NOX° SIRIUS BLACK

Chapter Twenty-Three

        Calypso never minded having to write a paper that much. In fact, she enjoyed being able to sit down with her quill and parchment and write about any number of topics until her hand began to cramp. But, Professor McGonagall had given them an assignment to write two rolls of parchment by the end of her class and Calypso was doing fine until she reached the end of her paper. The tip of the blue quill brushed against her chin as she sat back in her chair, thinking about what she wanted to write while her mind stayed to other topics like Quidditch and Hogsmeade and —

         ''Calypso,'' Sirius whispered from across the aisle. He had been moved up, because he and James didn't know how to stop talking to one another. Calypso let out a deep breath and continued to ignore the boy who had been calling her name for the past five minutes. ''Cal . . . Cal . . . Cal . . .''

        ''Merlin, Sirius, will you shut up?" Calypso said, turning to face Sirius with an annoyed expression on her face. She heard someone let out a tiny cough and she flashed her Transfigurations teacher a sheepish smile.

        ''I need help. I don't understand these questions.'' Sirius whispered.

       ''Could you be any louder, Mister Black?'' Professor McGonagall asked, flipping boredly through the latest issue of Witch Weekly. Sirius apologized, but continued to try to catch Calypso's attention. After a few more minutes of him calling to her, she'd had enough.

       ''Shut up!'' Calypso said, her voice carrying more than she thought it would.

       ''Miss Krane and Mister Black, it appears the two of you will be gracing me with your presence in detention this evening.'' McGonagall said. Calypso leaned her head back and let out a soft groan. ''Fifteen points from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.''

       Calypso glared at Sirius, who merely shrugged and leaned back in his chair.

       She'd gotten detention plenty of times, but it never became more fun each time she went.

       ''My fingers are all shriveled from washing so many dishes.'' Calypso said while she dutifully scrubbed at the plate in her hands.

       ''Good, we should stop and use magic to finish the rest up.'' Sirius said. Calypso gave Sirius one of her most unimpressed looks. 

       ''You haven't even been helping. All you've done is sit on that counter and look pretty this entire time." Calypso pointed the spatula she picked up at Sirius, waving it around when she spoke so that bubbles flew everywhere. Sirius grinned.

           "Did you just call me pretty?"

            Calypso rolled her eyes to the back of her head. She fixed Sirius with a stern look.

            "This is our punishment, so we have to do it.'' She huffed.

            "Don't be ridiculous, Cal." Sirius groaned. "At least this is getting you out of Quidditch practice. You've been practicing every day for the last few weeks. How do you have time to do anything between all those practices?"

           "I don't. Hestia already yelled at me for getting detention and missing practice in the first place." Calypso sighed. "She just doesn't want to lose this year, which I understand, but there is such a thing as practicing too much. I think she's mainly nervous because she wants to play professionally and winning would really increase her chances of getting on a good team."

         "Why don't you tell her this? Aren't you supposed to be her right hand?" Sirius asked.

         Calypso frowned thoughtfully.