NOX° SIRIUS BLACK

Chapter Thirty-Six

      Calypso could still hear her mother's sobs echoing around her as she stared out of the window in her bedroom at Hogwarts. It'd been a week since her dad was killed and no one had seen the real Ophelia since. Calypso felt as though she were frozen to her spot by the window. Her roommates and Dorcas were nice enough to not be upset when Calypso locked them out of their own room and refused to see anybody. Aerin would come by daily with meals for her to eat and he'd pace around outside, offering to talk to her when she was ready. The rest of her friends were rotating who took turns waiting outside of her door in between classes to find different ways to coax Calypso from the room.

     She looked down at the crumpled letter in her hands. She had read it over and over again and was still struggling to comprehend what it meant. It meant that her father wasn't a terrible person like she had thought. It meant that her father had died for her and her sister while she hated him. He had tried to change for them and, in the end, he died so that his children could live.

     His funeral was the next day and she'd be forced to leave Hogwarts once again to face her mother, who was having a really tough time processing Icarus's death. Turns out, he'd sent her a letter too before he died which came during Calypso's stay at the cottage in Ottery St. Catchpole the first few days following her father's death. Rania had locked herself in her room and cried all day and all night. Alex had been at a complete loss at what to do as he tried to care for Maverick. Calypso didn't know what the letter had said, but she could guess what the general idea was.

      To Icarus, Rania was the love of his life. She was everything to him and Rania loved him too. Even though she had moved on and started a new life with Alex, a part of her would always be tied to Icarus Krane.

    "I traded with Dorcas and it's my turn now." Sirius announced suddenly from the other side of the door. Calypso heaved a sigh, startled for a moment to hear his voice before she continued to stare firmly out of the window. "You can't stay in your room forever — mainly because you have roommates who need their clothes and things — but also this isn't healthy. You've been in there for a week and we've all allowed it, but I can't let this continue anymore."

     Calypso raised a brow at that. He can't let this continue? She climbed from the windowsill and walked to the door to listen closer, placing her hand on the door knob. All the other times Sirius had visited, he hadn't said anything. He would sit silently outside of her door and wait for her to speak to him. 

    "We don't have to talk about it. We don't even have to talk at all. We can just sit in silence if you'd prefer that." Sirius said. He leaned his head against the door and whispered, "I'm here, Calypso. I'm right here."

     Calypso opened the door and Sirius fell forward. He landed on the ground with a groan before sitting up when he realized she had opened the door.

     "I —"

     "I thought you said we didn't have to talk." Calypso said, shutting the door. She slid down onto the floor and sat with her back against the door. Sirius opened and closed his mouth, taking in her appearance. Her eyes were red and puffy as though she had been swollen and she was wearing pajamas. Her eyes weren't as bright and animated as they normally were. She looked sadder and more tired than she normally did.

     "We don't." Sirius said after a few moments. Calypso sent him a look and he held his hands up in the air in mock surrender. He sat down beside her and the pair of them stared forward without saying a word. After a few long stretches of silence, Sirius cracked. "Why'd you let me in?"

       "I knew you wouldn't be able to handle not speaking." Calypso said. The corner of her mouths turned up into an almost smile.

       "Calypso." Sirius nudged, wanting her to answer the question. She sighed.