NOX° SIRIUS BLACK

Chapter Sixty-One

Rhea stared through the large window as rain pattered against the glass, the distant screams echoing from the lower levels of the old Krane Manor where the Death Eaters and the prisoners were locked away. She looked out at the hills of rolling green, imagining another life that was long forgotten when the distant sound of heels clacking against the tile floors could be heard from around the corner. Rhea let out a heavy sigh — she could tell from the hasty and scattered footsteps who was about to find her there.

         Rhea didn't bother turning her head around when Bellatrix Lestrange came rounding the corner, her dark eyes narrowed when she found Rhea doing nothing but staring out at the dark sky.

        "What are you doing?" Bellatrix asked, her tone impatient and it was nearly enough to make Rhea turn her head to the girl. Bellatrix let out a huff. "You need to come help us with the girl. She's starting to become agitated."

        "Death Eaters can't handle a three year old?" Rhea retorted, briefly glancing over her shoulder to give Bellatrix her look of disapproval that made the girl curl her lip. Rhea added underneath her breath, "We really have gone downhill."

         "The Dark Lord won't be pleased to know that you are wasting time watching the rain when there's work to be done!" Bellatrix said. Rhea rolled her eyes.

          "I'm not watching the rain, you fool." Rhea said. She couldn't believe that this was the spawn of Druella Black neè Rosier. Rhea narrowed her eyes, staring up at the empty clouds. "I'm wondering what's taking Calypso so long to come."

          Calypso Krane sat by James's bedside, reading through a book on divination she picked up from the library while James sat in his bed in the infirmary, bored beyond belief.

         "How much longer —"

           "How many times are you going to ask that?" Calypso asked, cutting her dear friend off before he could ask his question. James threw his head onto his pillow, groaning before wincing in pain and bringing his hand up to his wounds that were slowly healing thanks to the cream Cassandra had provided, courtesy of her and Pandora.

          "You're not the one that has to be stuck in this bed all day, Talon! You don't know what it's like." James said, flailing his arms dramatically and Calypso playfully rolled her eyes before the boy sat up, nearly jumping out of his skin. "Tell me everything that's been going on."

          "I've already told you everything that's happened since the night of the attack. In fact, I've told it to you so many times that you should have it memorized by now."

         "Hey, don't blame me for wanting to be kept in the loop. Ever since you and Sirius came clean about the Order —"

         Calypso placed her hand over James's mouth, her eyes darting around to make sure Madam Wormwood didn't hear but she was locked away in her office and out of sight. James looked at her apologetically when she removed her hand before turning to face her completely again.

        "Did Dumbledore really say you couldn't rescue Maverick and Alex?" James asked, a frown on his face. Calypso sighed at the mention of her headmaster, which was something Sirius pointed out she'd been doing ever since she stormed out of the meeting and disappeared for three hours before returning to Ravenclaw Tower as though nothing happened.

        "Enough about Dumbledore," Calypso said dismissively with a shake of her head. James let out a massive groan at her refusal to speak on the subject that made Calypso crack a tiny smile before she changed the subject. "I saw your parents here the other day. How are they holding up?"