Celesta sat with Hermione on the train ride home. Depending on who'd pick her up from the station, she planned on introducing her best friend to her mother. Those plans were quickly dashed when she saw both her mother and father at the station, waiting on her and Draco. Cringing a little as they started to deboard, she turned to her friend, a sympathetic look on her features. "I'm sorry Hermione, but Father...like Draco he doesn't look well on muggleborns." she'd explained, a quick hug her last goodbye before her parents approached.
"Mother! Father! I've missed you so!" she cried as she went to them, knowing better than to show too much affection in public. She'd long since traded her school robes for a wool day-dress that went to her knees, stockings slipped on underneath and a pair of kitten-heeled boots fit for walking in snow and slush.
"Do you have everything, dear?" Her Mother's voice came calmly, full of affection with a small smile. "Where's...ah, there's your brother," she'd added, caressing both their cheeks as her smile turned into a grin. "Everybody ready to go home? Shopping will be tomorrow, of course," she'd decided, Lucius talking with some ministry officials before noticing both of his children were waiting on him in order to get home.
Celesta waited until she was back in her room before she spun around in a very unladylike fashion, collapsing on her bed in a fit of giggles. She'd grown slightly, no more than an inch, since the start of term. She couldn't wait until she'd be grown enough that people didn't mistake her for a child. After all, she was going to Hogwarts now, not muggle primary school.
Dinner would be in a bit, however, so Celesta didn't have long to relish the feeling of her own bed, sighing as she stood and changed clothing to a more appropriate house dress, fixing her hair before making her way down the stairs once Luli had come to inform her of dinner being ready. It was a tedius affair to sit and discuss grades, Lucius paying most of his attention to Draco. It was during dessert that he finally turned to his daughter.
"And you, Celesta? How are you finding Hogwarts?" His question seemed innocent enough, but his cold gaze told her that this would be a test. Say the wrong thing, she'd be sent to another school or worse, homeschooled. Say the correct thing...but what was the correct thing to say?
"Hogwarts is very refreshing, though Dumbledore seems a bit mad." She'd finally spoke, taking a few moments to gather her thoughts, even checking her sheilds. "I've made a few friends in my House, though most of the time I spend studying. I don't want to get behind in my studies," Celesta finally concluded, Lucius nodding a bit before looking away, dinner continuing on until they were dismissed.
"Be up early for tomorrow, your Mother is taking you too shopping for Christmas," were his parting words to the two of them as they retreated to their rooms. Draco asked if she'd completed her homework already, to which she replied she had and it was still at the school, her brother sighing and nodding before patting her shoulder, stopping her from going to her room.
"I promised Mother I'd keep your secrets about who you associate with, sister. But please, for my sake, don't get caught in trouble with them. Now it wouldn't be only you who were punished should it be found out." And with those parting words, he offered a small smile, before turning to his room. "Night."
Shopping the next day was a mostly quiet affair, Narcissa going with Draco to purchase gifts, Luli with Celesta. She'd gotten sweets for Ron and for Harry she'd gotten a pair of riding gloves that would ensure he be able to hold on, should another incident happen like the first game. Hermione was a harder witch to shop for, before Celesta found the perfect books in Flourish and Blotts, 'Daily Charms for Everyday Chores' and 'Spells to hide your Blemishes'. She could only hope that Hermione didn't think the second one to be insulting her, and when she wrapped them she included a note explaining that it was a book she's read since she was young, preparing her for puberty. Already she was starting to find acne she was covering with the spells. For Professor Snape she purchased some rare ingredients that cost more than the teacher was willing to spare, and for her Head of House she got an embroidered pillow with the Professor's Animagus form stiched into it, charmed to be warm and comfortable should she wish to lounge on it in cat form.
Christmas morning, she awoke to a small pile of gifts on the end of her bed from her friends, the rest of her presents she'd receive under careful watch of her parents. Those gifts were all from 'approved' people, from her Father. She'd received a jumper from Mrs. Weasley, along with some homemade fudge. It was a brilliant purple color, with a white 'C' on it, a book of Muggle fairy tales from Hermione, and a make up set from her Mother, along with a note that said since she was growing older, she could start wearing more products, so long as she didn't look like a clown while doing so.
Breakfast was a festive meal. They broke Christmad crackers, Celesta receiving a small diadem, Draco a broom polishing kit. Narcissa and Lucius kissed under a mistletoe, before they finally opened gifts from the family. For Draco, she'd gotten a book on advanced Charms, her Mother received a pair of gemstone earings charmed to change color according to the outfit she was wearing, and Lucius a new pair of cufflinks.
From Draco, she'd gotten a light green scarf made of the softest material money could buy. Lucius had gotten her crystal phials for her potions, charmed to never break. Narcissa had gotten her a pretty charm bracelet with a dragon charm already attached, Celesta chuckling as she showed it to Draco.
The rest of the day was spent as a family, until Lucius and Narcissa had them going to the Christmas Ball that the Greengrasses were hosting that year. For most of the party, Celesta kept quiet, speaking only when spoken to, but otherwise hanging out by the punch bowl. Being the only Gryffindor in a crowd of Slytherins was...exhausting.
That night she requested not to go to any more unless it was required.
The day she was to return to Hogwarts was the day she'd officially 'entered' womanhood, Narcissa helping her with contraception potions she'd need to take once a month until she was ready for children, and they'd keep the periods away. Madame Pompfrey would supply them to her, or Professor Snape, if she didn't wish to go to the Hospital Wing. "It's very normal for girls to bleed once a month dear. You might be more moody, but I'm sure you'll be able to handle it. Remember to take the potion and you'll be just fine," was the sage advice of her adopted mother.
On the train ride she'd complained to Hermione about it, the older girl laughing it off, saying she'd been using muggle contraptions called pads and tampons to control the bleeding. The first night she tried one, but she hated them immediately, choosing instead to use the potions from then on.
They learned what Ron and Harry had gotten up to during the holidays, Celesta receiving hugs from the Weasley family, who, after receiving gifts from Mrs. Weasley, had seen fit to send the family a lovely thank you note, as well as a life-time supply certificate to Enchante Yarnage, the crafts store in France that shipped yarn to all over the world with order forms. They were able to enchant the yarn with all sorts of charms. Apparently the matriarch of the Weasley's had informed them to be nice and that she was welcome over anytime.
Again, she had to tell Ron, Harry, and Hermione that while she wasn't going to tell on them for researching Flamel, she wasn't going to help them either. She was fascinated by the cloak, but she'd heard of the Mirror of Erised before and told Harry that it was unlucky to look for such a thing again.
Classes had started up again, their Professors getting them ready for the end of year exams. Harry's upcoming quidditch game was going to be referreed by Snape, and he looked particularly worried by that. Celesta knew however, that he was most likely doing so to prevent Harry from being jinxed again. It was during that when the trio found out about Flamel and the sorcerer's stone at long last. She had excused herself after that to go work on her homework a bit more, revising the final paragraph of her Charm's essay.
She'd stayed indoors the day of the game, and when her friends returned and said what they thought, she'd scolded them for thinking that Professor Snape would actually harm any of the students there. She absolutely refused to include herself in any of that business, she'd told them, before softening her tone. They were her only friends, after all. "I understand you don't like him, and that he doesn't seem to like you. But I'd trust Snape with my life before I'd trust Quirrel saying he'd give me the world for only a knut. Please don't ask me to go against that, alright?"
They seemed to understand where she stood after that, and while they included her in their conversations, they didn't ask her to participate in their antics anymore. Hermione seemed to even forget about it altogether as exams approached, meeting up with Celesta in the library more and more, color coding the subjects, even creating schedules that'd maximise their studying. She'd tried to get Ron and Harry to do the same, though they didn't see the point. They tried however.
On the first really clear day they'd had in months, Ron finally gave up on studying, staring longingly out the window. After Hagrid had come by hiding books about dragons, they all packed up their books, stopping in the common room to drop them off and allow Celesta to get her parasol before they headed to the half-giant's hut. Inside it was stifling, and as her friends interogated the man, she instead found herself drawn to the fire, her eyes growing wide. It wasn't long before everybody else caught site of it. Soon they all had more worries than Flamel, like instead what would happen to Hagrid if anybody found out.
Author's Note: Here's Chapter 8! I know it's probably short, but there was a bunch of time skips between Christmas and spring time in the book. Again, Celesta is a part of their friendship, but she's not going to be in their adventures. Not seriously at least. This might change in the future, but especially for the first book? No. She's keeping her head down.
Thank you again to those that are following this story, those that have favorited it, and the reviews I've gotten. They mean a lot to me!