As the clock struck midnight, Celestia Malfoy hurried through the shadowy corridors of Hogwarts, her heart heavy with sorrow and resentment.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving a trail of shimmering sorrow in their wake. The weight of her shattered romance with Harry Potter pressed down on her like a suffocating blanket, threatening to smother her spirit.
When Celestia finally reached the entrance to the Slytherin girls' dormitory, she found herself trembling with trepidation. The room beyond held the promise of solace, but also the specter of fractured friendships with Daphne, for the first time, Celestia hated her living arrangements. With a trembling hand, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Millicent Bulstrode lay sound asleep in her bed, her snores providing a discordant soundtrack to the somber atmosphere. Meanwhile, Daphne Greengrass sat perched on the edge of her own bed, Celestia had a feeling she was waiting for her, Daphne's features etched with concern as she watched Celestia's tear-streaked face.
"Celestia?" Daphne's voice was barely a whisper, filled with uncertainty and apprehension. It was the first time in weeks since Daphne has taken her name out loud.
Celestia could only nod weakly in response, her eyes brimming with unshed tears as she made her way across the room. Collapsing onto her bed, she buried her face in her hands, her sobs echoing off the stone walls.
Daphne hesitated for a moment, her heart torn between the desire to reach out and the fear of rejection. But as she watched Celestia's silent anguish, she knew that she couldn't turn her back on her friend in need.
Setting aside her book, Daphne approached Celestia with cautious steps, her heart pounding in her chest. Tentatively, she sat down beside her, her touch gentle as she reached out to offer comfort.
"Celestia," she whispered softly, "what's wrong?"
At first, Celestia could only shake her head in despair, her words choked with emotion. But as Daphne's comforting presence enveloped her, she found herself opening up, her words pouring forth in a torrent of pain and heartache.
"It's Harry," she finally managed to choke out, her voice trembling with sorrow. "He... he broke up with me."
Daphne's heart clenched with sympathy as she pulled Celestia into a tight embrace, holding her close as she cried. "Oh, Celestia," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "I wish I could say I am sorry, but I am not."
As Celestia's tears began to ebb, she recounted the heartbreaking events that had led to their breakup, her voice trembling with anguish. She spoke of Harry's interest in Cho Chang, she told her how she felt stupid going after him when she knew Harry liked Cho since the beginning, and the crushing realization that their love was doomed from the start.
"It's for the best," Daphne whispered, her words heavy with sorrow. "You deserve someone who will cherish you for who you are, and not treat you as an option, the man you choose needs to be worthy of you, Celestia. Besides, you gave him this power over you that's why you are crying, don't give him too much power, Malfoy, Get a grip."
Celestia's heart ached at the reminder of her fractured identity, torn between her family's expectations and her own desires. But as she looked into Daphne's eyes, she saw not judgment or condemnation, but understanding and empathy. Celestia understood the importance of continuing the pureblood bloodline.
Celestia nodded, her throat tight with emotion. "I know," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "But it still hurts."
Daphne squeezed her hand gently, offering silent support. "I know it does," she said softly. "But time will heal your heart, Celestia. You will find someone worthy who loves you and in the meantime, you have me."
Tears welled up in Celestia's eyes once more, but this time they were tears of gratitude. She had always known that Daphne was a true friend, but in that moment, she realized just how much she valued their bond.
"Thank you, Daphne," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "I don't know what I would do without you."
Daphne smiled warmly, her eyes shining with affection. "You'll never have to find out," she replied, her voice filled with determination.
With those words, Celestia felt a sense of peace settle over her, and as she drifted off to sleep, wrapped in the warmth of her friend's embrace, she knew that their friendship would endure, unbreakable and unwavering, in the face of whatever trials the future held, well, as long as Celestia stays away from blood-traitors.
As Celestia sat at the breakfast table, she made a conscious decision to reclaim her energy from Harry, refusing to grant him the power to sway her emotions any longer. Taking this stance, she carried on as if nothing had happened between them, and to her satisfaction, Harry seemed to follow suit, avoiding any direct interaction with her.
Interestingly, Celestia noticed that Harry was also not paying attention to Cho, which brought a sense of relief. During the next meeting of the DA, Harry purposefully avoided Cho's attempts to engage him in conversation, instead focusing on his DA training. Celestia, on the other hand, was occupied with teaching Henry the intricacies of spellcasting, particularly how to conjure fire in the shape of a heart from his wand.
The DA continued to make strides in their training, thanks in part to the abundance of resources provided by the Room of Requirement. Despite her initial inclination to leave the DA, Celestia found herself persuaded by Henry to stay. When Henry inquired about any potential romantic involvement between her and Harry, (all the DA had heard the argument in between Celestia and Cho) Celestia denied it adamantly, as there truly was nothing of the sort.
To Celestia's surprise, she found herself forming an unexpected bond with Hermione Granger, a muggleborn and a fellow student known for her exceptional intellect and talent - Harry's best friend. Their connection began in arithmancy class, when Hermione approached her with a request to meet in the library, prompting Daphne to change seats in apparent discomfort.
Hermione and Celestia often found themselves studying together in the library, using their guise of academic pursuits to devise a method for the DA members to communicate discreetly about meeting times and locations. Their solution involved enchanted galleons that would change their numerical inscription, a concept enhanced by Celestia's suggestion to use the Protean Charm. As they practiced the charm in the secluded corner of the library, Celestia couldn't help but wonder if Hermione's choice of location held any significance, particularly given its proximity to a spot where she and Harry had shared a private moment in the past.
As the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, drew nearer, the DA meetings were put on hold as everyone had to practice. To Celestia's delight, professor Snape gave them the written permission to use the quidditch pitch so many times that the Gryffindor hardly had any time to practice.
Also, the slytherins, wanting to win the quidditch cup as it had been four years straight, they hadn't won a single game of quidditch against the gryffindors. Their captain, Miles Bletchley, made them train hard.
Although, the slytherin captain also used back-door dirty tricks, Snape was also turning a deaf ear to the many reports of Slytherin attempts to hex Gryffindor players in the corridors. When Alicia Spinnet turned up in the hospital wing with her eyebrows growing so thick and fast they obscured her vision and obstructed her mouth, Snape insisted that she must have attempted a Hair-thickening Charm on herself and refused to listen to the fourteen eye-witnesses who insisted they had seen the Slytherin Keeper, Miles Bletchley, hit her from behind with a jinx while she worked in the library.
Celestia and Draco bounded over quidditch as they practiced new tricks. They came up with the idea to troll Harry that he would be so self conscious to play quidditch properly. Celestia encouraged Pansy to troll the Gryffindors whenever they walked into the corridors.
Just as Celestia along with her Slytherin girls walked past Harry, Ron and Hermione, Celestia nudged Pansy, urging her to start with the snide comments, "Hey, Potty, I heard Warrington's sworn to knock you off your broom on Saturday" Pansy said, sniggering, all the Slytherins laughed.
"Warrington's aim's so pathetic I'd be more worried if he was aiming for the person next to me," he retorted, which made Ron and Hermione laugh and wiped the smirk off Pansy Parkinson's face. The Slytherins decided to target Ron Weasley instead and it worked wonderfully.
Draco had decided to write a song on Weasley skills in quidditch, and Celestia tried not to focus on Cho Chang, she couldn't understand how a ravenclaw girl be any better than her.
October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard hard irosts every morning and icy draughts that bit at exposed hands and faces.
The skies and the ceiling of the Great Hall turned a pale, pearly grey, the mountains around Hogwarts were snowcapped, and the temperature in the castle dropped so low that many students wore their thick protective dragonskin gloves in the corridors between lessons.
The morning of the match dawned bright and cold. Celestia excitedly joined her Slytherin team for breakfast, discussing the after-match party in the common room when the mail arrived. Among the stack of letters, there's one from her childhood friend Klaus, hailing from Germany. As she reads his letter, her excitement dims.
Klaus's letter reveals that he has called off his plans to propose to his girlfriend and has instead secured a job at Gringotts in Britain. Celestia's jaw dropped as her mind races with questions, wondering what could have caused this sudden change in Klaus's life.
Determined to get to the bottom of things, Celestia rushes to the Owlery, only to be intercepted by Draco as she tries to leave the breakfast table. She hastily informs him about Klaus's news, and Draco, with a curious expression, asks why she still communicates with him. Celestia, feeling defensive, retorts that not everyone is blinded by Draco's charm and ego, earning a raised eyebrow from him. Draco proceeded distributing the batches that says 'Weasley is our King'.
As Celestia attempts to leave, Slytherin Quidditch team intervenes, reminding her of the impending match. She assures them she'll make it to the pitch on time and quickly borrows a quill and parchment from Astoria, who is engrossed in a crossword puzzle.
Hurrying to the Quidditch pitch, The frosty grass crunched under her feet she they hurried down the sloping lawns towards the stadium. There was no wind at all and the sky was a uniform pearly white, which meant that visibility would be good without the drawback of direct sunlight in the eyes. Celestia's mind is still consumed by thoughts of Klaus. She arrives just before the match started, missing the pre-match talk from the captain.
"Where you you" Montague hissed, he seemed nervous, Celestia was putting on her gloves as she hurried over to the team "The match is about to start" the gryffindor team had arrived.
"Iam here now" said Celestia plainly, "get off my back" she was now tying her hair back in a ponytail.
"This isn't over" Montague hissed, walking forward towards the Gryffindor captain as Celestia joined her twin brother, Draco flashed his batch at Harry, who had his eyes on Celestia.
"Captains, shake hands," ordered the referee Madam Hooch, as Johnson and Montague reached each other. Harry could tell that Montague was trying to crush Angelina's fingers, though she did not wince. "Mount your brooms…"
Madam Hooch placed her whistle in her mouth and blew.
The balls were released and the fourteen players shot upwards.
Celestia flew towards the quaffle, but Johnson cut in between, she could hear the commentary and realised more than half of the population was supporting gryffindors.
"And it's Malfoy - No, Johnson with the Quaffle, Johnson, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years but she still won't go out with me -"
"JORDAN!" yelled Professor McGonagall.
"- just a fun fact, Professor, adds a bit of interest - and she's ducked Warrington, she's passed Montague, she's — ouch - been hit from behind by a Bludger from Crabbe… Montague catches the Quaffle, Montague heading back up the pitch and - nice Bludger there from George Weasley, that's a Bludger to the head for Montague, he drops the Quaffle, caught by Katie Bell, Katie Bell of Gryffindor reverse-passes to Alicia Spinnet and Spinnet's away -'
Throughout the wind whistling in her ears and the din of the crowd, all yelling and booing and singing, Celestia rushes towards spinnet, dodging a Bludger, Spinnet dodges as Celestia tries to tackle her, flying towards the hoops.
"- dodges Warrington, dodges Malfoy, avoids a Bludger - close call, Alicia - and the crowd is loving this, just listen to them, what's that they're singing?" And as Lee paused to listen, the song rose loud and clear from the sea of green and silver in the Slytherin section of the stands:
"Weasley cannot save a thing, He cannot block a single ring, That's why Slytherins all sing: Weasley is our King.
"Weasley was born in a bin He always lets the Quaffle in Weasley will make sure we win Weasley is our King.
Celestia and Warrington chased after Spinnet, Spinnet passed the quaffle to Johnson, Johnson rushed towards the hoops and shoots. Celestia and Warrington halted at once.
The Slytherin Keeper, saved the goal; he threw the Quaffle to Celestia, as she sped off with it, zig-zagging in between Alicia and Katie; the singing from below grew louder and louder as she drew nearer and nearer Ron.
'Weasley is our King, Weasley is our King, He always lets the Quaffle in Weasley is our King.'
The gryffindor keeper, hovering before the three goal-hoops while Celestia pelted towards him.
"Oy Weasley," Celestia called out, "your highness?" She said loudly, "don't save please" with as much force as she could muster, Celestia hits the quaffle with the back of her broom, shooting towards the goal hoop.
The scream of delight came from the Slytherins' end: the keeper had dived wildly, his arms wide, and the Quaffle had soared between them straight through Weasley's central hoop.
"Slytherin score!" came jordon's voice amid the cheering and booing from the crowds below, "so that's ten-nil to Slytherin - bad luck, Ron."
The Slytherins sang even louder:
'WEASLEY WAS BORN IN A BIN
HE ALWAYS LETS THE QUAFFLE IN…'
Celestia couldn't hear the commentary properly as the slytherins from the stands sings the song Draco had wrote, she chases after Katie bell, exchanging a nod of acknowledgement with Warrington.
'WEASLEY WILL MAKE SURE WE WIN WEASLEY IS OUR KING…'
The Slytherin chasers cornered Spinnet, sandwiching her in between them as Celestia pushed her harder, Warrington, with his large build, hits Spinnet with enough force for her to drop the Quaffle, Celestia catches the quaffle as Spinnet studs to catch her breath.
The commentary bellowed in her ears as Celestia flew towards the goal hoops with full speed "— and it's Malfoy again, who passes to Warrington, past Spinnet, come on now, Angelina," Johnson tried to tackle Warrington but failed miserably, Celestia did a flip and hits the gryffindor captain with the back of her broom, and before she could process anything, Warrington was hit with a bludger, he drops down towards the ground. Katie Bell took the quaffle and Celestia tackled her causing the girl to drop the Quaffle and Montague caught it.
The commentary rang "you can take them- turns out you can't - but nice Bludger from Fred Weasley, I mean, George Weasley, oh, who cares, one of them, anyway, and Warrington drops the Quaffle and Katie Bell — er - drops it, too - Malfoy you sneaky cheat - so that's Montague with the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Montague takes the Quaffle and he's off up the pitch, come on now, Gryffindor, block him!'
The snippet girl tried to snatch the quaffle, Montague passed it to Celestia as she flew towards the goal hoops dodging the gryffindors.
"— and Malfoy dodged Alicia again and she's heading straight for goal, stop it, Ron!"
The keeper, red in the face, couldn't save the goal and celestia cheered, clapping the slytherin's chasers hand in victory.
THAT'S WHY SLYTHERINS ALL SING WEASLEY IS OUR KING.'
Weasley let in two more goals. The Slytherins were sure to win. The commentary was making Celestia's head ache.
Katie Bell of Gryffindor dodges Celestia, ducks Montague as he tries taking her on, she throws to Johnson, Celestia rushes towards the girl but she's already past Warrington (he had rose to play again) she's heading for goal, and the keeper couldn't save as he was busy singing the stupid song.
"GRYFFINDOR SCORE! It's forty-ten, forty-ten to Slytherin" Lee Jordon yells.
Ignoring the commentary, Celestia caught the quaffle, her gaze slightly turning upwards towards Harry and saw he was watching her with great dislike, smirking she passed the quaffle to Warrington, Warrington passes to Montague, Montague back to her -Johnson intervenes, catching the quaffle, she passed it to gryffindor keeper who got hit by the bludger from Goyle, Celestia caught the quaffle again, zooming towards the goal hoops where Weasley stud stupidly.
But before she could score, Harry Potter had caught the snitch, there were loud yells from gryffindors, the gryffindors with Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were dancing with victory and Celestia saw Crabbe hitting Harry with a bludger square in the back. He landed on his back on the solid ground.