I couldn't go to Dumbledore's funeral, Mr Weasley had said it was for my own safety so I stayed behind at the Burrow on the day George decided to stay behind to keep me company and Fred soon agreed to stay behind too. I agreed to go with the twins to the shop after Fred had spent two hours convincing me. George was still reluctant but he promised that he'd stay with me the whole time.
When we got to Diagon Alley I looked up at the shop with wide eyes, I was able to look at it properly for the first time. It was painted in vibrant colours which made it stand out against the darker colours of the rest of the Alley, Fred quickly unlocked the door and ushered us inside and my mouth fell open. All sorts of products lined the walls, I was unable to process how many colours there were. "This is amazing!" I said in awe, "You guys did all this while we were still school?"
"Yeah," Fred said with a proud smile, "It wasn't easy but we were determined, Mum wasn't fond of the idea and she was pissed when she found out we dropped out of school a few months early but she soon came around when she saw how good business was"
"This is crazy!" I said as I walked between the aisles taking it all in, I stopped when I came to a bright pink display, "Love potions? Really?"
"They're a good seller, believe it or not," George said, coming up beside me, I rolled my eyes and turned around again looking up, I saw a miniature Umbridge cycling along a line above my head and I started giggling. I covered my mouth with my hand as the giggles turned to laughter, I felt my face flush when I caught George watching me with a smile, "What?"
"You know, that's the first time you've laughed and smiled since we found you," Fred said with a smile of his own and he looked up at the Mini Umbridge. "Who knew it would be the Mini Bitch that would make you laugh"
"What did happen to the toad?" I asked walking through the shop and leaning against the counter, Fred slipped behind it and started to fiddle with the cash register.
"From what we've been told by Harry, she got carried off by Centaurs near the end of the year," George said leaning against the counter beside me, "You good to open up, Freddie? I'm going to show Tee around"
"Go for it," Fred said and waved us off quickly, George led me around the back of the shop.
"This is our WonderWitch selection, love potions, Ten-Second Pimple Vanishers and there's also Pygmy Puffs, they're a good sell" My eyes went over to the Pygmy Puffs and I smiled.
"They're adorable!" I said as I watched the pink and purple balls bounce around in their cases.
"We do struggle to keep up with demand though so people order them" George explained. "We even have some Muggle Magic tricks over there" George waved his hand across the room and I laughed, "They're not as popular as the rest but they do sell" I jumped when the bell above the door rang and George looked around the corner, his face paling "Come on, I'll show you upstairs," He said quickly and took hold of my hand and led me to the stairs quickly.
"Who was that?" I asked with a frown as I followed George.
"No one" George answered too quickly and I stopped at the top of the stairs, George turned to look at me and sighed, "Alright, I thought she was across seas, it was Angelina"
"Johnson?" I asked and George nodded, "Does she stop by a lot?"
"Every time she's in town" George shrugged, "I admit I do try to avoid her at times, she's...persistent"
"Didn't she date Fred in our sixth year?" I asked with a frown as George leaned against the wall with a shrug.
"It was short-lived, since then she hasn't been very subtle about who she really wants," George said I heard Fred calling for him.
"And that's you?" I asked and George nodded, "Huh," I said simply and then smiled. "Let's fix that"
"Oh no" George whispered to himself and I turned on my heel and went back down the stairs, George followed silently. "Freddie, incoming!" George called as I reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Fred, your front room needs a clean! Don't think that I or your mother will be doing it!" I called through the shop as I walked towards the front. I heard George laugh quietly behind me and I bit back a smile. This is the most normal I've felt in a long while, so I decided to run with it, Fred looked at me when I came into view and I winked at him, he grinned.
"Who's that?" Angelina asked with her back facing me.
"That'll be George's girlfriend" Fred deadpanned and I heard George come to a stop behind me while my own eyes were wide but I managed to compose myself when Angelina turned around.
"Girlfriend? Since when does he have-" Angelina's words cut off when she turned and saw me "Celeste? But you're dead!"
"I look pretty good for a dead girl," I shrugged and Fred's shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. "Hi, Ange"
"Where the hell have you been?" Angelina asked me, looking at me as if she'd seen a ghost.
"Around" I shrugged, "But mainly with Molly" I sent George a look and turned back to Angelina with a smile, "And George"
"You didn't come back to school! We thought you were killed or abducted" Angelina said and shot the twins an accusing look "'Have you known where she's been this entire time?!"
I froze and my smile faded, I jumped when George's arm slid around my waist and he pulled me to him, "Of course, I'd know where my girlfriend has been" Angelina frowned at me and then at George.
"Wait, Fred was being serious?" Angelina asked and Fred was almost on the floor, silently laughing behind Angelina. "You two are together?" I bit my lip but didn't say anything, I didn't know what to say. I know why Fred did it, he must have known that George wasn't interested. He just wanted to help but that didn't help with my pounding heart and I was all too aware of George's hand on my hip.
"Yep," George said simply and Angelina's face flushed, she took one look at me and quickly left the shop. I sighed and leaned against a counter. "Fred, what the hell was that?"
"What?" Fred shrugged and rested his arms on the counter next to me, I tensed up slightly but I didn't move, "You went with it"
"And why the hell did you say you knew where I've been?" I chimed in, my eyes narrowing.
"I went with it because it was easier than explaining why you said it in the first place," George said, crossing his arms across his chest and he turned to me "I said that I knew where you've been to remove her suspicion. If she believes that you've been with us the whole time think about what other people will believe when she starts talking!"
"That's-" I cut myself off quickly and I smiled, "That's actually genius" George shrugged and smiled at me.
"I have my moments" George's eyes met mine for a minute and I felt my heart jump.
"Alright!" Fred said quickly and I looked away from George, my cheeks feeling warm, "Let's head back home, the others shouldn't be too much longer, Mum wanted you back before she got home"
"No!" I laughed quickly and placed a glass in a cupboard, "Snape tried to blame me for the cauldron blowing up in my face!"
"Why would I make my cauldron blow up in my own face?" Fred mimicked me from our fifth year and I rolled my eyes at him.
"Pricks. I knew it was you two!" I said, "Thanks for the two hours spent cleaning his classroom!"
"Hey! We got pulled into that too!" George defended and I shot him a look.
"Yeah, you sat on your asses and did fuck all!" I shot back and turned to head towards the front room. As soon I turned the corner, my laughter died as someone pushed me back against a wall and a wand was pointed in my face, I froze up and panic instantly set in. Fred and George instantly rushed forward to pull them off me and I doubled over breathing heavily with my hands pressed to my chest and my vision blurred with tears.
I saw someone try to lunge at me again and I pressed myself against the wall but either Fred or George had blocked their path, "Back off!" George said angrily and pushed them back again after they had made another lunge, "Harry, back the hell off!"
"What in the world is going on?!" I heard Molly shout and I jumped, pressing my back into the wall again. Molly took one look at me and rushed over, "Celeste, are you okay?" I shook my head unable to catch my breath, "George!"
George turned quickly and quickly wrapped his arms around me protectively still glaring at Harry, "You're protecting her?!" I heard Harry yell and I hid my face in George's chest.
"Stop shouting, Harry, you're scaring her," George said in a surprisingly soft voice and his hand came up to hold the back of my head, my whole body shook with fear.
"Scaring her?" Harry asked in a lower voice, "Do you know who she is?!"
"Since when have you ever believed anything written in that damn paper?!" Fred asked. "She's not a Death Eater, Harry! She doesn't have the Mark, just look at her arm!" My hands gripped onto George's shirt as I tried to stop shaking.
"I'm going to take her upstairs," George said quickly and after Molly nodded, George led me through the room and I recoiled back when I passed Harry, who was still glaring at me. As soon as I was inside my room I collapsed onto my bed and took deep breaths and kept my eyes closed. I flinched slightly when George put his hands on either side of my face, "Hey, look at me" He said softly, I opened my eyes and instantly met his, "You're okay, Tee, come back to me. You're still safe"
"I'm still safe" I repeated and took a shuddering breath, "I'm sorry" I added quietly, George smiled softly and ran his thumb along my cheekbone, my heartbeat slowed down slightly and the panic started to fade.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, it's not your fault" George comforted and I sighed, George sat down next to me and wrapped an arm around me pulling me into his chest.
"I'm sick of being like this" I admitted, "It's been what? Nearly two months and I'm still a nervous wreck" I pulled back and focused on my hands, picking at my nails.
"You're not as bad as you were a few weeks ago, Tee, look" I watched as George's slowly took my hand and I flinched ever so slightly, "Barely a flinch"
"Still a flinch, it's not bad when it's you," I said and my cheeks burned, "You're basically my safety blanket"
"I'm okay with that" George said softly and I looked up to meet his eyes, "I told you, you could trust me"
"George?" I heard someone say and I involuntarily jumped, my hand tightened around George's and his thumb rubbed the back of my hand gently.
"What is it, Harry?" George asked as Harry walked into the room slowly.
"I was hoping to talk to Celeste before I went back to the Dursleys," Harry said and my hand gripped George's even tighter.
"You can but I'm not going anywhere," George said in a flat tone.
"But-"
"No" George interrupted and Harry sighed in defeat.
"Fine" Harry looked at me and I looked at him but not meeting his eyes, "I'm sorry, Celeste, I didn't know about your condition. If I had I wouldn't have done what I did and I am sorry"
"It's okay," I said quietly and I looked down quickly, my eyes focusing on George's hand around mine. "It's not something I advertise"
"Doesn't make what I did any better, Celeste, I won't do it again. I promise" Harry said quickly and I looked up again this time meeting his eyes.
"Alright, I need to start trusting again. So I guess now is a good time to start" I stood up, letting go of George's hand. "I wanna try something if that's okay?" Harry nodded and George watched closely. "Give me your hand" Harry reached out and I took his hand in mine, I closed my eyes and cleared my mind.
Images of a dark night filled my head quickly, flashes of spells being cast in the air. A jet of green hitting a white owl, white light hits Harry in the side of the head and someone falls off their broom. Two deaths. The images reply and I recognise Severus Snape shooting a spell at a Death Eater but it hits Harry instead and Snape disappears. The Dark Lord takes a shot at Harry but Harry defends himself successfully. I recognise the Owl as Harry's, she dies protecting her master and it's Mad-Eye Moody who falls off his broom after getting distracted. Multiple Harry's flashes across my mind all with a different companion.
I let go of Harry's hand quickly as if I had been burned and stumbled backwards, George got to his feet and quickly steadied me. "What was that?" He asked me but I just shook my head.
"I've seen that look before," Harry said finally after watching me for a second, "You're a Seer aren't you?" I nodded slowly, George took my hand and another image flashed across my eyes.
George lying on the sofa in the Burrow, the left side of his head covered in blood. I put two and two together quickly and placed George as the Harry who got hit with Snape's spell. I quickly took my hand from George's ignoring the look he gave me and I wrapped my arms around myself. "I hate it," I said after a minute and I avoided George's eyes.
"What happened? What did you see?" Harry asked and I shook my head.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with just yet, Harry, but come to the end of the month. You need to get the Dursley's to leave and they need to go somewhere far away, okay?" I spoke quickly and I barely noticed that I was shaking a little bit, "They're still your family, this is to protect them"
"Alright," Harry said with a nod, "Thank you, Celeste. I'll see you after the summer?" I nodded and Harry left without another word, George turned to me and I looked down at the floor.
"You wanna tell me what it was?" George asked and I shook my head.
"Not yet, George, let me sort through it okay? There might be something I can do to prevent it going so bad" I said and finally looked up to meet his eyes, my gaze flickered to the left side of his head for a brief minute before going back to his eyes, "I've got about three weeks to think it through before I say anything to anyone"
"Tee, maybe I could-"
"It involves you" I cut in quickly and took his hand, "Just trust me, please" George nodded and he squeezed my hand gently.
"At this point, Tee, I trust you with my life," George said softly and placed his other hand on the side of my face gently, "See, you didn't even flinch this time"
"I didn't?"
"Not even a little bit" George smiled at me, "I think you're going to be alright" I smiled softly and leaned into his touch, warmth spread through my chest and completely enveloped me.
Maybe George was right, I think I am going to be alright.