(Celia POV) (sixth year)
I walked into headquarters through the fireplace like it was the most normal thing to do. Alastor and a few others went off to go get Harry, so we had time to prepare food.
"Gosh, you save a kid every year and then you get dragged into an organisation basically doing the same thing," I say sarcastically as I held the bag of groceries in one arm and my backpack strap along with my travel bag in the other.
"Quit your complaining, Malfoy," Sirius says to me jokingly and I shake my head as I kept walking.
"I saved you too," I retort and he stuck his tongue out at me. "Thanks, Padfoot," I smile sarcastically.
"You're welcome," he replies cheerfully. I glare as I placed the groceries down on the kitchen bench.
"Were you followed?" Molly asks me.
"Nope," I replied and she cups my face before smiling.
"Good girl, now run along now," I nod my head and kept walking to go upstairs.
"Why so many bags, Malfoy?" I heard and then turned around.
"Well, if you must know—"
WHOOSH!
Fred and George appeared and I turned around and smacked the pair of them, they laughed at me as they ran off.
"Pricks!" I shouted and heard their cackles die out while they ran. "Anyway, I have my school books for this year in my bag."
"Looking forward to a new school year, dear?" Molly asks me.
"...No," I replied honestly, "I don't really want to go back, but I do miss my friends dearly... so I guess I'll have to put up with it." I told her.
"Your friends are lovely," she told me.
"Thank you, Mrs Weasley," I reply before sighing.
"Off you go, Dear," I thanked her and then left for my room upstairs.
—
I sat in a room with Ron and Hermione as we waited for Harry's arrival, I think he was here because we heard footsteps.
The door opens and Hermione jumped up and hugged Harry.
"Oh, Harry. Are you all right? We overheard them talking about the Dementor attack." She said as he let him go. "You must tell us everything."
"Let the man breathe, Hermione," Ron says as they hugged before letting each other go.
"Celia," Harry smiles and I stood up from where I was leaning and he brought me into a hug.
"It's good to see you again, Potter," I say to him, "And this hearing at the Ministry. It's just outrageous." I told him.
"I've looked it up. They simply can't expel you. It's completely unfair." Hermione adds on as Harry wandered around the room.
"Yeah. There's a lot of that going round at the moment. So, what is this place?" Harry questions us.
"It's headquarters." Ron answers Harry.
"Of the Order of the Phoenix. It's a secret society. Dumbledore formed it back when they fought You-Know-Who." I further explain to Harry.
"Couldn't have put any of this in a letter, I suppose?" Harry asks us, "I've gone all summer without a scrap of news."
"We wanted to write, mate. Really, we did. Only..." I say and Harry looks at us.
"Only what?" We were pursing our lips at Harry.
"Only Dumbledore made us swear not to tell you anything." Hermione blurts out.
"Dumbledore said that? But why would he keep me in the dark? Maybe I could help. I'm the one who saw Voldemort return, I'm the one who fought him, who saw Cedric Diggory get killed."
I squeezed my eyes shut and then look away.
"Harry," we heard the twins appear into the adjacent bedroom.
"Thought we heard your dulcet tones." George piped up.
"Don't bottle it up, though, mate. Let it out." Fred said.
"If you're all done shouting..." George says to us, gaining our proper attention.
"Do you wanna hear something a little more interesting?" Fred asks us and we all nod our heads.
-
"If anyone has a right to know, it's Harry. If it wasn't for Harry... we wouldn't even know Voldemort was back." Sirius said to the people in the meeting, we had an ear attached to a cord as we listened in to their meeting.
"He's not a child, Molly." Sirius said to Molly.
"But he's not an adult either!" Molly said to him, "He's not James, Sirius." Molly added to Sirius.
"Well, he's not your son." He retorts.
"He's as good as, Who else has he got?" Molly questions him.
"Hey, Ginny." Harry whispered.
"He's got me." Sirius answered.
"How touchingly paternal, Black. Perhaps Potter will grow up to be a felon, just like his godfather." Snape remarks.
"Now, you stay out of this, Snivellus." I covered my mouth as I tried not to snort at Sirius' nickname.
"Snape's part of the Order?" Harry asks us.
"Git." Ron said, grinning.
"...about your supposed reformation."
"I know better." Sirius said to them.
"So why don't you tell him?" Snape asks.
"Get off it." We hissed to Crookshanks as the cat tried to swipe at the ear.
"Quick." I whispered, "Get it up."
"Crookshanks." Hermione whisper shouts, "Stop it."
"Get off, you bloody cat." Fred whisper shouts.
"Crookshanks. Leave it alone." Hermione whisper shouts.
"Get it up." We all groan as the cat ripped the ear off and started playing with it.
"Hermione, I hate your cat." Fred told her.
"Bad Crookshanks." Hermione says to her ginger cat.
"And this is why Mr Midnight stays in my room," I say and Hermione looks at me.
"Mr Midnight is too lazy to leave your bedroom," Hermione corrects me.
"Same difference," I reply. "My cat glows and shit, he's pretty chill."
—
"Well, we'll be eating down in the kitchen." Molly told us and then—
Crack!
The twins apparate with wicked grins on their faces.
"Oh!" Molly shouts. "JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW..." she smacked George as they ran away from her, "...DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERYTHING!" She scolds then and I burst out laughing.
Molly smacked me too as I started walking, "keep walking, Celia!"
"I am!" I yell back while laughing.
-
"This is very, very peculiar. It seems your hearing in the Ministry is to be before the entire Wizengamot." Arthur said to Harry as we all sat ourselves down at the large dinner table.
"I don't understand. What has the Ministry of Magic got against me?" Harry asks in confusion.
"Want a drink?" George asks me and I nod my head as he poured me one before sitting himself down next to me.
"Thanks, love," I say and then we awkwardly look at each other before sipping our drinks.
"Show him. He'll find out soon enough," Moody tells them and we all look at each other in confusion before Kingsley unrolled the newspaper and handed it to Harry.
"He's been attacking Dumbledore as well. Fudge is using all his power, including his influence at the Daily Prophet... to smear anyone who claims the Dark Lord has returned." Sirius explained to us as we all listened in.
"Why?" Harry asks in confusion.
"He thinks Dumbledore's after his job, Harry," I told him and he looks at me and Sirius rose his eyebrows at me, "sorry..." I tap my temple before clearing my throat.
"Ah, yes I forgot you have that ability," Sirius said to me.
"Apology accepted... I think?"
"But that's insane! No one in their right mind could believe that..." Harry continues on with the conversation.
"Exactly the point. Fudge isn't in his right mind. It's been twisted and warped by fear." Remus says to Harry before the was a slight pause, "Now, fear makes people do terrible things, Harry. The last time Voldemort gained power... he almost destroyed everything we hold most dear."
"Can I..." I whispered and Ron handed me my cardigan, I thank him as I pulled it over the table and then slipped it on.
"Now he's returned, and I'm afraid the minister will do almost anything... to avoid facing that terrifying truth." Remus concludes.
"We think Voldemort wants to build up his army again. Fourteen years ago, he had huge numbers at his command. And not just witches and wizards, but all manner of dark creatures. He's been recruiting heavily, and we've been attempting to do the same. But gathering followers isn't the only thing he's interested in." Sirius says to Harry and he intently listens.
"We believe... Voldemort may be after something." Sirius tells Harry.
"Sirius." Moody warns.
"Something he didn't have last time." Sirius continued.
"You mean like a weapon?" Harry asks and Molly slammed her hands down on the table.
"No. That's enough. He's just a boy." Molly came over and grabbed the newspaper away from Harry. "You say more and you might as well induct him into the Order!" She told them angrily.
"Good. I want to join. If Voldemort's raising an army, then I want to fight." Sirius looks to Molly with a grin as he clapped his hands and gestures towards Harry.
—
"Hey, Fred, George," I say and they look at me, "I can't find my sweater, do you have one I could borrow for the night?" I asked either one of them.
"Yeah, here," George tossed me his and I caught it, I thanked him as I slipped it on and then shiver slightly.
"Thanks," I fix the sleeves before walking into their room and said goodnight to the pair.
"Night," I kissed Fred's cheek and he kissed mine back as we hugged. I let him go and then did the same to George as he did to me.
"See you both tomorrow," I say and they nod as I left their room to go to my own.
-
I got into my bed and sighed as I stare at the ceiling and shut my eyes. My ability to see things that haven't happened yet comes and goes, but it's not fun.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." Dumbledore walked into the court and they all stare at him.
"You got our message that the time and place of the hearing had been changed, did you?" Fudge questions.
"I must have missed it. But by a happy mistake, I arrived at the Ministry three hours early." Dumbledore says as he then looks at Harry before smiling.
"The charges?" Dumbledore questions the court.
"The charges against the accused are as follows: That he did knowingly... and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions produced a Patronus Charm in the presence of a Muggle."
"Do you deny producing said Patronus?"
"No, but..."
"And you were aware that you were forbidden to use magic outside school?"
"This is why I hate my mind," I say to myself as I slowly got myself out of bed and groan as I rubbed my head.
I left my room and made my way downstairs to the kitchen.
-
"Trouble sleeping dear?" I heard Molly ask me, I slowly look up at her and nod my head, "is it those visions again?"
"Harry's going to be fine in court tomorrow, Dumbledore's going to be there," I told her quietly.
"He's really back, right?" Molly asks me.
"I saw him..." I told her, "my visions have never been wrong," I explain quietly, "Mrs Weasley, they scare me..." I told her in a whisper of distraught as I felt myself holding back tears.
"Shh, it's okay," she brought me into a warm hug as I started to quietly sob in her arms.
"I want to be normal, this is a curse..." I whimpered as she stroked my head softly.
"I know... I know my dear," she coos as she held me. "I think Fred and George might have a spare bed, why don't you sleep in there tonight?" Molly suggests.
"Okay..." I sniffle and she smiles as she wiped my tears with her thumbs softly.
"Try and get some sleep, my dear," I nod my head and she smiles kindly at me as she let me go.
"Thank you, and goodnight," I say to Molly and then go back upstairs.
-
"Are you decent?" I whispered, I heard George move in bed and he grabbed his wand.
"What?" George asks me, "Lumos," George mutters and his wand lit up, "Celia? What's up?" George groggily asks me.
"Got any room?" I asked him.
"Yeah... yeah, why?" He asks as I climbed into his bed and he turned the light from his wand off.
"I can't sleep," I muttered and he nods as I got comfortable.
"God, you're cold," he grumbles.
"Well, I was outside so that's why," I muttered and he wrapped an arm around me.
"There," he mumbles. I shift and then laid still in his hold.
"Thank you," I whispered, I turned around in his arms and I realised how close we really were.
"Hello there," he said, I could hear the smirk in his voice.
"Hi," I reply back, his breath was warm against my skin as I continued to just stare for a moment or two; and then did something out of character, I tucked my head under his chin.
"Cuddly? You? Weird," George mocks me and I smacked his arm as I got comfortable.
"You're warm, I'm cold, get over it, Weasley," I told him.
"But Malfoy, this is so unlike you." He says in a goofy tone.
"I'm gonna hit you," I warn him quietly.
"Hit me with those lips, Malfoy," I squirm in his arms as he quietly laughs at me.
"You're evil," I told George.
"Am not." He replies.
"I'm not going to kiss you," I told him.
"Ouch, heartbreaker," George jokes.
"Shut up," I muttered.
"You love me," George said and I rolled my eyes.
"Wish I didn't," I muttered and he gasps quietly.
"You love me?" He asks and I just sigh, "aww, you love me." I just closed my eyes and ignored him.
"Mhm," I accidentally nuzzled him as I shift to get comfortable, George chuckled at me as his hand softly rubs my back.
"Should probably sleep," George whispers.
"Yeah," I opened one eye before shutting it again.
"Night Celia," George whispered.
"Night George," I whispered back and then lean up to kiss his chin.
"You're weird."
"But I like you," I teased and he groaned at me in annoyance as I giggled.
"Shut up."
"That's called payback," I told George and he looked down at me and then kissed me on the lips.
"Mph!"
I kissed him back softly, arm wrapping around his neck loosely before he pulls away reluctantly.
"Yeah, real payback," he muttered as I froze in shock. My face burns and I just laid my head under his chin and thought about what just happened.
"Goodnight, Celia."
"Uh... huh." I replied quietly and then smile to myself, he kissed me and it felt right.
Oh no.