As the summer sun dipped low on the horizon, Celestia Malfoy found herself swept away into the dazzling world of Parisian fashion, her heart fluttering with excitement as she joined Daphne Greengrass and their friends from France for Paris Fashion Week.
Stepping onto the bustling streets of Paris, Celestia was immediately enveloped in a whirlwind of activity and glamour, the air alive with the pulse of the city's vibrant energy. With each step, she felt the weight of her worries slip away, replaced by the promise of indulgence.
"Isn't this simply divine, Celestia?" Daphne exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with delight as she linked arms with her friend. "I can't wait to see the latest designs and mingle with the fashion elite, oh I wish we'd get to see Aurelia Nightshade"
Celestia grinned, her own excitement mirrored in Daphne's enthusiasm. "Absolutely, Daphne. This is going to be the experience of a lifetime."
As they made their way to the first event of the week, Celestia couldn't help but notice the admiring glances that followed them wherever they went. With her silver-blonde hair cascading over her shoulders and her impeccable sense of style, she knew she cut a striking figure amidst the sea of fashionistas.
And as the evening unfolded in a whirl of runway shows and extravagant parties, Celestia found herself swept up in the intoxicating allure of Parisian nightlife, her laughter ringing out as she danced the night away with her friends.
But it wasn't just the fashion and glamour that captivated Celestia's attention. With two handsome French boys on her arm, who happens to be her childhood friends, she relished in the attention they garnered, creating a rakish display that turned heads and made waves throughout the city.
The next morning, as Celestia and Daphne sat down to breakfast at a chic café on the Champs-Élysées, they couldn't help but marvel at the headlines splashed across the front page of the Daily Prophet.
"Did you see this, Celestia?" Daphne gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief as she pointed to the newspaper in front of her. "You've made the front page!"
Celestia's heart skipped a beat as she scanned the article, her stomach churning with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Sure enough, there she was, captured in a candid moment of laughter and mischief, her name splashed across the page in bold letters.
But as the reality of the situation sank in, Celestia couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. How would Harry react to seeing her cavorting with other boys in the pages of the Daily Prophet, especially when their relationship was already shrouded in secrecy?
Pushing aside her worries for the moment, Celestia plastered on a smile and turned to Daphne, her voice filled with forced cheer. "Well, I suppose I've made quite the impression, haven't I? Let's make the most of our time in Paris, shall we?"
And with that, Celestia and Daphne raised their glasses in a toast to friendship and adventure, determined to make the most of their remaining time in the City of Light, even as the specter of scandal loomed on the horizon.
•••
Back in London, the air crackled with tension within the walls of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. The evening had settled in, casting shadows across the dimly lit room as the dinner concluded, leaving a lingering atmosphere of unease in its wake.
"Nearly time for bed, I think," Mrs. Weasley remarked with a weary yawn, her hand reaching instinctively for her wand to begin tidying up the remnants of the meal.
"Not just yet, Molly," Sirius interjected, pushing his empty plate aside with a casual gesture, his grey eyes fixing on Harry with an intensity that was impossible to ignore. "You know, I'm surprised at you, Harry. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."
The mention of Voldemort's name caused the entire room to go silent, the room suddenly growing tense as if under the influence of Dementors. The easy camaraderie of moments ago evaporated, replaced by a palpable sense of urgency and apprehension.
"I did!" Harry exclaimed indignantly, his frustration evident in his voice. "I asked Ron and Hermione, but they said we're not allowed in the Order, so-"
"And they're quite right," Mrs. Weasley interjected firmly, her posture rigid as she sat upright in her chair, her hands clenched tightly on its arms. "You're too young."
"But since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?" Sirius countered, his tone challenging as he leaned forward, his gaze locked on Harry. "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happening-"
"Hang on a moment!" George interjected loudly, his expression a mix of frustration and anger. "How come Harry gets his questions answered?" Fred added, his voice laced with annoyance. "We've been trying to get stuff out of you for a weeks, and you haven't told us a single stinking thing!" George chimed in, his frustration boiling over.
The room erupted into a cacophony of voices as Fred, George, and Sirius engaged in a heated argument, each one vying to make their point heard. Mrs. Weasley soon joined in, her voice rising above the rest as she expressed her concerns about Harry's safety.
"He's not a child!" Sirius exclaimed impatiently, his eyes flashing with frustration.
"He's not an adult either!" Mrs. Weasley retorted, her cheeks flushed with anger. "He's not James, Sirius!"
"I'm perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly," Sirius shot back, his tone cold and clipped.
"I'm not sure you are!" Mrs. Weasley countered, her voice trembling with emotion. "Sometimes, the way you talk about him, it's as though you think you've got your best friend back!"
The argument raged on, the voices blending together in a chaotic symphony of emotion and frustration. Eventually, a tentative peace settled over the room as everyone reluctantly agreed to provide Harry with some information about the current situation in the wizarding world.
Lupin handed Harry a newspaper, his expression grave as he pointed to a particular line. "Just like Harry Potter, the boy who lies," he read aloud, his eyes fixed on Harry's reaction.
"We think Voldemort is raising an army in hiding," Lupin continued, but his words fell on deaf ears as Harry's attention was drawn to a photograph on the front page. Celestia Malfoy stood amidst a group of foreign boys, laughing with mischief, she looked happy in the moment captured by the camera.
Harry's heart sank as he stared at the image, a rock settling in the pit of his stomach. But before he could process his emotions, Sirius's voice cut through the silence, his gaze fixed on Harry with an intensity that made him uneasy.
"We think he is after something" Sirius suggested, his words hanging in the air like a heavy weight. "Something he didn't have last time"
"Like a weapon?" Asked Ron Weasley, Harry kept staring at the article in the daily prophet.
"Sirius!" Mrs. Weasley warned, her voice sharp with warning as she banged her hand on the table in frustration. "He's just a boy!"
"Something like prophecy?" Harry echoed, his mind racing with questions.
Mrs. Weasley turned to him, her expression a mix of concern and confusion. "How did you... How did you know?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Celestia told me," Harry admitted, his gaze still fixed on the photograph, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight of her smiling face.
Mrs. Weasley frowned, her brow furrowing in concern. "You're still seeing her?" she asked, her tone laced with disapproval."Harry we talked about this at the King Cross, that Malfoy girl —"
"Harry doesn't need anyones permission to see girls," Sirius interjected coldly, his eyes flashing with defiance. "He's his own person. If he wants to see a Malfoy, he can! Or if he wants to go out on a date with voldemort's daughter, he can!"
Mrs. Weasley's face flushed with anger, her voice rising in protest. "It's not healthy, she is-"
"I'm not going to stop seeing her," Harry interjected firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"What else did she tell you, Harry?" Lupin asked, his expression grave as he leaned forward, his eyes searching Harry's face for any sign of deception.
"She won't mislead me," Harry insisted, noticing his gaze, the room fell silent once more, the tension thick as everyone grappled with their own thoughts and emotions. Harry's mind raced as he processed the information, his thoughts drifting back to Celestia and the photograph in the newspaper.
"She heard her father talking about it with Nott Sr.," Harry replied to Lupin's earlier question, his gaze distant as he recalled the conversation with Celestia. "About the prophecy. She says voldemort's current main priority is retrieving the prophecy, he is not concerned about me at the moment because the Ministry is doing that job for him without his intervention, the elite society has already joined Voldemort, they are contacting the old alleys to join the dark side on his behalf, although she doesn't know the details about the prophecy whereabouts and why voldemort wants it"
Everyone listened to Harry's word silently, no one said anything as the silence continued.
Lupin pressed gently, his brow furrowed with concern. "She can mislead you without you even realizing it so be cautious —"
Harry shook his head adamantly, his confidence unwavering. "She wouldn't do that," he insisted, his voice tinged with conviction.
Ron Weasley chimed in, his tone skeptical. "But how can you be so sure? And why didn't you write to us about it? How did she even tell you all of these, you were with your muggles the entire time"
Harry's gaze flickered with uncertainty as he considered Ron's questions. "She came to see me," he explained, his voice tinged with frustration. "I didn't have a chance to write to you before... she went shopping and brought me some clothes, and other stuff, she came to deliver the stuff to me as she couldn't take them home without her parents noticing," Harry notices this wasn't news to the adults, they seemed to be already informed about it, "we spent the evening together"
"But why would she bring you clothes? The shirt you're wearing looks expensive" Hermione questioned, her tone laced with suspicion. "It just seems... odd, doesn't it?"
"Expensive?" Sirius scoffed, leaning slightly towards Harry as if to examine his shirt, "it's Enchanté Elegance, no doubt"
"Enchant what?" Harry questioned, his confusion evident as he glanced down at his shirt, suddenly feeling out of place.
"It's a popular brand among the wizarding elite," Sirius explained, his grin widening as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Enchanté Elegance. My father's favourite clothing brand, although his tastes leaned more towards dark cloaks and ominous robes," he added with a wistful smile. "that shirt you're wearing right now probably costs around 80 galleons or more, mind you."
The room erupted into gasps of astonishment as Fred voiced the collective disbelief. "80 galleons for a single shirt?" he exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock.
"Mind of the elites works in strange ways," Sirius shrugged nonchalantly, though the weight of his words hung heavily in the air, emphasizing the vast divide between the haves and have-nots in the wizarding world.
Hermione's voice cut through the stunned silence like a knife, her words laden with suspicion and concern. "It's like she's trying to buy your affection," she murmured under her breath, her gaze flickering between Harry and the adults in the room.
Harry's head snapped up at Hermione's accusation, his expression a mix of surprise and indignation. "She's not trying to buy my affection, i asked her to be my girlfriend first" he retorted defensively, his tone firm as he defended Celestia's intentions.
But Hermione's words had struck a nerve, causing a tense undercurrent of unease to permeate the room. Mrs. Weasley shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her disapproval evident as she exchanged worried glances with her husband.
Harry bristled at the implication in Hermione's words, feeling defensive of Celestia despite the doubts swirling around her. "She was just being kind," he insisted, his voice firm as he defended his friend. "There's nothing wrong with that."
Ron chimed in, his skepticism evident as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I still don't understand why she would choose to spend time with you," he said bluntly, his gaze challenging Harry to provide an explanation.
"Maybe because she actually likes him," Sirius interjected, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "Or is that too difficult for you lot to believe?"
Mrs. Weasley's lips pressed into a thin line as she exchanged a meaningful glance with Lupin, her disapproval evident in her expression. "We just want what's best for Harry," she said softly, her tone gentle but firm. "And we're concerned that this... relationship with Celestia Malfoy might not be in his best interest."
Harry felt a surge of frustration rising within him at the insinuations being made about Celestia. "She's not like her family," he insisted, his voice tinged with anger. "You don't know her like I do."
Hermione's expression softened slightly at Harry's impassioned defense of his friend, but her skepticism remained. "But Harry, you have to admit, it's all a bit... suspicious," she said carefully, her eyes searching his face for any sign of doubt.
"She even helped me with Gellyweed, she didn't have to but she did" Harry said as he shook his head, his resolve unwavering. "I trust her," he stated firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
But despite Harry's assurances, the doubts and suspicions lingered, casting a shadow over the room as the conversation shifted once more to the current state of affairs in the wizarding world.
Lupin continued to provide updates on Voldemort's movements, his words punctuated by moments of grim silence as everyone absorbed the gravity of the situation. Harry listened intently, his thoughts drifting back to Celestia and the secrets she had shared with him.