Albus Dumbledore was killed two weeks later.
George appeared in the front room of the Burrow and his eyes fell on me, I was sitting on the sofa with a book and Molly was in the kitchen preparing some food for us. Before George could say a word Remus Lupin came flying through the front door and didn't hesitate to raise his wand to me. I jumped off the sofa and backed into a corner, my body already shaking, George instantly came to my side with his own wand in his hand and shifted so he was partially covering me.
"How did you know?" Lupin asked, grief clear in his eyes and I felt an unbelievable wave of guilt rush over me. George had convinced me to tell The Order what I'd said and now I wish I had kept my mouth shut. "How did you know?!" Lupin's voice rose with every word, I couldn't answer him and I kept my eyes down, my throat had locked and my body was paralyzed in fear.
"Remus!" Molly came rushing into the room taking in the scene, her eyes fell on me in the corner and she turned on Lupin with anger on her face, "Remus John Lupin you take your wand off her right now!" Lupin was surprised at the use of his full name and his arm dropped.
"Dumbledore's dead, Molly and Celeste knew about it!" Lupin said to Molly, all eyes turned to me and I looked down again unable to deal with the accusing look I was getting off Lupin. "I want to know how she knew"
"That does not give you the right to raise your wand to her in my home!" Molly scolded and she turned to me, "Are you okay?" she asked me and I nodded quickly, the shaking stopped and I started picking my nails.
"Severus killed him," I said quietly and took a deep breath, "I knew it was going to happen the minute The Dark Lord set the task for Draco Malfoy. I knew because-" I cut myself off and looked up, I looked at George for a second before sighing, "I knew because I'm a Seer" George's eyes looked like they were about to fall out of his skull as the pieces fell into place and I looked away quickly.
"Then why didn't you stop it!?" Lupin asked me, he was still angry and George took a step closer to me when he saw me jump slightly.
"I couldn't!" I replied I was surprised by the level of my voice, "No matter which way I looked at it there was nothing no one could have done. It was going to happen one way or another"
"A Seer?" Molly asked with surprise in her voice and I nodded, "That's why he wants you?" I nodded again. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because she didn't trust us" George offered and I ducked my head chewing my bottom lip, "I don't blame her, Mum, I don't think anyone would have trusted a daman soul after going through what Celeste has been through" I looked up and I met George's eyes, I nodded my head in appreciation for his defence. Lupin sighed and paced a few times before stopping again and turning to me.
"I'm sorry, Celeste," He said to me, "I shouldn't have done that. I'm going to head to Hogwarts and see what I can do to help" Lupin turned and left the house quickly, I leaned back against the wall breathing heavily.
"I'm sorry I didn't say anything. I should have trusted you, all of you. But I didn't and I'm so sorry about Dumbledore. I wish there was something I could have done" I said after a minute and pushed myself off the wall. "Thank you for defending me, George"
"Of course, Celeste, I don't blame you for his death, I hope you know that," George said softly and I nodded slowly.
"I think I'm going to lie down for a bit" I muttered and quickly climbed the stairs and went to my room. I sat on the edge of my bed and dropped my head into my hands.
I am unhinged, the article was right about that bit. I still flinch when someone gets too close, I move back when someone is too loud, I even flinch when someone moves too quickly. I can't even touch my wand without my hands shaking. I was scared of magic because of how it was used against me.
I barely had time to breathe before I was hit with another Cruiatus, my throat was raw from the screaming and my eyes stung with tears I could barely see the ceiling above me. Bellatrix kept her wand trained on me and she was taking great pleasure in the torture.
"Does he go to the Ministry?" A cold voice asked me and I curled into a ball, my whole body shaking and my head was fuzzy. I kept seeing a room with an archway and someone falling through it. A Death. The unfortunate death of someone. Someone I couldn't see. "If you want it to stop you will answer me!" The Dark Lord shouted at me angrily and I pulled myself into an even tighter ball.
"I don't know" I forced the words out of my mouth, my throat screaming in protest, Bellatrix yanked my hair and forced me to lie flat on my back, she climbed on top of me and pressed a blade into my arm and dragging it down, tears fell from my eyes as I writhed in pain beneath her as she drew more blood.
"Does Harry Potter take the bait?! Concentrate Seer!" The Dark Lord snapped at me, his patience was wearing thin. Glittering balls and Death Eaters filled my head and Harry Potter and his friends were surrounded by them.
"Yes!" I shrieked and Bellatrix got off me with a sickening smile.
"She responds better to physical torture, My Lord" Bellatrix commented and The Dark Lord nodded.
"It seems so, Bella" The Dark Lord walked circles around me, my eyes following him, "Now, what about the Prophecy? I need it, is it there?" He asked me and I shuffled backwards until my back hit something, I looked up and met the cold Grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy. An image of Lucius Malfoy entered my brain, he was getting escorted out by a couple of Aurors. Arrested. I think. "Again!" Bellatrix raised her wand at me again and I screamed loudly as the curse hit me again.
"I don't know!" I screamed, "I can't see it yet!" The pain stopped but the tears still fell, "Please, stop! I can't tell you! I can't see it!" Lies. I have to lie. I have to keep this to myself, I'll endure more pain and punishment but I have to keep my mouth shut. I will not give him the upper hand too much, he cannot succeed.
"Lock her downstairs!" The Dark Lord barked at Bellatrix and left the room. I tried to crawl away from Bellatrix but she crossed the room in flash and grabbed me by my hair and started dragging me across the room. I cried as she yanked me down the stairs, parts of my body painfully bouncing off each step as I was dragged. Bellatrix opened a door and threw me inside and pointed her wand at me again.
"Stupefy!"
I looked up quickly, gasping for breath and tears streaming down my face. I took in my surroundings quickly. I was still at the Burrow, I was still safe. For now. I tried to calm my breathing but I couldn't. I shuddered and wiped my face quickly. My heart was pounding and I was taking shuddering breaths. "Celeste?" I jumped off my bed and pressed myself against a wall quickly. My eyes met the warm brown eyes of the person with who I felt safe.
"George?" I whispered and he quickly crossed the room ignoring the way I recoiled and pulled me into his arms, I instantly wrapped my arms around him and buried my face into his chest and he started running a hand through my hair, an action that had become quite soothing to me. "I'm scared"
"I know, it's okay," George said softly and he pulled me back down onto my bed, he kept his arms around me and pulled me closer. "Tell me about it, tell me where you just went" I shook my head against his chest, I forced my hands to relax once I realised I was digging my fingernails into his back. I was safe in his arms. George would keep me safe. "Tell me, Tee" I relaxed at the sound of my new nickname coming from his mouth.
"He wanted to know if the Prophecy was there. At the ministry, when he lured Harry there and when Bellatrix killed Sirius. I couldn't stop it, I couldn't save him" I spoke quickly and quietly,
"The Prophecy that smashed?" George asked and I nodded.
"He wanted to know if he got it, but I couldn't tell him it would be broken. I couldn't let him get it another way. He couldn't have it"
"You did the right thing" George comforted and I pulled my arms back and turned my right arm over and I ran my left hand along the long white line that ran down the inside of my right arm. George took my arm and ran his own fingers over it gently.
"Bellatrix got happy with a knife when I wouldn't tell The Dark Lord if Harry fell for the trap," I said not fully meeting George's eyes, "If I hadn't had been taken I could have warned Harry that it was a trick. If I hadn't been taken I could have used what I knew for good. But instead, it was used for Evil" Tears fell from my eyes when I finally looked up, George raised his hand slowly and I flinched slightly when he brushed the tears back from my face, "My gift was tainted with Evil and now it's a curse. I'm scared of everything, George, I can't even-" My voice got cut off with more tears.
George wrapped his arms around me again and I linked my hands together around his waist, he was warm and comforting. Safe. "Why did you help me that day?" I asked after a few minutes, my eyes on the fading daylight outside my window. "Why didn't you just let them take me?"
"I heard you scream" George replied, his arms tightening around me for a moment, "My first instinct was to help, I couldn't ignore it"
"Spoken like a true Gryffindor" I muttered and rested my head on his chest, his heartbeat soothing my frayed nerves.
"You're a Gryffindor too, remember" George reminded me and I sighed.
"Maybe I was once" I whispered and a shudder ran through my body, I shifted around a little bit and placed my head on his leg, George went back to running his long fingers through my hair, "I don't think I am anymore. I'm not who I was. I barely remember her"
"I do," George said softly, fresh tears stung my eyes at those two simple words. George remembered me, remembered who I was, who I wish I could be again, "You stood up for your friends, I remember you were so protective over Harry during the Tournament two years ago. Remember when you set off like twenty Dungbombs in Umbridge's office? Remember what you said as ran past Fred and me?"
"Dodge blasts and apologise for collateral damage" I muttered with heavy eyes.
"Your eyes shone with so much happiness and excitement as you ran off. Umbridge thought it was us, stuck us in Detention for two weeks" George said with a soft laugh remembering the day, I managed a ghost of a smile at the thought, "There we go, a small smile. That's progress"
"Sorry for landing you in Detention," I said through a yawn, the feeling of George's fingers through my hair sending me to sleep.
"It was worth it, Tee"
"Tee" I repeated and my eyes closed slowly, "I like it" I heard George laugh softly as I slowly fell asleep with my head on his leg and his fingers still playing with my hair.
"Georgie? Are you here?!" I heard someone call, Fred.
"Shut up you idiot!" George whispered harshly, I heard Fred walk across the room, "You'll wake her up"
"Sorry, I didn't know she was asleep," Fred said quietly, "How long has she been like that?" I was vaguely aware of the fact that my head was on George's leg and my hand was wrapped around his leg just above his knee.
"About an hour and a half, I think" George replied.
"You've been sitting like that the whole time?" Fred asked and I felt George shrug.
"I don't want to disturb her" I felt George's hand in my hair again and I shifted my head slightly, George sighed, "I don't know how to help her, though Freddie"
"Wanna know what I think?"
"Not really but you're going to tell me anyway" I felt the corners of my mouth twitch slightly at the comment.
"She's been in this house since she got here. What about taking her out for a little bit?"
"Are you nuts? We don't know how she'll respond to being outside" George said quickly.
"Alright, how about just showing her the shop, to begin with? Find something that might make her smile? A bit of normalcy might be good for her. I was just talking to Mum about it and she thinks it's a good idea"
"I don't know, Freddie" George sighed again as he absentmindedly twisted a piece of my hair around his fingers. "It might be overwhelming for her and what if she gets seen by someone who will go running right to The Ministry"
"Mum thought about that too" Fred added quickly. "Mum said that seeing as Celeste has warmed up to you the most that if we take her anywhere you stay by her side at all times. If she gets overwhelmed then take her upstairs and as soon as it seems someone is going to report her then we deal with it. Pay them, explain to them or just Obliviate them"
"All this was Mum's idea?" George asked quietly as I shifted in my spot again.
"And mine," Fred said quickly, "Come on, Georgie, she feels safe with you. She trusts you. Ask her when she wakes up and see what she says"
"Alright, I'll ask her but no promises"
"I wasn't asking for any promises, George. She might surprise you. She might even surprise herself" Fred said and I heard him walking across the room again, "I know you'll keep her safe, so will I" I heard the bedroom door close softly indicating that Fred had left.
George sighed and I felt the tips of his fingers trace the side of my face gently, I turned my head slightly to lean into his touch, George must have thought I was still asleep "I'll always keep you safe" I heard him whisper quietly before I slipped into a dreamless sleep again.
I was safe with George, I could trust him. I think.