echoes of your name inside my mind
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Celeste was running late. She burst into the meeting room, that was once again at the Potter's. This time, she had come from a noble family's luncheon party for some newborn baby that she didn't care to remember. Freshwater pearls adorned her hair and ears, matching the white silk dress that she didn't have time to change out of. A diadem of twisted gold sat on her head.
She must've been a sight to see, but Celeste didn't have time to care. She silently slipped into her usual seat between Sirius and Marlene. Underneath the table, she locked hands with Sirius.
This was becoming a regular routine.
"Glad you made it, Miss Malfoy," Moody huffed. "Have you made any progress?"
Her face tightened. "There's a ball in a few weeks time. It's highly exclusive; invitation only. You-Know-Who will be in attendance. So yes, I suppose it's a scrap of progress."
"Are you serious?" Moody demanded. "The devil himself?"
"In the flesh," Celeste confirmed. "The place will be crawling with deatheaters."
The room was silent.
"Will you be attending, Miss Malfoy?" Dumbledore finally said, speaking up for the first time.
"I could," she answered, stiffly.
"No," Sirius interrupted at once. "You-Know-Who is going to be there. You're just going to send her in?"
Celeste glanced at him, holding her breath. "I never said I was going. I'm not."
"Why's that?" Moody grumbled, fed up with the couple.
"I supposedly getting married to Evan in two weeks. I'll have left him by then."
"Miss Malfoy, you had agreed to follow your assignment," Dumbledore snapped. Ice laced through his voice. "I informed you that sacrifices had to be made. This is one of them."
"I agreed," Celeste argued, "that I would stay with Evan longer, and I have delayed this matter by a considerable length of time. My time is running low. The date is finalized and I can't let any suspicions grow."
"And what after that? You'd no longer be an asset to our organization. Did you plan to leave?"
Celeste was seething. She tilted her chin up in defiance. "So you expect me to stay? To marry a deatheater so you can have a direct source of information to fuel your war plans?"
Peter flinched at the word.
Dumbledore studied her, before looking straight through her soul. "That is exactly what I had in mind for you, Miss Malfoy. That is exactly what you signed up for."
"Sir if I may," James interceded, furrowing his brows. "We all volunteer ourselves for this fight. None of us are sworn to obey, except in terms of secrecy. Celeste is the commander of her own life."
"Miss Malfoy is held by her agreement to follow her assignment. This is apart of that assignment," the old man reasoned. "She will comply. There is no question. Now, let's move on to sighting reports and the new list of suspects."
"I have other news," Gideon Prewett offered. "It's too important to ignore. Apparently, we have a spy. Possibly sitting at the table right now, even."
Moody glared at him. "How?"
"At our last stakeout, we were caught by a group of deatheaters. And the one before that as well. Each time, they're just waiting for us to show up."
"Why wasn't I told sooner?" Moody barked.
"Last time, you said it was a bad coincidence. It doesn't look that way anymore," Fabion inputted. "Twice. It can't go on."
"How do we stop this? The spy isn't just going to confess so easily," Lily said, twisting her fingers in worry.
Dumbledore held up a hand, waiting for silence. "The answer is rather simple. We don't."
"What?" the room echoed.
"Every weasel shows themselves eventually."
"Why can't we use veritaserum?" Frank argued, speaking everyone's thoughts. "Whoever doesn't consent will obviously be the spy."
Moody huffed. "If only it were so easy. Veritaserum comes in small amounts, and is difficult to have access to. We don't have any of the resources for ingredients, and purchasing a large quantity will surely draw suspicion. We'll have to figure out some alternative strategy. In the meanwhile, let's carry on."
𖥔
"The bastard," Marlene hissed, glaring down at the maroon carpet in the Potter's living room.
"Calm down, Marlene," Celeste groaned, resting her head on her hands. "I'm supposed to be stressed!"
"Celeste," Sirius said, quietly from where he stood. "You won't marry him. I swear it."
She gave him a gentle smile. "I know. So you've told me."
"But how?" Lily asked, finally addressing the obvious that hung in the air.
The friends were quiet.
Celeste looked away. "There isn't a way. Is there?"
"There is," Remus said, almost angrily. "There's got to be."
Celeste shook her head, trying not to look miserable. "I've done every possible solution. It's only delayed things. I've complained about wedding decorations, and fussed over irrelevant details. Everyone is getting impatient with me. I don't know what else to do."
Sirius clenched his jaw.
"Dumbledore expects it. Who am I to defy him?" Celeste asked, quietly.
"So what are you saying?" James questioned. "You're actually going to go through with this?"
She looked helpless. Defeated. "What if it's the only way?"
"Celeste, you can't," Sirius interrupted.
"But what if I must?" she argued in return. She stood, meeting his gaze. "I know what I got myself into. Now I've got to get out of it."
"But you know," he said lowly. "What they'll expect from you?"
"All too well."
Alice cleared her throat, speaking up for the first time. "So when where you two going to inform us of this - development?" She pointed at the pair.
Celeste blinked. "What?"
"You two are seeing each other," Alice accused gleefully.
Lily laughed loudly. "I knew it! I knew something was different between you two."
Remus sighed and indiscreetly chucked a galleon at James' head.
James ducked before the coin could make impact. "Well it's about time!"
Sirius grinned at his best mate before folding his arms seriously. He looked at Celeste. "You understand why I hate that you're doing this, right?"
Celeste smiled weakly. "I know. And I hate that this is happening to us."
Sirius wordlessly walked in front of her, tightly wrapping his arms around her. Celeste blinked away tears and returned it. Then, she outstretched her arm to the rest of her friends, inviting them in. And for the last time in what would be a long time, the tightly knit friends shared an emotional embrace.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
10k. 10K????!!!?!?!? i think i'm hallucinating cause omfg. thank you, thank you, thank you!!! getaway car has been such a long work in progress but you all make it worth it. thank you, i love you!!