to keep her safe!"
"And you think I'm not?" Alice asked.
"No! I know you are!" Sirius vehemently replied.
"Then why can't anyone come to her?" Alice asked furiously.
"Because it's bloody unplottable!" Sirius fought to keep his voice even. "I haven't told anyone where it is. I've had to put up a dozen protective charms and just as many masking spells to make sure she can't be found."
"You put masking spells here, too. Frank and I update the wards twice every week and we recast the charms just like you said." Alice said. "We even got Moody to show us a couple of his own personal ones."
"And she comes to visit, doesn't she?" Sirius asked.
"Not nearly enough!" Alice replied.
"You'll have to take that up with her, then, Fawcett." Sirius ground out.
"Oh, I will." Alice said menacingly, then her voice softened. "It's killing her, Sirius. You know how she feels about being trapped."
"I know. I'm trying, Alice." Sirius's voice lowered. "I'm trying."
Calandra took a step back and dropped to sit down on the floor. She placed Neville on her legs and bounced him up and down. No wonder Sirius insisted on doing the wards himself. She added her own, of course, but they weren't half as extensive as his apparently were.
Alice was right. She hadn't been to visit enough. She was so tired of the rigamarole it was to travel. Every single time she left the flat and went somewhere that wasn't warded her father found her. It used to just be sporadically, but over the past few months it had been every single time. Johan would swoop down and deliver a letter moments after she stepped outside. Each one was always the same.
You can't hide forever.
She hardly left the flat at all these days. She came to Alice's, she'd visit the Potter's, and she'd check in at the safe house once a week to see if they needed help. Other than that, her life consisted of the rooms at the flat and the research she did tirelessly to try to find a way out of her father's grasp.
...
September 19, 1981
Calandra made it a priority to visit Alice more often. She'd floo through four days a week and stay with Neville while Alice and Frank went to work. Alice was supposed to be doing half-days now, but she rarely ever followed those instructions. She'd be gone from eight in the morning until six in the evening some days.
It broke her heart, Calandra knew. Alice had cried on Calandra's shoulder more than once over missing out on Neville's day to day life. Calandra took photos all the time. She'd sit with Neville in his room and listen to Alice read stories from the painting that hung above the rocking chair. Calandra would tidy the house and cook dinner, so the only thing Alice had to do when she got home was spend time with Neville.
One day as she and Neville watered Alice's plants in the garden at Augusta's, a small square letter floated down to Calandra. She stared down at the parchment and clutched Neville tightly to her. Calandra quickly turned to go back in the house, and that's when she saw him.
Standing a little way down the path, leaning against a tree was her Father. He smiled at her. Calandra's heart thudded dully in her chest. Where could she go? She spun on her heel quickly and apparated to Hogsmeade. She ran to Honeydukes and cast a disillusionment charm over herself and Neville.
Her heart raced as she knocked over boxes by the front window so the shop owner wouldn't notice her opening and closing the door to the basement. Neville whimpered as she ran through the dusty passage. She emerged into the corridor and ran up the stairs to the seventh floor. She paced in front of the wall, holding Neville tightly against her chest.
I need a room with a secure floo. I need a room with a secure floo. I need a room with a secure floo.
Calandra stopped as soon as she saw the door. She opened it and quickly stepped inside. She leaned against the wall and looked around. The room she stood in was small, just as it was last time she'd been there. A stone fireplace ran almost the entire length of one wall, a small red pot sat on the mantle.
Calandra ran over and lifted the lid of the pot. Floo powder rested inside. Calandra breathed a sigh of relief and loosened her grip on Neville. She looked down at the small boy and stroked his hair. Calandra grabbed a handful of floo powder and stepped in the fireplace. She flung the powder down and whispered the address.
Neville laughed as the green flames swept them away. She stepped out of the flames in the living room of the flat. Neville grabbed her hair and blew raspberries on her cheek. Calandra breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to the fireplace. She took floo powder from her own bowl and stepped back into the fireplace. With a kiss to Neville's head she tossed the powder down and took them to Alice's.
Calandra whistled for Alice's owl as soon as she stepped in the Longbottom's living room. She wrote out a note to Augusta and a separate one for Alice. She tossed Button a treat and sent him on his way. With that taken care of, Calandra scooped Neville up and took him to his room. She sat him on the floor with his favorite toys and warded the room. Calandra put up every enchantment she knew. She didn't think he would find her here; she'd gone back to the flat first. If he tried to trace her through Hogwart's floo, if he even knew to get in the castle, he'd go to the flat. The floo at the flat was untraceable. He couldn't get them here.
Even so, Calandra sat with her back against the wall. Neville tucked beside her, her wand trained on the window, her hand trained on the door. She waited. Neville played happily beside her, marching Hippogriffs along her leg. She sat silently, listening for movement.
She heard the fireplace roar to life and cast a shield charm around Neville. Calandra stood and waited. Hurried footsteps ran down the hall and the doorknob jiggled. Calandra stepped in front of Neville.
"Callie!" Alice's voice sounded through the door. "Callie! Are you in there?"
Calandra's shoulders sagged with relief as she scooped Neville up and moved toward the door. She started undoing the wards then froze. She held her wand out toward the door once more, and called to Alice.
"Alice! When did I sneak in to Sirius's parent's house?"
"The summer before sixth year. We were at my mum's and you snuck out." Alice called. "Callie, are you ok? What's going on? Is Neville alright?"
Calandra finished removing the wards and Alice tore into the room. She grabbed Calandra by the shoulder and ran a hand over Neville's hair. Concern and worry clouded her face. Calandra held Neville out to Alice and gave her a quick smile.
"He's fine. We're fine." She breathed.
"What happened?" Alice asked.
"We were at Augusta's. I was letting him water your plants." Calandra swallowed. "I thought it was warded. I'm so sorry Alice. I thought it was warded."
Alice reached out a hand and pulled Calandra close.
"It's ok. It's ok." She said.
"He found me there." Calandra said. "My father. He showed up. We were watering the flowers and a letter came. I didn't touch it. I was taking Neville back in the house when I saw him."
Calandra felt tears in her eyes.
"He saw Neville. I'm so sorry Alice. I would've never. I didn't…."
She rubbed her face and took a breath.
"I apparated us out. I didn't know where to go. I couldn't take him anywhere I knew was safe. You can't apparate inside any of those places, and if I apparated close to them and tried to get inside, he could've found me."
"I took him to Hogsmeade. We used one of the secret passages to get into Hogwarts."
Alice looked shocked.
"We were concealed." Calandra said. "No one saw us. We went up to the seventh floor."
"The room." Alice said.
"I'd only ever been inside once." Calandra said. "It was a hiding place. It was always a hiding place. But I had to try."
Alice nodded.
"There was a fireplace inside. If there hadn't have been one, I would've gone to McGonagall. I promise, Alice. I would've kept Neville safe."
"I know." Alice said. "I know."
"I went back to my flat." Calandra said. "I didn't even come here. If he tries to follow me, he won't come here."
"Callie." Alice said. "It's ok. You're ok. It's ok."
Calandra pulled Alice into a hug.
"I'm sorry, Alice. I'm so sorry. I thought it was warded." She said.