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TW: DEATH...

EVER SINCE

Beth and Nathan left few months ago, time has been a blur for Celeste. There had been so many changes; the Ministry of Magic was taken over by Voldemort and the Muggle-born Registration Commission was established and Ted Tonks was on the run. Not did Celeste only miss her friends, now there was her uncle who was somewhere and in danger. The atmosphere from the warm and happy Tonks residence had changed as well because of the fear of what might happen to Ted, he was a muggle-born after. 

Because of William's works, Celeste spent most of her time at Andromeda's. The Ministry ― where William works ― was now filled with Voldemort's people which made it hard for William to make sure Celeste was safe. Every day he feared that someone might follow him home and find Celeste.

The Tonks residence was preparing for Dora's baby. Andromeda was all over the place with the baby's arrival ― even more than the soon to be mother. The soon to be grandmother was worrying about everything and everyone. Celeste couldn't blame her aunt for that ― everything was rather terrifying at the moment. 

Celeste sat by the windowsill and looked out from the window. The world around her had started to grey. There was no way that this world she looked at, was the same where she had spend Christmas with her friends and family just some months ago.

Back then everything was so beautiful, the lights, the holiday spirit, everything. And now, it seemed like a lifetime ago.

Sighing and walking away from the window, she decided to take a walk outside. She knew that she shouldn't, and that she should definitely tell Andromeda about going out but she was sure that her aunt wasn't going to let her.

Checking that no one was around, Celeste opened the front door quietly and stepped outside for the first time in weeks. She walked out, turned to look at the Tonks house and noticed Leo and Remus from one window, focused on yet another new plan on how to take down Voldemort. 

She quickly walked further away from the house, just that no one would see her from the windows of the house. Her hand tightening around her wand, she started to walk the empty streets. She pulled the hood of her coat to hide her Malfoy blonde hair to give herself some safety. 

There were no one on the streets, it was like a ghost town. The March air was colder than usual, and the sky was so grey. You couldn't see any color anywhere. After walking awhile, Celeste started to hear footsteps behind her and they were getting closer and closer. Fearing of who might be behind her, she started to walk faster and eventually she was running. 

She cursed at herself, she was too stubborn for this world. Always looking for trouble and now she truly was in one. As she ran, she noticed an alley right in front of her. She started to run faster and faster until she made a quick turn, hoping that whoever was following her had missed her quick escape.

When she reached the end of the alley, she stopped and turned around. No one was there anymore. Taking few deep breaths in, she managed to settle her breathing.

"It's all right. You were just imagining," she said to herself and started to walk back but then she noticed something, or rather someone, laying on the ground just behind some wooden boxes. 

Not knowing should she go and see who this person was, and was he or she still all right, she decided to take one step closer to the person anyways. And then another one, and another one. She carefully moved one of the wooden boxes slightly further so she could see who was laying on the ground. 

She screamed. She screamed and she screamed loud. Falling on her knees and sobbing, she felt like someone had just used the Cruciatus Curse one her.

It was Ted.

Her sweet uncle whom she adored, was laying still on the ground. So still, too still. 

Dead.

Celeste started to gasp for air. This can't be happening. Ted can't be dead. 

"No no no," Celeste cried, and clenched to Ted's dead body. "Please no no...."

She thought about her auntie Andy. The woman who's been like a mother to her for the past months. The woman who's so kind, so caring and loving. The woman who took in her estranged sister's daughter. The woman who has given her home when she lost hers. 

Her cousin. The cousin she didn't know she had. The cousin who was pregnant now. The cousin who was a total daddy's girl.

"God Ted no...you can't be dead," whispered Celeste, her tears spilling on the body

Then she heard someone with a devilish laugh, making her snap out of her thoughts and mourns. She snapped her head towards the voice and a dark shadow standing in front of her.

Celeste has never seen this person. He had hair that reached his shoulders and a very dirty looking face. Like he has been living in the woods for months. She gulped when the man took one step closer to her. She knew she should get up and run, but she couldn't. Her hand still holding her dead uncle's, she was paralyzed.

"Now why is a pretty young girl wondering the streets alone in such times like these?" He asked and walked closer to Celeste.

Not being able to do or say anything, Celeste just stared at the man and then everything went black.

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CELESTE

kept squirming and squirming, trying to free herself from the man's hold. She didn't see anything, there was some sort of a blindfold blocking her sight. Her hands were tied behind her back which made every effort of escape impossible. All Celeste could feel was her legs being like jello, her eyes hurting from crying and head aching for the hit she received from the man. 

She heard a door opening in front of her, a big door and the man dragged her inside. It didn't take too long for her to hear screams. Loud screams and cries and before she could had even thought about anything, the screams were louder. She was getting closer.

Now, Celeste's mind was alerting her to do something. All the shock and anger of her uncle's dead was still in her but she started to fear for her own life. If someone was being tortured here, she was surely going to be the next one. 

"Let me go!" Celeste finally found her voice and suddenly, the screams ended. The torture had ended.

The man threw Celeste on the floor before kneeling next to her and ripping off the blindfold and untying her hands. It took few seconds for Celeste to get used to the light, although the place she was in was quite dark. She blinked few times before she noticed her mother with a horrified look on her face, her father staring at her like his heart had stopped, her aunt Bella looking at her with a blank expression and then Hermione was laying on the floor.

"Mum? Dad?" Celeste gasped and before she could do anything, her father had ran to her and helped her up from the floor before giving her a huge bear hug.

Bellatrix sent a nasty look at the man who had taken Celeste and hexed him on his way.

"W-what happened?" Lucius asked when he pulled a way from Celeste. He gently stroked her hair and noticed the many tears in her cheeks. "Are you hurt? He didn't hurt you, did he? I will kill him."

Celeste shook her head. "No he didn't hurt me," she said, her eyes wandering at Hermione who was still on the floor. She then turned to look at her father again with a worried look. "Wh-what's going on in here?"

"Nothing," Bellatrix said quickly. She might be able to torture a teenage girl but she could never face the disappointment of her niece.

"Mum?" Celeste turned to look at her mother who was now sitting on an armchair, her face in her hands and she was fully sobbing. Without a second thought, Celeste ran to her mother and by removing her hands from her face, Celeste sat on her lap and wrapped her arms around her neck.

Narcissa let out a rapid breath and immediately wrapped her arms around her daughter's torso. "Oh my sweet," she whispered to Celeste's ear. "Y-you're not dead..."

Celeste sniffed, shaking her head. Her heart broke into thousands of pieces when she heard her mother saying this.

"Oh mum," Celeste sighed, and kissed her mother's cheek. "I'm all right."

"What happened?" Narcissa managed to ask, her arms still tightly around Celeste. "W-why were you brought here by him?"

"I went out, and he found me," Celeste explained but she chose to keep the information of Ted's dead to herself. It wouldn't be fair towards Andromeda if she would tell. 

Narcissa nodded, her trembling hands caressing Celeste's face. "Y-you should go," she said.

The blonde girl frowned. "But I just...."

"It's not safe Celeste," said Lucius who stood just next to his wife and daughter who were still sitting. 

Celeste didn't get to say anything else because her focus drifted to Hermione who began to whimper on the floor. The Granger girl barely moved which made Celeste feel very uneasy. She quickly glanced at her aunt who had her wand in her hand ― the woman didn't look anything like the aunt Celeste had spent time when she first discovered her family. 

This woman looked crazy.

"Mum? Why's Hermione on the floor?" Celeste asked quietly when she turned towards her mother again.

"I love you," Narcissa just said and placed a kiss on Celeste's hairline before glancing at her husband with a lost expression. 

unedited sry for typos

, i  wasn't sure if i wanted to do write ted's dead but here it is

i'm sorry

but celeste is with mum and dad now