Chapter 7:
The Truth Hurts
Celeste and Sirius continued to ignore their friends and adore one another through January. They sat by each other in classes and at mealtimes, held hands in the corridors, and often disappeared for hours at a time. Celeste and Sirius. Sirius and Celeste. That's the way it was. Until Valentine's Day. The teachers had decided to celebrate Valentine's Day with yet another ball. It would be an all-nighter, but just one night. The students were to dress up as something to do with love. Celeste said, "Lucky I didn't get rid of my Venus costume. I can use it." Sirius was just wearing red dress robes and had lip prints on his face, courtesy of Celeste. There was to be food served at the ball. The Valentine's Day Ball was to start at nine on February the thirteenth (It was a Friday too. Imagine that.) and would continue until six in the morning of the fourteenth. Students would have the days before and after the ball off to catch up on sleep. Celeste didn't even bother to ask her friends what they were going to the ball as. She only cared about her and Sirius. They didn't bother to ask her either. Lily got fired up again the day before the ball. "You know what, James? She didn't even ask me what I was going as! She wouldn't even know if you and I broke up! She doesn't care about me or the others any more! She's too busy with Sirius!" James was completely fed up with Lily being so mad at Celeste. They had been inseparable until the Christmas ball. "You know, Lily, if you cared so much, you'd make an effort to be friends again." He then kissed her on the lips and left her standing there, stunned.
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Celeste and Sirius entered the Great Hall while everyone else was already there. Celeste was dressed in a plain white toga, her hair intricately wound up in a twisting bun. Her feet were bare. She looked like an ancient Roman. The professors had outdone themselves this time. Heart-shaped red bubbles levitated above the heads of the dancers. There were tiny two-person tables covered with white tablecloths instead of the regular House tables. Tiny cupids flew around, handing roses to various students. Celeste got one as soon as she and Sirius walked into the room. "I sense a great aura of love around you, miss. Perhaps the one you pine for is near you?" the tiny cupid said. Sirius and Celeste smiled lovingly at one another. "Yes, he is," Celeste murmured in reply to the cupid. Sirius and Celeste danced beneath the stars until five in the morning. Sirius went in to get a piece of cake and Celeste went with him. They held hands. Sirius grinned at the house-elf that was serving the cake and she gave him an extra-large piece, smiling shyly back. Celeste said, "Only the infamous Sirius Black could swoon a house-elf." Sirius took a bite of cake. "Yeah, I-" His eyes slid out of focus and he slumped against the table. Celeste screamed. "What the hell is wrong with him? What did you do to him? Why is he slumped over like that? Is he dead?" Lily ran over to the table, followed closely by James. She checked Sirius's neck for a pulse. "He's alive," she said, her voice quivering. Dumbledore rushed to the table. The rest of the professors trailed after him. "Minerva, go get Madam Pomfrey. Something has happened to Mr. Black." Even Dumbledore sounded uncertain. Celeste fixed his eyes in an icy stare. "What happened to him? Is he going to be all right?" "Please, Miss Fortuna, calm down. We're doing everything possible to discover what has happened to Mr. Black." Everyone was staring now. The room had gone quiet. "His name is Sirius and my name is Celeste. I am his girlfriend and I demand to know what happened. You are doing nothing to help him. You are standing there staring at him." Before the headmaster could reply, Professor Hartmann, the Potions professor, interrupted. "Veritaserum. I've seen it before." Dumbledore looked alarmed. "Are you sure, Slyva? How could it have happened?" Celeste sniffled and looked up. "What's Veritaserum?" "Truth Potion," Lily whispered. "I don't know how they can tell." All of a sudden Sirius began muttering something. Celeste and Dumbledore both leaned forward to hear. Celeste pushed the professor away. "It's all right, Mum. I won't let Dad hurt you any more. Don't cry, Mum, Harvey will be okay. I miss Harvey, Mum. How could Dad kill him. I'll fight Dad if he tries to hurt you again, Mum." Celeste stepped back from him, sobbing and shaking her head. She now knew the truth about the horrors Sirius had been through. His own father had killed his older brother Harvey. His father violently abused his mother. He had to watch her being tortured. He hadn't gotten the happy childhood he deserved. That's why he reached out to her, hungry for love and affection. She had to know if he really loved her or if he just loved love. "Do you love Celeste?" she whispered to him. He sighed deeply and continued. "I like her as a friend. It is easy to pretend I love her because we have so much in common. She is my best friend. I can kiss her because I know that she'll kiss back. I need the passion that she showers on me because no one has ever treated me like that before. I feed off of it." Sirius said this much louder than he had been speaking before. The hall was dead quiet and everyone could hear. The crowd gasped as one. Celeste's eyes flashed dangerously, then filled with fresh tears. A shriek of sheer rage ripped from her throat as she threw herself at the door. Lily lunged for her and missed. Professor McGonagall (who had just returned) grabbed her arm. Celeste gave her a look that made her let go. The pure terror mirrored in her eyes was enough to send a pang of fear straight to the heart of the most inexpressive person alive. Celeste tore down the hallways toward the front doors. A rumble of thunder and the crack of lightning sounded outside just before a gale of wind burst open the door and Celeste ran outside. Lily was just behind her but lost her in the onslaught of rain that magically sprang up from Celeste's wrath. Finally she spotted her. Celeste was beside the lake, obviously getting ready to jump in and drown herself. The last words Lily heard her speak were, "Whatever you say, Sirius, I still love you!" She leapt into the lake. Lily tried to follow. James grabbed her arm. He couldn't tell if it was tears or just rain streaming down Lily's face.
Quick, action-packed chapter. Just how I like 'em. Please review.
The Truth Hurts
Celeste and Sirius continued to ignore their friends and adore one another through January. They sat by each other in classes and at mealtimes, held hands in the corridors, and often disappeared for hours at a time. Celeste and Sirius. Sirius and Celeste. That's the way it was. Until Valentine's Day. The teachers had decided to celebrate Valentine's Day with yet another ball. It would be an all-nighter, but just one night. The students were to dress up as something to do with love. Celeste said, "Lucky I didn't get rid of my Venus costume. I can use it." Sirius was just wearing red dress robes and had lip prints on his face, courtesy of Celeste. There was to be food served at the ball. The Valentine's Day Ball was to start at nine on February the thirteenth (It was a Friday too. Imagine that.) and would continue until six in the morning of the fourteenth. Students would have the days before and after the ball off to catch up on sleep. Celeste didn't even bother to ask her friends what they were going to the ball as. She only cared about her and Sirius. They didn't bother to ask her either. Lily got fired up again the day before the ball. "You know what, James? She didn't even ask me what I was going as! She wouldn't even know if you and I broke up! She doesn't care about me or the others any more! She's too busy with Sirius!" James was completely fed up with Lily being so mad at Celeste. They had been inseparable until the Christmas ball. "You know, Lily, if you cared so much, you'd make an effort to be friends again." He then kissed her on the lips and left her standing there, stunned.
¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?¿?
Celeste and Sirius entered the Great Hall while everyone else was already there. Celeste was dressed in a plain white toga, her hair intricately wound up in a twisting bun. Her feet were bare. She looked like an ancient Roman. The professors had outdone themselves this time. Heart-shaped red bubbles levitated above the heads of the dancers. There were tiny two-person tables covered with white tablecloths instead of the regular House tables. Tiny cupids flew around, handing roses to various students. Celeste got one as soon as she and Sirius walked into the room. "I sense a great aura of love around you, miss. Perhaps the one you pine for is near you?" the tiny cupid said. Sirius and Celeste smiled lovingly at one another. "Yes, he is," Celeste murmured in reply to the cupid. Sirius and Celeste danced beneath the stars until five in the morning. Sirius went in to get a piece of cake and Celeste went with him. They held hands. Sirius grinned at the house-elf that was serving the cake and she gave him an extra-large piece, smiling shyly back. Celeste said, "Only the infamous Sirius Black could swoon a house-elf." Sirius took a bite of cake. "Yeah, I-" His eyes slid out of focus and he slumped against the table. Celeste screamed. "What the hell is wrong with him? What did you do to him? Why is he slumped over like that? Is he dead?" Lily ran over to the table, followed closely by James. She checked Sirius's neck for a pulse. "He's alive," she said, her voice quivering. Dumbledore rushed to the table. The rest of the professors trailed after him. "Minerva, go get Madam Pomfrey. Something has happened to Mr. Black." Even Dumbledore sounded uncertain. Celeste fixed his eyes in an icy stare. "What happened to him? Is he going to be all right?" "Please, Miss Fortuna, calm down. We're doing everything possible to discover what has happened to Mr. Black." Everyone was staring now. The room had gone quiet. "His name is Sirius and my name is Celeste. I am his girlfriend and I demand to know what happened. You are doing nothing to help him. You are standing there staring at him." Before the headmaster could reply, Professor Hartmann, the Potions professor, interrupted. "Veritaserum. I've seen it before." Dumbledore looked alarmed. "Are you sure, Slyva? How could it have happened?" Celeste sniffled and looked up. "What's Veritaserum?" "Truth Potion," Lily whispered. "I don't know how they can tell." All of a sudden Sirius began muttering something. Celeste and Dumbledore both leaned forward to hear. Celeste pushed the professor away. "It's all right, Mum. I won't let Dad hurt you any more. Don't cry, Mum, Harvey will be okay. I miss Harvey, Mum. How could Dad kill him. I'll fight Dad if he tries to hurt you again, Mum." Celeste stepped back from him, sobbing and shaking her head. She now knew the truth about the horrors Sirius had been through. His own father had killed his older brother Harvey. His father violently abused his mother. He had to watch her being tortured. He hadn't gotten the happy childhood he deserved. That's why he reached out to her, hungry for love and affection. She had to know if he really loved her or if he just loved love. "Do you love Celeste?" she whispered to him. He sighed deeply and continued. "I like her as a friend. It is easy to pretend I love her because we have so much in common. She is my best friend. I can kiss her because I know that she'll kiss back. I need the passion that she showers on me because no one has ever treated me like that before. I feed off of it." Sirius said this much louder than he had been speaking before. The hall was dead quiet and everyone could hear. The crowd gasped as one. Celeste's eyes flashed dangerously, then filled with fresh tears. A shriek of sheer rage ripped from her throat as she threw herself at the door. Lily lunged for her and missed. Professor McGonagall (who had just returned) grabbed her arm. Celeste gave her a look that made her let go. The pure terror mirrored in her eyes was enough to send a pang of fear straight to the heart of the most inexpressive person alive. Celeste tore down the hallways toward the front doors. A rumble of thunder and the crack of lightning sounded outside just before a gale of wind burst open the door and Celeste ran outside. Lily was just behind her but lost her in the onslaught of rain that magically sprang up from Celeste's wrath. Finally she spotted her. Celeste was beside the lake, obviously getting ready to jump in and drown herself. The last words Lily heard her speak were, "Whatever you say, Sirius, I still love you!" She leapt into the lake. Lily tried to follow. James grabbed her arm. He couldn't tell if it was tears or just rain streaming down Lily's face.
Quick, action-packed chapter. Just how I like 'em. Please review.
