WAKING up in her Hogwarts dorm was never uneventful for Celeste. She jumped awake when one of her roommates shrieked suddenly. "What?!" roared Celeste, still half asleep. "What is so important that you woke me up, Parkinson?"
Pansy Parkinson— who, in Celeste's opinion, resembled a pug more than a human— had the nerve to look ashamed. She sheepishly pointed to her short hair. "I just realized how bad this haircut is. Sorry for waking you, Celeste."
"You should be awake by now, anyway. You'll be late for breakfast," pointed out Daphne as she tied her tie while looking at herself in her closet mirror. Her blonde hair was neat as always, tied into a half-up half-down hairstyle. She glanced at Celeste through the said mirror, watching as Celeste threw herself back on the bed and laid back down.
Celeste was never a morning person. She was more of a night owl. She loved sleeping late, if she was being honest, but she absolutely despised waking up early.
She stood back up again with a sigh and walked over to the bathroom the four of them shared. Tracey Davis, her other roommate, was already in there.
The bathroom was big enough. It had four sinks— one for each of them— and a toilet, a bath, and a shower. It was all they needed. Its floor was dark green marble and so were the sinks. The walls were silver marble, though. Celeste loved it.
"Morning," said Tracey cheerfully, the true morning person.
"Goodmorning, Tracey," grumbled Celeste.
Tracey didn't comment on her mood. She was used to Celeste's annoyed state whenever the girl would wake up.
Celeste walked over to her sink and brushed her teeth and washed her face. She also brushed her black, medium-length hair. When she was satisfied, she walked out of the bathroom and changed into her uniform.
She tied her tie neatly and looked at herself in her closet mirror. Perfect. She looked perfect. Neat, organized, and perfect. Not a wrinkle was in sight on her uniform. She put on her Slytherin robe and grabbed her wand, which was on her bedside table, and put it in her holster.
"Do you girls want to join us for breakfast?" Daphne politely asked as always, even though all four of them knew the answer to that.
"No, thanks." Pansy answered for herself and Tracey. "We have to meet up with Pucey and Flint, anyway. Thanks for asking, though."
"Of course," smiled Daphne just before opening the door and walking out with Celeste.
As they walked through the hallway, Celeste let out a breath. "I don't want to go, Daph."
Daphne looked at her in pity. "I'm sorry, Les. You don't deserve this." She truthfully said, feeling bad for the girl. Celeste truly did not deserve this. As cold and mean she showed herself to be, Celeste was actually kind hearted deep down. It took a couple of years to know this, but once Daphne knew, she never forgot.
"Maybe this is karma for being rude to those Gryffindors," moaned Celeste, crossing her arms. "I hate them, Daphne! I hate them so much!"
"Hate who?" Blaise, who was waiting on the couches of the common room with Draco, asked once the two girls came into view. He got the answer when his eyes stopped on Celeste.
"Bloody Potters and Blacks." Celeste grumbled as they started walking out of the common room together.
"But you're a Black, Les." Draco raised an eyebrow, walking behind the girl. Did he mention how he was used to her dramatics by now?
"Except uncle Reggie and I, of course, you daft dimwit."
Draco seemed heavily offended as he put a hand to his heart. "You wound me, Celeste."
"Oh, get over it." Celeste waved a hand, unbothered.
Blaise snickered, earning a glare from Draco. Daphne merely shook her head fondly.
Celeste took a deep breath and let herself relax, then put on her emotionless face. "Wish me luck, guys." She said as they climbed up the many stairs out of the dungeons. "I'll need it to get through this day."
"This year, more like it." Blaise added, which did not help one bit. Another glare from Draco made him realize it. Was it just him or was he getting glared at way more often ever since the year started?
They passed some Hufflepuffs, who had their eyes on Celeste in particular.
"Gorgeous as always, Black." One of them commented with a smirk. The popular Hufflepuff boy, with brown eyes and brown hair and a jawline so sharp it could cut someone.
"Thanks, Diggory." Celeste replied, unbothered.
"Careful, Diggory, or I'll rip out your tongue." Draco warned just before they walked away, being the overprotective cousin he was.
"Wasn't he with that Chang girl?" Daphne asked in confusion as they finally reached the great hall. "Or was that just a rumor?"
"She likes him, but he doesn't like her back." Blaise answered her question, the one to know all about the Hogwarts gossip.
They walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down— the two boys across from the two girls.
"Who does he like, then? Does he like Les?" Daphne questioned further, while pouring herself some orange juice. She then did the same for Celeste without her even asking.
"He's with a different girl every week. I'd say it's pretty weird he just commented on Les's appearance, considering the fact that he's a sixth year and she's only in her third." Blaise continued with a shrug. He grabbed some bacon and put it on his plate, biting into one of them. "Who could blame him, though?"
"Careful where you're going with that, Blaise." Draco warned the second guy in the span of five minutes.
Celeste ignored them all, her eyes roaming the teacher's table instead.
Sirius Black was in a conversation with his husband. James Potter was talking to Professor McGonagall. Snape was minding his own business, but was glancing discreetly at the three men and sneering in disgust every once in a while.
Celeste sided with Snape.
"Eat," said Draco as he piled eggs onto Celeste's plate, knowing she liked it. He grabbed a toast and spread butter on it, putting that on her plate as well. "And stop looking at them."
Celeste looked away and nodded. She took the fork in front of her and started eating the eggs.
Draco noticed someone sitting down somewhat near them and grimaced in disgust. "What has Parkinson done to her hair?"
"Oh, that?" Daphne pursed her lips in an attempt to not laugh at the expression the boy was making. "Pansy got a little haircut over the summer."
"I thought she couldn't get any uglier. She just proved me wrong." Draco shook his head and looked away, grabbing a toast and spreading jam on it for himself.
"Don't be mean. She absolute adores you, Draco." Celeste pointed out, taking a sip of her orange juice.
"With that haircut, she better stay far, far away from me." Draco wrinkled his nose and bit into his toast. He wiped the crumbs away from his pants.
"Oh, look. We're getting our schedules." Blaise changed the subject, pointing towards their head of house, Severus Snape, who was handing out the schedules.
When Snape reached them, he gave the four their schedules and said in his monotonous voice, "Mr. Malfoy, do take care of your cousin more than usual this year." His eyes found Sirius Black already staring at them. Snape sneered and looked away.
"Of course, Professor." Draco replied, his eyes finding Celeste, whose shoulders slumped. "That's my job."
Professor Snape nodded once and walked away, giving the other Slytherins their schedules.
Blaise looked down at the schedule in his hand and pursed his lips. "Defense with the Gryffindors first lesson."
Celeste groaned. "Could this day get any worse?"
"At least you won't deal with Professor Potter." Daphne reasoned, trying to make the poor girl feel better.
Celeste bit her lip. "Actually, I might try out for quidditch this year." She announced, earning shocked looks from her friends.
"But.. girls have never been on the Slytherin team—" Draco tried pointing out, but was cut off by his cousin.
"It's time for a change, then." Celeste finished her orange juice and stood up. "Ready to go to class?"
"Les, Flint would go absolutely crazy to see a girl trying out." Draco tried again, standing up as well with his friends.
"Actually, it's Celeste Black." Blaise joined in, making the other three look at him. "Flint has to give her a chance. What position are you trying our for?"
"Chaser." Celeste replied, walking out of the great hall with her friends. She was walking in front, with Daphne at her side, and the boys behind them. "Draco's already the seeker, so he could get a good word in for me with Flint. Just enough so Flint could see how talented I am."
"She actually is," said Draco reluctantly. He was worried about his cousin trying out, but he knew he could do nothing to stop her.
No girl was ever on the Slytherin team. Pureblood girls were taught to be the perfect pureblood wife: organize balls throughout the year, and be the housewife. Traditional, yes. Quidditch was not considered a 'girly' thing in the pureblood community. That was what motivated Celeste even more.
"We played a few games in my manor over the summer," continued Draco as they walked, "she won almost all of them."
"Cissa hated to see me play," sighed Celeste. She loved Narcissa and considered the woman a mother figure. The woman also considered Celeste her daughter. "She'll go crazy if she finds out I'm thinking of trying out."
"That she will," agreed Draco with a nod.
They finally reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and found out that it was near-empty. Celeste sat down at the very back with Daphne right next to her, while Draco and Blaise sat down in front of them, trying to hide Celeste out of view if the professors ever came.
Celeste crossed her arms and leaned back on her chair, glancing at the door every once in a while. She became unusually quiet, catching Daphne's attention.
"Are you alright?" Daphne asked in worry, her perfectly plucked eyebrows furrowing.
Celeste did not reply. She merely nodded once and stopped leaning back on her chair. This time, she was bouncing her leg up and down.
The class started gradually filling up with students. The Gryffindors— whom they shared the class with— sat down at the left side of the classroom, and the Slytherins on the right.
Celeste let out a deep breath when Harry Potter came strutting in with his two lackeys; Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
She clenched her jaw when he turned to look at her and grinned when he found her. Harry sat down after looking away, Ron right next to him. Hermione, meanwhile, sat down with another Gryffindor girl.
A few minutes later, Remus Black walked into the classroom with a briefcase in his hand, a black dog following behind him.
"Welcome, class." Remus smiled at them all, his eyes stopping on Celeste for a second too long. The dog, meanwhile, ran straight to Harry Potter and wagged its tail excitedly.
Harry grinned again and pet the dog lovingly.
The dog turned around and this time, it started running to Celeste and sat down right next to her.
Celeste wrinkled her nose in disgust and leaned away, getting closer to Daphne. "I hate dogs," she muttered with a shudder.
The dog, almost as if it understood her, looked at her with a sad look.
"Today, we will be learning about Hinkypunks." Remus announced and motioned towards the books in front of them all. "Turn to page thirty two. Can anyone tell me what a hinkypunk is?"
Granger raised her hand. So did Draco.
"Ms. Black? How about you?" Remus looked at her, a small smile on his face.
If he was being honest, Remus did not know what to do about his step-daughter. He always blamed Sirius for leaving the girl, claiming that they could raise her together. Sirius never budged though.
Celeste cleared her throat and answered, "The Hinkypunk is a little one-legged creature and looks as if it is made of smoke. It carries a lantern which lures travellers into bogs."
"Excellent! Five points to Slytherin." Remus clapped his hands once and looked at the book in front of him on the teacher's desk. "Now, Harry, read out loud the paragraph under the picture."
The class felt so long for Celeste. It seemed like even time was mocking her. She kept looking at the clock on the wall, ignoring the dog right next to her. She couldn't focus in class, but that did not matter as she already knew everything about Hinkypunks.
Celeste finally looked at the dog when it nudged her. "Shoo," she shooed him in a quiet voice and kicked it lightly. "Leave me alone."
The dog shook its head and put its head on her knee.
Celeste grimaced and poked the dog with her wand. "Go," she said. "Shoo."
Daphne stifled her laughter. "He likes you."
"How do you know it's a he? It looks like a girl to me."
The dog seemed heavily offended at Celeste's comment, to the point that it huffed and walked away. Celeste breathed a sigh of relief.
The bell rang minutes later.
Celeste stood up, along with everyone else. She slung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her book and wand.
"Ms. Black, could you stay for a second? This won't take long." Remus said, catching her attention.
Celeste shared a look with Draco. "No." She bluntly said. She walked out of the classroom with her friends, not looking back.
"Don't you think that was a little rude?" Daphne questioned, tucking a strand of her blonde hair that came out of her hairstyle behind her ear.
"I think he deserves it," Draco answered instead of Celeste and slung an arm over his cousin's shoulders. "What class do we have next?"
"Potions with Snape," replied Blaise.
"Great. Someone that actually likes us," said Celeste.