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CELETE WATCHEDย
William and Narcissa talking with each other, and for everyones' surprise they actually got along. Their spouses were sitting next to them, commenting their conversations every now and then. While her mother and uncle got along, ย Celeste could see the tension between her father and uncle โ she remembers that uncle Will wasn't Lucius' biggest fan.
"Oh that's cute," Olivia smiled and pointed at a photograph by the fire mantle.
A small photograph of Celeste and Draco decorated the fire mantle. In the photograph Draco was chasing his sister.
"It is," sighed Narcissa and quickly glanced at Draco and then at Celeste, her heart warming by the sight of both of her children.ย
Leo tried his best to bond with Draco although the brother wasn't too keen into the idea of talking with his sister's boyfriend. Draco's sulking spirits however rose when his father joined his conversation with Leo, grilling the life out of the Marchal boy.
"How long have you known my daughter?" Asked Lucius, his eyes narrowing with each word.
"For several years now, sir," said Leo.
Lucius didn't say another word to the boy. He however smirked every time his son tested Leo. Draco kept asking Leo about his family, who he was friends with to name a few.ย
Draco had always wanted to be that overprotective brother to his sister. He was that when they were children but once Celeste was taken โ he had no sister to protect.ย
On the other side of the room, William was telling stories to Narcissa about Celeste due the woman's wishes.
"She was a easy child. Very mature from a young age," said William.ย
"Sometimes it felt like I was the adult," smirked Celeste but her smirk faded quickly as she felt her head starting to hurt.
William noticed this right away. "Are you alright?"
Celeste tried to nod but couldn't. William and Olivia immediately started to hover around their niece. Celeste knew what was wrongย โ she was having some afterwards symptoms of the Cruciatus Curse.ย
"Ummm..." started Celeste.
She knew that her aunt and uncle will throw a fit if they would know that she met You-know-who and that he tortured her. However she couldn't lie to them, they were her guardians and have every right to know.
Celeste only wished that they won't blame the Malfoys.
"You-know-who was here, wasn't he?" Asked Williamย as rose from his seat.
"Don't freak out..." started Celeste but was stopped by Olivia.
"What did he do?" She asked, worry shining from her eyes.
Celeste rubbed the back of her neck. "The Cruc..."
Leo turned his face straight towards his girlfriend. "The Cruciatus?" He asked.
Celeste nodded.
"We are leaving," said William sternly, taking Celeste's hand while Olivia reached for Celeste's shoulder. "She spend one evening here and gets tortured..." muttered William in anger.
Narcissa jumped up immediately, followed by Lucius and Draco.ย
"W-wait what?" Asked Narcissa, nervously changing her gaze between her husband and then William and Olivia.
Celeste bit her lip as she looked at the angry faces of her uncle and aunt and the concerned ones of her family. She couldn't blame her uncle for wanting to leave but she didn't want that. She glanced at Leo who looked so lost and helpless now that Celeste's two families were fighting over her.ย
"Uncle Will..." started Celeste but Will shook his head.
"You got hurt. I am not leaving you here," argued William. "I'm your guardian and I can't let you stay here."
Celeste sighed and turned to Olivia who had a troubled look in her face. "Liv..."
"I'm sorry honey but Will is right," said Olivia with a sad smile.
"N-no, no you can't do that. You can't just take her," stammered Narcissa, unintentionally reaching for Celeste's hand.
A moment of silence fell upon everyone. Celeste glanced at her hands โ one was held by her uncle and other by her mother. She offered each a smile which they both returned but unfortunately a smile won't solve this situation.
Suddenly Celeste was removed from her mother and uncle and she was facing her brother.ย
"Not that anyone asked me, but I don't think it's fair to separate us again, Mr Starling," said Draco.
William sighed. "First of all, I wasn't the one who separated you in the first place and yes, I agree that it wasn't fair but she got hurt. Now I don't think any of us wants that and I am sorry but I don't think this place is the best one for Celeste and her safety. Wasn't she taken because of the man you assumably follow?"
"So taking her from us again is the right thing?" Asked Lucius and stepped to stand behind his son.ย
"It might be the only thing to do..." sighed Narcissa and reached for her husband's arm.ย
Lucius frowned as he turned to look at his wife. "What are you talking about?"ย
"He hurt her because she didn't agree to be part of his plans," reminded Narcissa. "What will he do when she says no again?"ย
"But mum..." said Draco.
Narcissa gave her son a teary smile. "I am so sorry my dragon, but I am afraid that Mr Starling is right. I know it's not fair to you, to be apart from your sister again..."
"She'll be safer with us," said Olivia with a sound of sympathy in her voice.
"I know that," sighed Draco and glanced at his sister who gave him a shy smile.ย
Olivia and William stayed quiet for a minuteย โ they didn't wish to hurt the Malfoys by taking Celeste but like Narcissa had said, it might be necessary. But they didn't like the idea of leaving Celeste behind either because of what had happened.ย
"Can't I stay just for a little while?" Asked Celeste, her golden eyes finding her uncle's blue ones. "Will, please."
William has never been able to say no to his niece. Not when she was a child and not now. He knew that Celeste's been having mixed feelings about her biological family and he was glad to find out that she has solved those feelings but now she was going to be disappointed again.
"All right kiddo," said William, smoothing Celeste's hair.ย
"Thank you!" Squealed Celeste, wrapping her arms around William's neck.ย
"But if anything happens to you..." said William when Celeste let go of her uncle. "If anything happens to Celeste, I won't take it lightly and I will most certainly blame you," he turned towards the Malfoys.ย
"Thank you," sighed Narcissa as she tried her best to hold her tears back. She reached for Celeste's shoulder, pulling her daughter towards her.ย
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NARCISSA MUST
had checked on Celeste every five minutes. The girl had fallen asleep almost right after William and Olivia had left. Narcissa kept going in and out of Celeste room when Lucius finally urged his wife to rest. He gently took her hand and guided her to the library and sat her on the armchair by the fireplace.
"Cissa. You need to rest," Lucius sighed and sat down on a chair next to hers.ย
"She's asleep and we have the wards on. No one can come in without us knowing," he said softly and rubbed Narcissa's hand which was resting on Lucius' chair instead of hers.
"I know, I know. I just can't stop worrying. I didn't worry the last time she was asleep in that room and then suddenly I didn't see her in twelve years," Narcissa sighed tearfully.
Lucius nodded slightly, he knew Narcissa was right. He himself was scared to death to leave their daughter in her own room without no one looking after her. He also knew that worrying will only make him and Narcissa overly emotional and what he had understood, Celeste doesn't like to be babied.
"This isn't going to work, is it?" Asked Narcissa.
"I'm sorry," sighed Lucius, knowing what Narcissa meant.
They weren't going to have Celeste in their livesย โ not now and perhaps not ever.ย
Narcissa lifted her gaze from the ground to meet her husband's eyes which were filled with worry and regret as well.ย
"We can't let her go on with the Dark Lord's plan. It's too dangerous, and I can't bare if something was to happen to her, yet again," said Narcissa.
"As much as I hate to say this, she has to go and be with William and Olivia. They will keep her safe," Lucius said.
"I know..." sighed Narcissa. "But we have to come up with something to say to the Dark Lord. He won't believe that we just let her go."
Lucius agreed. "Celeste's friends with Potter, isn't she?"
He received a nod from his wife.
"Well maybe we can tell him that she...." started Lucius but was stopped by his wife.
"And what? Tell that she's a blood-traitor? He will have her killed!"
Lucius swallowed, he absolutely hated this. There was no right way to do this.
"We just need to make sure that she'll be protected on the other side. They are her friends," said Lucius.
"Yes well when I saw her with the Weasleys once, it's safe to say that they won't anything happen to her," Narcissa sighed and rested her head on Lucius' shoulder. "Besides, Leo will go with Celeste and that boy will protect her to his last breath."
"Mmm..."Lucius mumbled, he wasn't too happy that Celeste's boyfriend was going to go with her but then again Narcissa was right. Leo Marchal would die for Celeste. "And then of course there is the matter of, well....you know..."
Narcissa drew a sharp breath in and turned her head quickly away from her husband. She stared at the fire cracking on the fireplace. She hasn't thought about this person in years, and now this person was going to be one of the people to look after her precious daughter.
"You know she'll look after her if needed," Lucius said.
"I know she will...." Narcissa admitted, still facing the fireplace. "I just haven't thought about Andy in years."
Lucius nodded, he knew how Narcissa felt about her disowned sister. She loved her but hated her. "If this is about her being a blood-traitor...I think we need to let it go. All of it. I don't care anymore about these things I once so firmly believed in. All I need now is to have you and our children out of this, alive."
Narcissa turned to look at her husband, she never thought to hear those words coming out of his mouth. She loved Lucius to death but she also knew he had his flaws, such as power. "You mean it?" She asked with wide eyes.
"Cissa.." Lucius sighed and moved from his chair to kneel next to Narcissa who was still sitting on hers. "I tried, the last time. I really did try but He always threatened to hurt you or Draco and Celeste. I couldn't let any of you get hurt so I stayed."
"Oh," Narcissa gasped before a warm smile spread across her face. "Thank you," she whispered and leaned to kiss Lucius who didn't hesitate to kiss his wife back. When they pulled away, Narcissa kept her palm on Lucius' cheek.ย
"When does He come back?" She asked her husband.
"Not until tomorrow evening, so she should leave before that..." he sighed and flinched when he noticed the desperation on Narcissa's eyes.
"Tomorrow already?" She repeated, fighting against her tears. She was so sick of this, crying all the bloody time. "We have to watch her leave again...."
"I'm sorry Cissa," Lucius apologized and kissed the palm of Narcissa's hand that was still on his cheek. "But maybe we can do something nice later this evening. The four of us, like..."
"...when they were four years old little rascals," Narcissa smiled fondly by the memory of Draco and Celeste running around the Manor, chasing each other everywhere they went. "I'd love that."
unedited, sry for typos
sorry for this super crappy chapter, i was stuckย with this one