(Celia pov) (Third Year)
"Yeah and you're a royal pain in my arse too," I told Draco before Father smacked the pair of us.
"Play nicely, children," Father told us.
"Yes Father," we both say as we walked down Knockturn Alley.
"Good," I opened the door and Father along with Draco walked into a store. I shut the door behind myself and followed Draco.
Mr. Borgin emerges from the back room, arms full of things before setting them down and smiled at my father. "Mr. Malfoy! What a pleasure to see you again. If I may, just in today—"
"—I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin. But selling." Father told him.
"Selling?" Mr. Borgin repeats.
"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry of Magic is conducting more raids. There are even rumors of a new Muggle Protection Act..." Father said, unravelling a roll of parchment and handing it to Borgin.
"I have a few... ah... items at home that might prove embarrassing if the Ministry were to call. Certain poisons and the like..."
"Hmmm... yes. I see..." He mutters in reply, Draco tugged my hand and I followed him to the crushing cabinet.
Draco drifts to the Hand of Glory, reaches out, when... the hand grabs him. Draco shrieks, but manages to slip free unfortunately while I was sniggering at him; then he calms himself as he huffs.
"Shut up," he snapped at before turning to Father. "Can I have this?" Draco asked Father.
"Ah, the Hand of Glory. Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder. Best friend of thieves and plunderers. Your son has fine taste, sir." Mr. Borgin adds to Father.
"Hopefully my son will amount to more than a thief, Mr. Borgin. Though if his marks don't pick up—"
"It's not my fault the teachers have favorites. That Hermione Granger—" Draco starts.
"—I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizarding family beat you in every exam," Father said in reply.
"She beat him in every exam because she studied and he didn't," I told Father as I continued to wander around with a small hum.
"Shut up, Celia," Draco sneers at me and I poke my tongue out at him.
"It's the same all over. Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere," Mr. Borgin said and then looks at me, "what's a Hufflepuff doin' in here?" He snarls, my eyebrows raise, I went to say something but my Father stood in front of me.
"Don't talk to my daughter like that," Father said, I lower my head in shame. "Run along now, Celia." I nod and walked away while Father and Mr. Borgin exchange a few things as I watched Draco for a moment.
"Very good. I'll expect you at the manor tomorrow. Come, Draco and Celia."
"Yes Father," I opened the door and let them both out before following them.
—
We had almost everything we needed in Diagon Alley, as we were leaving I saw in front of a bookstore that many people were flooding it.
"Father, we haven't gotten my books yet," I told him, he nods and we walked towards the bookstore called Flourish and Blotts.
-
"Make way there. Please! Let me by, madam. Thank you. Excuse me, little girl. This is for the Daily Prophet." Draco and I watched from above, I wanted to say hi to my friends, but he didn't let me.
"It can't be— Harry Potter?" Draco rolled his eyes.
"Lovely, Harry's here," I said quietly, grinning at the thought that if Harry was here, then the others definitely were too.
"Harry Potter! Excuse me, madam!"
SNAP!
"Blimey that's bright," I rubbed my eyes and Draco shook his head at me.
"Nice big smile, Harry. Together you and I rate the front page! Ladies and gentlemen, what an extraordinary moment this is." Lockhart said.
Flash!
"When young Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts this morning to purchase my autobiography, Magical Me; which, incidentally is currently celebrating its 27th week atop the Daily Prophet bestseller list, he had no idea that he would, in fact, be leaving... with my entire collected works, free of charge."
Flash!
"Now, ladies?"
I sighed as Draco dragged me down the stairs, I saw Harry and Ron's family, I beamed at them all.
"I'll bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter? Famous Harry Potter! Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page." Draco sneers and I just shake my head before seeing Fred and George.
"Hey." I smile at them sheepishly as I hid slightly behind Draco.
"Hey," the twins replied.
"Leave him alone," I look to the smallest red head and smile, that just be Ginny.
"Oh look, Potter. You've got yourself a girlfriend," Draco grins and I look behind me to see Father.
His snake cane hits Draco's shoulder and then he moved with his head lowered. I gave Draco a dirty look, he gave one straight back.
"Now, now Draco, play nicely." Father told him before towering over Harry, "Mr. Potter..." father said, smirking slightly, "Lucius Malfoy." My father introduces.
"You two doing Quidditch this year?" I asked Fred and George, they nod their heads and I thickly swallow as I look down at my shoes.
"We meet at last. Forgive me." He yanks Harry forward and awed at the scar Harry possesses.
"Your scar is legend, as, of course, is the wizard who gave it to you," Father told him, I felt my nose screw up unintentionally.
George and I exchange glances and I quickly put my head back down.
"Voldemort killed my parents. He was nothing more than a murderer," atta boy Harry.
"Hmm. You must be very brave, to mention his name... or very foolish." Father praised.
"Fear of a name only increase fear of the thing itself," Hermione told him and I nod my head.
"And you must be... Miss Granger?" He looks to us and we nod our head, I glanced at them again, wanting anything more than to just talk to them. "Yes, Draco's told me all about you, and your parents."
My father looks to her parents talking to a man and then he looks back at Hermione.
"Muggles, aren't they?" I've never wanted to knock my Father out this badly before.
"Let me see... red hair... vacant expressions... tatty second hand book." Father took a few books out of Ginnys cauldron. "You must be the Weasleys." Father hated them, but I enjoyed their company.
"Children, it's mad in here! Let's go outside," that must be their Father.
"Hello Mr Weasley, how are you?" I smile and he looks down at me and pursed his lips, my smile faults and I put my head down in shame.
"I'm good, thank you." He replies and I smile to myself faintly.
"Well, well, well. Weasley senior," Father said to him.
"Lucius," Mr Weasley said coldly.
"Busy time at the Ministry, Arthur, all those extra raids? I do hope they're paying you overtime, but judging by the state of this, I'd say not."
I exhale loudly and then straightened my posture as my father glared down at me.
"Sorry father," I squeaked.
"What's the use in being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?" Father continued to Mr Weasley and Draco snickers at me.
"Draco," I look at him with pleading eyes and he shakes his head at me, I sighed as he motioned me to hand him my books.
"We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy." Mr Weasley said to him.
"Clearly. Associating with Muggles..." Father sneers, "and I thought your family could sink no lower. I'll see you at work." Father smacked us on the shoulder and then left.
"See you at school," Draco said and then grabbed my arm.
"Oh sod off let me say goodbye," I said and he rolls his eyes at me before letting me go and leaving to follow father.
"Silly bastard. Hello, hi, how are you all?" I asked as I faced my friends.
"Oh, dandy your brother and father just insulted us," Ron said sarcastically and I deadpan.
"No kidding. Anyway, does everyone have what they need?" I asked them.
"Why?" Ron asks me. "What do you care?"
"Ron, for the last bloody time, look at my—" I look at my robes and groaned as I took my spare Slytherin robe and scarf to reveal my Hufflepuff attire.
"Oh bloody hell, I forgot I'm sorry," Ron said to me and I shake my head in dismissal.
"Not a worry," I told them, "now, once again, do you all have everything?" I asked the Weasleys.
"Might I ask why?" Mr Weasley asks.
"Mr Weasley, hello," I smile once again at him, "my name is Celia Malfoy, pleasure to finally meet you." I held my hand out and he shook it softly.
"Pleasure..." he was confused to why there was a Malfoy in Hufflepuff attire.
"Sorry, I know Father will be furious... uh... here!" I pulled my purse out and handed everyone 15 galleons each.
"Celia!" I heard Father shout and I squeezed my eyes shut before looking at the Weasleys awkwardly.
"Bye!" I shout as I scurried off to find Draco and Father.
—
We sat on the train in the same place as we did last year, Draco looks in my direction as I stare out the window.
"Oi," I look at Draco before giving him my full attention, "what's up?"
"Nothing, why?" I asked him.
"You've been staring out that window for ages," he told me.
"Huh, haven't noticed," I told him before standing up, "look after him won't ya?" Draco nods as I place the cage beside him.
"Where are you going?" Draco asks me.
"I have friends other than you and your friends, Draco," I told him before leaving to find Jackson and Susan.
-
"Hello there you three," I grinned and they all smile at me, "you must be Justin Finch-Fletchley."
"And you're a Mal— Huh?" He saw my uniform and I awkwardly smile as I sat inside their carriage.
"I'm a Hufflepuff and a Malfoy, yeah... I know, Justin," I say to him before sighing.
"Where's Mr Midnight?" Susan asks me.
"With Draco, I just wanted to get out of... his presence," I shudder.
"Oi," I groaned as I look at the door, it was Pansy.
"What?" I asked her.
"What are you doing in here?" She asks me with a small sneer.
"Sitting with friends, tell your boyfriend that I'm going to stay here for a little longer." I snapped back at her, "oh, and can you please tell him to bring Mr Midnight to me please? The accio spell scares him."
"...Yeah," she responds before I noticed her cheeks were flushed in pink. I give a cheerful smile and she sneers playfully at me before leaving.
"Stupid Parkinson," I muttered before shaking my head, "anyway, how are you all?"
"I missed Hogwarts, have you?" Susan asks me.
"Better than home," I told them, "I can't stand that bloody manor," I told them, "ghastly place it is, I wanted to see you two... but you know how my Father is."
"We know," Jackson told me, the door opens and Draco appeared.
"Here's Mr Midnight," Draco hands me the cat cage and then he handed me some money, "since you gave the Weasleys your money, here's some to buy something."
"Thanks..." I muttered as I placed the Cat cage down, "see you later."
"Mm..." Draco left the compartment and I put the money in my purse.
"Sorry, Justin," I say before looking at him, "I forgot to ask, how are you?"
"I'm doing fine, thanks," he replied and I let Mr Midnight out of his cage.
"Freedom time," I muttered as Mr Midnight popped up and meowed at us, we all laugh at him as he leaped out of the cage and sat on my lap.
"May I?" I look up and smile, Justin reaches forward and pets Mr Midnight, his purrs rang out and we all snicker.
"I hope we become good friends, Justin," I say and then held my hand out, he nods as he shook my hand with a smile.
"Of course, we can!"
"Brilliant," I reply before looking out the window.
"Anything from the trolley!" I motioned my cat to get off me as I stood up.
"I'll get us some food," I told them before wandering off.
I hope this years going to be a good year.