The Cottage was lit on fire, Celeste was breathing heavily cause of smoke. Her eyes unfocused as she replayed all the memories of her lifetime. Bitter sweet feelings blossomed in her heart but anguish was something that was constant. Pain. Pain.
"Please god, I beg you!! Save my daughter" Mia prayed for her daughter's safety as Monty hugged her tight.
Celeste was squashed between Sirius and James as the two had tears filled their eyes.
The path carved to the cottage showed that someone appeared out their and a gasp was heard.
"Who's that!!? Come one man show us their face!!" Barty yelled annoyed and scared out of his mind for his bestfriend.
The screen showed Hagrid as he leaped dtowards the burning door and broke it with a kick-"CELESTE!! CELESTE!! WHERE ARE YOU!!?" his yells went to disdain as he saw her lying in the middle of living room.
Gasping he picked her up and rushed her out of the house.
"Hagrid!!" Cheered the marauders as the said giant turned red. "Thank you Hagrid!!" Mia and Monty said sincerely making him more red. "It's alright~" he said politely.
"That oaf has some use atleast." Lucius said as Rudolphus gave him a look seeing his tensed state.
He laid her gently on the ground and took out his umbrella doing a reversing spell on the cottage. The light from inside the cottage was lit and the frames were back on the wall. He laid her on the sofa and made some tea. After a few minutes, Celeste woke up and sighed in defeat.
"The cups are too small" he complained
She stood up, went to the kitchen and opened a cabinet taking out bigger ones and giving them to Hagrid.
"Uha~ tea after suicide attempt, how comforting.." Marlene said sarcastically making Dorcas nudge her and gave her a warning look. Celeste might not be her closest friend but she quite liked the Potter Heiress.
"Why are you here Hagrid?" She asked, "To check up on you and I didn't really expect the bloody house on fire! What were you thinking??! I swear on mah' mother you pull this one more time and I'm writing to Remus!!" He scolded making her slump knowing that if Moony got to know than she will be in trouble and he will be too since he will some back and if anything happens to him then she won't be able to take the pain.
"Damn right!! Just write to me already!!" Remus yelled on the screen making Celeste slump in her seat.
One week later-
The screen showed McGonagall walking into a bar in broad day light.
"Up for drink this soon Minnie?" Celeste said making the said professor roll her eyes.
Her face scrunched in distaste looking around the place. She walked over to a counter were a woman sat, her face burried in her arms as several bottles of alcohol laid across, all empty.
"Wake up!! Wake up!! Now!" She said smacking the woman's arm as she groaned and sat straight revealing her face to be Celeste Potter.
"WHAT!!?" they yelled baffled. "My baby" Mia sniffed her tears looking at the state her daughter was in.
"A lady shouldn't behave this way!! Look at the brat!!" Walburga sneered making the others fume in anger. Sirius with drew his wand but a silencing hex was already placed on his mother, "Your welcome Brother" Regulus smiled innocently.
Monty turned to Celeste as she avoided his eyes like a scared cat. Sighing he made a mental note to keep an eye out for his Little angel.
"In the name of Merlin, what's wrong with you!!?" McGonagall said in disbelief, Celeste rolled her eyes and sipped on some more Alcohol. "What do you want McGonagall?" She asked coldly making the Professor's heart clench painfully.
"Cold to Minnie? Celeste? Impossible!!" Sirius said in shock, "We'll she did turn her back on Celeste!" Rabstan yelled in her defense. "Still she wouldn't! She loves her too much" Fabion said.
"I know you are sad about Harry's custody but you have another child to take care of!" McGonagall said making Celeste turn to her-"A. I'm not sad, I'm fucking angry! B. What another child??" "Neville!" "I'm not his Guardian, Augusta is and she won't let me take her grandson besides 'I'm incapable of taking care of a child, what if I turn abusive'" she mocked.
"No don't leave him with my mother!!" Frank yelled baffled as Celeste winced. "I trust you!" Alice said sincerely, "You will do the right thing, I know" Celeste smiled at her warmly.
"Thank you for trusting me with your sons, the four of you." She said as she galnced at Lily with an eye roll knowing that Lily wouldn't have wanted her to be the godmother but James would have insisted on.
"No! Who said that she is the Guardian! It's you! Alice and Frank made you the legal Guardian! Augusta will be a bitch to even his grandson! He needs you!" McGonagall said "You need him. A reason to live.... A meaningful life."
Celeste walked off after a moment of silence. She was inside the Cottage house, the things were dusty. Sink was full with dishes, nothing was organised. "Won't hurt to make a visit.." she bargained herself.
She changed into a set of black formals.
"Ooh~ looking fine as hell Little Celeste!!" Barty smirked making Sirius glare at him. "Fuck off Crouch, she is mine!!" He yelled pulling her into him making her blush bright red. "No! She is not!! Come here Darling!!" Monty yelled and pulled her away from Sirius making him whin.
Mia patted Sirius's shoulder with her lips pursed and a completely done look.
Apparating out of the Longbottom Manor, she knocked on the door and waited. No one seem to answer when a cry of a baby was heard. Tensing she walked inside the house as Frank had added her to the manor entry before he died.
She walked inside the lavish living room to see Agusta forcing magic out of an 8 months old Neville. Outraged she fired a spell on her sending her flying to the wall. "HOW DARE YOU!!?" Agusta yelled in anger as Celeste snapped-"How dare YOU!! You bitch!! He is just9 months old!!"
"Put her in her place Potter!!!" Frank cheered with tears in his eyes. He couldn't believe that his mother would do something to his son. Alice was crying as well.
Celeste glared harshly at Agusta's figure on screen.
"He is a Longbottom!! I'll do as I want!! As the last adult standing of this house!!" Agusta yelled. "And I'm the legal Guardian of Neville Frank Longbottom and I won't let him suffer in the hands of a bitch like yourself!!" She yelled as she cradled the baby close to her chest. Neville instantly calmed down and stopped crying. "I warn you Agusta... I see you anywhere my Godson! I kill you without any second thoughts.." she said in a cold tone making a chill run down Agusta's spine.
Bella cackled and saud-"The devil in her eyes are dancing...."
Celeste left the manor with baby Neville close to her heart. McGonagall was right after all, she needed him. A reason to live, the baby is now her responsibility and she won't fail Alice and Frank like she did to James.
The past version of herself looked down feeling like she was at fault, she was. Clearly. Her anger issues where the reason she didn't got the Custody of Harry but she had Neville. And she loves him just as much as she does to Harry.
"Thank you Celeste" Alice said as she hugged her, "you don't have to thank me for anything. He is my Godson, I will always protect him." She said softly making her nod.
"And don't blame yourself cause of the decision the old coot stamped on you!" James said sternly making her squirm nervously. "Otay"
"Is everyone going to ignore the fact that Celeste who herself is a child going to take care of another child all by herself!!!" Regulus yelled baffled. "Mean!!" Celeste yelled back at him. "No he is right!! This is a recipe for a disaster!" Remus agreed making her huff in offense.
"Don't listen to them honey, you will do great" Monty said softly making her beam at him.
Celeste was seen in a muggle store, picking out stuff for baby's as she pushed a tramp that had baby Neville in it.
"Why did you go to a muggle store?" Sneered Lucius making her roll her eyes at his antics and say-"Cause they have better options Barbie wannabe." Lucius scowled at her as the others snickered.
"What do you give a 9 month old again?" She asked herself. She was picking stuff looking through description and dumping it in the trolley. Neville was babbling to himself making her chuckle. A real smile after what, since the twins died.
"Oh I'm glad that he is with Celeste!" Frank said to Alice making her smile and nod in agreement.
"Omg!! Look at him Sirius!!" Celeste said to
As the two made their way back to the cottage. Celeste sighed heavily seeing the state of the place. She put her hair in a bunand put a charm on Neville's newly bought brib for the living so that dust doesn't fall on him. Starting to dust the place after month, she cleaned up the entire house and finally made her way to an empty room. Starting to clean it and turn it into Neville's nursery. Installing the Crib, putting on lights.
"Why didn't you use magic? Would have been a lot easier, even house elf" Rodolphus asked making her say-"I like cleaning and organizing things, it's like a therapy for me. Like the muggle way Dolly" "Don't call me that!" He scowled at her playfully.
"Come on little guy~" she cooked at him and picked him up craddling him gently against her chest. "Gotta stop cursing, Alice will hex me from heaven if he started cursing." She mumbled.
"No!! Don't stop cursing!!!" She yelled dramatically as Alice said-"Hell yeah I will!!"
Celeste pouted sadly as Sirius chuckled at her making her glare at him "Shut up Siri!!"
She was on her way to kitchen when her gaze fell on the frames, she gulped slightly and bought a carton and started to take out the frames. Everyone's, her with her parents. Her with Barty and Rabastan.
Barty and Rabastan smiled at the screen.
Her and Regulus.
Regulus smiled warmly, she was always their with him.
Her and Alice at Alice's wedding. Celeste was the maid of Honor.
Alice smiled happily at her making her beam. Frank looked like he might faint, she looked beautiful in that dress. His wife. Oh how he loved her.
Her and Pandora when they dumped Xenophilius and Sirius to spend time with each other.
Celeste and Pandora chuckled with tears in their eyes as their other half pouted.
Her, Alice and Pandora.
"We look so happy" Pandora said in her dreamy voice.
Her and Bellatrix in muggle World.
Bella smiles for the first time, she looks at Celeste with teary eyes who pulled her into a hug.
"Bella in Muggle World!!!?" Sirius, Andy and Reggy yelled in shocked as Bella had a blank face. Celeste snickered silently to herself.
Her and Rudolphus when she was crying cause she was going through a 'phase'. She chuckled remembering the day, as he awkwardly hugged her, Rabstan had clicked the pic.
Rudolphus rolled his eyes at her as Celeste, Rab and Bella giggled to themselves.
Her and...... Lucius when they were dating.
Celeste and Lucius both looked uncomfortable at the stairs they were getting meanwhile, Sirius was burning in jelaousy. The worst days of his life when she was dating Malfoy, he had no place to stay anything as he himself was sleeping around with many.
"Awkward" Bart mumbled.
Her and Remus. She smiled at the picture as she wiped few stray tears.
The two wore a soft smiles as they saw the picture.
Her and the Slytherin group.
Her and Slytherin trio (Barty, Regulus and Rabstan) She smiled bitterly before burst out crying and clutching the frame to her heart knowing she is never going to have them back after war.
Celeste turned and looked at the three with tears stinging her eyes as she got crushed between them in a group hug. Sne sniffed queitely to herself as she hugged them back.
Her and Alice and Pandora.
Her and Pandora again.
Her and Bella. As she cried looking at the picture frame. Knowing she will never forgive the present Bella. She hated her and Rudolphus.
"I can never hate you two!!" She yelled in shock, "Only you Little Red, others hate us." Rudolphus smiled at the girl he saw as little sister. "I don't care what others think, I could never hate you two." She said and shook her head in denial. "She is incapable of hating anyone." Lucius thought to himself with a scoff.
Her and little Harry.
The girl clutched onto the frame and cursed herself for being this shallow and stupid. She could have had Harry too with them, living a happy and safe life.
"Jamie he looks just like you!" She said happily as James smiled softly at his sister.
"You dyed your hair?" Sirius mumbled in confusion.
"Seems like it" she answered back with a shrug.
Her with Neville. Smiling softly, she caressed the frame.
"Uha~ This is so cute!! My heart cannot handle this!" Barty said dramatically as he fell in Regulus clutching his heart.
The others chuckled as Barty was pushed down the couch by Reggie.
Her and Charlie.
Celeste picked little Charlie and tickled him pecking his nose. "Sweetest Weasley!!" She said as Charlie giggled.
Sirius and the others looked at her adoringly.