─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────

─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────

THERE 

were loud cries coming from everyone but Hermione, Ron and Ginny's topped them all. Mr Weasley tried to hold his daughter who desperately wanted to run to Harry who was laying still in Hagrid's arms. Celeste grabbed Leo's upper arm while Draco walked forward, only to catch the eyes of his parents. 

Celeste felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up, it was William. She felt like crying but swallowed the urge ― but she was just so grateful that her uncle was all right.

That he was alive.

Celeste chose to stay in the back row, Voldemort would most likely kill her if he saw her. When she carefully tiptoed to see above others, she spotted her parents in the front row of the other side. Celeste swallowed, her parents looked absolutely traumatized and worried out of their minds. And no wonder, both of their children were now standing on the other side.

"Silence!" Cried Voldemort, and there was a bang and a flash of bright light, and silence was forced upon them all. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!"

Celeste watched as Hagrid lowered Harry on the grass. She tightened her grip around Leo's arm.

"You see? Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!" Voldemort declared and with that, Ron Weasley chose to speak.

"He beat you!" yelled Ron, and the charm broke, and the defenders of Hogwarts were shouting and screaming again until a second, more powerful bang extinguished their voices once more.

Celeste jumped a little with the loud bang. "H-he can't be dead," she whispered to herself. 

There was no way that Harry freaking Potter, the Boy who lived was now dead. Celeste carefully took few steps ahead, wanting to get a better look but William pulled her hand.

"Don't, he might see you," William warned her quietly and Celeste stopped.

What could she do? Bring the boy back to life? No, she can't do that. No one can. 

Celeste's eyes wandered back to Draco and then to their parents who kept staring at Draco, questions of their daughter's whereabouts drilled in their eyes. But Draco didn't nod or shook his head. He didn't give any information, he had shut his mind.

If Voldemort would be smart enough and wanted to hurt Celeste, he would go straight to Draco but the snake-alike man was too busy gloating over Harry Potter's death.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle's grounds," said Voldemort, and there was a relish in his voice for the lie. "killed while trying to save himself--"

But Voldemort broke off, and Celeste saw how Neville Longbottom had broken from the crowd. Celeste closed her eyes, she couldn't look. She feared for the worst and closed her mind as well. She kept herself in this tiny bubble, she had seen too much death.

She wasn't sure would she be able to stand any more. Her maman and papa, Sirius, Ted, Tonks, Remus, Fred and Harry. She kept listing the people she has lost, praying that she didn't have to add anyone else on that black, dark list of death and pain. She must had been off for several minutes because the next thing she felt was Leo grabbing her arm and leading her away from everything and everyone.

When Celeste finally decided to open her eyes, she noticed how people were running and throwing curses once again. Nervously and anxiously glancing around, she tried to see her brother and parents but they were gone once again. She laced her fingers around her wand tighter, ready to attack if needed.

"Wh-what happened?" Celeste asked when Leo stopped behind a fallen statue.

"Shit went down and Harry's gone," Leo said panting, only to get a confused look from Celeste.

"I know Harry's gone. He's dead..."

Leo shook his head. "No, I mean his gone. Lost. I don't know what happened."

"What? How's that even possible?" Celeste asked but before Leo could have answered, a jinx was sent on their way and it hit Celeste. 

She fell backwards several feet and hit the hard stone ground with a loud thud. Leo screamed out of anger and cursed the man who had hit his girlfriend away.

Leo sprinted over to Celeste and sighed out of relief when the girl was already pushing herself to sit. There was a nasty looking cut in her forehead and her arm seemed to be displaced. She groaned out of pain when sitting up.

"Damn it," Celeste said and took Leo's hand as he helped her up. "That was a nasty one."

"Not as nasty as the one I gave him," Leo said and pulled Celeste closer to her. "Are you okay?" He asked worrying, seeing even a small cut on Celeste's prefect face killed him inside.

Celeste nodded although her arm was screaming out of pain. "Yeah, I'll be just fine. Where's Will?"

"He went to help Kingsley," said Leo but didn't get to say anything else.

Suddenly, he and Celeste were surrounded by several Death Eaters who clearly wanted to be the ones to give Celeste to Voldemort. Without hesitating, Leo cursed several of them, not even thinking about it. Nothing, absolutely nothing was allowed to happen to his girlfriend. Celeste fought along side with him, protecting him while he cursed everyone away.

"Come!" Leo shouted when the last one was gone and he and Celeste started to run.

While they were running and helping people, Celeste tried her best to locate her brother but she was unable to see his shockingly blonde hair anywhere. She swallowed but instead of falling into despair, she chose to think positive. She chose to think that her brother was well, that he was somewhere safe and unharmed. 

While thinking about her brother, she suddenly heard two very familiar voices echoing. She stopped on her tracks, Leo halting as well. She turned her head around several times until seeing her parents, running around, screaming for her and Draco.

Celeste's heart stopped, all she wanted to do was to run to them, tell them she loves them and that all shall be well again. But she couldn't. She had to help others, so pushing her own feelings aside, pushing that killing pain her arm was giving her, she started to run away from her parents.

Narcissa Malfoy's heart had stopped by the quick sight of a blonde girl. She pulled Lucius' arm but the girl was already gone. Like when she was taken. One second she was there and another she wasn't.

Lucius turned to look at his wife who was shaking and pointing at an empty spot. "Cissa?" He asked.

"I-I think I saw her," she said, her eyes watering. "Celeste, she was there but now... I can't see her," she said with her voice shaking.

"We'll find them," Lucius said and swallowed. 

He wished he could have promised that to his wife but he couldn't. There was a bloody battle happening, adults has been killed and so were children. He just prayed that not his.

The beginning of the battle was nasty and awful, but this topped it. Dead bodies laying around, people crying out of pain and sadness. While running, Celeste even spotted Lavender Brown on the ground. Her eyes were still open, dead, but open. 

Quickly, releasing her hold of Leo, Celeste ran to Lavender and gently closed her eyes. She has never been fast friends with the girl, she only knew her through Ron but she still was a human. A human being who not too long time ago was still alive.

Once leaving Lavender, she heard the shouting sounds of Seamus Finnigan and Hannah Abbott as they were cornered by some Death Eaters. Following the voices, Leo and Celeste casted Shield Charms just before their fellow students were hit. The Gryffindor boy and Hufflepuff girl sent them two very grateful looks and Celeste and Leo kept running towards the Great Hall where the fight was as its worst.

They spotted Kreacher, the old Black house-elf, guiding house-elves to fight in Regulus Black's name and Celeste managed to smile at Kreacher who even noticed this and nodded his head. 

Celeste could yet again hear her parents calling for her and Draco, she wished they would stop. They were drawing too much attention to themselves but she just brushed their voices from her mind and kept going.

"You - will - never- touch - our - children - again!" Celeste heard Mrs Weasley screaming, making her turn her head and saw something she wished she wouldn't have.

Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge and yet, she was able to catch Celeste's eyes. She stared at her for a good few seconds and her lips formed the tiniest smile, the smile she reserved only for her niece. 

Celeste shook her head, this was not happening. She understood it in a way, Bellatrix was a murderer, she was insane but she was still her aunt who called her 'Little Cissy'. She was the aunt who absolutely hated her niece's boyfriend. Celeste bit her tongue and watched as her aunt toppled.

Feeling like all the air had vanished and her lungs were empty, Celeste stumbled back few steps, only to get closer to Voldemort who had witnessed the murder of his right-hand woman. His cries were stopped the second he noticed Celeste who was not too far from him. 

Unable to say a word, Celeste just kept staring at her aunt's body. She wasn't aware of anything and suddenly flashes of her parents and brother laying on the ground managed to slip to her head. She shook her head, they weren't dead. 

Her imagination was just playing a cruel trick on her. She could see people screaming something, she could see Leo running towards her but suddenly he fell on the ground and Celeste snapped out of her mind.

"Leo!" She screamed and ran towards him but Voldemort managed to throw her aside before she had a chance to check on her boyfriend. 

"Aah, here you are," Voldemort said. "I am truly sorry for your aunt, Bellatrix was the most faithful servant I have ever had."

Celeste whimpered, and started to back towards a corner as Voldemort kept walking towards her. She looked around, people were fighting against Death Eaters, trying to safe Celeste. She didn't see her parents anywhere, thank Merlin for that. They didn't need to see their daughter dying. 

"I regret to inform that your traitor parents are somewhere out there, most likely looking for you and your brother. Oh, I can't wait and see the faces when they lay their eyes upon their dead daughter," Voldemort cackled, making Celeste's stomach turn. 

With the corner of her eye, Celeste could see Leo raising on his feet but suddenly, Harry Potter revealed himself from under his Invisibility Cloak in order to protect Celeste. He casted a Shielding Charm and with that, Celeste scrambled on her feet and ran as fast as she could to Leo who wrapped his arms around Celeste's shaken form immediately. 

"Harry! He's alive!" Were heard from everywhere, each side as shocked to see the boy standing tall, pointing his wand at Voldemort.

Celeste's heart skipped a beat, Harry was alive and she was just inches away from death. She swallowed and carefully glanced at her aunt who was still laying still on the ground. She had wished that maybe she would had stood up as well, and so would have everyone who had fell but no one did. Only Harry.

All the running and fighting had stopped the minute Harry revealed himself. There were sighs of relief and tears of joy, then there were loud cackling as Voldemort approached the boy.

This was the end.

─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────

─────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────

CELESTE

stared at the broken school, she and Leo had left the Great Hall when it all ended and found William just outside the school. The second Celeste had seen Voldemort's curse rebound to himself, she knew that it was all over. Voldemort was dead. The man who had caused so much pain to her family and to everyone else was dead. But so were so many other people. 

Celeste was curled next to her uncle, both of them sitting on the ground, their backs against the cold wall. She wanted nothing more than to go and search for her family but a part of her didn't want to, she didn't want to find them dead. 

She looked up where Leo was standing like he was still guarding her although the battle had already ended. She gave him a small smile but was exhausted and in need for some help from Madam Pomfrey. 

"I should get my arm checked," Celeste said absent-mindedly. "It still hurts," she continued and carefully rubbed it.

"Of course," Will said right away and helped Celeste to get up. 

They started to walk towards the Great Hall where they were greeted by big crowds of people. As they walked, Celeste couldn't help but smile. People were embracing each other, Slytherins and Gryffindors sat by the same table. Percy was reunited with his family, and Neville seemed to have quite the fanclub. Something good had come out of this. 

On the other side of the Great Hall, the three other Malfoys sat by one table, unsure should they be there or not. Narcissa had her head in her hands, quietly sobbing, fearing for the worst. She had looked for her daughter everywhere but there was no sign of the girl. Draco and Lucius had gone through the bodies that were all laid in the same area but luckily, Celeste wasn't there either. But where was she?

Maybe she had fled, or was crushed under some walls. Narcissa shook her head, Celeste wasn't dead. She couldn't be dead. The girl has gone through so much, she couldn't be dead now. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and she lifted her head to meet her husband's worried eyes.

"Still nothing?" Narcissa asked, her voice tired.

"I'm sure we'll find her love," Lucius said. "I heard someone saying that she was still there when, the Potter boy killed..."

"I just want her here," Narcissa whispered, giving her husband a half smile before he sat next to her, letting her head fall on his shoulder. He couldn't help but think about the morning after Celeste was taken.

⋆*·ﾟ:⋆*·ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:·ﾟ .: ⋆*·ﾟ: .⋆

 Narcissa kept sobbing and screaming after Celeste until the morning sun hit the windows of Celeste's room. Lucius had left just few minutes after Celeste was taken; he wasn't going to waist another minute while he's daughter was out there. He had called his sister-in-law, her husband and brother-in-law and many others to search for her.

He arrived to the manor later next day, only finding Narcissa still curled up on the same exact stop where he left her. She had Celeste's favorite soft animal in her arms, holding it like a small child. Lucius swallowed, who could ever do this to Narcissa? Who could ever take a child from her?

"Cissa," Lucius sighed and kneeled next to his wife. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek before he lifted her head towards him with his thumb.

"D-did you f-find her?" Narcissa whispered as she wiped some of her fresh tears away. "Please tell me that you found her Lucius, cause if you didn't I-I ca-can't...".

Lucius pulled Narcissa into a warm embrace and whispered to her. "I am so sorry but no, we did not," he felt how Narcissa started to tremble even more and hot tears dropped on his shirt. "But we will do anything to find her. I promise you that."

"No! I want her now! I want to hold her in my arms now!" Narcissa started to yell and hit her husband's chest before the hits got slower and she broke down again; burying her head against the spot where she had just hit him.

⋆*·ﾟ:⋆*·ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:·ﾟ .: ⋆*·ﾟ: .⋆

While Celeste's parents were desperately trying to find out where she was, the girl just had her arm fixed by the one and only Madam Pomfrey. Celeste has always like the woman ever since she helped her when Celeste fainted after discovering who she was. Then she remembered, her parents. She had to find them. 

"You search this end, I'll search the other," she said to Leo who didn't waste a second and started to look for his girlfriend's parents. 

"I'll go and check the grounds once more," said William and ruffled Celeste's hair before leaving. 

Celeste's hands were shaking as she walked through the crowds. What if they were gone? Dead? She shook her head, she has lost too much. She didn't even want to go and look for the bodies. She wanted them, no, she needed the alive. 

She saw the Weasleys around one table and she sent them a soft smile which they returned. Celeste didn't have any hard feelings towards Molly, who had killed her aunt. She was able to see it from Molly's point of view, Bellatrix had killed her son. 

And Celeste had learned from Harry that Tonks was killed by Bellatrix as well, and oh how conflicted Celeste felt at that moment. Her wonderful cousin was killed by her aunt, who has been nothing but nice to her. She sighed, she has time to think about this another time.

As she kept walking, she started to feel more desperate with every ticking second. Wiping her tears that were falling down her cheeks, she kept looking but her vision had started to blur. With her vision so blurry, she thought she had seen someone but she shook her head. It wasn't them. 

She kept going but then for some strange reason, she stopped. She stopped and wiped her tears away, making her see better again. She slowly turned around, and there they were. All three of them.

"Mummy!" Celeste cried, not caring who might see or hear her. "Daddy!"

That sound was like music to Narcissa and Lucius' ears. 

awee

all is well again

but this ain't the last chapter

next up, reunion  <3