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

Ch. 21, New Beginnings?

Gideon's cold eyes darted from Calliope to the trio standing before them. He stepped back instinctively but did not let his hands fall from her waist. "What in Merlin's name are you doing here—"

"Did you not hear me?" James yelled, in a voice way too loud for the practically noiseless library. He in no way considered, nor cared, "Back away."

Calliope pushed past her initial shock, tearing Gideon's arms off her waist, rushing over to James's as tears dared to fall from her eyes. When she started walking– practically running– toward James, he was unsure what he should do, or what she would do to him. Was she going to punch him, hit him, scream in his face that he ruined the one special moment she'd ever had?

She buried her face against his chest, her arms slipping past his to wrap tightly around his torso, encircling him in an embrace. It all happened so suddenly that James barely had time to react. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if she had collided with him out of frustration. But the trembling in her frame told a different story—a silent plea for help and comfort that left him rooted to the spot, his arms instinctively going around her.

"Calliope, Calli, come back," Gideon pleaded, his face scrunching up at the scene before him, "Come back to me. We can forget this moment ever happened, yeah? We can go to another quiet place, and resume..."

Sirius and Remus, like James, did not fully understand what was going on. "Excuse me?" Sirius jumps in rather loudly. It was a mystery that they had not yet been escorted out.

Gideon's desperate words grated on James's nerves like nails on a chalkboard. "Resume?" James echoed, his voice cold and laced with disbelief. "What exactly were you planning to 'resume,' Prewett?"

Remus's mouth was agape, and once he finally realized the severity of what had just transpired, he rushed to Calliope's aid, as the other boys had done. He stood tall, fixing his posture fully, next to James and Calliope.

Calliope had pulled her head away from James's chest, her tear-streaked face now visible, but James's arms remained firmly around her, as though letting go might cause her to crumble.

Gideon leaned forward, planting his palms firmly on the table as if anchoring himself, his gaze fixed solely on Calliope. His voice took on a coaxing, almost condescending tone. "Calli, Muffin, this isn't you. Come here. Come back to me." He tilted his head, his lips curling into a half-smile that didn't reach his cold eyes. "You don't need to hide behind them. They're not your knights in shining armor. And what are you even running from, huh? I'm all yours, Muffin."

"Who the bloody hell are you calling 'Muffin', you foul git?!" Sirius bellowed, taking a threatening step toward the table Gideon was leaning on, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

"My darling girl, Black," Gideon mocked again, the smugness in his tone palpable as he rolled his shoulders back. "Did mummy and daddy never teach you about true love?" He straightened, his posture calculated, his bones cracking audibly as he rose to his full height. "Hmm. No, I suppose not. They were too busy beating the respect into you and that freakishly pale-skinned brother of yours."

The room fell into an icy silence. James and Remus stiffened, their faces darkening in unison, but neither dared to speak. This wasn't their moment to take.

Sirius pulled his wand from his back pocket, his knuckles white as he gripped it tightly and pointed it straight at Gideon. His hand trembled, not from fear but from the sheer force of restraint barely holding him back.

"Sirius, no! Don't!" Calliope cried, her voice rising in panic as she struggled against James's hold.

But James didn't let her go. His arms, which had been securely wrapped around her waist to shield her, remained steadfast. "Shh, it's alright," he murmured, his voice steady despite the chaos. One hand shifted to her head, brushing her hair away from her face in a soothing motion. "He won't do it, Calli. I promise."