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

Ch. 13, Phobia

As they stepped into the light, their identities became unmistakable: Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter, and, surprisingly, Cassandra Oakes. Cassandra? Calliope could barely believe her eyes. Cassandra, who usually avoided the boys when Calliope was around, now stood alongside them with an expression of genuine concern.

"Calliope, are you alright?" Remus asked gently, his eyes searching her face.

Calliope was conflicted about what to say. They had obviously just witnessed what happened. Twomane had rather viciously grabbed her arm, and they would undoubtedly want an explanation. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

"I'm fine," Calliope responded with a forced smile, not wanting to cause a scene. Twomane was a batty old lady, and they had to get to their next class. Calliope believed it wasn't worth dwelling on.

Cassandra pushed past the boys, nudging them a little too hard as she moved to stand next to Calliope. "Cal, come 'ere. Let me see your arm," she insisted, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Calliope hesitated, but the look of genuine concern in Cassandra's eyes compelled her to comply. She extended her arm, and Cassandra gently took it, examining the red marks left by Twomane's grip.

Cassandra gasped, her eyes widening as she examined Calliope's arm. "Calli, these marks are unacceptable," she said, her voice laced with anger.

The boys exchanged worried glances, concern etched on each of their faces. They quickly huddled around Calliope, peering at the red indentations left by Twomane's grip.

"What the fuck?" Sirius exclaimed, his eyebrows tensing. "If your arm hadn't been covered by your robe, that kooky bitch would've broken skin."

Remus's concern deepened as he examined the marks. "This isn't right, Calliope. We need to do something about it." James nodded along with him and suggested they report this to McGonagall.

"It's fine, guys," Calliope said softly, her voice quieting slightly. She gently took her arm back from Cassandra's grasp, sliding her sleeve robe down to cover the marks, and held her arm securely in front of her hips.

Cassandra crossed her arms tightly across her chest, her expression a mix of concern and frustration. James sighed audibly while Remus and Sirius exchanged a knowing glance, silently communicating their shared worry. It was clear to everyone in that room that they disagreed with Calliope's decision to downplay the seriousness of what had happened.

"It's not fine," James stated firmly, being the first to break the silence, "I know I joked before, saying she cursed me to break my arms and whatnot, but it looked like she was seriously trying to break your arm."

Cassandra held her arms tighter to her chest, "Unfortunately, for once I agree with Potter. What happened?"

Calliope faced two stark choices:

1. She could tell the truth and admit to her friends that their eccentric professor had aggressively confronted her because she believed Calliope possessed a 'gift'. This could lead to two possible outcomes:

a.) They might view Calliope as peculiar, potentially causing them to distance themselves from her. It seemed overly dramatic, but the fear was there.

b.) They could dismiss Twomane's words as nonsense, potentially laughing off the situation, leaving Calliope feeling naive forever considering Twomane's bizarre claims.

2. Or, she could continue to downplay the incident and lie about the situation, hoping to avoid embarrassment or an overreaction from her friends. This may cause them to forget anything ever even occurred.