October 22, 1981
Calandra slid a mug of tea in front of Sirius and pulled out the chair next to him. She stirred her own tea and watched him mutter to himself as he crossed out things on the parchment in front of him and flipped through an ancient looking spell book.
"What happened today?" she asked, taking a sip of tea.
Sirius looked up and sighed. He rubbed his eyes with his palms and ran his hands up through his hair. Calandra watched him, concern clouding her features. Meetings with James didn't usually cause him to come home looking like this.
"Dumbledore met with Prongs yesterday." He said, staring at the wall.
"He's coming after Harry." Sirius said.
It took Calandra just a moment to understand what Sirius was saying. Her heart skipped a beat and she had to set her teacup down, her hands were shaking so much.
"How?" she asked. "How does he know?"
Sirius shook his head.
"I don't know. He just told them that he was certain You-Know-Who was going to come for Harry. That they were all in danger."
Calandra's mind raced.
"They've been in hiding for months." She said. "What could he want with Harry?"
"I don't know." Sirius said.
"We could send them to America." She said. "He might not think to look for them there. Or Egypt; they say there's a whole city down there that's unplottable."
"Dumbledore's offered to cast the Fidelius Charm for them." Sirius said.
Calandra breathed a sigh of relief. She'd forgotten about the Fidelius Charm.
"That's perfect, then." She said, sitting forward. "Even if he was standing right in front of them, he couldn't get to them with the charm."
Sirius nodded.
"Hey." Calandra laid a hand on his arm. "What's wrong?"
"I offered to be secret keeper." He said.
"Ok." Calandra said slowly.
"Prongs didn't say yes yet." He said. "He was concerned."
Sirius shook his head and let out a bark of laughter.
"Concerned." He repeated. "For me."
"He didn't want me to be a target because of him." Sirius said. "Told Dumbledore I'd offered, but didn't tell him if he'd agreed yet."
Calandra looked down at the paper in front of Sirius. He'd scribbled names and places all over the paper. Thick lines crossed out most of the names. Calandra saw Dorcas's name on the page with a harsh black line through it. Benjy's name was slashed out. Gideon's and Fabian's were the same. Calandra swallowed and looked back to Sirius. Was he picturing James and Lily and Harry as names on the page? Bisected by deadly black ink.
"I'm going to talk to him, again." Sirius said, standing up. "Keeping Harry safe is the most important thing."
Calandra nodded and lifted her face when he leant toward her to kiss her cheek.
"I'll be home in a bit, love." He murmured.
"Be safe." Calandra said, and watched him disappear though the fireplace.
She sat at the table for almost an hour, staring at the teacup in front of her, lost in thought. The Fidelius Charm was binding. The secret keeper had to willingly give up the information. She knew Sirius would never do that.
What if they came after him, though? Sirius would be in incredible danger. They'd try to torture it out of him for sure. What would happen when that didn't work? What if they killed him? Would the charm break with his death? Sirius would be the first person they'd go after. Everyone in the Order would be a suspect, really.
Calandra nodded as the idea started to take form in her mind. She wasn't a member of the Order.
October 23, 1981
"Sirius." Calandra said the next morning.
Sirius hummed acknowledgement as he read the paper.
"I'll be the secret keeper." She said.
Sirius looked at her and shook his head.
"I will." Calandra said. "You can talk to James and explain the advantages of it being someone who isn't a member of the Order."
"No." Sirius said.
"I can do this." Calandra said.
"No!" Sirius shook his head.
"You said yourself that James was worried about you." she said. "This will keep all of you safe."
"NO!" Sirius said. "James and I talked about it last night. Dumbledore's casting the spell, there's a plan in place."
"I can do it." Calandra said quietly. "He may not be my brother, but he's still my friend. They both are. I'd never do anything that would put them in danger."
Sirius's face softened and he nodded.
"I know." He said. "I know you'd never tell a soul."
He kissed her cheek and ran a hand down her arm.
"But, like I said." He gave her a quick smile. "There's no need. Prongs and I already talked it over."
Calandra drew back and searched his face. He was trying to keep his voice light and unbothered, but she saw right through it. He squeezed her hand and kissed her nose.
"I've got to go take care of some things today." He said, standing and shrugging on his jacket. "Please don't go outside anywhere without me. I know you think it's over and he can't find you anymore, but I want to be absolutely sure. Especially now."
Calandra nodded and tossed him the keys to his motorbike. He caught them with a grin and leant down to her.
"I love you." he said against her mouth.
"I love you, too." Calandra replied.
The more Calandra thought about the state of things, the more worried she got. She couldn't figure out why Voldemort would want anything with Harry. He was just a kid, still a baby. What sort of threat could he possibly pose?
Calandra tidied up the flat and sat on the floor of the bedroom, spreading parchment out in front of her. She scribbled dates and times and places, trying to figure out what connection Harry could possibly have to Voldemort that would make him be a target. She sat, gazing down at the parchment when a note caught her eye.
Last spring Voldemort and Death Eaters went after the Undersecretary to the Minister. James & Lily smuggled her out. James had transfigured them all into falcons and they'd flown away. Calandra paused and thought back. James and Lily had taken her to Edinburgh.
No. That couldn't be right.
She'd had been written up in the Daily Prophet the very next day. They'd been photographed outside of the House of Commons in London. But Calandra was sure, they'd taken someone to Edinburgh. Then she remembered.
Alice.
Alice and Frank had taken someone to Edinburgh. They'd helped Moody capture one of the Notts and had apparated Bartemius Crouch out just as Voldemort arrived. Alice had come home shaking that night. She could barely write in the journal. It was her first run in with him.
Calandra's blood ran cold as she looked back down at the parchment in front of her; at all the similarities. They were in the Order. Alice and Frank had rescued someone Voldemort wanted, too. They had a baby, too. A little boy. A little boy whose birthday was almost the exact same as Harry's. What if Dumbledore got it wrong? What if it wasn't Harry at all? What if it was Neville? What if Voldemort came after Neville and there was no Fidelius Charm to keep him safe?
Calandra stood up and threw on the first jacket she came to; one of Sirius's old riding jackets. She tore through the house and jumped in the fireplace, flinging floo powder inside and nearly shouting the address. She whirled out of the fireplace in the Longbottom's living room. Frank poked his head in from the hall and gave her a puzzled look.
"Hey, Callie." He said. "Everything ok? We weren't expecting you."
"I need to talk to you. And Alice." Calandra said.
"She's in Neville's room." Frank motioned down the hall.
Calandra rushed down the hallway and into Neville's room. Alice was reading him a book, gently rocking back and forth in the rocking chair. She looked up in surprise when Calandra entered the room.
"Callie!" she said. "What's going on?"
"You all have to go." Calandra said.
Frank and Alice exchanged puzzled glances with each other.
"What are you talking about?" Alice asked.
"You-Know-Who is coming after someone." Calandra said. "I don't know if I'm allowed to say who and I don't even know why. They seem confident that they know who he's coming after."
Calandra knelt in front of Alice.
"But if they're wrong, I think Neville is in danger."
Alice clutched Neville to her and stared at Calandra.
"Callie." She said. "Are you ok? What is all this?"
"I don't know." Calandra felt tears well up in her eyes. "All I know, is that I have this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that you're not safe."
Frank came to stand beside Alice. He laid a hand on her shoulder and knelt down to face Calandra.
"Callie." He said softly. "We're safe here. We've got the best protection the Aurors can give. You should know that."
Calandra pursed her lips and shook her head.
"I know." She said. "I know. But something's wrong. I can feel it."
Alice passed Neville off to Frank and sank beside Calandra.
"Callie. What happened?" she asked.
"You-Know-Who is coming after someone. I don't know why, but he's coming for them. We both know that's as good as a death sentence." Calandra said.
Alice nodded.
"The person who relayed the information seems to be certain that they know who he's coming for. But I can't take that chance." Calandra gripped Alice's hands. "If they're wrong, he might come for you. For all of you; Frank and Neville, too. I can't lose you all Alice. I can't."
Alice wrapped an arm around Calandra and looked up to her husband.
"Frank's mum has a few different properties throughout the country." She said slowly. "We could make one a safe house with the Auror department and go there for a bit."
Frank nodded and stroked Neville's hair.
"Use every concealment charm you can." Calandra said. "Everything. Every ward, every deflection spell, everything. Ok?"
Alice and Frank nodded.
"Wherever it is, I can keep it secret." She said, willing Alice to understand.
Alice cocked her head to the side and studied Calandra.
"That's what's happening to the others isn't it?" she asked. "They're using the Charm? The Fidelius?"
Calandra nodded. Frank hoisted Neville up on his shoulder and patted his back. Alice's eyes flicked between Calandra's for a moment and she nodded.
"We'll go." She said. "We'll ward it and conceal it, but I can't ask you to do that."
"I'm offering." Calandra said quickly. "I'm offering. You don't have to ask."
Alice held Calandra's hands in her own.
"You'd be the first person they'd go to, Callie." She said. "If they had any sense at all, they'd know you would be the one. I can't do that to you."
"I'll go into hiding, too." Calandra said. "I already am. I don't care if they come for me."
Alice shook her head firmly.
"No, Callie. You're not doing this for me, too." She said. "You promised, remember?"
Calandra wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She stared at Alice's pretty round face and wished that there was some magical answer that could keep them all safe. Calandra wrapped her arms around her friend and whispered in her ear.
"I love you, Alice."
"I love you, too Callie."
"You have to stay safe, ok?"
"That's my line, remember?"
Calandra choked out a laugh and pulled back.
"We'll pack everything tonight and let Moody know tomorrow. He and Frank's mum and Dumbledore will be the only ones to know, besides you." Alice said.
Calandra nodded. Frank reached out a hand and helped her to her feet. Neville opened his eyes sleepily and reached for Calandra. Calandra held him, without a moment's hesitation. She held him to her chest and felt the thumping of his heart against her own.
Alice and Frank moved to the doorway, whispering to one another, discussing what they'd pack and how long they'd be gone. But Calandra just stood there, with Neville. He settled against her contentedly and let out a soft sigh. Calandra closed her eyes and rubbed his back. For a moment everything was alright with the world. There was no dark wizard hunting people down. There was no horrid father trying to lock people up in boxes. There were no Death Eaters torturing friends. There was just her and Neville.