My Marauders // J.P. , R.L. , S.B x OC

Ch. 3, Punishment

Upon closing the door, she began her climb up the stacks of wooden stairs once again. She had never considered herself athletic, and now that fact was all too apparent as her lungs nearly gasped for air with each step.

She walked into the room, feeling slightly less groggy than she had moments before. Her head still pounded, and the sickly feeling lingered in her body, but she resolved to push through it.

Calliope dug into the large trunk at the foot of her bed, searching for any decent clothes. After what felt like minutes of rummaging, she finally pulled out a pair of blue jeans and a simple maroon long-sleeved top. "Perfect," she whispered to herself, careful not to wake the sleeping dragon of a girl across from her.

After gathering her clothes, she grabbed a towel and made a beeline for the communal bathroom on her level.

As she had expected, the bathroom was empty. She sighed in relief and began to run a bath, occasionally checking the temperature of the water to make sure it was just right.

The tub was officially full, and she allowed herself to gently sink into the practically perfect water, a small moan escaping her lips as the warmth enveloped her.

Cal washed her hair and body, tending to her needs, before she realized that the bathwater had cooled considerably and the steam that once filled the air around the tub had dissipated.

She lifted her body out of the tub, wasting no time in getting out of the chilly water and running the towel over her goosebump-covered body. Calliope quickly put on her clothes, brushed her teeth, and cast a much-needed drying spell on her hair.

Thankfully, years of practicing the spell paid off, and she hadn't accidentally singed half the length of her hair off this time—unlike that incident in her third year.

The girl patted her puffy face and rubbed her forehead, trying to alleviate the slight lingering pain. After one last look in the mirror, she nodded to herself and exited the stuffy washroom.

She checked the large clock on the wall of the common room before exiting; it read two o'clock. She had some time to kill before six when she was supposed to meet the Marauders.

Perhaps she could attend James's practice, or maybe she could head to the library to find Remus. As for Sirius, she wasn't sure where he might be; despite knowing the long-haired boy for years, she didn't have a confident guess.

She decided to head down to the library first.

After marching directly to her first destination, she opened the library doors and began to tread softly, mindful not to disturb anyone.

Calliope took cursory glances down the aisles and across the seating areas, but she couldn't spot her tall target. She then tried her luck with the upper sections of the library but still found nothing.

Calliope left the library and made her way towards the Quidditch pitch to find her second target.

The warm air gently brushed against her clothed arms as the sun beamed down on her head. Quickly making her way to the pitch, she found it unexpectedly full.

People found enjoyment in watching the practices. It confused Calliope greatly.

Despite her Ravenclaw origins, Calliope decided to sit in the Gryffindor stands, hoping to catch the attention of her friend, James Potter.

She took a seat in the highest row and found herself sitting behind two familiar Gryffindor girls, Alice Fortescue and Lily Evans. Neither of them had noticed the Ravenclaw sitting behind them.

It would be an exaggeration to call Calliope and any of the Gryffindor girls friends—except for Marlene. Marlene and Calliope had formed a friendship almost immediately after Sirius introduced them in the third year.