24. slipping through my fingers




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CELESTE SAT

on the edge of her brother's bed while the boy just stared blankly at the wall on the other side of the infirmary. She had just told Draco that she has asked her aunt and uncle to speak with Narcissa, and to say the least, Draco wasn't thrilled. He was actually surprised how sad and upset he felt about it. He hasn't really got to know Celeste again, and now she wanted nothing to do with him or the family.

"Mother will be devastated," Draco stated bluntly, hoping that the guilt will change her mind.

"I can maybe visit you sometimes," Celeste said calmly and glanced at her brother.

He looked a lot like their father, whom Celeste met once at the Department of Mysteries. There was a spark of relief and sadness whenever Celeste thought about their father. She was glad that she wasn't going to meet him, at least not yet. She was sure he must be furious with her, she's a blood-traitor. Hermione is a muggle and now one of her closest friends and Celeste adores the Weasley family. Then she feels sadness as well, because according to Narcissa, Lucius absolutely loved his little princess.

Draco huffed quietly and turned to look at Celeste. "When are you telling her?"

"Soon," Celeste sighed. "I think, I don't know."

"Well you should figure it out because she'll be here shortly," Draco told Celeste.

Celeste pressed her lips into a thin line. "Marvelous."

The twins stayed quiet for awhile before Draco opened his mouth again. "What made you come to this decision?"

"Umm, I just don't think I'll fit in and there are just so many things that I can't deal with," Celeste explained carefully.

Draco just frowned before hearing a very familiar, frantic, voice coming towards them. "That must be mother," Draco sighed and carefully pushed himself to sit.

He knew that his mother is going to be furious at Potter and probably will sue him and Celeste informing that she's leaving is not going to help the situation at all.

"Draco!" Narcissa exclaimed and ran to her son. She gently pulled him to a warm embrace. "Thank Merlin you're all right. I was so worried when Severus owled me and I couldn't help but think the worst and..."

"Mother breath," Draco smirked at his mother, who took a deep breath in.

"You're all right, that's good," Narcissa repeated and caressed Draco's cheek before she turned her head slightly to her right, where her daughter was standing.

"Celeste!" She sighed loudly and quickly ran to her and trapped her into a huge hug. "I've missed you."

Celestes swallowed but wrapped her arms around her mother anyway, she felt absolutely awful. Narcissa really is the warmest and most caring person and Celeste was about to break her heart.

"Hey," Celeste whispered when she pulled away from the hug.

Narcissa stared at her daughter with hope in her eyes but the look on Celeste's face told her to worry. "You are leaving me," Narcissa stated bluntly and took a step away from Celeste.

"I-I...." Celeste stuttered but couldn't finish.

"You're leaving me, again," Narcissa said biting her tongue.

Celeste was surprised by Narcissa bluntness, usually she's a very subtle person. "That's not fair," said Celeste.

"Neither is you leaving me," Narcissa whispered before turning around and sitting on Draco's bedside.

The blonde girl took a deep breath in and exhaled out. She carefully walked next to Narcissa, making the woman look at her. "I'm truly am sorry. But I have to think about myself. I can't just change everything just because I know now..."

"But, but we had so much fun when you visited. You were happy to be with us..." Narcissa said, tears performing in the corner of her eyes.

"Don't cry..." Celeste sighed.

"Why? Why are you leaving?" Narcissa questioned again wiping her tears.

Celeste just sat quietly for a minute, her golden eyes piercing at her mother's eyes. "I just want to go back to how things used to be."

"You used to be with me," Narcissa said quietly. "You used to be with me, I used to sing you before you went to bed. Your father loved to listen you playing the piano and you and Draco used to do everything together."

"I'm sorry but I just don't remember all that. I remember some bits---"

"---and you said you loved it," whispered Narcissa.

"But that was then and now you all are just...too much to handle," Celeste said, choosing her words carefully.

Narcissa chuckled dryly before meeting her daughter's eyes again. "I can see that."

"But it doesn't mean that I won't see you ever again, right? I can come and visit during the holidays perhaps," Celeste explained, trying to make the blow little bit more easier. "I'm sure that Will and Liv will agree with it, and Beth and Nathan would like to see Draco and Leo must..." she continued but shut her mouth the second she realized she had mentioned Leo.

"Leo?" Narcissa frowned and quickly glanced at Draco who stared at his sister in shock.

"Seriously? Leo? I thought of him as a friend but clearly he's not," Draco huffed when he realized the connection between his sister and Leo.

"Please, Leo isn't the point of this conversation," Celeste sighed.

"He most definitely is not but I do need to know," Narcissa said eyeing her daughter who had blushed. "But before that, shall we talk about the fact that I won't have my daughter with me, again."

Celeste sighed loudly. "It's not just your life. It's mine and I get to choose, besides you don't have any legal rights."

"I am you mother, I have every right over you," Narcissa pointed out, but regretted her choice of words the second she saw Celeste's eyes flickering. "I'm sorry..." she sighed immediately.

Celeste ignored her mother's apology. "What is that suppose to mean?" She asked, pressing on the subject.

"Nothing," Narcissa said quickly but avoided any eye contact with Celeste, making the girl more suspicious. Celeste knew that her mother stared at her golden eyes every chance she got. "I-I just wish you could rethink your decision..."

"I'm friends with the Weasleys," Celeste blurted without even thinking. She had no idea why she just said it but it was out there now but by the look on her mother's face, this information wasn't new.

"I know darling," Narcissa said. "I saw you once, with the Wesleys. You seemed very close with them."

Celeste blinked twice, she couldn't believe that her mother knew and was so calm about it. According everything she had heard from Sirius Black, whom Celeste misses dearly, the Malfoys and Blacks didn't approve the Weasleys.

"Y-you knew?" Asked Celeste

Narcissa just nodded and got up from the bedside but for her unfortunate, the letter she had wrote to the Ministry to demand Celeste's custody, fell from her pocket.

Celeste frowned and took the letter before Narcissa had a chance to react. Celeste's golden eyes widened with every word she read, she couldn't believe it.

"H-how could you?" Cried Celeste, shock and hurt in her eyes.

"No no, sweetheart...it's not what you think it is," Narcissa started panicking, she had no intension to send the letter but she was sure that Celeste had inherited her stubbornness so talking reason won't work.

"It's not what I think? Really? Then what is it? Because from what I understood, you're trying to take me from uncle Will!"

"I wasn't going to send it!" Narcissa exclaimed, the worry and panic of completely loosing her daughter rising inside her.

"Oh, is that so? Shit, I can't believe you!" Celeste shouted.

"Please, sweetheart just listen to me..." Narcissa began, her words coming out faster than she has expected.

"No! I won't listen! You are unbelievable, I mean how could you just take someone from their loved ones?"

"Someone did that to me, damn it!" Narcissa almost screamed with tears falling down from her sad eyes. "Someone took you from me. I had no choice, someone just did it."

Celeste stared at her mother without saying a word.

"Yes I wrote that letter but I wasn't going to send it. I promise you," Narcissa said, her voice getting shaky. "If leaving is what you truly want, then I can't do anything about it," she said, swallowing her pride and walking away, leaving Celeste and Draco alone.

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LEO WAITED FOR

his girlfriend just outside the infirmary. He was about to leave and wait for Celeste somewhere else when a tall woman with blonde and brown hair walked past him, crying against her palms. There was no doubt that this was Narcissa Malfoy, even if he couldn't see her face completely, everything of her reminded him of Celeste.

After watching the woman disappear, Celeste walked to him. Leo frowned out of concern. "It didn't go well."

"No it did not," Celeste shook her head and wrapped her arms around Leo's torso. "Can we go out? I need air."

"Of course," Leo smiled and placed a soft peck on the crown of Celeste's head. He took her hand and led her outside. It was a warm spring day, the rain had stopped few hours ago and a fresh smell of rain still flowed in the air. The couple sat down on the steps between the school's corridor and the garden.

"She wrote a letter," Celeste said staring at her palms. "To the Ministry, demanding my custody."

"What?" Leo gasped and turned to look at Celeste, who still stared at her palms.

"They didn't give me away, you know. I was taken so apparently it makes it easier for her to take me."

"Is she going to----"

"----send the letter? No," Celeste sighed before turning to look at Leo.

"And you believe her?" Leo questioned.

"Yeah, I do. Because no matter what, she does want me to be happy," Celeste smiled trough her teary eyes. "Merlin, I don't know what to do, or think."

"How come?" Leo asked carefully. He did know, sort of. He knew that Celeste is very confused. He knew that Celeste did love her family but can't look past the things they have done. He also knew that Celeste couldn't live without her uncle Will, Olivia and Beth and Nathan.

"You know," Celeste said and rolled her tear filled eyes.

"Well yes. But isn't it a good thing then? Leaving the Malfoys behind? You can breath, and figure things out," Leo said and placed a loose hair from Celeste's face behind her ear.

"It is," Celeste admitted.

"But there's one thing we need to do before we leave. I spoke to your friends about it and they are on board," Leo smirked. "We need to figure out who exactly took you."

Celeste turned her head slowly back to Leo with a little smile on her face and nodded.





there you go, and soon you'll find out who took celeste

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