(Celia POV) (a few days later)
'All student organizations are henceforth disbanded. Any student in noncompliance will be expelled.'
"If I could do anything... it would be to punch her," I told Neville, "like seriously, what the hell is her problem?" I asked him, "are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm okay," he said to me with a smile, "I'm just thinking about a place we could go..." he said in a quiet voice, "for you-know-what."
"Ah," I say as I look around, "hopefully we find a place soon," I told him.
"But, are you alright?" He asks me before Draco and his friends knocked into Neville.
"Watch where you're going, Longbottom!" Draco sneers before Crabbe and Goyle exaggerate their laughter as the went through the corridor.
"Shove off, Draco!" I shouted as I wrap an arm around Neville and we kept walking. "Don't worry about him." I say as we turned the corner and walk.
"I know," he smiles slightly at me, I look back at him before seeing something out of the corner of my eye.
"What the..." we look at the wall as a door appears.
"Neville..." I look at him before I slowly let him go as we watch the door finish appearing and they opened. "I think we found ourselves the perfect place."
"What even is this place?" Neville asks me.
"The Room of Requirement," I told him. "I forgot about this place..." Neville and I just look at each other as I crossed my arms.
"We must find Harry and the others," Neville said and I nod my head as I stare at the large room before running off with Neville.
—
"You've done it, Neville and Celia. You've found the Room of Requirement." Hermione said as we all watched the door appear again before walking into the room.
"The what?" Ron asks.
"It's also known as the Come and Go Room. The Room of Requirement only appears when a person has real need of it. And it's always equipped for the seeker's needs." Hermione furthermore explains.
"So say you really needed the toilet..." Ron trails off after realising how weird that question was as we all look at him before looking around the room.
"Charming, Ronald. But, yes, that is the general idea." Hermione replies.
"It's brilliant. It's like Hogwarts wants us to fight back." Harry said and I sigh.
"Should probably gather the troops, tell them about it and then get to lessons straight away..." I say to them and then pulled my pocket watch out and groan.
"What?" Fred asks me.
"I have Umbridge," I told them as I turn around and the door appears, "I'd be happy if this room gave me a knife."
Clang!
"Yes!" I jog forward and grabbed the knife that fell out of the sky. I showed them with a big smile on my face.
"You're not killing Umbridge," George said to me and I groan even louder, "put the knife down."
"Fine, have it your way then," I say.
I turn around and then threw it; it hit the wall and wobbled for a moment before we saw it perfectly wedged into the wall.
"I have to go," I told them, "adios."
"Bye Celia." They all wave as I left the room and slipped my robe over my free dress so I could get to class on time.
—
As Umbridge continued to teach, there was a knock on the door before Dumbledore walked in.
"Yes, Albus?" Umbridge questions him.
"I need Miss Malfoy, if that's alright with you?" I quickly got up and packed my belongings into my book bag.
"Well, of course," she replies as I started walking already.
"Don't want to displease headmaster!" I say as I quickened my pace towards the classroom door.
-
"What am I being pulled out of class for? Not that I'm complaining," I told Dumbledore. He held his hand out and I touch it and we apparate to his office.
-
"Ugh," I held my head before shuddering, "I need to get used to that, even though I've accidentally done it once."
"I'm quite aware," Dumbledore said as he looks over his glasses at me.
"Don't look at me like that, what's going on?" I asked him, "you don't ask for me unless it's important."
"It's about Harry," I tilt my head slightly with a slight eyebrow raise.
"Harry?" I repeat, "is he not safe... or what?" I asked him.
"Just promise me you'll watch him, Voldemort is on the move, watch how Harry acts, how his behaviour changes..." I slowly nod my head.
"Okay, I can do that," I say to him, "but what about Umbridge? She's been getting on his nerves."
"Do not worry about her," Dumbledore told me, "you know she won't be here for long," he said in an assuring tone.
"...right," I slowly sat myself in a chair and relaxed. "Do you want me to..."
"Yes, please do what you must," Dumbledore answers and I flutter my eyes closed and took a deep breath.
"Okay... this is what I see," I told him quietly.
"Look at me!" Dumbledore turns around and looks at a sweating Harry, he looks ill. "What's happening to me?" He seemed so scared.
"You wished to see me, headmaster?"
"Oh, Severus. I'm afraid we can't wait. Not even till the morning. Otherwise, we'll all be vulnerable."
-
"It appears there's a connection between the Dark Lord's mind and your own. Whether he is, as yet, aware of this connection is, for the moment, unclear."
"He needs to control his mind, Dumbledore, or Potter will be controlled, he looks sick," I told him. "Pushing him away is wrong, Dumbledore, he's getting worse being kept in the dark."
"Perhaps it's been foolish of me to push him away," Dumbledore replies as he paced in the study.
"Is that why you've been asking us to keep tabs on Potter?" I asked him, "because you're trying to protect him?"
"Yes," he answers as he looks at me, "please keep him safe, Miss Malfoy, I know you have a tendency to jump into harms way when someone goes wrong with Harry."
"Bravery rubs off on me sir, I spend too much time with Gryffindors," I told him.
"Yes, Mr Weasley and you are a good match," I just rose an eyebrow in reply.
"Depends on which one you're referring too, there's six of them," I say and he laughed.
"George Weasley, Miss Malfoy," I only smile.
"Well, we did get close because of Quidditch," I told him, "my first game was against Gryffindor and the twins cheered for me when I got the golden snitch."
"Those two have always been a personal favourite of mine," Dumbledore said, "though they ruin school property, their practical jokes never cease to make me laugh."
"Yes... they've got a knack for fun, as do I..." I told Dumbledore, "but I'm more of a book indulger, hence why I still think after all this time you've sorted me into the wrong house."
"I must admit, Celia, your smarts and talents for charms or any other class is exceptional, you have outstanding bravery, a cunning girl, in a good way... but you're mostly hard working, kind and have a very good sense in right and wrong."
"So I'm all the house qualities but Hufflepuff shines through the most?" I asked him.
"Exactly my point," he told me.
"Okay, that seems fair," I told him, "what else do you need from me?"
"Just to keep Harry safe," Dumbledore requests.
"I'll do my best," I told Dumbledore.
"You don't need to go back to class, Celia," he smiles and thanked him as I gather my things and leave.
—
"Potter," I say and he turns in his chair at the great hall and looks up at me, "you feeling okay?" I asked him.
"Not after you called me Potter, Malfoy," Harry answers me playfully as I chuckle.
"Sorry, Harry. Anyway," I lean down and sigh, "when's the lessons going to start?" I murmured.
"Tomorrow, be there," I nod my head before standing up straight, I crossed my arms and then walked to the Hufflepuff table.
"Good evening lads," I say as I sat down and reached forward for the ladle, it was creamy chicken soup.
"Good evening," Justin replies, "you seem happy."
"I got out of Umbridge's class today, I'm full of joy," I told him as I put some soup into my bowl and grinned at it.
"Good evening," Susan said as she sat beside me as usual and I gave her the ladle.
"Evening, madam," I reply.
"Someone's in a good mood," she said and I giggle, "get some?"
smack!
"Of course, not!" I felt my face burn in embarrassment as I slowly sunk down, "sorry."
"It's okay, but you do seem tense and... defensive," Susan whispers into my ear playfully.
"I will kill you," I told her seriously as we make eye contact before snorting at each other.
"Oh, that's no fun," she replies and I hollow my cheeks as I stare for a moment puffing my cheeks out and lip bubble. I giggled because I thought of an airplane.
"You okay?" I nod my head.
"Sorry I'm late," Jackson slipped into the spot beside me and I look at him before smiling.
"You're not late, everyone is simply early," I told him in reply and he looks at me.
"I'll have to use that one day," he said and I chuckle.
"Quote me," I point and he smacked my finger.
"Obviously."
"I appreciate that," I reply and then look down at my soup and pick my spoon up.
"Celia!" I groan before putting my spoon down and turn around with a fake smile.
"Yes?" I asked them.
"Where's Fred and George?" Ron asks.
"I'm not their baby sitter, Ron," I roll my eyes before sighing, "down the corridor, they're selling their products." I answer in defeat.
"Thank you," he said as he got up and left to go find his brothers, I shake my head and turned around to see Susan smirking at me.
"What?" I asked her.
"How is George, you haven't been talking much lately," she said to me and I shushed her as I wave my hands like a giddy child.
"Shut it," I hiss before clearing my throat as I hid my head under my hand as I started eating my soup.
The twins were with Ron as they sat themselves down at their table and continued their conversation.
"Wow..." I mumbled, "this is actually really good," I say to myself as I continue to have my soup.
"Celia," I glance at Susan, "you have a feather in your hair," she told me as she pulls the orange feather out of my hair.
"I had to go to Dumbledore's office today," I told her, "it's probably Fawkes' feather."
"Ah," she held the feather before smiling down at it, "lovely shade of orange, don't you think?" Susan asks me.
"It's beautiful, I agree," I told her, "fiery red, has some canary yellow slithers in it, see, look," I point and she tilts the feather in the light to see the yellow shine.
"Wow, that really is stunning," she whispered.
"Keep it," I told her.
"I will," she says as she slid the small feather into her robe pocket.
"Heard you talking about fiery red," Susan and I look at each other before turning our heads to the Gryffindor table.
"The Phoenix feather Susan has, George, I'm not talking about your hair," I retort as Susan quietly chortles beside me.
"Ouch, I thought you loved my hair," he says as he touches it.
"I liked it long," I say as I tie my hair into a messy bun, "you know," I say as I bit my lip while I get my hair tie off my wrist and twisted it while tying my hair up. "Long."
"Really?" Fred asks me, I nod my head while I pull a few small strands out and then smile at them.
"It suited the pair of you when you had longer hair," I say, "thought it represented you well."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Fred asks me.
"Carefree," I say, "then you aged on me and now you look responsible."
"Not gonna lie, hurt my feelings as soon as you said responsible." Fred admits.
"We're never responsible-"
"-It's never going to happen."
"-You know that, surely, Malfoy?"
Of course I did, since when have these two ever cared for the rules at this school? Never, that's when.
"Obviously," I smile and they grinned back at me, "now stop chatting to me and eat your dinner." I wave them off and wink to Susan as I got up and put my bag strap over my shoulder.
"Why do you always leave when we start eating?" George whines at me and I turn myself around to look down at the tall ginger.
"Because..." I had no answer, it was just a force of habit, "maybe I want to go have a shower?" I told him with a small shrug.
"Liar, you just go and read," Susan chimes in, "ha! Nerd."
"Loser," I snap back and she snickers at me.
"Why don't you just stay and read here?" Fred questions.
"Cause you all bother me when I try and read," I replied to Fred, "look, I would stay but I like silence when I read." I say as I bring Fred's head to my stomach as I kissed the top of his head.
"What was that for?" He asks me.
"I'm saying goodnight to you all as I always do," I told him as I did the same to George and he smiles up at me.
"Goodnight love," George says to me.
"Cute, but no," I wink as I lean over the table and Harry automatically leaned forward as I kiss his cheek and did the same to Ron.
"Aw," George says and I gave him a look.
"Night you two and Harry, for Pete's sake go to bed," I told him, "you need some sleep," he just nods his head at me.
"Goodnight Celia," Hermione says and I motioned her to lean forward and she did as I peck her on the cheek softly.
"Night all," I say as I stood up straight.
"Night lovely," Fred says and I ruffled Fred's hair as I walked away from them to go back to the common room.